Chapter 10

"What. The hell." she said as she found him outside the mansion, head bowed as he leaned against the railing of the porch. Pam was standing behind him, hands on hips. "You really gonna run out on her? You, of all people? After all the time you spent pining over her, wanting her back in your life. As a woman, who, granted, never had kids or spent time with them much, I can safely guess that this is freaking you out."

Rounding on her, fangs out, he was not in the mood for anyone. Or the fact that she was speaking the truth, relaxing slightly, he turned his back on her again. "I could have lost her….them….tonight even being what I am. As strong as I am. I hate feeling powerless. And back inside, her being in that position…..it does…frighten me." he said this last part as if the words were bitter to speak.

Pam was taken aback at him admitting to being afraid. Yes, she knew he had some fears but never once had he so willingly admitted them to anyone, let alone her even. It was then that Jason came out and asked to speak to his future brother in law. "Go make sure Sook's fine, you don't gotta touch anything, just….be there for her, ok?"

As awkward as this whole thing was for the barely maternal Pam, she nodded and stole a last look at the back of her maker. "don't do something foolish that you will regret. You lost her before, don't risk losing her again. You saw the look in her eyes when you left." and with that, Pam raced back to the room where they could hear the pain coming from Sookie. "Niall says its gonna happen any moment now and are you really not going to be around for it? I mean, come on, you supes are getting off easy. I have been through this twice with Bridget, though one of them was a double….." Jason laughed and Eric turned to glare at him.

"What is so funny?"

"Well, lets face it, you are definitely not one to be messed with. I mean, you're a thousand year old Viking vampire and god knows how much blood is on your hands….and fangs….but lets face it, right now, you're no different than any other human guy waiting for their kid to come along. You're scared and there is not anything to be ashamed of. Unless, of course, you hide out here until its over. And considering this will be the only kid you two have together…" Jason folded his arms over his chest and as hard as it was to believe, Eric had to admit the deputy was making sense. Who would have thought it possible?"

"Perhaps being related to you won't be as tiresome as I once thought it would be." replied the Viking as he headed back into the house, but not before slapping him on the shoulder in a gesture of gratitude.

There was a light emitting from the door of the room he had left her in and fearing he was too late, he rushed to her side just as she was pushing. A sense of calm had seemed to come over her and there was a real glow around her and almost as soon as her hands had found his, did the gentle cries of a baby permeate the air and instead of looking exhausted, there was a blissful, relaxed look to her that was comforting to behold. Niall had taken the baby and was cleaning it up and Sookie turned to speak to Eric. "I am so glad you came back…..I know why you did and I get it."

"I am truly sorry, I just….it was intense…I…." he narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know how to cope but Pam and your brother made me see sense. And for that I am grateful." he paused. "What is it?" he asked, unable to see around Niall, who was finishing off cleaning and swaddling the infant in a soft blanket. There was something new about the Viking that no one in the room had ever seen before, though it had been there once before, centuries earlier when his ill fated sister was born. A look of wonder, of joy, of pure, unscarred humanity.

"It would seem to me you are officially surrounded with girls." Pam said with a smirk as she watched Niall hand the baby to Sookie first, who looked at the light haired baby with a wondrous look of her own.

"Looks like she's gonna be blonde….like her parents." Jason said as he peered over at his new niece. "Wonder what kind of powers she's gonna have."

"That, Jason, is a interesting question." Niall replied as he kept his gaze in the baby. "I can tell you she is perfectly healthy." he placed a hand gently on the baby's forehead and shook his head. "I can tell you she has the best of both her parents within her and that I sense she will age slower than she would have been had she been straight faerie. Still, she will age fast. So make sure you get the most out of this experience you two." Niall said as he kissed his newest grandchild on the forehead before doing the same to Sookie. Turning to the still shell-shocked looking Viking, he chuckled at the face of Eric. "You will do fine, you've got a hell of a support team around to help you." Niall offered a hand to the Viking, who accepted it and shook it, still seemingly thunderstruck about what had happened.

"I ain't doing diapers." Pam protested. "I'll get the kid the best clothes and whatever, but diapers is where I draw the line."

"That's more maternal than I would have guessed from you." quipped Willa, grinning at Pam who rolled her eyes, but couldn't suppress a smile.

"Maybe it won't be entirely horrible having a kid in the picture…..she'll be the best dressed little….whatever she is." Pam said as she flopped down onto a chair across from the bed. But she shot up and grabbed Willa by the arm as she realized how close it was to dawn. "We'd best get back to Shreveport and get the rest of this wedding crap done before tomorrow night…..you guys all good?" Pam said to those in the room.

"Thanks Pam." Sookie said as Pam came over to get a better look at the sleeping baby.

"She's…..cute." Pam said, still learning how to show her kinder, gentler self that Sookie knew lurked somewhere beneath the bloodthirsty, tough exterior. "Just make sure you don't give her a stupid name, ok?"

Everyone in the room laughed as Willa and Pam made their exit and so too was Niall preparing to make his exit. "I shall see you very soon, it would seem. Tomorrow night?"

"Not sure what time, but I guess so." Sookie replied. "Thank you…for everything." she said to her grandfather. "I didn't think I could ever be so…happy. So thankful."

"Just promise me that you'll not again take anything for granted. You suffered enough in your life and it is time for you both to be happy. Until tomorrow evening. Jason, perhaps you would like a lift home, as we flashed here rather than drove?"

Nodding, Jason gave Sookie a hug and kiss on the cheek and beamed brightly at his niece.

"I'm happy for y'all." Jason said "And I am willing to give some parenting tips, it really ain't that hard. See you tomorrow night, I guess." with that, he and his grandfather vanished in a flash of light, leaving just three people in the bedroom.

"So….you ready to hold her?" Sookie asked, beaming up at Eric who took a few steps closer to the bed. "Nothing is going to bite, you know. Not yet anyway. She's got no teeth. Yet." gently she held the baby up towards Eric, who gently, slowly took the precious parcel from her arms.

Staring incredulously at the child, he was taken aback, a very rare thing indeed. And as the baby yawned, her eyes opened for a brief few seconds, her eyes a brilliant blue that could only ever be like her fathers. But the hair, it was as blonde as both of her parents' was. "It's….incredible." he said as the child awoke again and started babbling, cooking, reaching a tiny hand up towards his face. "This…I mean…"

"You don't have to say anything." Sookie replied as she shifted over in her bed, making room for him to take a seat beside her. Gently, he sat on the bed and swung his long legs over so he could lean against the backboard as Sookie was doing. Ignoring the fact that the sun was starting to rise, Eric could only focus on the miracle in his arms and the miracle to his left, in bewilderment of the luck he was now having in his life. And tomorrow night, everything would me made official. Tomorrow night, they would be a family.

To Be Continued