A/N Thanks to all of you who read and review. I am glad you find my story entertaining enough to read when our lives are so busy. Love reading your words of encouragement. My style of writing is a lot of plot and a little lemons so I hope you enjoy if not there are so many other great stories on ff to read. I am sure if you looked you could find something more to your taste.

Disclaimer: I own nothing all except the plot line belongs to C. Harris and HBO.

The fairy blood healed his body that night within minutes of drinking the last drop I began to feel the magic radiating off of his skin as I watch his scars disappear before my very eyes. Yet he still managed to surprise me since it had been so long since Eric had drank blood of this quality I was expecting a very persistent, horny, Viking vampire. But since most of the blood's magical properties were busy repairing his damaged body what I got was a drunken vampire. However unlike the last time that Eric had drank fairy blood and became a happy, flirty drunk this time he was introspective and tearful.

He shared parts of himself with Sookie that night that she was sure no one else had ever seen. He told her things that even upon the threat of the final death he would have not shared with anyone else. He shared things such as; the truth of his breaking was when his child was taken from him. He told her how badly it had scared him when he first realized he had feelings for her. He described to her in detail how he had tried to deny and run from his feelings for her by doing and saying things to her that would push her away from him. He shared with her other times in his life that he had lost someone he had allowed himself to get close to although it was nothing like he felt for her.

He described how it made him feel to know she loved him back when he finally accepted that he loved her. He discussed the pleasure she gave him each time she physically loved him. He told her he had always wanted her to be proud to call him husband. And expressed his desire to have a child with her and his remorse in knowing because of him she would never know what it was to be a mother.

Through it all Sookie listened patiently and wiped the tears he shed from his cheeks assuring him that it would all be ok. Then just a few minutes before dawn she led him into the root cellar with a pillow and blanket making a comfortable bed for them on the dirt floor beneath the Earth.

Waking from her sleep fairly early she surprisingly felt good if one considered she had only slept a couple of hours. After a morning cup of coffee, some bread, and cheese she gathered her few clothes along with Eric's and headed to the stream to do laundry. As she turned her face to the morning sun she was thankful she had been able to help him last night and hopefully he would continue to let her heal him when they got home.

As Eric climbed out of the root cellar at dusk he looked around the clean cabin it showed Sookie had been in cleaning mode today which meant she had something on her mind. Due to drinking the vial of full fairy blood Eric hoped he had not made a fool of himself in his drunken state. Scanning his body all traces of the damage done to him was gone. Finding her outside on the porch swing he sat down with a cold True Blood in his hand.

"Sookie I know that after tonight you must go home however I can not thank you enough for all that you have done for me. I understand why you were always resistant to join to me in my world. From the beginning my brave Sookie you saw the extreme cruelty in my kind. It was something that over time I had grown use to and became the same way in my actions to others. Although some of it was for my own survival in the world I was forced to exist in I must admit there were times when it was done for my own amusement.

I can't go back with you my Sookie. I love you but I can not protect you from my kind. I will not put your life in jeopardy again because I am selfish and need your love but know this Sookie Stackhouse I will never love another."

"Please Eric don't say such things. I love you too come home with me. I am not asking you to go back to Louisiana but come with me to my home here in Idaho."

"Sookie I do not want to be King. Nor am I strong enough or have the allies to seek revenge on De Castro for what he did to me."

"Then don't have your revenge Eric. Make a life with me…the kind of life I know that we both want and need."

"What about what you dream of Sookie? What about children? You would be a wonderful mother lover."

She grinned shyly at his term of endearment for her taking both of his hands she said. "Lover I gave up on that dream before I even met you. From the moment I took you into my bed and my heart I knew it was a more than fair trade off for your love."

Nodding his head in acceptance of her answer he led her inside to collect their things to begin their long awaited journey home together.

The deal was complete. Sookie felt a brief moment of sadness as she signed her ancestral home over to her great grandfather. Although it had been in her family for over 100 years Sookie knew she and Eric would never live there again. She hoped she had made a good trade but only time would tell.

Because the fairy portal on her property had been created using her fairy grandfather's magic to watch over his human family it seems that when her great grandfather decided to close all the portals to this realm that was the only one he could not close. What full Fae in their right mind would want to give up their home to guard a portal in this realm for an eternity? None that's how many.

