Hi! So, a couple of you mentioned that Sookie did not even asked Eric how he was (after the war) in the last chapter, but she just kept wondering about Bill. And you are right! But, believe me, that was not Sookie's fault. It was my own. I totally forgot about that detail! My bad! I can only (perhaps) explain it as… "sookie was still in shock"? Is this a somewhat good enough reason for you? Well, I hope it is! Anyway, here's chapter 14. I hope you enjoy this and tell me your thoughts about it! Hugs and kisses, Célia

Sookie "Last Man Standing"

As soon as Claudine said Eric was coming I froze between feelings. For once, I was incredibly happy that he still worried enough about me to fight for me and that I was going to see him again. But then there was also shame because I had left him the way I did and I was now married to someone else. And finally, I feared: I feared that he might kill me because I was carrying another man's child; I feared that he would ignore me and don't care about me at all; I feared that I'd fall for him again in just one second and kiss him and leave this place with him without a second thought. All these scenarios I thought were possible. And I feared them all.

But what happened was something different. Completely different. He just… Well, he just got in and reacted as if the last five years hadn't happened. At all.

Firstly, he wanted to see my injuries, and I let him. And then he offered me his blood to heal me (just as he had done before, in Jackson) but didn't react when I said no (he accepted that I didn't want his blood – he didn't insist or got mad or angry) and finally, he proceeded to tell me about the war. So, you see, Eric really reacted as if the last five years hadn't happened… The "missing strangeness" was so strange.

And as unbelievable as it may be, there was only one (one!) awkward moment. It was when he said that I was still his wife. But even that hot topic didn't create a big commotion between us, because as soon as I tried to tell him about David, he just said that we'd talk later. No anger, no screams, no reaction. "Who are you and what have you done to Eric?" I wanted to ask. But I did nothing of the sort. I just stayed there, lying in the bed while he looked at me and talked to me. And then he received a phone call and told me that the war hadn't finished yet. I got anxious about it, but he just said that he'd take care of everything (meaning "I'm gonna kill them all"). Suddenly, someone opened my bedroom's door, and for a few moments, I got a glance of Pam, Clancy, Dahlia and Bill (all with clothes stained of blood, just as Eric's) and then I was left in my room with Claudine again.

We were just staring at each other when Claudine moved next to me and grabbed my hand. "Do you think Breandan will win?" I asked her now that the vamps had left and she had closed the door to my room.

"No. Niall's on his way. And according to what I heard when you guys were talking, your Viking here is a freaking force of the nature. All our associates are really impressed with him and glad he's on our side."

And I almost smiled because I couldn't help but feel pride for him. I knew how important being regarded as a good and courageous warrior was to Eric. "I know. He's an incredible man. I mean… vampire."

Claudine looked at me with curious eyes and then she asked: "You still love him?"

I didn't even need to think about it. I answered her immediately: "Of course. I will never stop loving him. But it's like you said: he's a force of nature. And he's so intense that I couldn't keep up with him. I wanted, I still want, a calm and simple life. The white picket fence kind of life. And Eric is everything but calm and simple."

I was expecting a reply to my words, but Claudine just stayed there, in silence. And as soon as I realized that our conversation was (for now) over, I just started praying for Eric and his allies.

"Everything will be all right." Claudine said minutes later, trying to calm me down. I nodded and continued praying for a while.

But then we heard a loud noise and it was followed by many others: doors splintering, fairies screaming, swords clanging, vampires growling… As far as I could tell, a war was really happening out there. And by "out there", I meant beyond my door. And it probably happened quicker; but for me, it looked like ages. Then, all of a sudden, as quickly as it had begun, everything went still and silent in a moment. And then my door opened.

Niall filled the doorway of the room, and my eyes hurt to see him. He wasn't wearing the black suit he wore when he met me in the human world but a sort of long tunic and loose pants tucked into boots. Everything about him was white, and he shone… except for where he was splashed with blood.

