And how can I stand here with you,

And not be moved by you?

Would you tell me,

How could it be,

Any better than this?

Cause you're all I want,

You're all I need,

You're everything, everything.

You're all I want,

You're all I need,

You're everything, everything. – Lifehouse

Sookie POV

It's a struggle to open my eyes at the moment. Hell, I discover it's hard to do anything at the moment as I try to move my body and it doesn't seem to cooperate. I start to panic a bit as memories of what happened start to come back to me. There are plenty of holes though and that's what starts my panic. I remember being shoved into a wall. I remember Thalia coming. I remember staking Appius. That's the last thing I remember with any type of clarity. I think Thalia started carrying me out of the building but I can't be sure and everything after that is blurry.

So not knowing if we had lost the fight, if the fight was still going, or what the hell was going on, my panic starts to build. Not being able to open my eyes doesn't help. It builds until I feel a weight in my hand then I just feel confusion. Do I still have the piece of wood I staked Appius with in my hand? It's not until I focus on the weight that I sense a bit of familiarity about it. I feel fingers wrapping around my own, playing with them, probably without realizing it, as he tends to do. Now knowing what the weight in my hand is, I fight to open my eyes even harder, needing them to open so that I can see his.

And they open! But then they close almost automatically, only giving me a glance at what I think is the ceiling. And that is also how the next few attempts go much to my dismay. And then finally, finally they stay open. I slightly turn my head towards the direction of the hand grasping mine and I see Eric. Eric! I see Eric and I know he's alive, or at least not finally dead and I cannot describe how happy that knowledge makes me feel. I hear a slight rustle towards my other side and I slowly turn my head and to find that Jason and Pam are here too! I turn back towards Eric and I feel my face start to form a little smile.

"Hey," I say to him and my voice sounds hoarse, making me wonder how long I was out. At least I am guessing that's why I'm in a hospital bed with these three people staring at me.

I don't get a verbal response. His smile gets bigger, becoming one of happiness instead of one that is strained. He brings his hand and it turn mine still attached to it, to his lips and I can feel him press a kiss to it. Jason lays his head next to mine on my pillow and I can feel him shaking and suddenly my pillow is wet. Pam catches my eye and makes a motion that I shouldn't worry; she will fix my hair in no time.

It's good to know that some things never change. It's a comfort to know that whatever we may go through, there are some things that we can always depend on, things that don't involve battles and kidnappings. Hopefully, after all this is said and done, the kidnappings and battles will be things that we can no longer count on.

I have so many questions that I want to ask but I am finding it hard to voice anything at this point. I am blaming that on grogginess though as my head and body no longer feel like I was shoved into a wall by an angry vampire.

So I decide to start small. "How long?" I ask before I start to cough. Pam is suddenly at my side holding a cup of water. "Thanks," I tell her and start to drink before Eric tells me to slowly. I fight really hard not to roll my eyes knowing that he says it from a place of caring, but I can tell by the smirk on his face that I fail.

"Less than twenty-four hours," Jason tells me but the look on Eric's face tells me that tells me it felt like twenty-four years instead of only a day. That is something I can understand though. If our roles had been reversed it would have felt much longer to me as well.

A lot can happen in twenty-four hours. Obviously, I know that the three people in the room with me are okay, but there's still a few more unaccounted for that I need to know survived.

Eric must recognize the look in my eyes because he says as reassuring as he can that everyone's fine. He starts to explain more but is interrupted by Dr. Ludwig coming in to check on me. The tiny doctor must have somehow known I was awake. I am not quite sure how she does it, and I am not quite sure I want to know for that matter.

She spends a few minutes looking into my eyes and doing whatever it is she does when she holds her hands over her patient; in this instance they are over my head, which makes sense. She makes a sound, which I am hoping is her happy sound before taking both of my wrists in her hands. Eric only lets go of my hand when he gets a glare from the doctor, his holding on impeding the tiny doctor. He gives her a glare of his own before gently pulling his hand away from mine only to place it on my hair, Dr. Ludwig seemingly happy with that continues the examination.

The tiny doctor takes a step back and with the smile on her face, I am hoping she has some good news. She doesn't quite give me a clean bill of health yet but she does inform me that my arms, wrists, and legs are healed. "Your husband's blood took care of that," she says to us. I think that's the nicest thing she has ever said to Eric.

