Chapter 4

Present Sookie exchanged a glance with the future one, biting her lip just a little. I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean to cause all this. And it was true. She looked over at Eric, "Niall was right." Sookie told him, shaking her head from side to side and then looking at Damon who was looking confused. "Niall is our great grandfather." Sookie explained going a step closer to her twin but she was actually talking to Damon.
"I want to have a moment with Sookie," Future Sookie said suddenly, looking up, trying to avoid all the unnecessary tears. Sookie nodded yet the two vampires hesitated.

When future Sookie said that she actually wanted to have a moment with herself, she didn't mean in somewhere else. She knew that they both could read minds and she was about to take advantage of it. Eric and I have a dark past. Future Sookie explained in her head, looking at herself. Sookie just nodded and waited for Future Sookie to tell her some more about the future's past. What did she mean about it? Should she be afraid? Did Eric hurt her feelings? Sookie couldn't even take it considering that Eric was sometimes sweet and caring to her. Had he changed back to being vicious and mean? After I left both Bill and Eric, I decided I loved Eric more. Randomly at some point. Sookie just nodded at herself. Not speaking at first. She was letting her twin talk.

Well Eric came in and out of my life but I hadn't fully chosen him yet. He got frustrated. Decided I needed to get my act together or he wanted nothing to do with me. Ultimatiums are a death wish to a relationship. And on top of that he tried to sell me my house back. I told him I was thinking about leaving town and to keep it. I wanted to be able to still live in it if I ever returned. Selfish of me in a weird way. Especially being he wasn't being selfish for a change even after he told me he wanted nothing to do with me. It was his last attempt I guess at fixing things, and I messed it all up. He resented me asking him to keep it for that purpose only. So he told me he'd keep it but if I ever came back I'd be stuck living with him because he refused to offer to sell it back again. After I moved here I called Eric. Well My eric. Future Eric of course. And he hung up on me. I been hurt ever since. But well future Eric is just really really fed up with me. So at first I thought he was being an asshole and just hurting me. Typical. But seeing you makes me realize it was the other way around. I hurt him more and was being the selfish one. Future Sookie ended her ramble in her head to her past self. She waited for the reaction to it all.

Sookie glanced over at her Eric, well, it wasn't her Eric. She rolled her eyes at that. She looked at him with a look of disbelief and Eric was looking pretty lost himself. But he shouldn't have acted that way. Typical Eric, indeed. When he can't control his emotions he acts like a freaking asshole. I mean, geez Louise, he has hurt our feelings plenty times but that doesn't count right? This Eric, though, didn't seem like he could hurt Sookie ever again but Sookie guessed it was possible. Damon's eyes were on fire, flaming, wondering what was going on. Does he know? I mean Damon. Does he know what Eric did to you? Future Sookie nodded a bit.

Well kind of. Not exactly. I told him bits and pieces. But you can't blame him Sookie for acting harshly when he got hurt. In fact he has never gotten upset with us for being angry with him. Everytime we reacted with anger each time he did something bad to us he seemed to understand. And unlike Bill Eric did little bad things for the greater good. If that makes much sense. He denied caring for us, and sure chained us in his basement to trick us into a plot to take Russell out. But he's never flat out lied about anything he didn't come clean about later. He's the opposite of everything Bill is. He told us he wouldn't have given us to Russell implying he only chained us up to make Pam and Russell think we were a gift. I believe him when he says that. Looking back I truly believe him. Sookie you need to give him more credit than you do even with all the 'vicious' stuff he's done. Hell I need to give him more credit. Because picking between Bill and Eric the two loves of our lives, is picking the lesser evil. And Eric is certainly a better man than Bill will ever be. Future sookie found herself rambling again to her past self. One long run on rant about Eric. Sookie was seeing herself in a different light lately.

