12 years earlier

"Sookie, if you don't bring up at least some of your grades you aren't going to graduate." Mrs. Throton the school councilor said to Sookie in her office.

"I'm trying so hard." Sookie said her head dropping. Tears starting to roll down her face.

"Try to find a tutor, speak to your teachers. Here, these are the assignments you HAVE to redo to pass the first semester." Mrs. Thorton passed her the pile of papers.

"Okay, I'm gonna try really hard. I promise." Sookie said, sniffling as she grabbed them and stood up. Smoothing out her Bon Temps high cheer uniform as she did.

"I believe in you, Sookie." Mrs. Throrton said, but it didn't sound sincere. Sookie walked to the library, and went all the way to the back to sit at a table alone, out of the way. She was in no mood to talk to anyone right then. She started going through the pages, and started to cry again because she couldn't even understand what she was supposed to do for some of the assignments. The words didn't make any sense. She laid her head on the desk, quietly crying.

"I am…. So sorry. My bag is behind you." Sookie heard, and she looked up. It was a guy she knew, she had ceramics with him. He was very very tall, had long blonde hair, and blue eyes like hers. He was a little chubby, but she thought it just made him look huggable.

"Eric, right?" She asked. Sniffing, wiping her face. She got up, and handed his bag to him.

"Yeah, I didn't know you knew my name. Are you okay?" He asked, taking a seat next to her at the table.

"No, I'm stupid. As a result of being really really stupid I wont graduate unless I can pass both semesters, and I have to do these assignments." She started crying again, and covered her face.

"You aren't stupid." Eric said, not sure what else to say.

"I really am, not like oh I don't like you kind of way. I'm really just not very smart. If I don't graduate, Sam wont let me keep working at the diner, and I really need that job." She started crying even harder.

"Let me see." Eric said, as he pried the tear stained papers out from under her arms.

"You don't have to." Sookie said ,trying to brush him away, but he didn't stop.

"I want to, this one is easy you just have to write a persuasive essay. Why don't we start here?" Eric said pulling a notebook from his bag. He tried for over an hour to help her, until finally he had a thought.

"Are you dyslexic?" He asked.

"No, I'm a Baptist." Sookie said, not looking up as she strained writing the words on the page.

"What? No…. Dyslexia is a learning disability. It means your brain doesn't process words on the page like everyone else. It makes reading, and writing more difficult. Maybe you can talk to your parents and….." Eric said and she cut them off.

"They're dead, They died in a car accident last year." Sookie said tightly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Who do you live with?" Eric asked.

"It used to be my Gran, but she got so sad after my parents died she had a heart attack, and she died a few months after. My brother was technically my guardian for a few months, but he lives in Las Vegas. I turned 18 in June so I'm an adult, but now you see why I really really need to keep my job at the Diner." She said, her features getting stricken.

"You live alone?" Eric asked shocked.

"I mean, no one knows…. Please don't tell anyone. I don't want Bill Compton, or John Quinn showing up at my house because they know I'm there alone. I'm not that kind of cheerleader. " Sookie pleaded, her voice low and strained. She sounded genuinely fearful of people finding out she lived alone.

"I wont tell anyone. I promise. Let me help you…. All of this would take me a few hours tops. How about, I just do the assignments, C level work so it's believable, and then I can tutor you a little so you can actually learn it, but without the pressure." Eric offered, looking through all the pages.

"What do you want in return?" Sookie asked suspiciously. Nothing in life was free. That was a lesson she had learned the hard way since her parents and Gran died.

"Ummm, nothing? I don't think this is your fault. I think you have undiagnosed dyslexia. This shit town didn't help you and now you are going to be fucked because of the negligence, and shoving you along when you weren't good to go." He said, not really understanding.

"I got held back in third grade. Thats why I'm already 18. So they stopped me once." Sookie said.

"They should have caught this, and helped you." Eric said annoyed. Dumb ass back water hick town. He couldn't wait to leave. This was his mothers home town. She had moved them back when she divorced his dad when he was 13.

"Just to be clear you aren't going to ask me to suck your dick, or sleep with you right? I'm stupid, not a slut." Sookie said, looking deeply in his eyes.

"Has that happened to you before?" Eric asked, feeling shocked.

"Mr. Madden offered to raise my grade if I took off my clothes, and sucked him. I declined. Bill Compton also offered to drive me home from work in exchange for letting him have sex with me every 3rd ride. I also declined that offer." Sookie said, with a sigh.

"You should tell someone." Eric said, now genuinely worried about her wellbeing and over all safety.

"I just want to graduate, and get out of here in one piece. I'm considering getting a gun if I can save enough money." Sookie said, and Eric nodded.

Sookie and Eric became fast friends. When he found out she didn't have electricity he told his Mom, who first, paid to get it turned back on. Then helped her get a reduced rate. His Mom, Sophie also insisted she eat dinner with them if she wasn't working because she noticed how thin Sookie was, and rightfully assumed she wasn't eating very much because she couldn't afford food. Eric did her work she needed to Pass, and he got a genuine friendship out of it.

"When do you leave for college?" Sookie asked one day while she was laying on his bed scrolling through his iPod. She was wearing the Minnie Mouse sweatshirt he had gotten her for her 19th birthday. Eric was sitting in the chair at his desk. She had formed quite the crush on Eric, hell…. She was in love with him, but she didn't want to mess up his plans. Also, no matter how hard she tried to get him to show interest in her, he seemed to not be into her like that. He was getting out of this no stop light town, and going back to California to go to UCLA. His father still lived there.

"I'm flying out to see my Dad the day after graduation." Eric said scanning her form as she laid on his bed. The sweet torture that it would be with her scent left all over it. Sookie was HOT. He was tall, fat and awkward. Sometimes she would curl up on him, and snuggle. It would be everything he could do to keep his hard on from touching her. Sometimes it couldn't be avoided, and he swears sometimes she was teasing him on purpose.

"That soon? Wow… thats good for you though. Back to the city." She said, covering her disappointment with fake excitement.

"He wants to discuss my future and stuff like that." He said getting up, lounging next to her. She rolled over, and draped herself over him. She just sat quietly. Knowing her time with him was ending soon. Eric made no secret of his hatred for Bon Temps. He never wanted to step foot in this town again. The was little to no chance she was ever stepping foot out of it. They were at an impasse in their lives facing different directions.

Graduation came, and they both walked. Sookie kept her job, and went full time. She even helped Eric pack, and was as supportive as she could be. She went with his Mom to take him to the airport when he was leaving. They started boarding his plane, but Sookie grabbed onto him, and pulled him down to kiss her. He was shocked at first, but quickly responded. When she pulled back she quietly said.

"I love you, and I am so proud of you." He didn't know what to say back. He wanted to stay, to figure something out with her, but he couldn't. He had to go.

"You're my best friend." He replied, and she just gave a sad smile and nodded. He hated that he had said it as soon as the words left his mouth. The heartbroken look on her face didn't make it any better. He loved her he knew it, bt if he said it there would be no chance of him getting on that plane.

"Of course." She sighed. "Promise me you'll be good."

"I promise, promise to look out for my Mom?" He asked in return.

"I promise." She nodded. The final boarding call was made. He hugged his Mom one more time, then he hugged Sookie tightly pulling her up to him. He kissed her cheek and walked onto the plane. Sookie just stared at the jet way he had just disappeared in, and burst out crying. Sophie grabbed Sookie and wrapped her in a tight hug as she said.

"It's okay, he'll be back." Not feeling confident in her words. She had a feeling Eric would never be coming back. She let out her tears too. Feeling like she had just lost her son.

Present Day

"Okay, so everything is done right?" Eric asked his assistant Pam, as they stood in the moist Louisiana breeze.

"Yes, contracts are signed, and sent. We are free to return to civilization." Pam said, with relief.

"Shreveport is only 40 minutes from where my Mom lives. I need to drive down, and see her. If she knew I was here and didn't see her she'd be pissed, or hurt, or both. I should answer her calls more." Eric sputtered, feeling guilty, and nervous. His Mom wasn't the only reason he wanted to Detour to Bon Temps. He wanted to see what became of Sookie. He figured she was married with a few kids by now. He had asked about her over the years, but his Mom wasn't willing to say much. After 12 years he had mostly gotten over the crippling sadness of losing her, ruining what they had with his choices, and knowing he would never find someone to ever love him again. At this point he just wanted to see her one more time, maybe hear her voice again.

He had lost touch with Sookie almost as soon as his Second semester of his freshman year of college started. He met his friend Alcide, they started going to the gym together. Eric lost 75 pounds, and girls took notice of him. It all sort of snowballed from there. He should have kept in touch with her. He regretted not telling her he loved her too for quite a few years after he left. Hell, who was he kidding, he still regretted it and he was still in love with her.

"Must I come?" Pam asked, distressed.

"Yeah, I might need assisting, or for you to be my fake girlfriend to ward off hoes." He said, but really It was so he could use pam as a prop to not look so terminally single if Sookie was married, and seem like less of a threat to her husband so he could get a chance to talk to her. He really just wanted to talk… one more time. He had missed her friendship. He missed her. She was the one who got away for him.

"Ughh, fine. Let's go."

They got in the rental and drove to the small town. He knew everyone would be at Merlotes on a Friday night, including his mother. So thats where they went. When they pulled in the lot was already full. He walked in, and Pam excused herself to the bathroom. Eric walked up to the bar to order them some drinks and wait when he saw her come out of the kitchen. It may have been 12 years, but Sookie Stackhouse looked even better than he remembered. She had held up really well. He was a little shocked she still works here, but was excited to see her none the less. She didn't notice him, and he waited until she set down the tray of food before he grabbed her arm as she walked past him.

"Hey, Buddy no touch….. Oh my God… Eric." She said, as she looked up. She started breathing heavily, putting her hands in his chest. Touching him as if to make sure he was real.

"Glad to see you remember me." He smiled at her, with what he had coined his panty dropping smile.

"I would never forget you." She said sweetly, and laid her head on his chest, hugging him. Trying to memorize everything about him again. Eric was THE ONE when it came to guys. No one compared to him in her eyes. She still loved him so much, even after all these years. "I missed you so much." She murmured, making his heart soar. Just then Pam slid up grabbing his arm, and said.

"Going to introduce me?" Her tone laced with distain. Sookie let go of him, and shot back like he had gone radioactive. She felt so stupid, he hadn't spoken to her in 12 years and she was glomming on him again like it was her right. There was no way a guy like Eric wasn't involved with someone.

"Oh my God… of course you have a wife. I am so sorry. I'm so embarrassed. It was nice seeing you, Eric. Bye." Sookie said, and ran back to the kitchen before he could speak. Pam looked smug, but Eric looked pissed.

"Pam! Not her! Thats Sookie." He growled annoyed. Sookie didn't seem that pissed at him. She actually seem like she wanted to see him again. So that was a good sign. He just hoped Pam hadn't screwed things up too much making it seem like he was with her.

"Whats a Sookie?" Pam asked, pulling a face.

"Sookie was the best thing to ever happen to me, and you scared her off!" He growled and followed where sookie had gone into the back. He didn't care, he was used to getting his way at this point in his life. He walked past the confused faces behind the grill and found her crying at the end of a dark hall.

"Hey." He said, grabbing her.

"I'm so sorry. Is your wife mad? I didn't know, your Mom and I don't talk about you." Sookie said, quickly. Trying to wipe her eyes and pull herself together. Just generally look less like her heart was exploding into a million pieces.

"Thats not my wife, she's my assistant. You talk to my mom?" His Mom always made it sound like she hardly saw Sookie, and knew nothing about her after his first year in college.

"Yeah, all the time. We have dinner twice a week, and I drive her to church on Sunday, then to fellowship." Sookie said, trying to straighten herself up.

"And you don't talk about me?" Eric asked, again confused. Sookie just blushed and squirmed. Fidgeting a bit before she said.

"I umm…. I was really sad when you stopped calling, and after she came back from visiting you at college she said that you had moved on and were dating, and I should get over you. The first thing she suggested was for me to stop asking for and getting news about you."

Eric cringed, his mother had paid him a surprise visit, and found him in his dorm, in bed with a girl. Then when they were walking around another girl ran up. Kissing him thanking him for the week before. Then a third girl in the food hall asked if he wanted to hook up again. His mother had been disgusted, and pretty pissed at him. He had asked about Sookie before she left, but she refused to say anything about her. He didn't realize his Mom was going to tell Sookie what he had been up to though. He felt the familiar pain of guilt, and disgust he had felt almost constantly in those early years after he betrayed Sookie.

"I'm sorry, I hurt you." He said, and he meant it. He had been so so stupid. Losing her was his biggest regret, and it absolutely haunted his entire life.

"It's not your fault. I knew it was goodbye. It was just a stupid crush." Sookie said and blushed. Trying to diminish how she feels and had felt in the wake of him just freezing her out abruptly, never to be heard from again.

"Are you married?" Eric asked, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

"Oh… no. never even been close. I'm 31 now, so I'm an old maid by Bon Temps standards. I'm okay that it's not going to happen for me." Sookie said, with a shrug. Eric was stunned. He was shocked that no one had scooped her up.

"I really thought you would be married and happy." Eric said, not really sure how he felt about it. Thrilled, and hopeful he could get a night with her, but sad she didn't get what she wanted at the same time.

"I'm not unhappy. Here, my shift is almost over. I'll take you to your Mom, She's probably at John Floods garage." She took off her apron after fishing out her tips, before she yelled. "Sam I'm out early, I wont be in tomorrow."

"Sook, you got an hour left, and I need you to open." Sam said, peeking out of his office.

"Looks like I'm fired then." Sookie shrugged. Sam sighed, and hung his head. There was no firing Sookie. He could never let that happen to her. Sam felt like he had a responsibility to her. She was just a kid when she started working for him. She wasn't too much older than his own children. He also felt responsible for her parents death, he had served the guy who hit them the night they died. She had a job there as long as she wanted it.

"Fine, see ya Sunday." Sookie smiled, and took Erics hand walking him back out to the bar. The feeling of holding his hand was familiar, and comforting. She still could hardly believe he was really there. She had pretty much given up on the fantasy that he would just roll back into town one day and seek her out.

"Pam, we're leaving." Eric called, causing Pam to run over, clutching her purse, looking terrified.

"Eric, that one asked if my teeth were real, and that one said I had nice toes." Pam said, clutching to him as she followed them out.

"The teeth thing is a valid question around here. Andy is just a pervert. You get used to him." Sookie said, with a shrug.

"Why is my Mom with John Flood?" Eric asked, following Sookie to her car. Which he was horrified to see was still the 1999 chevy lumina she drove in high school that was a piece of shit back then.

"Because they have been dating for 8 years. She lives with him and helped raise his kids. They call her Mom." Sookie looked confused at Eric. How could he not know he basically had a step family now?

"I really need to start answering my Mom's calls." Eric whispered looking lost.

"You've never been one for keeping in touch. I'm sure she's over it." Sookie said opening the hood, and holding the connector with her foot, while contorting, and twisting to start her car with a screwdriver that was in the ignition.

"Can I help you?" Eric asked, just really not okay with watching her struggle.

"No I'm good. Do you remember where it is ,or do you want to follow me?" She asked.

"We'll follow you." Eric said as she finally got the car started, which was making a high pitch squealing noise. She put the hood down, and got in her car.

"See you there." Sookie said with a bright smile. Eric walked to the rental in a daze. When they got in the car Pam asked.

"Eric, who the hell is she ,and why do you look so weird?" Pam asked. Eric sighed and said.

"Sookie was really my only friend while I was here. I had a lot of feelings for her, and she's the only woman to ever really love me as I really am, other than my mother."

"So she's an ex girlfriend." Pam said, squinting a little trying to put the pieces together, because he had never told her about Sookie.

"No, we never were together like that. We only kissed once right before I got on the plane to go back to California." Eric lamented. He was not leaving there without some one on one time with Sookie. He needed to at least kiss her one last time.

"When was the last time you talked to her?" Pam asked.

"They day I lost my virginity at college. She called me and I couldn't tell her what I was doing anymore. I felt guilty I guess. So I stopped answering her calls." Eric admitted, hanging his head a little when he saw Sookie holding a little flashlight out her window and using it as a turn signal.

"You felt like you cheated on her." Pam said in a teasing tone.

"I don't know what I felt. I should have come back for her." He said absently. He absolutely had felt like he had cheated on her. He had sat on his bed alone, disgusted with himself, and crying after he lost his virginity because he felt so much like he had cheated on her, and betrayed her love that she was offering him while he withheld his for her. Despite him feeling it so strongly, and Sookie deserving all the love in the world.

"I'm sure Hillbilly Barbie is fine." Pam dismissed.

"Pam, I will fire you and bury your career if you ever say a sideways word about Sookie like that again, am I clear?" He said in a deadly serious tone. Pam gulped and replied.

"Yes, Sir." Pam didnt know what to think. The woman was attractive, but Eric was acting insane over her. He had never talked to her like that before. They pulled into the garage parking lot where Eric could see his Mom sitting in a lawn chair with a beer next to John Flood, and a few other people.

"Sophie, look what the cat dragged in." Sookie said, as she trotted up hugging both Sophie and John. His Mom looked out, and saw Eric get out of the car.

"ERIC!" Sophie yelled, and ran jumping into his arms. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a huge smile on her face.

"I had work in Shreveport. I figured you'd kill me if I didn't drive down." He hugged her back.

"And you saw Sookie." Sophie said with a fake smile. Not thrilled at all about that. It took years to get Sookie to stop openly mourning him leaving. Basically a decade to accept he was never coming back. This would make her basically start from scratch getting over him again. Sookies loyalty to her son was Really difficult to understand since he had no loyalty to her at all.

"Yeah. I missed her." Eric said, confused.

"Sure you did." Sophie said, a bite to her voice. Her eyes rolling slightly. She didn't believe for a second that Sookie ever meant much to him other than something nice to look at while he killed time before he could run off to go be with Andre, and be just like Andre. Eric looked at her as he thought about how to reply when he heard John talk.

"Sookums, your car sounds like shit" John said as he walked to it. Sookie ran over, and dove on the hood before saying.

"John, you know I don't have the money to fix it right now. She starts and moves, thats all I need."

"Just let me do this one on the house." John pleaded.

"How much do you need? I'll pay for it." Eric said. Sookie stood up and gave him a disgusted look. All of the anger she felt from his abandonment bubbled up in that moment. She didnt want money from him. She only ever wanted him.

"I dont want your money, Eric. I wanted a fucking phone call, or at least a god damn reason why you stopped calling." She took a deep breath and stomped off into the woods. She was pissed at him, she had a right to be. Eric had been hoping he wouldn't get the in person receiving end of pissed off Sookie. He had witnessed it as an outsider a few times when they were kids, and he really dreaded being its target.

"Pam, go back to the hotel." Eric yelled, tossing her the keys as he chased after Sookie. The keys bounced off Pams chest onto the ground. She awkwardly bent to pick them up.

"Umm, hello Eric's mother and….. others. I am Pamela Ravenscroft his assistant." Pam said, not really sure what to do now that Eric had abandoned her in this back water hell hole.

"Sookie stop! Please I'm sorry." He yelled after her. Getting hit with every branch and bramble in the woods it seemed. Sookie popped out of the woods right in front of her house, and walked up to the porch.

"Stop it, Eric. I thought we were friends! I knew you weren't coming back, but I didn't think I'd never talk to you again." Sookie yelled at him as he came out of the tree line.

"I fucked up! I missed you all the time. I never met anyone like you ever again." He pleaded following her up to the door. The house was in even worse condition than when he left. He was worried he was going to go through the boards on the porch they were so rotted.

"It's been 12 years. Do they not use phones in California? My number never changed. Tell me what happened." She lowered her head a whispered. "Just tell me what I did wrong. Losing you like that broke my heart. Just tell me." Her voice filled with sadness.

"You didn't do anything." He sighed, and wrapped his arms around her. He decided he just needed to come clean so she would know it was what he did, and that she didn't do anything wrong. She was perfect. "I slept with someone, and I felt wrong and guilty. I couldn't bring myself to talk to you again, because I felt like I cheated on you. Then I went off the rails, and slept with a lot of people. Honestly, you made me promise to be good and I broke the promise. I couldn't face you." He admitted, to her, and himself for the first time.

"We weren't together, you were allowed to date and have fun. You didn't do anything wrong." Sookie said, gently touching his face.

"It felt wrong." He whispered as he caught her lips with his own. The kiss turning frenzied. He picked her up, and opened the front door, kicking it closed behind him. He carried her back to where he remembered her room was. It looked exactly the same except for a large black trash can in the middle of the room. He pulled back, and let her take his shirt off.

"Whats that?" Eric asked, pointing to the trash can, and lifting off her shirt too.

"Oh the roof leaks really bad. It's easier to just be ready. I have $1000 saved to fix it. It only took me 8 months to save. I only need $6000 for a new roof. I'm close." She said sounding proud, but Eric was just yet again horrified that he had left her there to just languish in poverty all alone, with no help.

"Okay." Was all he said because then she took her bra off, and shimmied out of her shorts and underwear. He was amazed by her body. She looked better than he had ever imagined her, or how he remembered from all the times she had flashed him while they were spending the night in his room together.

"You are hotter than I had imagined, my mind did you no justice." He said, as he quickly took off the rest of his clothes.

"You thought about me naked?" She giggled, as he tossed her on the bed.

"I still jerk off thinking about you in that camo bikini to this day." He said honestly .

"I shouldn't be as flattered as I am." She gasped, as he slid his fingers across her folds.

"So wet for me, Lover." He said, as he kissed her.

"Eric please, I want this with you. It's always been you." She gasped.

"I have to go back, we cant do this if me going back is going to hurt you." Eric said quickly, pulling back and looking down at her face.

"It's just one night. I just want the fantasy for one night. I know it will never be real." Sookie said, giving a soft smile.

"Okay, just one night." He grinned back. In his head he was screaming that 1 night would never be enough. He NEEDED her now that he had broken the seal on their relationship, and was taking the step he never allowed himself to take when they were young.

"But start calling me once in a while." She said, with a teasing tone.

"Absolutely, I still remember the number." He smiled, and kissed her again.

They made love over and over that night, and again in the morning in the shower that probably was too small for sex.

"Pam will be here any minute to get me. We fly out at 3." Eric said, standing at the door with her.

"Call your mom. You saw her for like 5 seconds." Sookie said.

"I will, I promise." He said, as he kissed her.

"Keep your promise this time." Sookie chided.

"I will, I'll call you when I get home." He said, as Pam pulled down the rutted driveway.

"Its a land line, so if I'm not here leave a message." She said, hoping he remembered. She didn't have a cell phone.

"Sookie…. Do you still love me?" Eric asked, softly. Knowing it was unfair to ask when he knew he wouldn't be able to say it back to her yet. He still did it anyway, because he needed to hear it again.

"Unconditionally, since I was 18." Sookie admitted, before he pulled her into one more deep kiss. Wishing he had the strength to say it back.

"Eric, we need to go." Pam called, from the car.

"I will call you." He said again, and she nodded. He ran down the stairs to the car, and waved. Sookie walked back in with a huge smile as she started cleaning up. A few hours later Sophie walked in.

"Sook! You here?" She called.

"I'm here Soph, whats up?" Sookie asked, as she walked out of her bedroom. She had been waffling on washing the sheets. Ultimately, she decided not to until Eric's smell faded away. She wanted to let their night together linger for her.

"Eric called me, he said you guys spent the night fixing your friendship." Her tone was odd, and unsettled.

"Ummm yeah." Sookie said, with a blush.

"Did you sleep with him?" Sophie asked seeming disappointed. If they had sex she just knew there was no chance of Sookie ever really getting over him.

"I have always wanted him to be my first. I love him, you know that." Sookie said, and started crying. She didn't want Sophie to be disappointed in her, but she loved him so much, and he came back for a night. She was an adult. She could have one night of fantasy sex if she wanted to. Sophie went to her and held her.

"Oh honey, I don't think he's coming back though." Sophie said softly. She knew Sookie would be left hurting by this, after he inevitably lost interest in her again. It broke her heart to see. She loved Sookie like her own child.

"We talked, we knew it was just one night. It's what I wanted. I cant just get over him." Sookie sniffled. She couldn't love anyone other than Eric. It was just the truth. He was just who she loved.

"Are you happy with your decision?" Sophie asked.

"I am, it felt so so right." Sookie said, with a huge smile as she wiped her eyes.

"As long as you are happy, honey. I still stand he was a fool to treat you like he did." Sophie said, with a tight face. She would always be there for Sookie. She just hated how things worked out between her, and her Son. Sookie deserved so much more.

"He had his reasons." Sookie said, with a shrug. Sophie looked unimpressed.

"Come on, John fixed your car." Sophie said as she waved Sookie along.

"I told him not to!" Sookie said, with exasperation. Her arms flying up in defeat.

"Yeah, but then you left it right in his driveway where his tools could reach it." Sophie laughed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Pam, I'm going to send Sookie flowers I need help." Eric called from his office. Pam rolled her eyes. Eric has been obsessed with Sookie for the last two months since they returned from Louisiana. He calls her whenever she isn't at work. He actually puts her weekly shift schedule in his planner so he's never in a meeting when she would be walking in from work. He mails her gifts, and Sookie on three occasions has mailed him cookies, which disgusted Pam… but not as much as watching him eat the snail mail cookies did though.

"Roses?" Pam asked.

"No, she's Sookie. I cant send her the same thing I sent other women. No, look at this… different flowers have different meanings. Should I just say what I want or go with something cohesive?" Eric asked. He had sent her love letters in flowers every year on her birthday since she turned 24. He didn't want to make It too obvious that had been him. If Pam picked the flowers the style would probably be different enough to not make her think they were all from him.

"She'd probably be happy with flowers made of pipe cleaners, and tissue paper. Why spend $200 on a bouquet that will be rested in an old pickle jar?" Pam snarked.

"Pam, are you sure you are comfortable with that statement." Eric said menacingly.

"Say what you want." Pam corrected, and looked nervous.

"I want the arrangement to say unconditional love, attachment, sincerity, friends and lover, I miss you and hope." Eric said, and Pam took down notes. Still just not getting what the deal was with Sookie.

"When do you want them delivered?" Pam asked.

"Tomorrow morning. Do you think I can get down to Louisiana anytime soon? Maybe Sookie would be willing to come here….." He thought out loud.

"There is no break in your schedule soon." Pam said, dryly.

"Shit… That sucks." Pam rolled her eyes again, and left his office. He worked for a few more minutes when his phone started ringing. It was his Mother… he was going to ignore it, but he was trying to pick up for her if he wasn't actually in a meeting.

"Hey Mom." He greeted.

"Eric, I am calling you to prepare you so you can have whatever terrible reaction first before sookie talks to you." Sophie said, out of breath. Sounding panicked.

"What, whats wrong?" Eric asked.

"I don't have much time! She's driving home to call you!" Sophie yelled.

"Whats happening?" Eric yelled back, causing Pam to peak her head in.

"Were you aware you took Sookies virginity?" Sophie asked.

"Shit…. No." Eric said his head spinning. Would he have still slept with her if he knew? Frankly, yeah he probably would have. He does feel bad he didn't make it special for her though. Or at least tell her how grateful he was that she picked him to give that moment to.

"Sookie is pregnant. The baby is yours. If I hear that you asked if she is keeping it I will fly out there to beat you black and blue." Sophie said, quickly with no room for argument.

"Oh my god… how?" Eric said, sitting lightheaded back at his desk. Pam came over looking concerned.

"You had sex with her, Eric." Sophie said, annoyed.

"I know how babies are made, Mom. What am I going to do?" Eric asked terrified. Pam gasped, and sat in a chair too.

"You will be incredibly supportive. Visit her, and the baby when you can. You pay child support, and don't say anything shitty. I will help her too." Sophie said

"Mom, I'm scared." Eric finally got out.

"Not as scared as Sookie, So keep it together." Sophie said. Trying to be firm.

"She doesn't live here… I don't live there. We just started…. Oh nooooooooo." Eric said suddenly terrified.

"What? Are you sleeping with someone else?" Sophie asked, with a bite.

"What? No Mom. There hasn't been anyone since her. What am I going to tell Dad?" Eric asked, and Sophie took in a sharp breath.

"Tell Andre NOTHING right now. Give me some time to think, we will brainstorm. This will fuck up his twisted little plans for you." Sophie said, sounding annoyed.

"Mooooooom." Eric groaned, not liking when they start shit talking each other, but his mom was sort of right. A baby was not in Andres plan for Eric, and Sookie would in no way be a woman he would approve of for Eric.

