Chapter 35

EPOV

As soon as I feel the sun rise over the horizon, I spring out of bed. I tickle the bond, which I find has been closed on her end, to wake her up. It immediately opens again and I feel her love and excitement.

"Hello, lover. What have you been up to that the bond was closed?"

"Hi, hubby. I will tell you when you get home." I send her my acceptance. "What's your plan on bringing them and yourself home?"

"Now that it is day, I plan to teleport the hostages back there. Then, I will leave my answer to their terms and come home. Is everything ready for their care?" As we are mentally discussing this, I shower and dress.

"I believe so. What are the injuries?" I feel her courage grow as she awaits my response. I was dreading this moment because I now had to tell her about Tara.

"Cole has been beaten, but it is better than the other two so his care will be easiest." I feel her curiosity increase, but I do not give her a chance to ask me. "Marc, on the other hand, is both physically and mentally broken. You will need to work with his mind. The other hostage is worse and you will probably need to call Ludwig to assist." Her anger rises, but she stays in control.

"I already have her on standby."

"Good. Get everyone in position. I love you." I send her my love and devotion, which she returns tenfold.

"I love you too. Hurry so we can make love in the sun." I feel her lust and cannot wait to see her.

I drink three more bottles of Tru-Blood before I ready myself. I monitor the minds of the wolves at my door and the servants throughout the compound. Everything is as it has been for the last two days. I was happy to find that there was no torture taking place at this moment. The problem was that the two wolves guarding the hostages were at their posts. I figured that my plan would include killing a few people, and if I was honest, I was looking forward to it.

Right before I blink to their holding cell, I enter Cole's mind. "Cole. I am about to free you. I need you to lure the guards into the cell with you." Surprisingly, he did not flinch at someone speaking through his mind.

"You got it. Just get us the fuck out of here!" He tells both Marc and Tara not to speak. Marc tries to convince him not to do anything to provoke their guards, but Cole tells him just to stay quiet. After taking a deep breath, he goes to work.

"Hey, mutts! You fuckers could at least feed us! Too bad you bitches couldn't get into a real pack!" If there were any particular set of words that could get a rise out of these weres, then Cole knew them by heart. They take the bait and enter the cell.

"I guess we are getting soft if this piece of shit is still talking, Roger" says the one closest to Cole.

"Speak for yourself. I know just what to do with pricks like this." Roger walks over to a drawer in the corner of the room and retrieves a pair of pliers. "I say we rip out his tongue and shove up that cunt's ass over there." Larry (whose name I pulled from Roger's mind), nods eagerly.

As they both stand in front of Cole, one gripping his head to pry his jaws open, the other attempts to catch his tongue with said tool. It is then that I make my move. I blink into the cell. Quickly, I rip Roger's head off and toss his body into the corner. Larry releases Cole as Roger's body crashes into the it.

"What the fuck?! WHO ARE YOU?!" he screams as he tries to shift into his animal form. I grab him by the throat and bring him closer to my face.

"I am your death" I tell him and rip his heart out of his chest. Remembering how he continually raped Tara, as he pounded his fists in her face, fills me with extreme ferociousness and I rip his body apart. Everyone in the cell is now covered in the blood and entrails of the two wolves.

"Holy shit! It's been years since I've seen someone ripped to pieces." Cole says as I release him from his restraints.

"Can you stand?" I ask him and he nods that he can. "Good. Free Marc while I get Tara."

"Tara. She was already here when I arrived. Marc was brought about an hour later" he tells me. I nod and turn my attention back to my wife's former best friend. She was laid out on a metal surgical table. She was naked, covered in bruises with bones protruding from her skin and stab wounds that were still bleeding.

I scoop her up from the table, causing her to groan from the pain. Her eyes open and she looks at me. She tries to speak, but I stop her. "Do not speak. I am taking all of you to safety. You will be healed soon." I move to the center of the room where Cole is holding Marc up.

"Grab onto me somehow and close your eyes. This may be very unpleasant." With a gulp, Cole follows my instructions. Just before I blink home, I sense the presence of three wolves approaching the cell. I do not give them a chance to see us.

