Happy Halloween everyone! If you're in New England like I am, then you're snowed in right now. Say what? Snow in October, booooo! But, it's perfect for writing, so enjoy the latest installment. There's only three chapters left after this - GASP - so read it while it's hot. ;) Thank you all so much for the awesome reviews and critiques last time around. My heart grew three sizes that day.

As always, props to the fabulous C.H.!

Chapter Fifteen

"Repeat what you said one more time."

I looked across the kitchen table at my uncle Dermot and let out a long sigh. We'd been at it for almost half an hour. I absently stirred my now-cold hot cocoa and said, "I wished that Marcus was gone and that all of my friends around me were safe."

Dermot was leaning forward in his chair, like he was waiting for some sort of epiphany. (I was glad to see that they had been keeping up with the word of the day calendar.) When he got nothing from me yet again, he sat back and looked over his shoulder at Claude, who was leaning in the doorway behind us. Claude shrugged, having obviously become bored with the subject already.

"And you're sure that you weren't thinking of something else at the same time, like a specific place or person-"

"Or your Auntie Em?" Claude slipped in.

"Look you guys," I said before the two of them stared to snipe at each other again. "I told you, I didn't have time to think out what I was gonna say. I was on the spot, I wasn't even sure if I was gonna use to darn thing in the first place. I just said what felt right at that moment." I took a sip of my cocoa, and added in a lower voice, "You didn't exactly give me an instruction manual with it."

Dermot's face reddened a shade and he cleared his throat. He didn't say anything, because he'd already apologized twice. We just sat there, staring at the cluviel dor placed in the center of the table. Elsa was curled up next to it, casually sitting there like a faery sphinx. It was just a box now, a shiny little knick knack that would fit in on any shelf or mantle. The magic buzz was gone, but the creamy green container remained as a reminder of what it had held for so long.

"Look," Claude said, "You're here, so we know it worked. Maybe it just doesn't work the same way on vamps as it does on fae."

I was the only one that had popped up on the front porch so far. We'd searched the property for over an hour, then walked through the cemetery over to Bill's house. I felt nothing, but we searched anyway. I called Fangtasia, Eric and Pam's home numbers as well as their mobile phones. Nothing. I even called Alcide and told him to be on the look-out for some lost Swedish weres. Now, with all of our logical options gone, we were sitting and trying to make some sense out of what could've possibly happened to them.

"Adele was human," Dermot pointed out.

"But it was given to her by a fae, and who knows what sort of charms Fintan could've put on it."

I shook my head, frustrated. "No, that doesn't make sense. Why would Niall go out of his way to make sure I had it if it wasn't going to do the job?"

Neither one of them said a word, and that was enough to set my radar off. Dermot averted my gaze, while Claude inched his eyebrows up, like he was waiting for me to catch on. My mouth gaped open as I let the implications of this idea set in. "No way."

"No?" Claude asked.

"No, he wouldn't do that to me," I finally insisted.

"And why wouldn't he?"

"I - because - he just..." I pursed my lips together, feigning off the bitter taste of betrayal in my mouth.

"Because you know him so well?" he went on. "Because he's not capable of that sort of treachery?"

"Claude!" Dermot burst out of his chair and Elsa scampered out of the room with an annoyed mew. There was a fierceness in my uncle's eyes that I'd never seen before. "Don't say anything you wouldn't say to his face."

Something was up with Dermot. I had just traveled by the crazy faery express and then barfed all over my welcome mat - I was the one that should've been tense and moody. And since when had Claude ever deferred to Dermot's better judgment?

"Is he listening to us?" I asked incredulously.

"He's always listening," Claude grumbled, crossing his arms.

My forehead scrunched. "What?"

Again, silence from both of them.

"You've gotta be kidding me." I said. I was way too tired to show how pissed off I really was, but I didn't hide the irritation in my voice. "Anything else you've been hiding from me?"

"It's not like that." Dermot said, that scarlet color coming back to his cheeks.

"Yes it is." Claude said.

Dermot ignored him with a swat of his hand. "Sookie, he gave us no choice."

"I thought you were here because you had no choice. No, actually, I thought you were here because you wanted to be here," I cried.

"We do want to be here."

"To spy on me?"

"No, to protect you," he said with a sigh. His words sounded ridiculous and he knew it.

I felt my face burning with embarrassment. Again, I was the asshole. I was the naive child who'd put her trust in the wrong place. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself otherwise, I was just as lost as I'd always been. I pushed my mug away and stomped out of the kitchen.