I have given much thought in it. I want to give Eric this kind of credit but see, the bond keeps getting in the way. I want to break it and I was wondering if you had any ideas about it. Bill has changed so much since he was just Vampire Bill. Now he is king Bill and honestly, I can't take it. No wonder why you left. Sookie looked sharply at Damon as she realized that he knew what was going on and she just shrugged. "We are sorry to interrupt you, ladies," Damon said with a sarcastic look on his face, "but can you inform us what is going on?" His voice was as sharp as knife and Eric just nodded dryly. Maybe you should talk to Eric about it. Sookie just suggested numbly, without realizing what she had just thought. Maybe we could avoid all this pain and hurt. I don't like this like at all and since I came I have caused only trouble. I'm sorry about that.

Future Sookie looked at her current boyfriend and at the past Eric. Sookie you want me to talk to past Eric about what he's become? Have you gone mad? Well don't answer that. We probably were always a little crazy. She sighed. Fine I'll talk to him if you want me to, but only because it'll just be another disaster in the making and a new lesson for us both to learn. She turned to Damon. "What's going on is something weird. I just had a telepathic conversation with myself." Damn still looked a bit annoyed. "I caught that much. But it's a bit rude when you're not letting the boys in on it." Both Sookies crossed their arms. "It wasn't any of your concern" they said at the same time. It was Eric's turn to look annoyed. "Well I think Damon's point was if you wanted to keep us out of it, you should have the decency to go in another room and not make us watch it." The two Sookies still had their arms crossed while the men watched. "I hate when she crosses her arms and gives me that look" Damon and Eric said echoing the two Sookies in sync speech.

Eric found himself laughing. "You know I could like you if you weren't going to steal Sookie's heart away in the future." Damon shrugged. "And I could like you if the past wasn't trying to threaten my relationship." And if on que both future and past rolled their eyes at them. "And of course the eye roll." the men replied. Damon wasn't having any fun. "Okay this whole we say the same thing at the same time thing isn't funny anymore." Eric agreed. "Not at all." Future Sookie was afraid to say this, but she promised herself. "Eric can I talk to you." Damon had his fists balled again. Is there a vampire hit man around. Maybe I can call up Sarah Michelle Gellar and asked if she ever wanted to be the real deal. I could pay her. Eric noticed Damon looked ready to kill something. "Not until I talk to Damon first alone." Sookie sighed. "Fine if you feel you must."

The two vampires went into another room. Damon eyed Eric. Eric just looked at him back. It was quite silent for sometime until Eric spoke. "Damon I don't want to meddle in your relationship. Granted I've pratically stole Sookie from Bill Compton but that's a whole different story that is unrelated." Damon nodded when he recognized the name Bill. He's heard about him here and there. "The one that became King and has become a royal pain in the ass." Eric grinned. "Yes that one. It's a long story that involved me causing their break up because he's just as big of an ass as I can be" Damon shook his head.

"Two similar guys fighting over a girl. You know they say history repeats itself." Eric felt bad for Damon. He had too much in common with him. "This is true, but if it repeats itself it won't be with me. It'd be with future Eric. If you don't mess with time too much you can keep them perfectly separate" Damon wasn't sure if Sookie could not mess TOO much with it. "And do you think our Sookies are capable of not meddling too much?" Eric was thinking the exact same thing but didn't want to express it out loud. "Who am I kidding it's Sookie. Damon if this ends badly you can beat the shit out of me." Damon laughed. "You're way older than me it won't do much good." Eric was amused too. "No but it might make you feel better. I won't even fight back." Damon liked the sound of that. "Okay deal" and they shook on it.

The Sookies caught the tale end of that. "Did Eric willingly say he'd let another vampire beat him and not fight back?" One Sookie nodded. "Yes I think he did." They were acting like identical twins now. You couldn't tell who was who, or what statement came from which. Damon glared at them. "The evil telepathtic communication twins were listening in" Eric found the new nickname funny. "Ladies I believe you just defined hyocrocisy and must tell at least one of us what you were talking about." The two stood their ground. "You two are vampires. You have no room to talk about hyprocisy. Vampires wrote the book on everything contradicting, double dealing and hypocritical." Damon soften his stare. "They have a point Eric." Eric remembered Sookie wanted to talk. "Yes this is true but I still think one of us should know their conversation. I have a feeling it was about one of us. If this were to end badly I rather everyone be right up front." It was Damon's turn to agree. "Sookie you wanted to talk to me. So let's talk."