SPOV

"Eric will be here momentarily, so we need to move quickly to stabilize the injured." We – Carlyle, Esme, Rachel, Betsy, Jessica, Jazz, Dave, and I - are all gathered in the basement. The space hadn't been reset from the last time we had patients down here, so we only had to make sure that we had all the tools and equipment they would need in reach.

"We are ready" Carlyle tells me and I nod.

"Ok. I'm going up to the foyer as that will be where they will come. Get ready." I turn and run up the stairs, entering the code on the door as quickly as possible. I continue my sprint towards the front door when I'm stopped dead in my tracks at the sight before me.

Eric is standing before me, covered in blood as he carries a woman in his arms. Cole is barely holding Marc upright as he tries not to puck from their sudden arrival. Several of the fairy guards help the two men down the stairs as I approach. Once I'm standing in front of him, I see who he is holding.

"TARA!" I scream.

"Lover, we do not have much time. She is fading." I grab his arm and pop the three of us downstairs.

The gasps of everyone in the room at seeing Tara's condition echo off the walls. Eric lays her down on the middle table and backs away. Betsy and Jessica surround Marc as Jazz and Dave do the same with Cole.

"Oh, Marc! You are safe." Betsy whispers in his ear as Jessica uses a wet rag to clean blood off his face. He is unconscious so he doesn't respond.

"Motherfuckers!" Dave yells as he punches the nearest wall. His hand breaks as the walls are made with a mixture of silver and iron.

"Stop it and get over here!" Jazz screams at him before turning back to Cole. "I told your dumbass not to go to Vegas! You can't go anywhere without getting into trouble" she tells him.

"I was minding my own business. That bitch approached me!" he protests.

"It doesn't matter. You are alive and safe. We will kill that bitch and anyone else that played a part in this." He moans in pain, but nods in agreement.

"Carlyle, can you handle this? Sookie and I have much to discuss." Eric says to the doctor.

"Of course. Go be with your wife. Esme and I can handle this. I will let you know their status once they are stable." Eric nods and takes my hand, blinking us to our room.

"Get me out of these clothes" he orders once we are in our bathroom. I lay a hand on his shoulder and disintegrate all of his clothing. I had Mari and Kaitlin run a bath for him and set five bags of donor blood on the counter. I go to grab one, but he catches my arm.

"No. I need you" he says, pulling me into the bathtub with him. Ignoring the fact that I am fully clothed, neither of us cares in that moment. I'm straddling his waist and as he tries to pull me closer, but his progress is stopped by my enormous stomach.

"Lover?" she says. Before I can answer, he rips my shirt with both hands and examines my stomach. "When did this happen?" he asks.

"Last night, after we…" I try to answer, but I'm silenced by his lips on mine. His hands rub all over my belly and I become overwhelmed by the feelings of love and happiness coming from the three of them – my husband and sons.

He kisses me as if it will be the last time. I was extremely worried about Tara, but I could think of nothing more than my husband. My yoga pants become shreds and I'm impaled onto his hardened shaft. I pull back and gasp as he stretches me. Water splashes everywhere as he fills me.

"I love you so much…nothing like that will happen to you…I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!" I can hear and feel the desperation in his words, but I can't speak. The sensations of pleasure and love are now controlling me. Tears run down my cheeks as my orgasm hits. His fangs slide into my neck like butter and I come again. Tasting my blood causes him to do the same, but he doesn't stop. He rises up onto his knees and puts my back up against the other side of the tub. The force and speed of his thrusts increases, as does my screams.

With each of my orgasms, his need grows. He grabs me by the throat and gently pulls my face to his. Our foreheads are touching and when I open my eyes, I see his glowing blue ones are rimmed in red.

"Eric? Are you ok?" I ask him. He stills in me and just stares into my eyes. The longer we stare at each other, the more my power begins to rise. Soon, we are both fully engulfed in light.

