I slept well in Eric's arms through the rest of the night and most of the next morning. During midday, I woke and took my time to meditate, focus on the positives in my life and reflect on the things that Eric and I had talked about the previous evening. There was still some trepidation from me, and I knew most of it was because he was not Derek. I needed to get myself past the fact he would never be Derek, but he could be emsomeone/em to me. He could be an especially important someone.
Trust. That is what it came down to. Could I trust Eric with the most intimate and tortured parts of myself, and could he do the same for me in return? The answers didn't come readily, and time would be the deciding factor to it. We didn't have time to find out slowly, but we couldn't rush this, not if either of us wanted this to work to the best of both our abilities.
I let out a sigh. Tonight would be a first test in a series of who knows how many to see what we could truly become. Eric was capable of many faces, and in being the Sherriff of Area 5 it was necessary. With me, I didn't want many faces, I wanted as few as possible, a realness and depth between us that would strengthen and nourish us. We don't always get what we want, but sometimes, even if it may not seem like it, we get what we need.
I packed most of our belongings, ordered a late lunch, and did my best to come up with possible questions and answers for those questions when we were finally in the same room as my parents. My family really, because to the best of my knowledge, my brother was still living at home, and it would be a welcome sight. I did this until it was first dark, and when I couldn't put it off any longer, I called the house. I'd talked with my parents while we were in Rio, mentioned the idea of coming home for a brief period, but I'd also let them know the danger they could be in if I did so.
As I anticipated, my mother was unabashedly thoughtless about her own safety and insisted that if I was anywhere near home, I was to come there and see them. As though it were unfathomable that her life could hang in the balance if I so much as set foot into the same city, let alone their home now. My father was more calculated, but still agreed with my mother, it had been far too long, and they wanted to see their only daughter. And how was that boy, the one who took such good care of them when I broke and left on my own for their protection? Had he found me and were we traveling together?
I knew he meant Derek, and I honestly hadn't been prepared for emthose questions./em I stammered through them, and when we met in person, I hoped I would be able to better articulate and give them answers, but I was still avoiding my feelings on that, and to move on I had to face them and work through them. Eventually. Hopefully. I knew I would get through them, but I still had to be okay thinking about life beyond him, instead of with him in the future. There was no future there any longer, only memories and heartache and could-have-beens. I had to move forward for my safety and the safety of those I cared about.
I wasn't ready for this phone call, but I made it because I couldn't chicken out and just show up unannounced. I may have run off at eighteen, tried to protect people who loved me by cutting them out of my life with the misguided notion that leaving was safer than staying. But I had been raised with manners, I knew showing up without any idea or inclination of the possibility I would be there was rude. But it would be so much easier, and ultimately more awkward if I were to do that.
On the third ring, my father answered, "Hello, Taylor residence. May I ask who's calling?"
"Hi, daddy. It's me. It's, uh, Tristan."
I could almost hear the breath he sucked in. I thought he would drop the phone.
"Daddy? Are you there?"
"Y-yes honey, I just – we weren't sure when we would hear from you again."
""Oh, um. I'm sorry. This is terribly awkward of me; I should have phoned sooner. I'm close to home, about an hour away." I gave him the name of our hotel and I wasn't sure if he knew the complexities of this particular hotel.
"Anyway, I know you and mom wanted me to come visit, if I was at all close enough to do so. Is it possible to come tonight?"
"Of course, dear. Your mother and I would love that. So would Seth."
I drew in a breath, before I continued.
"Is he still living at home? I would love to see him, too."
"He is, yes. Just tell me what you would like for dinner, and when to expect you. I'll make sure your brother is here as well."
"Thank you, daddy. I've missed you. And mom and Seth too. Can we have my favorite?" I asked knowing he wouldn't refuse.
"Of course, honey. I'll let your mother know, right away. When should we expect you?"
This was a trickier question to answer. Without spilling too much information I told him the situation.
"I'm traveling with a vampire, and we can't leave until it's full dark. It will still be a little while yet, so it will be a later dinner. I know the time doesn't really matter but I'll say, after nine o'clock."
"Oh. Well do we need to get any special food or drink for your travel companion?"
My parents, always considerate. Bless them that they almost never asked any questions.
"We can bring something ourselves. Just my favorite, please. I love you, daddy."
"I love you too, Tristan. We'll see you this evening. Safe travels, sweetheart."
