So, here's the next chapter! I'm glad you're all enjoying this story, but I wanted to take a minute to address an anon review that one of you left on my other story, White Blank Page:

"I'm sad that this story is getting all your love and attention. I'm missing the Expat! LOL"

I'm not LOLing. As I've explained several times in my author notes, I've gotten a lot of that story written, and I write this one as I go. I also have a very full-time job, and sometimes when I get home from work, I don't feel like pumping out a chapter. I feel like talking to my husband, or staring blankly ahead and cleansing my brain after a stressful day. I missed a 16 car pileup by five minutes on a highway during a business trip on Thursday. I didn't exactly feel like writing good times. I'm not a writing machine. I'm a person, and this takes a lot of time, that I don't always feel like allocating to it. I don't insist on you leaving reviews, so I don't really understand why you think you can dictate what I write, and when I write it.

I also update this story multiple times a week, and you know what? Not a lot of other authors do that. I never promised daily updates of anything, and frankly, when you leave a review like that, it doesn't make me want to update anything.

Luckily though, you are only one person, and I'm thrilled that the rest of you are enjoying my stories, and my writing as a whole. It really means a lot to me that you take the time to read it, and I do enjoy the opportunity to interact with you as my audience. It's a real treat.

Sorry to rant, but as soon as this starts to feel like a job, I'm done. I already have a job that pays a hell of a lot more than this does, and I have deadlines and get shit from people there. I don't need it here.

Sea

Eric

After a whirlwind last week in Paris, I packed up my things, shipping the stuff that wouldn't fit in my suitcase, and said au revoir to Europe, and hello to my old life. My flight was unfortunately delayed, so I got home around two in the morning on the twenty-fourth.

When the cab dropped me off in front of home, I couldn't control the grin on my face, and when I sat the little Post-it note stuck to the inside front door, suddenly my jetlag and the time difference didn't hit me as hard as they had initially.

Wake me up when you get home. - S

I hoped there was a double meeting to her note, and as soon as I stuffed the cheese I'd brought back with me in the fridge, I made my way to our room. I half thought about checking on the kids, but I didn't want to wake them up, not if I was going to be waking Sookie up. They'd be excited to see me in the morning.

My last two weeks in Paris had been pretty great. I'd finished up my courses, and watching Victor fall, scandalized was a beautiful thing. Dawn had been like some sort of warrior woman, bringing everyone together to squash him like a bug. Indira was able to stay in school too, and Dawn took her on as her advisor.

It all worked out. Now I just needed to figure out how to bring Appius down. I knew he'd be harder to bring down than Victor had been, but I felt like I'd enjoy it all the more. Victor had just been Appius' puppet. I wanted the ventriloquist, not the dummy.

After a quick bathroom stop, I quietly crept into our room, instantly relaxing, at the sight of familiar surroundings. I was home. We'd survived. It was dark, the curtains drawn, the only light from her alarm clock, which she insisted on using even though she used her Blackberry for everything else.

I undressed, smiling at Lily, who was wagging her tail at me, but otherwise made no effort to get out and greet me. She'd always been a lousy guard dog, but I guess it came with the territory of being under twenty pounds and kind of old, which she was.

Sookie was in bed, naked, curled up on her side, her smooth back and gorgeous ass facing me. She never slept naked. Which lead me to the conclusion that she was naked for me. I watched her for a minute, trying to think of the best way to wake her up.

I decided that the simplest way was probably the best, and I crawled in behind her, kissing her neck as she came to.

"Bones, is that you?" She giggled, as I growled at her. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

I glared at her, before pulling her onto her back, and moving on top of her. "Look at you, here. You should sleep naked all the time."

She shrugged, a coy smile on her face. "You like? I thought I'd give you a little Paris in New York."

True, we had spent a lot of time naked in Paris. My eyes travelled her body, familiar but magnificent. "Always. You're not working tomorrow, are you?"

She shook her head. "It's Christmas Eve. We're going to the Hamptons in the afternoon, but otherwise we're free and clear. You're running Christmas next year though."

I nodded. "Fine. Whatever."

She smiled, wrapping her legs around my waist. "So we've got all night is what I'm getting at. And I don't care if we're tired tomorrow. We can swap up taking naps since I'm no longer a single parent."

