#31
Eric landed with great speed in the yard, removing his shoes on the porch before Sookie scolded him again for possible scuff marks. She was becoming quite adamant about avoiding those and Eric was well aware now that he better not test the fluctuating moods in which she often found herself. However, Sookie's objections were quickly forgotten when he sensed her sudden fear and catapulted himself inside with one shoe still attached to his left foot.
Sookie was instantly placed behind him as he took up a defensive pose while he growled at the gift-wrapped fairy who had caused the sudden shock of fear to travel from Sookie into him through their shared bond.
"I trust your business with the Japanese went well," Niall said congenially as if nothing were amiss. "I brought my Pamela a little early Christmas present. Let's call it a wedding gift."
"Who is this?" Eric demanded, the hostility of the possible threat refusing to leave his tense body.
Sookie only barely seemed to recover from Eric's instant appearance in front of her aside from the confrontation with the evil fairy queen. "It's Mab," she spoke softly.
Assured that the fairy in question was secure and Sookie had seemed to calm down, he instantly engulfed her small form in his embrace to give her the comfort she clearly needed in that moment. "I believe we are owed her blood more than Pam," Eric said pointedly gesturing to Mab. "She brought Claudine and Bill together with Hallow. She sought to steal Sookie's spark."
"Yes," Niall conceded. "She also sought to do the same with my youngest children and yours. She is mine to do with as I see fit."
The cacophony of growls that resonated through the room with that particular revelation was near deafening, and, had it not been for her worry of her children, Pam would have already drained the bitch queen to dust by now.
Eric and Sookie shared but a mere glance before they ran for their children's bedroom; he picked her up mid-flight to get them there that much faster. They were only able to breathe a sigh of relief when they found them safely tucked in their beds, completely unharmed, exactly as Sookie had last left them.
"I was so worried," Sookie panted; her heart beating thunderously under her palm while Eric lovingly stroked his fingers over Eva and Viggo's cheeks. "Why are you wearing only one shoe?" Sookie exclaimed suddenly once she found an appropriate outlet for her worry now that the possible threat was abated. "I told you no shoes in the bedroom!"
He chuckled a little, only noticing the odd sight himself in that moment. When little Eva joined in with her father Sookie couldn't help but laugh either, especially when they noticed that Viggo had somehow managed to be without a sock on the exact same foot.
"Sookie," he sighed, pulling her closer to him as their collective laughter disarmed them from the previously tense atmosphere. "We're safe now."
She hummed in agreement, "I never doubted we weren't."
"Because I was here?"
"Mostly because of Eva," she snickered and as if in demonstration of her talent the little girl released an electric charge of her light into the air. Eric grinned widely as he looked down towards his daughter and exchanged her for Sookie in his arms.
"Who's Pappa's little homicidal princess?" he cooed while he rocked her in outstretched arms. "Is that you?"
"Eric," Sookie admonished, swatting his arm in reprimand. "Don't encourage her."
"She gets it from you," he teased, which only caused Sookie to huff out in disagreement. If only to prove his point Eva and her mother now carried the identical expression of indignation. Eric rumbled with laughter at the sight, which only set the scowls on both their faces deeper. He kissed the frown on Eva's forehead, instantly causing it to disappear under her father's touch. Eric winked down as he caught his daughter's eyes, "If only it was so easy with your mother."
"Eric!"
"Deny it all you want," he taunted. "Viggo knows I speak the truth. Right, son?"
The child in question did nothing to indicate one way or the other as he happily babbled along while Sookie found Viggo's lost sock again.
"Eric, honey?" she asked while holding their son to her chest. "Shouldn't you be with Pam tearing out a hostile faery's throat?"
"I find I much prefer to be here with you and our children," he smiled back at her while Eva attempted to claw at his face and he playfully bit at her tiny fingers. "Pam can have her."
Sookie stood up on her toes to find his lips as he reached down to meet her. "Thank you," she whispered in return when she landed back on her feet. "But, just go already. I know you want to."
His nose grazed along her neck momentarily before he bluntly nipped at it between soft kisses while her daughter mimicked the same movements against her upper arm, albeit with a good deal more saliva. Sookie had to giggle with the dual sensations, one extremely innocent in nature while the other highly suggestive.
"I think I prefer this faery throat much more," he said playfully before they were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. "Yes, Willa?" Eric bellowed out as she was the only one in the house who bothered with such niceties.
"Pam is demanding your attendance at her wedding shower," Willa informed them while she carefully peeked her head around the door.
"Now?" Sookie asked in confusion when she pulled away from Eric. "It's nearly dawn."
"She says it won't be a problem," Willa shrugged, not quite sure how that was the case either.
"If she thinks I'm going to be babysitting seven kids, three drunken vampires, and a clueless Faery Prince, then she is sorely mistaken," she grit out which caused little Eva to sparkle along in anger with her mom. Sookie calmed instantly, fearful of more repercussions which was a very hard task as Eric seemed to gloat at her necessity to rein in her infamous temper. "Later," she spoke lowly and with narrowed eyes directed his way causing him to gulp audibly with the silent threat.
Willa turned her head momentarily before addressing Sookie again, "She says it isn't a problem and wear something appropriate."
"It isn't a problem?" Sookie grumbled. "Yeah, right!"
"Sookie," Eric said trying to hide the amusement in his tone but failing miserably. Innocently he gestured at the suitably-agitated daughter in his arms. "Just hear Pam out."
"Fine," she agreed with the slightest hint of defiance. "What is appropriate to wear?"
"Pam says there are two garment bags in your closet," Willa answered.