As we disconnected, I looked out at the sun dipping below the large hills we faced. A whisper of fabric alerted me to Eric's presence at my back. It was still early for him to be up, but I knew I had kept my voice down so I wouldn't disturb him. He ran his hands along my arms and pulled me to his naked form, cradling me in his arms.
As he rested his chin on the top of my head he said, "You've never called me daddy before."
I couldn't hold in my laughter, turning as I giggled and swatted at him.
"You are not my father, or my daddy. Settle yourself down, sir. You are meeting my parents."
Eric grinned back at me and lifted my chin, pressing his lips lightly on mine. He released me and sauntered to the bathroom to shower and get himself ready. We might be early. Or we could take some time for ourselves before we left for my parents' house. I followed him into the shower.
style="text-align: center;" align="center".::.
The drive didn't last as long as I expected, even though we left almost immediately after it was full dark. Traffic was light, sitting beside Eric in the rental felt like the biggest adventure in the world. Not many things are as intimidating as the 'meet the parents' dinner, or outing. Especially for normal couples. There was extraordinarily little about us – as individuals or a couple – that was normal. I was hoping that would be something we could gloss over and find more interesting things to talk about. My absence for the last ten years was likely to make that difficult, if not impossible.
Eric drove with precision and speed. We chatted lightly, but both knew we would do more talking than not once we arrived. It was difficult to keep silent when there were still so many questions between us, but this wasn't the time or place to discuss the heavy hitting ones. There was never a right time, it seemed. But there were plenty of not right times.
As we neared the exit, I made some adjustments so we could stop for blood before showing up to the house. It wasn't glamorous, it wasn't neat. It also didn't have to be horrifying for them by watching Eric feed off me. It wasn't a regular thing, and between us it was more sexual than fulfilling a physical need the same way bottled blood or donors replaced food. Still, my family had their limits, and I was setting some of my own. Once that was out of the way we drove across the town, vibrant and alive in the middle of summer with the streetlights and people milling about in the more hospitable temperatures of the late evening. When the daytime temperatures reached the triple digits in the shade for at least two weeks of the year, the night was really the only time you could come out and feel normal. I was banking on that fact to dissuade a majority of the questions my parents might have when it came to Eric.
Music billowed in across the body of the car, a convertible Eric had insisted on using during our travels through the west coast. In the evening driving through the desert, it was pleasant. Hearing the laughs and murmuring voices of the tourists enjoying the open-air dining and street fairs that popped up across the city and surrounding communities. They were some of the most fun I had with my friends growing up, shopping and enjoying street food and meeting similarly aged teens from out of town. Getting to know how they saw where I grew up, if they felt the same way my friends and I did or not.
We turned down two more streets, drawing away from the crowds and people milling about on the street. My parents house was in the middle of the street, and it was modest. The house I had grown up in was no more, demolished and rebuilt over the time I had left when they were searching for and moving into the new house I had yet to lay my eyes upon. I neutral beige, it was trimmed with an adobe brown, like many of the other houses on the street. A paved driveway was surrounded by drought resistant plants and natural scrub brush common in the area. Their cars sat in the driveway, shades in the windows to keep some of the heat at bay, my brother's car sat in front of the house in a similar fashion. Stickers covered his bumper, anything from bands to political movements and save the planet slogans. Several of them actually came from me, my senior year of high school. They were incentive for him to learn to drive and get a job to afford a car of his own, and he still had them.
Eric pulled behind Seth's car and put the top up, dust in the rental would be less than desirable when we did return it. He turned to me after the car was off and scrutinized me from the driver's side. I knew my heart was racing, and I clutched the bag of bottled blood tightly. It hovered just an inch above the floorboard, swinging with the slight motion of my nervous hands. I met his eyes briefly before turning my head toward the house, lights on inside and in the yard, the smell of a charcoal grill fired up to alert the neighborhood someone would be eating great food this evening.
"I-"my words faltered. I wasn't sure what had me so nervous, certainly it wasn't Eric meeting my family. It was how they would receive me, ten years after abandoning them, leaving like a thief in the night. Could they still love me the same? Love me even thought I left them vulnerable in the face of my cowardice?
"Tristan, we don't have to do this," Eric said. He pulled my face away from the house and caught my gaze, holding me in place so he could say the next words with my full attention.
