Fascinating new thing

Get beside me,

I want you to love me

I'm surprised that you've never been told before

That you're lovely and you're perfect

And that somebody wants you

Sookie POV

I sigh as I drink my fifth cup of coffee this afternoon and return to staring out the window of the kitchen. I didn't get much sleep last night, or this morning, or this afternoon. There were a few reasons for that but only one of them currently has me complaining.

I'm certainly not complaining about Eric dancing with me last night. There are no words that can describe how that simple yet complicated act made me feel. Such a stark difference than the last time I wish he could dance with me when I was using my telepathy at Elena's bar. What made it that much better was the look he had on his face throughout the rest of the night last night. He had never looked so free before and it was yet another look that I was going to make sure was on his face plenty more times.

Nor was I going to complain about what had happened once we got back home. Luckily, dancing with Eric had served well as foreplay because we were barely in the house before Eric was in me. Vampire speed could be a very good thing.

But even then with him needing to rest at dawn I still would have had plenty of time to sleep. No, the current reason for my exhaustion unfortunately is my worry over what meeting Niall would bring and that is what I am complaining about.

I would like to think that a family member would mean no harm. Well, I know for a fact that is not a certainty. I also know that Supes play by their own set of rules. I do not know what Niall wants with me. He could just want to see me then vanish into thin air never to be heard from again. He may want to be a part of my life. None of those would be particularly bad things.

But of course it was the bad things that had me worrying.

Niall could bring more threats either directly or indirectly. That is something that is never needed but would be especially bad now since we already have a pretty long list of threats against us at the moment, most of which are still unknown. Dealing with those my great-grandfather may throw into the mix would make everything more difficult and dangerous.

All of these thoughts I have had before but now that I am hours away from meeting him, they seem to have taken up a permanent residence in my mind. Am I making a huge mistake here by meeting him? Am I bringing more danger into our lives? I bring my knees up on the chair and lay my head on them, wishing the answer was simple.

I must be lost deeper in my thoughts than I knew because I don't even know the sun has set until Eric takes the coffee cup out of my hand and refills it for me. As he hands it back to me he asks, "Have you slept at all?" A tight smile is all I give him. "I will call Niall. We can reschedule to another night."

As he gets up, I grab onto his hand surprised at his words. "You can contact Niall," I ask him and he nods in response. "Then why did we have to go through Cataliades before?"

Eric sits back down and says, "Niall can be a very hard person to contact at times, especially with vampires. The one time I tried to contact him, it took months to get a response. The lawyer offered a faster route. If I call him, I will not get him directly but since it is something pertaining to tonight, someone would get him the message." He pauses before adding that he would have contacted the Fae prince if that was what I wanted.

"I don't know if that was what I wanted," I say to him. "I hadn't even really thought about it." That's the truth and I can't even blame the fact that there hadn't been much time for anything in the last few months, though that did play a role. I hadn't really wanted to think about it. Maybe part of me was still in denial about an affair of my grandmother's bringing about a whole nother family. If I didn't acknowledge it, it didn't happen. And that may just be another conversation I need to have with someone. Pam this time though.

"Do you want to meet him," Eric asks. I know last night he didn't seem too eager to but I still get the impression that his issue is not just simply meeting him, but meeting him tonight. I will have to ask him about that at some point.

I think about his question before answering it, having all my thoughts from earlier just swimming around in my head. If I didn't meet him, the best that could happen is that I would always be wondering what would happen if I did, ultimately what had he wanted. Worst-case scenario is he would make sure to see me, knocking down anything in his path.

"I don't know about wanting to meet him," I answer honestly. "But I will. At least then we will know what we are dealing with." I am about to again tell him he doesn't have to come tonight but he must sense something because he silences me with a kiss before I can even think about getting the words out.

"I am coming," he says when he pulls back, allowing me to breath. "That has never been in question," he says, nipping at my lips before letting me go. "We have to leave in 45 minutes."

"I should go get ready then," I say standing up. I was still in my pajamas, maybe hoping that sleep would somehow find me again. I make my way upstairs, take a quick shower and put on a very simple dress. I am standing in the mirror getting started on my hair, when suddenly I can see Eric's reflection in the mirror. Taking the brush out of my hand he starts to work it through my hair. After all the knots are out, he starts to works his fingers against my scalp before starting to braid my hair. "You've done this for me before," I tell him, remembering when he did my hair the night we met with Sophie-Anne and Threadgill.

"I remember," he says as he ties the end so it will stay. His hands wrap around me from behind and I wrap my arms with his. His thumb finds my wrist where his marks are and starts to gently move across them. I close my eyes as the warmth that always spreads through me when he does so makes an appearance. "I do not do it enough."

"You do more than enough for me."

