Eric held onto Sookie; his outpouring of love, devotion, thanks, and sheer jubilation had her in tears. She'd known Eric would welcome the prospect of fatherhood, but this was unexpected. He hadn't said a word since she accosted him, recounting her day from when Ludwig called, but his emotions said it all.
There are certain words a vampire never expects to hear, and when he does, laughter and ridicule are appropriate responses. On the other hand, Eric had no response to his bonded's revelation. He was going to be a father, and his future dreaming bonded had already seen what was possibly one of many children.
"So… we are going to be parents," he finally whispered. Sookie giggled in response.
"Yes, the cub confirmed that what I dreamt wasn't wishful thinking on my part but the future. At some point in the future, we will have children, a fact made possible by Gran's wish."
"The white wolf is, as I suspected, a supernatural creature of some sort."
"He is. He was rather evasive about what or who he was, simply that he was moved by my cry for help. I proved myself worthy of the only gift he could give me by cutting myself stupid on the wire to rescue him." Sookie ran her finger over the one cut that had left its mark across her left palm. "Oh, evidently, my ability to dream or have nightmares regarding the future will come and go. That also entirely depends on me, but he wouldn't explain how. The concept of dreams or nightmares isn't something he understood. He didn't get it when I tried explaining; it was all rather fascinating." Sookie muttered more to herself.
"Any chance you are already pregnant?" His hopeful look had Sookie cracking up.
"No, Eric, if I were pregnant, I wouldn't be questioning my dreams; it would be obvious. Above all else, I would prefer we deal with my nightmares before we start talking children."
"Oh yes." He muttered.
"Who knew you were this ready for dirty nappies and half your clothes covered in puke?" Sookie teased. He opened his mouth, but words seemed to fail him. "I shouldn't tease. I've had two weeks to get my head around it, and I'm still struggling to believe it." This is evident by her need to confirm that it was possible.
"Min karla." His admiration and love followed freely.
"I love you and am so happy about us and our future," Sookie whispered.
"I love you too," Eric said.
With great effort, Sookie pulled her bed away from the wall. "Good heavens." She groaned as she got on her knees and pried a floorboard loose. She pulled out a small package wrapped in a kitchen towel. It was an old notebook. She ripped out a couple more pages. Rhodes was done and dusted. "What next?" She knew from Jason that Andy and Halleigh got married. This time around, Jonathan was not among the spies from Nevada. Earlier tonight, Eric killed the patrolman. Another thing Sookie had forgotten about. Things escalated so quickly she hadn't learned why he'd still targeted her.
"What are you doing?" Having already felt him coming, Sookie did not react to his question except to hand the notebook over.
"I'm forgetting essential information. You read that since you have what is essentially a photographic memory." Sookie murmured as she stood up.
With his speed, he got through that in a short time. "You gave Furman the appointment knowing he wouldn't be pack leader then." Eric chuckled.
"I did," Sookie mumbled. "Alcide might still show up." She grumbled.
"How are you going to save Sam this time?" Eric asked. It didn't matter that her nightmares would never come to pass, he felt a sense of anger toward the shifter.
"Men," Sookie murmured. "Human, were, or vampire, you are all the same." She stood up. "Be a dear and put the bed back in place." A slight nudge with his toe, and the bed was back in place. "Thank you, Viking," Sookie shouted as she sauntered down the stairs.
"Your favorite Viking." Eric corrected.
Two hours later, Eric was still reading the notebook. "I truly understand you distancing yourself from the weres. The Pelt family alone, especially Sandra, were a nightmare." Eric groused.
"I believe this time Alcide was still with her when she died." Sookie had no idea how Debbie Pelt died this time, nor did she care. As long as she didn't have to do it or have someone do it for her, she was good. It doesn't matter what she does, he will never truly get over her. As long as she, Jannalynn, Furman, and some others were a part of that pack, I would never be involved even minutely." Sookie's thoughts again went to Sam regarding Jannalynn. Sam, she was allowed to save, but it was possible she wouldn't have to. She was not in his life, and Jannalynn had nothing to be jealous of.
"You could always warn him to stay clear of her," Eric said, almost as though he knew what Sookie was thinking.
"Would it be really horrible if I implied that selling me his bar would save his life?" Sookie looked so ashamed of herself. Eric had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He would have done that without a second thought.
"We both know my answer to that," Eric smirked. "Think of the bigger picture." He was currently rereading Arlene's attempt to crucify Sookie as the were panther had been. As far as he was concerned, keeping an eye on her and some in Bon Temps was crucial to their continued happiness. "Who will run Merlotte's when he leaves to help his mother. He had you in his nightmares. That is not going to happen here. Or you could always say nothing, let him shut the bar, and open a place yourself. I have a piece of property that would be perfect for a bar. If we start work now, we can be open by the time the shifter has to leave to help his mother." Eric proposed.
"I'm sure he'd rather take the money than return to find Jason, and Lafayette has stolen his customers. With Lafayette cooking, they will keep those customers." Sookie would rather Sam sold Merlotte's.
"Might I add, renovating my property would be cheaper to boot."
Sookie groaned in despair. "Why do you have to make such sense." Eric laughed.
"Oh…"
"Shut up." Sookie straddled him, smashing her lips to his.