"You need to be careful with your father, especially with Sookie. He will see her as a country hick, too stupid to breathe like he did with me. He might take to even more cruelty in her direction because of her connection to me. Eric, if you don't want to be involved for self preservation reasons, I will take care of them for you. I promise." Sophie said, and Eric thought for a second. Could he really just cut a check each month and go back to not talking to sookie, not knowing their child, and seeing it grow with her at his side…. No, he couldn't. It would be easier, and his father would never have to know that way, but he can't do that. The idea of not talking to Sookie again is physically painful. He never should have abandoned her like he did 12 years ago. He should have gone back for her as soon as he graduated college. She should have been there with him all this time. All of those lost years were completely his fault.

"I cant not have her again, mom. I think I'm in love with her. Maybe I always was." He whispered.

"We will think of something. Take a few deep breaths and act like you don't know. I warned you for a reason. I don't like the choices you used to be choosing, but I want to give you the best possible chance at better ones. Sookie makes you better. She always has. Please please don't hurt her again. I love her as much as I love you." Sophie said sincerely and with love in her voice.

"Thank you, Mom." Eric said.

"Okay, handle this right. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." Eric said, and hung up.

"Sookie is pregnant!" Pam shrieked.

"Yes, clear everything for a few days I need to go to Louisiana, right now." Eric said grabbing his things, moving stuff around on his desk.

"Eric, she cant keep it." Pam said, horrified.

"Recalibrate, and pick a new statement." He said, with venom. That was his baby, and it may not be ideal, but there would be no getting rid if the child that was part him and Sookie.

"Eric, you cant have a baby with her." Pam said, softer.

"Well, it's too damn late now, Pam!" Eric yelled.

"Okay, Okay….I will cook up an urgent issue with the Shreveport office we just started integrating. You need to go, and be hands on. You will need to set foot in the building a couple of times though. Just canceling things will summon your father." Pam said.

"Perfect, see this is why I haven't fired you yet. Seriously though. One sideways word about Sookie, or our baby in front of her and you're done. I mean it." Eric said and Pam nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go pack a bag then head to the airport. Book me a flight and send me the details." Eric said as he grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys, before he ran out the door and out of the office leaving a stunned pam to get to work. He was in his house packing a bag when Sookie finally called.

"Hello Lover." He answered, it had been about an hour so he had calmed down a little bit. His moms heads up was really a blessing.

"Eric…." Sookie sniffled, crying into the phone.

"What's wrong?" He asked, knowing exactly what was wrong.

"You know how I'm just real stupid and I can't help it?" She asked, and he sighed. He really hated how little she thought of herself.

"You aren't stupid Sookie, you never have been." He reminded her, and decided to pull a trigger he had been holding onto before she mentions the baby so she knows he's sincere. "I love you, and I hate stupid people. So you cant be stupid, because you're like one of the 4 people on planet earth I love."

"Eric…." She whimpered, and cried more. Sure she was never going to hear him tell her he loved her again after she said what she needed to say.

"Don't cry, Lover. Just tell me what's wrong." He urged, he couldn't make her feel better until she tells him she's pregnant herself.

"Okay, well… first I need to admit to you that before we… you know… did it. I hadn't ever had sex before, and I thought you couldn't get pregnant the first time." She whimpered. Eric hung his head. That stupid shitty school system failed her again. Why is he not shocked. He understood why she thought that though. The teen pregnancy rate in that town was though the roof. That was probably just the working assumption being passed from girl to girl since there was no real sex education outside of the grapevine.

"Thats not true, Lover you can get pregnant any time you ovulate." Eric said, hoping to urge this along.

"I know that now, because I'm pregnant. Please don't be mad at me. I'm so sorry. I didn't do it on purpose. I'm just stupid." She sobbed. He shushed her before he said.

"I'm not Mad. I'm not mad at all. Actually, I'm on my way. I'm going to get on the next flight, and we will figure this out." Eric said, and zipped his bag.

"I know you're super busy, and have lots of responsibilities, you don't need to come. I can call your Mom if…." Sookie was saying, but Eric cut her off.

"No, you aren't just going to lean on my Mom. You lean on me. It's my baby. I want it, and I want you together. We will figure the rest out." He said to reassure her, and went down the stairs from his room out the front door to meet the town car he had called to take him to LAX.

"I thought you'd be mad, or think I did it on purpose Like Arleen does." She sniffled, now starting to calm down.

"If it was anyone else other than you, I would probably think that. But You Sookie, I love you unconditionally."

"I love you unconditionally too." She giggled, making him smile.

"How are you feeling? Tell me how you figured it out." He said, relaxing back in the car to just talk to her now, and keep her calm.

"Umm, I have morning sickness, but it's like all the time sickness. The smell of the diner is making me angry. I have never felt angry from a smell before. My boobs hurt, and they're bigger, which is a concern because they were already pretty big. My bras don't fit." She said.

"Bonus for me." Eric said, and she laughed.

"Perv…." She whispered.

"Never claimed I wasn't." He smirked.

"Well, anyway. Your Mom figured it out. I have been puking all over for two weeks. Completely clueless, and she came over with a few tests and told me to take them. Those were positive so she took me to Dr/ Ludwig for a blood test. low and behold, also positive. Then we went back to her house, and I freaked out for a couple of hours, making John uncomfortable. Until your Mom settled me down, and told me to go home and call you. It took me some time to work up the nerve to actually dial your number." Sookie said telling her story.

"Now that you're pregnant can I get you a cell phone? I need to be able to get ahold of you even if you aren't physically in your home." Eric pleaded.

"We discussed this, Eric. I don't want you spending your money on me like that. Which reminds me, your Mom told me that necklace you sent me was from Tiffany's, and it's actually a lock, and it was $7,200. She showed it to me online on the computer in Johns garage. I'm giving that back… Eric I was wearing that to work! It's worth more than my life." Sookie squealed. Eric sighed, he was banking on her having no idea what Tiffany's was, or having an understanding of high end jewelry. He wanted her to have something nice though. She didn't really have anything nice. He was also miffed at his Mom for telling her that. It was really unnecessary. She could have just let her enjoy her necklace.

"Lover, I wanted you to have it. The lock symbolizes protecting what is cherished, and I cherish you. I wouldn't have sent you anything you didn't deserve." He said, hoping he could still get her to keep it. He smiled at the idea of her wearing it while she served milk shakes, and chili fries.

"Eric, all I want is your attention. I don't need gifts. I just want a phone call. Thats all I ever wanted from you." Sookie said ,softly.

"Lover, the fact that you don't want anything from me, other than me as I really am is why you actually deserve things like the necklace, and more. You deserve everything. Everyone expects something from me, they expect me to pay, to give them things, buy them things. I don't think you understand that no one except you actually wants ME. They want something from me." Eric said, to her truthfully.

"Eric thats so sad, aren't you lonely?" Sookie asked, starting to choke up again.

"Sookie, lonely doesn't even begin to describe my life up until I found you again."

8 years earlier

"Baby, Thalia and I are going to go shopping later." Isobel said, pouting out her bottom lip looking at Eric as he laid in the sun on the yacht off the coast in Ibiza. Eric looked over at the woman he had been dating for the last few months. He had been working for his father for about a year, and she was the daughter of a friend of his fathers that had been suggested to him as a good wife prospect. Suggested was probably the wrong word. His father basically given him no other choice but to date her. She was spoiled, moody, and needed and egregious amount of cocain just to function. She was anything but wife material. Eric knew wife material, and he had blown it with her when he was 19 and stopped speaking with her.

"Yeah, here." Eric said rolling over to his pile of stuff. Pulling a stack of bills, and his credit card out of his wallet and handing it to her.

"Thank you, Baby. You take such good care of me." She said in a baby voice that made Eric cringe. She walked over to the table with her friend to do another line.

Eric rolled back into the sun. His eyes closed as he let his mind wander. He wondered what Sookie was doing, if she was happy, if she still had a million friends because she was sweet to everyone. He thought about her smile. How patient she was. If you upset her, she would so maturely tell you what had hit her nerve, and why. Sookie didn't play any games, She never asked anyone for anything. More than anything, he missed having someone to be really himself with. Sookie never judged him, she accepted all parts of him. He never had to walk on egg shells with her. He could just be himself.

He had become a loser. At 23 He fucked anything that was willing, he was basically paying to have a girlfriend, who he wasn't even fond of and cheated on her constantly. He had no real friends he could trust. They were all using one another for something. Connections, work advantages, information, money, status… everything was carefully scripted. No one was honest, yet they all knew it was a show and kept playing their parts for some reason. He was morphing into his father more and more by the day.

Sookie would be so disappointed if she saw what he had become. He considered going back for Sookie for a moment, but let the thought go. The last time he spoke to his mother and was able to squeeze a drop of information out of her about Sookie, after a lot of prodding, and maybe a bit of drunken begging on one particularly sad night in his empty apartment. She told him Sookie was doing well, she was happy, and the women at church were working on setting her up with Hoyt Fortenberry. Eric hated that guy, now because he was going to get Sookie, but before he had hated him because he was such a goody two shoes. He had hated Hoyt when he met him when he was 13, and he just hated him more now that he was getting to have Sookie. Perfectly polite, model citizen, and dull as dirt. He's probably well on his way to marrying Sookie now. They will have a baby within a year.

Eric clenched his fists imagining Hoyt fixing up her house, while she walked outside, and handed him a glass of lemonade. Looking like an absolute Goddess pregnant in one of her little sundresses. Giving Hoyt the sweet smile that was full of love that she used to give to him all those years ago. He hated it, but she deserved to be happy. He wanted her happy, and she deserved better than a guy who dropped off the face of the earth so he could go have sex, and party. If dull as dirt, annoying, goody two shoes Hoyt made her happy, that was what he wanted too.

"I love you, and I'm so proud of you." Her words echoed in his head. He remembered her voice, the sincerity of her words. He thought of it over and over. Thinking of her face as she said it to him. "I love you.". He took a deep breath while he tried to remember what she smelled like. He remembered their kiss, and it was still the best kiss he had ever gotten. He thought of when they used to lay on his bed, and listen to music. How her body seemed to fit perfectly against him. How she used to stare at him even though he was really fat still then. He was so blind to how much she loved, and cared about him. Looking back, she had loved the shit out of him. Without money, privilege, connections, when he wasn't attractive. She showed him how much she loved him. She only said it once in person, more than a few times over the phone after he left , but she had shown it almost every day for that year they were together, and he flushed it down the toilet… for what?

He opened his eyes and looked around at what should be paradise, but all he thought was that paradise was probably laying in bed next to Hoyt fortenberry, taking his last name, having his babies, kissing him when he leaves for work, and generally being perfect all the time.

He stood up and walked below deck to the bedroom. Passing Isobel on the way, completely ignoring her. He walked in, and locked the door behind him. He laid on his back and thought back to their spring break, when she was wearing that teeny tiny camo bikini, sitting on his lap in his back yard next to the above ground pool. Rubbing her boobs all over him. Climbing on him wet and slippery in the pool. His not so accidentally grabbing her ass to toss her around while they just played. He started stroking himself thinking about their kiss, and what it would have been like if he had never left her and just let her love him forever. He smiled as the familiar feeling of her love for him washed over him for just a moment. It was a feeling he would never forget. He loved her so much, and just wished she could have know how she lives in his heart. A permanent part of him always left yearning for her now that he lost her love.

Sookie sat at her kitchen table, bundled up and stared at all the bills in front of her. She wanted to cry, and scream, and run away. She was tired… so so tired. She had been doing this alone since she was 17, and now at 24 she was exhausted. Obviously, the gas wasn't being turned back on. So much for heat. She would need to make time to chop more wood. She had basically been just living in the front room with the fireplace, but she was selective about when she built a fire. She could only chop so much wood, and frankly was terrible at it.

Electricity and the property taxes had to be paid. If Sophie saw the lights out she would come poking around, and know Sookie wasn't making ends meet again. Her car had needed a lot of work. she had fallen really behind because of that. Her stomach growled, she ignored it. She worked again tomorrow, and would get a staff meal then. Sophie always noted how thin Sookie was, but since she didn't know Sookie before everything happened Sookie had been able to convince her by now she was just slender by genetics.

Sookie sighed and wrote a check for the electric, it was dated for a week from now. Then one for the taxes, dated for that day. She could make the taxes, and she wrote another check for the water, that would bounce. She would have some time to fix that though. She was pretty good at post dating, and controlled check bouncing. She heard the phone ring and she got up to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sookie. How are you doing? I haven't been seeing you around lately." Sophie asked with a raspy voice coughing a little. She was worried about Sookie. The economy wasn't doing well which meant people weren't eating out like they were. She saw Sookies lights were still on when she had driven by earlier, but that didn't mean she wasn't struggling. Sophie herself was barely making it month to month and she had a stable job and income.

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm just picking up all the hours I can." Sookie said wiping the tears from her face and using her chipper tone. She was getting worried about Sophies cough. It wasn't getting better and Sophie looked a little worse each time she saw her.

"We haven't seen each other for a while. I thought we could have lunch." Sophie said. Sookie glanced at the bills on her table, then grabbed her wallet and counted the bills in it…$8, she was going to use it for gas, but the last thing she wanted was Sophie offering her money. With Eric gone she didn't get child support anymore, and Sookie knew she was barely scraping by herself. If She needed to she could walk to work for a few days. It was only 3 miles away anyway.

"Yeah, lunch sounds good." Sookie said, biting her lip, looking at the crumpled singles in her wallet, before she zipped it up.

"Want me to come pick you up?" Sophie asked, Sookie panicked. She couldn't have her feel how cold the house was ,or see she was living in the front room in a tent held together by tape and hope for warmth.

"Uhhh, no. I have to go to the post office. I'll meet you at the diner in 30 minutes." Sookie said.

"Okay, Honey. I'll see you then."

Sookie hung up and gathered the envelopes she had just stuffed, before She headed out the door. She hoped Sophie wasn't going to try to push Hoyt Fortenberry at her again. He was a nice enough guy, but he wasn't THE GUY. Hoyt was also mildly boring, and he had no sense of adventure. His sense of humor was also puzzling if not just completely nonexistent. She had met THE GUY when she was 18. Eric was always a touchy subject with her and Sophie. Sookie just wanted to hear any scrap of news about him that she possibly could. Sophie wanted to not talk about him at all ,and have Sookie date other people and move on. Sophie had said she barely even heard from Eric these days. Sookie wasn't 100% sure if she believed that, but Sophie seemed hurt enough that Sookie figured it was true. Sookie got in her car and after 5 tries it started. On her way she thought about Eric. She hoped he was happy, healthy, and was loved. She had gone to the library and looked up his graduation announcement the year before. He had cut his hair and lost a bit of weight. His smile was just as beautiful as she remembered. She closed her eyes and thought about how much she loved him and hoped no matter where he was in the world he could feel how much she loved him, even just for a moment. She could almost feel one of his big warm hugs around her as she sat in her car thinking about him. Making her smile softly, feeling genuinely happy for a second.

Present day

Eric pulled up to Sookies house in his rental at 11pm. He had stopped by the hotel in Shreveport he had stayed in last time and checked into the suite Pam had booked him for the next 3 nights. He was hoping he could convince Sookie to come stay there with him for the next few days, then use that time to convince her to come back to California with him. Somehow, in just two months, the old farm house managed to be in even worse condition. Eric wasn't just sad she lived there at this point. He was scared for her safety, and that of their child. He gently walked up the steps, listening for sounds of danger ,or imminent collapse. Then knocked on the door. When he saw a red and puffy Sookie open the door he frowned. She had obviously been doing more crying since he had gotten off the phone with her when it was time to board his plane.

"Lover, I told you no more crying. We're going to figure it out." Eric said, and pulled her into a hug holding her agains him as he walked in the house.

"It's not just that. God…. Everything is so hard. Can't I just get a freaking break?" Sookie said dejectedly into his chest. She was just so over the cascade of one problem after another. Her spirit was just weary at this point with it all.

"Sookie its going to be….." He paused for a moment as he looked into the house, and saw the massive hole in the ceiling where furniture from what must have been an old bedroom had collapsed through to the living room. "What the fuck happened?" He said confused as he looked at the scene.

"I think the roof was leaking upstairs, but I didn't realize, because you cant really walk on the stairs anymore because they kind of crumble. It's been a few years since I have been up there." She said, sounding completely exhausted.

"You cant stay here." Eric said with finality. "Go pack a bag." He ordered. Causing her to pull away from him like he had gone crazy.

"This is my house, Eric. I don't have anywhere else to go." She sounded and looked both confused and offended at the same time. Did he think she didn't know the house wasn't livable? She would love to not have to live there, but it was the only place she had to go.

"What if the ceiling over your bedroom collapses next? Please, please Sookie…. I am begging you just let me help you just a little bit. You've been doing this alone since you were 17. Let me give you a freaking break. " he said pulling her back, and pleading with her. "I never should have left you here alone. I should have come back for you." He whispered into her hair.

"You say that all the time now." She said, leaning back into him. Not sure what to say, she didn't want him to help her then think she wants things from him other than just his time, and end up pulling back again, but on the other hand a break sounded really really nice.

"Because I mean it. I will never regret anything more in my life." He said, pulling her away from him to look at her face.

"How long will you be in town?" Sookie asked. Thinking maybe taking just a few days to mentally regroup might help her figure out away to manage at least one of the problems in her life.

"I go back Thursday evening." And you will be on that plane with me. He thought, but didn't say it out loud. He would need to finesse the situation a little more to get her to come with him. She was skittish, and clearly very stressed and wound up from just… her life.

"We do have to talk… and work things out to some degree. We're going to have a baby…. I need to call sam, see if I can trade shifts or do doubles after." She said thoughtfully. A break sounded really nice, and Eric was going to be there anyway. It wasn't like he would have to spend more money on her, and she could get a good nights sleep and maybe take a warm shower to help her get her head together and think a little clearer.

"Don't you have sick days or something?" Eric asked.

"I cant afford to take time off, I cant afford any of this!" She yelled in frustration. Since Eric started talking to her again sometimes she felt like he lived on the moon, because he really didn't seem to be able to comprehend how out of touch he was with her reality.

"Lets just go pack your bag." Eric said dropping it. He knew sookie well enough to know now was not the time to reason with her. She agreed to go stay with him while he is in town. Step one, done. He was under no illusion that at 31 she would suddenly be good at accepting help.

"Alright." She nodded and walked to her bedroom with him close behind her. She pulled out an old duffel bag that had a 90's style Chuck E Cheese logo on it. It made him smile, because it was the same bag she had always used to spend the night at his house. It was probably older than she was.

"Hey, you lay down for a few, let me do this. Stress isn't good for the baby." He suggested taking the bag from her. He wanted to pack more than just 3 days worth of clothes, and he was going to do it sneaky style. Seeing her comply right away when he mentioned the baby was something he noted, and put in his back pocket for later.

"You're right…. I'm pregnant. It's so surreal." She said flopping on the bed while he started going through her drawers. He saw the small blue box in her underwear drawer he knew held her necklace and put that in the bag too. He was hoping he could talk her into wearing it again. He had gone out shopping specifically to find something nice for her. He and pam had a fight when he got back to the office with the little blue bag because she thought he was saying she didn't have good enough taste in jewelry to pick something for Sookie. Really, he just wanted it to be 100% from him and not something he ordered Pam to go pick, and send for him.

"I'm not letting you slip through my fingers again. I'm going to figure out a way to be together, and do this together. I'm just letting you know that now. I am very very good at getting my way these days." He said as he tossed a few more things in her bag. She didn't have a ton of clothes that weren't work related. He had a sort of plan, something Pam didn't even know he was doing, and had been doing for a while, but he couldn't talk about it and risk Andre catching even the slightest wiff of what he was up to. The timing on that was unknown and dependent on him being able to do certain things unnoticed. He would need to cook up something that would move the time table up, because this baby would be here sooner than later. He also got the feeling Sookies tolerance for him would wear thin pretty fast if she started feeling like he wasn't trying hard enough to physically be with her. He was also under no illusions that she wouldn't just silently suffer if something came up and she was out of his direct line of sight.

"I'm sure you will visit when you can." Sookie said, she wasn't being mean. Thats just what she figured would happen. Every few months Eric would drop in for a few days, maybe holidays and the baby's birthday if he can swing it. She wasn't holding her breath for Eric to actually be with her like a real boyfriend or husband. He said a lot of really nice words that made her feel great, but she also knew he could disappear without a trace in an instant, and she needed to be on guard for that eventuality also.

"Is thats what you think is going to happen?" Eric said, zipping her bag and turning around. Feeling really hurt at how little she trusts him. It hit him like a ton of bricks. She didn't trust him at all, she didn't really believe he'd come back, or be with her, or help her raise the baby. She sure as hell doesn't trust him as a partner. Consistently calling her for two months wasn't going to fix the damage he had done. He was going to have to do a lot of work to earn her trust back. He couldn't even blame her. In her eyes she never knew if the next phone call, or visit would be the last, because he had dropped off the radar without a trace, or reason before. He didn't deserve her trust right now.

"Thats what your Mom and I figured would probably be the end game. She wants you on formal child support, but I don't want that. I just want you to focus on seeing the baby as much as you can. Maybe you could send some diapers, or maybe formula. I wont be able to breastfeed, because I'll have to go back to work as soon as I can. Im not sure how I'll do daycare, I work a lot of nights and weekends. I'll figure it out, I always do." Sookie shrugged, she sounded so empty while she spoke. Eric felt absolutely sick to his stomach thinking about Sookies terrible plan that only involved him as an occasional figure rolling in a few times a year, and sending diapers and formula.

"What do you need from the bathroom?" Eric asked quietly, suddenly faced with the full scope of the mess he had made for himself. She might love him, but he was getting worried she would never be able to forgive him enough to fully trust him again.

"I just have my shampoo, conditioner and soap in there." Sookie said.

"No creams, lotions, serums, weird snail juices or something?" Eric asked, From his experience girls always had about 16 too many bathroom things they found absolutely essential. He didn't want to forget something of hers.

"Ummm no. I keep my hair brush, and mascara in my purse." Sookie said, kind of confused. Eric just blinked a little and grabbed the bottles from her shower, before he took a moment to open the drawers and cabinets. They were all completely empty other than some rolls of toilet paper and cleaning supplies. He sighed again. Sookie really didn't put a single penny into anything extra for herself. If she didn't absolutely need it to survive, she didn't have it. Surviving… thats all she has been doing since the day her parents died when she was 17. He swallowed hard, and let the guilt wash over him again about leaving her behind. Then he had another thought, and asked.

"Is my Mom doing okay, or is she also just barely surviving too?" He walked out of the bathroom, and stood next to her as she lied on the bed.

"What?" Sookie asked and sat up on her elbows and looked at him. She didn't really understand what he was asking or saying.

"You're just surviving Sookie. You don't have a single thing you don't absolutely need to survive. If I go look in your kitchen will there be food, or are you still just eating your shift meal, and peanut butter sandwiche?" He asked looking at her with a lost forlorn face. "You have been just surviving since you were 17. Fighting tooth, and nail to just stay afloat. I know my Mom has helped you if she could, but I also have a really bad feeling my Mom is in just as bad of conditions as you." He said gently, and sat next to her on the old bed that creaked under his weight. In that moment he just wanted to take her home with him, keep her safe forever, and never think about all of this ever again. It was just too horrible.

"There have been a few times since you left that she and I had to help each other. We made it through though. She lives with John now though, and he takes real good care of her. He treats her like a Queen. He makes sure she has a safe car, heat and food. He takes her on real vacations too. They went to New Orleans last year for their anniversary. You don't have to worry about her. She's real happy, Eric. She and John are always trying to help me, but I'm not their kid. I don't want to put my problems on them, and I have always managed to find a way to get out of a jam. I promised you I would take care of her, and I have to the best of my abilities. We should have dinner with them while you're here." Sookie said and took his hand. She didn't want him to feel bad. John had made sure Sophie was taken care of. He had wanted to move her in immediately when they started dating, but she made him wait at least a year so his kids could get comfortable with her without feeling like she was intruding on their space, or stealing their Dad from them.

"You know, I didn't talk to her enough, but I always offered to send her money if she needed anything. She didn't have to go through that." Eric said, swallowing the lump in his throat. Sookie wasn't the only person he loved in this town he left high and dry. He was both grateful to, and Jealous of John. He had some really complicated feelings bubbling around about John taking care of his Mom when he should have been. She didn't even want to tell him she was struggling. Not that he gave her a chance, he almost never answered her calls, because he was so ashamed of who he was.

"Lets go to the car and we can keep talking." Sookie said as Eric walked her outside, carrying her bag. He opened the door for her, and got her in before tossing her bag in the back and pulling out of her driveway. They were heading out of Bon Temps when Sookie finally started talking again. She had been wondering if saying anything about it would be mean or not, but she felt like Eric had a right to know what had gone on with his mom in the early years after he left.

"Well, there was one real bad winter I think I was 24 at the time. It was just stupidly cold, and we had 3 or 4 ice storms. That mixed with the logging company strike and you know half the town works there. It was real hard on the economy. I barely made it. Your mom, and I had to pool resources by January. I was going down in December. By January I had no gas, water, or electric. I just couldn't afford to keep them on. Your Mom lived in apartments with utilities, so I stayed with her, and helped her pay for gas, and food. It was a really rough time. It was the first time I had ever seen your Mom cry. That was the year she got pneumonia. I made her go to the hospital. I used my last $5 in gas to get her there, and I stayed with her the whole time. I told her she should call you and ask for help with the hospital bill. She said she didn't want Andres money." Sookie explained.

"I didn't even know she was in the hospital. She knows my trust fund is from Andre, and I work for him too…." Eric said, just blinking staring at the road. His Mom could have died, and he wouldn't have known until after it happened. If he found out at all. It wasn't like he was easy to get ahold of. Even if Sookie had called him from his Mom's phone to tell him what was happening there was a 90% chance he wouldn't have picked up anyway.

"So it's all Andres money. She never would have asked. I was forbidden from calling you. I almost did that first night when I brought her in. I was scared she wasn't gonna make it. That was the worst of it. Everything else has just been like a never ending stream of problems I cant afford, but have to figure out. As long as your Mom has been with John, she's been taken care of real well. His kids love her too. They have been together almost 8 years now, his youngest boy Trey was 10 I think when they got together. So she's basically raised him up. He has a daughter Janice who was 12 when they started dating. They had a bumpier relationship at first, but they are real close now. Janice works with me at the diner, but she's in school to become a teacher." Sookie said and Eric kind of recoiled from the fact that he basically has a step father and step siblings he had no idea about.

"Why didn't she tell me any of this?" Eric asked, just sort of in general, not really sookie in particular. He was really just struggling to accept just how awful he had been to the only two people who truly had loved him.

"Eric…." Sookie sighed. "What I'm about to say is gonna feel real mean, but I'm just being honest with you, okay?" She said looking at him. He nodded, but focused on the road. "She's been really disappointed in you. You don't call her ever. She has to call you, and you only pick up like 3 times a year, and she calls you a couple of times a week. Other than that one time you called really drunk begging for her to tell you about me when you had just started working for your Dad. She told me about that one yesterday when I found out I was pregnant. She has invited you home for every single holiday, and you have never came or called. You do usually pick up for her on Christmas. She keeps tabs on you in California, she knows how you live, and she just doesn't agree. I don't think I want to move to California, even with the baby."

"My Mom is so disappointed in me that she would literally rather die, then ask me for anything." He said.

"Kind of a dramatic way to say it." Sookie shrugged, it was a dramatic way to say it, but it was pretty close to the truth.

"And you don't trust me farther than you can throw me, because I abandoned you, and went on a 12 year long streak of being an absolute sack of shit who doesn't even deserve to breathe near you. You think if you come to California, I'll do to you what Andre did to my Mom." Eric said really taking in the lay of the land and just how fucked he was.

"I love you." Sookie said.

"But you don't trust me."

"I don't know… I know we aren't really together. I just try to enjoy when we talk, and I don't think on who you are with when you are not on the phone with me." She said honestly.

"Oh, you're my girlfriend. Hopefully, more eventually. I haven't been with anyone else since you. I haven't even replied to calls or texts from other women since. Here, look at my phone. The code is 7496." He said, handing her his phone from the cup holder.

"7496…. My birthday? Thats your password?" Sookie said, shocked.

"It's the code on my security system at home, and my garage, and every other phone I have ever had. It's also the pin for my debit card." Eric said, looking at her smile. He had been doing it for a long time. Her birthday was the code to his laptop he used in high school too. How he thought he was ever going to live without her, looking back on how obviously in love her was with her even before he realized it, he couldn't understand. Sookie was born to be his, he just needed to prove to her the she wanted to be his, and he could be trusted with her heart.

