PART ONE

Chapter 1

The dreams woke her up constantly and the recent events with the two psycho vampire women hasn't helped things any. Still, she was determined to beat the demons haunting her and had taken strides to her mental healing. It was during a nice long walk on her property that she really got in tune with her nature and being at one with the elements that she had learned combined to make her powers and abilities possible, she lay down on a bed of soft grass and under the boughs of a weeping willow, closed her eyes and let the warm breeze send her to a dream like state. The scents of honeysuckle, lilacs, and so many other colors were detected in the air and yet, some of tat which she scented were not even anywhere to be seen, grown. It was that ability she had to be so connected to nature that she could sense whatever she wanted when she wanted. Smiling as she let her power, her sixth sense as it were, put her into a state of mind so pleasant and relaxing, it was not so surprising she drifted to sleep. What was surprising was when she woke up, it was nightfall. And she wasn't alone.

Her brother looked at her with worry and relief. "I like sleeping under the stars too, but usually I have a sleeping bag and tent to go along with it." he said as he sat himself on a overturned tree, dressed in his deputy uniform. "I looked all over the house for ya and-"

"Still needed a hand finding his dear sister." another voice chimed in as even in the moonlight, she saw her brother flush with slight embarrassment. "I think he would have found you eventually, he is fairly competent but I helped lead him this way."

"Yeah, like a search dog." Jason snapped, not liking being embarrassed by the likes of the vampire that had joined the scene, though he did, grudgingly, admit he liked the guy. The scowl however remained slightly as the Viking sauntered towards the spot where she remained sprawled on the ground. "Someone is looking a little cozy….could be cozier though." he knelt down beside her, only to find Jason wedging himself in between them.

"Look, I know y'all may be…getting together, but as long as I am standing right here, could we maybe…not…..she's my sister after all and-"

"Jason, you and I have talked about this and you even said you liked him and Eric here said he respects you-"

"Somewhat." piped in the smartass Viking with a smirk, though that faded when he had to add on the fact that he did impress him with the devotion and care for his sister he so clearly had. "I won't do to her what the other one did to her, I think you know me well enough by now." there came a somewhat tense silence between the two and Jason relented, and admitted that he was right.

"There were some douchey things about Bill and though he had a good side to him….at the end of the day, in think you're better off now." he admitted to his sister. "May he rest in peace." he added awkwardly in respect to the southern vampire that was no longer living…undead…whatever. "Look, I had a favor to ask you too….I know the timing may not be great, but Bridgette and I…well, we were hoping for a night out, maybe get over to that new place over in Fayetteville…..Diangelos-"

"That's a suit and tie kind of place. " his sister arched a brow. "You Don't usually like anywhere where you cant wear jeans of there ain't any mechanical bull present."

"Well…..I wanted to give her a nice date night, but with the kiddo….." he trailed off. "Harper hasn't had the chance to see her auntie in some time and….."

"You need a sitter tonight. " she said blankly.

Jason knew all about her having lose the baby she had been expecting and had wanted to ask as delicately as he could, though he knew she loved the two year old dearly. Still, recent events he knew were still playing heavily on her heart and he then said he could make other arrangements…though he preferred his own sister to be the sitter.

"Well….." she frowned as she turned to the one not exactly involved in the conversation. She hadn't expected his company and certainly not her niece. And the thought of them together? And then she saw the look on his face…

Chapter 2

He noted the two looking at him warily and he gave a look back a them both, one of amused shock. "if you are thinking that I would ever dream of taking a bite from a child….even back in the day, I never went that far. I had lines I wouldn't cross then and I would never do so now….your sister and I have talked about this topic…." he trailed off as he caught a tormented looking Sookie pondering her response.

"Yeah, I will do it." she spat out, not angrily but with a rueful smile. "I can't say no to my one and only niece, can I? and I think I have plenty of junk food to spoil her with and….I have some toys that…." she didn't go further but her brother got it. Toys that she had put away for the baby that she never had. She had toys and clothes bought for a child form Newport to age three and had secreted everything away in a closet, though there was no escaping the memories nor the redone room that she had prepared for the arrival that never would come. From the moment she returned home after the loss, the door to the nursery had remained shut, the closet within the room, stuffed with the toys and clothes she figured would never have a use for her. Even now, with the path she was on, she knew a child was off the table, though she was certainly happy, thankful enough to have her friends and other loved ones there for her. Especially the one that was helping her to her feet.

