A/N: Here it is, guys. The final chapter. There will be a short epilogue (It's done! I have finished a whole story again! Yay me! And I will likely upload Monday or Tuesday!), but this is the end of the story proper. I hope you like it. Thanks so much for sticking with me. :)

Chapter 45

June 16, 1996 - June 17, 1996

Rising wasn't like waking up. Instead of a gradual shift into wakefulness, or even an abrupt switch from asleep to awake, it was almost as if she didn't exist, and then she did.

Sookie laid there with her eyes closed for a few minutes. The sheets were very soft and there was a light breeze that was ruffling the fine hairs on her arms. She could smell the unscented detergent in the sheets, that it was going to rain later that evening, and what was essentially the essence of Pam - the dry, almost spicy scent of vampire, the tiniest hint of expensive perfume, and what was almost certainly Pam's blood. She couldn't have smelled it when she was human, but she still recognized it instantly as Pam's. Sookie could hear the electricity humming in the walls, mosquitos buzzing around outside, and Pam sliding out of bed and walking softly on the thick plush carpet. She knew that it was Pam because she could feel her, and her blood recognized Pam's and seemed to track it around the bed. The bond was like the one she'd had with Eric, but so different. This felt more powerful and much less like a level playing field, as lopsided as that one had been. But somehow, that didn't seem to bother her.

She could hear the thoughts of all of the people in the neighbourhood, way more of them than she had ever been able to before, but she hadn't even really noticed them until she'd tried to listen. She pulled up her shields, and it just stopped. She lowered and raised them a few more times, and it was almost as easy as opening and closing her eyes. She tried that, too.

She had seen the ceiling in this room hundreds of times, but had never noticed the brush strokes in the paint or that it wasn't really white, but had the barest touch of pink. She could see Pam out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head a bit to look at her.

Pam looked nervous, and Sookie closed her eyes and tried to feel Pam's emotions. She was incredibly anxious, but full of anticipation. Instead of Pam's feelings being a confused jumble with her own, like Eric's had been, they were completely separate. But there was an innate desire to almost defer to them. It wasn't that she had to - not right now, at least - but part of her wanted to. Her eyebrows drew together in a frown, and she could feel Pam's nervousness ratchet up.

Sookie's eyes were still closed and her throat felt so dry and burned a little. "Jeez, Pam. Calm down. You're going to give yourself an aneurysm." Her voice sounded rough and gravelly.

Pam laughed, in surprise as much as anything else, and Sookie heard a thump from another room.

"Thirsty…"

"Right! Of course."

Sookie sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Moving her body took no effort at all. She took in the room around her, and she could see so much detail. The colours were so much more vibrant. Pam poured some blood into a cup, and the smell immediately made her fangs run down. It smelled nothing like copper, but delicious. Like… life. Part of her was still a little queasy at the idea, but her hunger drove that aside. She took the cup from Pam and drank.

Pam refilled it three times before Sookie felt sated. She set the cup down on the bedside table and looked at Pam.

Pam didn't feel power over Sookie the way she'd imagined. It was more of a responsibility to her. Of course, Godric had never lorded power over her, but she'd thought that that was just his nature. She had heard so many stories of evil and twisted makers who brutalized their children. She couldn't reconcile that with how she felt.

When she'd first met Sookie, it had almost been like love at first sight. In a completely non-romantic way, as much as she liked to tease. The pull had come later, but looking back, she thought that she had wanted to turn Sookie right from the start. She had never had a relationship like it. It was like they were drawn to each other. They were almost always touching when they were together. She thought that part of it was that Sookie had never been able to get much physical comfort before, but she knew that Sookie loved her. It had been confirmed by the blood tie, and she could feel it even more strongly right now, even though Sookie's emotions were all over the place.

Pam had been affectionate with Sookie right from the start, but somehow now she was almost afraid to touch her. She didn't know why she felt so hesitant. Sookie smiled at her, and even though it was tinged with bitterness and irony, Pam felt a weight lift. Sookie stood and pulled Pam in for a hug. It was tight and felt a little desperate.