"Thats not every secure to use the same pin for everything." She giggled, and opened his phone, but soon frowned because she didn't know how to work it. She had never owned a cell phone.

"Whats wrong?" He asked looking at her frowning.

"I don't know how to work it. I've never had a cell phone." She explained.

"Wow, okay I'll show you how to use it fully later." He stopped at a light, took it, and opened his texts. "Here, these are all my texts in the order of who I messaged last. Pam is obviously at the top I talk to her the most. You open each conversation and can scroll, then push here and it takes you back and you can open another." He explained and handed his phone back to her. She went through a little bit, and he was right. He didn't have a single response to any of the dirty conversations after he had seen her again. She was a little put off by how crass he could be in some of the dirty texts. some things she was just not going to do. She was more concerned that he seemed to not have any friends, like at all.

"Do you have any friends? It's all work, Pam, or dirty talk. Also, you're never sticking your dick in my ass." Sookie said, and Eric barked a laugh.

"I didn't stick my dick in Yevettas ass either. To be very honest, I'm not into that. I did it once, was really faced with the reality I just stuck my dick in shit, and decided that was just not for me. Trust me, Lover. I know not every hole is for fucking. I also didn't like having a threesome and never went for seconds on that experience either. I once went to and Orgy, but left pretty quickly without participating and crossed that off my list too. In fact, I have had a lot of really bad sexual experiences I regret, and would never repeat." He chuckled, and glazed over her question of if he had any friends. Other than his old college roommate, Alcide. No, not really and He really only called him once a month or so. He didn't really care to have anyone else that close to him

"Well, I had sex in a bed and the shower… so I'm pretty wild too." Sookie giggled, but soon frowned, because it made her sad that Eric had a lot of very negative sexual experiences. Her first time with him had been magical and far far exceeded what her fantasies had cooked up over the years.

"Sex with you was the best sex I have ever had." Eric said, as he pulled up to the valet at the hotel.

"Stop it, liar." Sookie said shocked. Eric turned, softly grabbing her jaw so she was looking at him and he said.

"Having sex with someone you love its absolutely magical. Before you, I had only had sex, but never made love and that was very much the best sexual experience of my life, and I have no desire to do anything that would fuck up what we are doing. I know how blessed I am that you are giving me a chance at all after what I did to you. I don't deserve it, and I know that. I am so grateful that you are though. I want the opportunity to spend the rest of my life proving to you that I'm capable of deserving your love." His eyes were burning, and his tone was deadly serious. He got out and went around and opened her door, then got her bag out. He tossed the keys at the valet and gave him his room number and then Eric walked in and led Sookie to the elevator.

"You were really confident you could get me to come with you, huh?" She said with a giggle.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I am really good at getting my way these days." He smirked, he a sort of spoiled as a kid, but as an adult his spoiled streak had exploded exponentially. He was going to use all of his getting his way powers to get and give sookie anything she wants and needs from now on. They walked off the elevator to his suite. When he opened the door Sookie gasped. The room was huge, it looked like a high end apartment.

"Eric, I can't stay here. This must have cost a fortune." Eric just shook his head, and scooped her up bridal style. Making her yelp, carrying her in and past the living area and into the main bedroom he put his bag in already. He wasn't going to let her back out of this now. He had gotten her out of her house, In his car, out of his car, in the elevator… he wasn't losing this battle to get her to stay in the doorway of the room. He already won, she just needed to understand that.

"Sookie, I would really like if you could try to loosen up, and let me attempt to take care of you a little bit. You are working hard to produce my progeny after all." Eric said after he tossed her onto the bed. He pulled the baby card back out, knowing that was an easy way to get her to agree. She was going to be a great mother.

"Right… the baby. I forgot." Sookie said, looking stressed out again.

"Speaking of our baby, you need to eat. What do you want? You said some smells were making you angry, so let's stick to foods that will make happiness smells." He said with a smile.

"I don't want to be a bother, it's late." She said, She already felt bad enough being there. She knew she was going to have to eat eventually if she was going to be there a few days, but she could wait until breakfast.

"Not being a bother, room service is 24/7 so people can use it." Eric assured her.

"You probably want to go to bed, you traveled so much, and did all that driving." She tried to push him off again. He wasn't having it though. He was going to get her whatever she wanted to eat, and begin his plans to fatten her up, and keep her healthy, and his baby healthy by proximity.

"Nope, what do you want? You tell me or I'll order a bunch of things and then you risk me accidentally bringing in a rage maker." He said with a warm smile, laying next to her and brushing loose strands of her hair from her face.

"Pancakes, with a lot of butter." She whispered after chewing her lip and looking nervous.

"What foods are just pissing you off?" Eric asked.

"Fried food, specifically chicken tenders, but it all makes me some degree of irritated. Chicken tenders make me want to punch the people who order them." She said.

"So if I ordered a club sandwich….." He said inquisitively, squinting a little making her laugh.

"I wouldn't care. Just don't get fries." She giggled.

"Got it, side of fruit." He said with a smile.

"Oh can I have fruit too? I haven't had fruit in years." She said excitedly.

"Mmhmmm, I will get you fruit. Anything you want to eat I'll get you." Eric said trying not to snap learning that she hasn't had fruit in years. He was going to get her anything she wants to eat. It was going to be a top priority of his to fatten her up, and keep her healthy from now on. He called for the food then walked into the bathroom leaving her laying on the bed. He came back a few minutes later and picked her up again making her laugh and carried her into the bathroom. Operation fatten up Sookie was in motion. Now he had to start operation relax Sookie. He had plans, big plans for her.

"What are you doing?" She giggled, when he started to take her shirt off. She wasn't resisting though. She actually couldn't think of a time she would have resisted letting him take her shirt off. Lord knows 18 year old her had spent a year finding every opportunity available to flash or rub on him. Apparently, she was no different as an adult. She was just always going to want him touching her.

"I drew you a bath. I'm going to relax you. You're all wound up, and stress is bad for the baby." He said and took the rest of her clothes off. He was just going to keep using the baby card. It was just so helpful in getting his way. Finally he got her in the warm bath and gently got her hair wet to start washing it.

"You don't have to do this." She said, while he was shampooing her hair. He was using the hotels shampoo not the V05 he took out of her bathroom. He didn't even know they made VO5 anymore. Knowing her she was just buying whatever had the largest amount in the bottle at the dollar store. Pam would be horrified. One of her favorite topics of conversations he wasn't asking to have was about toxic beauty products. He highly doubted VO5 would pass Pam's inspection. Since he remembered Pam saying some things were hormone disruptors, and Sookie was pregnant he made a mental note to ask pam to tell him which ingredients did that and actually listen to her this time. He didn't want Sookies hormones messed with while she was pregnant.

"I want to, this is all I want to be doing right now." He said, and started rinsing her hair using a. Cup from the mini bar. That was the stone cold truth. There was nothing else he would rather be doing than being right there with her. Even a rough day with Sookie was better than his best day without her.

"No wonder the ladies love you." Sookie moaned, when he plopped her conditioned hair on the top of her head, and started washing her arms and legs. Massaging as he went.

"I wouldn't do this for anyone other than you. I'm actually a huge ass hole to the women I used to date and sleep with. I didn't even bring them to my house to have sex." Eric admitted while he leaned her forward to wash her back, and massage her a little there. He was actually hoping Sookie never heard any stories of the way he treated women he was with when they were apart. It surly wasn't something he was going to volunteer up to her.

"Why?" Sookie asked, and Eric shrugged and thought for a moment before he spoke. Choosing his words carefully.

"Listen, I have regretted not going back for you my entire adult life. I once sad jerked off thinking about you alone on a yacht in Spain, while my girlfriend did lines of coke on the upper deck before she went to spend my money on designer shit she probably never even wore. You were constantly on my mind. I really thought you were married, with kids, and happy. Thats all I wanted for you. I figured you were married to Hoyt or someone. So I would just sit in my house and think about you. I didn't want to bring women to my sookie thinking chamber." He admitted.

"Hoyt or someone? Like Bill? Gross. Hoyt is boring as hell, and he's married to Jessica Hamby. Bill gave Lorena, and Selah both herpes, and he's the father of one of Arleens kids. He had the kid with her before the Herpes… I think. I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be shocked if she has STI's too. You shouldn't bring Pam back to town. Andy has been asking about her and her toes." Sookie shivered at the thought.

"My Mom told me once people were trying to hook you up with Hoyt." Eric said, almost giddy to hear that Sookie thinks Hoyt is boring. He hated Hoyt with a passion.

"They were, but Hoyt is not Eric Northman, so it would never have worked out." She said with a smile.

"I both love and hate that I had such a hold on you the you couldn't move on." Eric said honestly after he drained the tub and used the spray attachment to rinse the conditioner out of her hair and the rest of her body before he helped her up and wrapped her in a fluffy robe, and set to brushing her hair so he could dry it.

"I'm not, a little late for my tastes, but I'm glad you came down to Bon Temps, and made a move on me finally. Better late than never in my opinion. Am I really your girlfriend?" Sookie asked, with a smile.

"Thats how I think of you, and you don't control my brain." He grinned at her. "Am I your boyfriend, or just the guy who knocked you up?" Eric asked as he got the blowdryer ready. He would understand if she wasn't ready to claim him yet. It wasn't going to make her any less his girlfriend getting the girlfriend treatment that he's never given a girl before.

"I would prefer if you were my boyfriend. I want to trust you." Sookie said.

"But you don't trust me." He said with a resigned sigh. He didn't deserve her trust. He knew that. He needed to earn it back, and show her through actions he was going to be a different and changed man. He was going to be the kind of man who deserves a woman like Sookie.

"I want to, but… I'm scared." She said, locking eyes with him in the mirror. She wanted to be with Eric more than anything. She always had. She just didn't know how to believe that it was real this time.

"Then I'll just focus of earning your trust. I want to deserve you. I want to stop disappointing my Mom too." He said, and sookie leaned up and kissed him before he started drying her hair. When her hair was dry Eric changed out of his slacks, and button up into a pair of sleep pants. Then went to get the food that was waiting in the main room bringing it to the bedroom. He laid next to sookie, and swatted her hand away so he could feed her pancakes and fruit himself.

"I can feed myself." She giggled, and swooned a little. This all felt so romantic. She really wanted to try to enjoy it and ignore the nagging voice of doubt in her head. Even if it didn't last, she could at least have the experience, and memories of it.

"You can do a lot of things yourself, but I want to help you now." He meant that too. His friend Alcide from college lives in the area now, and owns his fathers construction company. He planned on emailing him to go look at Sookies home, test it for mold, then do whatever it takes to restore it, or remodel it. Anything that isn't tearing it down and starting over, which he hoped wasn't the only option. He was also going to have Pam track down the best OBGYN in LA, and pull strings to get Sookie taken on as a patient. That and he wanted Pam to get a bunch of girl stuff like soaps, creams, and hair stuff together to be put in his home for sookie, along with anything else Pam thinks Sookie might like to have or try. He was going to be optimistic he was going to get her to come back with him, even if its just for a few weeks.

"So Pam is your assistant, but she basically does everything for you?" Sookie asked, when they were done eating and laying in bed. She wanted to know more about the dynamic. Pam was around when they talked on the phone the last two months a lot, but he basically ignored her like furniture. Completely unconcerned if she heard what he talked to Sookie about. It sort of confused Sookie, because Pam was also sort of mean to him when she talked, but he seemed fine with it.

"Pam Is my Pam… I can't explain it. She's basically an extension of me. I met her when I was in college, we became fast friends because we were competing for the same girls. I'm actually hoping once she gets to know you you two will get along." Eric said, he figured there would be a bit of an adjustment period between Sookie and Pam, but he really wanted them to get along. If he had to choose between Sookie and Pam he would pick Sookie all day. It would hurt though. He would much prefer they just get along, maybe even foster a friendship. Sookie was friendly, and very easy to like. She could make friends with a hungry, rampaging bear. Everyone liked Sookie, he was hoping that would extend to Pam.

"She doesn't like me?" Sookie asked.

"She doesn't understand you, or know you. My behavior drastically changed after you were reintroduced to my life and she has been caught off guard by that." He explained, he was actively trying to be a better, less horrible person and that was really unnerving Pam because she was struggling to predict his behavior now. Unpredictable Eric, was scary to Pam.

"Oh, okay."

"We should go to sleep, you have had a long day." Eric said, and turned the lights off. he cuddled up next to her and took a deep breath enjoying the closeness and how right she felt next to him. He never wanted to go to sleep without her again.

The next morning he woke up around 9 to Sookie calling dinosaurs in the bathroom. He walked in and gathered her hair holding it for her, and rubbed her back. She finished, stood up and flushed.

"You didn't have to watch me throw up." She said, embarrassed and went to brush her teeth.

"Well, it's my fault. Northman babies are wild. I remember my Mom telling me I made her sick all the time too." Eric said, as he walked her back to bed.

"The pancakes and fruit stayed down for a long time." Sookie said, with a happy tone. Despite having just puked. This was the best she had felt in weeks. She was able to relax enough to fall asleep and stay asleep the whole night, and getting some food to stay down really helped her headache.

"Then you should eat more of that right now, and just focus on what you can keep down." Eric said.

"Maybe." Sookie said with a sad smile, and he knew that was because she didn't think she could really just eat whatever was easiest to keep down. He turned to hide his frown and grabbed his phone.

"You should call my Mom. I'll order you more pancakes and fruit for breakfast." He pushed to start the call and handed Sookie the phone.

"Eric I can't speak right now." Sophie said sounding panicked.

"It's actually Sookie, I'm with Eric."

"Oh thank God! Sookie, did you know you ceiling collapsed? I just got here and I couldn't find you I thought it had collapsed on you and killed you." Sophie said as she started crying. She really did love Sookie like she was her own child. She was so relieved she was okay.

"Oh no! I did know. That happened yesterday evening after I got back home. Eric wouldn't let me stay there, so he is having me stay at the hotel with him while he is in town. I was calling to see if you and John could meet us up here for lunch."

"Okay, I'm sorry I'm so relieved. Yes, we can meet you up there for lunch. Have Eric text me where. After he goes back to California, you will come stay with us for a while. You cannot be in there. Sookie, the house is literally collapsing now. You could die." Sophie said with a no nonsense tone. She had been too accommodating of Sookie and that death trap of a house for too long. She should have moved her in with her years ago when it got so bad she couldn't go on the stairs anymore. The place was probably riddled with mold too.

"I can't impose on you like that… hey! Eric, I wasn't done talking!" Sookie yelled, as he came up behind her and took the phone putting it on speaker phone.

"Hey, Mom… so you saw her house?" Eric asked, and Sookie scowled at him.

"Eric, She cannot stay here." Sophie said firmly.

"I know, I want sookie to come back to California with me for a couple of weeks… at least, but I know she wont want to commit to moving, or anything right now. I thought it might make her more comfortable if you came too. John and his kids ,Sookie explained all that, are welcome also. I don't just want to make things right with Sookie. Mom, I have been a little shit to you too. I want to spend some time with you also, but I can only stay here until Thursday." Eric said, and sookies face softened. She was all ready to argue with him, but here he was making sure she was going to feel safe and comfortable first.

"I will discuss it with John. Trey and Janice both have commitments, and John cant leave the shop on that short of notice, but I will discuss going with Sookie with him. I actually think its a good idea for her to go spend time with you in your element, and day to day. Loving you, and sharing your life are two very different things." Sophie said as kindly as she could.

"Yeah, I fully understand what you are saying and I agree. Hence the trial visit." Eric said. His mother was totally right. He needed to prove he wasn't going to be Andre light. Which reminded him.

"What are we going to do about dad?" He asked. Andre was the only dark spot in this situation.

"I'm still thinking. You know him better as of today, so we will discuss it together in more depth later." Sophie said.

"Okay, I love you. I'll text you the address for lunch. Meet at 1?" Eric asked.

"One is fine, I love you too." Sophie said, and hung up.

"I didn't agree to come with you, but inviting Sophie too does make me more inclined to go." Sookie said, after pulling her temper back in.

"I just want to spend more than a couple of rushed days together. I need time to figure out my end of things, but you are pregnant NOW, and I don't want to miss it all, or have you dealing with it alone." He said pleading.

"I can't afford to take that much time off. Plus, my house collapsed." She said.

"Let me give you some money to cover your needs, and just deal with your broken house later. Think of it like child support." Eric suggested, getting Sookie far far away from her house would help him get it worked out with her without interference anyway. Sookie had too many things on her plate in Bon Temps. Eric needed her in a place where all she had to worry about was what to eat, or if she wanted to take a nap or not.

"I don't know." She said unsure. She really wanted to just escape the hell that her life had become for a little while. She also felt like she would be taking advantage of Eric if she went. Sophie might be going, and if Sophie goes….. Sookie thought, her mind racing.

"Please, I love you. Please, you heard my Mom. We need to spend time together to see how we can even work this arrangement out. I want to be with you sookie." He knelt down next to where she was sitting on the bed, and took her hands in his. "I want to find a way for us to be together, please. Give us being an us a chance." He begged, he had resorted to begging. He wasn't above begging when it came to Sookie. He could admit that he was desperate.

"If Sophie comes I will go." Sookie finally conceded.

"I can work with that." Eric stood, and grinned standing up to sit next to her. Wrapping his arms around her. He was pretty sure his Mother was invested in having it work out for the sake of her grandchild. Also, he wouldn't take it for granted, but Sookie was tits over ass for him, and his Mom wants her happy. She loves Sookie more than him at this point, and frankly, he deserves that. If Sookie wants him, he's pretty sure that his Mom is going to change tactics, and try to make it work for them. His Mom seems to be on his side… or Sookies side… either way they want the same things so it works out.

At one, they were walking into an all day breakfast place. Sophie and John were already there. Eric and Sookie walked over to them. Sookie warmly hugged them both. Eric hugged his Mother, and shook Johns hand. He had thought over the John feelings he was having and decided if he felt some sort of way about it that was his own problem, and he just needed to be grateful that someone has been loving and taking care of his Mom when he was failing her.

"It's nice to finally meet you." John said, as he shook Erics hand.

"Yeah, thats 100% my fault." Eric admitted, part of showing Sookie she could trust him now was going to be taking accountability for his behavior so she knows he knows none of it was okay, and he wont be repeating those choices.

"Oh, I know." John said, and Eric cringed and sat down next to Sookie.

"So, we talked, and I am going to come out with Sookie for a month. John is going to join me for the third week, but he's only staying for 5 days. We're going to take a little just us trip to San Diego that week. It will be Johns birthday. My only stipulation is that you reduce your hours. Do not have us there, and have no time for us, especially Sookie. You are about to have a child Eric. You need to have time for them." Sophie said, clasping her hands on the table. Sookie shrunk back, Sophie was in Mother mode, and Sookie was not interested in getting caught up in it. She noticed John also scoot slightly away from Sophie. Poor Eric. Sookie thought, but there was nothing she could do for him now. It's like mouthing off to Sophie while she's near the drawer with wooden spoons, its just not wise.

"I want to do that, I really do. I can't just start working less, or take time off without giving Andre some sort of reasoning." Eric said, looking kind of defeated. Honestly, the shine of his father had worn off as soon as he started spending actual time with him. He didn't really realize how little he had seen him as a child until he started looking back as an adult. His father was a stage 4 asshole, and he completely understood why his mother stopped putting up with his controlling bullshit and left in such a wild, and dramatic fashion.

"I thought about that, do you have something very public coming up soon? Something that would get press?" Sophie Asked him. Eric pulled out his phone, and looked through his calendar. Lots of things had changed, he could see Pam had been very busy.

"On Saturday I have a charity event. I'm representing the company. There will be a carpet walk." Eric said.

"Perfect, you will take Sookie. You will introduce her as your Fiancé, announce the pregnancy, and that you are overjoyed. If they asked she lived in Louisiana until you got engaged. That way Andre can't really change it or say no." Sophie said.

"We aren't engaged." Sookie said, a little nervous. It's not like she hadn't dreamed of Eric marrying her, it just seemed like such a far away thought. Someone saying it out loud felt surreal.

"Well, for the sake of public perception you will be. Eric, get her an appropriate ring to make it look like something you actually did." Sophie said.

"Sookie doesn't like when I buy her nice jewelry. She wouldn't put the necklace on that I bought her today. Nothing I said could convince her I want her to have it, and she deserves it. You might remember the necklace because you looked it up online and showed her the price." Eric said sounding annoyed.

"Sookie, you need to wear the ring, and wear the necklace. I was wrong to spoil his gift to you that he sent Pam out to buy." Sophie said never breaking his eye contact sounding just as annoyed. Sookie slowly reached forward, and slid anything Sophie could hit Eric with away from her. She was clearly on the verge of over it with him. Eric seem's to have forgotten you cant get mouthy with his Mom. She just doesn't tolerate it well.

"I went to the store and picked that personally. Nothing I have sent was not personally selected by me. I may have asked Pam to order or pick up something occasionally, but she has never, and will never pick things for Sookie. I am not Andre, and I am not going to treat Sookie like a task to be crossed off for my assistant." Eric said tightly. Sookie and John at this point were just uncomfortable. The Sophie and Eric standoff was so thick the waitress couldn't wait to get away from them after she took their orders. John had handed Sookie Sophies purse under the table, just incase she had packed a wooden spoon to beat him with.

"What If Andre wont allow you to function normally as a partner to Sookie, or as a father to your child?" Sophie asked, raising her eyebrow in a challenge. Eric swallowed hard.

"Then I will leave the company." Eric said, with conviction. He actually meant that. He wasn't just trying to appease his Mother. He wasn't going to let Sookie slip through his fingers again. Especially not when She has his child this time. Having a family with Sookie was the dream.

"And you trust fund?" Sophie asked, that was a sticking point with her. That stupid trust fund is what lured him away from her for all of his teenage years. It was only Sookie being around that made him even slightly come back to her.

"I don't want it if it costs me Sookie, and our child." He said sincerely. "That being said, I don't really need it. I invested all of my own money really well, and I have always made a point to spend the trust fund, not my own money… you know, just in case." Eric said, and smiled at his mother who's eyes were narrowed.

"Fine." Sophie said and leaned back. Sookie and John both let out relieved breaths. Sookie felt around the outside of Sophies purse a little bit while it was in her lap. She had absolutely packed a just in case wooden spoon.

"You were right." Eric said suddenly, confusing Sophie.

"What?" Sophie asked confused, sitting up straighter and looking at him eye to eye.

"You were right about Andre. Everything is a manipulation. Everything is about his plan. He wants control over everything in my life, and he wants my only purpose in life to serve his whims. You tried to save me, and I spit in your face. I'm sorry, I have been lonely, and miserable for years. I was so ashamed of what I had done, and become I didn't know how to come back. I should have been better, you raised me better. I'm sorry, Mom." He said, and reached out to hold her hands. Sophie sat up and leaned into him with tears in her eyes as she clutched his hands like she was trying to hold onto him to keep him from getting away again. Pulling them up to her cheek, and then kissing them.

"I love you so much, Eric. I always have. I never gave up on you." She said, Eric reaching over, wiping the tears from her face while John reached over and rubbed her back.

"I know you didn't. I'm sorry I put you through that." He said.

"I love you." Sophie said again, trying to pull herself together.

"I heard I basically have step siblings." Eric said, with a smile.

"You do, we aren't married, legally anyway. After Andre, and John here is a widower his kids were two and 4 when his wife died, we just decided getting legally married wasn't it for us. We're committed though. Trey, he's 18 and Janice is 20. They were 10 and 12 when I moved into their house. John and I will have been together 9 years this April." Sophie explained. Eric turned to John, and said.

"Thank you for taking care of my Mom, and Sookie when she would allow it. I know I don't deserve it, but I would like to try to be a part of this family with you guys." His eyes were sincere and apologetic.

"Dang, two nights alone with Sookie really turned you all the way around. Son, we want you at our table, we always have. As long as you start doing right by them now, it's water under the bridge." John said, with a smile. He meant it too. He wanted nothing more than for the family to be complete, and without Eric it never would be. His wife had died at 27 from toxic shock syndrome. They had had a petty fight about money the night before she died, and were freezing one another out after. He would never hold a petty grudge again. Life is too short, and unpredictable. He had loved his wife with his whole heart, and wanted to make sure something good could come out of her death. So he made a point to never put himself in a position to feel regret with someone he loved ever again.

"Sookie has a way about her that just makes you want to be better." Eric said looking over at her, taking her hand. Eric emailed Pam to get Sookie, and his Mom on the same flight as him on Thursday even if she has to change his ticket. He also had her ready the downstairs guest room at his house for his Mom, and put girl stuff in there for her too. They spent the rest of their meal catching up, telling stories from their time missed, and getting to know each other for the first time for John, and again for everyone else. Agreeing to go to Johns house for dinner the next night to meet Trey and Janice.

5 years ago Sookie

"Sookie, it's just a date. You go out, have a nice meal, some conversation, if it doesn't go well you don't go on a second date." Sophie said, trying to get Sookie to agree to go on a date with a man named Alcide who is from Shreveport that she had met through John who was friends with his father.

"Sophie, I'm just not ready." Sookie said ,while Sophie poked through her closets sparse selection trying to pick her an outfit to wear.

"Sookie, Honey. He hasn't talked to you in almost 7 years. I only hear from him a couple of times a year, and I'm his mother. It's time to let go, and start being ready. Look at me." Sophie said looking deeply into Sookies eyes that were brimming with tears just talking about Eric. Sookie missed him so deeply she could hardly stand it. "Even if Eric were to suddenly drop back in, he wouldn't be the 19 year old you remember. I can assure you he isn't doing what you're doing, and waiting for him. He hardly keeps a woman long enough to know her name. You deserve better than that." Sophie said pleading with her.

"I'm not waiting for him…I just cant stop loving him. Sophie you don't understand. I don't care what he's doing. I don't care that he doesn't love me. I would give anything to just see him across a room at this point, and know we shared physical space for a few minutes again. I still love him. How can I be going out on dates with another man if I still love someone else?" Sookie shot back, angrily wiping her eyes. Why couldn't everyone just understand she wanted what she wanted, and that was Eric?

"Just have dinner with him, maybe you two can just be friends at least. He is a nice guy." Sophie said, hopefully.

"Fine, just dinner." Sookie finally relented. Sophie did a happy dance, and pulled out a yellow sundress she felt like she could dress up with some costume jewelry.

Sookie pulled into the restaurant in Shreveport she, and Alcide had agreed to meet at, and walked in. She saw Alcide immediately. He was wearing the deep green shirt he said he would be. He was tall, much like Eric, but he had a full head of shaggy dark wavy hair and dark brown eyes. The height was all he shared with Eric.

"Sookie, it's nice to meet you in person." Alcide said, standing and extending his hand to her which she shook then took her seat across the table.

"So how do you know John?" Sookie asked.

"He and my father served in the gulf war together. My Dad was conspiring with him to find me someone to date. I just want to be upfront, I am not over my ex girlfriend. I don't want to drag you along." Alcide admitted, with a sigh at the end. Sookie let out a relieved breath.

"Oh thats such a relief. I'm still in love with someone else. Johns girlfriend Sophie, she's basically my surrogate Mom. She has been trying to get me over this guy for years. I just cant. I can't just stop loving him." Sookie said, with a sad smile.

"Oh I understand, me and my ex, we've been off and on since college. I just cant seem to get past her." Alcide said, with a shrug.

" Why did you break up?" Sookie asked.

"She kept accusing me of cheating. I wasn't. I just couldn't take her paranoia anymore. I'm hoping some time apart will chill her out." Alcide said, before they stopped to give their orders to the waiter who brought them two glasses of wine. "What about you and your man?" Alcide asked.

"He went to college across the country, and stopped calling me a little over half way through his first year." Sookie said.

"Dang, and you still love him?" Alcide said, and Sookie just nodded her head with a smile.

"All day, every day, unconditionally." She said, with a small laugh. It was stupid of her, but it was true.

"I knew a guy in college who was pining over some girl from back home. He kept trying to fuck her out of his system, but he would be calling home pressing people for information about her every chance he got. He's such a weirdo. We're still friends, he and I." Alcide laughed. "He called the place she worked, and hung up regularly hoping she would pick up, but even if she did, he never said anything to her. If he got drunk it was even worse and he'd start scouring Facebook for people they both knew hoping she would be in the background of a picture or something. He stared at her pony tail for like 3 hours once. How he knew it was her hair, I will never know." Alcide laughed and shook his head.

