A/N: Two years ago today, I was bored at work and decided to write the first chapter of an idea I'd been batting around, after rewatching a few episodes of Chuck. I'd fallen into an SVM fanfiction hole after my mom died in February of 2020, and I figured that I'd give writing my own a whirl. I uploaded it and got pretty great reviews, but I stalled. Writing one chapter and then not going back is about typical (thanks, ADHD!) but then, on the US Thanksgiving of that year (we celebrate both because we are a dual-nationality family), I got the idea for IBDFC, which got me on the ground running. I picked up AM again when I was done and haven't looked back. And I finish things now! Only these things, granted, but it's something.

I'm cooking my Canadian Thanksgiving bird tonight, 2 years later, and I am really fucking thankful that I started writing and found out that I wasn't too bad at it. I'm super thankful that I met my best friend because of it. And I am thankful as hell for every single one of you. So, thanks.

Chapter 31

Tray led the wolves downtown to L'Hôtel Acadien. Alcide stayed in the back and made Sookie drink from his wrist on the way there. It hurt like hell, but he didn't care. They drove under the canopy and Tray handed the valet his keys and flashed the kid his penthouse key card and a twenty. He pointed his thumb at the VW bus. "Theirs, too."

The valet nodded, took Jake's keys and the money, and got into the Cadillac.

Sookie was able to walk in under her own power and they slowly made their way through the lobby to the elevator. Eric had given Tray the key card and his blessing to use the penthouse when they'd arrived in New Orleans so that everyone had some privacy. On the plus side, it had a Sookie-friendly bedroom with UV-proof glass. Unfortunately, it was also the place where she'd been killed and then risen Vampire, but they didn't have a whole lot of options on such short notice.

Sookie started to sway and Alcide picked her up. She held on tight around his neck and started to cry again. She was so, so tired.

When they got to the bedroom, Sookie's wolves silently stripped down to their underwear and then helped Sookie with her clothes. Tray started to object but changed his mind. They weren't taking advantage. There was nothing sexual here. Maria-Star washed Sookie's face and then they guided her onto the bed. They all climbed in and lay with her, with her guys on each side and Maria-Star snuggled up beside Jake. Just like it had always been, except for the pressed linen sheets and crystal chandelier.

They didn't know if she was going to want to tell them what happened, or even if she could. Tray stood for a while and shifted from foot to foot. It was damn strange and more than awkward and he was so uncomfortable that he could hardly stand it. He thought about leaving the bedroom, but he didn't. He sat down in an armchair in the corner.

After Sookie hadn't moved or opened her eyes for a few minutes, Alcide whispered, "Is she asleep or dead or whatever?"

Jake kissed her forehead. "Hey, Sunshine. Are you awake? Can you hear me?" He shrugged. "Yeah, I think she's out."

Alcide blew out a big breath. "Jesus fucking Christ, what a mess. She could hardly stand up."

Tray cleared his throat self-consciously. "She can stay awake a little late or get up a little early, or force herself to stay alert in a crisis, but this is way too much. Direct sunlight's really draining so she covers up, even if it's just for a minute or two. Wears sunscreen and long sleeves and the UV-proof shades. She was up early last night, too, because she was so excited. No wonder she's exhausted and in pain."

Maria-Star reached over Jake and stroked Sookie's hair, smoothing it away from her face. "Poor Sunshine."

They were quiet for a couple of minutes and then Alcide growled, low and guttural. It was very close to the full moon. "What in the fuck happened? What did that son of a bitch do to her?"

The four wolves sucked in their breaths at the same time and held them. It was like a magic lantern had bypassed the screen and was projecting a movie of her memory directly into their brains.

After, there was a stunned silence. Jake said, "Holy fucking shit, what was that?"

Tray shook his head. "She's spoken to me before. In our heads, I mean. But it wasn't like that."

Sookie took a shaky breath but didn't open her eyes. They all squeezed a little closer together, giving her more of their warmth and comfort.