"This…you…them…" He puts a hand on my stomach "are my life. Nothing exists without you. I cannot let them win. You are MINE." He thrusts into me as hard as possible and is gripping my hips just as tightly, without breaking the skin. "I AM YOURS!" He does it again. My mind goes blank. I feel myself being pulled into his mind. I feel everything that he feels; his pleasure from us making love, his love and devotion to our sons, his maker and child. But it pales in comparison to his feelings for me. As all of his memories of us together play before me, I see our life through his eyes. I feel what he felt. His anger at learning the truth about Bill is so powerful and scary. His happiness when we complete our second blood bond is more intense now than when I felt them through our renewed connection. Could he have been dulling the bond or was it just how it works?

Slowly, the images fade and our lights dim. When I open my eyes, I am staring at the mirrored ceiling. Eric is lying on my chest, holding me snuggly.

"Sookie." His voice is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. I inhale and realize I hadn't been breathing. He stands, with me still wrapped around his upper body and him deep within me, and takes us to the bed. As he walks, I try my hardest to control my breathing. He pulls back the sheets and lays me down as gentle as he can. He lies with me so we are facing each other.

"I love you, my wife." He says as he uses his fingers to move stray hairs out of my face.

"I love you, my husband." He opens his wrist and brings it to my mouth. I latch on without a word. I'm feeling myself getting drowsy as I drink. Gradually, everything disappears as the wound closes.

EPOV

I cannot describe what I was going through when we made love. Seeing Tara like that took me back to the times when my Sookie laid in a hospital bed, beaten and broken at the hands of an enemy. Too many have hurt her; Bill, Neave and Lochlan, Russell – all of which were enemies that had abused my lover. The worse was at the hands of the fairy twins. I thought I was going to lose her and could not bear the hopelessness. When I had Tara in my arms, I looked down into her face and saw my wife. I could feel her life slipping away.

I believe that it was those feelings, mix with the relief of being back with her that made me respond to her in such a way. Once she was asleep, I left her side only to wash my face. When I returned, I slide under the covers and cuddled up to her stomach. I sing to them and watch as the multitude of colors dance at the sound of my voice. I cannot believe that they have grown this much in the span of less than 12 hours. The Autumn Equinox is approaching and that means that we are half way through the pregnancy.

I hear a commotion at the door and discover (mentally of course) that Carlyle is at the door, being held back by the guards. I leave the comfort of my loves and head to the door.

"Carlyle. What is wrong?" I crack the door open slightly to see the two guards are holding him back. At my words, they let him go.

"Eric. I need to talk to you and Sookie about Tara. It's not looking good." He is worried and dread covers his features.

"Give me a couple moments to wake up Sookie." I close the doors and vamp back to my lover.

I gently rub her arms. "Sookie. Sookie." I call and after a couple of attempts, she finally opens those pretty brown eyes.

"Eric. What's wrong?" she asks as she sits up against the headboard.

"Carlyle is at the door. He says that things are not looking good for Tara. He needs to discuss this with us." She nods and I hand her my black silk pajama shirt. I put on the pants that go with it and retrieve Carlyle. He stands at the foot of the bed as I retake my place at her side.

"Tara has gone through some horrendous trauma. Her lungs, spleen, and pancreas have collapsed. Her kidneys have failed so we have her on full dialysis. She has lost a lot of blood and we do not have enough to replenish it. Even if we get her to a real hospital, her internal injuries are too severe to allow a transfusion to be successful. The injuries she has sustained to her womanhood are…beyond repair, even if she lives. We have tried every procedure and magic we have to heal her. Dr. Ludwig is here and agrees with my diagnosis." We both look at Sookie who is silently crying for her long lost, childhood friend.

"What are you saying, Carlyle?" she asks in almost a whisper.

"We need to determine if she would want to be turned or left to die in peace. Only you can determine that answer. She is stable for the moment, but she can take her last breath at any moment and then it will be too late for us to do anything."

"Go back to her. Eric and I will be there in a few moments." He nods and lets himself out.

"What do I do, Eric?" she asks, her eyes pleading for me to have the answer.

