A/N: Hello everyone! I know it's been a minute, but I found this story on an old account that I haven't touched in a while and thought I would update/ rewrite the story and post on this account. I hope you enjoy the story and I will hopefully get to update my other stories as soon as I can.
-JLJ
A disclaimer: I don't own any characters, from the True Blood show, just the ones I made up.
Unexpected, Unconditional Love
True Blood
Chapter 1: Undesirable Gift
Pamela Swynford De Beaufort frowned down at the petite old woman in front of her. Glaring at the wrinkled crone was all she could do in hopes that the woman might flee. Maybe if she glared long and hard enough, the bitch would drop dead right in front of her. However, as much as Pam willed it, the witch did not collapse at her feet.
Pam was still extremely bitter about what the coven had done to her face! Even though she no longer showed signs of the accursed spell.
Pam folded her arms across her chest irritably as she spoke to the hag with pure venom in her voice. "What do you want, witch?"
The old woman gazed at Pam before reaching forward and grabbing at her arm. The vampire instinctively pulled away in disgust. When the woman reached for Pam again, the vampire found that she could no longer move. A white-hot rage burned in the pit of Pam's stomach. She strained against the hag's spell to no avail; her muscles resisted her desired movements.
"Nothing now," the crone said as she seized Pam's immobilized arm. She began to chant something that Pam couldn't understand. Her hand started to glow with a white light until it consumed Pam in its blinding illumination. When the hag finished and the light faded, she released Pam's arm with a smile. "That is all."
With that, the witch turned and walked toward the exit of Fangtasia. "Farewell."
"What the fuck was that!?" Pam demanded as she strained against her invisible restraints; her muscles still refused to bend to her will. "What the hell did you do to me?"
The old woman opened the door before twisting around to meet the venomous blue gaze of the vampire with her own grass-green eyes. "Fear not, you egotistical fool, I have not harmed you in any way. Your face shall remain intact, though it is tempting to give in to your fears, and have it once again rot away."
"Fuck you!" Pam shouted at the woman, who suddenly appeared directly in front of her.
The old hag leaned close to Pam's face unafraid. "Watch your tongue, you petulant child!"
Pam willed her fangs to extend but nothing happened. She was far from a child. In fact, she was probably older than the relic standing before her. How dare she speak to Pam in such a way?
"I have graced you with a gift!" The beldame continued before Pam could rebuff her words. "That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. A gift that will help you see what it means to love something unconditionally. A gift you will cherish for all of your immortal days. Something you thought you would never be able to have."
"I do not require your gift!" Pam spat viciously, "I did not ask for it, nor do I want it! I would never desire anything from the likes of you."
Pam pulled at her invisible restraints once more, every fiber of her being wanting to remove this bitch's head from her shoulders. "Besides, I'm a vampire. We do not love!"
Even as the words left Pam's lips, she knew they were not true; she loved Eric more than her own life. She would die the true death for him a thousand times over, no questions asked and without hesitation.
A smile spread widely across the witch's face as she once again walked toward the door. She turned to Pam one final time with the smirk still twisting her expression. "We shall see."
With that, the witch cackled as she closed the door behind her. After a few moments, the spell that bound Pam's muscles released her from its hold. She was instantly standing outside Fangtasia, but the hag was nowhere in sight.
"Shit!" Pam cursed as she reentered Fangtasia at breakneck vampire speed, splintering the door as she slammed it closed behind her. Her fingers touched her face, desperately searching for signs of rot or anything that would mar its perfection. To her relief, her fingers found nothing, but she still touched every inch of her face to be sure.
"Fucking bitch!" Pam growled as she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Horror crossed the blonde vampire's face as she felt something come loose in her hand. She brought it in front of her face and couldn't stop the scream from escaping from her lungs when she saw her beautiful blonde locks between her fingers. In a panic, Pam grabbed at her hair again, only to have more of her long blonde strands release without any effort at all. Slowly, hair started falling out in clumps between her fingers.
"No... no...no!" Pam screamed as blood-tears redden her pale cheeks. "You fucking cunt!"
Suddenly, Pam jolts awake, throwing her coffin open and bolting upright. Her fingers instantly make contact with her hair and they run smoothly through it. She sighs in relief when the strands stay where they belong - on her head.