"Awww, I think thats sweet. Did he ever get back together with her?" Sookie asked.

"No, he's still living out west as a bachelor. We keep in touch, but I haven't asked about that. Maybe she rejected him." Alcide said, with a shrug.

"My friend tara, She and her boyfriend Eggs are like you and Debbie. They fight and get back together, fight and get back together. They have actually been in an on phase for almost two years now. They had trust problems because she cheated with him on her ex Micky and thats how they got together. Eggs always worried she would cheat on him too." Sookie said, as their food was brought over.

"Wow, thats practically me and Debbies story. I cheated on my ex with her. She's never been fully able to trust me since. I love her so much. Not a day goes by I don't wish I didn't start our story that way." Alcide said.

"Try couples counseling. Thats what Tara and Eggs did." Sookie suggested.

"I might give it a shot. I just can't see my future without her. She's it for me." Alcide said, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Thats how I feel about my guy. Even if it didn't work out, that doesn't make him less of my ONE." Sookie said.

"Preach sister, preach." Alcide said, with an emphatic nod.

10 years ago Eric

"Alcide, you don't understand. She was perfect. Her face, her body, her personality everything about her was made for me." Eric drunkenly whined, hanging off his dorm room bed partially crumpled on the floor.

"Then call her." Alcide said and Debbie nodded next to him, looking at her boyfriends Roommate having his bi annual breakdown about the girl he left behind.

"I can't, I fucked up too hard. I should have told her." Eric moaned, and reached for the bottle of jack Daniels that Debbie quickly leaned down, and snatched out of his grasp.

"You have had enough, Eric." Debbie said kindly. "I think you should scoot on up and try to go to sleep." She suggested, and waved Alcide over to help her hoist him into his far too small for him dorm bed. Once they managed to get him mostly on the bed Eric said.

"I need my phone. I need to hear her voice." His tone thick with emotion.

"I don't know if thats a good idea." Alcide said.

"PHONE!" Eric yelled, and Debbie made a yikes face, handing him his phone. Eric fumbled with it for a moment.

"Merlotes Diner, this is Sookie how can I help you?" She answered sweetly and Eric just held the phone to his ear and crushed his eyes shut. "Hello?" She asked again. He didn't answer. He didn't even know what he could say to her. "Listen, whoever this is you need to stop calling or start talking." Sookie said sternly. She waited again and heard nothing. She sighed. "Okay, well you have a good night then." She said and hung up. Eric just laid there making sad noises. Holding his phone to his chest.

"Okay, bedtime, Eric." Debbie said, and did her best to tuck him in. Taking his phone away from him and handing it to Alcide before he does something to embarrass himself.

"You want me to walk you home?" Alcide asked her.

"No, you stay with him and make sure he doesn't die of alcohol poisoning." Debbie said, and gave him a kiss as she grabbed her purse.

"Here, take this with you. I don't need him trying to have a round two." Alcide said, handing her the bottle of jack that was almost completely gone, and another nearly full bottle of vodka.

"Yuck, cant he at least drink something better?" Debbie said, wrinkling her nose.

"No one but you likes Arbor mist." Alcide snickered, as Debbie playfully swatted him.

"I'll see you tomorrow in class. I love you." Debbie said, going up on her tippy toes to kiss him.

"I love you too, to the moon." Alcide said, with a smile and shut the door behind her. briefly looking over at a now snoring Eric. He did not want to end up like him. He was going to make sure to always work things out with Debbie.

Present day

Eric, Sookie and Sophie were on the plane back to California. Sookie had never flown before, and Eric was grateful to be in first class at that moment. Sookie definitely freaked out when they took off. His laughing thinking is was both funny, and adorable didn't help the situation. They were about an hour from landing when Sookie said.

"Eric, I'm scared." Sookie said, clutching him, laying against him.

"I know, Lover. You don't care for flying. I'm sorry I laughed." Eric said sincerely. He really did feel bad when she started crying.

"No, not about that, I mean yes that, but also not that." Sookie explained, sort of sputtering. Eric looked over at his Mom who was sleeping, then looked back at Sookie.

"I want you to feel free to tell me anything. Even if I might not like it. I want you to be honest." Eric said, and squeezed her a little bit.

"I'm scared of what people will think of me. I'm back woods, white trash. I barely graduated high school, and thats only because you did most of my work for me. I have worked at a diner as a waitress my whole life. I'm not smart, I have no skills. There is no good reason for you to be with me. We don't make any sense." Sookie said, quietly. sounding insecure.

"First, you are not white trash. You are a southern belle. Second, you have dyslexia that was never diagnosed by the school system. You were completely written off, and set up for failure. Thats not your fault you were a child, and you were trying your best. Just because you didn't do well in an educational environment that wasn't meeting your needs doesn't make you dumb. You have always been one of the most interesting people I have ever talked to because of your perspective on things, and outlooks. You do have a ton of skills, they might not be conventional, but frankly… it's sort of a good thing. You have been a waitress since you were 16, you are a great waitress, probably the best one there. I loved you at 18, and I love you now. I'm the one who was living a false life. You have always been yourself, and Sookie i'm jealous of that. I wish I could have been more honest with myself before recently. This is always going to be about what you, and I care about. Not what the public perception of us is. all of that is just to tie Andres hands." Eric explained, before kissing the top of her head, and hugging her tighter to him.

"What if he says you cant be with me, or he makes you work all the time, and we never see you?" Sookie asked, her face looking stricken. Her lip quivering a bit.

"Then I'll quit. I run a hedge fund, and investment firm. I could start something small of my own either in California or Louisiana. Hell Sookie, I have a lot of money. I could go do anything just to stay busy, or day trade from home. Honestly, the more I think about it the more I don't want my children near my father. He's sort of a mindfuck." Eric said simply.

"I hate that I'm blowing up your whole life." Sookie said, quietly.

"I'm not, I hated my life. Being lonely, and filled with regret is a terrible way to live." Eric said, looking into her eyes. Trying to really impress how much he needs her and that he's never letting go again.

"Eric, what happened to you?" Sookie said, rolling a little in her seat to get closer to him. Keeping her voice low, so only he could hear her.

"Sookie, I ruined my life. Everything my Mother has ever said about Andre wasn't just true, it was 10x worse in reality. I am in so deep with him, I'm terrified. He started breaking me the second I left Louisiana. It was subtle at first, but now after so long I have no idea how my Mother lasted 13 years with him. I don't even see him daily either. I have no friends. The only person in my life since I moved away that I can trust is Pam. I became nothing. I am nothing. I have nothing. I have felt completely empty for years. Having you, our baby, my Mom… potentially, some stray pseudo siblings, and a step father. I finally have something, and I'm terrified he will take that away too." Eric admitted, whispering to her, holding her hand at his chest.

"Eric, I'm so sorry. No one is going to take me from you." Sookie whispered in assurance to him.

"Just…. And you might think this is dramatic, but just humor me, and don't eat or drink anything my father offers you if you meet him. Basically don't eat or drink anything from outside our house unless someone we trust gives it to you, or like we are out in a restaurant, and he's nowhere to be found."Eric said, looking uneasy.

"Do you think he's going to try to kill me?" Sookie asked, in a gasp.

"I think he's going to try to get you to lose the baby, if he can." Eric whispered back, taking a deep breath. The concern had been rattling around in his head for a while. Andre had gotten a few women pregnant over the years, and they have all had unfortunate miscarriages. Too many for it not to be something thats a bigger issue.

"No!" Sookie whisper yelled, and clutched her stomach.

"No, is exactly right. We just need to be extremely cautious. It's a big reason I want my Mom here right now. I don't want you left alone, not even in my house. The longer I think about you and I together, like together long term the more I think I need to just get away from Andre completely. This is just between you and I, by the way. I'm not even telling Pam or my mom." Eric said, still right next to her whispering.

"Oh, of course. Why do you think you need to get away, how would you get away?" Sookie asked, pulling his hand up to her and kissing it.

"Because I'm not following his plan. I'm his only heir. He doesn't exactly like when I go off script. I tried to have a side project opening a bar with a friend a few years ago and it wasnt something Andre approved of. I'm on the board of directors here. I don't even know how to quit. I'm pretty sure Andre needs me sort of miserable to make me easier to get to do what he wants. I don't really put up much of a fight, like ever because I don't really have anything to give a shit about because I don't really have anything worth caring about… until now. Having a wife and baby would be a huge liability for him. I have some ideas, and something I have been trying for a while, but I need something faster now." Eric said, leaning and gently to kiss her.

"Wife, Eric… settle down." Sookie said, giggling.

"No, I will not settle down. I should have asked you to marry me when I was 18. You keep saying you're stupid, but I'm the one who has made every wrong life decision for the last 12, almost 13 years. I'm not even barely, kind of a good person. I promise, I'm going to be good now. Breaking my promise to you is the biggest mistake in my life. Leaving you behind has haunted me for a decade. I really thought you were too good for me, and someone worthy of you scooped you up after I left you. Guys in high school didn't come near you because I was always putting my arm around you, or straight up lying if they asked if we were together. I really figured the second I wasn't there to mark my territory some other guy would have his dick beaters all over you." Eric admitted so so honestly, hugging both of her hands to him and resting his other hand on her stomach like he was afraid she and her baby would disappear. His first reaction to finding out she was pregnant was being scared of having a baby. Now he was scared he would lose Sookie and the baby, which had quickly become his entire life. Nothing was going to be more important than them to him now.

"I used to tell people you were my boyfriend when guys asked me out. I figured I could play it off to you like I was just using you as a buffer if you ever heard I said it. Really, I just liked saying it. After you left, I had to play off like we broke up, and I just wasn't over you yet. By around 26 or 27 I started being seen as an old maid. Guys asking me out slowed down a lot. Now at 31 no one has any interest in my old ass." Sookie giggled, but it just made Eric's heart clench again.

"I don't deserve your loyalty. I hate that you lost out on dating because of me, and I hate how freaking giddy it makes me feel that you waited for me. Like you're only for me. I'm very messed up, and greedy." Eric lamented, feeling incredibly conflicted and guilty. However, the other side of him was doing excited kick dancing because Sookie is, and always has been his, and his alone.

"Well, just do better now. The best apology is a change in actions. I already love you, just keep showing me I can trust you again, and we will be fine." Sookie assured him, but was also trying to make herself feel better, and believe it was true.

"I love you and the baby so much. I was such a fool. We could have had 6 kids by now." Eric said cheerfully, still resting his hand on her stomach. He had told Pam to fill his house with food. He was hoping Sookie wouldn't feel like a burden just eating in his house. She really needed to put on weight. She would need to even if she wasn't pregnant. She was somehow even smaller than she was in high school, and she was too small then.

"6 kids…" Sookie giggled, and nuzzled into him.

"Yeah, I could have had you pregnant every other year." He joked, and she giggled. They were kissing, with Eric rubbing all over her. Quietly laughing, and generally being happy.

Sophie looked over from her seat, lifting her eye mask and looked at them. She really hoped Eric was going to follow through on what he said. She was getting more scared for Sookies heart with every moment that passed. If he gives her all this attention, just to leave again it's going to break her heart. Sookie was so crushed when he left and they didn't really have anything but a friendship. Now with him telling her he loves her, sleeping with her, getting her pregnant. If he leaves again Sophie didn't think Sookie would ever be able to recover. She had to give Eric the benefit of the doubt. She had to put on a good face. John had spoken to her when she discussed the trip that she needed to not be negative, and tear Eric down. He was, for once doing what she wanted and she needed to reward that behavior. He agreed she should be there to supervise them together, and be there for Sookie if she needs. John didn't want fear and resentment to drive Eric away again. He was scared to come back, and they needed to show him he has nothing to fear, and they want him there as long as he is dedicated to changing.

Eric 5 years earlier

"Eric, Mitch Warren has a daughter named Felisha who is very interested in you. I need you to sleep with her, and play nice for a while so he will invest with us." Andre said to Eric as he walked into Eric's office. Slamming the door in Pam's face as she tried to run in behind him.

"You want me to sleep with a woman for money, like a whore?" Eric said, as he looked up disgusted.

"She's a good looking girl. She just turned 18, you saw her a few years ago at her parents garden party." Andre said, trying to jog Eric's memory, but Eric just looked up disgusted.

"Ewwww…. 18? I'm 25 what the fuck, she's just a kid. And I do remember her. She was the CHILD playing a Nintendo switch at a table surrounded by other CHILDREN." Eric said, disgusted by the suggestion. He did remember her, she looked about 14 to him at the time, and had braces, and a bunch of jelly bracelets on. He only noticed her because he thought she looked out of place and board as hell at a garden party for financiers.

"18 is perfectly legal, Eric." Andre said, rolling his eyes.

"She just graduated from high school. Why would she even be interested in me?" Eric asked, really baffled by the whole thing. What would they even talk about? 7 years in age gap is massive when the low end is a teenager. Might as well be a 30 year age difference in those circumstances. He knew his father was fine with sleeping with 18 or 19 year olds, but to him they just looked like kids. It reminded him of Mr. Madden offering to bring up Sookies grade if she got naked and blew him. The teacher would have been 25 or so at the time, but Eric remembers him seeing old to him, despite being relatively old. He also remembered 18 year old Sookie VIVIDLY, and despite being sort of allergic to clothes around him, having a lot of weight on her shoulders, she was still very much a child. She really liked stuffed animals, and Minnie Mouse. A 25 year old guy making a pass at her would have been disgusting.

"I guess she saw you out at Ivans, and set her sights on you. She's a motivated little thing." Andre laughed, like it was no big deal an 18 year old was in a 21 and over club, scoping out grown men. Eric wasn't touching that kid with a 10 foot poll, but he was very concerned for her safety. She was going places and getting into things way above her pay grade.

"No, I'm not sleeping with a kid. Especially not one I have known since she was literally a child. I'm also not sleeping with a woman to garner an investment." Eric said sternly, but swallowing because he knew his father didn't like the word no.

"No?" Andre asked menacingly.

"No." Eric repeated, with conviction.

"Fine, then I will out your Faggy little assistant to her Bible thumping family." Andre said standing up.

"Wait… stop!" Eric yelled and stood up. Andre smirked, knowing he had won. Eric figured Pam's family would never speak to her again if they knew she was gay. Her father was the Pastor of a really conservative church in Oklahoma Pam loved her family, even if she had to hide parts of herself from them.

"Change of heart?" Andre asked, with a sneer. Just then Pam forced the door open and had her phone on speakerphone.

"Yes, Mother. I am a Lesbian. I have been since I was 14. Thats when I started experimenting with girls." Pam said into the phone. Smiling as she watched Andres face contort in rage.

"oh…. Well…. Oh." Pams mother said, quietly.

"We still love you, Pamchop. You are our daughter. Love the sinner, but not the sin." Pams father said, sounding a little uneasy.

"Can I still come home for Christmas?" She asked, quietly.

"Oh Lord, Pam…. Of course! This is your home. If you don't come home I will beat your ass like a drum." Pams mother gasped, and Pam smiled, and wiped an errant tear.

"You know, I think we already knew. I don't feel surprised. Are you surprised Sarah?" Pams father asked her Mother.

"Steve, I'm just surprised it took this long. No one is that…. Ummm friendly with their friends. That Eric boy seems to treat her like a sibling. He was giving her noogies, and offering her knuckle sandwiches in-between flirting with Stanny Bears girlfriends. Honey, is Marion your girlfriend?" Her mother asked.

"Yes, she is we live together." Pam said, now sitting on the couch in Eric's office.

"Oh, well… please start bringing her when you visit like your brother brings his girlfriend." Her father said kindly.

"Okay, well I have to go. Love you." Pam said.

"We love you too. Call us this weekend." Her father said then they hung up.

"I'm out to my parents, Eric doesn't have to fuck a child. Bye bye, Daddy Andre." Pam said snottily. Andre had no power over her because Eric paid her directly out of his pocket.

"I will be back, Eric." Andre growled and stomped out. Eric turned and looked at Pam with wide eyes.

"Why would you do that?"He hissed, in a low tone.

"Because, thats the dumbest thing ever for him to be holding over you. Also, my God… 18 may be legal, but it's still a child. Disgusting." Pam said with a gag. Her cousin just turned 18, and he played fortnite constantly, barked at her during thanksgiving, and forgets deodorant 3 out of 7 days… if he showers consistently. He literally, and figuratively reeked of little boy.

Eric nodded his head. He had left bon temps at 18. He was legally an adult, but he couldn't make a sound decision to save his life. He didn't tell Sookie he loved her too. He abandoned his mother so he could get his trust fund. He slept with girls he didn't even like because they gave him attention, and it made him feel like he was cheating on Sookie, and hate himself. Then because he hated himself he kept doing more and more self destructive shit because nothing seemed to matter anymore at that point. There wasn't a single choice, decision, want, or dream he had at 18 that was good or sound. Some teenage girl saying 'I want to sleep with that grown ass man.' Reeked of Eric style decision making, and he wanted no part in taking another person down that road so young.

"Thank you." Was all Eric could say.

"No thanks needed. I will never let you get in some fucked up situation that puts you at risk if I can stop it. Andre loves to abuse, and take advantage of you. It's his very favorite hobby." Pam said with a dirty look.

"Pam, he's my father." Eric said weakly. He had ruined everything else in his life. Andre was really all he had left. Which was a really sad, and dark thought in itself.

"I don't care who it is and how they are connected to you. My job is to support and protect you. I am exceptional at my job. I always have been, even before you were paying me to do it." She smirked, thinking about all the times in college she got him out of a jam.

"So, does this mean I don't get to come to Oklahoma, and act as your beard anymore? Where will I get access to a giant piece of thick sliced bologna people are calling barbecue?" Eric asked, with a smile and Pam laughed.

"I'll still have to bring you. If for nothing else so you can keep making my brothers girlfriends drool over you and piss him off." Pam cackled, remembering the last two times he went home with her her brothers girlfriends at the time made overt passes at him.

"Stan has a right to hate me." Eric laughed.

"He's going to be thrilled I'm a lesbian." Pam smiled.

"Until you steal his girls too." Eric smiled back, as Pam took three steps and wrapped him in a hug.

"How much is this hug costing me?" Eric asked, meeting her embrace.

"Two pairs of Jimmy Choo's." Pam said quietly to him before she pulled back.

"Fair price, fair price." He nodded, and shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched Pam walk out of the room.

Present Day

"This is my home." Eric said, as he opened the front door to let Sookie and his mother walk in in front of him.

"Wow… there is a lot of… look at all these windows, Sophie." Sookie said, trying to sound polite, but really she was sort of taken back by how cold and hard Eric's house was. It seemed to be made entirely of glass and concrete. There was very little color, everything had sharp angles.

"It's very minimalist. How do you wash all these windows?" Sophie asked, also just trying to be polite about Eric's ugly house of modern nightmares.

"I bought it furnished. I never changed anything. I'm not sure about the windows. Pam manages that. PAAAAAAAM!" He yelled out into the house making both Sookie and Sophie jump. Sophie looked up at him with wide eyes like she wanted to smack him.

"Yes, master?" Pam said, as she walked down the metal staircase. All Sookie was seeing was more and more reasons why a baby couldn't be in this house and it was making her start to get the tingling feeling in her arms and chest she calls the yips.

"Pam, can you show Sookie to my room and show her the things you bought?" Eric asked, and Pam just gave him a tight nod. Suppressing a massive eye roll.

"Yes, Sookie. Please join me." Pam said, politely.

"Okie dokie." Sookie said, trying to grab her bag but Eric stopped her.

"I'll carry that up later. Also, anything for you up there Pam bought on my order so don't give her any sass. Save that for me, she's just much much better at shopping." Eric said to sookie, before he kissed her, but she pushed him back a bit, and said.

"What did you do?" Sounding distressed.

"Way too much, way over the top, you will be so so pissed at me." He said his smile never faltering.

"Eric…" Sookie said, in a warning tone.

"Be nice to my Pam, please." He asked sweetly.

"Obviously, you're the problem." Sookie said, and sighed as she walked over to Pam who was looking at Sookie a little shocked. She led her up the stairs to the master bedroom leaving Eric with his Mother.

"Your room is down here." Eric said, as he grabbed her bag. He walked his Mom past the living room and kitchen to a hall that lead to two guest rooms that over looked the back yard, which again was full of concrete.

"Mmmmm, this is quite the house." Sophie said, trying to sound happy.

"I figured you'd hate it. I hate it too. It's the exact opposite of a Sookie house. I had one before this that I bought because it looked like something she would love, but it made me super depressed, because I basically bought her a house, and had to sit in it knowing I would never have her with me there. So I bought this because it's something she would hate. I'm sure she hates it, but is going to be too polite to ever say it." Eric said with a smile, and Sophie just looked at him sadly, and wrapped him in a hug.

"I am so sorry you have been so unhappy for so long." She whispered.

"It was my own fault." Eric said, honestly.

"I know, but you're my baby." Sophie said, tears spilling over her eyes.

"I'm getting out. Andre will never let me be happy, and have a family with Sookie." Eric said as he held his Mother, saying them softly.

"What?" Sophie said sounding shocked.

"I'm getting out. The next board meeting is in 3 months. I'm going to ask to be removed from the board, and tender my resignation." Eric said, making his mother let out a relieved sob.

"Where are you going after?" Sophie asked softly. Trying to gather herself, but it felt like she could finally take a breath after years of suffocating.

"Home, where I belong." He said, and Sophie cried into his chest clutching him.

"I love you… you don't understand how much I love you, Eric." Sophie cried.

"I'm so sorry. I love you too. I didn't just miss Sookie. I hated that I felt like I couldn't face you either. You raised me better, Mom. I knew better." Eric said his voice cracking. Trying to hold back his own tears.

"Sookie and I will stay for the three months. Don't tell your father your plan. I'll work on Sookie, don't worry. She cant be working 70 hours a week on her feet while she's pregnant and she needs to gain some weight." Sophie said, pulling back wiping her eyes.

"I was just wondering if she'd be willing to eat at my house or if she was going to feel like eating and drinking makes her a bother." Eric admitted.

"Oh, she's going to feel like a bother. Getting her to have a damn glass of water at my house is a battle. That girl is so afraid of even slightly depending on someone. Losing so many people who took care of her within a year when she was young traumatized the hell out of her. The only time I remember her being willing to take anything or any help from anyone was when you two were dating, but not really dating when you were kids and she let you pay for her when you went out. After you left all of that came to an abrupt halt." Sophie said thinking of ways to get Sookie to feel like she deserved to exist, and take up space in peoples lives.

"Because I left her too, and that was the straw that broke the camels back." Eric said, with a resigned sigh. Everyday revealing a new horrible thing he did, or caused for Sookie with his choices.

"Well, fix it now. That girl is wound so tight she could crush diamonds between her ass cheeks. You need to make her feel relaxed and secure. She really likes to eat bread…. Bread is almost irresistible to her." Sophie said, leaning in conspiratorially.

"Yeah, all I could get her to ask for was pancakes. Oh, and fruit." Eric said meeting her hushed tones.

"Kiwi makes her mouth itch and gives her a rash. I think she's allergic, but she eats it anyway if it's around because she wont waste food. Then she just suffers for days after itching. She gets really excited about fruit. Mmmmmm, oh and egg salad sandwiches." Sophie said, with a smile.

"Yeah, she made herself egg salad for her 19th birthday. She wouldn't let me get her a cake because she said it was too much. I barely got her to let me take her to the movies to celebrate." Eric said, remembering the birthday of hers he got to spend with her.

"She still eats egg salad for her birthday, or around her birthday if she has to wait until after bills are paid or something. She wears that Minnie Mouse sweatshirt you gave her for her birthday every year too." Sophie said, but it made Eric cringe that something as simple as egg freaking salad has been hard for her to afford.

"Does she like sweets? You know, so we can fatten her up." Eric asked.

"I have no idea. She really eats whatever the staff meal is. peanut butter sandwiches and occasionally I can convince her to eat dinner with the family. she just eats whatever is there. Spoil her, Eric…. Spoil her." Sophie said, excitedly. Her eyes becoming a bit wild.

"I'm trying, getting her to accept anything is difficult. She sent me cookies a few times, maybe she likes cookies?" Eric asked, like it was a question.

"If she made you cookies it's because she knows YOU really like cookies. I doubt she ate a single one if she made them for you." Sophie said, still thinking.

"You're right… so damn selfless." Eric grumbled, and Sophie nodded her head in agreement. "Oh, I had Pam fully stock the bathroom for you with girl stuff. Everything in here is yours. I don't bring women to my home. There should also be a bunch of nice comfortable clothes in the drawers. I thought Sookie would be more willing to accept silk pajamas if you had some too." Eric said, giving his mother a guilty smile. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the bags on the bed, but didn't say anything.

"Why silk?" Sophie finally asked.

"Sookie was yanking on the waist band of everything the whole time we were staying at the hotel. I thought silk would be a safe bet for something that wouldn't irritate her." Eric said with a shrug.

"Oh, poor thing. Yeah, your skin gets more sensitive when you're pregnant. I bet she needs something a little bigger too." Sophie said, nodding and taking one of the sets of silk pajamas out of the bag.

"Yeah, I told Pam no extra smalls. I'm being optimistic she's going to gain weight." Eric said.

"Good good, well go save your girlfriend from Pam. I'll change to encourage her to accept the gifts." Sophie said, taking in a deep breath. She still deemed these items bought with Andres money, but she would do it for Sookie. She deserved to be spoiled.

Eric walked out of the room and headed to the stairs to go up to his room when he saw Sookie and Pam walking down the stairs arm in arm smiling. He couldn't help the sort of horrified look on his face, because he really thought he was going to have to work pretty hard to get Pam to at least be civil to Sookie.

"Eric, she's too good for you. I tried to convince her to leave your dumb ass, but she's sadly devoted to giving you a shot. I love her, Eric." Pam declared, hugging Sookie to her as they got off the stairs.

"What happened up there?" Eric asked, as he took in that Sookie was wearing a soft pink silk nightgown and a pink silk robe. She had matching silk slippers on her feet that had 'Mrs. Northman' embroidered on the tops. Sookies hair had been put into a French braid and she looked sort of refreshed.

"None ya." Sookie said, with a grin that made Pam smile.

"Yes Eric, None ya. Happened." Pam's face was smug and satisfied. She was prepared to absolutely hate Sookie, but after less than half and hour with her she didn't just understand what a Sookie was. She understood how letting her slip through his fingers colored every single facet of Eric's life from that moment on. Anyone would be rendered permanently miserable if they lost a woman like Sookie.

"Great…." Eric said not knowing if Sookie and Pam becoming fast friends was a good or bad thing. It felt ominous. "Sookie you need to eat, what do you want? Oh, Pam did you get the prenatal?" Eric asked them both.

"I got 4 different kinds for Sookie to choose from. The one derived from whole foods was the most highly recommended. The other three are for women struggling to keep food down. The gummy is easy to take. The other two are spread over multiple doses so it's not a big deal is you puke a pill up." Pam said, making Eric give her a thumbs up. He just turned to Sookie, who was standing fidgeting, and looking down.

"Sookie?" He asked, and she started making a nervous and uncomfortable noise he recognized as a precursor to her 'yips' which was actually crippling anxiety she refused to acknowledge as panic attacks. He realized she was having panic attacks at 23 when he had one himself, and it was exactly how she explained her yips.

"Eric, whats wrong with her?" Pam asked with concern when Sookie started to hyperventilate.

"She's getting the yips." Eric said and reached out to pull Sookie who was now shaking and crying between her rapid panicked breathing.

"What the fuck is a yip?" Pam asked, pulling out her phone ready to call 911.

"It's a panic attack." Eric explained, and just tried to Sooth Sookie. "Sookie, Lover…. Talk it out whats yipping you?" Eric said Soothingly as Pam stepped back, and Sophie came out of her room in the silk two piece pajamas that were blue with pink roses on them.

"Uh oh…. She got the yips." Sophie said, with a sigh.

"Why are you all calling a full body panic attack the yips?" Pam asked, just so confused.

"Sookie sees having anxiety as a sign of weakness. Like she's incapable of doing something herself. She said she got the yips the first time the night she was told her parents had died in a car accident." Sophie explained.

"I'm concerned Eric is going to break her." Pam whispered to Sophie.

"Me too, but we need to believe in him. If he can really pull this off then it will be whats best for her." Sophie whispered back.

"It all… it's all is so much." Sookie heaved out, letting Eric rub her back.

"Deep breaths." Eric coached her and she tried to draw in a deep breath, but she couldn't.

"I… I cant." She kept stuttering. Eric picked her up and laid her on his couch, which actually was really comfortable. He sat there a lot so it was one of the nicer things he had.