It was Claude who followed me, surprisingly enough.

"Leave me alone," I snapped.

"Hey," he said, throwing his hands up defensively. "I'm the last one who cares about your personal life, you know that."

I turned around and put my hands on my hips. I did know that.

"Dermot is a wank, but he's telling the truth," he went on. "Niall came to us after we moved in. Saying no to him would've been a death sentence. It was either keep tabs on you, or return to Faery and deal with the consequences."

I just stood there, doing some quick thinking. I knew a little something about the fae brand of punishment, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, even Marcus. Well, maybe Marcus. I also tried to mentally tally up everything I'd done since they'd moved in with me, but there honestly wasn't much to be concerned about. Claude seemed to read my mind.

"He hasn't been all that impressed with us."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You lied to him?"

"No, you're boring."

I smiled a bit, I couldn't help it. Claude had never made a habit of being nice to me, especially after what happened to his sisters. And while this was hardly a heart-warming scene, it was better than nothing.

"This past week has been more exciting than the whole past year," he said.

I scoffed. "Yeah, for me too."

And I realized that being mad at either one of them was useless. The one I was really mad at was my great-grandfather.

"Let's call him," I said suddenly.

"No thanks," Claude said quickly, and Dermot leaped into the room from the kitchen.

"Come on, if he can hear us, then let's see him pop his royal ass right here into the living room."

"Sookie, there are far worse things than serving Niall, trust me when I say this," Dermot said, his voice full of desperation.

"I don't serve anyone," I barked. I stared at my uncle until he finally took a step away from me. "Are you afraid of your own father?"

A flash of anger darkened his face, something I'd never seen on Dermot before. "I know his wraith better than anyone."

"Then you should know exactly why I need to see him. I'm mad as hell and I want answers. Niall!" I called out to the walls, the ceiling. "I know you're listening. Niall! Niall!"

"Here we go," Claude sighed, flopping himself onto the nearest armchair. Dermot just shook his head and sunk onto the landing of the stairway.

"Niall!" I called out again after a minute of silence. Another minute went by and I groaned out loud, hanging my head between my shoulders. "Come on."

Then we felt it. The air vibrated all around us, or maybe it was inside of our bodies that moved. Claude and Dermot both got up without a word and stood on either side of me. They were protecting me, I realized. They knew what was coming - I, on the other hand, was only just beginning to regret what I'd done. We turned to face the front door and watched it gently swing open of its own accord.

There stood Niall, my great-grandfather. He was dressed in flowing blue robes that shimmered in the breeze, cinched around his waist with a long sash. On his feet were a pair of pointy slippers embroidered with silver. His long white hair was hanging loose over his shoulders and down his back. It was the first time I'd ever seen him in his faery regalia - he usually had on a suit and tie. At that moment, he looked more like Professor Dumbledore. Prince of the air faeries, hundreds of years old, and looking a might pissed off.

"Dermot, Claude." He barely laid eyes on them.

They both bowed their heads and replied in unison, "Sir."

Then he looked in my direction, and I understood how much restraint he was using. There was anger in his eyes that make me swallow hard. Still, he spared a smile. "Child, you wish to speak with me?"

I nodded, fighting the urge to curtsey. "Yes, thank you."

"Shall we step outside?" he asked, gesturing toward the door.

"Ah, okay." I followed him outside, glancing back at Dermot and Claude. They both let out a long sigh of relief as the door closed and I saw them run up the stairs through the lace curtain.

Niall was standing at the far end of the porch, overlooking the area where I had so often gardened with Gran and played football with Jason as a child. We stood next to each other for a quiet minute. The fireflies were flickering around and the air smelled of night-blooming jasmine.

"They're afraid of you, you know," I said.

"They respect me, granddaughter," he corrected. "I am their ruler."

"They're your family. And maybe it's hard for you to tell the difference," I said, my words softly spoken yet heavy with intent.

"Perhaps. Do you fear me?"

"No," I replied honestly. "Even though you're upset with me right now. But I know perfectly well what you're capable of."

He seemed okay with this answer. He nodded and just stood there, like he was waiting for the inevitable onslaught of questioning to begin.

"Where's Eric?"

"He's safe."

"That isn't what I asked."

He looked down his long, aquiline nose at me and seemed to consider my words. True, I was being very sassy with him, and true, he was technically my oldest living relative. However, I was not being purposely disrespectful and I think he knew that. I was a woman on a mission, and prince or not, he was in my way.