She quickly slipped on a dress that thankfully was voluminous enough around the waist for Sookie not to feel self-conscious in. The pearlescent colour was complimentary to the cobalt suit Eric was to wear. Even the children were to fall under Pam's stylistic tyranny when they discovered two miniature garment bags hidden behind theirs that matched the chosen colour palette.
Upon arrival in the living room they found Pam, Niall, and their children in equal splendour. Sookie impatiently tapped her foot while waiting for an explanation which she didn't receive until Willa entered the room making the vampire party complete.
"What happened to Mab?" Sookie asked cautiously when she noticed the discarded wrapping paper on the floor.
"She's right here," Pam said proudly when she revealed a tray with empty crystal flutes and a magnum champagne bottle clearly filled with blood.
"No!" Sookie protested again. "You know how difficult it was to get Eric back in from the sun when he drained Claudine. This is not happening!"
Eric calmed her by resting his hand heavily on her shoulder as the other hand picked up the bottle and inspected the label on it; one he recognised from several rounds of Pam driving graphic designer's crazy with her demands. "You have managed it?" he asked with admiration.
She smiled widely with a very smug grin. "Told you that home lab was a wise investment. Five to eight hours in the sun without the debilitating high," she pointed out. "Synthesised and ready to go, but I'm inclined to keep it as a private reserve."
"Agreed," he nodded proudly at her ingenuity. While they had both been the public face of the New Blood company he had diverted his attentions to the business side while Pam had helmed the research and development branch. Her initial efforts had been directed at creating a palatable blood, but he knew this was the project she had been diligently working on with little success for the past years. "You are certain it works?"
"We tried with a smidgen of my blood," Niall replied encouragingly. "She needed the volume of a full faery and I knew just the woman for the job."
"Shall we then," Eric said excitedly as he uncorked the concoction. He reassured Sookie through the bond all would be well though she remained looking sceptical until Niall mentally gave his word that the vampires would be teleported inside instantly were anything to go awry.
Suspiciously Willa and Eric scented the unique palate before following Pam's example and downed it in one go. Eric managed to hide the bitter aftertaste quite well behind his stoic façade but Willa was less well-trained in hiding her disgust.
Pam picked up Pinnie who was wearing a matching outfit to her mother while Niall and Isolde followed her to the door with the four boys. "Let's go," she announced, hurrying everyone out into the morning rays that were just peeking out over the horizon.
Sookie gushed as she took in the decorated back yard in muted tones of pink clearly set up for an extensive brunch. The table was set for far more than would ever arrive, but it did little to ruin the festive atmosphere. "You did this, Willa?" Sookie whispered to the vampire beside her.
"Yes," she returned. "Just don't eat anything but the fruit, it's all polystyrene."
"Where did the gifts come from?" Sookie asked in another hushed whisper while she took in the large table overflowing in neatly wrapped boxes.
Willa's eyebrow lifted as her eyes briefly shifted towards Pam's direction. "Do you even need to ask?"
Sookie swallowed the snort and gave a brief nod of understanding. Her eyes continued to travel over all the intricate details and neat script on the place cards. "It's beautiful," she complimented.
"Yes," the vampires agreed in unison, though their gazes were clearly directed at the beams of yellow and orange cresting out in the distance.
"Everything you wanted my blushing bride?" Niall whispered to Pam's ears.
"Everything and more."
A/N: This A/N is a little extensive but please do read it all. I have some good news, some bad news and some more good news on the fixin's front. So prepare yourself accordingly…
I finally found a title I'm happy with for this particular outtake, it's the final sentence of this chapter. So the title for this little fic will be 'Everything and More' I exhausted an extensive list of titles with a lot of doubles and twice in it, but like the natural end this came to it felt right. This story started with this quote by Eric in season 4:
"I know you, there are two Sookie Stackhouse's. One who still clings to the idea that she's merely human and the other who's coming to grips with the fact that you are better than that."
In that same conversation Sookie asked what Eric wanted from her and his answer was "Everything" somewhere along the way I figured in this fic Eric got that and a lot more so the title stuck. I won't change the title here on but I might use the new title for future outtakes.
So on to the bad news, that final sentence is also this particular fixin's outtake's last sentence of the last chapter as it has found it's natural end. I'm usually a little better about anticipating this as I write chapters far ahead but it just felt right and I could probably muddle on endlessly (Willa and Preston anyone?) falling into a trap many fanfics enter where I scramble to find an appropriate end because the plot has died down in favour of mild entertainment as the worst has passed and in that do a disservice to the story as a whole in the process by extending it unnecessarily.
Onto more good news! There will be an extensive epilogue that will span a couple of chapters and perhaps some extra outtakes for things I still had lined up for this but didn't make it in yet. It'll be more of the cutesy fluff; like vampires trying to be parents, inane fairies, spaghetti adventures, Spike meeting his namesake, etc. where I don't feel guilty about a severe lack of actual storyline that's necessary to string it together because that's simply capturing a moment in their new lives. So the fixin's will continue, it's mostly terminology in the end but it allows me some creative breathing space, now if only my sore throat and sinuses could agree to offer me the same…
Special thanks to msbuffy for her super betaing skills again.
Speaking of which, there was a guest review last time (don't worry it was very complimentary) but this person pointed out that I had a small mistake by writing defence instead of defense. I simply wanted to address it since it looks bad on my beta if I don't. Though I am not British I do adhere to that standard for spelling and grammar and in turn so does msbuffy by my request. By UK spelling (and I think most Anglican spellings aside from the US one) defence is spelled with a c. It is the same word, just a different spelling.