A/N I think it's a good day for an update. What about Precious Love?

Yeah I know...I'm not kidding :)

It's been a long time coming and I know I've made you all wait. I'm sorry. I'm trying but life is just tough right now. I hope to do better and have more time to write.

But here is Precious Love. Mine and the Devine Ms. T's baby. I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)

Thank you to my Beta Goddesses... and of course to my readers. You are awesome.

So please let me know what you think of this next chapter...Chapter 36

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Sam's POV

I look around the room for the tenth time since I'd been escorted into it. Thrown in and the door slammed behind me is more like it, but we won't be splitting hairs. At least I'm still breathing, which is more than I expected at this point. I look around again. The room is nice, but I know it for what it is - a gilded cage. They could pretty up this fucking place all they want and it will still be my prison. It was the same before and it will be the same again. Lilly fucking screwed us all this time. She should have known that Gabriella wasn't going to play by any rules but her own. Yeah, I screwed her over. So, I may have taken things that didn't belong to me. But, it was my ass that was on the line with the Queen, no one else's. I made the best decision for myself at the time. If I didn't get out when I did, I would have been next on the Queen's hit list. She so doesn't like to be on the losing end of any deal and losing me was definitely something she didn't want.

Once I'd been unceremoniously deposited into the room, I'd gone for the door straight away, but found it locked. Of course it was going to be locked. The queen or her minions would never trust me to stay in a room that wasn't locked. Hell, I'm surprised that they let me stay in here alone, really. Not after my last escape from them. But then again, didn't they have witches or whatever they were, making sure that there isn't any way I can shift and escape. Fuck, where the hell did she find these creatures and how did she even know that there was a spell that could prevent us from changing? Hell, I didn't even know there was a spell for that. But then again, it doesn't really stop us, now does it? No, as I was so elegantly told, it makes you bleed. I wouldn't have believed Jonas on face value. I mean why would that Were ever tell me the truth? He hated me when I was here the last time and I'm sure he hates me more now. He was always after Gabriella's affections and I was in the way. It must fucking kill him that I got her and then got out and he is still here. I wonder if he finally made it into her bed. Well, it makes no fucking difference to me. I enjoyed being the Queen's pet when it suited me. When I got bored, it was time to leave. It isn't my fault that the Queen had other ideas. But her ideas weren't getting in the way of my plans. I do what I want, when I want and Queen Gabriella needs to realize that. Sure, she's a Vampire and I'm a shifter. Hell, I could have shifted and stayed that way forever and she wouldn't have found me. But I'm really not into the whole sleeping outdoors thing and I'm so not going to cozy up to some kid to be a pet. So, I moved around and did what I wanted to do, staying below the radar and changing my name from time to time until I came upon Bon Temps. Who would have thought to look for me there? Hell, at the top of my game, I wouldn't have thought twice about ordering a case of Cristal anywhere I was. Serving watered down swill was so not Samuel's MO. For that reason alone I thought I was safe. No one bothered me about my past. It seemed that the locals all had their own stories to hide. There weren't too many Supes in the area and as long as I kept my nose clean, the Sheriff left me alone. Yeah, well, he did leave me alone. That is until he got a whiff of Sookie. Shit, now she is gone and the only way to get her back is to kill the son-of-a-bitch fucking Vampire. I'm not stupid. No one could ever accuse me of not playing things the smart way. So it isn't hard for me to figure out who called Gabriella and told her where I was. The question is, how did he find out about me and my past? He didn't do this out of some Vampire loyalty or code. Hell, I'm sure he didn't even do it out of affection for Gabriella. I know full well he did it to get me away from Sookie. For some reason, he saw me as a threat. Sure, I wanted her for myself. Hell, she is a nice piece of ass and that thing she can do, well, that is some trick and could really come in handy in my line of work. Hustling fools out of their money would be so much easier if I knew what they were thinking. Humans are so easy to fool.

But it really doesn't matter if he got rid of me or not. The joke really is on him. The Reverend and his minions already know where he'll be, along with half the Vampires in the area, not to mention the God-damn Council. Those bible beaters know what they need to do, to get rid of all the Vamps and it doesn't seem like they are nervous about doing it either. If everything goes as planned, Jason will make sure that Vampire is dead and all I have to do is get there and get Sookie out. Then everything will be back to normal. Sookie will have her life back and we can take off before anyone tries to find us. I will keep her safe from any other Vampires and we can have the life we dreamed of. Hell, I've got just as much money as Northman. I will make Sookie happy, I know I will. When we run out, I'll just convince her to use her little gift and, we can pick up some more. By then, she will be so convinced she loves me that she will do anything I say. All I have to do is get out of here and get to Kentucky before the fireworks begin.

