Epilogue

"Sorry," Sookie said rubbing my arm. "That probably didn't feel good." On the other side of her Godric was rolling on the balls of his feet to test his balance.

You can definitely say that again. I'd never happier to feel solid ground in my entire existence. The past week Sookie had been testing her powers. So far they were limitless, but just because she had them didn't mean she knew exactly how to use them. She'd been practicing her ability to teleport. So far she could do it very well when she was alone. It was identical to what the Prince had used, with the bright light and the gusts of wind. When she tried it with Godric and me it was nowhere near as smooth.

"I'll get used to it," I replied trying to blink my eyes back into focus.

"I got us here," she enthused sounding ever chipper. "That's the most important thing." If I wasn't so dizzy I would nod to agree.

"But we're taking the bus back," Godric teased.

"Hey," she said with a laugh. "I'm an all-powerful demigod. You best not sass me, handsome."

He chuckled and kissed the corner of her lips. "I'll do more than sass you."

I could hear but my sight took longer to focus on the scene. We had reached our destination of the Queen's receiving home in New Orleans, "I beat my resignation here," It wasn't an easy thing to do. I'd sent it by way of Diantha, the demon, and nothing moved faster on land. "Not bad."

"Thank you Eric," Sookie encouraged with a pointed eye roll at my maker. "Come on, I'll beam us up." She extended her fingers and wriggled them. I was sure it wasn't supposed to be sinister but that was what it appeared to me.

"It's not that good." I quipped, taking a step back.

Godric laughed. She tried not to join on but lost. "Okay, fine," she chuckled "let's hoof it."

The walk wasn't long. A guard spotted us long before we were on the property and waved us inside. He was familiar and he looked calm despite the sounds of conflict that I could hear.

"Felipe is having a tantrum," Sookie translated.

I knew he was a bit into theatrics but this was the first I was witnessing it. It was a sight. The room that had been a grand library but it was now demolished. Anything breakable had been broken. Lighting fixtures had been pulled down. There were holes in the walls and with the exception of the seats being occupied not a single piece of furniture was left standing.

I entered the room first. Sookie was behind me and Godric brought up the rear. I got a chance to register the state of things. On the right side of the room was Felipe DeCastro. He stood glaring at the opposite wall where Sophie-Anne stood with her two children. Upon my entry the king of Nevada whipped his head to the left. My presence caused him to growl but when he saw Sookie he roared and launched forward. Godric and I formed a wall in front of her before he got close. The only way he would get to her was through us and we all knew it wasn't going to happen.

"If you fancy your fangs where they are," Godric began. His tone was one of poorly contained aggression. "You will retract them."

He let out a shriek that was equal parts rage and frustration and hands were fisted roughly in his shoulder length hair and he looked like he was losing his mind.

"Retract your fangs," My maker insisted once his piercing scream had faded. There were only two people that knew how close Felipe was to catching it. Damned if I'd warn him.

"It's okay," Sookie said wrapping her arms around Godric waist, keeping where he was. "He needs to vent,"

Felipe's head whipped to her and his eyes were feverish. "You think you are so smart," he hissed. "You think you have won, pero déjame decirte. Vampires have a long memory. We. Never. Forget. You have delivered me to 'La grande bruja' but what do you think she will do with you now?" He sneered viciously. "Do you think she will keep you close? No. She will drink you dry and feed the crows your pretty blue eyes."

"You didn't get it," she replied calmly. "I could give a shit about money or anything else. All that ever mattered is them."

He snarled at her and inched forward, "I should have killed you like Victor said," he snarled.

"That's why you're here and he isn't." There was steel in her tone. "It was either this or kill you and I felt real bad about having to go that route." She flashed herself from behind me and ended up in front of Felipe. I was sure he would have flinched if he wasn't so dumbfounded. "I came to make it better."

His eyes were fixed on her and his hostility was gone and he looked curious. "What are you?" He was listening to her heartbeat which was steady. He pulled in her scent which told him nothing. She was the same physically but she drank blood though she still needed human food. She was just a demigod in jeans and a sweater.