Future Sookie nodded. She went into an upstairs room with Eric. "I know coming upstairs won't stop Damon from following or hearing being a vampire, but.." Eric found himself in an awkward position. "But you thought you'd try to have as much privacy as possible?" Sookie sighed. "Eric I am only talking to you because I promised Sookie." That was so odd coming out of her mouth. "You know how strange that is to say my name in reference to myself." Eric smiled. "I have an idea, and I am sure you're not thrilled to have to deal with your past." Sookie actually enjoyed meeting her past again for a moment. "No see part of me likes my past self just fine. I just had every thing figured out as best I could, and then she brings you here." And the cycle never stops. There is always an us conversation that involves another man in the picture. And I promised Damon I wouldn't interfere in his life, but Sookie is giving me no choice. If he hears this conversation , it will interfere even if it's not intentional. Why would Sookie want her future to have the 'us' conversation with her past. It won't fix anything she needs fixed in the present. She has to do that herself, but she chose to take the long way in doing so and bring her future into it. can't anything be simple with her?

"Sookie what did your past want you to say to me exactly?" oh God. I don't know if I can do this now. I am sure Damon is listening somewhere. He has ears everywhere. He's just like Eric in you can't do anything behind his back unless it's telepathic. It's the one time I wished Eric and I could read each other's minds. Eric looked expectantly. "Well Eric she wanted me to talk about what happened between us to lead me here." So now it's time to look in the mirror Eric and see what you've become. Mirror Mirror on the wall, will I like me after all? glad that wasn't said out loud. Not very vicious vampire like. "Well tell me what I did." Sookie actually began to cry again. Eric she's crying again. See that. You must have been true to form. Asshole comes out again. Yet I have no idea why I care if I was an asshole to a woman. It's not just any woman. It is Sookie. I care only if I am an asshole to Sookie. Sookie finally stopped and began to tell him everything. From what he said to her before she left about the house to when she called him. "I hung up on you?" Damon appeared by the door but said nothing. "Yes you hung up on me."

Damon came inside and was determined not to let the conversation get to him. "Sookie I think if we're going around meddling here and there we might as well bring future Eric around." That's a terrible yet brilliant idea. If we're going to mess things up we might as well mess them up good, and then fix them all at once. Because this could get even worse if we fuck it up one thing at a time. Be an easier mess to clean up for Sookie. "Yes let me meet my future self" it was Eric's turn to have his fists balled. Damon noticed. "Eric you look like you want to kill yourself, and I don't mean in a suicidal way." Sookie shook her head and Eric didn't see the problem. "Eric how is that not strange to you?" Damon asked. Eric laughed. "It's strange but there's nothing normal in my life" So it was decided they'd convince Eric to come to Virginia. This time Eric was told to call himself to avoid another hung up situation. The exact reaction he got was bursts of laughter, and excitment. Eric promised to go to Virgnia and meet his past self. As he put it "It's an opportunity I wouldn't dare pass up."

But see, if Eric didn't actually care he wouldn't come. Sookie said with a sympathetic smile forming on her lips. He is not coming for me and I bet he hasn't even regretted it. The future Eric is a big a-hole. Like Eric was when we met him but even worse. Future Sookie thought, rolling her eyes. Then, they both heard Eric coughing, "Excuse us ladies, I don't know if you forgot that we are here but we are still here." Eric said sarcastically, having a tiny smile on his face. Oops. "Gee, we didn't mean it this time! But we get carried away." Sookie said with a shrug, looking with an apologizing look over Damon and Eric.

Damon shrugged. "It's alright." he told them. He started to play with the ring on his finger. Then he noticed Eric looking at it. I am going to have to explain that ring sometime but not now. Eric removed his gaze from the ring. "So what were you guys discussing?" Past Sookie looked at him. Then at her twin. She finally spoke. "You Eric. I told her you wouldn't come if you didn't care. Well your future self." Damon looked at Sookie. His Sookie. She didn't seem to be crying anymore. She seemed to have this angry face. As if to say yeah fucking right.

