She hadn't known what to do with the Fairy artifact at first, even though its ability to grant a wish had been explained to her. There just hadn't been anything she could have used the Cluviel Dor for, and no she wouldn't have used it to take care of Eric's marital problems. He had gotten himself into that fine mess himself, she thought with bitter tears pricking at her eyes. She was over his womanizing ass, pardon her French, and there was nothing he could do to convince her that he would change his ways.

Then there was Sam. A good friend and her boss. He'd been killed, accidentally but killed none the less by Jannalynn. She thought about using the Cluviel Dor then, to revive him, only something made her pause. A niggling thought of that if it could be used to revive him, then what about Gran? What about all of those people who hadn't deserved to die? Why save one when she could save more, if not all?

Sookie traced a finger over the smooth, glossy surface of the artifact as she wondered about how she could accomplish saving them all. She doubted that she could use it to revive all of them. It would likely only work on one. So if she couldn't revive all of them then she could go back before any of them died. Another thought gave her pause though. All of her troubles stemmed from Bill Compton, procurer for Sophie-Anne Leclerq. Well, technically Hadley was the cause of her problems, but Bill had been the one to manipulate her.

She had to go back before Bill had come into her life. That was the only way she could truly make a difference, but only if she remembered. Taking in a small breath Sookie picked up the Cluviel Dor and closed her eyes. "I wish…" A small frown twisted her features while she tried to figure out the right words to use. If she said it wrong, who knew what the Cluviel Dor would do. Licking her lips she exhaled and opened her eyes. She could do this. "I wish go far enough back before Bill Compton came into my life, with my memories of this life intact."

The Cluviel Dor pulsed in her hands, bright sparkles flickering into existence around her. They began to swirl counter-clockwise, slowly at first and then they began to speed up. The sparkles moved faster and faster until she was completely enclosed by a bright, golden cocoon of magic. Just a moment of watching the spectacle started to make her head hurt so she shut her eyes and tried to press a hand to her temple. Tried being the keyword.

Sookie found that she wasn't able to move. Panic quickly took hold of her and she opened her eyes to find that she was in pitch black darkness. It was nearly suffocating and her breathing was on the verge of becoming erratic when a soothing melody began playing out of nowhere.

"You must calm yourself, child," a gentle voice chided. "You have broken the laws of time by making such a wish, Sookie. This is a matter that cannot be taken lightly."

Sookie blinked in confusion, the darkness no less stifling, but now she was oddly calm. What was going on and what laws had she broken? More importantly she wasn't familiar with the voice speaking to her, but they seemed to know her.

A soft sigh came from behind her and then there was a faint shuffling. Stark against the darkness around them, a woman—old like her Gran had been—came into her sight. She moved stiffly, her head kept bowed. Sookie couldn't make out the features of her face, but she could tell that the woman's hair was black, despite her supposed age, and it was worn contained within an ornate golden headdress. She wore a style of clothes that Sookie was unfamiliar with, but the way she was dressed seemed like it suited her. Glancing back at the woman's face, just as the woman lifted it, Sookie realized with a startling horror that she had no eyes. She didn't even notice the slight glow the woman gave off, nor that her mind was silent.

"I do not mean to frighten you with my appearance, dear child. I have been like this since before I was turned." The woman seemed genuinely sincere, her voice softening as she continued to speak. "The Furies took my eyes, but they could not steal my Sight."

"Your sight?" Sookie asked automatically, her brow crinkling slightly.

"I am a seer, Sookie Stackhouse. The Pythia, or at least I was in my time as a mortal. The Sight does not depend upon eyes, thankfully, or I would have never foreseen you changing your own destiny." She gave a faint smile and turned away from Sookie, who found that she could suddenly move. "Come, child. We do not have much time."

Sookie followed along, still a bit confused but she was accepting that this was in fact happening. She could now see the glow the woman gave off and it was brighter than Russel Edgington's had ever been. "Might I know your name…?" She wasn't sure how she was supposed to address her. Did she have to call her Pythia?

"Aletheia, dear child. My name is Aletheia." Aletheia led the way through the darkness, only now it seemed more grey than anything.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Aletheia." This drew a brusque laugh from the vampire, which made Sookie frown a bit more. "Did I-"

"No, no, child. Nothing is the matter. Your manners are quite refreshing, is all." Aletheia gave Sookie a warm smile and stopped in front of a door that had seemed to suddenly materialize. "Now, don't worry about the laws of time. I'll handle that. What you need to remember, once you step through this door, is that nothing will be the same as you have known. You will not be human anymore, either, so you must master your fae powers."