I look around again. In any other situation, I would shift into something, anything and get myself away. But it seems that Jonas wasn't bluffing about the spell. Not that I tried to shift myself; I'm not that stupid. No, it was also confirmed when we arrived to the Queen's compound and a Shifter was brought before us in one of the many meeting rooms on the lower floor. He was ordered to shift in our presence. The innocent looking blond boy, looked no older than eighteen and would probably feel more at home on the beach or in the surf than standing in the Queen's compound. Well then again, Gabriella always did like them on the young side. But when you are over five hundred years old, are there many older than you? I think not.

The kid waited a few minutes before he did what he was told. Only seconds after he shifted, blood started pouring out of the kid. When I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. It was coming out of his eyes, his mouth, his nose and even from under his fingernails. They left him like that for five minutes. Five minutes that felt like a lifetime as I watched the kid whither and whine on the floor. When he was told that he could shift back, he had some difficulty. Well there was no wonder when at least a pint of his blood was pooling on the floor. After he returned to himself, it took four others to pick him up and carry him out of the room. I turned to look at Lilly and Tommy who both stood as close to the farthest wall away from the kid as possible. The expression on their faces told me that this wasn't the first time that they had been exposed to such a demonstration. Their eyes were wide and mouths pulled into tight lines. The most interesting of their tells was that they were holding hands and neither looked like they would be letting go anytime soon. There was no question, they were scared.

Soon after that little show and tell gig, I was escorted to this room while Lilly and Tommy were taken elsewhere. I have to admit that I really don't care where they were put. After all, Northman may have been an integral part of Gabriella finding me but I'm sure that Lilly and Tommy weren't innocent either. If Tommy had just done what I told him to do, then none of this would be happening. Oh, who the fuck am I kidding. If I hadn't had a temporary case of the stupids and called my fucking brother, none of this would be going on now.

I'm sure that Lilly didn't think twice about selling me out to Gabriella. Hell, she would sell any of us to the devil if it either got her out of a jam or anything else she wanted. Why the fuck couldn't I've been born in a normal fucking family? Hell, I would have taken a not so normal family as long as my mother wasn't a Shifting Grifter that likes to get her kicks, by fucking with her kids. Yeah, that would have been nice.

I hear a knock at the door and it slowly opens. In the doorway stands Jonas with a very interesting smirk on his face.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"The Queen will see you now," he says. Turning to walk out the door, I follow him.

This is going to be interesting.

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SPOV

I look down at the babe in my arms. He seems so perfect where he lies. I can feel him, I don't know why but I can. He is content and happy suckling at my breast. One would believe that he'd been doing it since his birth. Now, I know why I've been so uncomfortable. My body knew he was coming before I did.

"Are you well, Min Kara (My Love)?" Eric asks me.

I nod without looking away from the baby. "I'm perfect," I say softly. "As perfect as you, my little one." I take his hand and he wraps his little fingers around one of mine. They are so small, so delicate, and so unbelievably perfect.

"As it was foretold to me, Promised One," Her Grace says. "The babe will thrive and prosper within your care. He has been meant for you and your King. Guard and protect him well. He is as much a part of your legacy as the one you carry beneath your heart."

I look up to see the great Vampire looking in our direction but knowing what she is seeing isn't us sitting before her.

"He will be ours," I look from her to Hadley. "I will not allow anything or anyone to take him from us now."

"As I told your King, Promised One," Her Grace responds. "None will attempt to remove him from you. I sense your concern and frustration to this newborn beside me. You have nothing to concern yourself with her. She will be present at the trial of the wayward Queen and then she will be with me."

"Why you, Your Grace?" I ask her.

"Because she has nowhere else to go. Her maker is Sophie-Ann and once the Council hears all that she has been doing, the newborn will need guidance. I sense that you and your Regent will not welcome her into your territory?" It's more of a question but I say nothing.

"That is what I thought," Her Grace smirks at me. "You will have nothing to fear from this one."

"Famous last words," I mumble and look back down at the babe.

"What do you mean by that?" Hadley asks, sitting a bit straighter.

I look at her. She may be a Vampire now, but I still see the little selfish girl that caused our family so much grief over the years.

"I'm not getting into this now," I say and look back to the child.

"You will get into it," I hear a click and her fangs drop down. Every Vampire in the room hears it as well and closes ranks around my cousin.

I can feel Hadley's eyes on me. I look up and stare right back at her. I've never been afraid of her and I won't start now.

"I…I just want to know what she means by that. I've given her my child. The least she can do is answer me." Hadley responds.