"Sookie, you need to breathe. The baby need oxygen. I don't think the yips are good for them either. Please keep trying to breathe." Eric said, hugging her rubbing his hand over her body. She finally found a rhythm taking in deep breaths, and was able to calm herself somewhat down.

"Okay, Sookie this is not too much. You deserved so so much more than this, far sooner. I know you aren't saying yes anytime soon because you don't trust me further than you can throw me, and look at these spindly arms. They cant throw for shit." Eric said as he picked up one of her arms and shook it making her laugh lightly. "But I'm going to get you to marry me. I'm going to earn your trust. We're going to go home. I promise." Eric whispered in her ear as he pet her hair.

"Your house is shaped like knives. It a death trap for a baby." Sookie said, cringing as she did. It sounded even ruder coming out of her mouth than when she was thinking it.

"Oh God… yeah, this is a just right now place. Have you seen the stairs? A baby would slip between them. There is a fireplace in the middle of the living room floor. I smack my thigh on those sharp counter corners at least once a week. This house is dangerous for everyone, but remember we don't need to keep it long because we are going home." Eric promised her.

"I don't want to go back without you. I don't believe you'll come back." Sookie admitted and cried covering her face. Feeling horrible for saying it.

"Then you stay for the next three months until after the board meeting, and we can go back together. Pam got you a cell phone that has an app that shows my location on it so you will always know where I am. It even shows my speed you you can see when I'm breaking traffic laws." Eric said, with a smile.

"When you're breaking traffic laws, not if." Sookie giggled.

"My insurance rates are through the roof." He laughed, it was true. He was a connoisseur of speeding tickets.

"Please don't speed. The baby and I need you." Sookie said, starting to cry again. The man who had killed her parents wasn't just drunk, he was also going 20 over the speed limit.

"Well, now you have eyes on me so I'll have to." Eric said with a smile. "Please stop crying." He begged a little.

"I'm trying, but I cant afford to stay here for 3 months. I need to figure something out for work and my house… oh God my house." Sookie groaned. That stupid freaking house. Just the thought was making her stomach hurt.

"Okay, hear me out." Eric said, but she looked at him skeptically, however he continued. "I plan on tricking you into marrying me, and soon. Louisiana, where we are going back to together is a community property state. I mean, so is California. Whats mine is yours." He finished, and she laughed.

"Like when you tricked me into going to prom with you, but forever."

"I'm planning very very similar tactics, yes." He said, with a wide smile. He had 100% tricked her into being his prom date. She wasn't going to go because she couldn't afford a dress. So he went out, and bought her a dress that matched the tie he was wearing, and told her it was his Mom's so she could borrow it and they would go together so he could keep an eye on his Mom's dress. Sophie blew his cover because she got home as they were leaving and told sookie that wasn't her dress, and she didn't even go to prom because she dropped out and married Andre her junior year. The dress was already on Sookie, and she was all done up to go. By that point in time it was too late to back out.

"3 months, and what if I don't really trust you in 3 months, even if I still love you?" She asked, softly looking pained.

"Then I still follow you home, and I spend the rest of my life proving to you that you can depend on me while we raise our baby." Eric said, sincerely.

"If it's a boy we should name him Hoyt." Sookie teased, and Eric groaned.

"I hate that guy." Eric sighed.

"Only because you imagined I was married to him for a long time. He's been married to Jessica Hamby for a long time. They have kids." Sookie giggled.

"Doesn't matter, I made up my mind. I hate him. I hated him before that too. He has a very hatable face." Eric said with conviction. Sookie smiled and took a deep breath. She did feel a little better now that she was more honest with Eric.

"And if you ever see him again?" Sookie asked.

"Tons of very mean looks directed at him." Eric said, giving his best mean face. "Now food, what do you want?" Eric asked circling back.

"Umm… Food with no smell, and bread." Sookie said, feeling awkward asking anyone for anything.

"Pam!" Eric barked, making Pam scurried over.

"Yes?" She asked, looking at Sookie, reaching out to pat her head like a dog.

"Get us all dinner, you are eating with us. Food that doesn't have any real smell, and sookie wants bread. Think dinner rolls not sliced bread." Eric said, Pam just nodded and walked out the front door.

"She just goes and gets you whatever you want?" Sookie asked, as she sat up.

"No, sometimes she gets me what I need and it pisses me off because it's not what I want." Eric said with a sheepish smile.

"Spoiled." Sookie teased.

"I warned you, I'm good at getting my way these days." He replied with a wink.

3 years ago Sookie

"Debbie, the wedding was beautiful." Sookie sighed, with a smile looking around.

"Oh, thank you! You know, Alcide and I wouldn't have gotten here if you hadn't have gotten us back together. Tell me who this mystery guy is who got away was, and I'll go track him down for you." Debbie said, and she was serious too. It wasn't just the therapy she recommended. They started driving to Bon Temps to hang out with Sookie and Debbie had really become friends and she helped Her really work through some of her own problems by counseling her on acceptance and forgiveness WITH boundaries. She wasn't just at peace with Alcide, Sookie had given her the tools to work on other issues she had.

"Deb, he's gone and moved on. He never wanted me like I wanted him in the first place. You cant fix a relationship that didn't exist."Sookie said, with a sad smile.

"Cali boy is on the phone!" Alcide grinned as he ran his phone over to Debbie. She eagerly took it and held it to her ear.

"Where are you, you stupid whore?" Debbie asked with a giggle.

"I couldn't get away from work. I'm so happy for you guys though. Congratulations!" Eric said sincerely, standing outside of the meeting while they were on break. Eric was seething because he was pretty sure his father planned this useless pow wow, that could have been an email just to keep him from going to Alcide and Debbies wedding.

"We miss you! Come visit." Debbie whined, Eric sighed, he'd love to visit them, but Alcide and Debbie lived in Shreveport. Just 40 minuets away from the love of his life, and his Mother who he hadn't spoken to in 9 months and was now scared to answer her calls because it had gone so long. He wasn't ready and after refusing to sleep with a child for the good of the company. His father had had him on the very tightest of leashes for the last couple of years.

"I want to, but it's really hard for me to get away." Eric sighed.

"We can drunk dial your ex for old times sake." Debbie said, like it would lure him there. Alcide and Sookie snickered. Sookie didn't know who she was talking to, but he sounds funny.

"Tempting as that sounds, and believe me it does. I haven't done it in about a year. I don't think I'll be making it out there anytime soon." Eric said sadly. It was true he was about 1 year clean from drunk dialing Merlotes. Sookie hadn't picked up in years though. He figured she didn't work there anymore. Probably off popping out tiny Hoyts left and right. He had to shove that thought away because it always just pissed him off. God he hated Hoyt.

"Oh my God, I could hook you up with my friend! She is still in love with someone from a million years ago too! So much in common!" Debbie joked, and stuck her tongue out at Sookie who yelled.

"DEBORAH! NOOOOOO!"

"Oh, you're getting Deborah'ed. I better let you go." Eric laughed.

"Yeah yeah, See you around Cali Boy." Debbie said and handed the phone back to Alcide who put it back to his ear and kept talking.

"Christ Deb!" Sookie said, shaking her head.

"What? You deserve love too, and Alcides roommate from college would be perfect for you." Debbie whined at her.

"Pfft, I doubt a man who lives across the country is perfect for me. Plus, I'm not looking." Sookie snorted.

"You should be looking. You deserve to look." Debbie implored.

"Lets focus on you. It's your wedding. Where are you going on your honeymoon?" Sookie asked changing the subject.

"Antigua!" Debbie said, with the weirdest fake accent Sookie had ever heard making her laugh.

Present day

"Pam, I need to make a private call. Keep everyone out of my office." Eric said into his intercom.

"You got it boss." Pam said and he could see her take her gun out of her purse, and set it on her desk from the window in his office. He just sighed, but he also wasn't that shocked Pam was strapped. He picked up his cell phone, and dialed Alcide. He needed him to start work on Sookies house. He only had 3 months to get It livable.

"Well look who it is, Mr. California himself." Debbie said, picking up Alcides cell phone because he was in his office with a supplier.

"Hey, Debbie. I'm calling for business reasons." Eric said, with a grin.

"What? Why? We're eat the rich people. You do hedge fund shit." Debbie laughed.

"No, I'm not calling to steal your retirement." Eric laughed. "I need some serious heavy duty work done on my fiancé's house which is in Bon Temps. I only have 3 months to get it done. I will pay any price, please make an outrageous quote and rip me off in the name of anti capitalism." Eric laughed, but Debbies mouth was just hanging open.

"Fiancé…" she gasped.

"Almost, she is in my head. She'll get on board soon, I'm sure of it. The house still needs serious work. It has massive water damage." Eric explained.

"Hmmm, whats her name? We have a friend down there. Maybe we know your almost fiancé." Debbie said, and grabbed a note pad.

"Sookie Stackhouse." He said, and Debbie stood up so fast her chair flipped as she screamed.

"ALLLLLLLLLLLCIDE! OH MY GOD!"

"Deb, what? Are you okay?" Alcide said, with concern looking at his wife who was about 5 months pregnant standing there screaming.

"I AM NOT ALRIGHT! ERIC IS ENGAGED TO SOOKIE!" She bellowed at Alcide who wasn't catching on.

"What? Huh?"

"Eric Northman is going to marry Sookie Stackhouse." Debbie said, sounding completely baffled. Eric was just listening from his side of the call confused.

"Gimme the phone Deb, you got pregnancy brain." Alcide said, and took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, do you guys know Sookie?" Eric asked.

"Umm, do we know Sookie." Alcide laughed. "She's Debbies best friend. We got back together because she nursed our relationship out of the dumpster. We Love Sookie…. Wait." Alcide teased, and all the pieces fell together for him.

"She was your perfect in every single way girl, and you were her one true love she couldn't get over. How did we not know?" Alcide asked more himself than anyone in particular. "She was at our wedding. She was literally standing next to Deb when you called." Alcide said. Eric's head was spinning.

"How did you guys meet her?" Eric asked.

"We got set up on a date neither of us wanted to go on. I told her about Deb, she told me about the guy she's not over. We actually left the restaurant, and went to see Debbie together. We've all been friend since." Alcide explained. Eric felt a little unreasonable jealousy that Alcide had been on a date with his girl, even if it wasn't really a date for them by choice.

"Wow….. Sookie is pregnant. She's in California with me for 3 months. Her house is all fucked up. I need it livable by the time we get back." Eric said, still reeling. All the times he was THIS close to Sookie and he had no idea. He wondered how many times he called and she was in the room.

"Sookies pregnant? With your baby?" Alcide gasped, and Debbie clutched her chest, stumbling back.

"Yup, my baby." Eric said, thinking how crazy it was how close he had been to Sookie all these years. If he had just gone to their wedding he could have had her back years ago. Hell, if he had accepted any of their invitations to visit over the last almost decade he could have had her back.

"Damn, good for you Eric. I know exactly where her house is. we only have 3 months?" Alcide asked.

"Yup, spare no expense. Call my assistant Pam with any questions you come up with. Whatever needs to be done short of bulldozing it and starting over. Do you know any decorators? I imagine a lot wont be able to be salvaged because of water damage, but I want what was there matched as close as possible." Eric explained.

"Oh, Debbie can do that no problem. She knows Sookie really well too so she'll be able to make sound swaps on anything that cant be kept." Alcide said, with a nod as he paced around the front of their office.

"Good good… I'm sorry, my mind is fucking blown that you had Sookie around you for years and I had no idea." Eric said, still having his mind blown.

"Right? Damn, when we were visiting you in California a few years back we could have just drunk dialed her house instead of drunk dialing her job. She doesn't answer the phone there anymore. They were getting too many prank calls. Only the boss guy there answers now." Alcide laughed knowing Eric was the source of that particular problem. Eric started laughing.

"Oh Man, new rules exist because of me all over the place."

"I can't believe we never put it together! If we had known we would have chloroformed her, and dropped her at your house." Alcide said with a chuckle. Debbie clearly recovering from her shock and looking more steady.

"That would have made her so pissed." Eric laughed.

"She would have forgiven us when she saw who she was a gift for… or who was a gift for her. Wait, Debbie! Don't tell Sookie about the house! Just say Eric called to catch up." Alcide yelled as he saw Debbie reach in her purse to get her own phone. She nodded and gave him a thumbs up before she tossed her phone down and groaned.

"She's not at her house I cant call her."

"Deb's mad she cant chirp like hens with Sookie until she gets back. She's not home." Alcide laughed.

"Oh, I got her a cell phone. I'll text you her number. I'm sure he'll enjoy some chirping with Debbie." Eric laughed, Sookie really has always had a million friends. One thing has apparently been very consistent. Everyone likes Sookie.

"Hey Deb, Eric got Sookie a cell phone. I'll give you her number when I get off with him." Alcide called out to her and Debbie clapped excitedly at her desk.

"Deb's pregnant too, 5 months." Alcide said.

"Oh congratulations! You guys have been trying for a while." Eric said.

"She had some procedure and then we did IUI. We weren't really telling anyone, just because of how tender pregnancy is for her. How far along is Sookie?" Alcide asked. Eric looked at the calendar on his desk and said.

"About 10 weeks."

"How is she feeling?" Alcide asked.

"Food smells make her angry. She's puking at random. We have her first appointment tomorrow." Eric said, casually.

"You're gonna hear that heartbeat and it changes everything, man. You think you love her now… when you hear that babies heartbeat, That baby she's making for you. It's an indescribable level of love." Alcide said as he watched Debbie walk the supplier out.

"I have a feeling. I'm trying to get Sookie to believe I'm not going to abandon her again and trust me." Eric sighed, confiding in his friend.

"Just don't give her a reason to not trust you and you'll be fine. You two are meant for one another. Deb and I have listened to you two cry for one another for years. Theres no one else for either of you. I know you're not letting go again." Alcide said, supportively.

"I'm not, I cant. I can't live without her." Eric said, sincerely.

"Yeah, we could tell." Alcide laughed, and Eric smiled.

"Ass hole."

"I'll drive out to her house this afternoon. Things have been slow here so this is good for me. It'll keep my crews busy until we start our big remodel on Carmichael Tower in downtown. We'll work everyone to get it done in time." Alcide said.

"I really appreciate it." Eric said.

"This is a mutual back scratching scenario." Alcide said, with a smile.

"Well, I'm happy to do my part. I'll see you when I move back with Sookie." Eric said.

"You're moving back, like forever?" Alcide asked.

"I'm all in with her, all in." Eric said with conviction.

"Well, see you soon. I'll get your house ready for you and your new bride." Alcide smiled.

"See you soon." Eric said and hung up with a huge smile before he texted Alcide and Debbie Sookies new number.

Eric got home around 7 that night. When he opened the door Sookie came running up to him.

"I saw when you were coming home! And you know Alcide and Debbie!" She was so excited she was jumping up and down.

"I do, I know them, very well." Eric chuckled, and set all his stuff down quickly so he could dip her and give her a kiss. Coming home to her felt so right.

"Debbie is like… my best friend." Sookie said, happily.

"Well, if you don't count Pam, Alcide is my best friend." Eric said with a smile.

"I met your house keeper, she's…. Young." Sookie said trying to be polite.

"Oh yeah, Amelia. I'm not usually here when she is. I guess I forgot. Her Mother is Octavia Fant. Amelia didn't want to get into the family business so she got cut off and kicked out. She lives in my guest house, and cleans my house, Pams house, and goes to the community college. I respect her for telling her Mom to eat her ass like I never could do to my dad." Eric explained.

"You took in a homeless teenager?" Sookie said, with awww face.

"No, I employ a formally homeless teenager, and I gave her a scholarship for school." Eric smirked.

"Does her Mom know you scooped her off the streets?" Sookie asked.

"Oh, no." Eric laughed. "She thinks she's suffering living under a bridge somewhere. I heard her boasting about cutting Amelia off and she was waiting for her to go crawling back to her at a dinner party. As soon as it was over I went out looking for her. Pam and I found her living in her car in a Walmart parking lot." Eric said, smiling.

"No wonder Debbie excludes you from her quest to eat the rich." Sookie smiled. "Your Mom made chicken Alfredo. I and having breadsticks and cold chicken. Pasta grosses me out now. This baby is picky." Sookie said, with an over it tone. Taking Erics hand and leading him to the kitchen where Sophie was cooking with Amelia standing next to her.

"They wouldn't let me leave." Amelia said quickly. She normally doesn't linger in Eric's house. She communicates with him mostly through Pam.

"They are very hospitable people. It's better to just let them do their thing." Eric smiled, and Amelia shrugged.

"My doctors appointment is tomorrow." Sookie said excitedly. Eric was excited she was starting to loosen up a little. She was nearly a week removed from the constant stream of oppressive stress cascades. No bills, no work, no home or car related calamities. She looked healthier to him, which he loved to see. He wanted to keep the rest of her life low stress. In his opinion Sookie had had enough stress for two lifetimes. He was hoping to have she so accustomed to a higher lifestyle in 3 months when they go home that she will stop fighting him about doing things for her.

"Yup, my Mom is driving you there. I'll meet you. After the appointment we will eat, then I'll take you to your dress fitting for the charity event on Saturday." Eric said, letting her know that he will absolutely be there.

"Okay… a fitting. Pam said the dress she picked is really classy." Sookie said nervously, still feeling uneasy about the whole thing.

"I haven't seen it, but Pam has good taste. If it helps she picked my suit. Oh that reminds me." Eric snapped, and smiled at Sookie as he pulled a little box out of his pocket.

"I am so unnerved by how much you are smiling." Amelia said, as she stood next to Sophie who snorted. Even as a kid Eric was surly. He was exclusively smily for Sookie. She had selfishly allowed Sookie in his room with the door shut when they were teens in the hopes sleeping with her would encourage him to stay. The fact that he never even kissed her blew her mind. She had watched Sookie rub herself all over him for a year. She was now beginning to wonder if he held himself back so he wouldn't get too attached and would still be willing to leave. He had been fighting his feelings for her tooth and nail until he thought it was too far past the point of no return. Sophie looked at the almost giddy look on her Sons face as he opened the engagement ring box and got on one knee in front of Sookie and wondered if she was doing the right thing cutting him off from information about Sookie. Maybe if she had been wiling to feed him a constant stream of Sookie news he would have pulled his head out of his ass sooner. She pushed that thought away. There was a good chance he needed to suffer a bit so he wouldn't take her for granted, and appreciate the kind of life he can have with her. At least this way he will know he wasn't missing out on anything with his father. The grass was not greener. The earth around Andre was salted, nothing could grow there.

"I smile." Eric said indignantly.

"Sure, you smile so much." Amelia said sarcastically, making Eric squint and Sookie laugh.

"You adopted a teenager." Sookie giggled.

"No, she was an adult. And I didn't adopt her, I'm just spiting her mother." Eric said, with a smirk.

"You adopted an adult." Sookie giggled.

"He looks like a shark when he smiles. It feels dangerous to see his teeth." Amelia said, looking at Sookie.

"I like his smile." Sookie said, sweetly reaching down and patting his cheek.

"Can I propose to you now?" Eric asked, with a quirked eyebrow.

"If you want, but I'm not agreeing yet." Sookie shrugged, and Amelia made a pfffft noise and bent over laughing. Eric scowled at her.

"At least agree to wear the ring?" Eric asked.

"We'll see." Sookie shrugged, acting coy, making him smile and shake his head.

"Sookie, in the future when you can trust me, or I succeed in tricking you, will you marry me?" Eric asked and opened the box to show a massive 4.5 carat emerald cut diamond set in platinum. Sookies face fell, it was a beautiful ring… she just didn't like it. Eric tipped the box to himself and looked in.

"Oh, yeah this is the one for public events." He closed the box and tossed it like it didn't cost him 200k. He pulled another box out of his pocket and opened it. It was a modest 2 carat oval cut diamond that had small yellow diamond fragments around it looking like a flower. The band was gold and looked like a twisted braid. Sookie loved it. It was still a little big, but she loved it.

"I like this one." Sookie whispered, as Eric took her hand not giving her a choice and slipped it on her finger.

"This is the one I went out and picked. The other one Pam picked, and had delivered. They came at the same time today." Eric said and kissed the ring on her hand then stood up. He wasn't going to pressure her to say yes to him. He had a plan and his plan needed time. He was confident he could get his last name on her before the baby was born though.

"Oh it's beautiful." Sophie told Sookie looking at the ring. The other one was big to the point of ugly. This ring had character and looked optimistic, if that was a word one could use to describe a piece of jewelry.

"It is, Pam can have the other one when we're done here." Sookie said, still looking at her ring. Eric snorted and made a 'well okay then.' Kind of face.

"Sookie… that ring cost…." Amelia started, but Eric reached over and wrapped his arm around her head clamping his hand over her mouth.

"We don't talk prices with Sookie." He said almost menacingly. Sophie giggled from the stove as she plated food. "You too Mom!" Eric barked, still holding Amelia is a silencing head lock.

"Try to stop me, I dare you." Sophie said, turning around. Slowly setting the spoon on the rest next to the stove and crossing her arms.

"I will stop you." Eric said, releasing Amelia, taking a few steps towards his mother.

"I Dare You." Sophie said, as if she was punctuating each word.

"Should we stop them?" Amelia asked Sookie who was taking a picture of her ring to text to Debbie.

"No, you just have to let it rip between these two." Sookie said, and grabbed Amelias arm to pull her out of the way.

"I train with an Olympian 4 times a week. I'm not some wobbly teenager still adjusting to my center of gravity anymore." Eric warned, and approached Sophie slowly.

"And I am your mother." Sophie said as she quickly lunged and hit him twice with the wooden spoon still covered in Alfredo sauce.

"Owe! God damn!" Eric whined.

"And I'm a redneck! You're lucky I just gave you the spoon!" Sophie yelled with a laugh.

"You got Alfredo on me." He whined, and looked at the sauce spots on his shoulder, and the side of his butt.

"You're lucky I held back and didn't break the spoon on your ass." Sophie said with a shrug, and turned back to the food.

"I'm going to go change. I'll be right back." Eric said. Sookie skipped over to him and gave him another kiss before he went up to his room to change. He smiled to himself about how nothing had really changed since they were kids. They had both obviously changed and grown, but they were still themselves. He was ready to close this Godforsaken chapter of his life and reopen his chapter he was writing with Sookie 12 years ago. He would never take her love for granted again. He would never not appreciate her again. There was NOTHING that was going to be better than raising his happy little family, peacefully, in a small town in rural Louisiana, where his wife has deep roots, and just down the road from his Mother.

The next day, he met sookie at the doctor Pam had arranged for them. Dr. Claudine Crane was the best OB in Los Angelas. He had noticed Sookie was puking less than when he first got to her. Probably a lot to do with being able to pick her foods instead of trying to force down what's revolting to her.

"Hey." He greeted her as he walked into the waiting room and saw Sookie sitting there.

"I like being able to see you coming." She said holding up her phone. He smiled and kissed her as he sat next to her.

"I like being able to see where you are too. So you like the phone?" He asked as he took her hand and held it in his lap.

"I really do! Debbie and I can text now. I like that." She smiled.

"Are you guys making fun of me and Alcide?" Eric asked, looking mock concerned.

"Of course, what else do we have to talk about?" Sookie said, her face looking dead serious, making Eric chuckle.

"I created a monster." Eric smiled.

"Debbie told me about an app that tells you how big the baby is each week in fruit, and tells you little facts about the development. Can you put it on my phone for me?" Sookie asked sweetly pushing her phone at him a little.

"Did she tell you the name of it?" Eric asked opening her phone and smiling when he saw her background was a picture of him sleeping spooned behind her.

"Yeah in my texts." Sookie said.

"Oh, so I can look at what you two are saying?" He chuckled and opened her texts to Debbie and scrolled through the recipes, ultrasound pictures, meme's about pregnancy, charts about back yard chickens they both apparently want, and Debbie quietly feeling out Sookies tastes in decorating before he found the name of the app and went to the app store and downloaded it for her.

"What is your due date going to be?" Eric asked.

"Well, I got pregnant on June 19th. So 40 weeks from that I guess." Sookie said and Eric chuckled.

"I got you on the first shot. I'm a straight shooter."

"I guess I'm lucky you never tried to have sex with me in high school. I was 100% willing to let you in me basically from the moment you tried to help me in the Library. I would have ended up a cliche as the head cheerleader who gives birth at prom." Sookie giggled.

"Your due date will be around mid April… it will be a prom baby." Eric said, barking a hearty laugh making Sookie giggle with him.

"I guess it was just meant to be and the universe was waiting anxiously to make it happen." Sookie smiled.

"I didn't think you would have been interested in me in high school. You are so pretty, and generally hot. I was fat and weird." Eric said, handing her her phone back.

"I have always found you attractive. I didn't think you were fat. I liked how you looked back then as much as now. I have always loved your personality though. Being around you makes me happy." She said with a smile, but Eric frowned a little.

"I'm so sorry I left you, and squandered our opportunity." He said, looking at her with an intensity. Like he was trying to read her mind with his eyes.

"I want you to forgive yourself and start living in the now. We cant change the past. I still love you. We both lived a lot apart, and we know for sure we want to be together. We know exactly what our priorities are. We're having a baby. You need to forgive yourself so we can move forward. I love you, I forgive you. Like actually forgive you, not like I forgive you but we're going to keep having to talk about it. I really forgive you, and I want to move forward with you." She said, taking his hand and holding it to her chest. She meant it too. She wanted this to work more than anything.

"I love you so much." He said and leaned to kiss her. Forgiving himself was going to be easier said than done. He would try for her though. He still really couldn't believe she was willing to give him a chance after what he did to her. Between leaving her, not returning her affection when he knew he felt the same way, and then stopping talking to her abruptly with no warning, breaking her heart into a million pieces. He didn't deserve this with her. He knew it. Especially after his general behavior over the last 12 years. Sookie was out of his league. She was the embodiment of wife material. He wanted to be husband material. He wanted to be good enough for her.

"Susannah Stackhouse?" The nurse called from the door, and Sookie cringed.

"Government name." Eric leaned over and whispered, with a smile.

"Anytime I hear Susannah I still feel like I'm about to get my ass beat." She giggled.

"I never got a warning shot. My Mom just beat my ass." Eric laughed.

"You deserved it though. I was a good girl." She said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Were you?" Eric asked with a smirk.

"No, not really. I stressed them out. They were lucky they died before I met you and became a little hootchie rubbing myself all over you." She giggled, as the nurse weighed her, took her height, and drew some blood. She got worked over and they were led into a room to wait for the doctor. They didn't have to wait long before Dr. Crane glided in.

"Hello, Mommy and Daddy!" The doctor chirped in a sing song way making both of them light up.

"Well, so I hear we know exactly when the little nugget was made because Daddy was traveling before and after. Thats fun, I do want to do an ultrasound to confirm everything. How are you feeling?" Dr. Crane asked Sookie, laying her down on the bed, and feeling around on her stomach a little. Eric could really see the small rounding of her belly when she laid like that and it made him smile, and feel really satisfied. That was his baby in her.

"Umm, I'm a little less nauseous now. I don't like the smell of a lot of food. I'm tired." Sookie said, she did feel better. She hadn't thrown up again since the second day up in Shreveport with Eric.

"Okay, well we need you to put some weight on. In a normal pregnancy a woman should gain 20-30 pounds. You need to gain about 40-50 because you are starting under weight. You are 5'8" but only 107 pounds and 10 weeks pregnant by the looks of it. I wouldn't drink soda or anything, but maybe drink your calories in milk and juice to help supplement and focus on adding healthy fats into every meal to up your calories." The doctor said as she put a towel at Sookies waist band and squirted some gel on her stomach.

"I'll try to eat more." Sookie said, looking sheepish.

"It need's to be your number one priority right now because you are starting underweight and you are still about 15 pounds underweight, and this baby is definitely 10 weeks. They will get their nutrients however they can if you aren't eating it. Your bones, eyes, organs will all suffer if you don't put some weight on and feed both you and the baby." The doctor said seriously, losing her chipper tone.

"Okay, I understand. I just hate being a bother." Sookie said, and Eric looked at her.

"You aren't a bother Sookie. I have been trying to tell you that over and over. Now you have to let me take care of you. Doctors orders." Eric said smugly, Sookie gave him a sassy look.

"I can write a prescription for spoiling if that helps." The doctor said, turning to Eric with a smile.

"I think it will, thanks." Eric said, smugly smiling at Sookie.

"Okay, so theres your baby. And this…" The doctor said a pushed a few buttons making a whooshing sound start. "Is their heartbeat. It's nice and strong." The doctor said happily. Sookie gasped as Eric leaned over and looked closely at the screen.