Their perseverance in face of the obstacle had paid off they had found away around the problem. Since Sookie was not full fairy she would never be strong enough to stop other fae from coming through the portal to harm her. It was discovered that if ownership of the property was transferred into a fae non relative's name the magic keeping the portal open would dissipate. Not being a direct human descendent of Niall's son would cancel the protection magic that the right's of ownership and blood had granted. Thus allowing Niall's magic from the fae realm to work on the portal sealing it forever.

Finding a way to bind Eric's dark magic had taken her great grandfather many months. Yet here he stood tonight holding the hand of a full delicious smelling fairy with not a fang insight. His desire to drink them until the last drop was gone had vanished! In fact, tonight for the first time Sookie witnessed him consuming a magical plate of human food in the place of his usual dinner of blood without any harmful side effects.

His aversion to the sun had also been taken care of with the help of her kin. She would never forget seeing the Fae magic ripple from his pores as it protected him from burning in the bright afternoon sun. Of course these changes would only be temporary for him. But she knew he was going to enjoy them tremendously for as long as they were in the realm of the Fae.

However the one thing that bothered both Eric and Sookie the most about all of these new changes for her lover was the permanent link her great grandfather had created with him by adopting him as kin to allow his entry into the portal safely with Sookie. The ritual required a small exchange of magic dark for light. Each had taken a small piece of the other into them forming something similar to a blood bond.

When Sookie stepped out of the portal with Eric at her side she felt the magic inside of her begin to swirl. Eric felt the tightening grip of her fingers on his hand and began making comforting circles on her skin with his thumb. Eric's eyes were wide with awe at the beauty that surrounded him.

When his Sookie had first came up with this plan Eric had quickly dismissed it because every survival instinct he had developed for the last 1000 years was screaming at him to not trust the Fae. Yet he thought of all his Sookie was willing to part with to give him this opportunity and over the last 12 months her great grandfather had proven to be a Fae of his word.

Eric and Sookie trained hard with members of the Fae royal guard and Niall. They trained using conventional weapons and Sookie trained in her use of Fae magic. No longer having vampire speed to his advantage in the beginning Eric's training was slow and oft times cumbersome. However Niall assured him that while here although he could not weld Fae magic as Sookie could his body was absorbing and storing small amounts of their magic daily and when the time came he would put it to good use.

Although training was not all that he and his Sookie did while in the Fae realm. For once in all their years together they were on the same schedule. So they took the time to enjoy the pleasures this land had to offer. Sometimes during a day off they would picnic in the bright afternoon sun or go swimming in the fairy pool.

Eric's skin never took on a tanned hue because of his fairy magic protection but he could not say the same for his lover. She became golden brown and her hair became lighter. To Eric she was never lovelier, the laughter and mischievousness danced in her eyes reflective of the happiness in her soul.

His Sookie had always been a passionate woman yet here she became even more amorous. She seemed to have lost many of her inhibitions initiating many afternoons of pleasure in the open meadows of this beautiful land. She confessed to him that being here in this magical place had increased her telepathy allowing her to read his mind and his thoughts were very, very sexy.

Standing in the palace looking out the huge window Niall watched the lovers approach hand in hand. It still amazed him that his beautiful kin had become so smitten with the dark creature at her side. Watching the Viking during his time here Niall knew he was an honorable vampire and his feelings of love for his great granddaughter were true of heart. He saw how loving and gentle she was with him and with each passing day he witnessed the darkness of the pain that the warrior carried inside of him lessen through the healing magic of her love.

Neither Eric nor Sookie had shared with him what had happened to Eric during the time of De Castro's punishments but Niall could see the damage had been great. So great in fact, that if the Viking had not agreed to come to this realm Niall doubted if he would have ever been the same breaking his great granddaughter's heart once more because their relationship would not have survived a separation a second time.

Niall knew the future of both Sookie and the Viking had been destine to be one of loneliness. Using his magic he had saw into their futures and over time Sookie's light would have turned dark with the hardening of her heart.

Eric would have continued to isolate himself until he lost his mind going on a killing spree that would have cost him his undead life in the end. Because of his love for Sookie he took a chance and offered them a way to alter that future ensuring both their happiness. By bringing them here not only had Eric healed but the warrior in him had risen once more giving him back the determination and strength to protect the love and life of Sookie.

The ancient fairy continued to watch the lovers as his thoughts drifted to all the favors he had collected on to provide them with allies strong enough to defeat De Castro when the time came. He knew Eric did not want to be King yet that was a problem still to be solved…someone would have to be ruler to balance the scales.