The long silence continued. There was no on left to kill.

I tried to slide to the floor but I couldn't. The best I did was to sit a little in my bed – my whole body as weak as jell-o. Besides, I was too shocked to weep and too tired to say anything. But Niall wasn't. Turning away from my door (in his soldiers' direction, I guess), he said: "We've finally killed our enemies. Breandan is in the Summerlands now. All those who followed him here are dead as well. The few others that run will be captured in no time. We will spare the females who accept our leadership but kill everyone else. We did well today and the Brigant clan will continue to rule." And then his already high voice got even higher and he screamed: "The war is over."

I heard cheers and clapping and Niall stopped for a while. When the cheering sounds quieted, he continued his speech: "Breandan wanted to block the passage between the human world and our world. He believed that the Fae needed to be protected from the humans. But I say: no! I say that fairies should mate with other fairies, yes. And I do understand that that's the proper way. But when there is love," – and then he said it again, with a louder voice – "when there is love, Fairies should go with their heart's desire. And the proof lies here, in this bedroom, in my great granddaughter, who lives to carry on my essential spark."

Another pause for applause. "Can you deny ? Can anyone deny? A girl, a young human girl just 1/8th fairy, I say again, just 1/8th fairy," – his arm pointing towards my door – "and she carries the essential spark. And it's exactly like mine. There are full fairies without the essential spark and then this small human has it and even more. Even my children don't have it. Their sparks are powerful and strong, but they're not like mine. They are close, but they are not like mine. There's more: my great granddaughter has even other gifts besides the fairy ones. She's the proof that those who chose to live among the humans have that right. The passages will stay open as long as the Brigant clan still rules."

More clapping. More cheering. When the audience calmed again, Niall continued. "As I said, we did well today. And now we all deserve to go to our houses to get clean and rest. Tomorrow we will bury and mourn our dead. And then we will keep living. Now, go to your homes, your families, you've deserved that!"

I could hear more clapping and then the unmistakable sound of 20 or 30 people leaving a room in high spirits. A few minutes later everything was much calmer and quieter again and I found myself with Niall, Claudine and Pam in my room.

"How are you child?" Niall asked me.

"I'm okay and I'll recover, I guess. Thanks."

"I'm sorry that all this happened and that you had to suffer. I should have protected you but I didn't realize Breandan would act this way."

"I understand you did your best." I answered. And I did understand that. I was incredibly sad and angered that I had been treated as a puppet but I knew it was not Niall's fault. "And how are you?"

"I am all right child. And I've also checked with Ludwig and I was told your husband is fine as well. He'll recover quickly," my great grandfather replied.

"Thank you." But I knew that already. Now I wanted to know about all the others, those who had been in this second part of the war so I looked at Pam, whose clothes were even bloodier than before, and then I asked her: "And how are you? And Bill? And the others?" She knew what I meant. "The others" included Clancy and Dahlia, for sure, but "the others" included Eric as well, obviously.

"Bill's still sick. Dahlia's okay and took him home. Clancy was hurt but he'll recover easily. Eric left as well. He told me to say that he'll visit you soon and ordered me to offer you my blood. It's an easy order to carry though. I don't mind a bit. Will you have my blood Sookie?"

I was touched. Firstly, because I knew Pam wasn't one to give her blood. And here she was, offering it to me. And secondly, there was Eric's attitude. He probably thought that I hadn't drunk before because it was him offering. And so he left without saying a word (after fighting for me) but not before he made sure I had vampire blood available to me so I could heal better.

I felt my heart shrink a little and then said: "Thanks Pam but I'm not sure if I should."

"If you drink just once Sookie there will not be a blood bond. And I'm not drinking from you so… It's not like before…" Meaning: it won't happen anything like what happened with Eric.

"I know that Pam, and I thank you. It's just that… there are other things to consider now."

"It won't hurt the child," I heard Dr Ludwig's voice; I hadn't even noticed that she was here again; "it might even help."