"All you can do is communicate with her and find out what she wants. That is what a best friend would do. And no matter the circumstances, you were always that to her." She gets out of the bed and goes into the closest. She returns wearing her kimono robe. It is large enough that it hangs below her knees. I grab my undershirt from the ottoman and put it on.

I feel a ping of lust, but it is extinguished quickly as she is overcome with grief at our current dilemma. I pull her into my arms and hold her. Her emotional pain and despair is heartbreaking.

"I love you Sookie. You must be able to accept and make peace with whatever decision she choses." I feel her little arms tighten around my waist, her large stomach pressed snuggly against my lower abdomen. She nods with her face buried in my chest.

I blink us to the basement. There are so many machines and beeps that it feels like a hospital. Ludwig walks over to us and kneels. She rises and gives us her opinion.

"Your Majesties. Cole and Marc have accepted our efforts. They are healing properly and are stable. Tara, unfortunately, has not accepted the treatment. Her body is too damaged and she will not survive the night. As the seconds pass, so does her life. We need to know her decision."

Sookie nods and leaves my embrace. She walks over to the head of the table that Tara is lying on. She leans over and places her hands on the sides of her friend's head. With her own head bow, she closes her eyes and we wait.

SPOV

I enter Tara's mind and search for her soul. It takes me what seems like forever to find it, but I do and I can see it weakening.

"Tara. It's me, Sookie." She is in extreme pain and lost in despair.

"Sookie? Oh my god! How did you find me? Nevermind. I remember what you can do. Did you send that beautiful angel to save me?" I can't help the pride I feel at her words about my mate.

"Yes. Tara. I'm sorry, but you are badly hurt and we cannot heal this. I need to know your wishes." I tell her, praying to my mother for the strength to get through this.

"My wishes?" She thinks on it and puts the pieces of the puzzle together. "Am I dying?" she asks me.

"Yes. But if we turn you, you will live for eternity and be able to exact revenge on the ones that hurt you. If not, then I will stay with you until the end and make sure you find peace."

"My entire life has been a struggle. And those fucking vampires snatched me out of Merlotte's like it wasn't shit. I didn't even know them." She pauses and contemplates further. "But if I chose to live, then I will become the monster that killed me" she rationalizes.

"No. You are nothing and will be nothing like those who did this. All you and I ever wanted was to live our lives in peace and grow old together. We could still do that, but we will not be old. We will stay as we are now." I tell her.

"If you are with me now, then I know you have done everything you can." She is making her decision and I have to give her time. "What would you do, Sookie?"

"My situation is different. I am a part of the supernatural world. I have always been, though I didn't know it when we were kids. I'm about to be a mother, have a large family and responsibilities that can't be handled by anyone else. That is my life's purpose. This is a decision that you have to make based on what you feel right for you."

Moments pass and the silence grows between us. After an unknown amount of time, she makes her decision.

"I want to live. Those motherfuckers won't get the pleasure of my death. They must pay and I want to see them suffer." I can't help the relief and happiness I feel knowing that I won't lose her.

"Ok. You will soon go to sleep. In three days, you will awake. You will no longer be human. You will be a vampire for the rest of your existence. Is this your final decision?" I have to be sure. There is no going back on this.

"Yes." I feel the sincerity and certainty in her answer.

"Ok. I love you Tara. And I will be waiting when you wake up." I tell her.

"I love you too. And thank you for saving me."

I pull out of her mind and face the nest. Everyone is watching me, their eager eyes searching for the answer to the million-dollar question.

"She has decided to be turned. Prepare her as much as you can. We will transport her to the farmhouse and do this at sunset." I tell the group. I walk over to Eric and pop us to our bedroom.

Author's Notes:

Plot Twist! I struggled to decide if I was going to include Tara in this story. To clarify, I am thinking of Alan Ball's version of Tara. In Charlaine Harris' version, she wasn't really developed and was more like a supporting 'bystander' character. In the HBO series, she plays a more integral part of Sookie's life. Every girl needs her best friends, whether human or supernatural.

Hope that helps. Please review.

*The characters in this chapter belong to their respective authors.

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