"I love the way you think," I groaned, as she gently slid her hand along my stomach, before wrapping her fingers around my cock. "And my hands feel like shit compared to yours."

She pushed me back on my heels, and I hissed, as she used two hands on me, before reaching for her vibrator. After about three minutes of that on my balls, I pushed her hand away. "No, I want to fuck you."

"Stamina not up to snuff, Northman?" She raised an eyebrow. "I guess we'll have to practice a lot, since you're back now."

"I may be looking for a tutor. Are you up to the task?"

She bit her lip, before reaching into her drawer beside the bed and pulling out her glasses. "Oh, I think I am, Professor Northman."

Somewhere between cowgirl and the scissor position, it happened. I pulled something. I made a noise that sounded something like 'guh', which didn't get Sookie's attention. However, losing my hard on did get a reaction out of her.

"What the fuck, Eric?" She glared at me, as I pulled my hand off her breasts. "Don't stop."

"I hurt myself," I gasped out. "I think I pulled my hamstring." It hurt like hell. Like I'd ripped my leg open.

She moved off me, as I hissed in pain. "Shit, really? I was so close."

"Can't help you there," I groaned. "Holy shit."

She sat up, eying me curiously. "You're really in pain."

My body was confused by the arousal and pain combination."Can you google what we're supposed to do here?"

She walked across the room and grabbed her computer, and I mourned the fantastic orgasms we'd missed out on. God, it was good to be home, even if I was in pain.

"It says to ice it. Do you want me to get you some ice?" She reached for my shirt on the floor.

"I want you to make me come, but I guess I want that more, now." I sighed.

She grinned. "Lots of nights for that."

She came back a minute later, and sat crosslegged beside me, as I iced my injury. "I've been having sex for what, nearly thirty years, and this is the first time I've really hurt myself." Sex related injuries were more common that one would think though. I remember reading a study on it. Most people lied about the cause of their injuries, so it was really hard to get accurate statistics.

Sookie looked at me and grinned. "I may have given myself carpal tunnel getting off without you for the past few months."

"I used to jerk off so much when I was a kid that I had to quit playing sports. I developed all the wrong muscles. Well that, and I was never much of a team player." I chuckled, wincing. "I guess at least we were fucking, if it had to be something. I don't know how we'll do in Mexico with this though."

Her eyes lit up. "Mexico? For our fuckaversary?" She shook her head. "I have to say I'm relived, because I couldn't think of many places that you'd need Pepto that would be romantic. I thought maybe you were going to try cooking something weird. That was quite the list you gave me."

"Did you get everything?"

She giggled. "I didn't buy the crotchless panties on the list, because that seemed ridiculous, but yes, I got everything else. So please, give me some details, because I've been dying with curiosity, picking up things like gum, and Tylenol."

"We're not going Cancun or one of those touristy places. We're going to Nayarit. I did a lot of research there. It's quite a traditional area, which is why I chose to do some research for my PhD there." I'd compared and contrasted a series of traditional societies south of the US border. "It's nice to bring some of the essentials on the list for the local people. They don't have a lot."

"You really had me with the drugstore glasses. Wow," her eyes lit up. "That should be interesting."

"There's still beaches, and hotels and all of that, but it's not so ridiculous. You have to go off the beaten path a bit to really see reality, but it's there." I'd really enjoyed my time there when I was younger. It was actually the first time I'd ever been celibate for any amount of time, finding it quite hard to go pick up some hotel girl after seeing how real the love and relationships I was researching were.

It was really the first time in my life that I realized that I wanted more. Maybe not right at that moment, but , this was going to put a bit of a damper on the whole thing, not being able to walk properly. "I guess I'll try to get into a doctor tomorrow."

Sookie nodded, her brow furrowed. "The internet says to elevate and ice. Maybe see how you're doing tomorrow?"

I smiled, patting her back. "I'm more likely to get in to see someone in the Hamptons anyway. Sorry to ruin the evening."

"You're back. You could have broken a leg and we could have all been in emergency, and it wouldn't have been ruined." She curled up, her head on my chest. "I can't believe this is really over."

I kissed the top of her head, for a second forgetting the pain in my leg in favor of the smell of her hair. "You're stuck with me, Northman."