"He is with his companions."

"In Faery?"

"No," he replied. "Someplace in between. They are paused in time."

"Well, are they alright?" I cried.

"They are aware of each other, but not their surroundings."

I sighed, chewing on my bottom lip. I tried to imagine what sorts of crazy conversations they'd all be having, floating around in a bubble somewhere. Bill and Pam were arguing, no doubt about that. Sorren was planning a daring escape. And Eric would be talking to Freyja. My heart broke a little bit for him as I thought of the strangled words they were probably sharing.

"I've given them a gift, in a way," he said, and I wondered if he could read my thoughts as I could read others. "Time has no meaning in the dimension they're in. They are sharing a thousand years of stories and experience."

"That wasn't their choice," I reminded him. "They might not even like each other."

"You didn't exactly give them a choice either," he said with a slight smirk.

"Well, all the same, " I murmured. Changing the subject, I asked, "What about Marcus?"

"Paused as well," he replied. "He will be coming after you, soon."

A chill ran down my spine. "I know."

"I cannot change his purpose, Sookie." he said and his voice was resolute. "Marcus is a very powerful vampire. He has friends that I do not wish to make enemies of, not now."

I looked at him like he was speaking Spanish. "Then why did you mess with my wish?"

"I wanted to give you a chance to reconsider your options."

I blinked. "My options?"

He nodded.

"You had no right!" I burst out, and for the first time, I seemed to have surprised him. "It was my wish, Gran gave it to me."

"Your grandmother did not understand the implications -"

"She understood that Fintan loved her and she loved me. That's it, end of subject." Crossing my arms, I added, "Adele Stackhouse was no fool. She knew perfectly well what she was doing when she gave it to me."

He turned away from me, adjusting his robes and clearing his throat. I was mad, but seeing him even the slightest bit upset made me feel totally guilty, just like when I used to argue with Gran. I put my hand on his arm and I instantly felt his love for me jolt through my body. He patted my hand, like a real granddaddy would've, and I let out a long sigh.

"Niall," I said, "I have always appreciated everything you've done for me, and how you've protected me over the years. Like it or not, you're some of the only family I've got left and I want you to be part of my life. But you've gotta let me make my own decisions, bad or good."

He shook his head and looked a bit sad. "You have so much potential inside of you, yet you're ashamed of your power. These other creatures continue to take advantage of it."

"I'm not ashamed, not anymore. I've seen the good I can do," I said, and I thought of how I'd healed Greta, and of the auras that had floated before my eyes. Dermot had helped me harness my power though. I wouldn't have been able to it on my own. "But you're right, I can feel it inside of me. I just don't know what to do with it."

"It seems then that you need a teacher."

"It would seem so." Was he offering?

"It's unfortunate that Claudine isn't here to guide you any longer."

My shoulders dropped. "Yes, it is."

For one second, I'd felt a huge surge of hope, like a sixteen year old looking out in the driveway on her birthday. It was stupid to even think that he'd do it himself. He was a prince, he had a war and all his prince stuff to deal with. I knew that from the beginning with him. He wasn't the type of great-grandfather you'd go visit after church and do the crossword section with. Yet just being with him made me crave that sort of interaction, for the same reason I couldn't stay mad at Claude and Dermot. Yes, there was a little faery mojo happening, but it had more to do with just wanting to be part of something, to belong with someone.

"I suppose I could teach you, on occasion, when it is safe for me to do so."

I smiled like Pollyanna. "Really?"

He turned to me, quickly adding, "I have no way of knowing when I'd be able to come, Dermot will have to make do in my stead."

"Oh, yes, of course. Thank you so much." I hugged him tightly, getting wrapped up in the silken softness of his robes and the smell of a crisp winter breeze. And he hugged me back. He put his arms around me and stroked my hair and I felt like I was being hugged by Santa Claus. But the moment ended quickly. He stepped back, smoothing his robes out and tugging a bit on his sash.

"Now, about the vampire."

"I love him."

He quickly smiled, acknowledging it like he knew it was nothing he could help. "I know. He is a good man, but a vampire none the less. There will be consequences as long as you chose to keep him in your life."

"I know that, trust me. Now, can you put my wish back?"

He became frustrated. "Yes, but Sookie, I want you think about something first. Think about the women in your family. They made noble choices for love, but in the end, they all met their deaths just the same."