"I'm between here and there," she replied with a shrug. The response was evasive and it told everyone who didn't know that they wouldn't find out. She waved her hand and the room was restored. All broken things were made whole, the over turned furniture righted.

"Show off," I muttered. Godric chuckled and Sookie turned and stuck her tongue out at me. We were the only ones that seemed to be able to do anything but stare at her.

When all was as it should be two chess boards appeared on a table and she gave Felipe a challenging look and he walked over to it. Not having anything else to do, we all watched as they played. Chess was a game of strategy and she had proved to be a master in that art. Still Felipe played admirably and as their matched continued he was happy to forget his ire.

"You know, you might like her if you gave her a chance," Sookie said, placing her knight in attack position. "You never know, you might make each other happy. Stranger things have happened."

Felipe sniffed at the utterly ridiculous notion, "The only way that witch will ever be happy is in a broom factory."

While André glowered at the insult, his maker and mine chuckled. She seemed genuinely amused by the tirades of the Cuban. "My dear husband, you wound me."

"I could only hope," he spat.

Before he could gather more steam to fuel another rant Sookie interrupted. "Tell me what I can do to make this better," she said. "I owe you and I'm now strong enough to pay."

"End her," he said pointing to Sophie-Anne.

Sookie ran her hands through her hair. "I knew you'd say that but I've sworn to never hurt her unless she hurts me."

"Make her dissolve the marriage," he pressed.

"That would hurt her, so no."

He growled, "There is no end date to the union and this is never done amongst our kind. There is her or the true death but no other freedom for me. And she receives twenty percent of the combined earnings of my casinos as her monthly allowance yet she performs none of her wifely duties, the marriage isn't even consummated. Even if it were, we have some of the best whores in the world in my state but none of them cost a fraction of that."

My lover was uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. She looked to Sophie-Anne who was wearing an amused smirk. Be it because of her husband or Sookie I had no idea. My guess was both.

"What troubles you most?" Godric asked. "The lack of sex or the money?"

"Both," Felipe hissed.

Sookie looked to Sophie-Anne expectantly. The Queen huffed. "Fine, twelve percent of your income as allowance," She wasn't being at all greedy. Arkansas, the state that she had inherited from her previous husband, was in dire financial straits. To turn it from a liability into an asset, she needed a steady supply of cash.

"Two," he retorted.

"Ten and sex twelve times a year,"

He growled losing his temper all over again, "Five and sex anytime I desire."

The Queen nodded her agreement but Felipe wasn't done, "I live upon her mercy," he said facing Sookie, who up until that point had been going through great lengths not to focus on the discussion. "I am to spend three weeks out of the month here. I have also signed a document forfeiting my life if she meets the true death, yet the same does not apply to her."

"She hasn't ended you," André retorted. "Though someone should." The king of Nevada threw a handful of his board game pieces at the lieutenant. Sookie waved her hand stopping them midair and returning them.

"Okay." She materialized scissors out of thin air and cut a few strands of her hair. We all watched as the strands wound themselves into two separate braids forming two bracelets. "Your hand," she said to Felipe. I was sure if he was in a position where he had more to lose he might be more hesitant. Such as it was he held his hand out and watched curiously. She fastened one around his wrist. "She or anyone sent by her or hers will forever fail in doing you harm as long you are her husband."

"And anyone else," he prompted eagerly.

She snorted delicately, "Yeah, you're on your own there," she said, fastening the other braid onto Sophie-Anne's wrist.

"Happy?" Sookie asked.

"No," he said. We all rolled our eyes and shared in an audible collective sigh. He should really quit while he was ahead. "You owe me a life."

My lover nodded her agreement. "You can have it only to save never to take or give."

"I have lost too many knights." Felipe said, yeah that's because he tried to throw them. "You win again," he rose to his feet. "I want to have my wife, now." He held his hand out and she took it.

"You swear that he cannot harm her," André asked Sookie.

"I swear," she replied. "If either of them tries they'll end up hurting themselves."

We all eagerly walked out of the study. Sigebert was posted outside the door. He patted Sookie on the shoulder as she passed. I think he was grateful that she had finally gotten Felipe stop his tantrums. I had to admire the romantic and the pacifist in her. She had placed both of them in a position where they would be absolutely safe from one another. If nothing else, it would make them friends.

