Spellbound

Here the next chapter that I'd promised you guys. I worked the entire weekend on getting this chapter ready and as you all know, I'm only human so forgive me if I still have a few editing errors. I hope that you all enjoy it. I will also try to have the next chapter up at the same time next week.

The main characters don't belong to me. They belong to the writers who dreamt them up. The story idea is mine.

Update: Thanks guest for pointing out my boo boo with the lemon and vanilla.

Sookie held onto Amelia's hand even after she'd seen all that she needed to see. The girl had been through so much. She'd been defiled in every way imaginable. She'd been made to believe that she would never see home again. She'd also forever carry the weight of believing that she is the reason that the other girls are dead. Several times, Amelia had woken up screaming; sitting up in bed, eyes wide with fear. Sweat covered her bruised and battered face. Tremors and spasms took over her weak body. The screams that escaped the girl's body would make Sookie's skin crawl. But after the fear had passed, Amelia would fall back onto the bed and go back to sleep; tears falling silently from the corners of her eyes.

Sookie wanted to take Amelia's pain away. She could see the terror that Amelia was reliving. She wanted so desperately to end the horror but she couldn't … not now. Amelia would have to consent. But most of all, she would have to heal. She'd tried to take away some of the pain but it was too strong. It was all that was left of the girl. If she had taken her pain away, the screams, the tremors and Amelia would be no more.

Looking up at Dr. Ludwig, Sookie asked, "How much longer will she sleep?"

Dr. Ludwig shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. She could wake up tonight. She could wake up next month. She could wake up ten minutes from now. I don't know but I do know that she needs the rest. The pain medications will keep her under for quite awhile … well they should. She needs the meds to keep her under for as long as possible." Dr. Ludwig reached over and brushed the hair from Amelia's forehead. "The girl has been through hell but it's more than obvious that she's a fighter. She should've died long ago. The damage that she has suffered through …," she said as she shook her head. She removed her hand from Amelia's forehead and sighed. "She may never be the same," the doctor whispered.

Sookie didn't believe that. She couldn't believe that. "You're wrong, Dr. Ludwig. What has happened to her will not destroy her. She's going to beat this." She began nodding her head for confirmation. "She's going to beat this."

Dr. Ludwig said nothing.

"You will stay here and keep watch over them; Pam and Amelia?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, I will," the doctor said. "That husband of yours won't let me leave. He said that he'd pay me whatever I'd charge. That was for his child, mind you but I'm sure that he won't mind including the halfling."

Sookie laughed. "I'm sure that he wouldn't mind at all. Thank you," she replied.

Dr. Ludwig placed her hand on Sookie's shoulder and said, "Not a problem. I've always been partial to Eric. He's a good vampire." She patted Sookie's shoulder and said, "I'll return in a few. I have to check on Pamela."

Spinning around in her chair quickly, Sookie asked, "How is she? She's going to be alright, isn't she? I don't think Eric could … he wouldn't be able … You have to do everything in your power to make sure she makes it, okay? We can't lose her."

Dr. Ludwig nodded her head and said, "We won't lose her. Pam is going to be just fine." She winked at Sookie before leaving the room.

Looking over her shoulder, Sookie told Arayleaha she was dismissed. "Leave us, please. Take Kellan and Marco with you and keep an eye on André's compound. Return to me by first dark and report what you see."

Arayleaha bowed deeply to her princess before leaving the room.

She then returned her attentions to Amelia. It pained her to know that Amelia may never be the same again. She'd seen the pictures of the smiling girl. She'd seen how much Amelia loved life. She loved being with her friends. She loved going on vacation. The pictures of her and her sorority sisters were memories of a very energetic and outgoing young lady. The joy of being with others filled her. They were her greatest joy. And her dad …

Sookie's grip on Amelia's hand tightened. Amelia was going to be destroyed once she learns of what her dad has done to her and her friends. Her dad was the only family that she had left … her dad and her friends.

Bringing Amelia's hand to her lips, Sookie whispered as she closed her eyes, "I'm so sorry."

"I didn't believe that you were real," Amelia whispered. "Bridget said that you were."

Sookie sat up quickly and stared at Amelia. She smiled at her. "I'm real," she answered.

