FOUR YEARS LATER
Keely unlocked the door to Fangtasia and walked in with her bag over her shoulder. She went straight to the office and put her navy blue blazer over the back of her office chair as she folded her matching navy skirt under her as she sat down. She'd spent most of the early evening in meetings and she was thoroughly looking forward to sitting in Eric's 'Throne' and texting Jessica as people watched. She looked up when the door opened and Jessica walked in wearing 'uniform' which was really just a black dress.
"You coming? The humans are getting restless" she grinned and Keely laughed and nodded.
"I'll just go change" she said and Jessica nodded and Keely walked down the hall and into Pam's closet. She paused when she saw the familiar black cat suit, hanging up in the wardrobe. Eric had left to start New Blood 4 years ago and they're shared only a handful of visits and phone calls. So much had happened since he left with Pam, the main change being that she had worked her ass off to re-open and revitalize Fangtasia. Fangtasia had since been voted 'Best Vampire Bar in Louisiana' twice in a row and coming up to a third. She'd started up Fangtasia about a month after Bill Compton had died, mostly as a way to distract and occupy herself and Jessica. She'd returned to her studies and had managed to graduate a year early, allowing her to obtain a Master's Degree in Business and Marketing in only 5 years rather than 6. She looked away from the cat suit and pulled on a thigh-length blood red dress with a pair of killer black heels. She pulled her hair back into a stylish bun and then went out to the main bar, mentally revealing in the stares, whistles and the increased heartbeats that greeted her. She walked easily through the bar and sat down in Eric's 'Throne', noticing Jessica behind the bar. Her best friend had adapted very easily to married life with her human husband; Hoyt. They were living at Bill's plantation house still, after Jessica had begged her not to leave. Keely had been going to give them a house of their own but Hoyt had asked her to stay after Jessica had gone out. So, she remained at Bill Compton's home, in her same room but she sometimes ventured into Bill's room, noticing how he'd left it completely spotless. A few days after Bill had died and they'd entered his room for the first time, they were greeted by three letters sitting on his bed, each attached to a different coloured rose. Sookie's had been red which Bill described as meaning ;Love; Jessica's had been a beautiful snowy white which Bill had written as meaning 'Heavenly and innocent' and she had been left a soft pink rose which she'd read in his letter as meaning 'Grace, appreciation' but he'd written underneath that to him it meant 'thank you'. She'd been more touched by his interpretation. Keely shook off the sad but cherish memory and looked around and saw Ginger behind the bar, smiling stupidly. Eric, Pam and she had glamoured the woman that many times that she was incapable of remembering her own last name. She listened to the song the DJ was playing and looked across the bar and smirked at Jessica who smiled back. Keely listened to the song absently and went back to answering e-mails on her phone. A few days later, she sat in the office, going over the paperwork before she sent it. She picked up the inventory Ginger had done and rolled her eyes, seeing the messy way Ginger had filled it out. She sighed and printed out another sheet and went to the main and began looking around. She heard the door open and sighed.
"We're closed, come back at 11" she said, calmly as she counted the bottles of vodka. She gasped when she suddenly felt an arm grab her waist and place her down on the counter before she could see who it was. She gasped when she saw the familiar blue eyes.
"Eric" she gasped and he smiled at her.
"Hello Vackra" he said and she smiled, brightly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked and he looked at her.
"I'm coming home" he said and she paused.
"What?" she asked softly and he smiled.
"I think it's about time I added to this" he said and she felt him toy with the diamond ring on her finger.
"8 years" she said and he nodded.
"I know but now there's nothing in way. No Sookie, no Authority, no psychotic vampires. Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked and she smiled and nodded.
"Yeah" she said and he smiled, lifting a lock of her hair.
"Good because I don't wonna wait anymore" he said and she smiled.
"Neither do I" she said and they kissed, happily.
ONE YEAR LATER
Jessica smiled as she stood looking at the amazing view in front of her. Her best friend looked stunning in the one-of-a-kind, Vera Wang, ivory, chiffon, lace and satin gown with her dark hair in perfect curls, framing her face as a diamond tiara sparkled amidst the dark curls. It had taken only one year for her, Pam and Keely to pull together the most incredible wedding Bon Temps had ever seen. The whole town and all of their invited guests from Shreveport had turned up to watch. Keely looked beautiful and Eric look very handsome and smart in his crisp black suit and white shirt. He wore no tie as Keely had requested and left his top two buttons unfastened. Jessica held her and Keely's flowers as she watched with watering eyes. Her best friend was finally marrying the man of her dreams and Eric had given Keely the big, beautiful dream wedding she wanted, complete with a flower covered and fairy-light arch, under which they'd said their vows.
"…pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride" the warm, vampire-friendly, priest said and Jessica smiled and clapped and cheered with the rest of the guests as Keely and Eric kissed. Jessica gave Keely a meaningful look as Keely began her walk back down the aisle with Eric. Jessica took over for her maid-of-honour duties and began ushering people out of the beautifully decorated field. She hadn't understood the significance and neither had Keely at first until Eric explained that they'd both been buried in this field when they turned. They'd both been made speechless by the simple yet meaningful location choice. Jessica smiled and walked along the lit-up path through the trees to the reception venue, the home that Eric had bought for him and Keely to live in.
"Are you ok?" Hoyt asked and she smiled up at her human husband and nodded.
"Deliriously. I'm so happy for Keely and Eric. They've been through so much and I'm just so happy that they're finally married" she said and he smiled.
"Me too. I mean Eric is a little intimidating but seeing him with Keely…. He's different" he said and she nodded.
"He adores her and that's all I need to know. They're in love and they're happy" she said and he smiled and they paused to kiss before they carried on walking, followed by Pam and Willa.