It slightly amused Damon. Eric saw it too. "I don't think Sookie thinks so." It put a smile on Damon's face. He was becoming fast friends with his girlfriend's ex from the past. "Well she is probably right." Damon said. Eric gave him this look. Damon turned to Sookie. "Alright maybe you're wrong. Maybe Eric will become your best friend and I'll marry you." Sookie rolled her eyes. "The marriage to you is slightly believable. But I am doubtful on being friends with Eric. It was Eric's turn to try and convince her. "I was once your friend. In a dysfunctional way. I tried to steal you away from Bill, you'd insult me, and then we help each other out. We had fun right?" That actually cheered Sookie up. It made her laugh. Future Sookie walked over and gave him a hug. "It would be much simpler if we kept that friendship how it was. Instead of you getting your wish and me finally sleeping with you." Damon didn't even mind. He found it funny. "But if you kept your friendship that way, I wouldn't have ever met you."

Future Sookie shook her head, finally remembering of the hospitality manners that her grandmother had taught her over the year. Before things got more awkward and more pain was caused to her. "Alright, you know what? I should get y'all some true blood." She put one of her typical smile on her face and Sookie narrowed her eyes. Damon made a grossed out face. "Except you, Sookie. I will bring you some cold iced tea." Future Sookie pointed out, smiling. "Thank you but no thank you." Damon said, still disgusted. "However, I would love to have some whisky." Future Sookie nodded and with fast steps, she headed to the kitchen. Eric lifted his eyebrow but Sookie wasn't surprised. "Whisky?" Eric asked and Damon smiled, "Yes, whisky."

"See, Eric, we are a different kind." Damon started explaining. "Is that so? Well, I'm highly interested in that." Eric told him honestly. Future Sookie entered in the room when Damon was about to start. She handed the whisky to Damon, the true blood to Eric and the cold iced tea to Sookie. She, then, took a seat next to her twin. What are they talking about? Future Sookie asked in her head. I think, Damon is about to talk about his kind. The story of his kind or something? Sookie replied. Future Sookie hadn't heard the whole story and that caught her attention.

Damon glanced both at Sookies then at Eric. "Cheers," he said and he gulped down his drink then he started talking. "We have tried to bury that story of –our- kind but it never really succeeded." He seemed to be lost in thought. "My kind was turned by magic. Your kind and the human kind always existed. Whatever made you come to life was magic. It's equally with the born of a child. Moreover, your magic works differently." Eric seemed pretty bored. He already knew that. Damon noticed that and decided to cut into the chase. "My kind didn't always exist. It was created back in the Viking days –middle ages of Europe days-. The originals are the first vampires of our kind. The strongest, most powerful ones. They can't die. Even if they stay in the sun, they can't die. They only burn. If you stake them, they won't die. The only thing that can "kill" them is a Silver Dagger and white ash wood. They will stay dead but as long as the dagger stays in their body. Otherwise, they come back to life. The only thing that can kill them permanently is a white oak stake." Eric's eyes opened wide. "The ancient white Oak tree?" Damon seemed surprised as well. "You know it?" Eric nodded. "My family had one but we didn't consider it holy. It was just a typical tree for us." Eric explained. "Maybe it was a typical tree until the witches decided to make it holy. The only thing that could kill the originals."

"The Originals are 5 vampires. 5 siblings. They were 6 if you count Mikael –their father- but he died. They were from Europe. They had a mother and a father. Their mother's name is Esther. Their father's name was Mikael. They had only one child at that time but it died because of a plague. A friend of Esther's and powerful witch named Ayanna had told Esther about that land where everyone was powerful and they experienced speed, strength and good health. Then Esther with her husband decided to move to that mystic land. That was mystic falls. Esther there had 6 handsome sons and a beautiful daughter. The youngest one died. In fact, he was mauled by a werewolf when he and his brother went to see a werewolf transforming. Mikael then wanted to make their children immortal. He and his wife begged the witch Ayanna to do the spell and transform them into vampires. Of course, that was a forbidden thing to do. The spirits or whatever had forbidden Ayanna to do so or that's what she said. Esther decided to do it herself by an amulet that Ayanna had given to her and that's how the Originals were made. Did I mention that Esther had cheated on her husband with a werewolf while they were in that mystic land? Oh yes, one of her children –Klaus- wasn't even Mikael's son which is why when he was turned he wasn't a complete vampire but a hybrid. He can walk out in the sun without the ring thanks to his werewolf powers." Damon didn't want to explain the curse or anything else. He just wanted Eric to know the important part.