"I was supposed to be on vacation," she said as she kept her eyes closed. "I was supposed to be on a beach … tanning and drinking Mai Tais but he got me. He told me that he had someone that he wanted me to meet but I had to come with him. And I went too because he wanted me to go. I would've done anything for him. He said that he loved me and I believed him. I believed everything Bill ever said to me." Her smile broadened. "He was a smooth talker and I love smooth talkers. I used to think that he loved me. I was wrong," she said as the smile faded away.

Sookie stared at the girl as she talked; never releasing her hand.

"I asked where we were going. He told me that it was a surprise. He said that my other friends were there," she continued. "He said that they were waiting on me. He said that André, the head vampire, was with them and that we were going to earn our places in the vampire world. He said that André said that we were so accepting of the vampire community that he wanted to reward us. 'We would forever be remembered for being the catalyst to get the vampire race where it needs to be'." She chuckled. "That's what he told me. I was so excited. I felt special and wanted to go because of Bill. No one had ever made me feel that way."

Finally opening her eyes and looking up at the ceiling, Amelia asked, "When Bill looked at me, I felt as if the world had just faded away. It was the most wonderful feeling. I didn't feel different when I was with him. I felt good about being me. Has anyone ever made you feel like that … special and wanted?"

"Yes," Sookie answered. Images of Eric flashed through her mind.

Still looking at the ceiling, Amelia said, "That's how he made me feel. I needed that because for all of my life, my telepathy made it hard for me to meet anyone. I always knew what they were thinking … what they wanted … how they felt." A small smile appeared on her face. "But not Bill. He never knew it but he was peaceful to me. I relished in his quietness. It was beautiful. He always had me believing that he was thinking of me. I adored him. To my very heart, I adored him." She closed her eyes as she basked in the memories. Suddenly a sad look appeared on her face. "But it was all a lie. Everything was a lie. He never loved me," she whispered.

"He didn't deserve you," Sookie said she gripped Amelia's hand. "You will find love; true love. You will find someone that deserves you. I promise."

Amelia turned her head in Sookie's direction. Tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes. Her voice began to tremble as she talked. "They did horrible things to us … to me." She squeezed her eyes closed tightly before opening them again. "They didn't care that I cried to go home. They didn't care about my pain … the vampires or the humans. After awhile, I prayed for death but death never came for me. I thought that I was going to die. I didn't think that I'd ever make it out alive," she said as her voice continued to tremble. "May I ask you something?"

"Yes," Sookie answered.

"Did Bridget get to go home … to the unicorns and the rainbows? Is she still singing the songs that her mother used to sing to her? I wanted her to go home. I wanted all of them to go home; especially Bridget." Amelia began nodding her head. "She always talked about home and how much she missed it … after (swallow), after they took her. Did she get to go home?"

Tears answered Amelia's question.

Amelia began to sob. "Am I the last one?" she choked out.

"You are," Sookie whispered.

Amelia squeezed her eyes closed and she began to sob uncontrollably. She's always believed it to be true but to be certain, to know for sure that her friends are dead because of her, is different. It's so different. "I introduced them to Bill. This is all my fault. I killed them," she whispered. "I KILLED THEM!" she screamed out over and over again.

Sookie continued to hold the girl's hand as she suffered through her pain. She could see the many memories of Amelia and her girlfriends; the laughing, the talking, and the loving. She could see Amelia pacing back and forth in cell with her hands gripping the sides of her head as she would hear a young girl screaming just before her cell door was slammed closed. She could see Amelia pretending that the girls had been released and were sent home instead of killed. She imagined Bridget playing with the unicorns and singing out in a field of daisies. She imagined that all of her friends had been released and they were waiting for her so that they could go about their lives as they did in the past. She would imagine that they were all happy and smiling. They had to be. In all of that darkness and despair, Sookie could see that Amelia still held onto hope.

She leaned down and whispered in Amelia's ear. "It's not your fault. You didn't cause this. You have done nothing wrong. Don't lose hope, Amelia. You have to hold on to your hope. You held on to it while being held captive. Hold on to it now ."

Amelia didn't hear her. She didn't want to hear her. She didn't deserve to hear words of comfort. She deserved the very fate that her friends had suffered through. She screamed it as she thrashed about; almost pulling the IV from her arm. "I SHOULD BE DEAD! I SHOULD BE DEAD! LET ME DIE! JUST LET ME DIE!"