"Are they Ok?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I should have said that first thing. Yes. They're both fine. Eric is right outside, and Godric is gone to pick up Leif. Bill Compton is finally dead."

Sookie's shoulders sagged in relief, and she teared up a bit. She blinked away the red haze. "I don't know yet if I made the right decision, but thank you so much for letting me make it. I love you, Pam."

Pam kissed her cheek and hugged her back. "I love you, too. Now, Godric is nearly back with Leif. Probably you should get the meet and greet with your boyfriend over with." Sookie saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue before pulling away, but she chose not to mention it. And she wiped her own with the heels of her hands.

Sookie took a deep breath and turned to the door, but then turned back. "First, command me not to hurt Leif."

"It isn't foolproof, Sookie. You can go against it, if you try hard enough. For a while, at least. I will be able to stop you if I'm in the same room, but that's it. And I'm not sure that it will even work on you when glamour didn't. But, as your maker, I command you not to hurt your son, Leif."

'As your maker.' It had given Pam such a thrill to say it.

Sookie felt the command take hold, and she nodded. "It worked. I guess you can command me after all."

Pam gave her an evil grin, and Sookie snorted, and everything was alright again. The dynamic had changed, of course, but it would work itself out.

"Don't you dare, Pam. I'll sic Godric on you."

"You would. And, of course, he would take your side. I don't know what he sees in you."

Sookie smiled at her and then opened the bedroom door.

Eric was standing a few feet away looking at her. She couldn't figure out what that look on his face meant, and she wished that she could still feel him so she could know for sure. She swallowed and then walked up to him and swept the hair out of his eyes and tucked it behind his ear. He was so beautiful she could hardly stand it. She smiled at him. "Hi."

He smiled back, and it lit up his face. Then she could tell how worried he'd been, and how hard he'd been trying not to let it show. "Hi."

It was the smile that had always made her blush, that made her heart speed up and her breath catch in her throat. All three of those things were pretty much out now. But she still had butterflies, an ache and what still felt like heat between her legs, and her fangs snicked down.

She started to feel embarrassed, but the heat in his eyes when he looked at her fangs made her change her mind. She pulled his head down by his hair and kissed him. He smelled so good - like Eric, only better. More complex. And his mouth tasted delicious. She had her hands in his hair, and it was so soft but also a little bit rough, and it felt so good between her fingers. She could kiss forever without breathing, but she liked it more when she could smell him, so she breathed through her nose now and again.

She had never been so turned on. She wanted him so much that she was almost ready to just throw off all of her clothes and fuck him right there in the middle of the room in front of Pam, but she was still Sookie inside, and she didn't know that she would ever be ready for something like that. Or that she would really want to be. But she wasn't uptight enough to stop what they were doing. Kissing him was just too important.

Pam cleared her throat and then put her hand on Sookie's arm. "Sookie, try to calm down. Godric is outside with Leif. Do you need more blood first? Or to have sex?"

Sookie pulled away. "I'm not really hungry. I just want to see him."

"You really haven't had much. Only 4 bags."

"Jesus, Sookie. I drink that now. I nearly drained you my first night, and then drank five bags besides."

"Fine. Just hurry up. He's calling for me."

She drank a cupful, and then downed another when Pam insisted. "I can't drink any more. I'm fine. Please let them come in."

Sookie was so afraid that Leif would be scared of her. He had been around vampires from the beginning, of course, but she was his mother. It was different. She obviously wouldn't feel the same to him. She'd be colder, at least. And then it hit her that she wouldn't be the one to take care of him any longer. He would need to be with someone else all day long, every day until he was grown. She wouldn't be able to nurse him. Maybe she wouldn't even be able to hold him without going into bloodlust and hurting him, or worse.

She teared up again, and they spilled over. Godric walked in holding the baby, and Pam handed her a tissue. Sookie took a cautious sniff, and was relieved that he just pretty much smelled like Leif. She sobbed once and held out her arms for him.