""They may be your family, or the people you feel closest to in this world. If you have any doubts about seeing them again, or you feel we should leave simply say the word. We could leave now, and they would neve even know we had stopped here. It is your decision."
I nodded in his firm grip and took a deep breath. Took a moment to settle my nerves before speaking to him.
"Thank you, Eric. For supporting me in this, and for choosing to come with me and all of the unknowns that my being in your life has presented you with. I guess I'm just nervous that they will see me differently or look at me like I made the wrong choice for leaving in the first place. I've hardly talked to them in all this time. It's, more than a little nerve wracking," I said, nervously chuckling.
Eric caressed my face softly before planting a gentle kiss on my lips. He got out of the car and sped around to open the door for me, gracefully picking me up and carrying me across the walkway to the front door before setting me down. Before I could raise my hand to knock on the door, it swooshed open, and my brother stepped out of the house to wrap me in a bear hug. He didn't pay any attention to Eric, and lifted me off the porch, swinging my feet back and forth before setting me down a little unsteady because he wasn't as tall as Eric.
"You're really here, Tristan. I didn't believe it when dad told us earlier. It's really you," Seth let out in one breath, grinning wide from ear to ear. Behind him and holding the door open was his long-term girlfriend, Vivian. I had to look twice, but I smiled just as wide when I saw the ring on her finger letting me know they had at some point gotten engaged. I was sad to have missed it, but my happiness outweighed the sadness when I knew they were perfect for each other.
"Seth, Vivan. It really is me. I'm so glad to be back home for a little while, I've missed you all so much," I said, heart swelling with joy and excitement. Before I could get caught up in reuniting with my family, I introduced Eric.
"This is Eric Northman, my traveling companion, and my husband." My parents rounded the door just as the words left my mouth, and the smile I had held nonstop flickered in place, straining across my face instead of feeling natural and part of the flow of the evening.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all, I am honored to finally grace your presence." Eric was polite, well mannered, and everything you would hope for when brining someone home to meet your parents, but they had seen me with Derek from the moment he had entered my life. They had seen me happier than I could have imagined in the span of a few weeks, and seen me torn apart when Kayden had torn down all the illusions I had allowed myself to believe. Still, they invited us in, and I knew I would have to explain it all to them.
We were ushered into the outdoor patio, seated around the fire pit, and given cold drinks before I could even think to protest and Vivian took the bag of bottled blood from me to place it in the fridge so it wouldn't spoil in the heat. I could smell the meat on the grill, hear it sizzling. Corn sat on a plate waiting for its turn to be placed, condiments and everything it needed to be complete sitting on the table a few feet away. It almost made me forget that I had thrown off everyone's perception by announcing our status as married between me and Eric.
"Tristan," my mother sighed as she ran her fingers through my hair and tucked a few strands back into place. My absence had affected her the most, and I felt guilty instantly.
"Mom, I love you." She squeezed the hand I offered to her before she patted my shoulder and grabbed plates and tortillas for the meal. I may look white as the driven snow, and with black hair and piercing blue eyes, it's a shocker for most people when I tell them I grew up eating a lot of different food, including Mexican favorites. My favorites.
"Elotes should be ready in ten minutes, but I can get the tacos ready now, if you want, sweetheart."
My dad turned to me, looking for all the world like it was just any other weekend night and I hadn't been gone so long. I nodded slowly before finding my words again.
"I'd like that, dad. Thanks," I told him as Seth helped mom bring out the plates and seated Vivian beside himself, across from Eric and me. Dad sliced the meat up perfectly for the small corn tortillas and the onions, cilantro, radish, and limes were laid out at the center of the table. As soon as the tortillas were grilled warm enough with some scorch marks they went in the warmer. Everyone at the table looked on eagerly as my dad brought more to the table before my mother returned with a glass and heated bottle for Eric to enjoy with us as we ate.
"Once my father sat down, the rest of us all dug in, ravishing the contents of the table while the corn grilled slowly to perfection. I tucked away three tacos before the corn was ready to be decorated and consumed. For all I knew, I looked like a wild beast. My manners seemed to have flown out the window at the sight and smell of my favorite foods, and I was surprised there wasn't more of a smirk on Eric's face from the seat beside me. I licked my fingers clean and convinced myself that I didn't need another taco, loaded with all the deliciousness in front of me. I knew my mother had some dessert waiting for the right time to emerge, and after everyone had eaten their fill, my father turned off the grill, sat down across from my mother, and folded his hands in a content manner. Waiting for what everyone was anxious to know and understand. Another minute wouldn't hurt to leave them full and happy from the wonderful food before I brought more pain and heartache into their lives again.
