A/N: SHE'S ALIVE! yes yes... I have returned and I'm so so so sorry!

Thank you so much to everyone for their reviews and messages. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter posted, I know a few of you were hanging out for BandGeek!Eric stories... he was being reticent and I had severe blockage. I was pressed against a wall pretty much since posting 30 *headspoon* - that's how frustrating this chapter was - i wanted to beat myself to death with a spoon, it would have been less painful! lol.

Thank you to Northwoman for her help and inspirational email - I'm sure she'll recognize where she fits in here. Also thank you to Lubadub's Kotyaer and chisaii_kitty for helping me with the word for suicides! I was totes lost!

Thanks to sophiemyst for all our chats and her spooky encouragement. I know she's not read this yet, but I owe her thanks for it anyway :) she has a very lickable brain people.

Anyway! On with the show...

Chapter 31 – SPOV

I had no idea why, but Eric's French toast tasted better than mine. I think everyone was still asleep because we didn't bother talking; we just ate happily and jumped in surprise when Gran and Alexis came in laughing up a storm.

The tales of their antics should have curled my hair, but I was too tired to worry about it. Alexis proposed a movie day and it was met with resounding approval. Pam reminded me about why we were all so tired and I couldn't help being a little sad that our time was limited and it would be way too soon before Eric was at the other end of the country and I would be keeping the ice cream companies in business.

The look of dread on Eric's face showed me that he had resolved to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Apparently Pam had an obsession with The Princess Bride, one of my favorite movies. His dread worsened to horror when I started quoting lines and he ran out of the house like a run in a pair of nylons – fast and far.

"So what are we really doing today?" I laughed after both the boys had run practically screaming for the garage

"Baby Eric photos" Pam grinned "I do love The Princess Bride though, so maybe we can have it on in the background and catch the best bits!"

"Deal" I nodded, rubbing my hands together in glee.

"You get the popcorn and I'll get the albums" she winked

Eric as a baby was gorgeous; fluffy blonde baby hair, huge blue eyes, chubby baby legs and a delighted grin that had barely changed. Even with pegs up his nose he was a beautiful baby. Eric as a toddler was just as cute; all eyes, hair and smiles.

We laughed and giggled our way through book after book of bad eighties clothing, cheesy grins and horrible haircuts. Pam even allowed us to see photos of her… a select few of course, the ones she was happy with. Alexis showed us others when she wasn't looking, much to Pam's disgust when she found out.

"Awww Pammy!" I squeaked "Look at you covered in dirt!"

"It's not dirt, it's a volcanic mud mask" she smirked

"And I'm the Queen of Sheba" I laughed, flicking through another couple of pages before my eye was caught by someone in a bright white and blue uniform.

"Sweet merciful crap!" I said, my eyes opening wide in shock. I couldn't contain a shout of laughter as I took in the sight before me.

Gran took the album from my lap and chuckled at the photo that had me in stitches. I laughed so hard I started crying and it took me a few minutes to get myself under control enough to be able to ask questions.

"How long was he in the band for?" I choked out between giggles

"Those are in there?" Pam yipped gleefully, running over to Gran to look over her shoulder "I thought he'd burnt them all!"

That set me off again, cute as he was, I don't think anyone could have pulled off that outfit well. I couldn't blame him for trying to hide the evidence.

"He was just so into playing his trumpet" Alexis looked over Pam's shoulder and smiled

"Does he still play?" I asked, surprised that I had completely missed that he was carrying an instrument.

"I don't know! I would assume he could, but I don't know if he does," she laughed in reply. "Ask him when he comes back in!"

"I can't wait to see the look on his face when he knows that you know…" Pam smiled dreamily "I almost want to catch it on video so I can watch it when I need a laugh."

After making Pam promise not to set up the video camera we flicked through more photos, Pam bringing out some of the pictures she had of their time with their father in Europe. Obviously they had taken it upon themselves to keep entertained as there were no photos of their father in the album at all.

There was a photo of them both standing in front of the famous windmill in Paris. Somehow she had managed to talk him into going to the Moulin Rouge, I'm sure she didn't have to argue too much though. The grin on his face was the same as the one when he tried to talk me into doing things over Skype… mischievous and kissable.