Dr. Ludwig came running into the room and grabbed a needle from the silver tray. Instead of putting the medication in the IV bag, she stabbed it into the girl's arm and waited for the medicine to take hold.

And in only a few seconds, Amelia began to calm down. She was no longer thrashing about and screaming. She was silently crying. Before her eyes closed completely, she looked at the faery princess and said, "I shouldn't be here. I don't deserve to be here. Please, let me die. Just let me die."

Amelia cried until she'd fallen asleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After Amelia had fallen asleep, Sookie went into Pam's room to check on her. As expected, she was sleeping. Her face was still damaged from the beating that Freyda had given her but she was healing.

"She's going to be fine," Dr. Ludwig said from behind her. "Her beating was extremely brutal. She has broken ribs and her lungs have collapsed. She may not need them to breath but the trauma that they have suffered is still quite painful for her. Her nose was broken and her left eye socket was cracked. Most of her teeth have been broken but she will heal. It'll just take some time.

"One of my contacts has made it possible for us to have an unlimited supply of blood for her. I will do whatever I can to make sure that she returns to us as the same high riding bitch she's always been." Dr. Ludwig laughed at her joke.

Sookie leaned over and kissed Pam's forehead as she smiled. "Thank you for all that you've done, Dr. Ludwig. I am forever in your debt."

"You owe me nothing," she replied but the idea that a faery princess owes her made her smile. "The faery princess offered to be in my debt. I've moved up in the world. Hot damn!" she exclaimed. She did a little skip as she left the room.

Sookie laughed as the doctor left the room.

"Mrs. Northman?"

Needless to say, Sookie was more than surprised to see Maggie and Drayton standing at the door of Pam's room. Her face was as calm and as even as ever. She didn't expect to see Maggie in her house; not at this time. She walked over to them and said in a whispered and harsh voice, she said, "Follow me."

Drayton and Maggie followed a quiet and visibly angry Sookie down the hall. Maggie looked up at Drayton. He looked straight ahead. Sookie opened the door to the first room that they came upon and waited for them to enter before slamming the door behind her. She walked to where Drayton was standing and confronted him. "What in the hell are you thinking, Drayton? I put her life in your hands and you bring her back here? Why would you disobey me?"

"Forgive me, your highness," he said. "I felt that …"

Frowning and stepping closer into his body, Sookie said, "You felt? You felt what, Drayton? You felt that you had the right to bring her back here because that's what you wanted? Is that it?"

With his head held high, Drayton answered, "Yes, your highness. It is."

She couldn't believe her ears. Her underling had blatantly disobeyed her. "Your services are no longer needed here," Sookie said. "You are here by banished from the earthly realm. You have forty-eight hours to cut all ties here and return to Faery. If you stay past the allotted time, your life is mine."

Stepping in between Drayton and Sookie, Maggie said, "You can't do that to him. He's part of the reason that Amelia is alive." She stepped back into Drayton's body and said, "He called the big faery and they went to find her. He told me that they brought her to you. He said that you could save her. He said that you could help her. You can't send him away."

A surprised look appeared on Sookie's face. She didn't expect Maggie to stand up for Drayton as she has. She definitely didn't expect the halfling to stand up to her. "He disobeyed a direct order from me. And little girl, I am the big faery. I am the one that he should've contacted." She looked at Drayton and said, "He had no right to call Fintan. He doesn't report to Fintan. He reports to me."

Loudly, Maggie said, "He did what he felt was right. You have no right to do this!"

Sookie's eyes widened. She almost smiled but she caught herself. If she didn't know any better, she would think that Maggie is a member of the royal family … that explosive temper reminds of her Claudette's. "I have every right," she said.

"You don't," Maggie spat.

"Please, Maggie," Drayton said. "I can speak for myself."

Maggie turned around to look at him. "But I …"

"Please," he repeated.

Maggie stared at him for a long moment before deciding to move from in front of him but she didn't go far. She stood by his side and held his hand.

Drayton looked down at her and smiled before returning his attentions back to his princess. "When I learned that she and the missing girl are telepaths, I knew instantly that they are halflings. I put two and two together, your highness, and I knew that the other girls that have gone missing were part fae as well. Maggie told me of Bill Compton and the things that he'd done. I'd heard his name being spoken amongst the security team. I knew that he was a vampire. I had no choice but the report back to Fintan.