"Thats our baby." He whispered. Alcide had warned him about the emotional rush, but Eric didn't think anything could really prepare him for what he felt. He knew Sookie was pregnant, but suddenly it was all super real and it hit him like a tidal wave. In April, he and Sookie would have a baby. He was moving back to Bon Temps. He was going to Marry Sookie Stackhouse. Every late night fantasy he imagined to help him calm himself so he could fall asleep at night was coming true.

"Wow." Sookie said, wiping a happy tear as she smiled. She had accepted she wasn't going to have a baby or a family already. She had let go of the idea of Eric coming back and declaring his love for her and sweeping her off her feet. Yet here she was, wearing the ring he gave her, with him holding her hand, looking at the baby they made together that they would get to hold in April. Her dreams were coming true and it was blowing her mind.

12 years ago

"Do you want to spend the night?" Eric asked Sookie as they walked back from the football game. Eric didn't care about the game, he was there to watch Sookie cheer. He always had to work hard to not drool over her in her tiny little cheer uniform that showed the curve of her butt under the skirt and her entire stomach. Her top also gave a fair bit of cleavage because hers had to be smaller to fit around her rib cage, but that meant it shoved her tits into the stratosphere.

"Sure, can I borrow something to sleep in? I didn't bring spare clothes." Sookie said, with a smile. She loved spending the night at Eric's. He was the best snuggler in the world. Maybe, tonight would be the night he would kiss her. She thought wistfully.

"Yeah, sure." Eric said couching a little. For some reason he found her wearing his shirts the sexiest thing in the world. He also liked that she always hung all over him when she slept over. If he didn't know better, he would think she was rubbing herself all over him intentionally to turn him on. They got to his house, and his Mom's car was gone. She was still at work. Eric walked them in and led Sookie to his room by her hand.

"Your room is always so clean for a boy." Sookie said as she bent over, putting her butt practically right at his crotch. He ALMOST reached forward and grabbed her hips to rub her on himself, but he resisted his impulse. He couldn't imagine that would be good for their friendship.

"Yeah, you know my Mom is fast with the spoon. I like to avoid it." Eric said, moving back and away from Sookie while she was bent over.

"I wouldn't know, I'm a good girl." Sookie said, with a wink as she stood up, making Eric blush.

"Sure you are." Eric mumbled behind her.

"Hmm?" She asked, turning to look at him.

"Here." Eric said handing her a white t-shirt of his he knew was a little see through. Diabolical? Absolutely, but he was pretty shameless about it.

"Okay, I'll be right back." She said taking the shirt and walking out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom. Eric quickly grabbed his pajamas and changed. Doing his best to hide his ever present hard on he had around Sookie. It just wasn't working in the cotton pajama pants he was wearing so he just got into his bed and hoped he didn't need to stand up again. Sookie walked back in and he almost choked when he looked at her. That shirt WAS see through. It was why he didn't wear it. Not only was sookie not wearing a bra, but he could tell she wasn't wearing underwear either.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking at him. Making sure she was lifting her arms up a bit like she was stretching to give him a peek at her goodies. She really wanted him to make a move on her.

"Yeah, hit the light." He said, and she sighed a little in disappointment as she flipped the switch and walked across the room to slip into the bed.

"Can you set the alarm? I have to work at 9 tomorrow." Sookie said, sliding over to Eric.

"Yup, what time do you want to wake up?" Eric asked.

"7:30 so I can run home and get my uniform." She said, and watched as he set his alarm clock and set it back on his night stand.

"All set."

"Thanks." She whispered as she crawled the rest of the way to him and put herself in the crook of his arm, laying her head on his chest and slinging her leg over his. He could feel the heat from her center on his thigh. He had to school his breathing. He put his arm around her and touched her hip, where he realized the shirt had come all the way up so he practically touched her bare ass.

"Sorry." He whispered, and quickly moved his hand.

"It's okay." She said and ground herself into him a little making him have to bite his lip. Especially when she moved her leg and her knee lightly brushed his shaft. He heard her giggle, she was not sorry, but he decided to ignore it. She moved again and brushed his tip with her hand. That one felt deliberate, and really good. Really really good.

"Sorry." She said, but her tone wasn't sorry at all.

"Do it again." He mumbled.

"What?" She asked, seeing if she heard him right.

"I said it's okay." He said, trying to quickly correct himself.

"Oh, okay. Night Eric." She said, disappointed again. She really wished he found her attractive.

"Night Sookie." He said, almost pained. Really hoping he wasn't going to cum accidentally while she was in bed with him if she accidentally touched his dick one more time it would be a real possibility. It had happened before.

Eric laid as still as he could until he was sure Sookie was asleep. He slid her off of him and sat up to go to the bathroom. The sheet slid off of her and he could see his shirt was bunched up above her waist. His mouth just hung open while he stared at her pussy and the small patch of well manicured blonde hair she had on her. He licked his lips and finally pulled himself away, covering her back up before he practically ran to the bathroom to go jerk off so he didn't cum on her in the night. He closed his eyes and thought about rubbing the head of his dick through her little slit before pushing into her. He had never cum so hard in his life. He basically knew exactly what she looked like naked. He didn't know how he was ever going to think about anything else ever again. He went back to his room quietly and got back in bed. She snuggled back over to him and he instantly got hard again. He took a deep breath and sighed. He couldn't start crossing those lines with Sookie. He knew he would never want to leave if he knew what sex with her would be like. He needed to get out of that shitty town. His trust fund was huge, and he wanted it. They would stay in touch, and maybe someday she would come live with him after college. They were just kids, he needed to stick to the plan. Really, this was for her too, because he could go get his degree, and get his trust fund and come back for her and he could take really good care of her.

Present Day

"Eric! Have you lost your damn mind!" Andre screamed at him as he stormed into Eric's office where Pam was sitting across from his desk.

"Eric, your father is here to see you." Pam deadpanned, as she turned her head to look at him. Eric never bothered looking up from his computer where he was reviewing the quarterlies.

"Get out." Andre growled at Pam, but she made no move to get up. Andre seethed at her watching as she crossed her legs to get more comfortable. "I said, get the fuck out!" Andre barked.

"I don't answer to you, I answer to Eric." Pam said calmly. Andre had always hated Pam. She was in Eric's ear constantly contradicting what he was telling Eric. A constant thorn in his side.

"Eric, get her out of here." Andre seethed, now starting to turn red. His normally quaffed light blonde hair was askew. Eric smirked, but didn't look over. He knew what his fathers problem was. Sookie had gone with Eric to the charity Gala on Saturday and he introduced her all down the press line as his fiancé, as well as announcing their first child would be born in April. He even regaled the business insider interviewer with the story of how they went to high school together, and reconnected when Eric did some business in Louisiana recently. Talked about how Sookie was always the one who got away for him. Sookie was adorable and charming as always, but everyone likes Sookie.

"No can do, I gorilla glued her as to that chair hours ago to keep her on task." Eric chuckled out. He couldn't even pretend to be contrite. He wasn't sorry, and his days of having to deal with his fathers tantrums were numbered. Only 10 weeks and 4 days left and counting. He had just heard from Alcide that the place was riddled with mold and termites. He had to strip it to the studs and most of those had to be replaced too. Debbie was able to save about a third of the contents from the house and was working on repairing some items. It was going to be tight, but with the no budget situation they were confident they could have the house livable by the time Eric and Sookie were coming back. It wouldn't be finished, but it would be livable.

"You went back to that back woods shit hole, and picked up a white trash, whore, and got her knocked up! AND ASKED HER TO MARRY YOU NO LESS!" Andre yelled, Eric could see the other people who work near his office gathering their things and starting to scurry off. No one wanted to accidentally get caught up in Andres wrath. Eric thought it was valid and fair. He avoided his father when he could also.

"No, I was in Shreveport checking on the office we acquired, and decided to visit my Mother, which I'm allowed to do, you know because she's MY Mom. I reconnected with Sookie while I was there. I had decided to marry her before we realized she was pregnant. The baby is just the cherry on top." Eric said, with a wide smile. Now turning in his chair, lounging back to look at his father who's rage was radiating off him in waves.

"You are not marrying that tart. You are not claiming that little bastard." Andre declared like his word was final.

"Uhhh, yes I am to both counts. I didn't buy a two hundred thousand dollar ring for my health, and look at this little bean." Eric said holding up the frame he had holding the ultrasound picture of the baby next to his face and smiling. "I love it." Eric finished using what Sookie called his precious voice. The was nothing more precious in the world in his eyes than that baby now.

Andre lunged and grabbed the picture frame from Eric, throwing it against the wall smashing it. Eric shot up in an instant. His smile gone, a look of angry determination replacing it. Pam was also up now, not really sure what she should do. Eric stalked over to his father, and shoved him full strength against the book shelf in his office. Causing things to clatter to the floor. Eric made his hands into fists and used them to hold his father there by his shoulders. Andre was tall, but Eric was taller and definitely in better shape. Eric leaned down and growled in his face.

"I fucking DARE you."

"You sound like your Mother." Andre spat.

"Good." Eric seethed, pushing each fist harder against his fathers shoulders, making his father grimace in pain. Telling Eric he was like his mother was high praise. The very best compliment he could get. He had wasted far too many years being like Andre and he never wanted to be compared to him again.

"We had an agreement." Andre choked out. He was furious, but Eric had never really fought back against him before, not even as a child. Not like this at least. A 'no' here and there, but he never literally fought back.

"Well, I have changed the terms." Eric said, sounding absolutely lethal.

"This wont end how you want." Andre promised.

"Oh, I think it will." Eric said and pushed again, causing Andre to cry out a little in pain.

"I made you." Andre groaned.

"Yeah, well I hated that guy you made. So, I'm trying something new. Stay away from my girl, my baby, and me. Carry your ass back to San Fransisco, and do it fast, before I decide to change the terms again." Eric whispered menacingly. His smile back, but it was the shark like smile that Amelia had noted

"This isn't over." Andre hissed, straining to breathe.

"It better be." Eric said condescendingly, pushing harder again. Hearing the wood from the shelf start to creek.

"You will regret this." Andre huffed, panting as Eric released him. Watching his father crumple to the floor.

"I regret a lot of things. Sookie and, our family will never be one of those things." Eric said, Pam approaching him. Quietly slipping his keys, wallet, and phone to him.

"You will." Andre panted, trying to stand.

"Pam, Come. Our day is over." Eric said, waving Pam to follow him out. She ran behind his long strides, grabbing her purse off her desk, as they went to the parking garage. They were both in his car and pulling out when she said.

"Sookie need's body guards."

"I'm already on it." Eric said, pulling his phone out.

"Longtooth Auto garage." John answered his phone.

"John, it's Eric. You said to call if my Father became a threat."

"Damn, already? Well, I know how much he loved to torture Sophie, but I don't know… well, I planned for this anyway. Trey and I will be on the next flight you can get us on." John said with a sigh, and waved across the garage at Trey to come to him. Trey wiped his hands and stood up. He was only 18, but he was still a big guy. Shorter than Eric at 6'2", but much broader and generally built of solid muscle since John had gotten him into lifting relatively young.

"Yeah, he pretty overtly threatened Sookie and the baby today when he came to see me." Eric explained.

"Don't leave the girls alone until we get there." John said, writing some instructions on a napkin from his desk before handing them to Trey, who made a yikes face and left immediately to go do what his father said. Trey was very close to Sophie. She was the only mother he knows. Sookie was as good as a sister to him.

"I won't, I'm on my way home now. Pam is looking for flights for you… Pam?" Eric asked looking over.

"Soonest flight leaves tomorrow at noon in Dallas." Pam said.

"Leaving from Dallas at noon tomorrow?" Eric asked.

"Book it, we're on our way. You got guns?" John asked.

"No, but Pam does." Eric said.

"I have many guns, I am an excellent marksman." Pam said with a scary smile."

"Good, use it if you need to." John said, before he hung up. Jackson, Alcides father had agreed to come out of retirement to cover the shop for him while he was gone. Eric set his phone down and Pam booked the flights. Then sending John the information.

"Are they going to be enough security?" Pam asked.

"I cant think of anyone I would trust more to protect my Mom and Sookie. They have already been doing it for years." Eric said, and got off the exit to get to his house.

"Fair. You kicked Andres ass." Pam said, with a giggle.

"It was a long time coming." Eric shrugged.

"He's not going to stop." Pam warned.

"I'm counting on it." Eric said, giving her his shark like smile.

"Whats up your sleeve?" Pam asked, Eric was far far too confident for the conditions they were in.

"I have been working with the SEC and FTC to turn him in for insider trading, conspiracy, securities fraud, and shorting. Ive been doing this for years, since I realized I'd be going down with him if I didn't blow the whistle, and work with the authorities to expose him. Long before Sookie and the baby." Eric admitted, feeling very proud of himself. He had sent over everything they had asked for to build a case that morning. Andre would be too wound up about Sookie to notice Eric poking around where he shouldn't be.

"Eric…. Oh my God." Pam gasped and covered her mouth.

"How many are going down?"

"Everyone other than me, but realistically they will throw Andre under the bus, and toss the book at him because the media will want blood. Andre is a very unlikable target to publicly punish." Eric smirked, and waved to the guard at the gate of his neighborhood. He had made sure Andre had his access revoked already the day they arrived from Louisiana so he couldn't just walk into Eric's house while his Mom and Sookie were there alone during the day. His father had a horrible habit of treating Erics home like it was his own.

"Andre really made enemies he couldn't afford to be making." Pam said, and shook her head happily.

"I was done when I realized he was setting me up to be his fall guy if he got caught. He's been planning to use me as a patsy since I was 11 or 12. I think my Mom knew he was up to something with me, but wasn't 100% sure what it was and that triggered the divorce. She's always just said he started fucking with me too, and I never really understood until now." Eric explained as he pushed the button to open his garage and pulled in.

"Wow, talk about long game." Pam said shaking her head, as they got out of the car.

"ERIC IS HOME!" Sookie yelled, and ran across the house before she jumped into his arms. He held her and kissed her deeply.

"I really like these kids of greetings." He smiled, kissing her again before he put her down.

"You're home early!" She said excitedly, Pam tried not to roll her eyes. She loved Sookie. She understood why Eric has been obsessed with her his entire adult life. She just couldn't understand why Sookie thought Eric hung the moon, and shits rainbows. He's just not that wonderful.

"I am, where's my Mom?" Eric asked.

"Pretending she's not a ginger, getting a sunburn by your pool, and calling it a tan." Sookie giggled. Eric had to snicker at that too.

"Well, we have to go out there and witness her baking because we have to talk." Eric sighed, wrapping his arm around her waist, and walking to the back yard.

"Oh no, what happened?" Sookie asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Andre threatened you and our Bean." Eric said, Sookie gasped.

"Not the Bean!"

"Yes, the Bean." Eric said with a nod. He walked out the slider and saw his mother already beet red laying in a lounger.

"Oh my God Mom, you're going to die of skin cancer, Jesus. You're so red." Eric complained, grabbing a large towel and tossing it over her before he dragged an umbrella over, and opened it to cover her.

"It's my base tan." Sophie complained, sitting up and taking a sip of her drink. Her front was even more burned.

"It's base melanoma." Eric said with an eye roll and grabbed the sunscreen Sookie had been using and started rubbing it on his mother by force while she tried to fight him off.

"You're ruining my vacation!" Sophie whined, but let him sunscreen her. Not like it was going to help much at this point. She was already burned to a crisp.

"good." Eric said with a laugh.

"Why are you home before 1pm?" Sophie asked

"We have an Andre situation." He said said, and Sophie just let out a huge sigh.

11 years ago

"Okay, but are you at least having fun?" Sookie asked, Eric on the phone. Eric sat on the bed in his dorm and said.

"I mean, it's school. I like my roommate." Eric said. He was feeling weird. A girl named Dawn had invited him to a party, she kept saying how hot and lickable he was. He had liked flirting with her at the gym, but then he started feeling guilty as soon as it was time to call Sookie before her shift at work. In fact, he was feeling worse and worse every time he spoke to her because he felt like he was wronging her in some way every time he flirted with a girl, which was pretty common these days since he lost some weight.

"I'm so glad you like your roommate. That would have been awful if you didn't. You just sound… down, or annoyed." Sookie said, Eric had been calling her less and less. He didn't seem as happy to hear from her lately. She had stopped saying she loved him before she hung up, thinking that was the problem, and it was making him uncomfortable.

"No, I think I'm just tired. It's a ton of classes. My Dad wants me done in 3 and a half years." Eric said, it was a lie. He constantly felt wrong. Everything felt wrong lately. All he wanted to do was go and lay in his bed at home with Sookie. He couldn't though. He could barely stand to hear her voice these days because he felt so slimy for what he was doing while he was away from her.

"Aww, don't work yourself too hard. Make some time for fun." Sookie said supportively, which just cut him more.

"Mmmm yeah." He said in a non committal way.

"Okay, well. I have to leave for work." Sookie said, still worried about him.

"Oh, okay. Well I'll talk to you later." He said, not wanting her to get off the phone, but also feeling so guilty.

"Yeah, ummm… I love you." She said, just feeling like she needed to say it. Eric hung his head and drew a deep breath.

"I know, you're my best friend." He whispered, feeling like complete shit. He loved her, so much, but he just couldn't get himself to say it.

"Okay, call me later." Sookie said.

"Bye Sookie." He said, not knowing why it felt so final, but it did. He leaned back and laid on his bed. Really, Sookie had no idea how he spent his days. She was also not his girlfriend. He literally couldn't cheat on her, because they weren't together. He was working hard to twist the logic in his mind to make himself feel better.

"Knock knock." Dawn said, with a playful smile as she leaned into his room.

"Hey." He said, and sat up.

"Hey to you." She said with a smirk and shut and locked the door as she walked in. She strode across the room and straddled him. Making him look at her a bit confused, but his hands moved to her hips.

"What are you doing?" He asked, as she leaned over and started kissing him.

"Hopefully, you." She said with a giggle. Every coherent thought flew out of his head when she whipped her shirt off and moved his hands to her chest.

An hour later they were getting dressed and Dawn was leaving his room. He felt sick to his stomach. If he thought he felt guilty before, he felt like he was about to die now.

"See you at the party later?" Dawn asked, as she pulled her jeans back on. Slipping her feet into her flip flops.

"Umm, no. I have a 6am lab tomorrow. I better get to bed early." He said, with a lump in his throat.

"Oh, well I'm glad I stopped by then." Dawn said and stood on her tip toes to give him a kiss. He didn't reciprocate and turned his head. She didn't seem to think anything was wrong and waggled her fingers at him before she walked out of his room. He sat on his bed and put his head in his hands. Dawn wasn't Sookie. She didn't kiss like Sookie. She didn't look like Sookie. Dawn was short and curvy, Sookie was tall and slender. When he pushed into her he remembered fantasizing what It would feel like to push into sookie, who he loved and adored. He had just betrayed her though. He didn't just betray her, he betrayed her 15 minutes after she told him she loved him. He hated himself, he hated Dawn, he wanted to go home. He had never felt so terrible in his entire life. He didn't deserve Sookie. He spoiled all of his plans to go back for her and marry her. He ruined it all for himself. He felt wetness hitting his hands and realized her was crying. Fitting, since this was basically their break up. She would never want him now. She'd never trust him. Hell, he didn't trust himself. He fucked Dawn 15 minutes after he talked to her.

He was scum. He hated himself. The only thing that mattered he had ruined for himself. At this point nothing else really mattered now without Sookie. Fuck him and fuck his life.

Present day

"Eric, do you know when it's happening?" Sookie asked as they laid in bed about 6 weeks later. John and Trey had come to stay for the next couple of months, But Sookie decided to mostly hold up at Eric's house. There was nothing more important than The Bean, and the Bean was safest inside Eric's house in his gated community Andre couldn't get inside of.

"The raid?" Eric asked, trying to clarify her question.

"Yeah, the math police." Sookie said, and Eric chuckled as he ran his hand over her stomach, they were close to being able to find out the sex of the baby and he really liked touching her little bump. He couldn't wait for her to get bigger and be really obviously pregnant.

"Math police." He snickered. "Any day, I don't even know. They are playing it really close to the chest. Remember, I am going to get 'arrested'." He said using air quotes for arrested. "But it's all just for appearances while they move in on both offices. They need Andre to incriminate himself thinking they arrested me, and try to blame it all on me." Eric said, reiterating the plan to her.

"It still has me so nervous." She said.

"I know, I'm sorry it has to go this way. The timing of it all coming together is kind of amazing though." Eric said. He wouldn't even need to resign. He would be the only man left standing. He was going to salvage what he could, and move to the Shreveport office. Only taking Pam with him. The universe seemed to really really want him and Sookie together.

"Yeah, it's only a little longer." She said, and kissed him.

"You need to eat." Eric said.

"Cold cheese and pepperoni sandwich." She said, Eric smiled. Sookie was finally getting comfortable letting him take care of her, and he absolutely loved it. He stood up and turned to look at Sookie who was laying completely naked. He leaned down, and rubbed his hands all over her and kissed her again. It reminded him of when he saw her half naked that night when she spent the night. She was even sexier to him now.

"God I love you so fucking much." He growled, as his hands touched her all over.

"I love you too." She said warmly, as he stood up and grabbed a pair of pajama pants, and a gray t-shirt to go down to the kitchen.

He had started wearing a shirt around the house now the Amelia seemed to be hanging around in his house more and more. His Mother had sort of adopted her too. Sophie acquires stray teenagers like the pied piper of teens. Probably, because his father had gotten her pregnant and married her when she was 17 and he was 30. Ripping her away from everything and systematically breaking, and abusing her for 13 years after that like it was his favorite hobby. He had been right, when he asked his mom she said that she heard Andre talking about accounts and using his name, and some grand plan. She didn't understand, but knew they needed to get the hell away. He felt dumb, because he fell for it anyway, because he was a spoiled little shit who didn't like the lifestyle downgrade he had when he moved away with his Mom.

As Sookie has said, he figured it out eventually. It's okay he was just a bit slow. He did feel a little less guilty these days which was a huge relief. He could really start enjoying his time with Sookie now. He didn't feel like he needed to be punishing himself all the time anymore. He hated himself less. The dark cloud that had hung over him for so long was finally lifting.

"Oh my God….." Eric gasped as he walked into the kitchen and he saw Trey on top of Amelia making out…. And more, on the kitchen island.

"Oh no.." Amelia hissed, and shoved Trey off of her and desperately tried to right her clothes. Trey lept back and wiped his face, but it was pretty futile. Amelias makeup was all over his face and neck. His zipper was down.

"Eric…." Trey started.

"We eat here!" Eric whisper yelled.

"We were going to wipe it down." Amelia said quickly. Eric just started shaking with laughter.

"Perverts, the both of you. Amelia lives in the guest house. Go have sex in there where we don't have to see you." Eric was still laughing. "close your pants, Trey." Eric snickered again.

"Yeah, but Mom caught me sneaking out there and she said I needed to leave Amelia alone." Trey said wringing his hands after he closed his pants.

"Mom let me have Sookie in my room with the door closed when I was 17. She spent the night once or twice a week in my bed. Rules for thee, but not for meeeee." Eric said in a sing song voice, bobbing his head with a grin, as he went into the kitchen getting the stuff for Sookies sandwich on a non defiled counter.

"No way!" Trey complained.

"Yes way, she slept in my bed without underwear to tempt me numerous times. Mom practically encouraged us." Eric chuckled.

"Damn, I'm bringing that up." Trey said, giving a dirty look.

"Do it, Sookie and I will back you up." Eric agreed.

"I'm still so sorry, Eric." Amelia said, looking completely humiliated.

"Don't be sorry, just not where we eat. Yuck. Theres a couch there, Treys room is adjacent to Mom and Johns, but just be quiet. Make it a game. Hell, go to the bathroom on the other side of the house or the garage, just not in my cars. Hell, toss a tarp down in the driveway. Just not where we eat." Eric said, and finished Sookies sandwich. He grabbed her a glass of milk too.

"You're not going to tell Mom?" Trey asked, looking at him seriously.

"Ummm, no. As your unofficial brother, I'm not snitching you out to Mom." Eric smiled.

"Umm, thanks Bro." Trey said, a smile crossing his face. He wasn't completely sure about Eric at first. The longer he was around Eric the more he liked him. Amelia said he was like a different person since Sookie and Their Mom got there, in a good way.

"No problem, bleach that." Eric said, pointing to the counter. Amelia grabbed a spray bottle and a rag from next to her making Eric smile. He walked back upstairs where he found Sookie sitting up in bed, still naked, working on the crochet blanket she was making.

"So, Trey and Amelia were trying to have sex on the island in the kitchen." Eric said as he shut the door to their room and walked over to her.

"Oh gross, thats where we eat." Sookie said, with a yuck face and took the plate and cup from Eric.

"Thats exactly what I said." Eric laughed.

"Why aren't they in Amelias guest house?" Sookie asked.

"Not shocked they are together?" Eric asked, with a quirked eyebrow.

"Two unrelated, single, 18 year olds in one house? I'm more shocked this is the first time someone caught them in the act." She snickered, and took a bite of the sandwich.

"My Mom told Trey he cant go to her house." Eric chuckled.

"What? After she practically encouraged us to have sex in your room?" Sookie giggled.

"She was trying to honey trap me to get me to stay." Eric laughed.

"Yeah, Trey isn't going anywhere. He lives with them, and works for John." Sookie smiled, and sipped her milk.

"We could have had so much sex our senior year." Eric lamented.

"Hey, I tried!" Sookie said, sternly pointing at him.

"Yeah you did, little miss 'I'm a good girl' now let me get in your bed with my pussy and ass out." Eric said, making a high pitched mocking voice complete with a southern accent. Sookie giggled.

"I did do that." She said, without even a hint of shame.

"I came when you were sleeping on top of me once." Eric admitted, with a laugh.

"I know, I wasn't asleep. I was wiggling on you on purpose." She giggled, and he playfully growled at her.

"I panicked so hard! You bitch." He laughed.

"You should have just touched my pussy that I was leaving laying around for you." Sookie said, like it was his own fault.

"You molested me." He joked.

"You grabbed my tits TWICE on different occasions while you thought I was asleep." She shot back.

"They were literally out of your tank top, just laying there! Wait… you weren't asleep?" Eric asked and laughed again.

"I'm the best at fake sleeping." Sookie said as she fell back, very convincingly fake sleeping with her plate on her lap.

"Damn, hidden talents." Eric smiled.

"Yup, my tits were out because I pulled them out for you. I really really wanted to have sex with you." She said, sitting back up and finishing her sandwich.

"I'm a good girl." Eric said, in his mocking Sookie style voice again.

"Thats what all the bad girls say, Eric. You know that." She said, and moved her plate to the night stand.

"Are you a bad girl, Sookie?" Eric asked as he slid her to him.

"Oh noooooo, I'm a very good girl, Eric." Sookie giggled, while Eric ran his hand between her legs and whispered in her ear.

"Liar." Making her giggle and start pulling his clothes back off of him.

17 years ago

"I'm done, I'm done Andre!" Sophie yelled as she hurriedly packed Eric's room.

"we're not done, until I say so." Andre growled, and lunged at Sophie. She ran out of the room to the kitchen. Andre hot on her heels.

"Stop!" She screamed as he tackled her to the ground on the kitchen. Knocking a bunch of things off the counter in the process. Their maid Juanita running from the room with a yelp. Andre flipped her over and grabbed her jaw, squeezing it making her cry.

"You're a stupid bitch, Sophie. You are mine to do with as I please. You're lucky I even let you keep your little shit son." He growled, and released her face before rearing back and slapping her.

"I am done." She wheezed, as she started kicking to get away from him.

"You think you can fight me? I have more money than God, and you are a dumb as shit, back water bitch."Andre seethed as he got up and started dragging her across the kitchen floor by her leg.

"I don't need to fight you. I am done, we are done. Go find someone else!" She yelled and flipped her body making him lose his grip and drop her. Letting her scramble up to her feet and run to the junk drawer where she had stashed a gun. She turned and pointed it right at him. He put his hands up and took a step back.

"You wouldn't dare." He hissed.

"I dare you to give me one more reason." She said panting. Her jaw was throbbing. She could barely stand.

"You don't have the balls." Andre challenged, taking a step. But Sophie moved the gun and shot the floor right in front of him.

"I dare you." She said again, with more confidence than she had has since she met him when she was 16 and he sunk his claws into her. Grooming her, manipulating her, chipping away at her.

