PART TWO

Chapter 3

"I…don't think I can do this…its too much, too soon…" she had started back for the house ."You left the kid inside by himself, by the way. I would think even you would know better." the stress in her language, her motions was very much present. So was the love she clearly had for him and he knew it, felt it. But no way was he going to try saying anything to further annoy her. All he could do was apologize and before they entered through the rear of the house, he got in between her and the kitchen.

"I won't pressure you into anything and the choices are yours and I only wanted to do something special for you…as far as what your grandfather goes….he is brave for being so willing to lay his life down for you and our family…he is giving you a gift that I know the price is terrible….." he trailed off as she started to shake, not out of anger but of sadness and….joy. He felt that dichotomy of emotions in her and he understood. "I won't tell you what to do….not that you would ever listen anyway, you're fiercely independent."

Her head was buried in his chest and she laughed. "I want to go tomorrow night…..I can't believe I nearly said….no…" She looked up at him. "Truth be told, I think I wanted you from the moment we met. Something about you…and looks like tomorrow, it becomes official….." she paused. "So who put this together? Who will be there?"

"I thought it best to keep it simple and then later on, if you want, a large party for everyone. "It will be just us and a few others and your grandfather, he wants to officiate."

She knew deep in the pit of her stomach he wanted something else to happen, that her grandfather would ask for her answer. "Let me guess, Pam took care of the dress…..and whatever it is you may wear?"

"You act as if I've not dressed well before, like I am a Viking or something? He replied with a smirk and after swatting at him playfully, they returned to the room where they had left the little one, who had fallen asleep in the playpen and was surrounded by the toys let to keep him occupied. No words were said as she picked him up out of the pen and carefully got him undressed and into some pajamas, putting on some Thomas the tank engine slippers on his feet. Tucking him in bed, she figured tomorrow was going to be a good day for a bath, a little bit of his dinner lodged in those dirty blonde locks of his. She continued saying nothing until she had emerged from the bathroom after a long soak in the tub and though she strongly knew he had wanted to join her in the new Jacuzzi tub she had splurged on, he was smart enough to know when she wasn't in the mood. He felt it anyway.

Finally, after she emerged in a cozy pink robe and bare feet, she decided she had thought and pondered things enough. "I think I made my choice…..and I can only hope no one in our family ever has to make a choice like this….but I can't let him lay his life down for us….and that my cousin would have to take over….this choice is something that has consequences for others and I don't want to be selfish. That was something that cost me dearly in the past, my selfishness hurting those I cared about. " she gave him a pointed look. "I am…..over the moon about tomorrow night and I will…." she was tearing up out of happiness, out of everything she was feeling. "I…." she closed her eyes, keeping further tears from flowing. "I don't want to seem ungrateful to him, to any of you for what you planned and I am sorry that your surprise got spilled….but honestly, I look forward to tomorrow night. And as stresses as I am, I am….oddly happy. And at peace with my decision not to let my grandfather sacrifice himself for our sake. Its not right that I was made to make that kind of decision….my family life has been filled with enough tragedies and I don't want to be responsible for another."

"If you really don't want to go through this tomorrow night, I get it…..this has all been upsetting for you and I don't want to further your stress." he said as he took her hands and nodded at the ring on her finger. "We don't have to, as they say, take the plunge yet if you don't want to. When it comes to you, I have always been patient, though I admit it has been trying."

She sad down on the bench of her recently installed reading nook that was by the new bay window in her room . It was a cozy reading nook with built in shelves. A sanctuary for her in more ways than one. Curling up on the cushions and putting a blanket over her she stretched out and stared at the lights above, reaching to her right, she turned the dial down, the light dimming, her hair losing its glow from the light. "I want nothing more than to be complete and that means having things be made official….." she had to shake her head. "If my parents could see the arrangement I was living in now….." there was a bitterness to her voice and he approached her, knowing how her parents had viewed her power, how they had viewed the supernatural.

"I am sorry your parents had such a…..narrow mind of what you were…and if they could be here, see you now, I would like to think that they would be more accepting…though I have a feeling that it would not be the case."

She laughed coldly. "A few years ago, Lafayette channeled my father…and through him, my father tried drowning me, thinking I would be better off dead than being what I was. There was love there, but it was clearly warped." Sookie admitted, and seeing his face, the horrified expression, she shrugged. "My supernatural family is the family I always wanted….not that my friends, my brother aren't family, but you know what I mean? I don't feel like there is anyone in my life that judges me, fears me like my own birth parents did." she sat up, feeling restless and let him sit beside her and leaned on his shoulder. "You, of all people have been the best at accepting what I was…you and my brother. And I am grateful. And tomorrow night, I want to be yours. Forever."

