Disappearing Act

Matt was sitting in the passenger seat sweating it out while waiting for his father to return. He had been unceremoniously flung into the car and then abandoned as Eric disappeared back into the house. He wasn't quite sure what precipitated his father going back inside whether he had heard Sookie calling out to him or he just decided that taking a few minutes was in the best interest of both father and son. But now he was back and looking none too happy at any excuse Matt had to offer. Matt opened his mouth but Eric merely told him to shut it.

They drove around for at least an hour landmarks and towns whizzed by at amazing speeds. Matt breathed in and out and tried to remain calm but his efforts were failing miserably. "So you figured you could take advantage of my absence and pull your crap."

"No sir."

"Don't lie to me Matthew!" Eric yelled causing his son to jump even though he had fully expected this onslaught.

"I mean I didn't plan it."

"Didn't I just tell you not to lie to me?" Eric pulled the car over and jumped out walking to the other side pulling Matt out and into the dark and empty playground. "So you just stumbled into it then?" he asked his hand on Matt's shoulder applying even pressure.

"No I guess not, I just felt so good at being back home that I kind of got carried away. I wanted to show Sookie something from the past and I always loved that ceremony and it just happened."

Eric's face showed anything but sympathy. "I have told you more than once you are never to do that, what if you get left behind what if Sookie got hurt, what if she panicked and you couldn't find her?"

"I can open the door, I just have to focus," Matt defended.

"And if Sookie ran off? You are using abilities that I don't even understand and magic that hasn't been used in centuries you are on your own and I forbid it!" Eric yelled pushing Matt against a wall of the picnic pavilion. "Tell me what you would have done if she disappeared?" Eric's rage went from simmering to boil as the words left his mouth. He loved his son more than he cared to admit but right now the sheer disobedience and cockiness was more than he could handle. "Well what's your answer Mr. Know-it- all?" he asked placing a hefty slap on the boy's face a red handprint rising up on his cheek. "Huh, tell me what your plan was!" Eric yelled grabbing Matt by the shirt and pulling him close. The blue eyes attempted to blink back the fear they felt but Eric saw the terror in his son. He dropped the boy who crashed to the ground and stayed seated pulling his legs in close hugging his knees.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think, I, I…I was showing off."

"Damn right you were and you know how dangerous that it is. Now she knows how strong you are, things that you are capable of, you can't take that back."

"I know, she was afraid of me," he admitted.

"Of course she was, Christ, Matthew," Eric said sitting down on the ground next to his son. "You didn't think, you let your bravado rule and you should know that is never a good thing. Now you can't take what you did back."

"I know, I'm sorry Dad, I really am," Matt answered tearfully.

Eric got up and moved closer to the boy. Matt flinched, waiting for the blow but mercifully it never came. Eric noticed his son's reaction and smiled. "You deserve it, every bit of what I ought to do to you and don't think it may not still happen. Any son of mine who disobeys me like you did will get what he has coming to him. Do you think your mother taught you such magic for you to play with it like a toy?" Matt remained quiet prompting Eric to ask again.

"No sir, I'm sure she didn't."

"Would she be proud of this?"

Matt sadly shook his head no.

"Sookie made me promise not to kill you but I'm finding it very difficult," he seethed.

"I know," Matt said almost inaudibly.

"You're grounded," he barked.

Matt looked up quizzically. "For how long?"

"Twenty years."

"But that's a long time."

"Well you can get time off for good behavior and let me advise you that good behavior is in your best interest. You had better toe the line; every inch of it boy or you will feel every bit of every blow that I will hold in reserve. Clear?"

"Crystal," Matt said taking his father's offered hand.

The ride back was quiet as Eric studied his son who spent the entire time looking out the passenger window. He was in unchartered territory; he wasn't good with this touchy-feely crap. He knew he would never be father of the year; he did well when the boy was young taking joy and pride in the fact that he actually had been able to plant his seed and have an offspring. Ava had led him in the ways of fatherhood but once she was gone he was suddenly unsure and lost his confidence. Now he had only himself to rely on because no parental guide on the planet would offer advice on what to do when your child jumped through time.

They arrived back at the house and Sookie was waiting for them on the couch. "Straight up to your room and to bed," Eric barked to Matt who was already on the stairs.