Eric finally shook his head, "so, it's like crossing breeds." He commented. "We are no dogs, Northman." Damon said rolling his eyes and Sookie patted Eric on his shoulder. "Now Eric, don't do that." She muttered in his ear and the future Sookie nodded. "Esther is alive and her children as well. The only one who has died is Mikael. He was a heavy burden but we got rid of him." Damon told them simply. Future Sookie already knew that. "Do you have progenies?" Eric asked out of blue. "Uhm. No. When we create someone we don't have special bonds –that's thanks to our magic-. Sookie told me once about those bonds. We can kill the ones we have created anytime without feeling a single feeling." Damon expressed heartlessly and then he continued; "you must give your blood to whoever you want to turn and when the blood is in their system you kill them and they rise up as vampires. That simple." Eric was amazed; speechless.

Past Sookie seemed a bit confused. "But your Sookie mentioned dopplegangers. Katherine and this Elena girl you fell for." Sookie couldn't quite place all her thoughts but she had this "two and two together" moment. "Elena is a young girl of today, but Katherine seems old. is Katherine the one that created you?" Sookie usually used the term made because Eric's kind called the ones that turned them makers. But she also once heard them called creators in some recent vampire stories. But really why does it matter. Maker, creator, turner, vampire parent. It's all the same. To make and to create is pretty much the same thing. "Yes Katherine turned my brother Stefan and I into vampires." Sookie seemed to somewhat understand now. "So salvatore is your real names and you were actual blood related brothers." For some reason she was only thinking in terms of vampire siblings. She had once heard Eric had a 'vampire sister' named Nora.

Damon grinned at her realization. "Yes we aren't just vampire siblings, or two strangers created as 'brothers'. We're actual brothers.' Sookie smiled. "I couldn't imagine my brother and I being turned." Eric tried not to laugh. "Sorry Sookie but Jason would make a horrible vampire." Sookie crossed her arms. "I am sure if he wanted to be turned he'd be okay." Damon look from Eric to Sookie and burst into laughter. "I've spoken to Jason once on the phone. He'd wouldn't last long as a vampire." Eric seemed pleased by this agreement. Both Sookies seemed irritated. Damon and Eric couldn't control their laughter. "Why do you both want to be turned and to keep your brother?" the men asked in sync again. Finally the Sookie's had to laugh a little bit but just a little. "No. We're fine as human fairies." they both said. Past Sookie seemed intrigued by Katherine Still. "So.." she stopped knowing Damon's hurt was caused by Katherine. Damon encouraged her to continue to let her know it'd be okay to ask. "You and Stefan loved her, but she's Elena's doppleganger?" Sookie was trying to piece this together. "A doppleganger is typically a ghost twin. A part of you. Another half so to speak." Sookie had remembered the Drew Barrymore movie. "Isn't one side or twin usually evil?"

Damon at this point was trying to not to lose his temper. "Oh Katherine is evil alright. She's so evil she makes every other vampire look like a saint." The whole doppleganger concept was always hard for Sookie to understand. It was always like two different people, but not. A twin but not. Your ghost counterpart. "So you fell in love with her. Both of you and then she turned you, and then years later you meet Elena?" Damon smiled. "Yes Katerina Petrova as she went back then gave us her blood and then we both were shot." Finally sookie understood. "So you still love your creator I mean somewhat?" It was a question that made Damon think for a moment. "Yes I've always loved Katherine, and then I loved Elena just as much if not more." Eric shook his head. "Falling in love with two women that look exactly alike and then..." Damon sighed. "nothing. But that's okay karma comes around and I have Sookie now. Elena can stick to her obsession with my brother and Katherine can go to hell." And that was the end of the conversation. You really could tell when he didn't like the subject of something and most of the time he immediately cut it out whenever it came to Elena or Katherine.