"What about my…telepathy?" She cringed slightly as she brought up her gift, not wanting to have to go through rebuilding her shields to try and keep the thoughts of others out.

"Someone who is waiting for you will be able to help you master all of your abilities. He is not an easy person to learn under, so you must keep that in mind before accepting his help. Also, he may be a vampire, but he is unlike any other you have met before, and you will know why when you meet him." Aletheia was looking in her direction, though it was rather chilling to be stared down by eyes that weren't there no matter how nice she seemed. "There is also one more thing you will need to do. There will be two men in need of your help on December Fifteenth in Quantico, Virginia. Your mentor-to-be can help you in aiding them, and you should consider hiring them as body guards for yourself."

It was a lot to take in, but Sookie understood that it had to be important if Aletheia was mentioning it to her. "Can I have their names?" The door in front of them began to open, a bright ray of light shining through the crack, drawing her attention to it.

Aletheia backed away from the light, her form starting to become enshrouded by the shadows. "Your mentor is Kyrios. The young men in need of your assistance are…"

The door swung open fully, bathing Sookie in warm sunlight while Aletheia's voice faded before she could reveal the names of the two men who needed her help. Sookie turned around to look for Aletheia, only she was standing outside of her house now with no trace of the former darkness or the ancient vampire. It was as if it had never happened, but she was quite certain it had. When she had made her wish it had been nighttime, and she hadn't been at home.

"Am I…" She turned around again, looking about her yard with a frown marring her features. There was a lawn chair set up, her usual tanning spot, with the reflective foldout for her neck and face laying on it. A glance downward told her all she needed to know. She was in her two piece bathing suit and her skin was already slicked up with a tanning lotion.

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a void quite suddenly appeared behind her, in broad daylight no less. This void was the largest she had ever sensed, nearly as vast as the sky above her. Heart in her throat, because no vampire should be able to withstand the rays of the sun on their own, she slowly turned around to face the newcomer right as Aeltheia's words echoed in her mind. Her mentor would be unlike any other vampire she had ever met.

He was tall, at least six foot one, so she had to crane her neck a little to look up at him. He was also extremely handsome, his skin darkly tanned, like it was his natural complexion, and he seemed to be made of muscles. Staring into bright and curious hazel eyes she swallowed unconsciously, her mouth oddly dry.

"Sookie Stackhouse, I presume?" His voice had a slight rumble to it, and was a lovely baritone that made her shiver a bit. His expression quickly became one of amusement and he chuckled low in his throat. "Sorry, but I've had a wife a long time ago and have no intention of ever taking another female to my bed." It was like he could read her mind.

"Oh, shoot mister, I'm really sorry. It's just that you're so…" Mouthwateringly tantalizing and oh God, she was embarrassing herself. She flushed in embarrassment and looked away from tall, dark and good looking.

"I seem to get that a lot." There was a slight note of irritation in his voice with his admission, but it wasn't directed at her. She was able to tell that much.

Stepping back a bit, she glanced towards him and noticed that his hair was cut into a mohawk style, but he didn't spike it up with gel. Instead the hair was partially braided along the sides and brushed back. It suited him, she thought. He wore a pair of black jeans, boots and a light grey sleeveless t-shirt. "I really am sorry about that," she apologized again, to which he just smiled and gave a shake of his head. "And yes, I am Sookie Stackhouse."

"Well, Miss Stackhouse, I am Kyrios Stavros, and I am sure you were told about me?" It was like he was testing her, to make sure that she was authentic in her knowledge.

"Aletheia…" She said the name softly, to which Kyrios nodded solemnly. "She said that you would be able to help me master all of my abilities, and that you are not an easy person to train under." She didn't need time to think about her decision. She knew that she had to be stronger this time. "I would like for you to teach me all that you can."

Kyrios remained silent, his expression becoming serious now. He gave Sookie a precursory glance over before he finally nodded. "We will start with physical training first thing tomorrow. Right now there is someone you should speak to."

"Sookie? Who's that young man out there with you?" Adele Stackhouse's voice came from the direction of the front porch, at which a shocked look immediately swept over Sookie's face.