Sookie looked over to see Matt who was slightly disheveled but still able to move under his own power. "He's fine," Eric assured. "I think it might be better if we move tomorrow. I'm a little too upset to do it tonight."

"Yeah he didn't look in great shape." Sookie commented. "I think you're right, it's late and he needs his sleep."

Eric's eyebrows rose, "believe me he looks great compared to what he could have. I'm going to Fangtasia check on receipts, I'll be back later. He is supposed to be in bed," he explained as Sookie stood up. "And don't go up there and coddle him, remember he did scare the hell out of you with his little trick."

The door flew open and closed as Eric raced out of it. Sookie sighed and was confused about her role. She and Eric's relationship had changed dramatically over the last months with the addition of Matt and Eric's sensitive side coming out even though it had been mostly shelved again. He was still different though at least with her, his edge had softened quite a bit. But now he was leaving the house and taking Matt with him. Her heart was already beginning to break.

Sookie couldn't help herself as she gently knocked on Matt's door. "Are you decent?"

"Yeah come in," Matt said toweling off his hair standing in the middle of his room lounge pants hanging off his hips his bare chest exposed.

Sookie looked at how thin he was and forced a smile. "You should eat more."

"I don't like a lot of the modern foods, too many preservatives, things that have no business being in a human body, that, and it's too damn sweet."

"Well you're right about that. Are you okay? I'm so sorry, he just grabbed the book and …"

Matt put his hand up to stop her verbal surge. "I don't blame you, not even for a second. I wouldn't be mad even if you did tell him outright. I should have never done what I did, it was wrong, it's just that sometimes old habits die hard."

"What do you mean?"

Matt shook his head. "My past is full of mysteries let's leave it at that."

"There's more you aren't telling me," Sookie said.

"There's a lot I'm not telling you. I have school tomorrow so I'm going to turn in now."

"Does Eric know?"

"Know what?"

"All your secrets."

"If he did then they wouldn't be secrets would they?"

Matt had kept to himself over the next several days avoiding Eric claiming he was studying or had other homework. Eric seemed content with his son's excuses and left it alone attributing it to contrition and adjusting to the new house.

But across the cemetery, Sookie could only think of Matt and headed over to talk to Eric one night. "You need to talk to him."

"Why, he is doing what I ask," Eric replied as he went over some paperwork from Fangtasia.

"How long did you ground him for?"

Eric looked up frustrated with the interruption. If he had been able he would have sighed. "Twenty years."

"Twenty years, what are you crazy?"

"He's over four hundred years old, twenty of them is nothing. Besides I told him he could get time off for good behavior which is what he is doing right now. By my calculations he is already down to fifteen years."

"Eric you can't treat him like a five hundred year old kid you need to treat him like a fifteen year old kid or fourteen year old, whatever he really is."

The nonexistent sigh was in the air again. "So what do you propose?"

"Two weeks with a few extra work chores," Sookie suggested.

Eric dropped his head in exasperation. "Don't you have a shift or something that will take your mind off of my son?"

"I worked the lunch shift. I wanted to be around for him at least some of the time."

"And I'm not?" Eric asked.

"Not in the way he always needs. A boy needs a woman in his life."

"You mean a mother."

"I'm not trying to be his mother," Sookie replied.

"Well you could have fooled me," Eric said piling up his papers and slipping them into a folder. "So what work chores do you have in mind?"

"Well," she began looking around, "the shed out back needs a good cleaning. I can't even imagine all the junk that is in there."

"Well fine then I'll let you break the good news to him then," Eric said as he slipped out the door at full vampire speed.

Sookie released the sigh Eric had been unable to and thought perhaps she should re-evaluate her relationship with the boy. She really couldn't argue that her feelings were growing for the boy but maternal seemed to be a bit much or was it? She ascended the stairs to share her hard fought changes to his punishment and perhaps analyze her feelings a little more closely.

A week later Matt was knee deep in old Christmas decorations and baby paraphernalia while Sookie stood watching him from her house; it was so nice to have him back. Her mind was trying to put together a puzzle that seemed to be lacking the pieces needed to accomplish the feat. She had kept thinking of the moment when they were battling Antonia that Matt just seemed to disappear. She had blamed her shock and blood loss but suddenly it seemed like more than that. He had come back quickly helping to save her life but where had he been in the interim? His earlier statement about secrets kept rattling her brain waves and caused her to go over everything in her mind again and again.