The roar of the corvette engine reached our ears as Eric and Jason pulled into the garage. I heard the sounds of the boys grabbing lunch and some drinks while we were looking through other photos.

I instantly relaxed as Eric's scent washed over me and his arms scooped me up to hold me in his lap. I felt him nuzzle into my hair, breathing me in; apparently I wasn't the only one that was feeling half alive while we were apart.

I heard Pam clear her throat to get my attention and wave her hand around asking me to move things along. "You never told me you went through a band geek phase honey!" I laughed, kissing his cheek and wrapping my arms around his neck.

The 'oh shit' look that was on his face was enough to set us all to laughing again for another few minutes.

"It was only for a while," he blushed. "I can't believe I missed a photo."

"So… this one time at band camp?" Jason prompted and we all burst out laughing again.

"You shouldn't believe everything you see in the movies" Eric laughed. "There were some people like that, but they were few and far between"

"Why didn't you say anything? Amelia was in the band, she plays the flute" I said with a grin. "She's almost exactly like the redhead in that movie"

Eric laughed hard at that revelation although I knew it was easy for him to believe. We'd shared more than a few stories about housemates and the like in the time we'd been talking. I wondered if Trey knew about Amelia's band geek side and resolved to ask him.

"The most interesting thing I did was swap sheet music with other instruments," he chuckled. "It drove our band director mad," he smiled remembering "We'd transpose on the fly at games and things, it still sounded fine, odd, but fine."

"So you mean there weren't any band camp stories?" Jason asked, pouting slightly.

"Not band camp, no," Eric smirked. "Study hall and free periods were certainly interesting though"

I turned and looked at him. I think I may have broken out a mini stink eye or something, because he started blushing. I snuggled up to his arm so he knew he wasn't in trouble. It was before I met him after all, and he didn't get his mad keen kissing skills by practicing on his arm that's for sure.

Jason leant over and gave him a high five after he was sure I wasn't going to blow up. Honestly, I swear my brother thinks I'm PMS-ing 365 days a year.

"The only real goofing around we did besides swapping the music, was turning all our chairs around to face the back of the room," Eric chuckled, remembering. "Another time we all hid outside and when the director went to look for us, we all snuck back in and started practicing like nothing was wrong. He was pretty cool about it really, but considering we were his best student's, it's not like he was going to say anything as long as we performed."

"We did things like that during football practice," Jason shared with a laugh. "We'd swap numbers in the locker room and all run out with our helmets on. Play our normal positions and drive Coach crazy, wondering what the hell his QB was doing playing running back."

"Our coach would have kicked our asses if we had done that!" Eric laughed.

"Oh we felt it after doing suicides for the whole practice session," Jason continued, "but it was still funny as all hell. So how did you play in the band and football anyway?"

"I wasn't much of a band geek," he said with a chuckle. "I just happened to be a geek who was in the band, it didn't last too long. I realized I wasn't a band kind of person, well, not a marching band anyway."

"So what kinda band geek are you then?" Jason asked with a laugh

"I ended up joining a Ska group that one of my friends set up" Eric grinned, remembering "It was good while it lasted, but we all split up for college so…"

"Even I have to admit they were good" Pam said with a smirk "I wish he had some band camp stories I could tease him about, but no… I just have to content myself with the horrendous uniform instead."

"Where did you find the picture anyway?" Eric asked, taking the album and chuckling over his teenage self

"I got reprints of the negatives after you moved to NY" Alexis laughed "Just because you were embarrassed about the uniform doesn't mean you get to destroy all my photos… if I have to live with myself in bell bottoms and Charlie's angels hair, then you have to deal with being in the band"

We flipped through the album to find said photos of Alexis, and as bad as she thought they were, they were actually cute. Jason caused uproar when he found a picture of a 14 year old Pam in fluro orange overalls and a wrestling match broke out between the two of them as Pam tried to get it back.

