A/N: Thank you all so much for the fantastic response to the last chapter. I can't express to me how much it thrills me that you all loved it as much as I did.

Thanks to Krismom for beta'ing and EtheHunter for pre-reading. I'd be utterly lost without them.

Disclaimer: I sadly do not own them.

Previously...

"I was just thinking," I paused, collecting my thoughts to not upset or worry her needlessly. "You know, all my issues and worries about your brother have been for this reason."

"What do you mean?" she asked, obviously having no clue as to what I was insinuating.

"I'd hoped to marry you someday. If I was lucky enough. And Jason..." I trailed off. "He's all you have, Sookie. He'll... when the day comes, Jason will walk you down the aisle. He will give us his blessing," I explained. "I don't know that he'd willingly give you away to me."

Sookie chuckled, smiling down at me and brushing her fingers over my cheeks and lips. "Well, there's only one way to find out, Eric."

"How's that?" I asked, nervous.

She gave me a serious look and then winked, smiling bright as the sun. "Ask him," she replied easily.

SPOV

Eric and I spent a little longer in the bed, simply cuddling for the most part. Occasionally, it would begin to get a little heated and I'd be forced to back off, afraid of hurting him. But, I was just so overwhelmed with emotions, everything really, that I couldn't seem to keep my hands off him.

I couldn't believe we were engaged.

A few weeks ago we'd been nothing but friends. Or so it had seemed. I hadn't even fathomed that this was what was to become of us, though, dare I say, I had in many ways dreamed.

I knew Eric had nothing to fear from Jason, but it was a little fun to watch him squirm about it. Eric being insecure about anything at all was a rarity. And the fact that he was afraid Jason wouldn't approve of us was simply adorable. My ego loved that he wanted that approval. Maybe it was selfish, but I couldn't help but to be flattered by his insecurity.

It was almost noon when we finally crawled out of bed. Eric made us a couple of sandwiches and I called Jason to let him know we'd be by in an hour or so. Jason seemed a bit suspicious, but didn't really say anything, only asking if Eric was doing okay after the accident.

Eric stood in front of his closet, searching for a shirt with his hands practically shaking from nerves. I walked up behind him, wrapping my arms around his bare torso and pressing my chest against his back.

"It'll be fine," I assured him, kissing the sensitive spot between his shoulder blades. "You'll see, baby. You've got nothing to worry about."

Eric took a deep breath and turned in my arms to return the hug. "I hope so. I feel like a child, I'm so nervous."

I chuckled, looking up to him in amusement. "You're so cute."

"Don't patronize me..."

"I'm not. I'm really not," I said as I stood on my toes to kiss his whiskered chin. "I love you, and I love that you're worried about this. It tells me a lot of things. Most importantly, how much I mean to you. That's never a bad thing, Eric. I like that you're worried, even if you don't need to be."

He sighed, releasing a heavy breath into my hair before placing his forehead against mine. "Let's do this then." Eric kissed my nose and I giggled.

When we pulled up in Jason's drive, he was on the side of the house looking menacing with an axe thrown over his shoulder. I chuckled at Eric's frightened expression. "He's just cutting firewood. Don't worry, I'll protect you," I teased.

Eric narrowed his eyes at me and sneered playfully, still looking nervous when he looked back to the house. "This feels like Deliverance," Eric whispered as I turned the ignition off and opened the door.

I couldn't help but to laugh, and it drew Jason's attention back over to us. By the time my full on belly chuckle had died down, Eric was scowling and standing outside the car waiting for me. "Sorry. Sorry," I snickered, trying desperately to pull myself together. "Come on, baby. It's going to be fine, you'll see." I stepped closer, kissing the dip in his chin and taking his hand.

Eric followed behind, somewhat cautiously as we approached Lumberjack Jason.

I saw it in Jason's eye and the set of his jaw as soon as he noticed it. Oh hell, of all the times for my idiot brother to become so observant...

"What the hell's that on your finger, Sookie?"

I turned back to face Eric, giving his hand a firm squeeze as I noted the hard expression on his face. He'd already admitted defeat. I could tell from the look in his eye. "Why don't you give me a second?"

Eric looked down at me, his eyes soft and almost pleading. He wanted to argue, but he didn't. "Alright. I'll be on the porch." Eric gave my forehead a kiss, his eyes locked on Jason as he did, and turned to walk back towards the house.

"What the hell, Sook?"

"Don't you cuss at me, Jason Stackhouse," I said quickly before he could go any further. "What's gotten in to you?"