"Child? What child?" Pam asked. But voice and eyes showed that she understood who this child was; she was only hoping to be wrong.

"Child?" Niall asked as well. "You're with child?" He asked looking at me. "Did you know?" He then asked Claudine.

"I just found out myself. Sookie's baby looks fine, right Dr Ludwig?"

"Yes, everything is alright." The little doctor answered.

"I am extremely happy. You've made me extremely happy my child. Thank you." Niall kissed my forehead and gave me a quick hug. His touch was powerful. He was power itself. I felt immediately better because he was that close to me. I wondered if it was his essential spark. The one that I, supposedly, had just like him. I wanted to ask him about it. I wanted to know what it meant, but I just didn't have it in me. I was so tired that I wasn't even curious about it. I just thought that I should be inquisitive about it – you know, because it concerned me. But even thought I was feeling slightly better because Niall was so close, I was still too injured and damaged. Both physically and mentally.

Pam and Claudine both sat on the room's sofa (for seconds, I wondered how Pam was resisting to Claudine's smell, but, again, I just wasn't strong enough to care). Dr Ludwig stayed next to the door. And Niall just stayed close to me. And just like that, half an hour passed in silence.

Suddenly, Niall left my bed, he licked his lips and he told me. "Sookie, like I said, I am extremely happy and proud of you. You resisted like a Brigant to your ordeal, and you are now doing your duty and becoming a mother. I'm really very joyful and pleased. Alas, I must go now. There's still much to do. Claudine, please stay with Sookie until she's reunited with her husband. I'm leaving now." He kissed my forehead again and with that he popped away.

And in that same moment, Pam looked at Claudine as if she was a great cupcake. It was evident how hard Pam was trying to not attack my cousin. Claudine immediately got up and said: "I'll just shower and change Sookie. Back in 15 minutes." And then I noticed something: Claudine hadn't yet had the opportunity to change her soiled clothes (but not as stained in blood as Pam's of course), and she obviously wanted to do that.

"Sure Claudine. Thank you." I said and she left.

Pam kept staring at me and repeated her question from before: "Child?"

I didn't answer her but instead said: "How did you stand before? Being next to Claudine in the sofa?"

"Niall was masking his smell. She's his kin, so Claudine's smell was masked too. When he left, she was unprotected." Pam paused for a second and then she repeated her previous word: "Child?"

I thought that she deserved to know (after all, she had fought for me) and so I nodded.

"It is the were's?"

"Obviously Pam. He's my husband." Who did she think could be the father of my child? I was about to ask her that when she asked me another question.

"Does Eric know?"

"I can't see how. I didn't tell him."

Pam just looked at me for a few moments and then she asked: "Want my blood now that the midget doctor said it is okay?"

If anyone knew how strong and a great-healer vampire blood was, it was me. In my second contact with a vampire, I had been attacked by a couple of Trailer Trash, and Bill saved my life with his blood. Yes, I did know how a vampire's blood would help me recover. And if Dr Ludwig said that it might even help my child, then I'd drink it. If the baby's well-being was in the stand, then I wouldn't care.

"Please Pam. Thank you."

She then proceeded to move to my bed and laid down next to me. Pam bit her wrist and put it in front of my mouth. "Here," she said, as if there was no more to talk about. She slid her free arm under my neck to raise my head and I opened my mouth and swallowed. When her wrist healed, she stroked my face gently and said "You know I must tell him." It wasn't a question. It was a fact.

"Yes."

"He'll freak. He'll absolutely freak."

So? What did you think about this chapter? As I said before, I'm changing a little bit the whole "Reason for the Fae War". I really hope I'm not offending anyone with these little changes. If so, I'm sorry! And what about another Pam's POV? Would you like to see all that is happening trough her eyes?

"Last Man Standing" is the 7th song from Jon Bon Jovi's Album "Have a Nice Day".