Chapter 4

"That," he began after she declared her feelings, thoughts, "makes me feel….." he shook his head. "I just, I never knew that about your past, your parents. And I am almost glad they aren't around any longer because if I were to meet them, I can't say I would be terrible pleasant to them." the Viking looked almost incensed as she had admitted what her parents had been like. "That you and your brother wound up being so accepting of those like us is nothing short of a miracle."

"Yeah. " she agreed, closing her eyes and that sparkling light returned to her face. "This time tomorrow….how crazy is this to do something so spur of the moment…..how can it possible be thrown together in short order?"

"Pam has skills like you couldn't believe…..she and I have texted on and off….but she is clearly keeping details from even me as well…..we are to be there at nightfall tomorrow, though we can be there sooner if you want, once things are prepared. With me being able to go out in the sun, even for limited time-"

"I don't like the idea of you taking that kind of risk, if anyone saw you outside in the sun….it all comes back down to what grandpa wants to offer us." she sighed. "And just when I was starting to look forward to tomorrow, then I am reminded of this….and then I think, well, as long as you have been around, I would think eventually, you would get….bored with me. Tired of me and with my mixed blood, I will live far longer than the average person and.. don't know, a lot is hitting me at once and after the past few weeks….."

"After everything you know I went through….we went through….you think I would tire of you? Toss you away like…." he sounded disgusted as he got back up and started pacing the room again. "If I had had my way, I probably would still be with the only other one who gave me what I ever needed, wanted. But she was killed in front if me, I was given no other choice but to choose my progeny over her. And to this day, it haunts me. For you to think I would abandon you…I think it shows you really don't know me as well as you may think…..perhaps tomorrow IS a bit premature."

She went to stammer out an apology, realizing how she had once more hurt him, something that she had vowed not to do again. And when she walked over to try to touch his arm, to guide him towards her, he pulled away and it was then she realized that her doubt in him had really done more damage than she had ever imagined it would. That he had been so patient for not only these few weeks, but in the time before that, all the time they had known each other. Stoic as he could be, she knew she had his heart and she also knew that at this moment, she had damaged it again and he only ever revealed his inner feelings to few others. She was the top of the list, always. And he made no attempt to hide his anger and frustration. He was gone before she had the chance to say anything further. And noise from the nursery was the only thing that would keep her from trying to follow and scooping up the little one in her arms, she rocked the toddler back to sleep in the chair given to her by Holly and Andy and with each motion of the chair, angry tears ran down her blotchy face.

He had returned to the bar still fuming and angry, knocking chairs out of his way as if they were nothing. Though closed for the night, Pam and Ginger were in the throes of cleaning up for the night when the Viking had made his presence known, paying no attention to either of them as he stormed straight towards the office. And when Pam tried to get in front of him, she was on the receiving end of a rough shove that sent her clear across the floor. Aided to her feet by ginger, Pam looked to her friend and sighed. "Looks like trouble in paradise again…..better get yourself home Ginger, because I have a feeling this may be awhile….I don't want to have to clean you off the floor if the mood strikes him."

"He ain't gonna hurt me…..I trust him."

"Yeah, I do too but this is something different…..and y'all don't wanna get messed up in his. Go. Home. Now." Ginger ordered and still Ginger remained….until a bit of reluctant glamouring sent her off into the night. That little problem out of the way, Pam shook off the unprovoked attack and stormed after him herself, unafraid of the confrontation and what could transpire. "Look, I see you're having a hell of a hissy fit about, I assume the dairy maid…but I would appreciate you not tossing me aside and scuffing up my new clothes." she put her hands on her hips of her new leather skirt and dark purple and black corset she was wearing. "The skirt alone set me back about a grand…let me guess, are we putting off the plans for tomorrow night."

"Indefinitely." was his terse reply as he gave her a look that made even her cringe, slinking away, though he knew she was there for him should he need to talk. Want to talk. But talking wasn't what he felt like doing, not now. He flew from the room, leaving Pam in his wake and by the time she caught up with him in a dank, nearby alley, he had made quick work of some homeless winos that had been drunkenly wandering around and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

TO BE CONTINUED