"What's he doing?" Eric asked coming up behind her.

"Cleaning the shed out, but I think it is going to be a two day job. Is it sunset already?"

"One minute past as a matter of fact. I thought I would come over and check on him."

Suddenly Sookie dropped the glass she was holding.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked alarmed.

"He did disappear," she said staring across the room.

"When? When did he disappear?"

"That night, the night of the battle; he was there and then gone and now I know why."

"Why?"

"He did his little time warp thing. Listen, Antonia was coming for him, he was distracted with my injury, you were incapacitated and by leaving he either hoped that she would follow and he could leave her behind or that she would get flustered by his absence and become weakened." Sookie was about to continue to explain her hypothesis but noticed Eric was no longer in the house but was already outside with Matt.

"Where did you go that night Sookie was shot?" he demanded.

Matt pushed an ancient baby carriage out of the way and wiped his forehead. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell me where you went that night, you disappeared where did you go?"

Matt stood frozen as if he had forgotten how to move. Finally he blinked his eyes in resignation. "Stonehenge, I used to go there a lot. It helps me think."

"Why?"

"I had hoped that Antonia would follow me that I could leave her back in 1220. She never liked England I thought it would be the perfect place to stick her for eternity."

"That's how you escaped from her isn't it? All those years she followed you…"

"I never wanted anyone to be in danger because they were hiding me so when I felt her nearby I just slipped away. That's how I know I can get back without any problem, because I've been doing it forever. So after a while she stopped looking and waited, then - ''

"Then you came here," Eric realized.

"She knew I wouldn't dare do it while I was with you, that you would forbid it."

"And you became so easy to find."

"Yes, I was no longer a moving target."

Sookie had come out of the house and heard the conversation but remained quiet. She looked at Matt who seemed to be waiting for the end of the world and then to Eric who looked completely lost. The vampire shifted his weight and then stretched his arm out causing Matt to lean back but was no match as Eric pulled him close and into an embrace.

"I had no idea, I am so sorry. I was your Achilles heel. It was your saving grace not a game."

Sookie couldn't help but smile at Eric's show of tenderness. "So you just slip away," she asked. "Wow that would be a great skill to have."

"NO!" Both Eric and Matt said at the same time.

"It is not to be taken lightly. If you don't know what you are looking for you can get stuck."

"Like finding a needle in a haystack?" she asked.

"Like finding a needle in a stack of needles," Matt replied.

"So how do you know how to do it?"

Matt looked at his father and then back to Sookie. "I was taught from an early age by a master."

"Your mother?"

"Yes, she did it for my protection but it isn't to be taken lightly and I will not share it with you ever again."

"But it was a fantastic experience," she said her eyes glowing.

"If I recall you were terrified," Matt reminded.

"Well only because I didn't know what was happening."

Matt shook his head. "You can forget it; I won't be taking any journeys anytime soon. It would be too easy for you to panic and be forever lost; portals aren't something to play with. If you treasure your clothes, modern technology, comfy home and preservative filled foods then I suggest you keep yourself rooted right here in this world."

"And I suggest that you do the same you have no further reason to vacate the area." Eric stated.

"Have you lived through a July in Louisiana?" Matt asked joking.

"True," Eric agreed, "but I'm serious, I know you are very good at it but it only takes one mistake. We finally have Antonia out of the way you're as safe as you have ever been."

"And exactly how safe is that?" Matt asked as he left without waiting for an answer. He had been through too much, seen too much to ever feel completely safe vampire or not, time traveler or not he would always be somewhat alone in the world.

Awkward times abounded between Sookie, Eric and Bill. Matt was allowed to see Sookie during the day because Eric knew there was little he could do to stop it. He saw the comfort in their relationship and loved his son and Sookie enough to take some kind of joy in that. He was still adjusting to his spell free personality and hoped he had found some kind of balance. He hated that his son was alone and vulnerable during the daylight hours but that was a problem he had been unable to overcome since the boy's conception.