"It has never been my intention to defy you, but my people come first; before humans and before vampires. I did as I have always been trained to do. I was going to report the information to the council but Fintan stopped me. He made me promise to keep what has happened between us. He said that he'd made a promise to our queen to keep you and Mr. Northman together and that is what he's going to do and so I promised him. After my report, he said that he would handle it and that is what he's done."

He inhaled before speaking again. "If I am to be punished for loving my kinsmen, then so it is. I accept my punishment with my head held high in knowing that I've done what I was trained to do."

Sookie had never been prouder … a true fae soldier stood before her. She could see a promotion in his future ... if she decides not to banish him.

"No," Maggie yelled as she wrapped her arms around Drayton. "No," she said as she shook her head and looked up at him. "She can't have you."

Drayton used his thumb to trace along Maggie's cheek. "She is my princess. I am honor bound to do as she orders of me. So she has me. She's always had me."

Maggie turned around and looked at Sookie. "Don't do this. It isn't his fault. This was my idea. I figured that since Amelia has been found, it was okay for me to come home. Arayleaha said that it's been said that Bill is dead anyway. Look, I'll go back but I had to come home. I had to know if she's okay."

"He was wrong for going against me," Sookie replied.

Maggie was angry. "I am the reason that you have her. If not for me, she would be dead." She then began to cry. "It's not fair. We have already lost so much. My friends have died. Amelia and I are the only ones left. I needed to make sure that she was okay. Don't take them away from me. I'm begging you." Maggie's eyes were just as pleading as her words. "Please."

Sookie never had any intentions of sending Drayton away. She had to do it for show … for his benefit. If the faery guards knew that the love of her husband and her pregnancy has made her a soft touch, they would take advantage of her every chance they got. She could see that something has happened between Drayton and Maggie as soon as she saw them standing side by side at the doorway of Pam's room. She noticed how Maggie's pinky was lightly touching the back of Drayton's hand. She would never tear them apart. Adele would've had her hide if she'd done such a thing.

Looking at Drayton and Maggie and sounding as harsh as she could, she said, "If you ever defy me again, I will not be as lenient as I am going to be today. After this assignment, you will be sent to the dungeons as punishment. Claudette will give you your assignment. You will remain there for six months. This is your last chance, Drayton."

"Thank you," he said as he bowed to her.

"The Dungeons?" Maggie asked. She didn't know what The Dungeons were but they sounded just awful. She didn't want him to go there. He may never return. "What's that?"

Standing nose to nose with Maggie, Sookie said, "It's the worst place imaginable. Use your imagination, little girl. It's horrifying."

Drayton smiled. It's not as bad as Sookie was making it to be. He would have to clean up behind Neave and Lochlan after they've questioned whomever they'd just tortured. He'd always heard that she has a wicked sense of humor when she wants to.

"He won't be sent away? He'll come back?" Maggie asked.

Sookie sighed and said, "Just this once."

Maggie threw her arms around Sookie; causing her stumble back and almost fall. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. "He will never do it again."

Sookie looked at Drayton over Maggie's shoulder. He nodded at her and smiled. The halfling had him by the heart and he was never going to let her go. "You have my word," he said. "And thank you, your highness. I appreciate your kindness."

"Good," Sookie said. She patted Maggie on the back and easily pushed the girl off of her. "Now, get her back to Alaska until it's safe for her to return. She shouldn't have to be there too much longer. As soon as it's okay for her to come home, I'll call you."

Maggie kissed Sookie on the cheek before she went back to Drayton's side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he popped them back to Alaska.

Sookie smiled as she turned to leave the office. She opened the door to see Dr. Ludwig standing there. "I'm done with the vampire and the halfling. For now, they are in stable condition and since I am done with them, it is your turn. I promised that husband of yours that I would give you a thorough checkup today."

"But I'm fine," Sookie replied. "As we both know, faeries don't get sick. We may weaken a bit but there's no harm."

"Thanks for the self diagnosis, Dr. Northman but if you don't mind, I'll find out for sure on my own," Dr. Ludwig retorted. "Follow me and let's get you undressed and checked out." She turned to leave the room.