"So, do you still play?" I asked, curling up on Eric's lap and nuzzling into his shoulder

"Sometimes, not too much though" He said, lowering his mouth to my ear "besides," he added in a whisper "My lips have something better to do now"

I chuckled as his breath tickled my ear and Pam made gagging noises behind us as Jason introduced her to his armpit…my brother, such a gentleman.

The rest of the day went quickly, movies watched, popcorn thrown, and plans made over dinner to go to the beach and general sightseeing the next day. Being that we were planning a big day tomorrow and an early start, we all got an early night… well; we went to bed early anyway!

Morning dawned bright and early and with a groan I rolled out of bed and into the shower, knowing that if I waited for Eric we would more than likely not end up leaving the room that day, and I really wanted to go to the beach!

I was showered and ready by the time he woke up, and although he pouted at missing out on shower time with me, he smiled when he saw how tiny my shorts were.

"I think I need to buy you some more of those tiny shorts," he grinned, patting my ass as he walked past.

"I have plenty, thank you very much!" I laughed, watching him leave the room, yum. "I'll wait for you upstairs" I squeaked and left for some breakfast before I ruined all my good intentions.

Jason choked on his cereal as I walked into the kitchen "Sweet Mother Of Gouda Sook," he yelped. "Go back down and put some clothes on!"

"You know good and well that I wear these all the time, now hush" I scolded, dropping a kiss on his cheek and bouncing off to get some coffee

"Well don't blame me if Eric comes back with a black eye" he laughed in reply

"Oh rubbish, Eric likes them!" I huffed.

"That was when you were in your room, it might be a completely different when you start getting looked at on the beach," he said with a smirk "just sayin' is all"

"Jason, stop tormenting your sister" Gran said with a chuckle, walking into the room at exactly the right moment, as usual.

"I'm not tormenting her!" he protested. "I'm just sayin' she should put some clothes on!"

At that rather perfect moment Pam walked out to the kitchen. She was wearing skin tight jeans and a red satin corset. It was obvious she wasn't wearing underwear under either item and couldn't care less if everyone knew. Jason's mouth was hanging open until Gran shut it for him.

"Still want me to change Jason?" I teased, earning a chuckle from Pam who rewarded me with a morning hug

"I do have another corset if you want, Sookie," she offered. "But we'll have to lace it up fairly loosely, I'm not quite as blessed as you are" she added with a wink

"Let me check what the plans are today and I'll let you know, but thank you!" I giggled.

Jason still hadn't recovered from Pam's jeans yet and seemed to be doing an impression of a fish while she swanned around the kitchen. I slapped him over the head as I settled down to eat my toast and grinned as he almost thanked me for it.

"Are you not coming to the beach Pam?" I asked after she had joined us at the table.

"I love the idea of the beach," she replied with a smirk "I like looking at it, but I hate getting sand everywhere so it's not often that I'll go. I thought I might go shop for a little while and come back to meet everyone for lunch… if I'm done."

"Sounds nice, but no shoes until I can come with you" I warned with a laugh as she pouted at the reminder.

"You never let me have any fun…you're just like Eric" she huffed, pretending to be in a snit. At least, I hope she was pretending.

Eric and Alexis joined us soon afterward, happily digging into their breakfasts and joining in on the conversation. I loved that Eric was so close with his family; they seemed more like friends than mother and son. I couldn't wait to be a Northman and increase the size of my family by three people I already loved.

Pam had a starry look in her eye as we waved her off, obviously thinking of all the pretties she would be perusing while we were walking the beach. We piled into the SUV and drove the short distance to the beach we could see from the house. The water was even more impressive up close.

The crash of waves on the beach and the sense of calm that washed over me cemented my wish for a small wedding. I was getting married on this beach and that was that. While Jason, Alexis and Gran wandered off, Eric and I dawdled behind, holding hands and acting cute.

"Would you be ok with getting married here?" I asked, snuggling into his side.

"As long as I get to be married to you at the end of the day, I'd marry you in a phone box," he chuckled. "I'd like to get married here though. More elbow room."

"I'll give you elbow room!" I laughed using mine to get him in the ribs before running away squealing as he chased me with a goofy grin plastered onto his face.