She turned to look at her Gran for the first time in what seemed like forever, her eyes moistening with tears. She was certain now that she was definitely in the past. Her wish had worked, and her Gran was alive. Without even thinking, she bolted up the stairs and wrapped her arms around Gran.

"Sookie, dear?" Adele was taken aback by her granddaughter's sudden hug, but she returned the embrace.

"I'm fine, Gran. I'm just so happy to see you right now." Sookie pulled back after a moment and smiled tearfully up at the Stackhouse matriarch. "It feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

"You've only been outside for a few minutes…" Adele trailed off, a frown worrying her weathered face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm better than okay." Sookie wiped away the tears threatening to spill and she looked back out at Kyrios. " Gran, I'd like to introduce you to a new friend."

Kyrios took this as his cue to approach and held out a hand which Adele took to shake. He surprised her with a quick kiss to her knuckles. "Kyrios Stavros, Mrs. Stackhouse."

"Now, now. None of that. You call me Adele, young man." Her tone was gently chiding and she gave Kyrios a warm smile.

"As you insist, Adele." Kyrios returned her smile with one of his own and let go of her hand. "Shall we get out of this heat, ladies?"

"Absolutely. Come in and make yourself at home." Adele ushered both Sookie and Kyrios into the house, bustling in after them.

Sookie glanced at Kyrios in wonder, as he hadn't received a formal invitation to enter the house, yet he had been able to cross the threshold with no problems. She could only wonder just how much different this day walking vampire marvel was. Leading the way into the living room, she sat down on the couch while Kyrios took a seat in the chair opposite of the couch.

"Would you like something to drink?" Adele made her way into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway to look at her granddaughter with a sharp frown. "Sookie, go put on some clothes."

Sookie blinked then looked back down at her bathing suit, a blush quickly pinking her cheeks. She bolted up from the couch and out of the living room to go upstairs for a change of clothes. Within minutes she was back downstairs in a pair of shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt. "My apologies," she mumbled slightly as she sat back down on the couch next to her Gran. There were glasses of lemonade set out for all of them, and she automatically began to reach for her glass.

"Fae are allergic to lemons." Kyrios said it quite suddenly, which made both Stackhouse women pause. Sookie looked confused while there was shock on Adele's face. "You are full Fae now, Sookie, so it would be wise to avoid lemons and iron."

"H-how?" Adele had a hand pressed to her chest while her gaze darted from Kyrios to Sookie and back. "You shouldn't be more than…"

"A quarter Fae?" Sookie withdrew her hand from her glass of lemonade, her own gaze going to her Gran.

"How do you know, Sookie?" There was worry in Adele's tone and a tinge of fear.

"You should tell her the truth, Sookie," Kyrios said it softly, his gaze fixed on Sookie. "Even if it is painful, she should know."

"Gran, out on the porch when I said it felt like I hadn't seen you in a long time… It's because I used the Cluviel Dor in the future. I wished to come back here so…" Sookie paused here and took a deep breath as tears pricked at her eyes again. "The time that I came from, a lot of people, innocent people, died. You were one of them. I hadn't known about the Cluviel Dor then, hadn't found it until much later. It wasn't until Sam Merlotte was accidentally killed did I think about using it. Only, I couldn't just wish back one person… I wanted to see you again too. I wanted to change things for the better."

"Oh Sookie." Adele swept Sookie into a tight hug while she gave a short sob. "My poor baby. You should have told me. Whether you're the same girl who woke up this morning or the one who wished herself here, you're still my granddaughter."

Sookie returned the hug and let her tears fall, her head coming to rest on her Gran's shoulder. "There's more, Gran. I don't know when, but vampires are going to reveal themselves to the world. It's supposed to happen in the year 2006, and I don't know how close that is."

"Vampires?" There wasn't any disbelief in Adele's tone, probably due to her involvement with a Fae that led to her descendants having Fae blood. "What will they be like?"

"We drink blood and do not age. That is a common thing among the many different types of vampires. The ones Sookie speaks of are unlike me, however. I can shift my form to one of fourteen different forms I have. Most are the forms of animals, while one is of something I would never show to any other who is not a vampire. Some can shift their shape, but to only one thing, and others cannot shift at all. I can day walk, which only a very few of us can do. All other vampires cannot enter the daylight. There are differing reactions for the others. Some will explode, others burst into flames and some do burn, but they can heal if they are old enough." Kyrios picked up the glass of lemonade now, drawing their attention to it. He took a long draught from the glass, emptying it almost halfway. "The day walkers, like myself, are capable of eating and drinking human food and beverages, while all others are required to drink blood. I can be severely injured and even killed by fire, and in most other cases it would outright kill lesser vampires. Again, some of them their age does play a factor. I can be staked, but that would require knowing where I keep my heart."