"It couldn't possibly…" Sookie murmured as she entered the code for the backdoor, and she was surprised to find that it worked.
"It would seem outside of your orbit, nothing else has changed," Mael murmured. Which meant her fear regarding the likes of Arlene was warranted.
"How did you…" Sam's anger dissipated rather quickly at the sight of her.
"The code to the backdoor is the same," Sookie murmured as she took in the place.
"Is it the same?" He looked around his bar.
"It is." She sat down at the very booth that was hers. The very seat Bill Compton took when he first walked into Merlotte's.
"Can I get you a drink?" He offered, looking out of sorts.
"No, thank you."
He took the seat across from hers. "What can I do for you, Miss Brigant."
"Call me Sookie." Much to Eric's displeasure, she had decided to offer Sam a fair price for his bar. In reality, he would sell willingly if he had an ounce of sense. He would not be around to run the bar, and he had no one to do it for him either. His absence in those few days would make a difference. She'd done nothing but thought of Sam Merlotte for two days, and she had been rewarded with what was, unfortunately, a nightmare where he was concerned. That hadn't been the plan; her thoughts had simply focused on what was best to do about him, giving her a massive insight into how her gift of foresight worked. If he got involved with Jannalynn Hooper, he would pay with his life. That was before he had to deal with his stepfather shooting his mother.
"How bad is it?" Sam asked after her silence had reigned for several minutes, and it wasn't an exaggeration. Sookie had simply not known where to start.
"That entirely depends on you." She looked into his eyes, blue eyes so familiar yet that of a stranger because she'd chosen to make him one. "Despite my reputation, some chose not to heed my advice." She leaned back. "Had I not been blessed with the gift of foresight, I would have started working here not long after high school. You would have given me a chance despite the rumors of my gift or what some chose to see as insanity. That also meant you had someone reliable when things took a turn for you. In this life, you don't have that. I never intended to make things difficult for you, but in trying to help others, I have left you with no one to fall back on.
Avoid Jannalynn Hooper at all cost," Sookie entreated.
"You have my word." Sam's voice was barely discernible.
"In two months, you guys will reveal yourself." Sam nodded. "Your stepfather is going to shoot your mother. She will live. I can't tell you what to do regarding that, but I will suggest you take on holiday before the reveal." It would do little good, but hope was a wonderful thing.
"Thank you, Sookie." He muttered sincerely.
"Now, any chance I could convince you to sell the bar. Your lack of the grill part has already taken its toll." Even Jason stopped visiting the bar and mostly ate at the office. According to him, business had also been slow, with Sam closing much earlier than advertised on most nights. "And, unfortunately, it's only about to get worse. Not to force your hand or anything. You will soon have competition that will force you to close your doors. I'd rather you make something out of this than loose everything. Simply let the competitor own this place." Eric would rather have Jason and Lafayette open their bar and restaurant than her purchase Merlotte's. Still, Sookie couldn't help but let Sam out of all this with something to show for it. Although she had endeavored to be honest, she felt she had been a little too honest if the way Sam was looking at her was anything to go by. It took everything to hold back her wince when she picked up on his thoughts.
"We meant more to each other, or we would have." He stated rather than asked.
"I'm afraid you were a causality of my determination to keep the townsfolk out of my life and business." Sam knew it was more than that, but also knew this was as much as Sookie was going to admit. She could have strong-armed him into selling but had been honest, probably more so than she ever intended.
"I will have an evaluation done, and we can negotiate the price then. Will sometime next week do?"
"It will." With a handshake, Sookie left the bar.
"Why the hell did I put myself in this position?" Sookie grumbled as they drove back to the office.
"You wanted to monitor the townsfolk," Tray murmured.
"It's strange that the vampire is the one with a little more sentimentality. You wanted to do something for him. You took yourself and Holly out of the equation. Without you, Holly would have been the perfect substitute to run the bar in his absence. Also, we both know Eric would have encouraged your brother Laff to start their own bar. That would have screwed the shifter big time." Mael said.
Sookie wasn't entirely sure how to react to the scene that greeted her. Eric, in his boxer shorts, a glass of blood, clearly one with too much Fairy blood on his stomach as he watched some nature program.
"What happened?" Sookie asked, trying and failing to stop her laughter at the scene before her.
"I'm told this is what husbands do when they fear their wife leaving them for another, they despair." He quipped.
"Indeed, I have heard that too. Where I'm not entirely sure, some TV program or movie, I'm sure." She took the single seater and feigned a solemn look. "It meant nothing." She whispered.
"I don't know if that makes me feel any better." Eric managed to keep a straight face, but his emotions betrayed him.
"How do I make you feel better?" Sookie stood before him, slowing down and unbuttoning her dress shirt.
"That's a start." He drained the glass and stood up. The banging on her front door interrupted whatever the pair had in mind.
"Get dressed," Sookie growled.
"What's going on." He was dressed by the time she opened the door to Zoe.
"I know. We have uninvited guests." She was gone before Eric could ask for further clarification. He and Zoe were at the office seconds later.
Sookie was barely distinguishable from the light that enveloped her in her anger. Victor Madden, Isabel Beaumont, and Alcide Herveaux stood in her foyer, each demanding her attention as if they had any right to it.