That's when she notices Eric leaning, arms folded, against the wall, watching her with a concerned expression.
"What?"
He stands upright and crosses the room toward Pam, whose hands still contain a slight tremble as they trail through her hair.
"Are you alright?" The Nordic vampire asks with concern laced in his words.
"I'm fine," Pam says reassuringly as she stands and climbs out of her coffin. When she sways a little on her feet, Eric quickly steadies her.
"Looking good, Pam." Eric apprehensively scans every visible inch of her body. She looks exhausted and alarmingly frail to him for some reason.
"Shut up." She braces herself against Eric as a wave of nausea sweeps over her. "What the hell is going on with me?"
"Have you been feeding often enough?" He asks, brushing some of her blonde hair from her face.
"I try," Pam leans wearily into him, "I can't seem to keep anything down lately."
"I think I'm going to call someone to come look at you," Eric announces leaving little room for debate.
"No, Eric," Pam entreats with a stern matter-of-fact edge in her voice. "I'll be all right in a little bit."
Eric shakes his head and kisses Pam on the forehead. "No, I'm sorry Pam, this has been going on for far too long. I'm going to have someone come to look at you."
"Eric, I said no," Pam speaks more firmly as she releases her hold on him. "See? I'm feeling better already."
However, the Nordic vampire can see that what Pam is saying and how she appears to be feeling isn't lining up. "You stay here. I'm going to go find someone to look you over."
"But Eric…" Pam resists with a tone that borders on resentment.
"No buts…" Eric leans his head against hers and runs his fingers through her long hair; his flesh briefly making contact with her skin. That's when he notices something strange… Very strange. Pulling his head back quickly, he places his hands on either side of Pam's face.
"Eric?" The alarm that fills his ice blue eyes concerns her.
"How do you feel right now?" The tone in his voice as he gazes at her with such focus sending shivers down her spine.
"I feel fine…" Pam murmurs as convincingly as possible.
Eric raises his eyebrow and lets his eyes burn into her blue ones. His voice is harsher than he intends. "Tell me the truth, Pamela!"
She hesitates for a moment before she finally admits, "I feel like shit… but I…"
Eric kisses the top of Pam's head. "I think something is seriously wrong with you. Stay put. I'll have someone come to look at you."
Pam opens her mouth to protest, but Eric glares at her. "We are not arguing about this Pamela. I will be back shortly. So. Stay. Put."
***Several Hours Later***
Eric leans against the wall as he watches the doctor work. Dr. Ludwig listens closely, with shock etched on her face. "It can't be…"
"What?"
When the woman doesn't answer her maker, Pam erupts, enraged, "If you don't answer my fucking maker…"
"If you both don't shut up, I'm going to pack my things and leave! I am trying to listen, and I can't hear with all your blasted babbling!"
She firmly pushes the strange-looking stethoscope into Pam's abdomen as she curses, "Damn it!"
"What are you…" When Dr. Ludwig shoots Eric a look of warning, he stops speaking.
With that Dr. Ludwig reaches into her bag and pulls out a small machine. She plugs a wand into it and a pair of headphones. She then shoots Pam an angry look.
"Ms. De Beaufort, I am going to need you to stop growling at me because that's all I am going to be able to pick up. How is it so hard for the pair of you to understand that I need silence?!"
Eric shoots Pam a look when she opens her mouth, causing her to snap it shut bitterly. He watches as Dr. Ludwig places a gel on Pam's abdomen after putting the headphones over her ears.
Pam wrinkles her nose, the feel of the gel on her stomach is positively disgusting. What is this monster trying to do to her? How is this vile substance supposed to help her in any way?
Dr. Ludwig swirls the goop around Pam's abdomen with the wand before pressing it harder into the blonde vampire's flesh. Her face contorts as she strains to listen. Concern crosses the woman's face as she presses the wand even harder. The look on the doctor's face sends an alarm coursing through Eric.
"Eric?" The fear lacing its way into Pam's voice pulls Eric back to reality as he moves closer to Pam, strategically placing himself where he can also stand towering over the doctor.
"Dr. Ludwig?"
"What are you two playing at?" Dr. Ludwig demands angrily as she throws the device and all its attachments into her bag haphazardly. She rips out a small towel, throwing it at Pam.