Keely stood in the middle of the field where she and Eric had gotten married, looking up at him with a frown.
"The reception is that way" she said and he nodded.
"I just wanted a minute alone with my wife" he said and she smiled.
"I like hearing that" she said and he smirked.
"Good because I'm never calling you anything else" he said and she laughed.
"But I like you calling me Vackra and Äskling and my actual name too" she said and he grinned.
"I guess I can make exceptions" he said and she laughed and nodded.
"You know that night when I saw you and Jessica in that car lot, I knew there was something different about you. You didn't beg like Jessica, you were stubborn and strong and I have to say, very sexy" he said and she smiled.
"I can't believe you're almost 9 years old, already. It seems like yesterday you were a 17 year old human girl" he said and she smiled.
"And now?" she asked and he smiled.
"Now you're still just as stubborn and strong and sexy and you still look 17 but that something is still there. My Keely, my wife" he said and she smiled and nodded.
"Always" she agreed and kissed him then gasped and laughed when he scooped her up and carried her to their house, putting her down so they could greet and talk with their guests. Keely looked up at the starry sky as she sat on the steps at the front of her and Eric's home.
"Hey, you're the bride. What are you doing sitting out here by yourself? Everyone's wondering where you are" Jessica's voice said and she looked up and smiled.
"I was just thinking" she said and Jessica smiled and sat down next to her.
"Anything in particular?" she asked and Keely smiled and shook her head.
"No, just...stuff" she shrugged and Jessica smiled as they linked arms, interlocking their fingers.
"Did you see Patrick and Katie?" she asked and Jessica smiled and nodded.
"They're cute together" she said and Keely nodded.
"I know" she agreed.
"Maybe we should go back in" she said and Keely shook her head.
"No, Eric knows I'm here and he can keep everyone else away. I just wonna sit for a while" she said.
"Is this anything to do with your mom?" Jessica asked softly and she sighed. Against her better judgment, Keely had sent her human mother an invitation to her wedding. The envelope had come back to her with the words 'you are not my daughter, demon' written over it.
"She wasn't my mom" she denied and looked at Jessica.
"We raised each other, Jess. We're been through everything together. You're my sister" she smiled and Jessica smiled back.
"And you're mine" she said and they shared a smile.
"Sorry to interrupt Vackra" Eric's voice cut in and they both leapt to their feet and turned to smile at him Keely smiled when he walked over and kissed her gently and lovingly.
"It's time to change and say goodbye" he said and she nodded. She followed Eric back to the back garden and began to say her goodbyes.
"I'll call when I land" she said, hugging Jessica.
"Ok, I'll miss you but have fun" she said and Keely smiled and nodded.
"I'll miss you too, I'll bring you something back" she promised before Eric wrapped his arm around her and she followed him to the double sized, travel coffin and he helped her in and they were slid into the back of the van.
"I love you" Eric said and she smiled.
"I love you too" she said and they kissed.
THANKSGIVING
Keely smiled and stood with a bright smile as the man took her and Eric's picture.
"Thank you" he said and she nodded and he walked away.
"Ok, now we have to change, we gotta be at Sookie's in an hour" she said and Eric looked at her.
"Since when were you excited to go to Sookie's?" he asked and she smiled.
"Since I get to see my nieces and nephews and godchildren" she replied and he laughed and they rushed to change out of their formal clothes. Keely went down to the basement and saw Pam with a vampire feeding from Sarah Newlin's thigh.
"Hey, we're leaving" she said and Pam looked up at her and nodded.
"Back for the real party later?" she grinned and Keely smiled.
"With Jessica, Willa and the other's just like I said. Have fun" she giggled and heard Sarah whimper and smiled, going back upstairs and taking her purse from Eric as he kissed her. They raced through Shreveport to Bon Temps in Eric's car and they pulled up at Sookie's house. She smiled when Eric went off to play with the children as she walked over to greet everyone.
"He's a natural" Jessica commented and she nodded, taking the glass of blood.
"I know" she smiled, watching Eric, Patrick and Jason playfully tormenting the children and each other.
"Pity we can't have kids. I mean I know Hoyt says he doesn't care but…" Jessica began and she nodded.
"I know but that adoption law could go through any time now and maybe in 10 years we could have our own families" she mused, watching Eric holding her youngest niece, Kimmie, with a smile as she rattled on to him about her new school.
"Come get it" Sookie's voice called. Keely smiled as she sat down to eat her glass of New Blood, sharing a smile with Jessica as they sat next to each other. At 2am, they arrived back at Fangtasia with Willa, Jessica, Hoyt and James.
"I'll see you soon" Eric muttered into her ear, huskily as he walked over and sat down on his 'throne'. She went to change, putting her black cocktail dress on before she went back out into the main bar and saw the other's smiling and talking and laughing at the bar. She could hear Pam with a vampire downstairs and looked at Eric on his throne. He looked at her and gave her a seductive look and she smiled. She felt her phone buzz and pulled it out, seeing his name. She opened the message and grinned.
I love you Mrs. Keely Northman x
She smiled and hit the reply button and began typing her response before she saw him smile at her and then blow her a kiss. After Eric and Pam had returned she'd turned over the 'spotlight' roles to them and began working behind the bar with Jessica, while keeping her job doing the paperwork and marketing with New Blood. She smiled softly as she handed a vampire his drink before she looked up at her maker, her husband and her hero. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
"I love you, Vackra" he said calmly and she smiled, ignoring the vampire's gapes.
"I love you too" she replied. She went back to serving drinks as she saw Pam return with a familiar metal box, which she locked under the bar and went to card check at the door. Keely smiled, remembering her very first shift at Fangtasia. She looked at Eric on his throne and Pam at the door and smiled. So much had changed and yet at the same time, nothing had changed.
The End.
