A/N - Thank you all for the lovely reviews! Hope you all enjoy this chapter - it was fun, that Pam is a scream!

Charlaine Harris owns all, I own nothing :(

Chapter 20 – EPOV

I was so excited to get on the plane that I actually woke up before my alarm. One more week and I'll be with Sookie again. I couldn't wait to get home so that I could hug Mom, see if she liked her Christmas presents and of course show her Sookie's ring.

I was worried that they would think it was too fast or that we didn't know each other well enough to even think about getting engaged. I knew that Sookie was it for me, I'd had other girlfriends before and none of them made me feel the way Sookie did. She just got me… she was a friend as well as being beautiful and I could see myself spending the rest of my life with her.

I barely noticed the drive to the airport and it wasn't until the cab driver turned around to ask for his fare that I realized we had arrived. I threw some notes at him and apologized, my brain was already in Louisiana. I was in trouble if I couldn't re-engage it before I got home, Pam would have a field day torturing me.

I was completely wiped out by the time I landed in Cali, flying across the country was obviously tiring, but trying to tune out the old ladies sitting next to me and ignoring the flirtation of the flight attendants had really drained me. I would have thought the attendants would be too busy looking after the other passengers, but apparently the only way to get from one end of the plane to the other was past my seat and there always seemed to be turbulence when they passed me.

"I'm so sorry sir" a heavily made up redhead said as she grasped my bicep for the fourth time "Turbulence…" she added as her excuse

"Not a problem" I smiled, imagining her toppling the other way and into the lap of the overweight business man on the other side of the aisle who probably wouldn't have minded at all.

"My my, you sure are strong!" she smiled, fluttering her eyelashes and trying to slip a piece of paper into my shirt pocket.

I just smiled and removed her hand from my pocket before she could release the scrap of paper.

She laughed nervously and somehow managed to find another route the next time she made her way to the front of the plane… thankfully.

I stepped off the plane and stretched as I made my way into the terminal, managing to look around a little just before being slammed into by two squealing blondes in Dolce and pearls…

"You're home!" Mom cried as she covered my face in kisses "I missed you!" I would have been embarrassed by the display if I had enough energy, but as it was I just hugged her tight and let her wipe her lipstick off me when she was finished.

"It's good to see you both" I said with a smile, kissing them both on the cheek and crooking my arms to have one on each side as we made our way to the luggage carousels.

"Please, please, please tell me what you bought me?" Pam begged, tugging on my arm and looking at me with a pouty face "I'll be good… I won't even tease you about Sookie until after we get home…"

"Wow Pam" I snorted "You really know how to talk someone into something…"

"My theory is that if I start low you'll settle for less…" she replied with a grin "So is it something techie?"

"I'm not telling you Pam, you just have to wait" I laughed, knowing that she'd be too busy trying to guess what her present was to do me any real mental damage with her jibes about Sookie.

We would always get each other gag gifts and one serious one, we were both so hard to buy for that we decided this was easier. This year my sister was getting cat ear headphones, a book of 'Dear Abby' advice and a fluffy unicorn purse, her serious gift was a few decorative perfume bottles to add to her collection.

Mom was getting a coffee table book of our family photos, Pam had been scanning and emailing them to me when Mom was out of the house, so it would be a surprise. I had also bought her a book of iconic architecture and a jewelry stand shaped like a butterfly, knowing that she loved them and she was always losing earrings.

They hadn't stopped talking once since they had hugged me at the gate. It was good to be home, but I think I should have bought earplugs in my carryon. We grabbed my bags and went to the car, Pam called shotgun, which I didn't mind, and after being cramped into the tiny plane seats for so long it'd be nice to stretch out in the back.

"I am just so excited to have you home Eric" Mom smiled as we pulled into the driveway "I'm sure you've grown since I saw you last"

"Mamma, I stopped growing when I was 22" I laughed "the only thing that grows now is my hair"

"Well… that and your butt" Pam teased

"Ha ha Pam" I replied "don't put your issues on me, I work out"

"I'll have you know I've received compliments about my butt" Pam yelled "I… have a FINE ass."

"You ain't got anything on this!" I laughed as I slapped my butt and ran, Pam chasing after me and not doing too well as she still hadn't kicked off her heels.

"No running in the house" Mom yelled with a laugh "Don't make me hose you!"

"OK Mamma!" we yelled back, laughing hard. We may be in California, but getting soaked by the garden hose was only fun when it was hot out.

I went back to the car and grabbed my bags. After settling into my room and grabbing out the gifts I took them down to the living room to put under the tree. Pam had decorated with silver and blue this year… every ornament was either blue or silver; silver tinsel, metallic blue beads, white fairy lights and a silver star on top.

I kind of wished that she wouldn't theme everything all the time. I loved the Stackhouse tree, covered in every color under the sun and groaning under the weight of all the ornaments…. I loved the trees that looked like they had been decorated by kids with ornaments that had obviously been around for ages, I thought it made the holiday more personal and family oriented.

Pam picked up her presents one by one, shaking and squishing them trying to figure out what she was getting. Thank goodness I had wrapped her bottles in bubble wrap and packing peanuts otherwise she would have been unwrapping pieces of glass on Christmas morning.

