8/16/10 - This chapter has been edited and re-posted on this date.

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, adding the story to your favorites list and/or putting it on alert.

Well here it (finally) is. About a quarter of it was done when the last chapter was published, but RL and major back pain prevented me from finishing. I couldn't sit or lay for more than thirty minutes before it became painful. –Sleep isn't easy when you can't stay still.

Anyway, I've been doing all sorts of things and now I can stay in one position long enough to sleep four hours on some nights (so I was able to finish this story)!

What will I do next? Go to Physical Therapy on my birthday! Yep, today is my birthday. We celebrated yesterday since most people have off on Sunday. Today is my first day of PT.

I will also write more. I started another story some time ago (no part of it has been published) I'll take a look at it again soon, I hope. I also plan to finish Underlings.

Reminder: Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris. I'm just messing with her world, a lot.

(34) A Surprise Proposal

There is excitement and anticipation in the air. I wake earlier than normal. I shower and dress; it still is earlier than when I normally wake. I kiss my gorgeous husband and then read the note that he has left for me today.

Beautiful Wife,

Cleander's family and a few others will be arriving from California this morning. Cleander has arranged for you ladies to have a day at the spa. The appointment begins at eleven. By the time you return, most of the people will be on the property.

Love,

Eric

An argument is going on as I come out to the living room. Leonie is telling Patty that it is already warm and sticky out; Patty should not go for her run today. The verbal sparring is short lived. It ends when Leonie calls her brother.

Leonie hangs up the phone and announces that Patty may run today but that she will have to run half the distance or less. Patty narrows her eyes, mutters something about a "husband or a dictator" and that it isn't over yet, then her attention is drawn elsewhere.

A young girl with shoulder length reddish hair and an olive skin tone asks Patty, "Can I come too? Pleeaaase."

Patty looks at the girl and smiles, "You will need to check with your mother."

The girl looks affronted, "You're going to be my mama. Why can't I just ask you?"

Patty smiles and tells the girl, "If your mother says that you can come, then you can come. She's right outside, it won't take you long to get her answer. She might want to come too."

Leonie, Patty and the little girl turn and greet me. Patty introduces Cleander's oldest child. The girl is polite with her words; she has been taught good manners. Addison is also guarded; many two-natured beings are around others not of their own kind. I wonder if she has already encountered problems because she and her kind are "out" even though she is still too young to change.

Patty and Leonie apologize for making so much noise that I woke. I hadn't heard them until I came out of the basement so they sure as heck didn't wake me. Well, maybe it was their buzzing brains; I know that it wasn't "real" noise that woke me.

Addison leaves the room and comes back moments later with her "okay" from Mommy. Mommy will be joining them; this is no surprise to Patty. Addison, Patty, Leonie, and Leona go for their jog.

I look in the kitchen and pull out a few things for breakfast. I start with a blueberry muffin mix. The ingredients are in the mixing bowl when Amelia joins me followed by Sam a couple of minutes later. Eloise comes inside right after I set the muffins to bake in the oven. Eloise takes over and begins cooking some more breakfast items while Sam, Amelia and I chat.

Our chat is mainly relegated to the events of the day. I'll be going with Patty and her group to the day spa while Amelia and Sam do something for Pam. We will get in some real chit chat tonight, maybe.

By the time Patty and her crew return breakfast is nearly ready. Addison tells Patty that she told her sister all about their new mama; that she is smart, fun, funny and real pretty. It is clear that Patty left a good impression on Addison the few times that they crossed paths in the past. Addison follows Patty for as long as she can until Patty goes into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Addison comes back to the room and looks at Leona, "Mommy, Troy and Eve are coming too, right?"

Leona tells us all, "Maybe; they didn't get much sleep last night. If they are awake and feeling well enough to join us, they might." She asks the cub, "Do you want to call Mama Arielle?"

Addison says, "Yes, please."

Addison's conversation with Mama Arielle is short. She shares the information with us when Patty comes out and we sit for breakfast. The cub looks at Patty, "Eve can't wait to meet you. She'd be here now but she got sick on the plane and had to sleep later." She sighs, "Troy got sick too only he was worse; he's still sleeping."

After breakfast we head for a day spa about twenty minutes out of town, on the way to Shreveport. Arielle and Eve greet us in the lobby. Eve looks a lot like her half sister but her hair is golden brown with long spirals and she is petite for her age (not to mention species). Eve hangs onto Mama Arielle, Mama Leona, or her sister and is very shy. I sense apprehension coming from Patty but she does not show it on the outside.