""Thank you, daddy, the food was amazing. I'm so glad we could get together for this meal," I said, locking eyes with him and smiling brightly. I didn't want to miss the small things, the littlest moments that turned out to be the most important ones when you looked back on them.
"I know it was sudden," I began. I didn't want to get into this now. I really, really wanted to avoid this conversation for the rest of the foreseeable future. But that wouldn't keep them safe. It wouldn't keep them from trying to keep me safe. I started over.
"This trip should have happened sooner, and I'm sorry that I haven't kept in touch or been able to talk much. I thought that I was being careful, keeping you all safe by being out of your lives. Everything that happened after my graduation seems like a nightmare and I didn't want you to keep living in that because of me."
I looked around the table, everyone's eyes meeting mine briefly before looking away. They knew the gravity of me coming here, knew that it meant something had changed. I just didn't know if it was for the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOnly time could tell me that, and I had to be willing to take a chance if I wanted my family to still be a part of my life.
I drew in another breath. "Kayden followed me, relentlessly. I hid the best way I knew how, and somehow, he still managed to find me each time I ran. I left Derek here to keep you safe, and he followed me to. I never knew if he was following my trail or Kayden's because they eventually crossed. When Derek found me, I was in Louisiana working in a dive bar. Derek came to me, outside the home of a coworker of mine and he died outside her home a few days later. He came to bring me home to you, and I had still wanted to run, to try to keep you safe."
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and my voice began to wobble. I wasn't sure if I could get through the rest of this story without breaking down completely. Before I could begin again, Eric took up my tale, and simultaneously set everyone at ease.
"I watched them fight together and for each other. They passionately held their ground against this fiend, but he outmatched them with his duplicitous strategy. He gained the upper hand and I consoled Tristan as her love was taken before her eyes. We gave him a proper funeral, like that of a Viking send off, my own people."
Eric took my hand in his and gave a gentle squeeze. In the moment we sent Derek off to his ancestors Eric knew that we would be compatible because I had insisted on this rite for Derek's remains. I would insist on anything that was important to my partner, in life or death, or as the case now may be, undeath.
"The accusations that Kayden made about being my sibling were true." I didn't know how else to broach that subject or give the full story without that piece of information. "I also had a sister, one I thought had died before I came to be in your lives and whom Kayden had corrupted and molded to his own purposes. She is the reason Derek is dead. Why it has taken me over a month to reach out to you and why my escort, my husband is a vampire."
That conversation wouldn't be fun either. I still trudged on, determined to get the whole picture out to them even if I was uncomfortable about my new title and position. My duty to myself, and all the people I cared about was dependent on me being upfront about this, too.
"I was invited by another member of my race, someone who decides the rulers of their people, and how the succession goes. I was told that unless I found a suitable replacement, Kayden was the path toward the freedom of my parents' people, my people. I couldn't accept that because he was the reason for their oppression to begin with. I had to find another way, and Eric graciously gave me another option. He worked with me to find any kind of loophole, and when it came down to the wire, he elected himself to be by my side, and to help me find a way to legitimize my ability to rule without a husband. Without him, I don't know that I would have ever come back home and seen you again," I finished with.
It was true, even if it seemed like a cheap way to accept his presence in my life. Without a clear way forward, I would have traded myself into slavery willingly in the vain hope that Kayden would keep his word and free the people he had taken hostage because of me. The entire relationship was convoluted and perverted by his perception of his birthright. Even though my parents weren't exposed to as much of it, that much they understood. At least, the people who had raised me as their own on this Earth and whom I considered my parents just as much.
My mothers face was contorted in horror and confusion, a little heartbreak too. She had cared about what made me happy, and at the time-for an awfully long time-Derek was what made me happy. I had begun to feel the same about Eric, but that wouldn't be obvious to my mother just yet. Maybe by the end of the night it would be.
Seth's jaw was tight, lips set in a grimace. Derek had been friends with him first and worked himself into the position to be with me. It was underhanded and a cheap trick, but one that I had accepted and been grateful for once I realized that he was trying his best to keep me from drawing Kayden's attention and becoming his puppet. Vivian similarly had a desperately pained look on her face to match Seth's.