Leif called for her again and Godric passed him over. She kissed his head and there was no hunger there. Nothing but love. Leif's forehead wrinkled for a moment, and he looked so much like Eric that she laughed. He smiled back up at her, and his thoughts were all love and her, and she was able to relax a little bit. His thoughts were more distinct now, and she could almost see herself in his mind. She wondered how he'd changed so much in such a short time, or if her new senses were so much better that she could somehow translate his thoughts now.

Without thinking, she pierced her finger with her fang and put it in his mouth. She felt the blood tie take hold, and it made his thoughts even clearer. Or maybe being able to feel what he was feeling brought them more into focus.

Sookie sat just holding him for a while. She cried a little when he wanted to nurse and then while feeding him a bottle. She cried harder when she handed him to Godric to take him back to Bon Temps. She wanted to go with him to see Gran, but it was already very late and she would be asleep. Jason was waiting up for the baby.

Sookie sobbed on Pam's shoulder after Godric took Leif outside. Eric felt awkward, and kind of jealous, but Sookie had been crying on Pam's shoulder for nearly a year, and Pam was her maker. He guessed it only made sense that Sookie would go to her. Trying to work out their new dynamic was going to take some getting used to. He followed Godric outside.

Eric took the baby from him and kissed Leif's head before he buckled him into his car seat and closed the door. He leaned against the side of the car. Godric could tell that he wanted to talk. "It's a lot to take in."

Eric nodded.

"Are you disappointed?"

"What? No! Of course not."

"A little jealous, maybe?"

Eric shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But mostly I'm just glad she's alive. Well, you know what I mean."

"It might take some getting used to, but I'm sure everything will work itself out."

Eric didn't answer, but he didn't leave, either.

"Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?"

Eric sighed. "It didn't go so great at Far's the other night."

Eric wouldn't talk about it at the time, and Godric hadn't wanted to push it. "What happened?"

"He wanted me to go back to school. Called Sookie white trash. Wanted me to just walk away from both of them and he'd pay the child support. He said I didn't need them weighing me down for the rest of my life."

"What did you do?"

He gave a half shrug. "I wanted to kill him. I just glamoured him to forget I was his son, pretty much."

"I'm sorry, Eric."

Eric shrugged again. "It's fine. I haven't had a relationship with him for a long while. And we've never had a good one. I wish I could get to know my brother, but maybe someday. After we come out and he's older."

Eric still hadn't moved, so Godric waited.

"I know I was a huge dick before. But I just wanted you to know that I've kind of thought of you as my father for a while."

Godric smiled. "I'm glad."

Eric nodded. "Thank you, Master." He went back inside.

Godric smiled all the way to Bon Temps.

...

Sookie had calmed down and was sitting on the couch with her head on Pam's shoulder. Eric sat down next to her, and Sookie laced her fingers through his. Pam patted Sookie's leg. "Ok, kids. Run and play. Mommy has things to do."

Eric grinned, stood up, and pulled Sookie up after him. "My place or yours?"

She shrugged. "Yours, I guess. I don't really want to think about the empty crib in mine."

Eric was going to have to do some major cheering up. He remembered how amazing he'd felt that first night they'd had sex after he'd been turned. How amazing she had felt. Everything was just so fucking sensitive now. He hoped that it would help to distract her, if he was able to get her into that headspace at all.

He was so fucking horny for her, but so nervous, too. For so many different reasons. He kept hold of her hand and led her into his room and over to his bed. He sat down and she stood between his legs, facing him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he just held her for a few minutes, rubbing her back. "You ok?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, I guess this is better than him not having a mother at all. Maybe."

"Of course it is, Sookie. And I'm sure we can figure out a way to have him here with us at some point."

She shrugged again and held him a little bit tighter. After a couple more minutes, she pulled back and kissed him. It was almost desperate, and he knew that she was just trying to forget for a little while. He let her take the lead and just enjoyed kissing her back.

She grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head and then put her fingers in his hair and kissed him again. She was so used to him being cool - especially his mouth - but to her he just felt warm again. The way he had the few times she'd kissed him while he was still alive.