Patty discusses the plan of treatment with the receptionist and then turns to the girls. She tells the girls that some of the treatments can take a while and they might get bored. Addison responds that she doesn't care and Little Sister nods in agreement.

Patty hands the girls a massive bag that she brought with her to the spa. Patty informs them that she collected a few things that they might like to look at or play with. She hopes they like it; she and their Daddy got the stuff in the middle of the night and not much was open but she wanted to have something for them.

Addison takes the bag and looks inside. She lights up and jumps up and down. She rattles, "Thank you!" Then, she and Eve go settle themselves in the waiting area.

Patty goes into the back for treatment first, after Leonie does a check of the premises. Next, Leonie and Leona go in the back for treatment.

The two girls are still pawing through the goody bag when the front door opens again. They look up and yell, "Grandma! Aunt Sonja!" The two girls race over to hug their relations and then are reprimanded for yelling since we are not outside.

Addison introduces me to her Grandma and Aunt Sonja. Addison says, "This is Patty's friend Sookie. Daddy says she's kind of like a sister to Patty." She turns to me, "Can I call you Aunt Sookie?" I smile and tell her that I'd like that. Addison then tells me, "Grandma is Daddy's Mommy. Sonja is Uncle Charlie's wife. The kids stay with them when the moon is full." Charlie? I don't remember a Charlie being mentioned. Maybe Charlie is Cleander's brother; his brother cannot change so that would make sense that the children stay with him and his wife on the full moon.

Between the two of them, I'd have thought that Sonja was the two-natured person. Sonja is tall and has an athletic body; she reminds me of Serena Williams but her hair is straighter and her skin is olive. Mrs. Cleander (Madeline or Maddie) is on the short side and could have been a petite model in her prime. It amazes me to think of such a small woman being a mother to someone so huge.

Arielle asks Mrs. Cleander and Sonja, "What happened to Leandra?"

Maddie responds, "Oh, she is coming. I spoke with her earlier. She'll be here soon."

Not long after those words are uttered, Leandra walks in. Leandra hugs Madeline, "I would have been here sooner Mama but the guys have some prisoners that I needed to visit first."

Maddie smiles, "Oh, hush. Safety first; it is more important that my family is safe."

Leandra greets Sonja with a hug and then asks if we have all been introduced. Addison is upset that Leandra didn't realize that she'd made introductions.

The two girls settle on making bracelets with a kit that is inside Patty's bag while the rest of us sit and talk. Arielle asks me, "How much do you think she's figured out?"

I respond, "Not much, yet. Patty still thinks that it will just be a handful of people in the church. She hasn't said it, but I'm pretty sure that she's fretting over what to wear to her impromptu church wedding." Granted, I cannot say for sure. I'm being very good and NOT reading her mind. But Patty has indicated as such.

Maddie says, "Well, when she's ready to go down that aisle she needs her something blue. I'll lend her the earrings that I wore when I married Daniel's father; we had many great years together and I wish the same for her and my Danny. That will take care of the old and borrowed."

Sonja smiles, "I guess it's a tradition now; you're mother in law lent them to you on your wedding day. Or, that is what you told me when you lent them to me."

The two smile and then the elder woman says, "She did."

Sonja asks, "Is her dress new?"

Maddie responds, "I don't know. But, she'll have other jewelry which will be new; so she's covered either way."

We ponder over the "something blue." There is not a lot of time to think of something. Sonja says that she can go out after she's done here and look for a blue garter.

I am brought into a room and enjoy my massage. A professional massage is new for me; my past masseurs have always been my lover. I admit that I'm a little afraid that I might do something... embarrassing. I notice that all of the masseuses are females, no masseurs today. Still, I don't want to enjoy this too much and walk out red faced.

Luckily, a professional massage is not nearly as sensual as the ones with a lover. After a short time, I'm able to relax and enjoy. It feels like I'm just getting into it when my time is up. I meet up with most of the other ladies when I come out for the mani pedi.

The last person to come out from the back to get her manicure and pedicure is Patty. Addison and Eve sit near her and get their own nails done too. I feel like I am missing a piece of the puzzle as I watch the three interact.

Maddie sees me looking at the girls and Patty. She tells me, "Eve has heard a lot about Patty. All of the children will be affected by the union but Eve..." Maddie looks out at her grandchild and tells me, "Sometimes she calls Arielle "mommy" instead of "mama". Arielle is the closest she has to a mother."