My father seemed more unreadable.
""Look," I said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I know this is a lot to take in, and it isn't easy by any means. I just want to try for a life that can include the people I care most about: you all."
My father cleared his throat and my mother let out a sound I thought I would never hear again, agony coated sorrow bubbling from her lips.
Seth clenched his fists on the table and set his face into a scowl.
"If that bastard even tries—"Seth was cut short by the gasp from my mother and my fathers fist slamming against the glass table.
"I won't let him come here and do anything to my sister, dad! He's already taken enough from her to begin with. She's been gone for so long. Let him try," Seth finished stoutly, disregarding my parents' objection to his language.
I smiled warmly and blushed slightly, as free as I could be with my language, there were some things you just didn't say in front of your parents. I was glad that Seth could see the practicality and wasn't concerned about the logistics of Eric and me. Vivian would support his ideas, their relationship had been strong since before I had left, it was only stronger after all this time.
"Are you happy, dear?" My mother asked.
I turned to face her, allowing the smile to grow and shine on my face.
"Yes mom, I am happy. There are ups and downs, but we area figuring everything out as we go," I told her, casting a glance at Eric. He had been silent throughout the meal and many of the exchanges, but I was certain he would have his own input and be able to impress my family with his tales and ability to set them at ease.
"Instead, his phone rang, signaling there was something that his bar, Fangtasia, needed more than Pam's guidance to navigate. He slid his chair back to stand and muttered, "Excuse me, this is a business call," as he walked to the back corner of the yard to keep from interrupting our conversation.
I chose to diffuse the confused and frustrated stares with stories of our travels internationally. I didn't mention everything that took place, from Irial to the lovemaking Eric and I had partaken in, there were things that I left out for all our sakes. My mother loved the pictures I had taken and gushed over the outfits I was able to wear all over the globe. My father wanted to know more about the igloo huts and Seth wanted to plan a trip with Vivian to Rio the following year to enjoy the local music and cuisine.
Just as I was finishing up with the picture show and tell, Eric returned.
"Is everything alright?" I asked him brightly, turning to smile as he sat back at the table with us.
Between Eric's return and his response my mother had gone into the kitchen to grab dessert for everyone eating it.
"Nothing alarming, darling," Eric replied. He ran his hand down the side of my arm affectionately. His gesture was as much for my benefit as for my families and I hid a demure smile by looking to the glass door my mother was walking through carrying the tray of dessert.
She had made a chocolate layered dessert with mouse and whipped cream that I especially enjoyed. It was an involved process and she had once told me that it was so time consuming, she would rather make flan, which was saying a lot. But she had gone through the trouble to make me something special and I was going to enjoy it while I could.
My eyes widened and I beamed with excitement, making Eric grin appreciatively. Over the delectable offerings Eric told my parents what he did in Louisiana for the most part, and since vampire bars were nothing new to California, they were at first concerned then had their fears assuaged. Their concerns were more about why I had been working there in the first place. Upon finding out that was not the case, they slowed the peppering of questions for Eric.
The hours spent with my family were heartwarming and encouraged me to believe only better things were on our horizons. As Eric drove us to the hotel we would be staying at. My parents' home was not equipped to house a vampire during the day and despite the luck we seemed to be having long the west coast, I didn't want to lead Kayden straight to my parents. It was only twelve-thirty when we began our journey from my parents' house and nearly one in the morning when we arrived at our hotel.
No surprise guests greeted us, nothing deterred our way into the room, there were no messages or death threats. I was relived and overjoyed that the dinner I thought could easily become a disaster had gone so well. Eric noticed my mood and as I pranced about the room he took in the sight of me, smiling to himself as though I wasn't watching him the same way.
I twirled toward him, moving my feet in the best impression of a dancer I could manage. Having only done ballet for a single year when I started school, it wasn't incredible, but Eric opened his arms to me, pulling me close. He rested his arms around me, encircling my frame and breathed in my excitant and joy. He lifted me off the floor and carried me into the bedroom. A bottle of champagne was sitting, chilled, beside the bed. The surprise caught me off guard, but I grinned and pulled his lips to mine, kissing him fervently while he began to undress. It had been a wonderful night, indeed.