"What the hell are you going on about?" Pam demands as she snatches the rag from the air and wipes the goo off her stomach.
"Whatever shit you two idiots have gotten yourselves into, I want no part of it!" Dr. Ludwig snaps as she frantically clicks her bag closed. Grabbing it quickly, she hurries toward the door. "Do you hear me?! No part of it!"
With vampire speed, Eric places himself in front of her only exit as ire rises warningly in his tone. "If you don't tell me what is going on with my progeny right now, I'll…"
"You'll what?" Patricia Ludwig challenges as she glares up at Eric without any hint of fear upon her face.
"Can you help my progeny or not!?"
Her light green eyes search Eric's blue ones as realization dawns on her. "You really have no idea what is going on, do you?"
"How can we?" Pam snaps as she climbs off the table. "You won't tell us a damn thing!"
With a sigh, the doctor turns around to face Pam. "You may want to sit down for this Ms. De Beaufort."
Pam raises an eyebrow and looks at Eric before she rolls her eyes and sits back down on the table. "If you're going to tell me that I'm dying, what good are you? May I remind you that I am already dead!"
"Not funny, Pamela!" Eric growls through gritted teeth.
"Well, get on with it!" Pam crosses her arms in irritation, "I'm sitting."
"You may want to sit down as well, Mr. Northman. This may come as quite a shock."
"Oh, please. If I'm not dying, then what could possibly be so bad that you want to run out of here in such a hurry."
Dr. Ludwig pinches the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb in frustration. "This is not going to go well…"
"What the hell is wrong with me?" Pam demands furiously. She has had just about enough of this bullshit. "If it's not something you can fix, then what is the purpose of you being here?"
With a sigh, Dr. Ludwig finally looks up at the two blonde vampires. She is going to need a vacation after this. "Well… Ms. De Beaufort… Have you noticed any changes in your body in recent weeks?"
Pam arches an eyebrow, but remains silent.
Dr. Ludwig gapes at Pam. Is she just not wanting to admit the changes she's noticed in front of her maker, or has the stupid woman really not noticed any changes in her body at all?
"Can you get to the point?" Pam demands angrily. "Are you going to give me a diagnosis or what?"
Dr. Ludwig's eyes meet Eric's blue ones before turning her attention back to Pam.
"Well, Ms. De Beaufort," she speaks very slowly because she can't believe what she is going to have to tell the oblivious pair. "That machine I used on you was a doppler…"
"A what?" Eric asks, eyes remaining glued to the woman as if he can't quite believe what he is hearing. Pam is dead… what good would that machine do in diagnosing his progeny's ailment?
"A doppler," she repeats. "It is something we use on expectant mothers to check on the fetus they are carrying…"
"Fetus?" Eric says slowly as he and Pam lock eyes briefly before he turns back to the doctor. "You mean like a baby?"
The doctor nods. "Yes, a baby…"
Pam and Eric glance at each other again, dumbfounded. What is the woman going on about? Her logic is idiotically flawed. None of what she is saying makes any sense.
"So, congratulations appear to be in order Ms. De Beaufort…" Dr. Ludwig states as Pam and Eric both gaze at her as if she has gone mad. "Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were pregnant."
Pam lets out an acrimonious laugh before hopping to her feet. "Are you out of your fucking mind? In case it escaped your short-sighted notice, I am a vampire! There is no way in hell that I could be pregnant!"
"Exactly. Which is why I want nothing to do with any of the shit you two are dabbling in. With that, I will leave you to deal with your own damn mess."
"Wait!" Pam calls after the doctor angrily. "Is that fucking it?"
"Is what it?" Dr. Ludwig snaps irritably. She wants to get the hell out of here. Dying is not something she is eager to experience and whatever these two are screwing with just might get her killed.
"You're just going to come in here, tell me that you think I'm pregnant, and then leave?"
"What exactly do you want me to do, Ms. De Beaufort? Throw a baby shower for you?"
Pam furiously grinds her teeth. "No, you hobgoblin! Maybe stop being such a cunt and start figuring out what is actually wrong with me and deal with it!"
"I have figured it out, and I have given you my honest medical opinion. Which you blatantly and understandably refuse to believe. You are pregnant, Ms. De Beaufort, and I don't have time to wait around for you to accept this miraculous news! What more can you possibly want!?"