"Pammy!" I laughed "You get to open them soon enough and you know you never guess right anyway"

"Shh I'm listening…" she scolded "yours are over there" she added pointing to some silver wrapped gifts on the other side of the tree.

"Oooh!" I squeaked and grabbed hold of my own gifts, squishing and shaking investigating the contents, another part of our tradition was to wrap things so that they never seemed like what they were.

Eventually both of us conceded defeat and gave up trying to guess the contents of our Christmas presents. I always felt like a child when I came home and couldn't help acting like one when I was there. Mom had worked hard to make our childhood happy after we had left Sweden and it showed.

"Thank you Mamma" I said as I came up behind her making dinner.

"What for!" she laughed as she put the knife down and turned for a hug

"For being you" I said softly, wrapping her in a huge hug and lifting her off her feet

"Put me down!" she squeaked, slapping at my back and kicking her feet "I wasn't meant to be this tall!"

"I can see that!" I laughed as I put her down again and kissed the top of her head

"So tell me more about your Sookie…" she said with a smile, returning to her chopping board

"She's amazing…" I said softly, pulling her ring out of my pocket "Do you think she'd like this?"

"Eric! Is that?" she gasped and dropped the knife, taking the ring box in her hands "Oh my son, I'm so happy for you! It's beautiful; it suits her exactly… to my mind it does… I can't wait to meet her!"

"She's looking forward to meeting you and Pam too…" I said with a laugh, taking the box back. "Do you think it's too soon?"

"If it feels right to you and it feels right to her, then it's not too soon" she replied cupping my cheek in her hand "You found someone that makes you happy, that is the main thing."

"She really does" I laughed "She sent me a pillow with her perfume on it, because she thought it would help me sleep, funnily enough it does"

"Awww… that's so cute! Did you send something back?" she chuckled

"No" I smiled "she had my shirt from when I slept over at Thanksgiving"

"So how are you going to ask her? And when?" she asked

"I have no idea" I admitted "I just know I have to…"

"You'll know when the time is right" she said turning back to dinner again "I don't think, from what you've told me, that she'd appreciate you making a big thing out of it."

"No… she doesn't like surprises either" I laughed as I recounted the day we surprised her in Bon Temps after Thanksgiving.

"Awww" Pam squeaked as she joined us in the kitchen "That's so cute!"

"Scared the crap out of me at the time" I laughed, pulling Pam in for a hug.

"So stop stalling" Mom chimed in as she finished her preparations for dinner and started cooking "Tell me about my soon to be daughter in law…"

Pam poked me in the ribs and looked at me in shock. I just shrugged, she knew I was going to ask Sookie to marry me at some point, I wasn't going to keep it from Mom just because she was my Mom.

"Well… she's smart, funny, has a terrible track record with accepting compliments and gifts." I laughed

"She doesn't like getting presents?" Pam asked in further shock "you're joking me?"

"Nope" I laughed "I warned her that you and Mamma were 'just because' gift givers and she said she'd work on it"

"I have to buy her more stuff then…" Pam said firmly "Maybe we'll just have to take her shopping Mamma so she knows what we're like?" she suggested

"I don't know if she could take shopping with you Pammy" I laughed "She won't know what hit her!"

"Shut up Eric" Pam said, poking her tongue out "You've never shopped with her, you don't know what she's like!"

"Shh Pam" Mom scolded gently "I need more information on Sookie"

"Yes Eric… tell us more about my new sister" Pam said with a smirk, standing back and crossing her arms, narrowing her eyes at me as if I was the one that had interrupted.

"Well… uh" I stammered "What do you want to know? She's studying psychology, she loves cooking, but hates to clean up afterward. She was raised by Adele, her grandmother, along with her big brother Jason. She's sweet and generous and sassy"

"I love her already" Mom said as she hugged Pam "You're right Pam darling… we have to take her shopping and spoil her rotten"

"I knew you'd be on my side Mamma" Pam replied with a grin

I huffed in pretend annoyance and winked at them before going back to my room to put Sookie's ring away and unpack some of my clothes.

"Dinner Eric!" Mom yelled from the kitchen after about 10 minutes.

We settled in for dinner and chatted and laughed our way through the rest of the evening, catching up on news with each other. Surprisingly despite all the conversations we'd had over the phone and on the way back from the airport today they still had plenty to tell me.

We spent the rest of the week in the lead up to Christmas laughing and hanging out. I went out clubbing with Pam one night and remembered why I hated it after the fourth girl tried to seduce me by telling me she had no gag reflex and a closet full of toys.

"Why do they think I would find that appealing?" I asked Pam as the rejected girl swished away, obviously thinking I would be kicking myself, however I just thanked my lucky stars she took no for an answer. I couldn't wait to get home.

"Well Eric…" Pam explained in a school teacher-ish tone "The vermin think that if they throw themselves at enough people, they will eventually find someone desperate enough to take them home"

"That's just sad Pam…Who would ever be that desperate?" I laughed, kicking myself as soon as the words were out of my mouth.