"I would feel more comfortable if you stayed another day and night just to be on the safe side with some of your internal injuries," she says. On top of the hit to my head, one of my kidneys was damaged when Appius slammed me into the wall. Eric's blood has me on the mend and the doctor just wants to be sure it is enough.

Although he doesn't look happy at the idea of me not going home tonight, Eric tells the doctor I will stay as long as she thinks is necessary. Then it's my turn to glare at him wanting to get home as soon as possible. When my brother, the traitor, agrees with him the slim hope I had of convincing Eric to let me go home tonight, which really I had no chance at all, goes out the window.

I sigh and tell my brother, "Oh can't you just go be with Thalia or something?" But then I realize that maybe he can't go be with Thalia. Eric's reassurance that everyone is fine from earlier leaves my head and instead I start to worry that something may have happened to my friend. Fine can encompass many things.

But Jason waves his hand and says, "I saw her an hour ago. I think she got sick of me," he adds with a laugh. I am filled at relief at his words.

That's when Eric finally explains what happened. He tells me as much as he can, combining what he knows about and what he was told happened during my rescue. I get everything he knows from the time he realized I was missing, to when he could no longer feel me, to when he came up with a plan, to the Ancient Pythoness showing up, to the fighting. He tells me what happened when Thalia brought me out of the warehouse and what he has learned since. The most important things he tells me is that our family is okay and that it seems the plot stops here.

Hopefully, nothing else will pop up.

It would appear that Appius was behind everything and had used others to get to us, to do his dirty work. Now that we have access to his bank records, it seems that he was even behind Threadgill wanting the state, at least behind him financially. We don't know if Appius approached Threadgill or if he just got wind of Threadgill's idea and pushed him along. So far, everything can be traced back to Appius and with him gone, hopefully this will all be over. We will have to search his line, and Bill's program may actually be of use to this, to make sure we won't be dealing with any revenge-seeking children, but it does seem like this mess may finally be over. Karin is still searching for any evidence that would prove otherwise and I know if there is any to find, she will be the one to find it.

After Eric is done explaining all he knows, the eyes in the room look expectedly to me to tell my tale. I think for a second to use my injuries as reason to put this off but just as I wanted to know what happened, I am sure these three want to know what happened. I look to Jason before focusing back on Eric asking a silent question. Eric nods in answer and I am shocked at his response. The fact that Eric would allow Jason to hear my explanation, that Jason could hear things about vampires, things about himself, shows how much trust Eric is putting on Jason. He gets a smile and a kiss to which my brother responds like a three year old.

I'll be sure to respond in kind in ever given the chance.

I am hesitant to bring up Eric's maker, though of course it is impossible to tell them what happened without doing so. I know saying the relationship between them is complicated would be a gross understatement. I know Eric has finally come to grips with the truth behind how Appius treated him but I also know that the relationship with an abuser, especially one that's family, is not simply black and white. It would be so much simpler if it were.

I don't think Eric will blame me or be angry with me for killing Appius; no, Eric wanted him dead before and I am sure that feeling has only grown since he was holding me captive. I know Eric will be happy that he is finally gone.

But I also know a part, no matter how small, will mourn the fact. He will not necessarily even be mourning the loss of Appius. More like, the idea of Appius, of what could have been; of what should have been. But there is much Eric deserves to know, much he needs to know so I take one more mouthful of water before I start an explanation of my own.

Eric POV

When Sookie opened her eyes and they stayed open, it was one of the best moments of my life. I am slowly racking up quite a few best moments of my life with Sookie. I just wanted to bask in the happiness I felt at that moment, just take in her smile and take in the feel of her in my blood again.

But I can feel her anxiety start to build as she starts to worry about everyone else and just what may have happened to them. There will be plenty of time for basking later, preferably basking alone when she is good and healed. So I begin to tell her what happened but Ludwig coming to look in on her patient interrupts me. As much as I would love to take Sookie home as soon as possible, I will make sure she stays under the doctor's care as long as she needs to. Just when it looks like Sookie is ready to argue against the doctor's words, Jason shows that he is on my side, and the side of the doctor's. Sookie sighs in exasperation and I kiss her head in appreciation.

Then when the doctor leaves, I tell her what happened. Appius had long closed down our bond, not allowing me to feel him. There is evidence that he had been in this country for months, close to a year even. If I had known, if I had felt him this close, I could have been more prepared, made sure Sookie was better protected. In the end, he simply followed his side of the bond, the side he kept open and knew where I was. He had been watching long enough to know Sookie's station in my life, to know that we had been married.