Pam sighs in exasperation, "Oh, I don't know! Fix me, perhaps!?"
"How exactly am I supposed to do that? Your body will hopefully fix itself in nine months!"
"You really know how to find the best doctors don't you Eric?" Pam sneers, throwing her hands up.
Dr. Ludwig feels her anger bubbling up to the surface as she turns on her heel and stalks off.
"Wait!" Pam calls again, this time moving closer to the doctor.
"What more can you possibly have to say? I have other patients that I need to see… Ones that will actually appreciate my advice!"
Pam sighs in defeat, but her anger is still very evident in her voice. "Let's say your stupidly wrong assumption is correct, and by some fluke of Godric that I am somehow pregnant…"
Pam nearly chokes on the bitterness of the last word as it comes out of her mouth.
Dr. Ludwig cocks her eyebrow at Pam. "Spit it out Ms. De Beaufort, I have places I need to be!"
Pam gazes back at Eric, who has remained silent for far too long, as she folds her arms and looks at the doctor. "Abort it?"
Dr. Ludwig leans around Pam and looks at Eric, who is apparently in shock. "You really know how to pick them, don't you?"
"You little bitch…" Pam storms toward the doctor with her fangs extended, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"First of all, put your damn fangs away, you don't scare me! Second of all, think about what you just asked me to do."
"What of it?" Pam snaps bitterly, "Can you do it or not!?"
The doctor sighs. "Ms. De Beaufort you are a vampire! A pregnant vampire. I highly doubt that the normal methods would work for you! And I don't want to risk getting myself cursed or something for attempting it! You and Mr. Northman are messing with things you shouldn't be messing with, and, as I said before, I want no part of it! I would have thought you would have learned your lesson about screwing with things you don't understand! Or were my skin peels to remove your rotting flesh and shots to keep your body from decomposing not enough to get that through your thick skull? Now good day, Ms. De Beaufort!"
A white-hot rage boils up in the pit of Pam's stomach. "Get out, before I fucking drain you dry!"
With that, the woman leaves Pam standing stock still as the realization of what she has just been told slowly starts to sink in. After a long moment, Pam turns to Eric, who only stares at her in surprise.
"For Godric's sake, Eric!" Pam storms over to him. "Stop looking at me like that! She can't possibly be right! I told you, I'm fine, and still you insisted on bringing that quack, who has no fucking clue what she is talking about, here! There is no damn way I, of all vampires, could be pregnant!"
Just as the words leave Pam's lips, the old witch's words about giving Pam a gift echo in her ears. She shakes the thought away as she glares daggers at her maker. "So, I would suggest finding another doctor if you are that concerned about me, Eric! The one you brought is clearly fucking insane!"
Memories of Dr. Ludwig ripping off her skin flash across Pam's memories making her shutter, "You better find someone else to come look at me if you insist on it Eric because I don't want her to come back here, or anywhere near me, ever again!"
"Pam…" Eric says slowly as Pam folds her arms.
"Damn it, Eric, are you just as mad as she is? What is it!?"
"Dr. Ludwig…"
Pam strides over to her coffin and climbs inside, exhausted from tonight's fiasco. "She's insane!"
"No, Pam…" He says, running his fingers through his blonde locks. "Dr. Ludwig…. Is the best…. You know this..."
Pam rolls her eyes, "Eric she's lost her mind! You heard what she said! We both know that she is wrong! I am a vampire! The shit she is spewing isn't even possible!"
"Pam…" Eric moves slowly toward her, as if she is going to go into some sort of hysterical fit at any moment. "You know how high Dr. Ludwig's success rate is…"
Pam rolls her eyes. "Get a grip already! For the last time, I am a vampire, Eric, it isn't possible!"
With that, Pam slams the lid of her coffin closed, leaving Eric to deal with Fangtasia tonight. She is not going to put up with him staring at her like that! So he can deal with the club without her. If he's lucky, Tara has been doing a decent job of keeping all the chaos in check while Dr. Ludwig was with Pam and Eric in the basement, losing her damn mind.
A/N: There you go everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time please review and have a great day! I would also like to think my beta WrathofMacy for all her work on this chapter!