We followed André out of the dimly lit corridors until we reached the main receiving area.

"You said we are friends," André said, "But you're leaving," he accused, frowning at my lover.

"I'm going on vacation," she replied. "I think I've earned it."

"Then you will come back," he asked. His eyes came to me and he knew I wasn't, at least not in the political sense. It had nothing to with the Queen working with Sookie without my knowledge. We were tired. After all our loose ends were sewn we would go on vacation and I had no idea what would come after that.

Sookie smiled then flashed into his personal space. "We're friends, all you have to do is call. I'll never be too far away to hear," she wrapped around his neck and pulled him into a hug. Though it took him a few moments he reciprocated. "Promise you'll invite me to your coronation as king of Arkansas and I promise I'll help you choose only the best of the best."

"Yes," he said resting his cheek against her head. "I promise."

Sookie let him go, retreated a few paces and placed herself between Godric and me. The last thing I saw was the most unexpected. For the first time in what I was sure was forever the expression my ever vigilant lieutenant possessed fell and his angelic features dulled almost to the point where it wasn't at odds with his emotion. He looked vulnerable, like a lonely child worried over the loss of their best friend, their only friend. The scene faded and I found myself in an opulent room that I couldn't even begin to identify.

I blinked and tried to reorient myself. "We're at Russell's," Sookie said. "They can't see or hear us," True to her word Bertrand walked by us and Russell was sprawled in the bed following him with his eyes. I never really had an opinion on him before but now I did and it wasn't at all favorable. I wanted to rip his head off. If the emotion coming off my lover was anything to go by she was game. "Are you guys good?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Wait," Godric said and we both stilled. "I don't want him hurt." He spoke quickly capitalizing on our shock. "I do not want this new life to begin with blood and vengeance, please." I knew it was easy for him to say because she wasn't the one that had been hurt. I kept that point to myself because I knew we would both give him his way. Such as it was I growled.

"I still have to have words with him," Sookie snarled. "No one messes with my man." And with that she made our presence known. Surprise slowed reaction time, not that it would have made any difference. With a flick of her wrist she'd rendered Russell immobile on the bed and just because I was in a bad mood I tackled Bertrand and pinned him to the ground.

"Whatever Sophie-Anne is paying," Bertrand ground out, "I'll double it."

We ignored him. "I want to kill you," Sookie said, materializing a short sword into her hands. "Slowly," she moved closer to the bed. She moved like a predator. Her gait was easy and sure and he gaze was unswerving. "Make you want to die and I'll bring you close only to drag you back into a world of pain."

"Triple it." Bertrand said. "Please." He didn't seem too concerned for his wellbeing. He was fighting my hold but his eyes held Russell's frantic expression. "Anything you want, just don't hurt him." My lover stopped because it wasn't in her nature to hurt someone that didn't hurt her as was the case with Bertrand. "They say you are merciful. Please, I beg your mercy." She turned and nodded at me to release him. He rose slowly but his eyes were on his husband as he spoke. "Tell me what you want be it in my possession or not I will deliver it, I swear."

"He leaves me the fuck alone," she said instantly.

Bertrand was confused but he agreed immediately. "He tried to make me suffer what you could have just now." Sookie continued. "He made me live that same fear. He's getting to walk not because I want to let him but because he asked me." She inclined her head to Godric. "That shit won't work ever again. If I even feel him anywhere near my guys, he better be handing out fairy blood lollipops on Halloween otherwise I'll personally hand the grim reaper his soul to take. We clear?"

"Does he have to bring them fairy blood pops on Halloween?" Bertrand asked in all seriousness.

"Yes," I chimed in.

Godric chuckled and shook his head. "No. We will leave you and he in peace and you will do the same, yes?"

"You have my word." Bertrand said replied.

"I swear," Russell said.

We left the room the same way we came in and we landed in front of Sookie's old house. On her porch stood Niall. It took all my years of experience to keep the shock off my face. The last time I saw him he had appeared as an old man with wisps of white in his blonde hair, his face had been finely lined. Now he appeared to be in the spring time of his youth. His skin was smooth and supple and his hair was a richer shade of blonde. He hadn't parted with his cane or the suit, neither looked out of place despite the regression of his physical markers of age. The smile he wore however was as boyish as it was irritating.

