PART TWO

Chapter 3

"They are gonna be back within the hour you know…" he said gently as he watched her sit in front of her vanity brushing her hair after she had changed her clothes in front of him. Normally, that would have started them down a different path entirely, but instead, he was trying to be supportive and ignored the fact she had changed into a pair of black yoga pants and a baby blue t shirt. Her hair in a ponytail, she slipped her feet into a pair of flats that matched her shirt and paced the room, trying to soothe her nerves. "I was feeling so good before, out in the fields…..I can't baby-sit feeling like a mess….looking like a mess." she paused, seeing that clearly, he was struggling with seeing her suffering, that tonight was not going as he had intended either. "You Don't have to stay, you can go back to your life, the blood-filled, party hearty kill crazy bloodlust-" she was stopped by a finger to her mouth as he got up and blurred over to her. He forced her gaze up at him.

"I want to be here to help you out, and I know you are hurting still….but you are not going to be able to live your life again unless you try to find the good in what you still have. That you should enjoy your loved ones while you can. You never know what can happen in a matter of hours, days…..I learned the hard way not to take anyone for granted. Pain makes us all stronger and as much as I wish I could undo so much in our lives…" he shook his head. "It has brought us together, in the here and now, don't you think?" he paused. "It kills me seeing you struggle like this."

She wiped her eyes and looked ashamed. "I am sorry I snapped at you…you're being so…..good to me…." she leaned her head into him and sighed before offering a laugh. "The prospect of seeing you deal with a toddler amuses me greatly. I can see it now, you opening a daycare in the bar, Pam leading a play group and…." she started bursting into laughter again, at his expense and he cringed at the thought of Fangtasia going kid friendly. And she knew that was what he was thinking, the look on his face perfectly priceless. Then he finally managed a smirk, shaking his head.

"It is good to see a smile on your face again." he said.

She smiled again, this time more brightly. "I am so lucky….." she trailed off as she looked into those eyes of his. "I think maybe I have fallen….fallen from dizzying heights and slammed hard into the ground and its hurt. Badly. I have the scars inside and out to prove it. But you know something else?"

"What?" he asked, wary, not wanting to say, do anything to jar her still fragile psyche. But that face turned brighter as she started to give off that warm smile he loved to see on her. It was a nice change after all the tears and trials he had seen her go through over the years and as optimistic as he was about her never quitting, recent events had given even him pause to think perhaps that sunny, bubbly girl was lost for good. But something about her now had given him hope again.

She took his hand as she sat beside him on the edge of the bed. "I finally have…fallen for you. In every way of the word and I feel like….maybe things can be good for me…and you. Funny I say that now even after our little….reunion not long ago…but I think I finally need to admit the truth." she waited for a response and couldn't read his thoughts-though wither increased power, she could do so if she touched her hands to his temples. But she wanted to respect his privacy but was itching to know what he thought. Her curiosity was stopped as she found herself kissed gently by him and as he pulled away, she never thought she had seen him look as relieved, as happy as he was now.

"You've no idea…..well maybe you do, having entered my mind before-…how this makes me feel. I am….grateful. And after everything I want to be a part of your life, not separated again by months and years or….forever." they sat in silence for some time before the eventual ringing of the doorbell broke their shared reverie. Ten minutes later, they were in the living room, the box of toys on the floor, the sandy haired toddler mouthing everything she could pull out of the box, from plastic rings to the little board books that were for kids her age. She had child proofed her house some time ago…again, another painful reminder of her loss, though it was certainly coming in handy for dealing with the now walking, though clumsy Harper. Having put up a baby gate to keep the little toddling tornado restricted to the living room, Sookie sat on the floor as she helped the toddler stack some kid friendly blocks, all with rounded edges, most with a sticky layer of slobber on them, which didn't seem to bother her and yet, she had to stifle a laugh as she watched him try to join in, picking up one of the sticky, damp blocks with one of his huge hands, hands that dropped the block as if it was hot.

"Its just a little slobber, if I recall you are one who ripped a heart out of a guys chest. And a little kid's drool scares you?"

He made a face and grinned. "Somehow, blood seems less messy, I don't really get it myself but this is stickier and a little more…..just, more." he shrugged as he sat down closer to her and helped with the blocks and distracted, Harper stopped her block play and walked haphazardly around the shirt tower they had built and walked up to the very intimidating leather clad Viking. And though he certainly was not going to do anything terrible, he looked at the kid with trepidation, clearly very much out of his element and it was a sight to behold as the kit reached her hands up to him and stealing a look at Sookie who raised her eyebrows at him, he gingerly picked the kid up and put little Harper on his lap, where she then started playing with his face, his hair. At first, he was a little ginger with her, afraid that with a touch, she could be harmed. And when he tried to gently guide her back to her blocks, he was surprised when she cried when he put her on the ground. And she stopped when she allowed him in his lap.

