A/N: I'm sorry this post is a little late but this chapter came out kicking and screaming. I just got it back from my Beta so...here ya go! See ya below. OH! BTW, make sure you recheck chapter 16 to see if you read it cause I reloaded the real chapter last FRIDAY! The one I posted on Halloween is now an OUTTAKE! Sorry for the confusion.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or anything else here. I'm writing purely for shits and giggle purposes. Please don't sue.
One last thing, big shout out too my totally awesome Beta, slcurwin, for putting up with me. She laughs at all the right places and makes me feel so smart. Thanks!
Chapter 17
Sweetie Des Arts was a woman on a mission. She had been methodically making her way across the south for the past three years, exacting her revenge on the fiends that had turned her into a monster. She'd been working in bars and other temporary positions and using her newly gained senses to sniff out her targets. She had struck the preverbal jackpot when she had taken the position as cook at the bar she was currently shooting up. The place absolutely reeked of werewolves to the point that she couldn't discern between the human patrons and the monsters she hunted. She had been in the area for a few weeks just observing and biding her time, she's decided to finally end what she saw as an outright infestation.
When she arrived at the bar, she positioned herself just inside the tree line across the street from the front entrance. She pulled out her weapons and began checking each one to make sure nothing would jam while she was dispensing her brand of justice. After setting up her area she made a quick trip around to the back of the building and barred the employee entrance. To ensure that no one would be getting out of this door alive, she aimed one of her guns at the door and connected it to a motion detector. A handy little trick she'd picked up from some of her less than savory contacts during the years. If anyone managed to get this door open this was her insurance they wouldn't get very far. She had learned the hard way how fast and strong these creatures were.
As she made her way back towards the front of the building she took out the small compact that she always carried with her, too check her make-up. It was a habit, more like a vain obsession, that harkened back to her days as a stripper. Of course this was long before her accident and she'd been cursed to this half life. Her bitterness toward the two-natured was in large part due to the blame she laid on them for ending her career and youthful good looks. At least this was how she saw it; she was in blissful denial about the fact that she hadn't been a fresh young beauty in many years before her accident.
She settled in one of her chosen spots, she'd planned to use several during her assault to get all angles of the building. She wanted to make sure no one in that building survived. Her plan was to fire all out at the building after she triggered the switch that would kill the lights. With her improved sight she could see much better in the dark and figured it as an advantage to use over those inside. She knew not all the patrons would be the creatures she sought but as far as she was concerned they were all guilty by association. She knew that in the chaos of the dark the humans would get in the others way and she could pick them off one at a time as they moved about inside. That logic might make others say 'what the fuck', but it made perfect since to Sweetie's deranged mind. This was why she waited until dark fully settled. At this time of year it was right in the middle of the dinner rush and the bar was packed. She watched as the pathetic morons Bon Temps had the gall to call cops all gathered inside to eat. Perfect, no one to call for help.
Half an hour after dark, dinner was still in full swing and Sweetie made her move. First, she blew the charge she'd set on the fuse box, effectively cutting off the power. Second, she fired her first volley at the front windows and watched with glee as they shattered when her bullets pierced the panes sending shrapnel flying everywhere. Bodies hit the ground, screams tore through the air, and Sweetie couldn't help but smile. Third, she waited as the chaos inside grew to a fevered pitch, as she picked off those few that stumbled out of the building in search of help.
She moved to another of her chosen spots, in order to gain a better view of the main dining area in the front. She saw the large black man that owned the joint reaching for the phone on the wall and put a bullet in his shoulder. She knew he was a shifter, most likely a bear. She scanned the room and saw another tall shifter of some sort, but she hadn't smelled his kind before. He was using his large frame to guard two small children. She fired off a few rounds but only managed to hit the wall or table they were hiding behind. No matter which position she took to get a better shot they seemed to anticipate every move she made. She began to get sloppy in her frustrated rage to kill those slippery little brats and completely missed the two small foxes as they slipped out the front door and around to the back. She didn't miss the sound of the motion controlled gun as it fired off a round before it was mysteriously silenced. "Fuck! You little shits are going to pay for that!"