"You're engaged, Sookie? You're engaged to Eric? Are you crazy? Don't get me wrong, I love the guy and consider him a friend, but this... God, this isn't going to last. Nothing ever has with him, and you know it."

"I could slap the shit out of you right now, Jason," I said with a lump in my throat. "This is hardly about you, or what you think. Don't you think I know about Eric's past? I've known him my whole life. I'm not an idiot."

"Well, why are you acting like one? This will only end badly for you, Sook, and I won't sit by and let it happen. I know how much he means to you, and I know how much it would kill you if he hurt you. I won't let him."

While I appreciated the sentiment, Jason was really beginning to piss me off. "It's not up to you. I love him, Jason. I love him with everything that is in me. I've never been more sure of something or someone in my life."

Jason snorted, swinging the axe so it stuck in a slab of wood at his feet. "All the more reason to stop this insanity now." He took a deep breath and raked a hand through his hair. "Look, I like Eric, I do."

"Then why are you going on like this, Jason? Why give him, and me, such a hard time about it? Is it so hard to believe that he could love me? That anyone could love me so completely that they'd actually want to marry me?"

Jason paused, noting the tears that were falling from my eyes. I ignored them. Jason was hurting me in more ways than I could even put into words, and there was no way I could control or fight my emotions. He needed to see them. He needed to know how important this was to me.

"Don't cry, baby sis," Jason pleaded, stepping towards me and putting a hand on my shoulder. I really wanted to shrug it off, but I didn't, allowing him that small comforting touch that let me know his intentions were pure. "I... I don't know if I'm ready for this," he said softly.

"I am," I said firmly, taking hold of his hand on my shoulder. "I don't need you to be ready, Jason. I'm ready, and I know this is right. I just need you to support me in it."

He sighed, seeming to deflate right in front of my eyes. Shaking his head, Jason spoke softer, "I can see that he loves you, and I can tell from the light in your eyes whenever you talk about him that you love him too."

"I do, Jason. I really do. And Eric, god, I've never known a love like his. I can feel it under my skin, making me alive like nothing ever has."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't marry him. I won't tell you that. It is your decision."

"Then, what's all this about, Jason? Really?" I asked, stepping closer and letting him pull me in for a small hug.

"It's so soon. You're both so young." I raised an eyebrow at him. We weren't that young. "Yeah, well, this is just so fast, Sookie. You've only been dating him for a few weeks now. You don't have to rush this, you know?"

"I know, Jason. But what can I say? When you know, you know. And I know I want to spend my life with Eric." I smiled up at his grimace and stepped back a bit.

"Just, give it time, Sookie. I'm not going to let him hurt you, and I'm afraid that if you just jump into this, it'll kill you. I won't sit by and let it happen. Give it time. Give me time."

Jason paused and I could see the wheels churning in his head. Whatever he was preparing himself to say, I knew I wasn't going to like. "I've known Eric for as long as you have, been friends with him most of that time. I've seen things you probably will never know about. Just... let Eric prove himself to you."

"To you, you mean?" I asked with a chuckle, shaking my head. "He's got nothing to prove to me, Jason. His love for me speaks loud and clear. I trust him."

"Well, I'm not so sure."

"Then trust me," I said softly, grasping his hands in mine. He was such a good brother sometimes, even if he was a stubborn pig-headed mule most of the time.

"I'll try."

"Look," I started, taking a deep breath. "It's not like we're getting married tomorrow or anything. So you have some time to adjust to this. Because I will marry Eric, Jason. With or without your approval. Hopefully with, since I'll need my big brother to walk me down the aisle."

Jason cringed. "I don't..."

"Hush," I smiled. "Now, my fiance is on your porch, hoping to receive your permission. We don't need it, you know?" I said firmly. "But I know you're going to give it, because you know it's the right thing, even if you're not ready to admit it."

"You really do love him, don't you?" Jason asked softly, wiping away the last of my tears.

"More than words could ever describe."

"Shit," Jason cursed in a breath.

I smiled, and hugged him tight. "I knew you'd see it my way. Now, let's go talk to Eric."

EPOV

I walked up to the porch, sitting on one of the chairs with a heavy sigh. I knew we were fighting a lost cause. There was no way Jason was going to just happily allow me to marry his sister. He'd been privy to the man whore in me one too many times, I suspected. He'd never trust me to be faithful to her.

God, if he only knew that she'd ruined me for any other woman. There was no way I could even so much as imagine myself with anyone else besides her, much less actually do it. I belonged to her completely.

"What the heck you doin' out here sulkin' on my porch?" Lafayette said, startling me from my thoughts.