"You're used up shit. No one will ever love you. Eric will walk away from you and never look back as soon as he turns 18 to get his trust fund." Andre said, seething.

"I don't care, Andre. I am done." Sophie said, breathing hard, starting to shake.

SMACK!

Andre crumpled to the ground, and Sophie let out a breath and lowered the gun.

"Thank you, Juanita." Sophie said to the maid who was holding the pan she hit Andre with in her hand still, but dropped it when Sophie stumbled forward and caught her.

"We need to call the police, Mrs. Northman." She said in her thick Argentinian accent.

"I know, the police report will be my insurance policy. Get the security tapes for me please. I need to sit down." Sophie said, breathily. The adrenaline wearing off.

"Yes, Mrs. Northman. Right away. What about Master Eric?" Juanita asked.

"He's not out of school until 4. It's 10 now, I should have enough time to finish with the police, get him and get on a plane home tonight." Sophie said.

"Mrs. Northman, you need a doctor." Juanita said pleadingly, looking at her employer and friend

"We need to be gone, tonight." Sophie said.

"Yes, Ma'am." Juanita said, and went and called the police and got the security tapes. Sophie stood on shaky legs and limped to the safe in Andres office. She used the combination he didn't know she knew and pulled out all of the stacks of cash, as well as a couple of the gold bars. She stuffed it all into a duffel bag, and put that bag in her large suitcase upstairs.

"Juanita." Sophie said, as the maid was walking back with the cd's with the videos burned on them.

"Yes, Mrs. Northman?" She asked.

"Here, take this. Get out of town." Sophie said, handing her 3 stacks of hundreds equalling 30k.

"Mrs. Northman, I thats so much." Juanita gasped, hesitant to take the money.

"You will need it, and you saved my son and I. We're out because of you." Sophie said, and shook the cash at her. They heard a knock at the door, Juanita took the money and shoved it in her bag before she opened the door for the police. Andre was up and holding his head on the floor of the kitchen by this point. If looks could kill, the look he was giving Sophie would have her 6 feet under.

Sophie and Juanita dealt with the police. Andre was arrested, but she knew she would have to drop the charges to get him to accept the deal to leave her alone. Juanita helped her get everything in her car and she promised to pack the rest and have it shipped before she left town. Andre would be held for at least 48 hours.

Sophie pulled up to Eric's school. He looked confused when he saw his Mom's car, but he got in.

"Mom, what happened?" Eric asked, and reached out to touch her jaw, making her flinch. He pulled backhand muttered an apology, but waited for her to talk.

"I left your father. We're moving back to my home town in Louisiana." Sophie said, matter of factly. She had decided to drive instead of fly. The car was in her name, she might as well take it. She only had 60k to start over down there, and two gold bars she didn't know how to sell. She had all her jewelry, but she needed a job. As a high school drop out who had never had a job, that was going to be hard. She was only 30, she was still young enough to start over.

"What about my friends and stuff?" Eric asked, sounding horrified.

"I have your most important stuff in the SUV. Juanita is shipping the rest. You will make new friends. You are going to love the kids there. My friend Maxine has a boy Hoyt about your age too. Thats who we're staying with for a few days while I get back on my feet." Sophie said, Eric looked at his Mothers face and swallowed. He knew his father had done that. He couldn't complain and make his Mom go back. He took a deep breath, and crossed his arms. Turing to look out the window as they drove away from his entire life.

"I love you." Sophie said, almost pleading. Eric heard her, but ignored her. He didn't understand why they couldn't get divorced and still live in California. Sophie bit her lip and let the silent tears roll down her face. Eric being disappointed in her was worse than any blow Andre could land on her. She was breaking his heart, but it was for the best. They would never be safe this close to Andre, and he couldn't do anything in Bon Temps. That was her turf, and the redneck justice community style would lock him out of getting to her or toying with her life.

Present day

"A baby girl Eric, what a dream!" Pam sang, as she looked at the ultrasound picture of BABY GIRL Northman.

"I know, I'm going to have a daughter." Eric said with pride, setting the new ultrasound next to the row of all the rest on his desk.

"Have you thought of names?" Pam asked, leaning over his desk looking at all the framed ultrasounds together.

"Not yet, we just found out yesterday. I told Sookie we should wait until…" Eric was saying, but he was cut off when the feds burst in screaming.

"HANDS ON YOUR HEADS, GET ON THE GROUND!" Eric smiled to Pam, as they got up and complied, kneeling on the ground, with their hands on their heads. Eric was elated watching the federal officers ripping through the office. The ambient music he had playing switched to Happy by Pharrell Williams and he smiled even wider. It was like a thing of beauty. Papers flying, rats scurrying, people screaming, computers being seized. It was almost over, he was almost free from Andre for good.

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you….." An officer said, reading him his rights as he yanked Eric up off the ground, putting him in handcuffs. He saw the photographers outside as he was walked to an FBI vehicle which had aided the SEC in the raids. He was put in the back of the van. When the doors slammed, his Contact at the SEC Godric Gaul leaned out of the shadow.

"How's it going, Eric?" He asked with a smile.

"Pretty damn good, how about you?" Eric asked, back cheerfully.

"Well, I'm having a great day. This is a career making bust and I heard your father is already incriminating himself trying to throw you under the bus." Godric said, as he scooted over and had Eric lean forward so he could take the handcuffs off of him.

"What promotion do you think you're gonna get?" Eric asked, as he felt the van start to move, rubbing his wrists he was grateful to have free.

"After bagging a whale like Andre Northman? Any promotion I want." Godric said, with a laugh.

"He's a bigger fish than Bernie Madoff." Eric agreed, and nodded. Andres crimes were plentiful and extensive.

"So, just between you and I, other than integrity, why flip on your Father?" Godric asked, leaning forward lowering his voice.

"Wow, where to start…" Eric said with a laugh. "Well, when I was a kid he knocked my mom around and threatened to include me in the fun if she didn't do what he wanted. When my Mom finally left him he made sure everything was as financially stressful for her as possible. That made an environment where he was able to manipulate me with expensive gifts, and money. I was an idiot child and fell for it. He lured me away from my home and family with grooming tactics and manipulation. Then when he got me back to California for college he got back in my ear, but more regularly, and blurred the lines of whats normal and okay until I had made so many terrible choices being just like him I thought I was too far gone to even be in the presence of my loved ones. Then he spent years making me do shit I didn't want to do, keeping me miserable so I would be pliable for him. He tried to out my assistant to her family to get me to have sex with an 18 year old when I was already way way too old to even be breathing near teenagers. Then when I finally made my way back home, saw Sookie and my Mom again, and started making amends with the people who really love me and that I love. I got Sookie back and got her to agree to let me earn her trust and love back, he found out about her, and our baby. he threatened Sookie and our Bean. I had gotten the last of what you needed the morning he came and threatened my family I knew my Sookie and bean announcement would piss him off enough that he would come down from San Fransisco so he wouldn't be monitoring anything and see me in places I shouldn't be, then be so wound up he wouldn't realize anything was amiss. My whole family is here other than my step sister who is doing her student teaching right now to support me. I'm not alone anymore. Frankly, as soon as you say I can split when the worst of this is over I'm moving back to Louisiana. I'm going to wife up Sookie." Eric said, feeling like the massive weight that had been growing on his heart since he was a kid that was the oppressive presence of Andre was lifting finally.

"Wow…. He's a son of a bitch." Godric said, shaking his head.

"Maybe, I never met my Grandmother." Eric said, making Godric laugh. The van pulled into the garage at the FBI building in Los Angelas. The driver let them out and they walked in together. Eric saw Pam was already there, handcuffed to a chair. She smiled brightly and waggled her fingers to wave. She was excited to get arrested durning a raid.

"Look Eric! It's like Law and Order!" Pam said excitedly. pulling on her cuffs making them clank on the metal chair.

"Well, good for you. Dreams do come true." Eric snickered, but Godric tapped his shoulder and led him further along into an interrogation room that had a tv set up in it.

"We're going to watch the feed of Andre being questioned and you're going to help us make sense of it." Godric explained and pointed to the empty chair at the table between two male and a female SEC agents.

"Alright, let's do this." Eric said taking a deep breath before he saw his father desperately try to incriminate him for the next 9 hours. If Eric hadn't have been proactive and kept such good to the point of excessive records he would have been cooked. He never hated his father more than when he walked out of that room. The only good news he got was they would be holding Andre until trial because he was deemed a flight risk. He had a bunch of fake travel documents under different names in his home. At least he would be kept behind bars so he wouldn't be popping up anywhere.

"Eric!" Sookie called, doing her little jumping thing she does, but this time she isn't excited, she is on the boarder of having the yips and crying. He picked up the pace jogging right to her picking her up where she was waiting for him in the FBI office.

"It's okay, I'm okay." He whispered into her hair, holding her to him as she cried.

"I was so worried one of his schemes would stick." Sookie sobbed into his chest. She was wearing one of the new maternity dresses he bought her and finally looked pregnant. Bean was a big baby, even at just 18 weeks. He moved his hand over her stomach as he leaned and kissed her.

"Nope, Andre always thinks he's smarter than everyone around him, but really he's the biggest idiot around." Eric said, with a smile.

"Can we go home?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah, but all of this isn't done. I have to keep coming back for a while to give statements and stuff. I'll have to testify at his trial, but thats going to be well over a year from now." Eric said. she nodded and they walked out to where she parked.

"When is he bailing out or whatever it's called?" Sookie asked, handing her keys to Eric so he could drive them. She did NOT care for driving in LA. She got in the passenger side and looked at Eric as he moved the seat all the way back for himself so he could get in. Even at 5'8" sookie was still too short for him to get into a car after she had driven.

"He wont, they are holding him because he's a flight risk. He wont even get house arrest because they found evidence of his plans to flee the country." He said and sat down, putting his seatbelt on and reached over to check Sookies like he always did. He had become a very safe driver since he saw bean with his own eyes. He couldn't stand the idea of hurting her.

"What a relief." Sookie sighed. "I have all sorts of things I want to go do now." She said, excitedly clapping.

"Yup, no more homebound Sookie." Eric said still feeling annoyed she didn't feel safe leaving his house for anything other than doctors appointments since Andre found out about her. Not even being out in a group made her feel safe. He hated that Andre had stolen that from her. His Mom over the years had been pretty open about what she went through with Andre, so Sookie knew full well what he was capable of. Eric had gotten filled in on some of the finer points, and really wanted to track down Juanita to thank her for getting him and his Mom out. After hearing the full story he's not so sure his Mom would have gotten out alive if she hadn't hit Andre with that pan.

"What to do, where to go?" She giggled.

"Seriously, what do you want to do? Skys the limit." Eric said, with a smile. She was getting a lot better about just letting him support her. Debbie was a huge help in that because she got Sookie to admit she would think less of Alcide if he didn't support her like he does. She doesn't even work full time and that was how it was even before she finally got pregnant. If Sookie was going to be with Eric she needed to be with him and treat their relationship like the marriage she wants with him.

Eric also brought up that he paid for her all the time when they were young and she allowed it. She reasoned it was because she was trying so hard to date him, and the boy should pay. He threw his hands up and asked what the hell they were doing now that he had actually gotten her pregnant. She laughed at that, and agreed it was a fair point. It has taken some time, but she's allowing him to do more and more for her. She even accepted the card he had put in her name that was hooked to his bank account. She barely uses it, but she did take it.

"I want to go eat California rolls." Sookie said, and he smiled. Pam had gotten her hooked on the cooked fish side of sushi.

"Okay, we'll stop on the way home for dinner. Now think a little bigger." He chuckled.

"Ummm, I want to see the beach. I have never seen the ocean before." She said, her face taking on a huge smile.

"Okay, the beach is free, think bigger." Eric laughed.

"I cant help if thats where my tastes lie!" She yelled, and laughed.

"Do you want to go to Disneyland?" Eric asked, smirking when he saw her take in an excited breath.

"Thats real expensive." She said, chewing on her lip. He could tell she was seriously entertaining it.

"Yes, but, and hear me out." He said as he reached over and took her hand. Taking the exit to get off the freeway to go to the sushi place Pam keeps bringing Sookie food from. He did squirm a little because he knew she would flip when she saw the prices on the menu. "The weather is good, you aren't too pregnant yet and you have your energy back. Also, our family is here so we can go as a group. We can time it and fly Janice out for the weekend to join us. Pam can bring Marion. It wouldn't just be a Sookie thing."

"Okay, you twisted my arm." Sookie said with a smile. He didn't really have to twist too hard. She probably would have agreed if it was just the two of them. She really really liked Minnie Mouse. He had gotten her a little Minnie Mouse sweatshirt, and stuffed animal for her 19th birthday. He noticed going through her drawers when he was packing for her that she still had the sweatshirt and about 6 other Minnie Mouse things. He made a mental note to order her something cute with Minnie on it to wear to the park that day.

"Lots of food for you to try. Ive been a few times, as a kid and once as an adult with Pam. The food is almost all amazing." He said and Sookie bounced a little in her seat. Her appetite had really come back since the doctor wrote a prescription for weight gain and spoiling. In the first few weeks after that appointment, both he and his Mother pulled them out to get her to stop being so squirrely about eating what she perceived as not her food. She was finally gaining weight. Not exactly at the rate that Dr. Crane wanted, but she was up to 123 pounds at her last appointment which was 16 pounds gained already at 18 weeks of the 40 pounds Dr. Crane wanted on her. Sookie was really trying, it had taken her a little bit of time to warm back up to eating multiple times a day and snacks. Her digestive system just wasn't used to it after so long of hardly eating. Dr. Crane had mentioned at their 18 week appointment she thought the fact Sookie could get pregnant at all while that underweight was a miracle in itself. Especially when Sookie had admitted her periods were irregular to the point she could go months, or as of recently years without one. The universe REALLY wanted Bean to happen.

"I hope there is pulled pork." Sookie said, happily.

"I'm sure we can find you pulled pork." Eric laughed, as he pulled into a parking garage. Sookie had been all about the pulled pork lately because she discovered Eric had an unopened instant pot. Debbie gave her a recipe when Sookie asked her how to use it. Now she was eating a bowl a pulled pork almost every morning. Not a sandwich, just a bowl of meat. Turned out, bean likes bread because Sookie likes bread, but Bean LOVES meat. Which thrilled Eric to no end because that was a trait from him. His favorite food was meat, what kind? All kinds.

"So you're free of Andre." Sookie said, getting out of the car when he opened her door and took her hand.

"Yup, for good. I tried once before, but he had pictures of you. One from you on your porch swing. A few from you at the bar with Tara and J.B.. He had one of you just walking down the road between your house, and what I now know is My Mom and Johns place. I was 23 or 24 at the time, so I was too deep in my guilt and hating myself bubble to be ready to see you again yet. He didn't overtly threaten you, but it scared me he even knew who you were and had recent pictures of you. I had never told him about you. Not even when we were in school together and hanging out. I don't know why, but I didn't want him to know about you." Eric admitted.

"Sounds like you always knew he couldn't be trusted." Sookie said, hugging herself to him.

"Yeah, I don't know why he was shocked I knocked you up and declared us getting married. He obviously knew I was, and always had been in love with you if he was using his knowledge of your existence, and meaning to me as leverage against me."

"Bobby Burnham…" Sookie said off handedly.

"How do you know him?" Eric asked feeling like ice had been dumped on him. Bobby was his fathers 'fixer'. Pregnant girlfriends, allegations if misdeeds, people who find out things about him who try to blackmail him… he was almost inclined to think Bobby was a hitman because sometimes people would just disappear from the radar after his father called bobby in.

"He would come into town about once a year, sit in my section and pepper me with questions. Sam didn't like it or trust him. So a couple of years ago he took my table when he saw Bobby come in and sit in my section. Bobby got his feathers ruffled by this, and he waited out by my car and asked me all his questions there while he blocked me from getting in my car. I bet thats how Andre kept tabs on me." Sookie said thoughtfully.

"Bobby Burnham is my fathers fixer. He's a dangerous person. If you ever see him again go somewhere really public and call me, or John." Eric said, seriously.

"Oh…. Okay." Sookie said, sounding uneasy.

7 years ago

"Bobby, I need you to go to Louisiana." Andre said, after Bobby came in his office and sat down.

"Reason?" Bobby asked. He was a shorter, but fit man in his early 40's. He had a slimy look about him that would make anyone else who isn't a trash person also uncomfortable.

"Eric is getting mouthy and refusing my orders more and more. I need you to go track down the little hillbilly girl he was sleeping with in high school." Andre said, and slid Bobby a paper with everything he knew about Sookie on it.

"Why would he still care about his ex girlfriend from high school?" Bobby asked, as he looked at the paper Andre gave him.

"I don't think the demise of their relationship was on his terms. I'm pretty sure he cheated on her when he came here for college and things ended from there. I had maxwells daughter Dawn go and sleep with him and his calls to this girl ended the same day. His mood shifted after I stopped seeing her phone number on the call log from his cell phone. He ruined the relationship, he didn't break up with her because he wanted to move on. Sometimes I see that he calls her place of work, but the calls always last a minute or less. When I kept tabs on him after his mother took him I knew he was with this girl almost every day for a year before he left. She would sleep in his bed a few nights a week. They did everything together. From the reports I got from the very easily bought principal at the high school I'm told that they were all over each other, including going to dances. He still loves her, I'm sure of it." Andre said, like he wasn't the one who put the plan in motion to meddle in Eric's life and ruin everything he had with Sookie.

"I'll get what you want. Do you want me to bring her to you? Maybe scare her a little?" Bobby asked.

"No, not yet. I want to be able to hold her over his head for a while. Seeing her distressed in person may make him more defiant. Just get some pictures and information so he knows I know exactly where to find her.

"Noted." Bobby said.

"Maybe work out a way to snap her up without being noticed if I do need to physically hold her to get Eric to get on board, though." Andre said, as Bobby stood, nodding that he understood what Andre said.

"Hey, welcome to Merlotes, I'm Sookie. what can I start you with?" Sookie asked, as she greeted the stranger who had just sat in her section.

"What do you recommend?" Bobby asked.

"Well, most everything is good. The burger is great. Chicken fried steak is really good. Controversial opinion, but I think the Cobb salad is one of the best things we have here." She said hospitably.

"Hmm," bobby said, as he pretended to look at the menu. "Have you worked here long?" He asked.

"Since I was 16." She said, with a smile.

"Ahhh, Bon Temps born and raised then." Bobby replied.

"Oh yeah, my house has been owned by a Stackhouse for 200 years. She needs a little work to get back to her full glory, but she's still a grand home." Sookie said, proudly.

"You didn't leave fore college?" Bobby asked, knowing full well she didn't, but hoping she would give some information.

"Oh no, most people around here don't. I had a real good friend go to college, but we umm… we lost touch when he got really busy there." She said with a shrug, a pang hitting her heart thinking about Eric. She had been trying to think about him less these days. Sophie wanted her to move on, but it was just so hard.

"Ahhh, old boyfriend went off to college, and you guys broke up from the distance." Bobby mused.

"Something like that." She shrugged again, trying not to cry when she thought about how Eric just never spoke to her again one day.

"I'll have the burger." Bobby said, and handed her his menu.

"Coming right up." Sookie said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She dropped the ticket off and took a moment to go to the bathroom and pull herself together. All she wanted was one more night to hold and touch Eric. She still loved him so much. She was kicking herself for telling him she loved him that last time. She had run everything in head a million times. She figured she was making him uncomfortable telling him she loved him, and that last one was just the final straw he could take. It was really her own fault, she should have just kept her feelings to herself after she kissed him and told him she loved him at the airport and he just said she was his best friend and made her promise to take care of his Mom. Tara always said guys don't like clingy girls. She should have tried to play it cool with him when he made it pretty clear he didn't feel the same way. She just wanted him to know he was loved, even if he didn't feel the same way about her.

Sookie didn't notice Bobby following her around over the next few days. He got plenty of pictures of where she went, and who she spent time with. She lived in a very isolated area and didn't lock her doors. If it came to them needing to grab her, right out of her house would be just fine. Unless she missed work no one really came around to check on her. She mostly went to other people. He did notice she lived in pretty extreme poverty. She wasn't easily bought though. He tried to tip her $100 and she chased him out into the parking lot saying he had left the wrong bills and tried to give the $100 back. She was also very very close to Andres ex wife Sophie, so it was unlikely she was the type that could be swayed with money, and her proximity to Sophie would mean they would have to tread lightly.

"Eric." Andre said, walking into Eric's apartment like he owned it, which he sort of did. He had gifted it to Eric when he graduated college.

"What?" Eric said, he had been sitting in the dark thinking, hating himself, and basking in some pretty intense self loathing. Sookies birthday was coming up in a couple of days. This was always a hard time of year for him.

"Stop brooding, I need you to start making appearances to represent the company." Andre said, turning on the lights, which made Eric squint as his eyes adjusted. Really he just wanted to be left alone. Sookie was turning 24 this year, that would be the perfect age to start having kids for them. That wasn't happening though, he fucked everything up beyond repair. She would never be his. Never be his girlfriend, or wife. They wouldn't be having a life or starting a family ever.

"No." Eric said, and got up to walk to the fridge and get himself a beer. He opened it on the side of the counter not giving a shit it he damaged the granite.

"No?" Andre asked, with a sneer.

"No." Eric said without a care, and flopped back on his couch.

"I think you will change your mind and start playing ball." Andre said, with a sinister smile as he tossed an envelope at Eric. Eric opened it and his eyes went wide, he gasped, and looked at about 10 pictures of Sookie from all over Bon Temps including her house. She looked beautiful as Ever, but he was now regretting having such an obvious reaction to seeing her, because when he looked up Andre looked like the cat that caught the canary.

"Why?" Eric asked, just so tired… but also concerned.

"Why not? You will be escorting Isobel Sanchez to the fund raiser to support animals who cant consume gluten." Andre said.

"If I don't?" Eric asked. Andre just smiled and picked up one of the pictures and said.

"She's really lovely, Eric." His tone was anything but sincere and kind. Eric just swallowed and thought for a moment. He couldn't expose Sookie to this, he had already hurt her enough.

"Email me the details." Eric said, gritting his teeth.

"Perfect." Andre said and clapped his back before he collected the pictures of Sookie and took them with him as he left Eric's apartment.

Eric flopped back on his couch and covered his face. Sookie would be 24 in two days he decided to send her flowers, but not include a card. He sent them from an online florist so they couldn't out him as the one who sent them. He took out his laptop and made an arrangement where all the flowers held a different meaning. Love, apology, loyalty, affection, longing, beauty, and fidelity… everything he wished he had with her, or could tell her. She wouldn't know what it meant, or that he sent it, but she would at least know that someone, somewhere cared to make her smile on her birthday.

He hated Andre so much in that moment. How dare he even think about Sookie? Let alone have the balls to go stalk her to intimidate him. The tactic worked though. He was intimidated and he wasn't going to risk disturbing Sookies life with the mess that was his own.

Present Day

"I need your ID and for you to sign in here." The guard at the jail Andre had been transferred to while he awaited trial said to Eric.

"How long will I have to talk to him?" Eric asked.

"You can have up to an hour." The guard said, as he walked Eric through a metal detector and patted him down. Having him turn out all of his pockets.

"I shouldn't need that long." Eric said. They walked down a harshly lit hallway to a room that the guard opened using a code as well as a pass card. Before he opened the door, the guard said.

"There are two guards in there, when you are done just stand up and they will let you out." Eric nodded. The guard opened the door the rest of the way and stepped in. It was a wall of two way phones with metal seats and glass partitions just like in the movies. It was all pretty surreal. The guard closest to where people were having visitation waved him over and pointed him to the second to last space. Eric sat down and waited. A few moments later his father was walked out in an orange jumpsuit that said LA County Jail on it. His hands and feet shackled. He looked every bit of his 60 years old in that moment. He also apparently didn't have access to golden blonde hair dye in jail, because Eric noted that he had significant gray roots. He had been in jail for nearly two months.

They were leaving to move back to Louisiana tomorrow. Godric and his team were going to keep working with him remotely. He got ownership of the Shreveport office since none of it had been involved in any of his fathers crimes. Eric had facilitated its purchase and it was so new it hadn't been integrated. The Northman Group was essentially dissolved and being sold off to pay his fathers fines and penalties. If not being held as evidence. The Shreveport office was going to stay a financial and retirement planning company. It was just going to be run by him now. He had had a teleconference call with the whole company and they were all relieved to hear they would be spared, and Eric had no intentions of making any changes to what they do, or lay anyone off. All he would be doing was coming on as the new owner, and making Pam his CFO. Those two positions were already empty because they had given the old CEO and CFO golden parachutes when they bought it.

Sookie thought he needed to go visit his father and get closure. The more he found out about how deep his fathers treachery went the angrier he got about it. There was no if Andre got caught he would… Andre had fully planned on making sure Eric went down for his crimes. He WANTED Eric in federal prison for the rest of his life. It wasn't his back up plan, it was his plan A.

"Eric, I'm surprised to see you here." Andre said tightly, after his hands were unshackled, and retackled to the table in front of him, but apart from one another so he could pick up the phone.

"I would have thought you're more surprised I'm not sitting where you are." Eric said back, his voice and body language were neutral.

"I underestimated you." Andre said, looking him over like he was trying to figure out where he went wrong.

"You did always like to think you're the smartest person in a room." Eric replied.

"Why are you here?" Andre asked, relaxing and sitting back.

"I want to know why? Why did you set me up? This was your plan A, not a back up plan. Why intentionally set me up to go to prison?" Eric asked, just cutting to the chase.

"You are very important to your mother. She was always very disobedient." Andre said, like it made plenty of sense.

"Disobedient…. Like a fucking dog." Eric snorted, Andre really was just the worst.

"She's always been a bitch. Like a dog." Andre shrugged, Making Eric have to take a deep breath.

"So you tried to have me put in prison for crimes I didn't commit to upset my Mom?" Eric said trying to see if he had it right. Andre just shrugged.

"You were the only thing that made her behave. It's why I let her keep you. She was too willful." Andre said, not really caring at this point. Eric had amassed so much evidence against him he was having a hard time finding an attorney to defend him because the case was so air tight. If he wasn't so pissed, he would have been proud of Eric's cunning and maneuvering.

"So I only exist on this planet for you to torture my Mother with, Nice." Eric scoffed.

"Well, look at how you turned out. Jokes on me, I should have made her abort you." Andre sneered.

"Why my Mom? Why did you pick her?" Eric asked, it didn't really pertain to him or the case, but he had always wondered why Andre at 30 picked his 16 year old mother.

"She was beautiful, and popular, well liked. Everyone in that town either loved her or wanted her for themselves. I wanted to win the game, and I did… for a while anyway." Andre said with a wistful smile like he was reminiscing about the good old days when he was grooming his 16 year old mother for some weird sociopathic game.

"You're really sick in the head. Everything is a game to you." Eric said, really seeing his father for the first time, probably ever. He was seriously mentally ill, like in a criminal, shouldn't be out in society sort of way.

"Life is about winning and losing, Eric. All of it." Andre said back like he was giving sage wisdom to Eric.

"Thats where you are wrong, life is about Love and family. I didn't understand that for a long time, but I get it now." Eric said, and he did. Life had no meaning if you didn't love people, and have people who loved you. He was blessed to have a soon to be wife and baby, his Mom, and step family. He and Trey had gotten really close over the last few weeks. He was really like his little brother now, and they both took great pleasure in annoying their Mom together. He liked Janice when he met her, she had a lot of his Mom's mannerisms which he found interesting. You could really tell Trey and Janice were as much his Mom's kids as he was. She picked up a wooden spoon the night before they went to Disneyland, just to stir dinner and all three of them jumped up and tried to run away in unison. It was the moment that really made him feel like he finally had a family. It had been a little weird at first that Trey and Janice called his Mom, Mom also. Now it just felt completely normal. Trey and Janice were both pumped to have a niece and John was warming up to be a Papa by getting any shirt he could find that said 'Papa' on it.

He was even planning on building Aurora a crib when they got back to Louisiana. Sookie thinks they are staying with John and his Mom at first while they make choices about the house, but little does she know her house is move in ready. It just needs some decorating final touches that Debbie wanted to leave to do with Sookie. They had decided to name their daughter Aurora while they were at Disneyland, Sookie liked that it was a princess name, and not too common. Eric like that it meant 'dawn of a new beginning, forgiveness, and the bright future of a girl destined for greatness. After they settled on that name they really enjoyed getting anything princess Aurora they could find walking around since Sookie was too pregnant to ride any rides. It was frankly one of the best days of his life. He had never felt more at peace.

"You'll see it my way one day." Andre said.

