WEEKLY ONE SHOT – To turn or not to turn… Ok so this in in response to SUKI59 and her weekly challenge! Thank you to the incredible vikinglover elle who is a doll and beta's my one shots for me. I love her. :)

It was a long drive to the hospital. Why I was driving out here for her after the way she had treated me the last time I saw her. I always tried to be there for her. I tried to love and protect her. There was a time that we were close, very close. There was a time I considered her family. I must still have some feelings or I would not be driving to a hospital in the middle of the night. I picked up my phone and called the only person I could think of for advice. We had talked about her the night before last.

"Hello this is..." I cut the caller off.

"Hey it's me. I need your advice. I got a phone call tonight from her. I used to really care about her and she needs my help. I could really use your guidance." I asked.

"What does she require?" Was the question posed.

"I have no idea. She is sick and in a hospital. I do not know what to expect. I don't even know why I am going. The last time I saw her she made it perfectly clear how she felt about me. But I feel compelled to go. We used to be so close." I sighed.

"Well you have to weigh the good of the relationship against the bad. Do you really want to get pulled back into her drama?" It was another good question.

"No but I do not think I could live with the guilt if something happens and I didn't go." I admitted.

"Do you want me to meet you? Where you are going exactly? You know I will be there if you need me when you see her." It was the nicest offer I had, had all night.

"Yes, please meet me there. Do you know where the hospital is in Monroe?" I asked.

"Yes, I will be there in 20 minutes." My best friend told me gently.

Twenty minutes later we entered the hospital together and I was going to see her. I had not laid eyes on her since she had walked out of my life after betraying me. But I loved her and you can't help who you love. So hand in hand I walked, with the only other person who knew how badly she had hurt me, down the hospital corridor to see my long lost past.

We passed some waiting rooms where I heard crying. God, I hate hospitals and when people cry. I asked the nurse on duty, who looked at us quite suspiciously, what room number she was in and she gave it to us. We walked down the hall opened the door and there she lay.

She looked so pale, so thin, and different somehow that the picture I had in my mind. I gripped the hand holding mine for extra support before I spoke.

"Arlene. I am here." I said softly almost afraid to wake her.

She looked up and me and smiled, "Oh Sookie, I didn't think you would come but I hoped you would."

She smiled as she looked past me to Eric and to my surprise she smiled at him too and said,

"I hope you are taking real good care of this girl. So many people have let her down and I am probably the biggest disappointment of all." She cried.

Eric did not say anything at first but then he said "She has great capacity to love and forgive. And I take extremely good care of my wife. She is my best friend and partner in this world."

She turned back to me and said. "Sookie I do not have much time. I am dying. I have maybe a few hours. I wanted you to know how sorry I am for everything that I did. I am so sorry honey. I was blinded by fear and hate. I should have never taken part in what they wanted to do to you. I should have warned you and protected you. I am so sorry. I know that it is too much to ask you to forgive me but please know that I have seen the error of my ways and I want you to know I love you. I am so sorry honey."

She was gasping for air and when she coughed it was bloody. I reached to take her hand to soothe her and since my shields were shot by this point and I could hear everything. 'Oh God please let her forgive me… she was my only friend and I tried to kill her… oh God how could I have done this? She was my best friend and I did this to her….please God… Oh what will Colby and Lisa do? I wonder if Sookie will even go see them?'

"Arlene, I forgive you and of course I will go see the kids. Who will they stay with …after?" I did not know how to finish that sentence.

"I don't know Sookie. I have an Aunt that they are with now. I just wish there was a way I could stay with them, I need to tell them goodbye. They are in the waiting room." She whispered.

Oh God that is who I heard crying. It was Colby and Lisa in the waiting room crying.

"Arlene, do you want me to go get them for you? I asked quietly

"Please."

"Sookie, I will stay here with your friend while you go to get the tiny humans." Eric smiled gently and sat down in the chair beside her bed.

The past few years Eric had surprised me by the ways he would support me during events that were so outside his comfort zone. Give him a fight with a sword; he was happy. Someone threatening to kill me; that he could handle! But put him in a room with a crying woman or children and in the past he would have found a reason to leave. He changed substantially since I moved in with him and married him three years ago. He was still the bad ass Sherriff of Area 5 but with me and for me he could be gentle, loving and kind.

I walked slowly down the hall wondering what to say to the kids. I wasn't even sure they would be happy to see me. Their mom went to prison because of her part in trying to kidnap and kill me. How could I be sure they would want to see me? That question was answered when I entered the waiting room Colby and Lisa shot out of their chairs and tackled me with hugs.

"Aunt Sookie, you're here!" They chimed.

"I am here and I will always be here for you. I love you and I will always be your Aunt Sookie, you understand me?" I smiled.

They nodded and just cuddled into me. I sat back down with them on the couch that was against the side wall and just held them. I thought I should talk to them some more about Arlene and what was happening. Arlene's aunt had to be every bit of a hundred years old and sound asleep. There was no way this woman would be able to care for them. I contemplated that for a few minutes as I rocked them and loved on them.

"Colby, Lisa, I want you know that I love you and you are going to come home with me. Maybe not tonight or the next but soon, okay." I said. The last time I saw them they were 5 and 8. Now they were 8 and 11. I could not believe how they had grown.