"Thanks." she said as she met the eyes of Eric. He looked at her with concern, knowing that the topic of kids was so touchy for her. "You may be better off going home or to the bar, I don't really see how me babysitting is gonna be exciting for you. I think… I mean…."

"I don't plan on going anywhere and if you still have misgivings about me bring around kids-Jason, do you honestly think I would harm a hair in a child?" the Viking turned to face the deputy, who looked unsure himself, as much as he liked him. But Jason had to admit there was that inexplicable thing about him that made him feel comforted, rather than anxious about leaving his toddler home with him and Sookie.

"I think it will be….fun. And I kinda wish I could be here to watch the…..excitement. Harper is a little hurricane and not fully potty trained yet, as you may know…" Jason's smirk turned to a belly laugh as he took in the look on the vampire's face. And he snapped a quick photo on his cell phone. "Bridgette will get a kick out of that…though I will need to break this news to her that he will be here too….." Jason frowned. "She has no issues with vamps but this one in particular…he has a reputation.

"Naturally. Like it should be a surprise?" that cockiness he was known for emerged for a moment before he turned serious. "Like I said to your sister, I had a family once and even now, if they were here today I would still try to protect them to the best of my ability. Fate was unkind that night…." he trailed off, at a rare loss for words ant though eh knew of some of the loss that he had endured, Jason had to be reminded that he had lost his whole family in one terrible, bloody night. And in that moment of seeing him so…well…. it made him respect him all the more, and feel more confident about leaving Harper with the two of them.

"Let me get back to my place, get the two of us put together and we will drop her off within the hour, ok?" her brother looked relieved as he hugged his sister and kissed the tope of her head. "I am really glad you're ok, but don't scare me like that again, maybe leave a note on the table if you decide to take a nap out here?"

"A nap wasn't really what I had planned on." she laughed gently. "But it was the best rest I have had in some time. I needed it. And I will make sure the house is ready for the kiddo. Gotta find the right toys to get out though, gonna dig through the closet…." she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, not quite. It meant she would need to enter the one room of her house that she hadn't set foot in in the past couple weeks. Ten minutes later, the three had walked back to the house, her brother driving off in his cruiser, no doubt relieved that he was getting the date night he and his wife needed. She ascended the steps and allowed her company to enter.

"This is not exactly how I saw my night going…." he said, trying to lighten the mood, knowing how hard this was for her, to spend a evening with her niece, a little one. Something she was close to having for her own but that she was trying to be brave and to do right by her family, it was only one of the things that he loved about her. And as heard hearted as he could be, around her, at least, he let himself melt a little. Not to say there wasn't still that devilish streak there with his smart assery, but she secretly appreciated that about him.

"Have a seat…..there may be some blood in the fridge and I know you prefer straight from the source but I'm not feeling it tonight…sorry" she shot him a pained look as she disappeared upstairs, unsurprised to see him following her to the closed door. "You Don't have to-" she said as he helped guide her hand on the knob, turning it inward. The scent of fresh pain lingered in the air and flipping on the light, she saw the neutral white and yellow painted room for the first time in several weeks. She passed the crib, rocker and dresser, passed the changing table and a trunk before reaching the closet and he noticed she wasn't looking at anything around her, her focus on the toys within the closet, the sliding door opened and she pawed through the unopened, unused toys and put several in a bin, plus some books she hoped to read to little Harper.

"This has to be so odd for you." she said as she watched him look all around the room, his face somewhat unreadable. He looked so out of place in a room like this. And yet, she knew he was here to help her. And she loved him all the more for it. "I'm sorry if I am not really myself tonight…but maybe this will be good for me. I don't know….I wouldn't turn down my brother, let alone my niece just because things happened to me. It wouldn't be fair to them. And I do enjoy the company." she gave him a meaningful look as she started to leave the room. Try as she might, she was unable to steel herself completely. Try as she might, she was unable to stop the tears that started to fall as she rushed from the room, the tub of toys falling from her hands. He heard the bathroom door in her room slam shut and knew it was best to give her her time and cleaning up the toys, he set the container on the bed, sitting himself on the edge of it. Ten minutes later, she emerged, slightly pink faced, her hair a mess. Yup this promised to be a interesting evening.

TO BE CONTINUED