I feel him press a kiss to the back of my head but his phone rings before anything else can be said. Taking it out of his pocket he tells me that it's Russell before picking up the call. He unwraps his arms from around me but stays in the bathroom as I finish getting ready. I can tell by the conversation that something has happened but I can't figure out what it is. It's not a long conversation and when it is done, Eric leans against the counter with his arms. His position shows just how he feels after that phone call.

He's definitely not feeling the best.

I wrap my arms around him and he leans into me. "The vampire that we sent to Russell has seemed to be cooperating with him," he says.

"She's probably upset with her maker as much as we are."

"Yes, and she is frustrated that she cannot give us more information."

"Has Russell gotten anything from her?"

He nods and says, "That is why he called. Through questioning and the ways she has come up with to communicate it would seem that she was made a vampire here in the United States."

I see the trouble with that right away. We have been going with the idea that the vampire responsible for everything is not based in the US. After tracing bank accounts and money trails it led us to believe that the one paying Threadgill was not on US soil. "This information could bring us back to square one. "

"Or it could mean that there are more involved than we first believed," Eric responds. Which could complicate things, much more than they already were.

As I finish putting on my makeup, Eric makes a phone call to Pam to let her know what was found out. Pam is going to call the Queen and update her on the situation. As if our night wasn't already complicated enough. I again offer to let Eric off the hook for tonight but he told me that it didn't matter what we were doing tonight but we would be doing it together.

I am quiet on the car ride over and Eric knows it's because I'm nervous. He does his best to get me to focus on anything else, to simply laugh, but I am too worried about what meeting Niall will mean for me. And for him.

When we walk into the restaurant, I let Eric take the lead as I realize this must be a Supe restaurant. It's filled with people but I can hear few thoughts clearly. There are some voids designating vampires and the tell tale sign of Weres but there are also minds that I have never heard before, letting me know that there are much more than humans, vampires, and Weres here. I don't miss the surprised face on the man who greets us when Eric says who we are here to meet. I guess even in a Supe restaurant it's rare for fairies and vampires to play nice.

I grab onto Eric's hand, as we are lead back to the table where we were told my great-grandfather is already waiting for us. As it becomes clear which table we are being led to, I take in the man sitting at it. Well, as much as I can at least since his back is to us. All I get so far is that he appears to be tall and has long, blond hair. He must sense or hear us though because as we get closer, he stands and turns toward us.

He moves to pull out a chair, for me I assume, but freezes when Eric's hand closes in on the top of the chair. The two of them stare at each other and I am very worried about what may happen for a few seconds. I put my hand on Eric's arm knowing that I have a better chance of getting through to him to try and diffuse the situation than my unknown great-grandfather. That's why I am shocked when Niall lets go of the chair as soon as my hand touches Eric's arm. Eric then proceeds to help me sit before the two males join me in sitting at the table.

This should be fun.

The table is silent, awkwardly so for a minute or two. "Well, we're here," I say, suddenly not able to take it anymore.

"That you are," Niall says with a smile. "Though I would have been happy to meet you without the additional company."

I shrug and tell him, "We're a package deal." At my words, Eric wraps his arm around my shoulder and a tension in me I didn't even know I was feeling leaves my shoulders as I lean into him.

"I can see that," he says, with an appraising look in his eyes as the waiter comes. We place our drink order but I haven't even looked at the menu yet. I'm not hungry, probably due to the fact that I've been so nervous, but the coffee is the only thing I've had since last night. When the waiter comes back with our drinks, I am ready to order. I get the chicken parmigiana. When I order Eric's arm tenses for a split second at my back before relaxing again. I'll have to ask him about that later.

Niall doesn't wait two seconds after the waiter leaves to ask me a question. And another one after that. Followed by a few more. But what those questions are, shocks me. He's asking about me, about my life like any relative would. It's like he's trying to get to know me. And I know it shouldn't completely erase the fears I have in meeting him, but I can't help but feel happy at his seemingly genuine attempt to get to know me. I have him laughing when I tell him a story about how angry Gran was at Jason after one of his adventures.

"I can introduce you to Jason, if you want," I offer to him. He seems eager to have a relationship with me and he probably would want one with Jason as well. But the look on his face tells me that just is not true.

He shakes his head, as if his facial expression wasn't enough in telling me that he has no desire to meet my brother. "Jason doesn't have the essential spark that you possess, my dear," he tells me.

I look at Eric not knowing what that means and the look on his face tells me that he's just as clueless as me. "Essential spark?"

He nods and tries to explain to me what it is. I don't feel like I have a great understanding of it when he is done though but that could be because it's really nothing physical or specific. Apparently it's more like being open to things, specifically the Supernatural.