Tray stood up. "I should go to the house and get all of her stuff before he thinks to change the locks. Fuck, I don't know if I should go downstairs to get the rest or not. I know he won't wake up, but…"

Sookie silently told him yes, but not yet. They all shifted over a little and Tray paused for almost a minute before stripping down to his boxers and climbing in behind Maria-Star.

…

Once they were sure that Sookie had truly died for the day, everyone except Maria-Star moved to the living room. She stayed in bed with Sookie and held her, more for her own comfort than for Sookie's. Jake and Alcide sat on the couch while Tray ordered just about everything on the room service menu. A few minutes later, he sat across from them in an oversized club chair. He scrubbed his face with his hands and then looked at them.

"I don't know why I trusted a vamp in the first place. Fuck. I'm half tempted to stake the piece of shit while I'm there."

Alcide ran his fingers through his hair and then sighed. "Thing is, that's just kind of the way it is. Just like we're all expected to play musical beds, no matter what our relationship status is, to spread the seed for the good of the pack. Vampires are possessive and vengeful as hell, especially when it comes to their children."

Tray grunted. "That kind of shit is why I left the pack."

Alcide shrugged. "Yeah, and that's why I'm not going to have kids with another Were, but instinct is a hell of a thing. We all have no problem keeping control when we're in our right minds, but I spent a half hour tied to Maria-Star on the last full moon because she was ovulating. Can't do much hunting when you're stuck ass to ass. Fuck, I hope that IUD works in wolf form."

Jake smiled and knocked on the side table. "Well, we've been fine so far."

Alcide continued, "I'm not making excuses for him — he hurt Sunshine and that right there is enough for me — but he'd just found out for sure who killed his child and was given the opportunity to do something about it. If he was in his right mind at all, I doubt he was thinking rationally."

Jake shook his head. "If he had gone into bloodlust, maybe, but this wasn't just a couple of minutes. All of this stuff took time. Seeing the proof, signing the contract, the wedding, the consummation… We're talking at least a couple of hours, probably a lot more. You saw him as well as I did, right? When she showed us?"

Tray and Alcide nodded.

"Well, he didn't look like a guy who felt bad because he'd blown his top and did something stupid, did he? He knew what he was doing. He might have tried to convince himself that he was right, but he knew."

Their food arrived and Maria-Star got up and wheeled it in and sat between Jake and Alcide after pouring herself a cup of coffee. She'd obviously been listening from the bedroom.

"Kind of funny how everything was already prepared, though. I mean, obviously Oklahoma has a horse in this race if she wants to take Louisiana, I guess, but to have the whole thing ready to go…" She took a sip from her mug and then shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe that's just the way things are done, last minute with no time to think it over and a contract already written and a bed waiting on standby."

They all sat and thought about that for a few minutes. Finally, Alcide shrugged. "Either way, I'm fucking starving. Let's eat."

…

When Sookie opened her eyes late that afternoon, she was alone, lying just a few feet from the spot where she'd died. She was glad that she was by herself; she needed a few minutes alone with her thoughts, just as long as she had her wolves nearby. Maria-Star was right outside the door and Sookie reached out with her mind and told her that she was ok. Maria-Star went and sat down on the couch.

Thanks to Alcide, she didn't physically feel too bad, but she was hungry again. She knew that her wolves wouldn't mind feeding her, at least. She wasn't going to have access to anything bagged any longer, unless she stole it. And she wouldn't have any more of Eric's. She supposed that his blood belonged to his wife now. His wife who was a queen. She'd been outranked. She was only a fairy princess.

It didn't matter. Oklahoma could keep him. Sookie was done. She wasn't going to play house with a married man any more than she was going to share him with someone else. It was funny; this was something that she had never cared about before. It was so much simpler that way. This just hurt too much. Loving was easy but being in love sucked. Well, at least it did when it ended. She would never have to stop loving her wolves and they would never stop loving her.