While Sweetie fruitlessly continued to fire round after round at what she thought were the children, she heard giggling coming from the side area near the pool table. Another giggle erupted from the opposite end of the bar near the kitchen. She suddenly noticed the bar was mostly empty, only the most severely wounded or dead were left. Those little trolls had completely distracted her while the other patrons managed to escape out the back door. This wasn't going at all how she planned. After debating the pros and cons with herself she decided to move in a little closer. She grabbed her rifle and made her way across the street to the parking lot.
Eric chose that moment to land silently behind the bitten-were. He had been observing the scene from above for several minutes. He watched as the two foxes made their way to the back door and shifted to remove the barrier blocking the exit. When the motion detector set off the gun aimed at the door he managed to zip in and crush the weapon before it did any permanent damage, just grazing one of the shifter's, a young woman, no more than 18, in the leg. The other one, Bull, cleared the door and began quietly empty the packed back hallway. It had been the only area in the building without windows and was the most secure location. Eric quietly asked where the children were, and though he was not pleased with the answer, he was also not surprised.
Sarah was as stubborn as the elder Stackhouse women but twice as deviously cleaver. She and Hunter decided to play a very advanced game of hide and seek. With Sarah's ability to cloak herself and anyone else she shared a blood connection with (her powers and control of them had advanced over the years) they moved easily around the destroyed bar checking on the wounded patrons and causing just enough noise at the right time and place to draw the fire away from those who couldn't move. The moment they 'felt' Eric approach they alerted Bull so they could get the others out.
Sweetie had gotten close enough to the building that she could clearly see one of the wounded cops huddled behind an overturned table. She thought she'd be gracious and put them out of their misery. As she raised her rifle to shoot, she felt a sudden breeze behind her and heard a roared curse followed by a metallic sounding crunch. Eric had used is extra speed to zip forward with the intention of snapping the bitch's neck and be done with the melodrama. Instead he bounced off an invisible field of some sort that reeked of witchcraft and fell onto one of the parked cars in the full lot.
Sweetie whipped around and fired the rifle without a second thought as to who she was shooting as. Luckily for Eric, she'd not come prepared for vampires, and when she realized the enraged blonde blur she was shooting at was one, she peed her pants in her fear. That did not keep her from retreating behind one of the police cars in the lot and continue her attempts at shooting the people inside the bar in between shots at Eric.
"Surrender, Bitch, and I will make your death quick." Eric roared.
"That's hardly a convincing motivation. I have no plans to die tonight or any time soon, blood-sucker. I have no quarrel with you and I was under the impression that vampires don't concern themselves with the business of shifters. Why are you even here?"
"Normally you would be correct, but we are very protective of that which we consider ours, and these people are MINE!" Eric was becoming increasingly agitated because his second attempt at accosting the bitten-were, in snatching the gun from her this time, had the same result as before. In his frustration he used his Makers call to summon Pam. He needed back up. "Why the fuck can I not kill you!"
Sweetie chuckled when she realized the charm she'd gotten from that were-witch a few months before in exchange for not killing her and her coven was actually paying off. Her chuckle turned into a satisfied smirk when she pulled the half moon charm from under her shirt and waved it at the livid Viking. "I call this insurance. Now I have a score to settle with the beasts inside this fine establishment. If you leave me to it I'll let the humans inside go, call it a good will jester." Despite her bravado appearance, her hand was now slightly trembling as she faced a very scary Eric.
It was a credit to his fear factor that she'd foolishly given up her source of protection and its location. It was Eric's turn to smirk, after her 'jester', this one was not gifted with intelligence, as evidence of their current situation. "As I said, these people are Mine, they are under my protection. You are in my Area, and as Sheriff here I have every right to hold you responsible for your actions. Now surrender or else your death will be long and very painful." Eric wasn't even aware of the focus he was now giving that amulet. If he could just get it away from her…out of the corner of his eye he could see that Pam had arrived and had taken a position behind the shooter. He could feel something inside him shift. It was an odd sensation but he suddenly knew what he could do.