"So I have this," I ask him. It would make sense I guess. I have always dreamed that there was more out there and as soon as vampires came out, I was eager to know all I could about them. I had always thought I was just happy to know that I wasn't the only 'oddball' out there. Maybe there was more to it though.

"Yes and so did your grandmother." That I didn't expect, though it could explain why she was more open to vampires when they came out than most others.

"That is why Fintan went to her," Eric says.

"It is," Niall confirms and so many thoughts run through my head at this point, but I decide to leave it. Cataliades told me that Fintan came to love my grandmother and my family very much. That is what I am choosing to think about my grandfather who will never get to explain his side of things to me.

"So my telepathy is due to this essential spark."

Niall's eyes narrow at that as he again shakes his head. "The ability to read minds is not a Fae trait." Well, there goes my explanation for that.

"But you won't meet Jason because he doesn't have it."

"Jason will not be as accepting as you are." I don't know about that. "Besides, he looks too much like my son Dermot," he adds with a sad look on his face.

"Fintan's brother," I ask.

Niall nods and says, "His twin."

That would make him my great uncle, however the excitement that I feel at having more family leaves me when I see Niall's face. Dermot obviously is a touchy subject for him. When he explains that Dermot has sided with his enemies, I can understand why. In his explanation, he does mention how Dermot choosing the enemy has been hard on the entire family. So due to my own curiosity and feeling a need to get the sad look off Niall's face I ask, "I have other family?"

"You do," he says with a smile. He explains to me that I have multiple family members in the Fae realm and my smile starts to falter. As much as I would like to meet more family there is no way that I am leaving…well, whatever it is this realm is called, to meet them.

"You do have two cousins that live not too far from here," he tells me bringing the smile back onto my face.

"I do?"

"Yes. In fact you would have met at least one of them already if not for the company that you've been keeping."

"What," I ask.

"Claudine is your fairy godmother," he says and I can't help but giggle a little bit at his words. He looks stern at me and then explains that she would help protect and guide me throughout my life.

"Well, she hasn't been doing the best job of that," I tell him.

"How could she," he responds. "You have been surrounding yourself with vampires. It would be dangerous for her."

"My friends would not hurt her."

"Not intentionally no. But your enemies, they would feel no such loyalty."

"Is she not in danger from your enemies," Eric asks.

The friendly look on Niall's face disappears at his words. "Not in as much as some," he says, the pleasantness that had been present all evening gone from his voice. "Claudine is full blood fairy. They need to be preserved if we have any hope of survival. My enemies are going after partial fairies."

"Like me." Niall nods with a sad smile on his face before he starts to explain much of what Cataliades had. It does make me feel good that Niall seems to be telling the truth about this.

"Neave and Lochlan are the ones to watch out for," Niall says. Eric's reaction tells me that statement means more to him than it does to me. And not in anywhere near a good way.

"They are against you," he asks and I don't like the worry I can hear in his voice. I don't know if Niall can hear it because it's only a slight change but knowing Eric, I can catch it.

Niall explains that Breandon, who apparently is the fairy that is leading those against him, has commissioned Neave and Lochlan, fairies themselves, to work on taking out what he deems as threats to the Fae.

"And that would include me," I say quietly. I again feel like I don't belong anywhere. Being a telepath, I had always thought that. When vampires came out, I thought I might finally have a place among others who are different. For most vampires however, that place would be in chains doing there bidding. Then finding out there is another group to which I belong, I had hopes again. Now to find out even with fairies, I'm still an anomaly and I have another group where I don't fit in.

But as arms tighten around me, I realize that I have a place, a very good place, probably the most important place where I seem to fit perfectly. Leaning into Eric, I feel him press a kiss to my temple and with his whispered words, "You belong with me," I know that I wouldn't trade this for any other acceptance in the world. And the fact that he said I belong with him and not to him, tells me that he knows exactly what I am thinking.

And that right there tells me that his words are true.

I turn to face him and softly kiss his lips before whispering, "I love you." He's about to say something himself when the waiter suddenly comes back and asks if we need anything else, causing us to look up at him. I quickly look back to Eric, hoping he would continue to say whatever it was he was going to say but to no avail. Instead he is arguing with Niall about who is covering the check. Of course, I could just slip the waiter my card while the two of them are sufficiently distracted but I don't think that would help the situation. Niall finally wins when he implores Eric to allow him to have this, the first thing he has done for me.

I think it's seeing my great grandfather close to begging that causes Eric to finally give in. It earns him another kiss though. As we are walking out of the restaurant Niall asks, "Have I earned a few minutes of your time alone," casting a sideways glance at Eric.