Sookie was stunned for a moment "It makes sense," she murmured.

Really? Because I was confused. "Fintan cursed me when I was a kid. It was what brought me to the attention of the reaper."

"No he cursed me because of you. That and the fact that you were mostly human but were marked as the Elite of your generation brought you undue attention," Niall said proudly.

"I'm flattered," my lover replied scathingly.

"You out class all others of that title for a thousand generations past and there won't be another like you for a thousand more if ever," he gave a long suffering sigh and shot Godric and me a disapproving look. "Such a waste."

I rolled my eyes. Godric flipped him off. "We'll walk and talk," Sookie said squeezing our hands. She kissed us both and walked over to the fairy. He took her hand and wrapped one arm around her and they walked in a short circle for a while before the Prince spoke.

"Fintan loved you and your brother. He loved your father and your aunt. All of which was acceptable but it was his love for your grandmother that I disapproved of. Knowing they had no future, he rejected the mate I chose, he wouldn't even leave this plane after their union ended. At every turn he defied me because of her." Grief colored his words. "I spoke out of anger and told him he was no child of mine. Once I spoke those words rejecting him as my son, I could not take them back."

"Because you can't lie," Sookie said.

He nodded, "Yes. He called out to me when Lochaln and Neave had him but I could not hear. So, he died thinking I'd willfully abandoned him. His death was so pitiless and vile that his spirit cursed me before passing onto the Summerlands. Evermore will it my charge to care for those that descend from his blood and that of his most beloved, if ever that blood ceases to walk in any realm as will mine."

Sookie's expression was one of shock. Both Godric and I were just as stunned. Fairies were pretty much an endangered species. Their numbers have been dwindling over the years. They rarely killed one another unless they were at war, something they avoided if they could. For one of them to wipe out his own family was unheard of.

Niall nodded grimly. "Curses are heady things child; a curse that is birthed in blood, particularly the blood of thine own, is the oldest of magic."

There was a moment and Sookie seemed to be taking it all in. "So, that explains why you look like my much hotter younger brother and not my great grandfather?"

Niall chuckled. "I am quite lovely again," he said flipping his lush hair in truly fairy fashion. Sookie snorted to tell him to get on with it. He pouted but got back on topic "With the last beat of your heart, I turned to dust as did all others with my blood. When you were reborn as were we, the curse completed its course and is no more."

"That's really good." Sookie said feeling genuinely happy. Godric sniffed. I smiled. We should be so lucky that Niall had stayed dead and not come back like a spring fucking chicken. The fairy ignored us. Sookie shot us a chiding glance.

"Yes, but I still offer you all that I had before."

"No thanks, but we can still get to know each other," she allowed. "If you want."

He leaned in and kissed her head. "That would make me happy." With a parting frown aimed at Godric and me he vanished.

We went inside and nothing was more important than renewing our bond and our vows to each other. In the past when she was just human Sookie's blood was pleasurable on its own but combined with all the love I felt for her it became an aphrodisiac, a stimulus that made me remember all the ways she loved and I loved her. The taste of her blood now as a demigod was electrifying to my pallet; it was stronger; the force of it was headier. If before I thought my body belonged to her there was no more doubt after tonight. She owned Godric and me both. All we could do was endure the onslaught as she gave us more of her than either of us could handle.

"Where are we going on vacation?" Godric asked us. The sun was close to rising and the three of us were in bed, our limbs intertwined and our bodies sated.

"Don't know," Sookie said.

"Don't care," I added

He chuckled and snuggled into my side, "As long as we're together."

**The End**

A great big thank you to my Beta rebecca. t. p. wrecker. I really grew as a writer and learned a lot about polishing my work with your guidance and patience. So thank you and if you're a real glutton for punishment maybe you'll sign on for another trip? :D

We'll I have some unfinished business with my other fic and I don't know when I'll be back after I wrap that up but rest assured I am an avid procrastinator and I think up my best stuff while I'm procrastinating.

Until next time ladies and gentlemen...Muuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!