"That's ridiculous! You can't have a claim to all those people." An idea suddenly dawned on her. "Perhaps it's not all of them; perhaps it's just a few or one maybe. Did your pet get mixed up with a bunch of dirty shifters? Oh Pet!" She exclaimed loudly, "Come out so your Master can take you and leave!" She did not expect it when Sarah pushed open the ruined front door and stepped outside.
"You weave my Pappa awone! You a bad person! Shootin' aw those peopa just because one person huwrt you. It not eveybodies faut. Now go away or you be vewy sowwy!"
Sweetie snorted out a laugh, "You didn't mention you adopted Elmer Fudd. Who in their right mind would allow a murdering leach like you anywhere near a child? Even if she 'can't tawk wite', what's wrong with her? She stupid?" she mocked, as tears built up in Sarah's eyes.
"Dat's a mean word. I am not stupid! But you F-U-G-L-Y! That means Fat and Ugwy! I can get smawta but you aways be Fugwy!" Sarah knew she'd get in trouble for calling someone names but the mean old lady started it. Sarah was far from stupid. While she was distracting the crazy woman with the gun, she kept Hunter concealed as he snuck out of the bar, back behind Sweetie as he carefully wrapped an apron around her feet and then ran to his Pappa. Of course Eric couldn't see him but he knew who it was the moment Hunter's little arms wrapped around his leg. Sarah ignored the gun pointed at her and ran for him too and stuck her tongue out at Sweetie the way only a child can.
"Why you nasty little brat!" Sweetie screeched as she aimed the gun at Sarah. "It's time to teach you some manners!"
As she fired the gun several things happened simultaneously. The most significant, when Eric roared his anger and the bullet fired straight towards Sarah, the projectile actually slowed and froze in mid air for an entire second before suddenly flipping its point back in the direction it came and propelling itself right for the bitten ex-stripper. In her shock, she didn't notice her amulet rise slowly off her chest until she lunged to the left to avoid the slug now coming for her. Of course, since her feet were tangled in an old apron, she fell. The chain and attached pendant snapped off her neck and flew straight into Eric's out stretched hand. The entire incident took less than ten seconds but when all had calmed, Pam had grabbed the bitch and was forcing her face into the dirt as she dug the heel of her black-leather, thigh high boot into her spine between her shoulder blades as she used the strap from the rifle to tie her hands. Pam, being ever thorough in her tasks, broke both of the bitten-were's arms to ensure she wouldn't be getting out of her bindings any time soon. Noticing Eric's preoccupation, he was staring at the pendant in his hand, she secured a gag in the bitch's mouth and held her in the back of the Bon Temps Police cruiser then went in search of survivors in the bullet ridden bar.
Eric was shocked at this new development in his abilities, but more than that he was scared. He knew without a shadow of doubt that if Appius ever learned of them, things would go from bad to completely fucked in the blink of a vampire's eye. It was common knowledge that Appius Livius Ocella was, at the core, a spoiled five year old reveling in the power he had inside the body of an ancient vampire. When he discovered Eric's ability to fly, he'd been livid and punished Eric severely. He was incensed that his childe had an ability that he did not posses and he became even more covetous of his progeny. In fact, Eric knew Appius would have eventually gone mad and ended him if he had not released him. Actually, he'd been ordered to release Eric and not to contact him or search for him for five hundred years. Eric had been surprised when after that time had elapsed he'd only been visited once by his Maker and that had been shortly after he made Pam. Appius had not been pleased when he found Eric had become a Maker (and on his first attempt just to rub salt in the wound) but with the exception of a disapproving glare at Pam (Appius had a low opinion of women) he'd done nothing to either of them.