Where he kept his heart? Sookie sat up, pulling away from her Gran, while she stared at Kyrios. "Your heart is not in your body?" Could other vampires do this? Could Bill do this?

"It is not. This capability is rare, however, and not something even we elite share with others." Kyrios stared back at Sookie now, noting the look of fear that had entered her eyes. "I can assure you the vampires you know of are not capable of removing their hearts from their bodies."

It was a relief to hear that. Sookie slumped back against the couch and closed her eyes. Only a few seconds passed when a thought entered her mind. "Can another vampire, say like the one kind I know of, become like you?" She had reopened her eyes and lifted her head to gaze at Kyrios.

"It is certainly possible, and I can tell you that I wasn't always this way either. I earned it, but those are details that you do not need to hear." Kyrios set his glass down and leaned back in his chair.

"Oh, this is all so interesting. You don't look very old, but how old are you now?" Adele looked rather excited, enthusiasm lighting her face up.

"I am four thousand and thirty years old. I was born in Ancient Greece, seventh generation in my tribe of escaped Thracian slaves. I was thirty-three when I started to become a vampire after an incident with neighboring tribes that resulted in my father's death. He was the chief of our tribe." There was more to the story, but Kyrios didn't say anything further.

"What were vampires like back then?" Sookie asked this question, because if there were different types…

"Most, if not all back then, did not have a human form. I believe I was one of the first humans to become a vampire, but that didn't make me the oldest one. The ones that came before, though, I completely eradicated after my wife was abducted, tortured, raped and killed by a neighboring village that was harboring an Old One." His expression became a little cold here, his memories obviously resurfacing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" Sookie knew then that it was a sore subject. He had mentioned having a wife out in the yard, but for her to have such a brutal end.

"It is in the past, Sookie, and I had my time to mourn her passing with our sons. She fought, but they had overpowered her in the end." A glimmer of a smile passed over his face and afterwards his expression became neutral. "Her name was Phaidra."

"That's a pretty name," Adele commented sincerely. "And your boys?"

"Iairos and Arastos." It was obvious that they had been his pride and joy, the way his expression softened as he spoke of them. "They grew well, and had children of their own. They ruled our tribe and helped it prosper, it was more than I could have ever hoped for."

"They sound like they were fine young men." Adele beamed, her eyes slightly misted while she studied Kyrios. "Now, Kyrios, what is your interest in my Sookie?"

Kyrios glanced over to Sookie then back to Adele. "I have no romantic interest toward her, just to be clear, so you will have no worries there. I was asked to train her and help her master her Fae powers by one of my progeny. Sookie knows that I will not be an easy person to train under and has accepted my offered services. For this training to take place, however, she will need to leave her job and stay with me for quite some time. I can make allowances, for her to visit with her family, but not much else than that. I understand that this will put a considerable financial strain on your family, Adele, so to make up for the loss of her income I will gladly provide for you and your home. This is not charity, so please do not mistake what I will give you for compensation as such."

Sookie opened her mouth to argue, but she quickly shut it with a look from her Gran. She couldn't leave her job! But her training was priority.

"Her training will be intense enough that she can't work," Adele concluded, nodding to herself as she thought everything over. She didn't like Sookie having to work so hard for what she was already making at Merlotte's, and she knew that Sookie deserved so much better than what Bon Temps could ever offer her. "I would like to see her every Sunday, if you don't mind."

A smirk lifted the corner of Kyrios' mouth and there was a gleam in his eyes. "Adele, she will be here for the weekends. And she will receive five thousand a month for giving up her time to me."

Sookie was at a profound loss for words, her mouth having dropped open in utter shock. Five thousand a month? For training? It was unbelievable. "I… I can't accept that much."

"Sookie, don't argue with the nice man. Five thousand a month is a perfectly reasonable amount," Adele cut in. "Now, young man. Could you show us one of your forms?"

"Certainly," Kyrios said with a smile, his tone amused. Just as quick as they could blink he was gone from his seat and in his place sat a dark brown wolf with hazel eyes.