Sookie remained rooted in place. "But I'm fine," she repeated.

"Don't care," Dr. Ludwig replied as she continued walking away. "You have five minutes to light a fire under your ass."

"I can't do this today," Sookie said as she left the room. "I have things that I need to do before Eric rises. I have to make a few phone calls. We have plans tonight after his meeting. We are supposed to …"

"Don't care," she repeated.

Sookie kept standing there. "I don't have time for this. I have …" Before she knew it, Dr. Ludwig had Sookie in her arms and had carried the faery princess to the room that had been setup especially for her.

Once she'd closed the door and plopped Sookie down on the bed, Dr. Ludwig said, "You now have more time than you had earlier. You didn't have to walk down the hall. Would you like more time? I can remove your clothing for you as well if it's time that you're trying to save." She placed her hands on her hips as she waited for a response.

"No," Sookie moped. "I can do it myself. You know that you aren't supposed to touch me and you did. I'm going to have to report you," she said jokingly.

Dr. Ludwig laughed. "You won't do shit. Remove your clothes so that we can get this done. Your husband wants a report as soon as he rises."

With a gleam in her eye, Sookie said, "Okay. I'll make a deal with you. I'll let you …"

Seeing Dr. Ludwig walk towards her with her hands out and looking as if she was ready to undress her, Sookie jumped up from the bed and began removing her clothes. "I'll do it myself," she said with a hint of playfulness. "You're awfully bossy, aren't you?"

"Yep," Dr. Ludwig answered as she put her rubber gloves on.

The door to the room opened and another diminutive woman entered the room. She looked exactly like Dr. Ludwig. She was rolling a big machine in with her. She rolled it over next to the bed and began getting it set up.

"What's that?" Sookie asked as she pulled her dress over her head.

With her back to Sookie, Dr. Ludwig said, "That's what we're going to use to listen to your baby vampire's heartbeat. It won't hurt. I'll squirt some jelly on your stomach and use the wand to roll across your belly. You'll be just fine." She turned around to look at Sookie and her eyes almost popped out of her head. "Oh my," she exclaimed.

Sookie didn't notice the look on the doctor's face. She didn't hear anything past listening to the baby vampire's heartbeat. "That's not going to happen. Eric has to be here for that. We are supposed to do that together." She began to put her dress back on.

Dr. Ludwig stopped her. She placed her hand on Sookie's stomach and asked, "When was your last visit with me?"

Sookie shrugged her shoulders. "A couple of months ago," she answered. "I was supposed to have another appointment with you but we had to come here to New Orleans, remember? Why does it even matter? I'm not doing this without Eric. He would want to hear the baby's heartbeat."

Dr. Ludwig fanned off Sookie's comments and said, "Okay. Take off your underwear and lay back on the bed. Let me check you out, Sookie."

For the first time, Sookie noticed the look on the doctor's face. "What's wrong?"

Dr. Ludwig shook her head. "I've never seen a fae go through a pregnancy so quickly. How much of your vampire's blood have you been drinking?"

Sookie threw her dress and panties onto the floor as she answered the doctor's question. "No more than normal. Almost every time we make love. He feeds from me and I feed from him. I can't help it. It's as if my body is craving it." She lay back on the bed and looked at the doctor. "I thought that it was because we are one now. Is something wrong with the baby?"

Ludwig shook her head. "I don't think so. It just astounds me that you've grown so in such a short amount of time. How have you been feeling? Do you feel weak? Are you eating as you should? Tell me if you've been feeling any differently. No matter how small you may think it is, tell me."

Sookie began to feel afraid. She began rattling off everything that has been going with her body since the pregnancy. "Other than my powers weakening after I use them, I've been great. I've been eating and exercising. Eric and I have been making love every night and it's amazing. The stress of my position and searching for those girls have been getting to me but other than that I'm fine."

Ludwig began speaking elfish to the woman that was to be working the machine. In fifteen seconds flat, the woman and left and returned to the room and this time she wasn't rolling a machine in front of her. She was carrying a tray with a needle; an extremely long needle.