"Momma's gonna die ain't she Aunt Sookie?" Colby cried. He tried not to but the tears flowed the minute he said the word die.

"Yes baby. I am so sorry." I held them closer as they fell apart. I hoped that Eric and Arlene were doing alright. It had been about fifteen minutes since I left the room to get the kids. I figured we needed to get in there so I told them,

"Listen, we have to get in there and be strong for your momma. She needs to tell you she loves you and she needs to hear that you love her. So that is what we are going to do, okay?" I smiled

The kids nodded and we stood up to walk down the hall together leaving the old lady asleep in the chair. Once back to the hospital room I was shocked when I saw that the bed was empty, the window was open and Eric was nowhere to be found. Oh Hell!

"Where is momma? Did the angels already come and get her?" Lisa wept. Colby just sank down on the ground and cried. I pulled my cell phone and tried Eric. No Answer. SHIT.

"Kids, don't worry, my husband was with her. I am sure he has just helped her to the bathroom or to an appointment with a doctor or something…" I lied through my teeth!

I tried Pam's cell. There was no answer. I tried Eric again, nothing. I tried the bond. He sent calm and love to me. He was conflicted about something but very resolved. I was getting antsy but sat down on the side of Arlene's bed. The kids where huddled together at the foot of her bed. About ten minutes later Eric came through the window.

The kids jumped but he smiled gently at them and said, "Little humans, beloved wife."

I looked at him more than annoyed and said, "Eric can I speak to you outside?"

"Where the HELL is Arlene? What have you done?" I scream whispered. I tried to whisper but I was so mad I know I made more noise than if I would have spoken in my normal tone.

He looked at me very sternly as if getting ready for a fight and said "She is coming over. Pam met me midway between here and Shreveport. Pam has wanted to be a maker for some time and I think your friend will be a good child for her. We talked while you were gone and she agreed to be turned. She actually brought it up. She just wants to see the little ones grow up and while I could not be the one to turn her I saw no reason it could not be Pam."

Much to his surprise I did not yell or fight. I think I was just too damn shocked.

"What do I tell the kids?" I asked dumbfounded.

"I will explain it to them." Eric said gently.

We walked back in and I tried to look at ease as Eric began to explain.

"Little ones, your mom was very sick and even my blood could not have healed her. But I was able to come up with a plan to keep her with you. Do you know what I am?" He asked gently.

"You're a vampire like Uncle Bill." Lisa said softly.

"Yes I am a vampire but much better vampire than Uncle Bill." Eric snorted, I rolled my eyes and then he continued. "I have a progeny," he paused and added "someone I made a vampire many years ago." He went on to explain when Lisa looked confused at the word progeny. "I have given your mother, at your her request, to that person. Her name is Pam. Pam will make your mother a vampire like me, but you will not be able to see her for three nights" He finished and we waited for the response.

"So momma will be a vampire?" Colby asked.

"Yes" Eric said in a soft gently voice. It was not lost on me how good he was being with them but then sometimes I forget that he was a dad. He had children in his human life and God knows he got brownie points for single handedly raising Pam.

Colby and Lisa looked at each smiled and said "COOL!"

Kids! Never underestimate their ability to take in and assimilate information. Eric laughed and said,

"Yes very cool indeed! I explained to Pam that you would be a part of your mother new life as a vampire and the only reason she wanted to be turned was to remain in your lives. So you will now have an Aunt Sookie, Uncle Eric and Aunt Pam in addition to a very cool vampire mom." Eric smiled.

Two hours later I had put the kids to bed at our house. I was very thankful Hunter was not sleeping over again until next week. Three kids under 12 would have been too much even for me. Eric always joked and said he could glamour Hunter into going to sleep but he was the biggest kid of all. Anytime Hunter slept over it was Eric telling him stories and wrestling with him on the floor to all hours of the night. And tonight had been no different; I finally had to chase Eric from the kid's room so I could get them to bed. I smiled as I entered our bedroom and saw that Eric was filing the paperwork to make me the kid's daytime guardian and to have Arlene Fowler's status changed to vampire. I was utterly exhausted as I lay down in the bed next to Eric. He continued to click away on his laptop.

"So Eric will her death day be today or when she rises? I asked while pondering the really question I wanted to ask. "It will be listed as tonight." He said with a smirk, knowing he could feel my curiosity through the bond and that I was trying to pry. I started not to ask my question but not knowing finally got the better of me. I just had to know.

"Honey, why did you do it? Why would you turn someone who had been so hateful to your kind?" I asked.

"If she died it would have hurt you and the little ones you care for. She was truly sorry for her behavior and I could not think of a better way for her to make up for her transgression against my kind than to become one of my kind. She will work now toward vampire/human relations. It will be a PR event made in heaven. 'Kindhearted vampire turns single mother in order to keep her with her children.' You are happy and I get great free press, so you see Sookie it was a win-win for me." He smirked.

Damn he is pragmatic. I smiled and cuddled into his chest as he continued to type. I had to give him this, Arlene Fowler a vampire, I never saw that coming and neither would the Fellowship of the Sun.

So what did you think? Did I getcha? Review and let me know. HUGS and Kisses my little minions! :)