Of course this meeting had prompted Eric's journey to America in order to put as much distance as possible between his Maker, in St. Petersburg, and Pam. Eric wasn't too fond of the close proximity either but he knew Appius wouldn't enslave him again. He could not. A Maker's command was final and despite Appius's age, his still existed. It was to this ancient immortal that Eric owed a debt to, not just for his freedom but for the friendship that had been a result.
The only thing that was asked of Eric as payment had been a riddle to Eric until recently. 'There will come a time when I will ask you to give to me one in which you consider thine. If this gift is given freely then all debt will be clear and peace shall be for all, if not…a fate worse than death will lie in the future.' As is the way with most prophecies, it became forgotten over time, until Eric met Sookie, and the letter he'd gotten from the daemon lawyer had reminded him. Surely he wouldn't be asked to give up Sookie, his mate, the cure to his terminal ennui. So if not her, who? One of the children, the child she was currently carrying? Could he allow this or would he be forced to betray his honor and vow of recompense for his freedom? He needed to speak to Sookie. Perhaps she had some ideas on this new development. She always surprised him with her unique take on things.
He was roused from his shocked stupor when Hunter began tugging his pant leg and whimpering, "I wan Mama."
Eric bent down and quickly scooped both Hunter and Sarah up with his strong left arm. "You and your sister were very brave warriors today. You have made me very proud."
"I not bave Pappa, I was sared. She was mean an' she hurt Lala! I wan Mamma." Hunter sniffled. For once he was taking the lead in the conversation instead of Sarah.
Eric Shook his head no and said softly to both frightened children, "Bravery is not the absence of fear. Bravery is being scared and acting anyway. Sarah it was very brave of you to come outside and face her while still hiding your brother. Did you think of that?" When she shyly nodded her head in affirmation, Eric grinned. "Then you have the mind of a strategist, a person who plans the assault. Think first, plan well, then attack. You distracted her so Hunter could….."
Hunter piped up then, "I 'booby-tapped' her!"
Eric chuckled, "You did well min son, and you listened to your sister and did just what she said?" As Hunter began resembling a bobble head, "This is also a sign of a good warrior, someone who can follow direction well and complete his task efficiently."
"Am I in twoble fo' cawin hewa a… bad name?" Sarah asked Eric quietly.
"Am I correct in assuming you heard that term from Lafayette?" When Sarah confirmed his assumption, he said "No min dotter," he kissed her forehead in reassurance, "anyone who attacks what's ours can be called anything you want." When her eyes when wide, Eric added, "Just not in front of your mother and we won't mention this little slip to her either." He winked conspiratorially, "Deal?"
Both children parroted, "Deal!"
"Excellent, let's go find Bull and Lafayette."
Ten minutes later, Ludwig's car pulled up in the busy lot and Sookie jumped out in search of her family. When she saw Eric holding both children securely in his arms, talking to a half dressed Bull, she sobbed in relief. The moment the children spotted her, they began pointing and calling for her, directing Eric's attention her way. Eric began moving towards Sookie, the children still clinging to him. Sookie practically threw herself at the three the moment they were in reach, completely ignoring the slight sting from her reddened skin. Eric's blood had done its job but she was still healing.
"Oh God! ThankYou!Youfoundthem,you savedthem!Didyoukillthepeopleresponsib le?Whowere they?WasittheFOTS?" Sookie was talking so fast she sounded like Cataliades niece, Diantha.
"Shhhh, my Lover. Yes, I found them, actually they saved me. No, I didn't kill the person responsible, and it was a lone Bitten Were with a grudge not the Fellowship. Are you well enough to be here? You should not have come, you are still healing."
Apparently that was the wrong thing to say since it earned him a hard punch to the arm (not the one holding the children though). "Eric Northman! My children were just in a life threatening shoot out! There is no way in Hell I wouldn't come even if I was on my death bed! Now give me my babies!" She reached for Sarah, who complained she was a big girl and didn't need Sookie to hold her, even though she was still clutching to Eric. Hunter went willingly and since Sookie couldn't hold both children at the same time like Eric, she settled for clinging to Hunt and checking all three for damage. She also grilled them for information. Her plan was to check their safety first, find out what exactly happened next, and then she was going to find the person responsible and hurt them A LOT. She admitted to herself that perhaps she'd been influenced by Eric a bit more than she would ever admit aloud.