I look to Eric who gives me a little nod telling me that it is up to me. "I will wait in the car," he offers. That makes me feel a little better about it, knowing he will at least be close by. I nod and tell Niall I will give him a few minutes.

As soon as Eric is in the car Niall moves one of his hands and I feel a quick rush of something. I recognize it though from when Octavia has used it. I am about to get upset at him using magic on me but he puts out his hands and says, "It's only a simple silencing spell. Eric can still see us but won't be able to hear us."

I turn and wave to Eric who gives me a smile in return just to make sure that I was being told the truth. As I turn back to my great-grandfather, my anger builds as I hear him say, "I could kill him for you if you want."

I can't believe what I just heard. "Why the hell would I want that?"

"I didn't say you did. It was just an offer that I wanted to put on the table."

"Well, take it off the table and right out of the damn kitchen," I tell him.

"Noted. He cares for you. Tremendously," he says with a quiet voice.

"The feeling is mutual."

"Yes, that much I can tell. He is not the one I would have picked for you." I am about to tell him just where he can stick his pick for me. "But he seems to give you what I want for you."

"He gives me everything," I tell Niall. "Everything," I repeat for emphasis.

"Except his love," Niall says.

"No," I shake my head. "He gives me that too. Even if he doesn't know it yet."

"I think you are right. He's a good vampire. A good vampire with a tragic past." Niall says.

I look over to the vampire in question and he gives me an encouraging smile and I love him that much more for it. I know he doesn't like that we are here tonight. I know that he doesn't like that I am out here talking to Niall without him. But he is letting me do it because even though I may not be sure that it's what I want he knows, probably knew before I even did, that it's what I need.

"Do you know him well," I ask Niall.

"I know enough," is his response. "He is loyal above nothing else and honorable both in human standards and in vampire. I'm glad you have him. He can protect you."

"Are fairy conversations usually so conflicting," I ask him. I feel like I'm having conversation whiplash. One minute he's telling me he'll kill Eric if that's what I want and the next he's telling me he's a good guy.

At my question my great-grandfather laughs a bit. "It is said that we can talk in circles but usually our conversations are a little more direct."

"So what's with this one," I ask and with the look in his eyes, I see that Niall knows exactly what I am asking.

"I may be guilty of trying to gauge your reactions," he tells me. "I wished to make sure you are truly happy with the Northman." He turns and looks at Eric before looking back at me. "I'm glad to see that you are. The two of you are good for each other."

I have nothing to say to that. It's simply the truth. As we say goodbye, I ask if I will see him again. He hands me a card and tells me that he plans on visiting but to call him if I ever need him. I remember what Eric said about him being hard to reach. "Someone will always answer that number and know how to reach me, immediately if necessary," he says, making me wonder if he wasn't telling the truth before about telepathy not being common with the Fae.

He leans over and kisses the top of my head quickly before saying goodbye one last time and heading off into the night. I touch the spot on my head, it feeling a little tingly where he touched me, before heading back into the car.

When I get in, I grab Eric's hand and give it a tight squeeze hoping it would convey better than my words what it means to me that he came here tonight, for all that he did tonight. "Do you think I can trust Niall," I ask Eric.

He takes a few seconds to answer me. "I do not think he would intentionally hurt you."

"That doesn't really answer my question."

"No it does not," he says. But I can't fault him on his words because I feel the same way towards my great-grandfather. I take Eric's hand in mine, give it a tight squeeze and spend the rest of the ride in comfortable silence, so unlike earlier at the restaurant. When we get home, I want nothing else than to put my pajamas back on and curl up with my vampire.

As I go into the closet to get my clothes however, I sense someone behind me. I turn quickly to see who it is, even though somewhere in the back of my mind I know that it's Eric. Sure enough, it is him when I turn around. No real surprise there. The surprise however, is that he is holding a single red rose in his outstretched arm. I can't help but break out into a smile at the sight. As I take the rose from his hand, I ask, "What is this?"

He hesitates before saying, "Happy Valentine's Day, Sookie," a hesitant smile appearing on his face.

Hello dear readers. We seem to have picked up quite a few on our journey during the last week so welcome to those who have joined us. Thanks for giving this little tale a spin and I hope you enjoy it. I'm glad so many of you like that it was Thalia that spoke with Eric in the last chapter. It felt fitting after her conversation with Sookie on the plane in Love and Memories. So in this chapter we get to meet Niall, and what he brings with him, in this chapter. We also get to see just why Eric was upset that this was the night they were meeting Niall.

Unfortunately, the next chapter might be a bit delayed. With school starting up again this week, it will all depend on my little, darling students and how they do.

Also, thanks for the reviews. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to leave your thoughts on the story.

For my guest reviewer – Thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

So no TB tonight, and really all I can say about the finale is that it ended better than I expected it to.