Chapter 97

Thanks everyone for the reviews…. I had a couple hours over the holiday to write a bit. It is all coming to a head and I am thrilled. I have enjoyed these characters so much and love this story. Hope you do too!

Sorry for the "secrets". Here are a few little teasers… It will all makes sense soon enough

Enjoy!

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT

Sookie crawled into bed alone. Her son's had returned, making her house almost full of her brood. She knew Eric had always made time for his children but he had been making extra time for Alec since Lily and Mark had left. Alec had a fondness for Mark and his leaving was tough on Alec. Of all of their sons Alec was the most gifted in battle, even against his very talented brothers. Even when Alec was a little boy and would ask his older brothers or their cousin Claude to spar and Alec would always win. Sookie remembered Eric's pride seeing his youngest son's strength in war strategies. Her thoughts quickly went to the upcoming week, her disagreement with Eric and all it would mean for her family. Sookie drifted to sleep that night at the thought of the children she and her husband had brought into the world, each so different yet still so much alike on another.

Eric silently climbed into the bed he shared with his bride. She looked so peaceful while she slept. Eric softly kissed her forehead before lying down to rest for a few hours. His need for sleep was minimal these days and with each passing year it was less and less. It allowed him more time to get things done but on evenings like tonight his body was tired. Eric's eyes stared into the dark, thinking of his evening, his family, his life. Over the last decade so much had changed but his position in the supernatural world only strengthened. That was because of his life with Sookie and the children they had together. His sons and his daughter only solidified their place in the ever changing supernatural world. His oldest sons took on a majority of tasks that he himself used to oversee, Sheriff disputes, territorial spats, killings. Eric knew he could rely on Johan and Enar for much more than just that. He had always been lucky to have Pam but now that his sons were grown his power structure had only strengthened. Sadly age had caught up to many he depended on over the years, Alcide, Mark and many of the security staff. Now he depended on his sons and he was very much looking forward to the day he put Alec in charge of his family's security. Flashes of thoughts of what how his life would change this week he quickly ignored. His thoughts were of his family as he finally fell to sleep.

Downstairs Adam paced the floor of the Northman foyer as he spoke on the phone. Since his father had asked him to be the intermediate security leader for the family until Eric could put someone in the position permanently Adam got very little rest. Adam finished his call and turned to speak to one of the guards, giving him direction before returning to the living room where Johan, Enar, Pam and Duncan sat. "I don't like this one bit. I think we need to handle this quickly." Enar stood as he made his opinion known the group.

Pam rolled her eyes. "Enar, we cannot kill every vampire who disagrees with laws we put into place." She laughed for a second. "Well, maybe we could." Time did nothing to mellow the ferocious Pamela.

Adam shook his head because Pam's humor was lost on him. "Let Eric hear the two of you say that and he will have all of our heads."

Duncan nodded. "I agree with Adam. Let's send a few vampires do some reconnaissance and see where we are in a few days." The vampire who took the Sheriffs job in Vegas almost 25 years ago had long since moved up in the ranks. He now spent a lot of time dealing with the day to day responsibilities with the Northman offspring.

"I agree." Johan who now handled most matters for his family sat back on the couch. "I won't have blood shed just for the sport of doing so." This hybrid vampire was a spitting image of his father in looks, temperament and patience, looked at Duncan. "Send Nathan and have him report back before he goes to rest for the day." Johan's phone beeped. "Excuse me, I need to take this." He rose and in vampire speed left the room. Duncan stood, said his farewells and went to do his duty.

"I am going home as well. We have a lot to do tomorrow. Call me if you need me." Adam said to the group before saying his goodbyes and heading home.

Enar and Pam were speaking softly when Johan returned. Both looked at him when he entered. "What?" Johan knew they had something on their minds.

"Our sister is flying in tomorrow." Pam spoke softly. She didn't want this conversation overheard if it could be helped. Enar was allowing Pam to take the lead at the moment.

Johan nodded. "I am aware of that."

"Then why isn't anything being done?" Pam stood and she looked mad. "She is our sister!" Enar stood up as well.

"What would you have me do?" Johan asked his two siblings standing before him.

Pam crossed her arms over her chest. "We do what is right. We are stronger united."

"I agree with Pam, brother. She is part of me, I love her." Enar was always very careful to whom he shared his emotions but this situation was a difficult one.

"So we are going to do this then?" Johan asked them. "There is no turning back if we do." He knew what the potential consequences were and both his siblings nodded. "Ok. Let's brainstorm." The three of them talked until dawn before Pam had to excuse herself to rest for the day. "She will appreciate the fact you stood up for her." Johan slapped his brother's back as they too decided it was time to get some rest as well.

Enar shrugged. "I meant what I said. It is the right thing to do." He looked at his older brother. "She would do it for us." The two Northman siblings each went to their rooms to rest. Eric stood in his doorway of his bedroom, contemplating what his sons had said to one another. In a few hours he knew he had some phone calls to make. He silently moved to his office to begin work for the day.

It was mid-morning when Sookie walked down the stairs and the house was full of voices and creatures moving all over the house. She paused a moment unsure what was happening. Trish walked past the stairs and Sookie stopped her. "What did I miss?" Sookie asked confused.

Trish laughed and looked around. "It seems Mr. Northman is planning a party."

Sookie's eyes squinted at the demon that had worked for her, helped her raise her children and kept her house running like clockwork for almost thirty years. "I don't understand." Sookie was beyond baffled.

