God bless JB. He is such a good guy, but..
Chapter 38:
The wind starts howling around the angles of the house. Rain can be heard pounding on the metal roof. Sookie looks around and sets to work popping some corn, on her gas stove. With two wolves and two shifters to feed, she makes several batches.
Jason pulls out all of the new games and puzzles from the cabinet. Sookie, on a hunch goes and gets a few of her Gran's Danielle Steel books. She had the whole collection. She hands one to Pam, she knows that the vampire was the type to like this kind of thing. She was very much like her gran in a lot of ways. Pam seats herself in a chair and dives into the world of female romance novels.
Eric looks up from his seat, playing a round of Risk with Jason and Gervaise, to see what was making his progeny so mellow. Seeing her reading, he looks over and smiles at Sookie. Again, she has shown to be the right one for him and Pam.
After winning, for the third time. He tells the others that they should know better, he was a Viking. Conquest and pillage was what they did for a living. He sets off in search of his wife.
He could tell that she was happy, whatever she was doing. Eric finds her gathering something from a hall closet. When she turns around, she has yarn and some knitting needles in her hands. Sookie smiles at him.
"I'm going to finish something that I started a few months ago now." She leans up and kisses Eric lips. He follows her to the living room where everyone is. She sits down and starts knitting.
A few hours later, Sookie is finished with the afghan and puts away her supplies. While she is gone, Eric looks over her handiwork. It was a scene of a beach with a large Viking longhouse overlooking it. His clan's longhouse. Eric could see the shields on the outside.
When Sookie returns to the room, she smiles. "It came to me in a dream. It would have made a great painting but, I cannot paint very well. You like it?"
Eric is beside himself, making Pam look over at him. "I love it. Sookie, this is the same sight I saw when I looked up, saying goodbye to my mortal home. This is my family's longhouse." He stands and gathers her to him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I am going to turn in. Have a good night everyone." Sookie yawns halfway through the salutation and excuses herself before waving and walking into her bedroom.
Everyone hoots when Eric follows her soon afterward.
"Guys, I know I am considered a horn dog, but she and I do more things than just make love." He mutters as he walks away.
Eric grins because the worst of his hecklers were unaware that there is not a flat surface that he has not taken his wife on in this house. That includes all the beds. That is not just, since they married either.
He opens the door and hears his wife snort. She must have heard one of the human's minds and what he said. "It's true, my love."
"I know it is."
Eric slides into bed with her and holds her while the wind howls and the rain pounds against the house. Soon after, he is holding a sleeping Sookie.
She has been stretching herself thin with all of the different avenues that she is involved in.
"You are my world, Sookie Einin Northman. I just wish that I could see you round with my child. That would be heaven for me." Eric whispers as he pulls her closer to him.
In the morning, Sookie wakes and gets going on making breakfast for her human crew. The smell of eggs, bacon and sausage with toast brings her brother, Sam, Herve, Patrick and Alcide running.
The five men eat like they haven't been fed in years. Sookie sits down to her cereal and juice and eats. She was still tired from the last few days and knew that it was going to get worse.
After getting dressed, Sookie turns the television on. She only wanted to see how long it was still going to be before the storm passed.
What came on was alarming. New Orleans was completely under water, even with the precautions put in place. Most of the three states were in dire need of help. Sookie starts to cry. It wasn't so bad up here, but the rest of the state was in shambles. Nevada would be back, soon. Even up here in Renard Parish, there are pockets of flooding.
The phone rings, Jason answers it. It is Calvin. The school has held and from what the man could tell, it will.
Sookie answers the phone when it rings again, ten minutes later. It's Tara and JB duRone.
They were at JB's and need to get out. The water is still passable at this time, but will become a problem soon. Sam and Alcide volunteer to get them.
She worries the whole time that they are gone. Jason, understanding her thoughts, holds her. The worry is enough to pull Eric up from his rest. He takes Sookie from Jason and carries her back to the bedroom.
He holds her until she calms down. He falls back under when she relaxes and leaves the room. The four of them are back within an hour.
Tara rushes to Sookie. "Thank god, you are alright." Sookie hugs Tara. JB hangs back, a little embarrassed. Once Sookie gets done with her best friend, she hugs the big lug. 'Tara and I got married, but Sookie is still one of the prettiest girls out there.'
"Thank you JB." Sookie smiles.
She makes lunch and goes outside to survey if any damage was done during the night. Once she ascertains that none happened, she makes up a room for Tara and JB. One more mouth to feed is no problem, as Patrick leaves soon after lunch.
Eric and Pam get up around three. Pam picks up where she left off in her book. "We've lost her for the night." Eric whispers in Sookie's ear, after he gets back from surveying the damage to Fangtasia.
"I can tell. How was it?"
"Not bad, the water is not very high in town. Sam, I went by your bar on the way. No damage that I could see. That Terry guy was there and he was pretty agitated. I told him to come by, that you were here. I hope that was alright." Eric tells her and then turns to the shifter.
