PART TWO

Chapter 3

The mist cleared and when it did, gone was the room, the shop and Gemly. In its place she found herself in a cute kitchen area, dressed in very much mom clothes, a denim shirt and some casual shorts. The kitchen was a mess, bowls of half eaten cereal on the counter around which there was two highchairs and a stool. "Three…." she muttered to herself as she tried to ascertain where he had gone off to. They had arrived here together, she assumed and as sine entered the living room, her eyes took in the new reality she had been brought to. There were twin girls, appearing to be no older than a year toddling around-explaining the twin highchairs-and playing surprisingly gently with them was a sandy haired boy about 7 or 8. And from upstairs, she heard a series of curses, luckily the three kids seemed oblivious. Instinct took over as she placed the young twins into a playpen and watched the older child take to the couch, tablet in hand. She didn't even know the names of these kids and she didn't really want to, she was already finding herself attached to them. Kids who she knew weren't real. And yet…..she shook off those maternal feelings and rushed upstairs to find him standing in what was clearly the master bedroom, and while there was a elegance to the room, still more kids toys were here and there. She stifled a laugh as she took in the sight standing before the vanity across from the luxuriously large bed. There he stood, clad in loafers, khakis and a sea blue polio shirt. He looked as if he were going out for a round of golf and though she had seen him clad in many a unique number before….this was something to be seen.

"Whoa." was all she said, trying to help him save face and as he turned from the mirror to face her, he arched a brow at her own altered appearance.

"Well that's not bad…." he said looking her up and down then looking back as his own image.

"Wanna switch clothes? Though I think the shoes may be snug. Amongst other garments I have on." she demurred as she tapped her slightly heeled sandals on the eggshell white carpeted floor. She laughed as he looked at her again, incredulously. But she walked up to him and touched his skin. "You look…tan…I mean pale suits you, you are….certainly something….but you look…."

"Alive." he offered a half hearted smile and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "But I feel…..weak. Vulnerable." he closed his eyes and breathed in. "I know this isn't real, a temporary place…but I have no power, I feel as close to human as I have felt in a very long time."

"And you don't like it, I know you say you think you're better off as you are now…well not right this moment now….but back in reality. And now you have a taste of a different way of life and it…..well…I can't describe it myself….." she heard noise form the downstairs and she left the room, the still bemused Eric following, not liking he could only move at the pace of a mere mortal. And there she was lifting one of the twin girls from the playpen and as fake as this…well whatever place they were in was, what wasn't fake was the feelings that were being brought on. She knew they had been lucky for having had Aurora. But any other kids? Impossible, the circumstances that had led to the conception of Aurora had been unexpected and a one time thing. And as she took the little one in her arms and soothed her, the wailing of the child slowly dissipated, the annoyance that Eric had had in finding himself in this reality went away somewhat. Replaced by guilt….regret. He Hadn't ever expected to have wanted to marry let alone have kids and yet he had done both. And seeing her with a young one again, knowing he couldn't give that to her…he stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder.

"May I?" he asked, nodding to the other child in the play pen, feeling heartbreakingly awkward and out of his element. And yet, as she watched him take the other girl in hand and as the older child, the boy come wrapping his arms around his legs, she was gutted. Not in a bad way, but that bittersweet, heart swelling feeling that always made her choke up. And as she saw him with the two kids, his eyes met hers and she saw that same wistful look breaking through his stoic and annoyed façade. He couldn't fool her, she and he both wanted the same thing and yet, they both realized they were fortunate-very much so-to not only have the sole child that they did have, but their expended family around them, family was something he had once thought was forever lost to him and now…..

"I…." she said as she snuggled the toddler in her arms. She didn't want this to be fake, somehow….she wanted this to be real and yet, she knew that even if they wanted to, if they could, would it be a good thing to bring more kinds into a world like they lived in, with the threats always gunning for them the twins were asleep in their playpen and gently, they each took one and replaced them in the pen. As for the boy, he was back to his tablet, clearly having had enough contact time with his "parents"

"He looks a lot like you." she said, nodding to the boy.

"Spitfire like you….." replied the Viking. And they both retreated to the kitchen area and they started to laugh when they came across a business card on the fridge. He looked at it in abject horror and tried keeping it from Sookie but when she grabbed it from him, she burst out in laughter. "So….apparently in this life, you're a…..accountant?" she said, reading the card, his name, cell number and office address emblazoned in shiny black ink. Basking in the mortified look on his face, she stopped laughing, albeit slowly.

Shaking his head, he tossed the card on the counter and took a seat on the stool. "What a dull way to earn a living, I like my real life better."

"Perhaps have another go?" a voice chimed in and there in the room appeared the faerie. Gemly had reappeared, looking at the two with a bright smile. The room had melted away around them and it was as if they were in a purely white room. For all they knew, they were within the boundaries of time and space itself.

Seeing his clothes were restored to his more favored look, Eric looked wary. "As fun as that was seeing that…."

"It wasn't entirely bad for you, you can not lie to me about that." interrupted the faerie, hands folded in front of him "Surely you wonder other scenarios about your lives? Surely you wouldn't want to see…..what he is thinking?"

"How…..how are you seeing into my-" Eric looked confused as the old faerie brushed him off with a wave of the hand.

"Before a faerie is about to die, their powers are at their highest and sometimes, there are….abnormalities. And I suspect that is why u can read your mind. And what a mind it is….what a history you-"

"So what scenario is he thinking of?" Sookie said, clearly enjoying this whole adventure more and more. Not that she wanted him to feel uncomfortable, but there was something…sexy about seeing her bad ass vampire so out of his element..

The faerie elder frowned, looking serene, serious. "He…..well, perhaps I would be better off sending you to that scenario instead of saying it aloud. Just remember, it is all nothing more than a illusion."

Neither of them were thrilled with the response and in a flash, everything went dark again.

TO BE CONTINUED