"Ditto," she whispered. "and tomorrow, pulled hamstring or not, you're getting me off. I was literally like five seconds away."

I reached down and shoved a pillow under my leg, and looked at her, thinking logistically. "I can still get you off."

She grinned. "You know, normally I'd be like, no, you're injured. I'd be selfless. But..."

"You've been lying here naked all night, waiting for me. I get it." I pulled her over, and she straddled my chest, before sliding up a little further. "Besides, I quite enjoy getting you off. It's not like it's a hardship."

I loved when she sat on my face. Absolutely. It was a real powerplay move for her, and I did enjoy when she was an active participant in her own orgasm, guiding me to where she wanted me, and pulling back to prolong it as long as possible. Careful not to move my leg, I used one arm to steady her, and the other to work her breasts, ignoring my leg as much as possible, and focusing how soft her thighs were against my face, and how great she tasted. I never understood the objections that men had about pussy. But then again, I I never, as a rule, fucked women that engaged in a lot of the things that changed their Ph makeup to make it undesirable. It was all very simple, the same rules for general heath worked for sexual health.

And I knew the same logic applied to semen as well. It was ridiculous to expect anyone to enjoy blowing you if you tasted terrible.

She held out for ages, and her hand replaced mine on her breast, while she held onto the headboard with the other, as my fingers joined my mouth, inspiring a gasp, and a moan.

"Don't stop," she whispered, rolling her nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

I shot her a wink, which seemed to trigger something, sending her over the edge. She moved off my face, and lay beside me. "Yea, I'll sleep much better now." She grinned, but then glanced down at me. "You're hard."

"Yea, it's a weird sensation, and it's making my leg uncomfortable." I glanced down, irritated with myself for moving the wrong way.

She sat up, eying my erection. "What if I'm really gentle, and I stay away from your leg?"

I smiled. "We can try."

It was a good angle, the one she figured out, and it meant I had the added stimulus of her breasts on my pelvis, and her ass on my shoulder. "We could have probably just sixty-nined and been sleeping an hour ago," she giggled. "Oh well. Next time."

When she carefully reached down and fondled my balls avoiding my groin, I was a goner, and I smiled as she swallowed and lay her head on my shoulder. "It's good to be home."

I slept late, really late on Paris time, waking up when Ceci crawled in bed with me. I gasped, when she nearly kicked me in the leg. "Dad, it's almost ten, and I missed you."

I thanked Sookie for having the foresight to help me pull my boxers on last night. I wouldn't have thought of it, being away from the little cockblockers for so long. "I missed you too, baby."

"We're going to the Hamptons today, and we're going to have Christmas there." She snuggled into my chest. "I asked Santa for a new Barbie, and a scooter."

I hated the idea of our kids doing anything that could hurt them, but I knew I couldn't be ridiculous. And I knew she was getting both, and probably a whole lot more. "I know. I'm your mom's present."

Ce screwed her face up adorably. "I think she wanted a new purse." Clearly she'd made the same shopping trip as Pam had with Sookie.

"I may come with a new purse." I smiled at her, in her little pink pyjamas. She'd gotten bigger in three weeks even. And she looked a lot like Sookie, but with Pam's nose. And her namesake's blue eyes. "I'm back for good now. No more Paris."

She nodded, a huge grin on her face. "Mom told me. So that means we can make a snowman, right?"

"Absolutely." I smiled. "Let's go see what Mom's cooking."

I very carefully got out of bed, and realized that I needed to take another painkiller, and do some more icing, because my leg was killing me. Ceci ran ahead of me, and looked frustrated with my slowness.

Sookie was standing in front of the stove, wearing a housecoat I'd bought her a couple of Christmases ago. She'd called it impractical, because it was fairly short, but I smiled, seeing a pair of my boxers peeking out the bottom.

"Mom, you got Dad for Christmas?" Ce asked, looking at me curiously. "But he looks broken."

I carefully sat down at the kitchen table, very interested in the French toast Sookie was whipping up. "I just hurt myself, baby. I'm not broken."

Sookie stifled a giggle, before putting some toast in front of me. "Dad thinks he's younger than he is sometimes."

Max stomped down the stairs a minute later, and a huge smile spread across his face as he saw me. "I thought I heard you last night, but I wasn't sure."