"I'm not sulking," I defended.

"Uh-huh. Why's your fat lip all stuck out like that?" He smiled and sat done in the chair beside me as I straightened up from my hunched over pose. I supposed I did look like I was sulking, a little. "Talk to me. What's doin' between you and Jason?"

"I asked Sookie to marry me," I whispered.

Lafayette damn near fell out of his chair in a fit to catch his breath while simultaneously managing to squeal. "For reals?" I nodded. "And Sookie said..." he prompted.

"Yes. She said yes," I smiled, unable to hid my happiness at that despite the predicament.

"And you think Jason will kick your ass?"

I scoffed. "Not exactly. But I want him to be there. For Sookie. I want him to know how much I love her. I want him to... god, I don't know."

Lafayette chuckled, putting a hand on my shoulder in comfort. "He'll come 'round. 'Sides, it don't look like he got much choice in it. Sookie ain't ever been one to listen to anyone when she's got her mind set on something. I can't imagine she'd be any more likely to once she's got her heart set on something."

I smiled slightly, turning to face him. "I'm a lucky bastard."

"Or unlucky depending on which way you wanna look at a stubborn woman that not even an act of god could stop," he teased with a wink.

I chuckled, feeling slightly comforted by his words. I just hoped he was right about Jason, and he'd come to accept me and Sookie. Or me with Sookie, rather.

"I don't deserve her, you know," I said, looking at the aged wood floors beneath my feet. We'd been silent for a while. "I've never done a thing in my life to deserve her love. But I'd die before I did anything to lose it."

"That's certainly a comforting thought," Jason's voice startled me as he and Sookie came up the porch steps. "Eases my mind. A little bit, anyway."

I stood, stepping towards them. Sookie walked right to my side, her fingers entwining with mine and giving my hand a form squeeze. Jason and I locked gazes, but he didn't seem violent. Rather, resolved. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

Lafayette stood as well, walking up to Jason and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll give you guys some privacy," he said softly before going inside the house.

"So," Jason said awkwardly. "You wanna marry my sister, huh?"

"Very much." I looked at Sookie, my face serious as she smiled up at me. I wanted her to know how much I meant my next statement though. "But I won't do it without your blessing. I won't let her do it without her brother by her side."

Jason snorted. "Yeah, right. Try telling her that. I can't make her do nothing she don't wanna."

I smiled at his mild joke, grateful he was at least attempting to put a little levity into the situation. I'd much rather that than him trying to take my head, or other parts of my anatomy, with that axe of his.

"She won't have a choice, Jason," I said seriously, not missing the slight annoyance on Sookie's face. But her eyes were anything but annoyed; they were filled with awe. I looked up and met his stare. "I love her, you know that. I won't marry her without your permission."

"And if I don't give it?" Jason pressed.

"Bullshit," Sookie interrupted, stepping between Jason and me. "We'll get married anyway." I tugged her gently back to my side.

"Look," I said evenly, rubbing Sookie's arm to calm her down. "Whether or not she would admit it, Sookie would regret not having her only family, her brother, there when she got married."

I paused to kiss Sookie's palm before meeting Jason's eyes once more."So if you don't approve and are dead set against us ever getting married, then I'll spend the rest of my life loving her and by her side regardless."

Jason nodded, and Sookie sniffled, squeezing my arm with both hands. She looked up to me as I looked down on her. Her eyes held much more love and affection than I truly deserved. My chest ached with the love I felt for her. I knew that even forever wouldn't be enough time with her.

"Well," Jason finally said, pulling my gaze from Sookie's. "You have my blessing, Eric," he said softly as he clapped me on the shoulder. "I'd be a fool to let my sisters happiness get in the way of my own bull-headedness."

Sookie left my side, instantly wrapping herself around Jason and hugging him fiercely. My eyes watered when he gave me a soft smile.

"I'll take care of her, I promise."

Jason grinned, releasing Sookie back to my side. "She can take care of herself. All you need to do is love her. And give it all to her."

I nodded, confident that I already did, and could continue to do so forever. Sookie giggled. "What is it?" I asked, curious.

"I wonder what the doctor will have to say about this turn of events?"

I'd almost forgot about him.

A/N: Normally I hate to split POV's in a single chapter, but I kinda needed this one to be that way. I hope you don't mind.

Thanks again so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you all enjoyed your teasers. And since I love teasing you guys, leave me a review and if you're signed in and have your PM's enabled, I'll send you one for the next chapter. Which is sadly the last, except for the epilogue.

I almost want to cry.

MUAWWW!