As the young family reunited, across the lot Bull was watching with Bear as Ludwig stitched up his shoulder. "It's nice to see them finally back together. The kids really missed him, especially Sarah. I caught her trying to 'run away' twice during the day. She wanted to go to Fangtasia and wait till it opened so she could find her 'Pappa'. I don't think she talked to Sookie more than she had too these past few weeks. She blames her for leaving." Bull observed.
"I'm just glad they pulled their heads out of their asses long enough to talk. You do good work Doc." Bear winked at Ludwig.
"Don't get fresh! I just did what should have been done weeks ago. They don't need this complication with the Summit coming up in a few months. I also heard from Cataliades, that the Queen has finally raised her head out from between her favorite's legs long enough to request the Sheriff bring his pet for a visit. Looks like things could get hairy soon."
"I meant my shoulder, but it figures it would take one hard head to get through to another….Owwww!" Bear whined when Ludwig tugged a little too hard on the temporary bandage.
She gave him a dirty look and said, "You still need to get this stitched up. It required more attention that what I have with me. So when the humans finally get here with their ambulances don't YOU be a hard head."
"Yes'm!" Bear murmured rubbing his arm gently as Ludwig went on to the next patient.
Half an hour later most of the injured had been taken to the hospital, including Bear though he did resist, when Bill Compton finally showed his obnoxious and annoying presence. Eric was still holding Sarah when Compton suddenly zipped in front of him.
"Sheriff, what happened and why haven't I been informed? As area investigator I have been charged with investigating any crime suspected to be caused by or involving Vampires." He spouted off without even a second glance to the area around him. The truth was he'd over heard Adele on the phone talking about the shooting during his nightly "walk" (a.k.a. his nightly stalk through Sookie's woods to 'check on her well-being') and he knew Sookie was here. He'd come in an attempt to ingratiate himself with her and hoped to look concerned with her welfare.
"As you can see Bill, this crime is not vampire related. The shifter who caused this mess was caught and is now being detained. The only vampire present was myself and since I am the Sheriff, I felt calling you would be a bit…oh what's the word…useless. I know this is a small town and all but I thought you were busy at work on the Queen's database, how was it you learned of the incident?" Eric knew exactly how Compton heard about this. Bubba kept a close eye on all the coming and goings on the Stackhouse property. Bill's scent was all over the cemetery and woods around the property. Since Bubba began staying with Adele on a permanent bases (in the 'cubby' of course) Bill's part of peeping Tom was well known to the family. Unfortunately, with Bill's position Eric had no grounds to kick him out of his Area, and since he was more of a nuisance than anything else, Eric let it go for now.
"I heard from Adele, she's very concerned, apparently the children were here. Were there casualties?" Nice cover Bill.
"Not as many as one would expect considering the damage. Two shifters were killed, five more were wounded, and one human died instantly, the other three are in the hospital with superficial injuries. I'm sure since you're here, you will be checking the status of each of the victims and I can expect your report on my desk by midnight tomorrow? Excellent, I'll be sure to tell my bonded of your concern, you are dismissed." Not having any real reason to stay, Bill left rather reluctantly.
"He's such a putz. When are you going to let me prank him? I could toilet paper his house and leave clues that teenagers did it. It would improve the aesthetic on that dreary place immensely." Pam snarked as she came up behind him looking at Sarah fast asleep on his shoulder, "She missed you. She tried hiding in the trunk of my car three times trying to get to you. Don't be a putz like Compton and fuck this up again. I finally have something in common with your breather and I don't need you futzin it up."
Eric held Sarah just a little tighter as he placed a protective hand on the back of her head, "I will keep that in mind. Is Sookie ready to go?"
"Yes she's with Hunter in the back of Ludwig's car waiting for you. The doctor said to use it to take them home and she'll meet you back at the farmhouse later tonight. Eric, are you going to ever tell me what happened with that necklace flying straight into your hand?" She said this last part so low it was barely a whisper.