"He didn't like that very much," she says softly.

"I imagine he would not," I tell her, unable to keep the sadness out of my voice. "He would not like anything that brought me happiness," I say. The look on Sookie's face was enough to tell me I am correct. So I continue my tale, telling Sookie that Appius knew of our location simply due to the bond and took her during the day, wanting to hurt me more than anything else. I then tell her of what happened when she until she regained consciousness, including me having to kill my brother.

Oddly, when it is her turn, and I can tell by the look on her face she is thinking of any way to get out of it, my brother is where she chooses to start. "Your brother," she starts off by telling me. "I think he's the vampire that I met. He was with me the night Appius paid you a visit. He was the reason that I was able to get out of the warehouse that night," she says, continuing to explain their interaction. She, like myself, felt that there was something off about him and though it weighed on her, she knew he should not survive the fight.

"He was the reason we were able to find where you were," I tell her softly, feeling the need to give him the credit he is due. "Getting out of the iron filled walls, that allowed Claudine to use her Fae magic to find you."

"He had to have known that, Eric. I believe that he understood what would happen and he saw that as a way he could get back at Appius."

I nod. She takes my hand in hers and gives me the minute I need. Even if his motivation was to get back at our maker, it is his actions that allowed Claudine to find Sookie, for us to find Sookie. And instead of thanking him, I had to kill him.

"I do not even know his name," I say, my voice shaky. He may have been called something else in his vampire life. I am surprised when Jason reaches over his sister to take my other hand in his own offer of comfort.

"He did what he could for Sook," Jason says softly. "And though it sucked, you did what you had to do for him," he continues. "It doesn't sound like he would have done well in the vampire world."

At his words, I look Jason in the eyes and give him my thanks. His support and his words mean a great deal to me, and months ago, maybe even weeks ago that would have surprised me but it does not anymore.

Sookie gives us a few more seconds before continuing her tale. I pay especially close attention to what she says about the interaction between de Castro and Appius. Though the evidence we had collected shows they were working together, suggests it was my maker that sought Felipe out and put ideas in his head, their interactions will tell me a bit more. Information such as Felipe was promised my wife for example, shows his motivation in all of this. I have to leave the room for a few seconds in hearing that. Much like Sookie needed a few seconds to gather herself when she found out Appius tried to sell me off to Freyda, I need a few seconds to myself too.

I gather myself quickly and return to her, this time joining her on the bed and wrapping her gently in my arms. I do not care that my feet hang off the bed by almost a foot, I just care that I have my wife in my arms again. Sookie curls into my side as she finishes her tale, telling me everything until it starts to get foggy for her.

Well, almost everything. I can tell she is holding something back and though I am terrified of what that may be, I will not push her, not tonight at least.

It is when Jason announces he will go get Thalia and bring her in here that Sookie turns to me and I know she will be telling me what she held back before. I brace myself for the worst, knowing what my maker is capable of.

"You never hurt those girls," Sookie says, as her brother leaves the room. My eyes fly to hers and I can sense that she has all of Pam's focus as well. Though not exactly the best thing in the world to blurt out, I know that Sookie needs me to understand. She knows that I need to know the truth as well. The torture that I have put myself through, that I had put Sookie and Pam through all on the belief that I was capable of the horrible crime.

I look to Sookie in disbelief but she is quick to repeat it. "It's what Appius said," she tells me softly before explaining his words. My maker knew me well and knew that the mental pain of thinking that I had defamed those girls as I had been. He knew I would never want to do to other what had been done to me, even in my weakest state. Somehow, knowing that this is the way he chose to torture me for centuries hurts me more than any physical torture he ever put me through. Sookie and Pam offer me their comfort at this news and I am in no way shamed when Jason comes back into the room, pushing Thalia in a wheel chair.

Oh, I am sure the female vampire just loves that.

Thalia POV

Jason wheels me into Sookie's room in a stupid wheel chair. I would have been fine walking. Hell, I tried walking; after all my legs are still both working fine. It's my arm that is missing in this equation. But that short little doctor is very intimidating for her size. After making abundantly clear that my left arm may not be the only appendage that I am missing if I walk to Sookie's room on my own, she got her way. I was under the impression doctors were made to help people. Silly me, what was I thinking?