Eric stepped into the foyer and smiled at the site of his wife. "Hello my love."

Sookie knew a trap when she saw one and this was definitely it. "Eric?" Sookie's tone was less than pleasant.

He raised his hands to indicate his work. "I am planning the party of the century."

"Ok, you need to explain yourself and do it now. Otherwise I will use some of my fae magic to turn you into a pumpkin or something." Sookie wasn't sure what he was up to but she wasn't entirely sure she was going to like it. "Is this a wake or something, has someone died?"

Eric put his arms down. His wife's attitude was ruining his good intensions. "I was trying to throw my daughter a party. I did not know it was against the law to do such things."

Her husband started to walk away before Sookie stopped him. "Wait." She trotted down the stairs and put her hand on Eric's arm. "I am sorry." She sent him feelings of love and gratitude and he smiled. "I didn't expect this." She looked around her house. "Erika wasn't expecting this."

His expression was serious. "I have alienated my child, my daughter." He put his hands on each side of Sookie's face. "I must fix this." He lightly kissed her on the lips then took his ringing phone out of his pocket. "Yes." Eric's tall frame disappeared into the living room.

Enar began to walk down the stairs and did the same his mother had a few moments before. "Mom, what's going on?" He watched household staff carry chairs, guards carry equipment and the sounds of trucks were coming from outside.

Sookie turned to look at her son. "Your father is throwing a party." She and Enar looked at each with the same look of dismay.

Johan and Gunnar walked to the top of the staircase to walk down and stopped. Gunnar looked at his big brother. "Uh ho."

The two men descended the stairs to join their mother and Enar. "Good morning boys." Sookie smiled at her sons and filled them in on the bustling around the house.

"We are in trouble then." Johan looked at Enar then back to his mother. "Last night we agreed we were going to throw a party for Erika too." Johan's phone rang in his pocket and he glanced at the caller's number and growled. "It's the party planner." He quickly answered and began to explain the issue.

Sookie beamed with pride. "You boys were going to go against your father to throw her a party?"

Enar nodded. "She is our sister. It would be wrong to not do something amazing for her."

Gunnar laughed. "Did you tell dad what you were planning?"

"Hell no!" Enar snickered. "We dodged a bullet by the looks of things." The sounds of drills, saws and men backing a truck up in the front yard made Enar laugh harder. "Thank goodness we dodged that bullet." Enar shook his head realizing the magnitude of that argument with his father.

The group laughed as Johan moved into the foyer. "I need to go make some calls, cancel the things I already set up." Johan was very much like his father, able to make things happen immediately. "I will catch up with you all later." Johan kissed his mother's head and went to take care of business.

Sookie smiled and put her arms around the backs of her remaining two sons. "Boys, I am going to find your father. Go and see what the two of you can do to help." Sookie released her kids and went on the hunt for her Viking husband. She found him on the side of the house speaking to a couple of men who appeared to be contractors of some sort. Sookie waited until he finished speaking with them to approach. Stepping beside him she got his attention. "Hey."

He smirked immediately then spoke to her. "Hello to you."

"Do you have a moment?" Sookie looked around the yard, it was full of people she didn't recognize working in some form or another. Eric nodded and she took his hand. Silently she directed him toward the river on the far side of the property. She wanted the quiet and needed to talk to her husband, alone. When they reached the riverbank they did what they had done a hundred times before, took off their shoes, sat on the riverbank and put their feet in. The water was warm and felt so good. "We need to clear the air." Sookie spoke first.

Eric agreed and nodded. "I know."

"We agreed we would support our kids, regardless of what they did with their lives Eric. You hurt Erika extremely with your behavior. That girl loves you most of all." Sookie understood the relationship her daughter had with her father, it was something Sookie always wanted to help blossom.

"Sookie, all I can say is I know. I realized what I had done when I heard the Prince and Warrior talking last night. I just do not want this to happen. I can control so many things in our lives, but not this!" He felt like storming off, killing someone or something.

Sookie placed her hand on his arm, calming him. "She is an adult. Remember how it was for you and for me." She giggled. "And they said it would never last, me the simple girl from Bon Temps, you the success and really, really old Viking Prince." She laughed harder at her calling him old.

Eric laughed too. "I think my age has never been an issue in this marriage my love." He winked at her making her laugh some more.

"You need to apologize." Sookie wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"No, I will not." Eric's fangs popped as he spoke. "This is my family! Never will I apologize for trying to protect them."

"Eric, you know yelling at her, refusing to come home, all of it was a bit much. We could have had a simple conversation about this." Sookie was going to stand her ground, especially about her kids. "You need to apologize to her."

His growl didn't scare her off the topic. She waited for the storm to pass in his eyes while he thought about what she said. "I am planning a party, is that not enough of an apology?" He knew the answer but he wanted to try anyway. His wife shook her head no. "Fine, but I do not have to enjoy it."

Sookie laughed at her ancient husband, who at the moment sounded like one of the kids when they were little. "Thank you." She leaned over and kissed him quickly. "Think you need to apologize to anyone else?" She scrunched her face at him.

His fangs went back up and he leaned over and kissed her, this time with passion and need. He released her long enough to apologize. In typical vampire fashion his quick hands moved quickly to remove their clothing, kiss her and make mad, passionate love to her. Eric knew exactly how to show his wife just how sorry he was for his behavior. The moans and screams that came from the back side of the property told everyone in ear shot how sorry Eric Northman was for his behavior.