"Come by the house when everything is finished here, I'll explain then. Remember to go by the hospital and get those humans too. I don't want anybody remembering what Sarah and Hunter did, understand?"
"Yes, Eric," Pam stated then zipped away to finish her tasks.
Eric found Sookie just where Pam said she was and after a brief talk with Bull, they left to go back to the Stackhouse residence. While Sookie snuggled into his right side with Hunter asleep in her lap and Sarah out in his lap, Ludwig's driver took them back before returning for her.
It was after midnight before Pam and the doctor made it back to the farmhouse. By then Eric had fully blocked up the window to Sookie's bedroom with plywood on the outside and blackout drapes inside. This way she wouldn't be exposed unnecessarily to daylight and he could stay with her for the day, since the safe room was occupied. Even though Bubba did offer to go to ground for the day, it didn't seem to bother him the same way it did other Vamps. The children had long since been put to bed and Sookie and Eric had been 'catching up', sadly not the way he really wanted too. She was still feeling ill and he didn't want to push her into anything physical after her ordeal. Once everybody congregated in the kitchen and played catch up with the events of the night, Eric began explaining his 'new' power.
"This is very interesting; I may have a theory…" Ludwig started but was rudely interrupted as Eric rolled his eyes.
"Of course you do, you always have theories." Eric was slowly losing his patience with the whole conversation. He wanted to be alone with Sookie, not discussing theories with a committee.
"Well, this is what you pay me for, is it not?" The diminutive doctor snapped, she didn't have any patience to lose. "This is what I've spent the past two years mollycoddling spoiled supernatural's and clueless humans for isn't it, to develop a theory?! If you don't want my opinion blood-sucker I'll be more than happy to take it elsewhere!" It was almost comical to Pam, Sookie and Adele, to see the barely three foot tall doctor standing toe to toe with a looming six and a half foot Viking Vampire and he was the one looking cowed.
"My apologies doctor, please continue. It has been a trying night and I am….impatient." To help calm him Sookie pulled him to a chair and then crawled into his lap. He relaxed immediately.
Ludwig snorted, "No shit. I'll make this brief then. Your 'new' power isn't new; it's an expansion to your vampire ability to fly. I think the increase is due to your ingestion of Sookie's blood earlier this evening."
"Wait, why now and not years ago when they started their boinkfest." Pam asked.
"Because this is the first time he's fed from her since she began carrying a more than half-fairy child. The extra concentration of Fae must have shifted things just enough."
"But he's had Fae blood before, full Fae and it never had this effect." Adele added.
"It's possible that it's uniquely connected to his bond with Sookie. There's just no way to tell for sure. But the telekinesis makes since because that's basically what you are doing when you fly, suspending yourself and moving through space. Now you can affect other objects the same way. Congratulations." She said it so dryly there was no doubt in anyone's mind she didn't mean it.
"This needs to stay in strict confidence. If other vampire's learned of this new development the whole family could be in extreme danger," Eric stated calmly.
"Other vamps such as the queen or your Maker? Eric what are you going to do about the trip to New Orleans you've been ordered to take? If the queen suspects something with you or Sookie…what about the children or the one she's carrying. I mean her smell isn't that different yet but it's bound to change the further her pregnancy develops." Pam had a valid point.
"I can help with that. I have a masking potion I give to some of my patients to help dampen their smell. It with help once her scent is noticeably different. I suppose she'll need it once the time for the Summit comes," Ludwig offered.
"We have not discussed plans for Rhodes yet, but I was hoping we could avoid bringing Sookie or any of the Stackhouse's," Eric nodded to indicate Adele. "However, I have a feeling Sookie's cousin has been running her mouth. The queen mentioned her eagerness at having a telepath in her retinue." Sookie stiffened in his lap. "Don't worry Lover, we are bonded, she has to negotiate through me."