"Well, well, look who has a new friend." Sookie said with amusement on her face and in her voice. "Looks like there may be play dates in the future for the two of you."

"I met your friend Arlene's kids once….." he said, musing on the very limited times he had interacted with kids. "They seemed taken with me too, not to this level, but….I wonder if she would be as interested in these-" he made the soon to be unfortunate mistake of popping his fangs out, in hopes for a giggle but instead, got a shriek and some tears. He backed off sheepishly as a bemused Sookie tool the little one from him and yet it lasted only a moment before Harper seemed to want to escape her grip. Setting her down, she watched the kid toddle straight back to him where she put her hands on his mouth, seemingly wanting….more? And after sharing a odd look with her aunt, the Viking gingerly popped out his fangs again and this time, the little one shrieked with delight.

Chapter 4

"Who knew those things could be so amusing….." Sookie said as she watched him with her for several minutes. And there the three sat, turning back to the books and toys on the ground. All was well before something permeated the air and there came the one challenge that could ever, would ever stump, or keep him at bay. But the scent of that which lay within the Huggies, it was enough to make him gently guide the little one towards her aunt. "With all you have done in your life, you're scared of what lies within the Huggies?" Sookie scooped the child up and got to her feet, looking at him with a expression that was tempted to burst out laughing. Which she did and she watched him get to his feet as well. "You, big bad Viking vampire, you cant handle a little diaper? Oh, what a big baby you are." she was enjoying teasing her and she felt lighter than she had in days. He stared at her, very few others would ever be daring enough to tease him so and for a few moments, his face told her perhaps she had gone too far. Grinning as she took his now amused look, she led him to the nursery where she shoed him how to change a messy diaper like a boss. "Are you saying you never saw your baby sister be changed?"

"She didn't live long enough for me to really get the chance." he said, looking almost lost in the past for a few moments, her heart breaking for him all over again. Nothing more was said on the matter until shortly after Jason and Bridgette returned to pick up their little one and both were pleased with the care given. Alone once more, Sookie set to clean up the living room as she noted how quiet he was. "I didn't mean to…..maybe I went too far…at least you didn't pass out, cause that diaper was quite a doozy…" she tried to make a joke but it fell flat. or he was too wrapped in his thoughts to pay any mind. Hit was just about midnight and though a enjoyable evening had been had, she knew that there was a common gaping hole there in their lives that nothing could ever really patch up. And it was then there came a knock on the door before she could try to say anything else. Opening the door, she found a waifish woman on the front porch, blue eyes meeting hers and she was very clearly a vamp. Nearby, two others were hesitating backwards, cloaks concealing their faces.

"We were told he could be found here. " the woman said in a not unkind voice but a very matter of fact one. "Eric…." she added as she took in the curious, wary look on Sookies's face and it was clear, she was trying to glamour her. But at seeing she was unable to do so, the woman peered around her and looked into the house where the second figure strode to the door, appearing ready for a fight. He narrowed his eyes at her and took note of the other two staying a distance back. "You are….Eric?" she asked, ignoring the fact he looked ready to snap her neck, ready to protect Sookie at all costs.

"I am not exactly up for visitors so make your reason for visiting brief." he snapped, Sookie looking at him sideways, looking from him to the stranger on her porch. There was something about this woman, something similar.

"Well…its like this….I am…your sister. And they…." the woman gestured to the others staying back. "Are your-our-parents. They want you to return home and take the title you never were able to before. Please don't ask how I got this but…" she held out the crown, the very one he had stolen back from the one what had stolen it and his family so long ago.

Snatching it from her hands, Eric looked ready to fight the woman, to end her. But there was a flash of something, hesitation that took over and the other two had suddenly appeared on the porch and one by one, removed the hoods, and when they had fallen, he looked as if he were about to fall over himself. Taking him by the hands, Sookie looked at the trio wide eyes and in as much disbelief as he was. "This…..these are your-"

"My family." he said, even in the soft moonlight it was clear that they were related, it was impossible to deny it.

"And we came to bring you home." replied his sister as she gestured to their family, all three looking very curiously at the girl beside their long lost relation. There certainly were many questions that needed answers at the moment and the thing was, Sookie wasn't sure if either of them would like the answers they were going to get.

THE END…..until episode 6, I wanted this one to be shorter because I have big ideas for the next one. Stay tuned!