"Need I remind you dear brother…that you used to take home your fair share of strays before you moved up to NY?" She asked with a smirk

"Don't remind me" I groaned "I've been trying to forget…I don't know what I was thinking"

"Obviously you weren't thinking" she laughed "Does Sookie know you were a man whore?"

"Yup" I said, laughing at her face as she tried to hide her shock "She doesn't know the details, but she knows I used to sleep around"

"And she still likes you?" Pam asked incredulously "She must be a saint"

"Pretty close" I laughed and poked my tongue out at her as she narrowed her eyes at me "She knows I haven't slept with anyone in four years though so she figured it balances out"

"I think it'd take longer than four years to balance out" Pam laughed "Are you ready to go?"

"Definitely" I laughed "Quick before someone else tries something!"

We made it to the door in short time, being taller than most people was a plus when you wanted to get through a crowd. I emptied my pockets of napkins that had been put in there and recoiled in disgust when I found someone's thong tucked into my waistband with their name and number printed on it… apparently it was easier than keeping a pen in your purse?

Pam couldn't stop laughing at me, she was holding her sides and wiping away a tear every now and then… she'd settle for a while before looking at me and going off into gales of laughter again. After a while I found the funny side, although I took a really hot shower when I got home and reminded myself not to go out clubbing without Sookie ever again… maybe she could protect me.

I went back out to the kitchen to get a snack, for some reason going to the clubs always made me hungry for comfort food… maybe it was the desperation that seemed to hang in the air? I didn't know, but I was definitely glad it wasn't part of my normal life anymore.

"You really haven't slept with anyone for four years?" Pam asked as she came out of her room wrapped in a fluffy pink robe and bunny slippers… my sister was a walking contradiction.

"Yup" I replied as I started cooking up some bacon…I think a bacon and egg sandwich was what I needed tonight.

"Ooh could you please cook me some too?" Pam asked as she settled into a chair at the table. "How did you manage to go four years?"

"Easy" I shrugged "I was too busy with my studies and I just reached a point where I wanted more than a quick fuck, and then I met Sookie, talking to her was more fun than going to bars and stuff so I didn't miss anything, then we… y'know"

"You fell in Wuv… twoo wuv" she teased with a giggle "I'm happy for you brother mine" she added as I glared at her "Sookie is good for you, it's obvious that she makes you happy and she sounds like a lot of fun."

I chuckled and slid the bacon out onto some bread. "She's just one of those people" I admitted after cracking a couple of eggs into the pan "She makes you want to be the best version of yourself so that she'll be proud of you, but accepts the parts that aren't great and is proud of you anyway"

"Are you sure she's not a saint?" Pam laughed, swiping a sandwich as soon as I slid the egg onto it.

"I'm sure…She's got the dirtiest laugh, there's no way she could be a saint with a laugh like that" I smiled as I smothered my bacon and eggs in barbecue sauce.

"I can't wait to meet her" Pam said, swiping the sauce and squirting it onto her own sandwich "I know I keep saying it, but I'm really excited."

"Me too" I smiled as I tucked into my snack, thanking my lucky stars for a petite blonde who called me a snob.

Time flew and Christmas morning finally arrived, after a leisurely breakfast, where I dawdled as long as possible, Pam of course chomping at the bit to try and get to the tree and her presents managed to wait until I finished my coffee before she slapped at me to hurry up.

I laughed and stood up from the table following her and my mom into the living room where they both seemed to regress to the age of five and dug into the wrapping paper with reckless abandon. I of course, being the strong alpha male type, only regressed to the age of six and managed to hold off on squealing.

Pam had bought me a shower cap, in the shape of a frog head, it was green, with eyes on top… I put it on while I unwrapped the rest of my gifts, just so they would laugh. I took it off before someone grabbed a camera though, I couldn't have photographic proof of something like that getting out there.

Mom had bought me a new leather jacket, it fit perfectly, I was sure Sookie would love it too as it stopped just above my butt, her favorite part… for now. Pam's other gifts included; a couple of pairs of edible underwear with a note to make sure I 'shared' with Sookie, a thumb drive that had been decorated to look like Darth Maul, a book of images from the Hubble telescope and a book on Astrophysics that I didn't have yet.

After giving out multiple hugs and saying thank you a million times, I settled in to the couch to look through my book of images from Hubble, laughing at Pam sulking over not receiving her 'Just Like Me' American Girl Doll when in fact I had it delivered to the house here and I just hadn't wrapped it. She continued to glare at me while flicking through 'Dear Abby' until I couldn't stop myself from laughing. I came back from my room with the doll and some clothing and was immediately praised as 'the best brother ever' as she went into raptures and clapped her hands in glee… yet more proof that my sister was a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in mystery…

We played Trivial Pursuit for the afternoon, watched A Muppet Christmas Carol and ate Chinese takeout. Because we wouldn't be staying here for a few days we had decided it would be better not to have a big Christmas dinner until we got back from Louisiana with our guests.

The day ended and although Pam protested a little at the early hour we would be leaving tomorrow we all went to bed and slept… well… tried to sleep in my case. I opened my laptop and looked through Sookie's pictures and emails until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. My last thought was that I'd be seeing Sookie the next day and I fell asleep with a smile on my face.