"What about the children? Hadley suspected about Hunter…" She looked worriedly into his eyes.
"Taken care of already, I had Thalia remove that tidbit of information from her mind before Compton took her to the queen. In fact, she believes Hunter is still living with his father. I had the entire episode altered in her memory. She gave him up at birth as far as she knows. Even if she came to visit tomorrow they'll believe what everyone else does. He was adopted from a distant relative from your mother's side of the family, since she wasn't from the area, no one can dispute it." Sookie sighed heavily with relief.
"Well I don't know about the rest of you but these old bones of mine are screaming at me for rest. I'm calling it a night. Amy I'll talk to you tomorrow, goodnight everybody." As Gran went to bed, Pam and Ludwig also departed, finally leaving Sookie and Eric alone.
"Let's go to bed, Lover. We can discuss more tomorrow." Sookie only nodded as Eric carried her up the stairs. The rest of their problems could wait until the next night. All that mattered to Eric was he had his family back.
A/N: So here's what's gonna happen. Next chapter is another time jump. It just helps move the story along. I will elude to past events that happened between this chapter and the next and it won't be as big a time jump as before. Next stop, THE SUMMIT! Big things will happen here, so it's gonna take a few chapters to get through.
Point to note: My beta reminded me that Eric did make a child before Pam and that she was eluded to in book 6 and we might see her in the next book. I don't know if she was mentioned in the most recent book because I refuse to read it until the last shoe drops. If Sookie doesn't end up with Eric that's it for me the series ends at book 11. So as far as I'm concerned (and this story is concerned) Pam is Eric's first and only childe.
One last thing. I had a review that concerned me about the last chapter and I've been thinking about how to respond to it all week. I knew when writing the last chapter, that it would rub some people wrong but it had always been my intention to use the character of Preston in this manner. He was a pretender, a fake, who weedled his way into Sookie's good graces and then completely killed any and all trust he built with her by giving her what he considered 'an honored gift'. She was not only raped by a trusted friend and guard (someone HIRED to protect her) but also forced to relive harsh childhood memories. As a character, I needed a tragedy to happen to Sookie. This was not a punishment or a 'sacrifice'. She has not lost Gran to a violent homicidal serial killer, so she needed something that would bend her to the point of breaking but ultimately make her stronger. This was also a hurdle that these two needed in their relationship to show them they can survive the tough times because things are about to get real. Really difficult family and life changing things will happen at the Summit and they both know now how tightly they're tied not just as a couple but as a family unit. I'm not sure how Sookie could be seen as a martyr either. She chooses to keep the child for several reasons. #1 She feels (as I personally do) that it wasn't the child's fault for the circumstances of it's conception so why should it suffer. #2 Eric will be the baby's father so knowing he'll be by her side helps with her decision (but doesn't define it). #3 After her past issues with her other family members and Hadley's decision to an abortion, it makes since (maybe only to me) why she'd want to give this child a chance. #4 There will be interesting things happening during and after this pregnancy. Sookie is instinctively protective of this child for reasons she does not know about yet. All will be revealed, give it time.
As for the issue of rape and abortion in a general sense, it was mentioned in the review that it was disturbing to have it mentioned during such a highly charged political time. This was not my intention. I AM NOT POLITICAL AT ALL! (At least I don't think that I am.) I am of the opinion that any person (even women) has a right to do to their body whatever they see fit to do. Be that get tattoos from head to toe, get plastic surgery from head to toe, or have an abortion for whatever the reason, it is that individuals personal rights. This is my OPINION. As an American citizen I am entitled to it. I did not wish to offend anyone. Next time Victoria, please sign in so I may PM you back this response instead of making it so public.
WOW! OKAY! I am done. I swear (and often do too...hehehe). Thanks to all who reviewed, Favorited or followed me. (BTW...if your following me, do you know where I'm going?) Sorry about the chapter confusion (if there was any). I posted the outtake as a separate story when I uploaded the real chapter 16 and noticed no new notice went out...ooops. I won't do it again. Promise. Really. ;-P