Sam nods but looks at Sookie. "I really hate the Bellefluers. Terry is their cousin and they treat him like shit. Hell, they treat Bill like shit and he's their granddaddy." Many eyebrows rise around the room. The secret was out. At least, Sookie didn't say a word.
Sam looks around. "All you need to do is look in the vital records. I only looked it up, because Terry was interested. When Bill said that his wife's name was Caroline, and there is a slight resemblance between him and Andy. It worked on Terry's mind, until he asked me for help."
Terry's pick up drives up behind the house. The man gets out and he has a passenger, along with his dog Annie. "Ahh that is the reason for the agitation. Bubba's with him." Sookie says. "That's enough to set him worrying about his mental safety."
Eric nods. "Should be worried about the dog's safety also, with Bubba around."
She opens the door and lets the unlikely trio in. Sookie hugs both of them. "Terry, don't worry. It will be fine. Do you want to stay here? It would be safer than staying out at your house." When the veteran nods, she smiles.
"I think, we are nearing the eye. It will get worse before it gets better, Sook." Terry tells her, regaining his footing. She nods and tells him that they are prepared and so is Bill's.
"Does anyone know if he's up yet?" Terry asks. Sookie looks at the clock. "He might be. He is still pretty young, compared to these guys." She chuckles.
Eric sneaks up behind her and wraps his arms around her. "Are you calling me old?" He smirks at her.
She turns to her husband. "If the horned metal helm fits." She quips. Eric scoffs. "I'll have you know I look great in my Viking apparel."
Terry gives them a weird look and continues with his thought. "Well, I was raised that to visit my elders and treat them with respect. I will go over and visit with him in a few." Terry nods his head. Sookie nods back.
"No need, I invited him over with the others for more games tonight." Jason tells them. Sookie looks at Jason and sighs.
"OK, but tomorrow morning, you and I are going to have a discussion Jase. I don't want to ruin tonight."
"Don't worry; we'll keep an eye on him, Sookie." Eric tells her.
Bill, Gervaise, Cleo and Herve come in, just in time for supper. Sookie made her Mexican casserole and sets out bloods for everyone else. "It's too bad you can't eat this stuff, Sookie has always been a great cook." Tara praises her best friend, making Sookie blush.
"Thanks Tara." She replies.
"We can eat, but it's pointless. We don't get anything from it and it sits there for a long time before it is broken down. It rots down there." Cleo explains.
Bill is seated next to Terry, who keeps looking at him. It unnerves the vampire, until the man speaks up. "What was your daughter Sarah like?"
"She was a kind and loving girl. Being our only daughter, she was doted on by me, when I was home. Caroline had sent her up north with a relative when I came home the last time. Why did ask about her?"
"I have always been interested in family history. It was the only thing that my grandmother and I ever got along about. I was not the favored of the grandchildren. She doted on Portia and Andy. I got all of the handy downs and was basically ignored, except on Christmas.
I don't want anything from you but your time and to hear about you and your family. We don't have much family left, and I think it's a shame that they have shunned their own grandfather, just because he's a vampire." Terry tells Bill.
A blood tear falls down Bill's face. Sookie knows that all he wanted was to help his family, but now one of his own is actually reaching out to him. She can tell that he is about to burst.
"Thank you, Terry. You are welcome at my house any time. I will tell you anything that I can. It was a shock to me when I found out that your family was descendant from me. It is nice to know that someone acknowledges the relation."
It brings a smile to Terry's face to almost bond with his many great- grandfather. Sookie gets up to answer the phone, a few minutes later. Speaking of great grandfathers, it was hers on the other line.
"Hello, how are you tonight, Grandfather?" Sookie asks softly.
"I am calling to see if you are alright. I sense that you have a few vampires there right now and even though I can mask my scent, it is still too many."
"I am fine, it is a prudent idea to call, and seeing as your great-grandson is here as well. I know that you want Jason out of the loop. Yes, there is a bunch of them here. The King has said that any friend or family is off limits but I think it would be pushing their restraint to show up."
"I also want to warn you that the ones that took your parents are around. Neve and Locklan are dangerous and have silver capped teeth, so warn your vampires. The water allows them to come around. Your great uncle is about also." Niall warns.
"Thank you, My Lord. I will warn them. Have a pleasant evening."
"Goodnight, my granddaughter."
Eric looks up when she comes back in the room. Sookie waves for him and motions for Gervaise also to follow her into another room.
"Who was on the phone? Your fear is ratcheting up." Eric asks.
"It was Niall. He wanted to see how I was doing and figured that it would be too dangerous for him to show up. He also, wanted to warn us that a Neve and Locklan are around because of the water. They have silver capped teeth. My great uncle Dermot is around also."
"He's the one that looks like Jason's twin right?" Eric asks. Sookie nods and he pulls her closer, before looking over to their king.