Sookie's eye widened with fear. She'd been trained to fight with swords and daggers. She'd sparred with some of the fiercest fighters in Faery and she'd never felt an ounce of fear … not once. She'd even lost a couple of times but she'd get right back into the ring wanting more but this? That needle … it is the scariest thing she'd ever seen in her life.

"What are you going to do with that?" Sookie exclaimed as she sat up quickly.

Ludwig picked up the needle and held it up in the air and studied it. "I'm going to stick this in your …"

"No, you're not!" Sookie yelled.

Ludwig rolled her eyes and said, "Lie down and let's get this done. We have to make sure that everything is fine with you and the baby. It's not going to hurt. Hell, you might not even feel it."

Fear filled her completely. Her need for Eric was overwhelming. She looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that it's 4:40. She couldn't wake him. He'd had a long night. He'd spent the last three hours of his 'awake time' sitting at Pam's side. She couldn't wake him up. So she calmed herself down and asked if Dr. Ludwig if she could make a call. "Let me call Claudette. I can't do this alone," she said.

"Go on," Ludwig barked at her. "We'll get started in ten minutes."

"May I use your phone?" she asked the doctor. "I left mine downstairs."

Ludwig gave Sookie the phone. "Don't go through my messages." She cleared her throat and said, "I have some things in there that aren't meant for young eyes."

Sookie wanted to laugh and she wanted to be surprised but she was too nervous. "I promise," she said as she dialed Claudette's number.

Her cousin answered on the first ring. "Who is this?"

"It's me," Sookie said. "I need you."

Claudette was there so quickly that she was still talking to Sookie on her phone when she popped herself into the room. "I'm here." She looked at her cousin as she put her phone on the night table. "What's wrong?"

Sookie began to cry as she handed the doctor her phone. She pointed at Dr. Ludwig and said to Claudette, "She's going to stab me … big needle. She won't … Eric to rise … I told her … scared but she didn't care … can't do this alone so I called you." She really began to cry then.

Claudette sat on the bed with Sookie and held her hand. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm with you. I'll always be with you." She leaned down and kissed Sookie's forehead. She then started to giggle. "I can't believe that you're afraid of needles. You are the biggest baby."

"You're picking on me," Sookie said in between tears.

Claudette shook her head. "You're acting just as bad as …" She didn't finish her sentence. She couldn't. It was too painful.

Sookie squeezed Claudette's hand and said, "You've got me."

Claudette placed her hand to her heart and nodded. "I've got you," she whispered.

"I love you," Sookie said.

"I love you too," Claudette answered. She then used her free hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and said, "Let's stop this fucking crying and get this over with, okay?"

"Okay," Sookie agreed. She followed her cousin's moves and wiped the tears from her face. "No more crying."

"Good," Ludwig said. "That shit was about to get on my nerves."

Both faeries looked at each other and started laughing.

"Okay," Dr. Ludwig said as she stood over Sookie's body with the needle in hand. "After I locate the position of the baby, I'm going to use this needle. You are going to have to be very still. I'm going to withdraw some fluid from you and once that's done, I'm going to test it. You're going to have to lay here for a few minutes after it's done. Now, as long as you don't move, everything will be just fine."

"Before you put that jelly stuff on my belly, don't let me hear the heartbeat, okay? I want Eric to be here when we do that," Sookie said. "He has to be here."

"You got it," Ludwig said.

Claudette and Sookie watched as the doctor put the jelly on Sookie's stomach. They watched as she rolled the wand across the baby belly. Neither faery looked at the monitor. They didn't want to see the baby without Eric. This was something that he needed to share with his wife.

"Ready?" Ludwig asked.

"No," Sookie answered.

"You can do this," Claudette said. "There's no reason for you to be afraid. I've got you." Claudette then began to laugh. "Do you remember that time grandmother gave us our first birthday party? You, I, Claudia and Claudine had to share a birthday. We'd never had a birthday party because our parents didn't believe that children should have parties. Parties were only meant for adults." Brushing the hair from Sookie's forehead she asked again, "Do you remember that?"

Sookie smiled. "Yes, I do. We had cotton candy and grape flavored candy apples. Niall came here to the earthly realm and got us so many sweets. Do you remember that huge cake that he'd gotten for us? Strawberry and vanilla cream. And the cupcakes were all chocolate."