So I thought about it. I thought of my mother, my cousin Hadley, and Claudine. Most especially, of Gran. Then I thought about Eric, and just how much I was willing to do for him. I smiled and replied, "There's no other way I'd rather give up my own life than for someone I love."

He hesitated for a moment and closed his eyes. Letting out a long sigh, he said, "Very well, the wish is restored."

"Thank you."

"There's nothing to thank me for," he said. "You were right, it was your wish all along. Even as Fintan gifted it to Adele, it was always to be yours."

Well, that was something to think about.

"No," I said after a beat. "I mean, thank you for being concerned about me."

He nodded, and gave me another one of his tiny smiles. "Of course."

Faery sharing time was clearly over.

"I'll be seeing you soon then?" I said, more as a question than anything else.

"Soon enough, granddaughter. Some self-defense lessons may be in order."

I chuckled, thinking of my last experience with that sort of lesson. Before I could explain, he vanished before my eyes. I saw a glimpse of him as he looked over his shoulder from the edge of the side yard. Another pop and he was gone, headed to the portal hidden in the woods.

Pop...pop.

"Sookie."

I heard the voice, and every other sound around me stopped. Silence, except for the thump of my heart beating inside my ears. I looked down. Eric was standing at the bottom of the porch steps.

I really can't list all of the things I felt exactly at that moment.

I jumped into his arms and he caught me like I'd thrown him a sweater. His body didn't waiver, his chest was solid and arms felt like vices around my back. "You're healed," I whispered, my face buried against his neck.

"Niall helped," he breathed into my ear.

I looked up and tears fell onto my cheeks. I held his beautiful face between my hands and erupted with giddy laughter. I was amazed as I looked into his eyes and felt like my life had been returned to me. "My God, Eric."

My mind raced, and I was dizzy with emotion. Oh, my God, you almost died. I almost died again too. My God, you built me a house. You have a daughter. Oh, my dear God... I loved this man so much that I was willing to stop time and change reality. I could've changed everyone's lives forever, and I did it without any remorse at all.

But there was no time to think, not when my heart pounded and I wanted to just feel him next to me. His lips crashed onto mine and I moaned against his mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged my legs against his sides, clinging to him and feeling his muscles flex against my skin.

"Jag älskar dig," he muttered between biting my lip and hungrily kissing my neck.

"I love you too." My hands laced into his hair. It was still shortened and it felt foreign in between my fingers. I could freely touch the delicate skin behind his ears, softly rubbing it with my thumbs. He leaned his head back and sighed those words I'd been waiting to hear. My lover...

I heard a noise behind us, a rock on the driveway. Startled, I flicked my head up and saw Freyja standing there with a disinterested gaze painted all over her face.

"Eric," I hissed, slinking down his frame and planting my feet on a wooden step. Had she been standing there the whole time? Ewww.

"It's fine," he assured me. "Freyja and I have had some time to talk." He leaned over and said in a softer tone, "We'll discuss what you did later."

What I did? Boy, did he have a way of changing the mood real quick.

Freyja was staring at me, and she wasn't smiling. There was something about the way she was looking at me that made me feel instantly defensive. Oh, and plus the fact that she was seriously creeping me out. She was beautiful, but in an unnatural way. She was a thousand year old woman staring out at me through the eyes of a child. She faintly glowed in the moonlight and her mind was a dark void to me.

"You mean when I saved your ass?" I asked, my voice suddenly flat.

Freyja scoffed. "Get over yourself. We've got bigger problems to deal with."

I glared at her like I was ten, and snapped, "I know Marcus is coming, Niall told me."

"Yeah, well he won't be alone."

I slowly looked to Eric. Concern was etched on his features and he softly gripped my arms, as if he was bracing me for a blow.

"Jesus, Eric. Just spill it."

He hesitated for a long moment, before he said, "Marcus is Victor's maker."

My mouth fell open. I stared at him as my brain tried to wrap around that sentence. Flashes of the past few years burst into my mind - Victor attacking me on my own front porch, his vampire henchmen trying to kill Pam and I, Eric having to kiss major political ass. I felt an anger course through me that, up until that second, had been reserved only for the most despicable people in my life. The man that killed my Gran. The faeries that tortured me. Now, Victor Madden and his goddamned maker.

"I'll kill them both," I snarled, squeezing my hands into fists.

Eric nodded, and a wily smile curled up on one side of his mouth. "Get in line."

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