"Thank you for alerting me to this Sookie. If those two are on this plane, we are in for a shitload of trouble. I think it is time to ask for help. Noir needs to be informed of this." Gervaise pats the woman's back.
Together, they call Noir. She pops into the living room. All three kneel before her and she tells all three to stand. "Never do that again, it annoying. What's up?"
"I just got a call from my grandfather, Niall. Neve and Locklan are on this plane, so is Dermot, my uncle. With the hurricane, Felipe might try again for a takeover of Louisiana." Sookie relates all that she has dealt with. A large weight lifts from her shoulders, as she shares it with the goddess.
"I will take care of Felipe. As for the fae, I will consult with my family, they might know of something that might help. I have a feeling, that they will want Sookie. She is the Prince's family and it would be a great challenge to get her away from you all.
Dermot, I have a feeling is under a spell. Sookie, it is a different kind of spell, from what Eric was under. Think along the lines of clapping." Noir winks at Sookie.
Sookie is confused for a moment, until the light comes on. To break a spell in fairy tales, you kiss. If she ever sees her uncle, she'll kiss him on the cheek. Her mirth is catching, Eric starts to smile. "What did she mean with clapping to break the spell?" He asks.
All the humans start to laugh. "You are supposed to clap to save Tinkerbell from dying in Peter Pan." JB supplies.
He is still nervous around the tall blonde man. He threw off a feeling of command and power. Tara had told JB that this man was the one who married Sookie. Eric was a lucky man.
JB, himself had tried to get her to marry him. She gently turned him down, not believing that he really wanted to. He could have made a good husband for her. JB knows that he is not all that intelligent, but he also knows that the former Miss Stackhouse was a catch.
There was only a few that JB recognized from the bar; Sam, Sookie, Jason, Terry and Vampire Bill. The others he had no clue about. The majority were pale like Vampire Bill, so JB figured that they were vampires. What were they doing hanging out with Sookie? This bothers him so much that he corners Sookie in the kitchen to ask her.
"They are my friends. Gervaise is Eric's boss, for lack of a better term, Cleo is a co-worker. Pam is his business partner in the club that they own. Clancy, Thalia, and Indira are employees, and Bubba is a friend. And yes they are vampires. Alcide is a friend that I met a few years ago; he is a contractor out of Shreveport." There was no way that Sookie would give his secret away.
Eric walks into the room, feeling Sookie's exasperation. She shakes her head and looks over to him, smiling. "Lover, I still don't understand, about this whole clue."
Sookie is wrapped into his arms and Eric looks over to JB. "Eric Northman. You are Tara's husband right?"
"Yes, JB duRone. Um... the Tinkerbell was the pixie that was in Peter Pan. Peter saved her life by clapping. It's a fairy tale that children are told." JB is confused that Eric had not heard of Tinkerbell.
"JB, my husband is originally from Sweden. He grew up listening to the stories of Brunhild and Sigard. I think, you are probably too old for Beowulf." Sookie looks at Eric, with a brow raised. He shrugs and nods. "She's right. So fairy tales, what else?"
"The girl stories mostly dealt with true love's first kiss breaking the spell. Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, The Little Mermaid. It was a whole lot of kissing. That is boring to a little boy." JB tells him.
Eric nods and when the man walks away he asks his wife. "Am I mistaken, or is he not all there intelligence wise? What does Tara see in him?"
"Safety, control, and no, he is dumber that a stump. He tries his hardest to fit in. I think many thought that I was the same way and that we would end up together. He is really nice and cares a lot, just plain dumb." Sookie explains.
"Again, I wonder at the people in this town. Not seeing you for what you are." Eric swoops in for a kiss. "You have the greatest heart and I am proud to call you my wife.
I know that you are nervous that Bill is in our home, it is only for tonight. Jason does not know. I think he would stake him if he found out. So I would not tell him. I still owe him my protection, as his sheriff, as much as I would like to rip him to shreds for what he did to you."
Sookie burrows into Eric's chest and let's all of the stress go. He can feel her relaxing and picks her up to take her to bed. Sookie changes into her pjs and slips into bed. Eric slides in also and takes her into his arms. Sookie drops into slumber and Eric kisses her lips before getting up.
He walks out into the yard and inspects the land and buildings for any damage. So far, the storm has not done much to them.
When Eric gets back inside, Gervaise calls him over. Most of the group were watching the television. Even Pam had put her book aside for the news broadcast. Eric sits down and listens to the anchor's voice.
"In other news, ten casinos in Las Vegas have been destroyed in a freak storm that hit the city, last night. Also hit, was the luxury mansion of the supposed Vampire King of the state of Nevada, Felipe deCastro. All of the casinos were owned by deCastro. They all blew up at the same time. Now back to the damage done by Katrina."
Eric starts laughing. "I cannot wait to hear how that happened."