She pulled away and turned around for him to unzip her dress, and she thought that it was almost a ritual by now. He pulled the zipper down slowly and then lightly scraped his fangs down her neck to her shoulder as he pulled the straps down. She shivered. She turned around and let the dress fall. It had a built-in bra, and Pam hadn't bothered with underwear, and Eric's hands were on her breasts almost before the dress hit the floor. Like she knew they would be. Suddenly, it wasn't just to make herself forget. "Fuck me, Eric. I need you so bad."

He scooped her up and threw her on the bed, and she pulled him down on top of her. She was already so wet, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, letting him know that this wasn't the time for taking things slow. He slid inside her, and he felt so good, but she needed more. "Harder, Eric. Please."

He was used to fucking humans. And he'd always tried to be even more gentle with Sookie, although he knew he'd been more than a little rough a few times those first days after being turned. He didn't need to be so careful now. He hitched her legs over his shoulders and went hard and fast and deep.

She was pinching her nipples and when he leaned down to kiss her, she bit his tongue, and had already bitten her own.

Somehow, even diluted with his own, her blood tasted every bit as good as it had before. He missed seeing her blush, but she still came with the same, "Oh my God, Eric!" He came yelling her name.

He kissed her ankle and then swung her leg over so he could spoon in behind her. She snuggled back harder against him and turned her head to kiss his shoulder.

"I love you, Eric."

He kissed behind her ear. "I love you, too."

"I hope that was ok. Exchanging blood, I mean. I guess I should have asked first."

"Of course it was ok, Sookie. I can't wait to do it again."

She turned around in his arms and bit her lip. He'd always found that equal parts sexy and adorable, but with the fangs, it went straight to his dick.

She said, "Up against the headboard."

He loved a bossy Sookie. He sat up and she climbed into his lap and slid down on his cock. He'd had this memory/fantasy over and over and over again through the months - her riding him while he sucked on her nipples or on her throat.

She was grinding her clit on his pubic bone and he could tell by her breathy sighs that she was getting close. He sucked on her throat and then bit her neck when she bit his shoulder, and he could feel her cumming through their blood tie. He came, too.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed. "I feel like I just can't get enough of you."

He snuggled her closer to him. "I know exactly how you feel." And he even checked her blood to make sure.

They started kissing again and he picked her up and fucked her against the wall.

...

When Godric got back shortly before dawn, Pam was lying on his bed reading. He smiled and laid down next to her. "How long have they been at it?"

"Since shortly after you left. I'm surprised they haven't knocked any walls down yet."

He stroked her hair. "Are you jealous?"

"No. Surprisingly, I'm not. It's never been about that with her. She's beautiful, and I wouldn't hesitate down the road if she were interested, but somehow they're just right together. I think that this is the way that it's supposed to be."

He grinned at her. "My goodness, Pamela! Getting spiritual in your old age?"

"Well, maybe I am. You were the one who always taught me to adapt or die. I'm adapting."

He kissed her forehead and heard Sookie and Eric approaching the door.

"Enter."

Eric was wearing a pair of sleep pants and Sookie was in one of Eric's dirty shirts. She climbed in bed next to Pam and Eric laid down behind her. Sookie sighed. "I kind of feel like I'm being pulled apart. I need to be near you, but I need to be with him, too."

Godric smiled. "Everyone can rest in here. I've missed having you so close, Sookie."

Sookie couldn't see the eyebrow, but she knew that Eric was raising one. She turned over to face him. "I spent most nights here. I felt so alone in Bon Temps. And it made me feel closer to you. Nothing happened."

He kissed her nose. "I know."

Sookie put her head down on Eric's chest and Pam had her hand on Sookie's hip. Feeling surrounded by love, she drifted off with the sun.

When she rose, her head was still on Eric's chest. She wondered why everyone was so quiet. She sat up and stretched - not because she needed to, but just because it felt good - and looked at the clock. 11:34 AM.