I knew he wasn't much of a hugger, but squeezed the life out of him anyway. "Hey Maxkin."

He hugged back, and I winced, as he hit my leg. He pulled away immediately, kind of looking embarrassed that he'd hugged his dad. He was such a seven year old. "What's wrong?"

I sat back down. "I pulled my leg, on the plane. It's alright, just a bit sore."

He smiled, looking at the French toast on table. "I'm glad you're back, Dad. And Mom, I'm glad we're having French toast."

Sookie smiled, sliding a plate in front of him. "And I'm glad you're glad. Eat up kids," she shot me a wink, "we've got to get on the road."

Stella had decided at the last minute to go to Sweden with Johan for the holidays, so it would really and truly be a Northman family Christmas, with Pam stopping over for drinks later, after the kids went to bed. They were spending the holidays with Alcide's family at Bridgehampton, so they'd be around, but we'd have the day to ourselves, and then she'd graciously offered to take the kids to their family home while Sookie and I went to Mexico. It was only four days, but I did feel a bit bad leaving so soon after I'd gotten back.

I knew, however, that between all their new toys, and the indoor pool and the bowling alley at the Herveaux estate, they probably wouldn't miss us much at all.

I managed on my own in the shower, noting that I now had a huge bruise on my inner thigh. I called the doctor that we saw in the Hamptons, and he offered to slot me in around three, so we'd just stop on the way.

I limped around, helping pack up the cooler with everything we needed for Christmas dinner, and all the other miscellaneous things travelling with two kids and a dog demanded. We'd just started piling everything in the car, and I was helping Max scoop Lil out some dog food into a Tupperware container, when I heard Sookie shouting outside.

"Who the hell are you?"

I dropped the scoop, and went outside to see a woman pointing aggressively at Sookie, who had Ceci scooped up in her arms. "I know you fucked him. You're the reason he left," the slightly older than Sookie woman screeched. "We were just on a break!"

She wasn't unattractive, maybe in her early forties, with strawberry blond hair and was impeccably dressed. However, from the slur in her voice, it was also obvious that she was drunk.

Sookie glanced up at me, looking quite disarmed, Ce wrapped tightly in her arms. "Get off my property."

The woman looked up at me, her light brown eyes incensed. "She's fucking him, you know. Crispin. My Crispin."

Sookie exchanged a look with me. "I'm doing no such thing, and you've got three seconds to get out of here before I call the police."

Yep, our kids were going to need therapy. There was no way around it. "You don't know what you're talking about." I said, as calmly as I could, hobbling down the steps to stand by Sookie. I smiled up at Ce, whose lip was wobbling. "It's okay, baby."

"I'll ruin you, bitch." The woman hissed, moving towards us.

Sookie handed me Ceci, and pulled her phone out of her pocket, and called someone quite unexpected.

"Bones, I think we have something here that belongs to you. Yea. You've got ten minutes to get here before we call the police. Bye." She turned to me. "It's Christmas Eve. I'm not spending the day at the police station. Take Ce inside. I'll deal with this bitch."

I hesitated, but after thinking about it for a second, I realized that Sookie could very much handle herself, and I could barely support my weight and Ce. And that I also didn't want to spend the day at the police station. "I'll be back in a second."

She nodded, giving me a half smile. "No one fucks with Northman Family Christmas."

I didn't doubt her words for a second.

After putting a sobby Ce inside with Max, I hobbled back just in time to see Sookie slap the woman across the face.

I limped over and stood beside her. "Come on everyone, let's just calm down."

"No one accuses me of screwing around in front of my kids." Sookie looked at me, furious. "Bitch, you're going to wish I'd just called the police."

Every once and a while, the Jason Stackhouse came out in Sookie, and I had to admit, it kind of turned me on. "Who are you?"

The woman put her hand to her face, turning her nose up slightly, which looked ridiculous in her drunken state. "Annette De Witt."

I pulled Sookie back slightly. "And you are?"

"Crispin's life partner."

Sookie hissed. "Not according to him. And I'm his boss, you stupid cunt, not his lover."

Of course this was Bones' woman. I remembered Sookie telling me that he'd just left her in London when he moved to the states. And here she was, back to claim her man.

She could have him, as far as I was concerned. Good riddance.