However, see Jason's face as he was able to help me with something was worth being in this damn chair. Maybe the little doctor was on to something; it was just for a different patient.

It's not until Jason wheels me into the room and I see Sookie sitting up in bed talking that I believe she is okay. I have been told she was alive. I have been told that she is awake and talking but I am coming to find out that, especially when it comes to the well being of family, seeing is believing. So, I put away my pride that wants me to simply hide until my arm grows back for the sake of family, knowing that Sookie probably wants to see me just as much as I want to see her.

Tears start to fall when she sees my arm, or to be more accurate my lack there of but I am quick to reassure her. "It's nothing that won't grow back," I tell her.

"I am just sorry that it has to," she says as she tries to hold in her tears.

"I'm not," I tell her honestly. Sure re-growing an arm is not exactly a painless procedure but I'll take it over the other possibilities that could have happened in the battle.

It feels good to actually sit down and talk when someone' life isn't on the line. It feels even better as more and more family makes their way into the room. It's something we haven't been able to do lately and something I am vowing to make sure happens a bit more often. I can tell by the look on Eric's face however, that as much as he likes this he is dying to bring up one major last piece of business.

I am actually surprised it takes him as long as it does but even he must be craving the kind of calm conversation we have fallen into. Yet with only about an hour left to sunrise, he brings it up.

"You killed a king," Eric states in one of the lulls in the conversation, bringing everyone's attention to me. Everyone in the room, except Jason would know what that means in our world. It's something that has been heavy on my thoughts since I found out everyone I care about on our side has been okay. I killed a king, which means by vampire rights, his throne is mine. I have always fought for something that has been mine however, I have never wanted to be a queen or have any position in our hierarchy; too many people to deal with in those positions. I have never understood why anyone would want to do that to himself. Until I look around the room and see all those that I care about looking back at me.

Sure, there are some who want the title strictly for the power it lends them. They usually don't last that long however, not having a strong enough motivation and people to fight for them to keep it. There's nothing behind power except more power and if you keep going and going with that, it's not going to get you far.

But I have seen Sophie-Anne with her children. I saw Eric as he internally struggled with his decision when he had his own to make, knowing he never wanted to be king either. He considered it though. He considered it if it would offer those he cared about protection. I knew it, but I didn't understand it.

I sure as hell do now.

"Felicia has been helping with over seeing things for me," I say.

Eric nods. "She is willing to continue to and you can have her for as long as you need but that will only buy you a few mores nights. Someone is going to sense a weakness and come hoping to exploit it."

Eric isn't telling me anything that I don't already know. A decision should be made before we go to rest for the day; the state needs to be secured and the residents need to know whom they are reporting to. For them to know that, I need to know if I want them to report to me.

"If you were to claim the state, you would have my support and I would help whenever I could from here," Eric says. I appreciate his offer but I also know he is answering my unasked question. If I were to claim the throne, I would obviously need to be in Nevada. These people that I had come to care tremendously for, who had become my family would still be here, still be in Louisiana.

I came here to do one job, to help Eric keep the state secure when he needed assistance. I had owed him and he called on the debt. That is why I came but that is not why I stayed. I stayed because I found something I was sure no longer existed. I stayed because I found something I didn't know I was searching for, something I had no idea how much I needed.

I don't know if I want to give that up for something I never wanted.

I know I wouldn't be giving it up so to speak. I know that if I had to go to Nevada these people wouldn't just drop me and never have anything else to do with me. But I have gotten used to seeing them every night. I am not sure if I am able to give that part of it up.

"And if I offer it to Sophie-Anne?" I ask him. "Do you think she can handle three states?" She has been working well with two but adding a third could be the one that breaks her, which would not be good for any of us.

Pam snorted and a telling smiling appears on her face. She obviously knows, or at least thinks she knows, something. "Something tells me it won't just be three states Sophie-Anne will be handling. And I doubt she will be doing so alone." And now suddenly Pam has all our attention making us all wonder just what she may know.

Hello dear readers. I sure hope you enjoyed this chapter and that when they told their tales it wasn't too repetitive. I just wanted to make sure things were clarified a bit. This is the last actual chapter of this tale but you've got a two-part epilogue still coming up! As always thanks for reading and thanks to those taking the time to leave their thoughts!

VampMad50 – Glad you enjoyed. And yes, I wouldn't do too much to Sookie. They have all been through enough.