They all stood in silence but Sookie and Future Sookie jumped when they heard knockings on the door. "I have it," Future Sookie said with confidence but she stood, taking a deep breath as she looked at the door, knowing that it was Eric who was knocking. She finally opened the door and nodded to Eric. "Come on in," she said and none of her feelings were shown. She was deeply hurt inside. Past Eric looked over at the future Eric with doubt and Past Sookie lifted her eyebrow. No emotions seemed to be left inside like he was completely empty. His eyes were cold, hard and now Past Sookie could see that how Eric had caused so much pain to herself. Oh my god, now that's the big a-hole Eric Northman the sheriff of Area 5 that I used to know. Cold. Heartless. Vicious. Sookie glanced at her Eric who seemed to be on alarm. Fuck! I screwed it up. Again.

Eric saw past Sookie and instantly a sad look was formed on his face. That was strange. Vampires were never really used to showing their feelings. "You might see me as an asshole" he said, pointing to her and his voice was stable, his eyes on fire. Future Sookie tried to go between past Eric and his future. Past Eric was not happy with himself. Future Eric noticed that too. "Eric you don't know what she did to us. I wasn't just cold to her this time for no reason." It was a slightly desperate defense. Mostly because future Eric didn't want to get in a fight with himself. That just seemed absurd. And who would win? They were the same age. They would either end up seriously injured or even worse dead. "You hung up on her?" past Eric said a bit angry. "And you've chained her in a basement in the past." Eric glared at himself. "Well technically you did that too. You're me just in the future, but things changed after that. What is the deal now?" Future Sookie burst into laughter at Eric lecturing himself to be nicer to her. Future Eric had a smile on his face. "Eric let's have a chat with ourselves and I can tell you why I wasn't the nicest to Sookie here." As soon as he said that he blinked. "That was the oddest sentence I think I've ever said." Past Sookie was thinking how both Erics seemed a bit out of character. Was I a bit off, or not myself when talking to my future. Oh probably. My Eric has seemed oh I don't know. What Pam would call being whipped. Though she'd add some form of female part before that. And Future Eric probably doesn't even remember becoming this inexplicable semi softie for me. Or he's trying to forget it on purpose. He's really just awful sometimes.

"So you two are now sort of friends?" Sookie said hoping for the best and future Sookie almost nodded with excitement. She didn't want Eric and Damon to be something like enemies or anything close to that. "Well, we are friends as friends as vampires can be." Eric and Past Eric stated with a shrug in sync. "That's good, Northman because I was in no mood for any fights. Especially when I know that I might lose that fight." Damon commented. Both of Erics nodded. "At least, he knows when he shouldn't play with fire." Past Eric said and Future Eric laughed. "Certainly. You don't play with a thousand years old fire." Future Eric said and Damon rolled his eyes. "You are so modest." He said and Future Sookie finally said: "Yes! That's what I have been trying to say!" She laughed too. "Eric Northman, the lord of Modesty." Past Sookie stated laughing too.

Future Sookie, however, seemed to be a little skeptical about something. "What is it?" Damon asked and Sookie's glance roamed around the room. "I think, they should promise that they won't fight either." She told them looking straight into Past Eric's eyes because at least, he seemed a little nicer than the future one. "I know you two will hardly be able to tolerate yourselves and I completely understand all the whys so please, am I asking a lot if I tell you to stop fighting?" Both of Erics lifted their brows. "We didn't fight." Future Eric said. "Oh no, of course you didn't. You two were just glaring." Future Sookie said and then Past Eric interrupted her words. "Fine alright. No fighting or we are out. We promise." Future Eric seemed caught a glimpse of Damon's ring. "So those ARE real?" he asked. His past looked at him funny. "You knew about those rings and originals and it all?" Future Eric smiled. "Yes I knew or well heard stories. Didn't believe in them until now" Sookie looked from both Erics to Damon. "How is it you're me and you didn't know?" Future asked his past. "That's what I am wondering." past replied back. Damon looked at them both. I don't like how they're looking at my ring.