I respond, "I take it her mother isn't in the picture?"

The grandmother shakes her head, "No, she isn't. Eve's mother died when she was just a few weeks old."

Arielle chimes in, "Eve splits her time between me and Cleander just like Troy does. And Addison too; only Addison, shares her time with her Mommy Leona and her Daddy."

I say to her, "That was so nice of you to step in like that. She loves you very much."

Arielle smiles, "I love her too. When I first stepped in it was because I was the only female that could feed her at the time; my girl Sara is not much older than Eve so they were both breast feeding. I know that she thinks of me as Mommy. I think of her as mine too. She just is a little young to understand that now she'll have another mama; and she is not losing me."

Maddie leans over and informs me, "The girls just asked Patty if they can go swimming when we get back. Patty told them that it will be up to their mommies but if they do go in she might join them; but first, she has to find a dress to wear tonight." We all look at one another and smile.

After more than three hours at the spa we head back out to the cars. Patty tries to think of a way for us to separate so that most of us go back to Bon Temps while she shops for a dress. It is quickly pointed out that none of us has eaten since breakfast; Patty should come home to eat before shopping for her dress. Patty tries to argue that she can get something at a drive through but her future in-laws and the like will have none of it.

We all return to the farm house. Err, estate? A couple of new cars are here. Warren and Lucy greet us as we exit the cars.

Once we are inside, Eloise informs us that lunch will be ready shortly. When we give her an odd expression, Maggie explains that she texted Eloise with an ETA when we were leaving the spa. Maggie thinks of everything.

While we eat Patty tells her guards that she will need to go to a few stores when they're done. Patty does not plan to buy a proper wedding dress, but she does wish to buy something that looks classy and should not make her cringe ten years from now. The guards smile and say nothing until we are finished eating.

Leandra leaves the table for a minute and returns with an envelope which bears King de Castro's royal seal. She hands the envelope to Patty; Patty opens it and reads. Her eyes go wide and she shakes her head with disbelief. Leandra says, "She is upstairs in your room. Violet has been arranging them for your perusal... If you do not see anything you like, you are not obligated to take any of them."

Patty's mouth catches flies for a few moments. Then she collects herself. Patty says, "Won't it be kind of strange to have a fancy gown for such a small and impromptu wedding?"

Leona looks at her, "I thought you would want a real wedding gown."

I can sense that she likes the idea, but she is holding back. I say to her, "It might be a spur of the moment wedding but you are still allowed to have a fancy gown and the traditional ceremony."

Warren states, "I'm sure we can find a store with a nice dress if you don't want a gown." Every woman shoots daggers at him, including the children and his own wife.

Lucy takes her gaze off of Warren and tells Patty, "At least go up and look. If you find something that you like then you won't have to go out to find something. Don't worry about it being a small ceremony that wasn't planned months in advance. It's your day."

Patty goes upstairs with Lucy and then talks with Violet. The rest of us discuss the schedule. Someone asks if we found a "something blue." The plan was to get a blue garter from somewhere, but none was found. I sense hope in Eve.

I look at the girl and ask her, "What do you think Patty should wear that is blue?"

Eve bites her lip and says something softly, too soft for me to make out her words. The two-nature adults smile and Addison squeals with delight and hugs her sister saying, "That's a great idea. Mama Patty will love it."

The girls excitedly ask me if they may use my office to make the bracelet for Patty. They do not want her to see it before they give it to her. I give them the okay and the two race off to start on their project.

I say to no one in particular, "Patty is handling this better than I thought. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had one of her anxiety attacks." Then again, the day is still young.

The women look at me with odd expressions. Madeline looks at me and says with a questioning tone, "I thought you were a mind reader?"

I inform her, "I do my best to stay out of the minds that belong to family and friends."

Leandra says to me, "You're doing a terrific job. She's on her..." Leandra looks at the others in the group, "What… third panic attack today?" I turn my head and look at them sideways. Of course they're eavesdropping. Leandra informs me, "Patty is beside herself. She cannot believe that she told Danny that she wanted to be his."

Leonie informs, "Lucy is suggesting that she does a few laps in the pool after deciding on a dress. That way, she can de-stress a little."

I glimpse Madeline but before anything is said Troy and Cleander arrive. The two males greet Grandma with a kiss and a hug which is followed by the squeals of two young girls racing toward their daddy.