Claudette started to giggle. "Claudia stole a box of the cupcakes and took them out by the waterfall and ate all of them … ten cupcakes," she said as she laughed. "We couldn't find her anywhere and when we did find her, she was laid out by the falls with cake icing all over her face and crying."

"She had a bellyache," Sookie said. "Chocolate was her enemy after that day."

Claudette began nodding and laughing. "That was a good day," she said.

"It was the best day," Sookie said. "Grandmother was so happy to have all us together." Lovingly staring at her cousin she added, "Thank you for being here with me, Claudette."

"Anytime," she said.

"Done," Dr. Ludwig announced as she removed her gloves.

"When will they know what's going on?" Claudette asked.

"It won't take too long," Ludwig said as she slammed the door behind her.

"I told you that everything was going to be fine," Claudette said.

Sookie smiled. "I wasn't afraid. Not one bit."

"Liar," Claudette said. Getting serious, she gripped Sookie's hand and said, "I'm meeting with Eric tonight."

She kept her face neutral because she had no idea. "Okay," she replied.

"Do you know what it's about?" Claudette asked.

Sookie shook her head no. "I don't know. He didn't tell me. I didn't ask."

Claudette began nodding.

"Are you okay?" Sookie asked.

"Other than losing my last living sister, I'm doing great," Claudette answered. "I'm doing wonderful." She began to nibble at her bottom lip to keep from crying. "Your Buddha belly is getting bigger every day. What in the hell are you eating?"

Any other time she would've been insulted but today, not so much. "Everything that's not nailed down obviously," she replied. "Dr. Ludwig said that my belly is expanding a little too quickly."

Claudette frowned. "What did she say?"

"Nothing really," Sookie said. "She asked about my activities and if I was still feeding from Eric." She said nothing else. She just lay there and stared at her cousin.

"Well," Claudette said. "Are you?"

"Yes," Sookie answered. "He's my husband. Plus, I can't help it. I've been craving him. I've been craving the blood something awful. I need it. I've never needed anything the way that I need him. I feel empty without him."

"As you should," Eric said from the door.

Sookie looked at the clock and saw that it was now 5:30. She sat up in bed and smiled when she saw him coming towards her. She released Claudette's hand and held her arms opened for Eric to come to her. And come to her he did.

He claimed her mouth as his own and tasted the sweetest lips he'd ever tasted. "My lover," he said into her mouth.

"My heart," she said.

"My God," Claudette replied. "Look, since Eric's awake, I'm out of here. Eric, I'll meet you later on tonight. Sookie, I'll see you later. Don't hesitate to call me if you need me."

"I will," Sookie said glanced at her cousin. "I love you."

"I love you too," Claudette said as she popped from the room.

"I've missed you," Sookie said as she peppered Eric's lips with kisses.

He smiled as he slid into bed with her. He leaned down and kissed her baby belly; jelly residue and all. "My son," he said to it. "Is he well?" He rested his head on her stomach as he caressed it.

"I knew that you wanted a son," she said. "What are we going to name him?"

"Eric Jr," he said as he sat up quickly. "My boy has to be a Jr. When he starts walking, I'm going to teach him to use daggers starting out. After a couple of weeks ..."

Sookie shook her head no as she smiled. "Eric, no."

"Think about it," he began. "My boy will be highly proficient in the skill of ..."

"No," she repeated.

"But, Sookie. The least that we can do is compromise."

"Okay. That's what we'll do. Compromise. You see that machine over there?" she asked as she pointed to the other side of the room. "We can hear the baby's heartbeat if you want to but no daggers. And we can find out for sure if we're going to have a son. Do you want to know?"

"I want to hear the heartbeat," he said as he stood up from the bed. "But I want to be surprised when my son enters this world."

"Well when Dr. Ludwig comes back, we'll have her hook me up and we'll listen to his heartbeat minus the daggers."

"I will agree to that," he said with a smile.

Sookie couldn't stop smiling. It pleased her to see Eric looking as happy as he does. He looked like an excited child. She was so in love with him. She held her arms open for him once again. He got back into bed with her and they held each other. They were kissing and canoodling. They were touching and caressing. They were falling in love with each other all over again. There was so much that they needed to talk over but this was their time. They needed this time together … just for a few minutes.

"Sookie and Eric," Dr. Ludwig said from the door. "We need to talk."