"No I wont." Eric smiled. "I'm nothing like you Andre, I never have been. It's why everything you made me do to try to make me like you took such a toll on me. Never again. I'm starting over, and doing life right from now on." Eric finished and hung up his phone, standing and turning around not looking back. He could hear his father screaming at him in a fit of rage, banging on the glass, but Eric didn't care. Sookie was right. He needed this, this was closure. He was done.

4 years prior

"Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie deb deb." Sookie sang, as she walked in Debbie and Alcides house.

"I'll just get my stuff and clear out." Alcide said, when he saw Sookie coming in with her arms full of wedding stuff.

"You don't want to stay and help plan the wedding? Where is your team spirit, Alcide?" Sookie chided. Setting the bags down on the coffee table in the living room. Picking up his beer, shoving it at him before she started taking things out.

"We've been engaged for less than a week." Alcide said.

"I know, It took me longer than I thought to get up here. DEBBIE!" Sookie said, turning and calling out for her friend who ran into the living room.

"Are you hassling Sookie?" Debbie asked, hugging her much taller friend to her.

"I didn't think I was, but If I say no I think she's gonna call me a liar." Alcide chuckled.

"Get out of here, Alcide! What are you still doing lingering?" Sookie asked, with a smirk and her hands on her hips.

"Didn't you just get on me about wanting to leave?" Alcide laughed, throwing his hands up.

"He's wild, Deb. Are you sure about this dork?" Sookie asked playfully, pointing a finger at Alcide.

"I'm pretty sure this Dork is my forever." Debbie laughed.

"If you're sure I'll support you." Sookie said with an exaggerated sigh, but she was smiling.

"I'll see you Hens later. I'm going to my dad's. Don't cluck each others heads off."

"BWAK BWAAAAAK BWAK BWAK BWAAAK." Sookie yelled, making chicken noises at him as he walked out.

"Did you bring the old magazines from your house?" Debbie asked.

"Sure did, the vintage bridal inspiration of you dreams!" Sookie beamed, and sat on the couch.

"So Authentic." Debbie smiled and carefully picked up the bridal magazines from the 50's when Sookies Gran had gotten married.

"This is such a cool theme idea. I really love the really classical beauty of it." Sookie said, looking through a magazine and pointing out a dress that had a style she thought would look great on Debbies shape. She was short and curvy. She had the build to support a pin up style.

"What about you Sook, when are you gonna start looking for someone?" Debbie asked, after they started getting a vibe cultivated for her wedding.

"You know I don't want just anyone." Sookie sighed.

"It doesn't have to be just anyone. It can be a real someone you connect with. At some point you need to let whoever he is go." Debbie said, lovingly touching Sookies leg.

"Debbie, I'm at peace that I'm not gonna have the white picket fence with a husband and baby. I want it with HIM, or not at all. He was the love of my life. I'm glad I had him for a year. Better only a year than not at all." Sookie said, sincerely.

"That makes me so sad for you. I love you so much, you deserve everything." Debbie said starting to cry.

"Oh, Debbie!" Sookie said as started crying herself. she hugged Debbie to her while she wept.

"I just want you to be happy and whole." Debbie cried.

"I am happy, please don't think I'm not happy. I have ton's of good friends, and a family in Sophie and John. I love you so much, don't worry about me." Sookie pleaded with her friend.

"What about your secret admirer that sends you flowers on your birthday?" Debbie said, sniffing.

"I'm pretty sure it's Sophie just being nice to me." Sookie giggled, the first time had made her whole birthday. She felt special. Then it happened every year after that. The arrangement was always different, and the flowers really unique sometimes. At this point she had given up thinking it was a suitor of some sort. Sometimes she liked to fantasize they were from Eric, she knew they weren't, but she liked to pretend they were.

"You never know, it could be a man waiting in the wings to see if your genitals are a good fit." Debbie said, making a circle with one hand and putting her pointer finger through it in a really suggestive way.

"Deborah!" Sookie gasped, swatting her friend and laughed.

"I'm just saying, maybe you just need some Mr. Right Now, and worry less about Mr. Right." Debbie giggled.

"That would be an idea if I wasn't still obsessed with Mr. Right." Sookie said, with a sad smile.

"It's all going to work out for you, Sookie. You're going to get that white picket fence family. I know it. I feel it in my heart." Debbie said, sincerely.

"If you think so." Sookie said with a shrug, taking the glue stick and pasting another thing on the wedding vision board.

"I don't think so, I know so." Debbie said with conviction.

"How are you a witch?" Sookie giggled.

"No a werwolf." Debbie deadpanned

"What?" Sookie laughed.

"grrrrrrrrrrrrrr….." Debbie growled at Sookie like she was a rabbid wolf and Sookie almost fell over laughing.

Present day

"Eric, you missed the turn." Sookie said when he went past the turn to get to John and Sophies house and kept going on Hummingbird.

"No I didn't." He said with a smirk.

"Uhhh, yeah you did. The only house from here on on hummingbird is mine. The cemetery is in the way, you have to turn around, you cant cut across." Sookie explained, still confused.

"Everything is fine, settle down." Eric said, and leaned forward a little so he wouldn't miss the turn to her driveway.

"How can I settle down when you cant navigate a town that has like 6 roads total…. Oh my god…." Sookie said, as he turned down her driveway. she could see her house, looking brand new. A cute little white picket fence around the front. Alcides truck pulled in on the side of the house.

"We're home." Eric whispered to her as he pulled in next to Alcides truck. A very pregnant, ready to pop Debbie waddled out of the house, Alcide close behind her.

"Eric what did you do?" Sookie gasped.

"I told you I was taking you home. This is your home." Eric said, with a smile.

"Eric, how much did this cost?" She asked, starting to breathe heavily.

"I truly have no idea, thats a Pam question." Eric laughed. He really didn't know. He just wanted it done, and fast.

"It's too much." She breathed.

"No, it's our house where we are going to raise our daughter. She wont be a Stackhouse, but it will be her history too. Plus, she can walk through the woods like little red riding hood to get to Nana and Papa's house, thats pretty damn cute." Eric said, with a wide smile. Alcide and Debbie just watched from the porch steps. So happy that their friends had found their way back to one another. The love in their eyes while they spoke in the car. This was the happy ending that Debbie knew Sookie deserved and was going to get. Alcide was happy he never had to listen to Eric drunk cry about the most perfect girl he left behind again.

"I love it, thank you. You're making all of my dreams come true." She whispered, starting to cry feeling overwhelmed.

"Our dreams, these are our dreams coming true, Sookie. I'm gonna make a Northman out of you. we're going to live happily ever after now." He said reaching up and wiping her tears as he held her face.

"I love you so much." Sookie said, leaning and kissing him.

"I love you and Aurora more than anything." Eric said with a smile. "I will never mess that up again."

"I believe you, I trust you." Sookie said, sincerely.

"Really?" Eric asked, getting a crazed look in his eye.

"Yeah, set the date. we're officially engaged now. No tricking needed to get me to marry you." She smiled back taking a deep shaky breath.

"i'll text Pam and have her get right on it." Eric said excitedly.

"Umm, maybe you could text Pam and let her know it's on, but that she can contact me and attend the wedding planing party I would like to have with Debbie, your Mom, and Janice." Sookie said correcting him.

"Got it, just sending my representative to the formal preparations." Eric joked.

"I guess…" Sookie giggled.

"Did you really give her that publicity ring?" Eric asked, with a smile.

"Absolutely I did. I'm not gonna wear it again. She will appreciate it." Sookie smiled, quirking her head and looking at him confused.

"No wonder you're her favorite." Eric laughed

"What does that mean?" Sookie asked. He leaned overlapping his hand around her ear and whispered to her, her eyes bugging out before she screamed.

"TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!"

"THE HOUSE RENO COST 600K ON THIS TIGHT OF A TIMETABLE!" Alcide called back and Sookie screamed again, slapping her hand over her mouth.

"Oh, I guess Alcide knew the total too. So the renovation cost about 600k." Eric said, starting to shake with laughter.

"Eric!" She gasped, flailing around a bit. Not knowing what to do with her hands.

"It was for Aurora… think of the baby." Eric said, feigning innocence.

"And the ring?" She asked.

"Oh that was just ostentatious, rich people, posturing. Hence why I got you a real ring, and you gave that one to Pam." He said with a laugh. Thinking about Sookie just casually giving Pam a 200k engagement ring because she wasn't going to wear it again.

"Eric, you cant just be dropping money like that." She scolded.

"I shouldn't need to again unless you burn the house down. Ring and house are one time purchases." Eric laughed out, making her smile.

"I am having such a hard time adapting." She laughed.

"Lets have the wedding here in the yard." Eric said, pointing to the area surrounded by the white picket fence. Changing the subject.

"Oh, I like that idea we could…. Hey you!" She said, catching him. She smiled and bit her lip. "Lets get out of the car. Debbie looks like she's gonna pee."

"Okay, I haven't seen it either. I just said to keep it as close to the original as possible." Eric said, getting out, coming around to help Sookie out of the car. She was 25 weeks now and Eric had definitely put a giant baby in her. She looked like she was close to done already, but she still had 15 weeks to go. Debbie was due in just under two weeks and was about the same size as Sookie, even though she was 6" shorter than Sookie.

"Sookie!" Debbie yelled, as she started making her way to Sookie.

"Debbie!" Sookie yelled back, and speed walked to meet Debbie in a hug.

"You gave me a white picket fence." Sookie said, crying against her friend.

"Because I knew it was going to happen for you." Debbie cried back, swaying back and forth with Sookie.

"Hey, I put that fence in." Alcide said, sounding offended.

"You shut up, you didn't add a single unique idea to this project. I told you where to put that fence. Muscle, brains." Debbie said pointing to Alcide for muscle, and herself for brains. Making Sookie and Eric both snicker.

"She's so mean, now." Alcide said, complaining and bent down to Debbies stomach, and said. "Please get out so your Mommy will be nice to me again." Alcide pleaded with his soon to be born Son.

"Only another week or two." Eric said to Alcide, clapping his shoulder.

"Is she mean to you?" Alcide asked, pointing his thumb at Sookie.

"She's actually nicer lately, argues less." Eric said, with a laugh.

"Ugh… lucky. Probably because you're having a girl." Alcide said, pulling Eric with him since Sookie and Debbie had walked away from them and gone into the house.

"It's so surreal that Sookie was your dream girl and you were her THE ONE the whole time. We never knew. What a crazy small world." Alcide said shaking his head.

"I know, Debbie being Sookies best friend is wild. I'll wake up in the middle if the night and she's texting. I'll ask what she's doing and she says 'texting Debbie'. Every time." Eric laughed.

"You getting Sookie a phone has ruined Debbies work productivity." Alcide laughed, he opened the detached garage they put in next to the house and showed him the car Eric had him buy for Sookie.

"Is Debbie going back to work after the baby is born?" Eric asked.

"Naw, not unless she get's board and want's to come back. I don't even really need someone at the front desk. I can answer my own phone." Alcide laughed.

"Yeah, I don't want Sookie to go back to work at Merlotes. I'm trying to sell her on being a stay at home mother." Eric said, opening the door and looking at the little silver compact SUV he got for her. Nice and safe for Sookie and Aurora.

"What did she do in California, not working all day?" Alcide asked.

"Well, she got an e reader so she can listen to books, and started ripping through books. She started making sour dough, and talking about getting back yard chickens." Eric said.

"Debbie put a coop out back." Alcide, interjected.

"Perfect." Eric laughed. "She putters, and reorganizes things. She moved all my furniture around. She swam a bunch." Eric continued.

"Theres and above ground pool out there too." Alcide said, and Eric nodded. "Sounds like she's already entered her stay at home Mom stage." Alcide finished.

"Yeah, I have high hopes. I know she called Sam and quit so he could hire someone else, but he said there would be a job there for her if she wants it back. She hasn't talked about going back yet though. She's so tired these days, I don't know how that nap queen would work the shifts she used to." Eric laughed.

"Maybe, just phrase it like she should just take off through the rest of the pregnancy and to bond with the baby, and address it after that as it comes up." Alcide suggested, poking buttons on the cars display.

"Thats what I planned on doing if it came up. We got all the way here making all manner of other plans without it coming up. I'm not mentioning it first." Eric said, like he was warding off evil spirits.

"You two dummies crying over each other for 12 years." Alcide laughed, shaking his head.

"I wasn't crying." Eric whine laughed at Alcide.

"You were crying, and drunk dialing, and sending her secret birthday flowers to tell her how much you love her, huh?" Alcide said, with a quirked eye brow.

"You figured that out?" Eric laughed.

"I put two and two together as soon as I found out sookie was your perfect girl, and you were her 'the one'. Also, I've bought flowers before. Arrangements like that cost hundred of dollars. Didn't take much for me figure it out. Sookie thought it was your Mom being sweet, I didn't have the heart to tell her Sophie doesn't have $600 to blow of exotic flowers in giant arrangements." Alcide chuckled.

"Never mention the price." Eric said, worriedly.

"Oh, hell naw! I would never." Alcide agreed with a laugh. "It was so funny watching her and Deb trying to crack the code every year having zero idea how much flowers cost because they don't buy them, men buy them for them. Thanks a lot though ass hole, now I have to spend a fortune on fancy ass flowers because you set standards for Debbie." Alcide said and Eric laughed.

"Sorry." Eric said not sounding very sorry at all. "I gave Sookie a card linked to my accounts in her name and put her name on everything so she can access anything and have rights to it if something happens to me. I have also been transferring money to her personal bank account every week. She hasn't noticed yet." Eric laughed.

"She's gonna shit a kitten when she checks her bank statement." Alcide laughed. "I tried to slip her a few hundred bucks once because we knew she was in a real bind with her car. She grabbed a wooden spoon and started hitting me. Debbie tried to call her off, but sookie said 'I dare you.' And just kept hitting." Alcide laughed.

"She learned that move from my Mom." Eric laughed.

"Yeah, I beat her shit ass car with a bat for a while before I had it towed to the scrap yard. Best day of my life. I hate that thing." Alcide said, sounding satisfied.

"Sorry I missed it." Eric said truthfully.

"I took video." Alcide said.

"Oh good." Eric nodded, but Jumped when Sookie snuck up on him and smacked her hand on the window.

"YOU THREW MY CAR AWAY?" She yelled, her face all angry and red. Eric locked the doors, which made her slap the window again.

"Alcide threw it away, I was with you." Eric said, adeptly throwing Alcide under the bus.

"Dude…. It was on your order!" Alcide whined.

"He hit it with a bat before he shipped it off." Eric said, trying not to laugh.

"JUDUS!" Alcide laughed.

"Like your new car? It's nice and safe for Aurora." Eric said, pulling the baby card because it was a trump card that almost always worked. He saw her eyes narrow, but she didn't yell at him again. He felt safe unlocking the door and getting out.

"It's got a cooler in the center thing." Eric said, pointing out the features.

"Why would I need a cooler?" She asked, tossing her hands up.

"Breast milk, finely cut baby snacks, waters." Eric listed and her face lit up her mood swinging the other way.

"Oh! That is cool! Baby snack box!" She beamed, and leaned in to look at it .

"How do you like the house?" Eric asked, trying to keep her happy.

"It's perfect. Everything I wanted to be able to be salvaged was able to be. I don't remember not seeing anything I loved so I'm happy. Debbie restored Grans cast irons. I love her. Debbie is the best." Sookie said happily.

"Deb said there were some decorating things she left to do with you." Eric said, walking them out of the garage and into the side door of the house. It really did look like her house, just not the horror movie version. All of the appliances were still the antique ones other than the refrigerator which was modern, but made to look antique. Eric could tell because this one was huge compared to the one that had been there before. The table was the original one, but the chairs were replacements that just looked similar to the originals. They didn't sit in them even when he was in high school because the were so flimsy. He's not shocked those had to go.

"Yeah, the nursery, our room, some finer things for the living space. She said we should make it our own and not just Gran's house, which I agree. Jason still owns our parents house, but apparently he's in Jail in Vegas and has been for 6 years. I had no idea, he hasn't been paying the taxes so it's going up for auction. Debbie found out looking up our property lines." Sookie said with a sigh.

"Do you want your parents house and land?" Eric asked, if she wanted it he would get it.

"I mean, it's part of the original 200 year old land parcel. Gran just sold it to them to build on. My Daddy built that house himself." She said, taking a shaky breath.

"Then it's yours. I'll have Pam get it." Eric said, like it was no big deal.

"Eric, you have to pay off all the backed taxes and interest, AND the value. It's a lot. The taxes on this house and land are $8,000 a year." She said like it was going to be an astronomical amount of money.

"It will probably cost less than Pam's ring." Eric laughed, looking at his phone sending Pam an email.

"Oh God that ring." Sookie giggled.

"What ring?" Debbie asked, now sitting looking winded at the dinner table.

"I bought her a ring for California publicity, and she didn't like it so she gave it to Pam. I bought her a real wedding ring I knew she'd like. That one has a matching band too. I didn't bother with the other. I knew it would be too over the top for her." Eric said with a snicker.

"200,000 dollars, On a riiiiiiiiing." Sookie said, sounding horrified.

"Oh my god, thats a whole house on a finger!" Debbie gasp yelled.

"It's Pams now." Eric smiled, it was a good story. He didn't care. He knew Sookie wasn't going to like it.

"You don't have to buy the house and land." Sookie said, more seriously.

"It's for Aurora." Eric reasoned and Sookie rolled her eyes.

"Everything you buy is for Aurora."

"yup." He said as he pushed send on his email, and sat at the table. Pulling Sookie into his lap. "So do you two have a name for Tank yet, or are we all just calling him Tank?" Eric asked. Much like they had been calling Aurora The Bean until they had a name for her, Alcide and Debbie had just been calling their baby Tank.

"Jake, but Jake the Tank has really become a thing. I think family and friends will just call him Tank. It's really stuck to where it's just his name now." Debbie laughed.

"I mean, that's fair." Eric laughed.

"What if our babies fall in loooooove?" Sookie said, wistfully.

"Good ole' boy Tank and Princess Aurora." Alcide laughed.

"Opposites attract, I'm a registered and licensed red neck. Eric is scared of spiders." Sookie laughed.

"I am not!" Eric said, indignantly.

"Then why am I the designated spider killer in this union?" Sookie asked, with a raise of her brow.

"Because, you are so much better at it. You don't keep the star player in the bench in the 4th quarter." Eric said with a laugh.

"Scared of spiders." Sookie, said quietly to Debbie, making a face. Debbie snickered next to her.

"So what are you guys moving in here of Erics?" Alcide asked.

"We packed everything I'm moving here before we left. It will be here next week. I'm selling that house furnished. So, none of the furniture." Eric said.

"All of his furniture had sharp edges. Most dangerous home I have ever seen. Look at this bruise." Sookie said lifting her skirt and showing her thigh. "Something got me with a sharp corner every single day. Completely inhospitable." Sookie said, not joking at all. After she got more comfortable trusting Eric again she didn't mince words about hating his den of knives decor. He wasn't offended, he bought it furnished.

"What about that apartment you got for graduation?" Alcide asked.

"Selling that as soon as I don't have to go back for the trial and closing up assets anymore. For now it's somewhere to stay that I left some stuff so I don't have to pack a ton. Sookie got some things to leave there too. She's going to come with me, I don't want to be away from her again." Eric said, smiling at her.

"So you aren't going back to work?" Debbie asked sookie. Eric turned to her and gave her a look so dirty, she leaned back a little. Alcide just looked apologetic. The can of worms was open now though, nothing to be done now.

"I'm not gonna think about it until Aurora is three at least, but I also want another baby and I'll be 32 when she's born. I'm a year older than Eric so Time is of the essence if we want a few kids before my ovaries dry up and blow away in the wind. For now, I'm going to focus on babies, breastfeeding, and blasting out more babies." Sookie said, and Eric sagged in relief.

"Oh thank God." He sighed out.

"What?" Sookie asked him, very close to calling him a drama queen again.

"I thought you were going to fight me on going back to work. You should open a little online store and sell your crochet. We packed boxes and boxes of it before we left and that was only 3 months of stuff." Eric suggested.

"Hmm, thats a good idea. That reminds me I made baby clothes for Tank. I'll drop them off later." Sookie said, saying the last part to Debbie.

"I'm calling you first when I go into labor." Debbie said.

"What about me?" Alcide asked, looking at her like she was crazy.

"Sookie, you, then my Mom… Thats the order. If you don't like it tough. It will take her longer than you to get there. She will need the extra lead time." Debbie reasoned.

"Your Mom is in Mississippi, wouldn't she need the most lead time?" Alcide asked.

"My Mother is NOT going to be in my delivery room. It's you and Sookie only. Giving birth is going to be hard enough without her telling me I'd look better with a little gloss, give me tips for losing the baby weight, saying my hair would look better with a trim, and suggesting I be quieter because she gave birth to 5 children and she looked immaculate for all 5, didn't make a peep, and walked out 5 pounds lighter than she started." Debbie said, sounding exhausted just thinking about her mother.

"It's called boundaries. They are healthy, and a part of forgiveness." Sookie said, supportively.

"Eh, fair enough. So I guess you and I will be seeing a lot of each other now." Alcide said to Eric, who laughed looking at Debbie and Sookie latched onto one another at the table.

"Looks like it, what did you call them?" Eric asked.

"The hens, they just cluck cluck all day." Alcide laughed.

"Deb, text me." Sookie said, putting her phone on the table. Debbie took hers out and sent her a quick text.

BWAK sookies phone chimed.

"Oh my God! Thats amazing. Do that for mine too when you text." Debbie exclaimed waving her phone at Sookie.

"Eric did it for me." Sookie said, so Debbie turned and started waving her phone at Eric, who took her phone with a chuckle and made her texting tone for Sookie a chicken sound too.

"Thats going to be so fun to hear all the time." Alcide said sarcastically.

"I aim to please." Eric smiled, handing Debbie her phone back.

Epilogue

Eric pulled up the long driveway after work. He was always happy to go home now.

Sookie and Eric had married 8 weeks after Debbie had Tank, who was indeed a Tank at 13 pounds when he was born. Sookie was really pregnant by then, but Debbie had needed a decent recovery period because her labor had been 53 hours before they finally pulled the plug and did a c-section. They moved the wedding back so Debbie could still be the matron of honor. Sookie looked like an absolute Goddess in wedding dress, reminding him how he had always fantasized about how good she would look pregnant when he thought he would never get to have her.

The last 6 years had been so so good. Of course, every couple has their ups and downs, but compromise and communication was easy for them to master. Especially when Sookie had a pretty hard time postpartum with Aurora and just needed more help so she could sleep. She struggled pretty hard with postpartum depression for about 8 months before she was able to pull out of it. Eric also thought the stress of his fathers trial had a lot to do with her struggling so hard. The major prep started just after she gave birth, and the trial didn't end until Just about that 8 month mark. A lot had been uncovered, like a plot to kidnap her before they were even back together to get Eric to comply with Andre, or that Andre had been planning to ruin Eric since he was 5 years old, or that he had tried to have Sophie killed by a hit man on two different occasions. Just everything was much worse than they thought.

Fortunately, Andre was found guilty of 156 counts ranging from insider trading, to conspiracy, to forgery, to attempted murder. He was serving 18 non congruent life sentences and 210 years on top of that between all the crimes. He was never getting out and that was a huge relief.

Eric also helped her see her 'yips' were undiagnosed anxiety brought on by PTSD and she needed help, not to beat herself up all the time feeling like a failure. She got into talk therapy, but also stopped breastfeeding, and got a medical marijana card to help her on really bad days. Eric supported her the entire way. She was really upset stopping breastfeeding, but after a few weeks she saw a huge difference in how she felt. Especially occasionally using medical marijuana to slow her mind down enough she she could actually get out of fight or flight mode, which she struggled to exit because of the PTSD from losing her parents, and Gran so young and having so much resting on her shoulders so fast and so young. She felt like a better and more present mother after.

They found out they were pregnant with Auroras Sister Jasmine on her second birthday. Sookie felt ready and far less stressed during that pregnancy. she wasn't wildly underweight, she trusted her husband who spent every second he wasn't working with her. She was close to her in laws who helped with Aurora, and there was just no Drama. Debbie and Alcide had even moved closer to a house between Shreveport and Bon Temps so they saw each other several times a week having only a 20 minute drive to one another now.

Pam also did most of the nitty gritty day to day at the Shreveport office, Eric only went in three times a week and worked the other two remote. Pam liked the power, and Eric was pretty much over the work is life thing. He did basically exactly what he had to and nothing else. Sookie really liked that their family was always his number 1 priority.

Amelia and Trey ended up getting married. She finished her school year in LA and moved to be with Trey the day she took her last test. They were married at 19, and everyone just sort of shrugged and went with it unsurprisingly, they found out she had been pregnant at the wedding and their son Max was born 5 months later. It all worked out, Trey still works at his dads garage, and Sophie stopped working and watched Max after he was a year old so Amelia could go back to school. She went for accounting and got a job working for Eric after she graduated, which took a few extra years because they squeezed in another baby in the middle of it all. A daughter names Maggie.

Debbie and Alcide hadn't had any luck getting pregnant again yet, but they recently tried a round of IVF and were really hopeful it would work. Tank and aurora were incredibly close. Eric figured if he had known Sookie at 6 thats how he would have looked at her too. It was like Debbie and Sookie plotted the whole thing out.

Sookie had just found out she was pregnant with their 3rd baby two weeks ago. It was going to be their last baby. Eric was getting snipped after she was born. They didn't KNOW it was a girl yet, but Eric and Sookie felt pretty confident they were getting a Belle to add to the princess lineup. Boy were they princesses too. Girly girls to the max.

"DADDYS HOME!" Sookie squealed, and ran out of the house. Aurora and Jasmine hot on her heels. She ran to Eric and jumped into his arms like she always did. Her enthusiasm for him to be home was always amazing to him.

"Mmmmm, how was your day?" Eric asked Sookie after pulling sookie to kiss her, bending down to give Aurora a hug and kiss, and picked up Jasmine who instantly latched to him like a barnacle.

"Amazing, guess what?" Sookie asked, doing and excited jumping around little kick dance that Aurora was mimicking.

"What?" Eric asked.

"AUNTIE DEBBIE IS HAVING ANOTHER BABY!" Aurora yelled.

"What she said!" Sookie yelled, jumping all over.

"Hell yeah!" Eric cheered and swung Jasmine around making her laugh and scream.

"Everyone get in the car, we're going to Aunt Debbies and Uncle Alcides to celebrate!" Eric said and turned back to the car.

"I'll go get my purse!" Sookie and Aurora said in unison making him smile and shake his head. They didn't just look alike, they moved, and acted alike too.

"Do you need a purse, Princess?" Eric softly asked Jasmine.

"No, I'm okay." She said and just hung onto his neck. Eric smiled widely. Jasmine was a Daddys girl through and through. He wondered what the next one would be like. Sookie was a wonderful mother. She had perfected the balance of raising polite, grateful, understanding, generous young ladies who were well disciplined. all while making sure they never worried about costs, money, food, bills, or any other adult problems that shouldn't be bothering kids. They weren't being spoiled to counter the extremes Sookie endured, even before she lost her parents. She made sure the just never felt how she had to.

"Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie Debbie." Sookie chanted as she ran down the stairs with Aurora behind her who was chanting tank tank tank tank…. The same way making Eric smile as he turned to buckle Jasmine in her car seat in the back. He was going to need a bigger car or Aurora would end up being smashed between two car seats since jasmine was a tiny kid and hadn't made height or weight requirements for a booster yet.

"Is everyone ready?" Eric asked, and his girls all happily said yes together.

"Okay, Sookie text and see if they want me to pick up dinner and have Debbie pick where from and send their order." Eric said to Sookie and she nodded getting to it. "Aurora, get that doll out of your sisters face she has pushed it away twice respect her space." He said, looking at his oldest daughter who frowned and pulled her barbie back in her lap. "Jasmine, if you reach over and hit her you aren't getting your Saturday screen time, and I will be enforcing it, not Mommy." Eric said, to his soon to be middle daughter who groaned and loosened her tiny hands out of fists.

"She wants Cava." Sookie said, sounding excited. She waned Cava too.

"Little out of the way, but okay. Put in the order now so I can just run in and get it." Eric said and turned around so he could go back down the driveway.

"I'm already doing it, great minds. I love you." Sookie said, happily bobbing in her seat. Still reminding him of the bubbly 18 year old he fell in love with. Just more relaxed and matured. He loved her more than ever and was still endlessly grateful for the second chance she gave him so he could have this life that he doesn't think could possibly get better.