She was afraid that she would never stop loving Eric, either, but she was going to do her best to try. Or at least pretend. She hoped that she didn't have to see him again. At least not for a long while.

Sookie got out of bed and looked at the spot where Pam had killed her and then she'd risen to a red-eyed monster on his way inside to find her. She saw her suitcases and carry-on and the filmy blue dress that she was supposed to wear to the palace that night. She touched the skirt with her fingertips.

She left the bedroom to find her wolves. Maria-Star was sitting between Alcide and Tray on the couch and Jake was sitting in the big chair. She curled up in Jake's lap and put her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed.

"I missed this, Sunshine. I missed you."

She smiled a sad smile. "I missed you, too. All of you. So much. Thank you for… Thank you for everything."

Jake kissed her forehead. "Anytime, Sunshine. You know that. I don't think that there's a damn thing I wouldn't do for you."

He looked at Alcide and Maria-Star, and they nodded. All of them would, for each other.

Tray smiled and shrugged. "I would do anything for you, too, Sunshine. You other guys… I'll have to get to know you a little better first."

Alcide chuckled. "Yeah. Same."

Sookie said, "I would do anything for you all, too, of course."

Alcide grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "Does that mean that you're gonna start fucking us again?"

He started to take off his flannel and Maria-Star slapped his chest with the back of her hand. "Alcide!"

Sookie wasn't angry. Alcide could always cheer her up, at least a little. She snorted. "You wish."

He shrugged and smiled at her. "Well, you got me there."

Maria-Star got up and kissed Sookie's cheek. "I love you, Sunshine. And don't worry about it. I don't mind taking care of these two horndogs." She looked back at Tray and smiled at him. "Or is it three?"

Tray turned red and cleared his throat but didn't answer.

Sookie sat up a little straighter. "Are we going to stay here another night?"

Tray shrugged then nodded. "I don't see why not, really. He could show up just about anywhere we happen to be. I know he can track you some. The room is paid for. I have the key card. Someone might throw us out, but that's it. We'll milk it as long as we can."

She sighed. "He won't kick us out or show up. I'm almost positive. I don't want to stay here forever, but at least until after the full moon. He'll leave me alone."

Maria-Star smiled. "So we move on on Tuesday night. Sounds good. Me and Jake are going to head to Walmart for some supplies and we'll get some dark blinds for the van. We can string up some curtains across, too, to make the back nice and dark and cozy."

"Thanks guys."

Tray stood up. "And I'm gonna head up north and get all your stuff out of the house. I guess I'll drop off the Caddy and drive back tomorrow in my car."

Sookie got up and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

He kissed her forehead. "My pleasure. And there's blood in the bar fridge. I took what was back at the safehouse."

She smiled and kissed his cheek again.

After he took off for Bossier City and Jake and Maria-Star left for the store, Alcide picked Sookie up and carried her to the bed and gathered her into his arms after they lay down.

"I hate like hell that you got hurt, but there's a selfish part of me that's just happy to have you back. Am I awful?"

She snuggled in a little closer. "Yes. But not because of that. Just in general."

He chuckled. "I would spank you for that, but you're too sad. It wouldn't be sporting."

They lay there for a few minutes, lost in thought and enjoying each other's comfort. Alcide was remembering the Weres' earlier conversation and Sookie listened in, although she felt a little guilty. She frowned. What Maria-Star had said about Oklahoma being so prepared…

Oh well. It didn't matter. Set-up or not, he had made a choice to get married and then fuck his new wife because vengeance was more important to him than Sookie was.

She would just concentrate on being with her family going forward. She felt comfortable and protected with them. Like she was home. Thing was, it was more like a childhood home that you come back to sometimes. Still yours, but not really. She hoped that that would change.

She kissed his scratchy chin and then drifted off to sleep for a little while, safe in Alcide's arms.