I laugh. "Your child? You were no more than a vessel for this precious one. You thought of nothing but yourself your whole life. When you found yourself pregnant, did you leave that wretch you were with? Did you try to find help? Did you come and find me or Jason? No, you stayed where you were."

"I was stuck there!" She shouts back at me. "Where was I to go, huh? Was I supposed to go back to Bon Temps after everything I'd done? After I left the last time do you honestly think that any of you would have taken me back? Besides, who would ever go back to that backwater town if they could help it?" She huffs out which I know is just an act of defiance. She's a Vampire. She doesn't need to breathe like that.

"When you found out you were pregnant, I was still unaware of who and what I was. To me, your mother and my father were still blood. That would have been enough for me to take you in. You were pregnant and hurt. I would have done anything if you asked. As you said, who would come back to Bon Temps? Well, if you wanted to help your child, you would have come back. You would have done anything for him. I WILL do anything for him because I love him and my children mean more to me than anything in this world."

She shakes her head at me. "You have no idea what control Remy had over me. He was…."

"He was your pimp and your dealer. I'm not saying that it wouldn't have been hard, but you could have left him, Hadley. I'm not saying it isn't scary to get away from an abusive relationship but it can be done. Women are strong enough to do it every day. I'm sure you knew it was just a matter of time before he harmed you again. What would he have done to him?" I look down at the baby who has just finished eating and has fallen asleep. I look back at the baby Vampire. "Would you have allowed him to hurt this child? He is so small and weak. He needed you to protect him. When you saw an out, you took it and left him to care for himself in the hospital."

"Sookie, that's not…." She starts to say but I cut her off.

"What if you weren't found by Sophie, Hadley? Would you have ever gone back for him?" I pause but she doesn't respond so I continue. "What about if there wasn't a Daemon in the hospital that saw the signs and knew what he needed? Would you have let him die there? Would you have left him alone to suffer and die, because you found a way to be free? What about if this Were you were with took him? Would he have known what to do for him? Would he have cared or would he have left him the same as you?" I growl at her.

"As…as soon as I could I told someone about him. I didn't want the Queen to know about him," Hadley says as blood tears start to fall from her eyes. "I told Her Grace. I knew that if anyone could help him, you could. I didn't know….I didn't know who you were or our connection. If I did…." She trails off looking down.

"Would you really have done anything different, Hadley?" I ask her. "You've always done what you wanted with no care for anyone else. That part of our past didn't change. You lied, you cheated, and you stole from everyone that loved you."

"I tried to do what was right," she says softly. "I told them where to find the baby before Remy could return. I knew that you were his only hope and so did Her Grace. I…I won't make excuses for my life. You are right, I'm selfish and weak. I won't use my heritage as an excuse but it was a cause." I go to say something but she puts up her had to stop me. "No, you are right. I'm selfish, I don't deserve him," she looks longingly at the baby and I pull him closer to me. "But I can do something for him. I can give him to you. From what Her Grace has told me, he is for you. You are right, I was merely a vessel to bring him into this world. He is for you and your King. I promise you cousin," she says to me. "After I speak at the Council, you will not have to deal with me again. I won't make trouble for any of you. I have one shot to do right by him and I'm doing it."

"She will do no harm to you or the child, Promised One. He will be yours. All has been arranged." Her Grace says.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"It means, dear child that the documentation is in the hand of your Daemon Uncle. He will be here before dawn to have you both sign. The child is yours by right of the Goddess, the bond of the blood and will be solidified by the human law. After the Council is informed, there will be none that will dispute this child or his parentage," she motions to this Aniketos person. "Ketos will be staying with you. I believe he has much to inform you of, Regent Northman. I also believe that there is one that wishes to speak with you, sooner rather than later?"

"You know of that?" Eric asks her.

She nods. "I would have your staff make the necessary arrangements. It would be in your best interests for you and all concerned if you meet with him before you leave for Kentucky," she waves her hand in the direction of Daxion and Stan. "I'm sure that they will be able to assist in securing an appropriate place."

She stands and her guards move to the door.

"Are you leaving already?" I ask her.

She turns to face me. "Yes, child, you will have much on your hands. We will be speaking again after Kentucky," she turns to Eric. "Your future has begun, Northman, take stock in those you hold dear and weed out those that wish to do you harm.

"Your Grace," I say softly.

She looks at me.

I smile softly. "Thank you."

Her smile grows and I can almost see a hint of the girl she must have been so long ago. She was beautiful.

"You are everything the Goddess foretold to me, my dear. Enjoy your family," she says and moves quietly to the door.

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