Cleander asks the girls what they are up to. Addison responds, "We're making something for Mama Patty." Almost instantly I sense that Troy is upset. His big sister must sense it too. Addison turns to her little brother and says, "You can help too." As soon as the words are out of her mouth, Baby Brother is calm and happy once again. Cleander asks what they are making. Eve starts to answer but Addison cuts her off saying, "It's 'posed to be a surprise."

Cleander looks at the rest of us and the looks given back to him indicate that all is well; the children may keep their secret. He pushes his curiosity aside and asks the girls if Patty is upstairs. When the girls tell him, "yes" his mother tells him to leave. Madeline tells her son that he's not supposed to see Patty before the ceremony.

Troy is startled and exclaims, "Daddy's in trouble again!"

All eyes turn on Cleander. Cleander tells us that Quinn and Quinn's team made him leave; they're taking care of it all. There is a knock at the door.

Leonie answers the door and hugs the large man that appears. I have no doubt that this man is a relative of Cleander's. He's a couple of inches shorter, but he has the same olive skin and massive muscles as the lion. The man hugs and kisses the girls, kisses his "Mom" on the cheek, greets the lionesses in a similar fashion, and then kisses Aunt Sonja in a way which indicates they're a couple without the kiss being inappropriate. Leonie introduces me to her brother Charlie. Charlie didn't come inside with Cleander because he figured that the ladies would run him out. Cleander's little brother smiles as the women of the Pride tell the men to leave.

The children settle down again. The three cubs go into the office to resume their project while the adults talk.

Cleander looks at us women. He asks us, "Would it be okay for me to talk to her through the door?"

His mother retorts, "Would you be able to refrain from opening it?"

The two lions lock eyes for a moment and then his mother adds, "She's dreamt of a human style wedding. You say you want to give that to her... Well, at least, have a wedding as close as possible to a traditional human ceremony. If her parents and siblings were here, they'd be running you out of the house; the groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the big event." She looks around at the other women in the room and adds, "We're helping you stay the course. Now get out!"

Leandra informs Cleander, "Beth is in Shreveport."

Cleander responds, "Fucking A. What the hell is she doing here?"

The three children come back into the room and stand near their father while Leandra tells Cleander that Beth came in just a couple of hours ago. I can sense the surprise and shock among those that know of the vampire. The three children hold out their hands and inform their daddy that they heard him use bad words. Cleander pony's up quarters for each child. Arielle takes possession of the coins for Troy and Eve; she has a coin purse for each of them.

Leandra responds to Cleander's statement regarding Beth, "I don't know why she is here. Perhaps she is here to call in a marker."

Maddie comes back with, "She's known the Sheriff for years. Surely, they have contact from time to time."

Cleander tells them, "Since I am not supposed to see my woman yet I guess I can go back to Shreveport a bit early and find out if there... is any problem."

The lion king bids his Pride members adieu and leaves with not so little brother Charlie. Whatever it is with Beth, Cleander and his mother know more about it than anyone else here. I can pick up that much.

Less than half an hour later most of us are sitting pool side. The children will get out some of their energy and probably will sleep in the car as we head to the church.

Trevor, Annabelle, Chance and Hunter are all here when we come out. Eloise and Remy are going to have them leave so as to not be party crashers, but we insist that they stay.

Hunter takes a shine to Eve. He seems to like all of the children that he meets here. Only Anna isn't too keen on him liking another girl. The children play together, but there is a struggle going on. The Reynold children clearly feel like Hunter belongs with them, particularly Anna. The Cleander children think it's cool to play with kids that know what they are and their parents aren't weird about it. Eve loves hanging around Hunter.

Patty comes out and swims a few laps in an attempt to ease her anxiety. She does not stay long since she will be heading out soon.

Patty begins to dry off and then Addison comes up to her. Addison asks Patty, "Were you a bad girl?"

Patty pauses for a moment and then answers. "I was a good girl when I was little... most of the time."

Addison responds, "No, silly; Now. Have you been a bad girl, now?"

Patty is confused, "You've lost me, kid."

Addison places her arms akimbo and informs Patty, "If you've been a bad girl it's way better to tell the truth." She attempts to soothe Patty, "Daddy might get mad but he won't hurt you; he only hurts really bad people."

Patty asks Addison, "Are you saying that I did something wrong?"

Addison looks at Hunter and then back at Patty. Patty notices this and seems to realize that Hunter must have said something to Addison. Patty says to the girl, "I'm not afraid of your daddy. Whoever told you that I was, made a mistake."

Addison gets upset and declares that she does not like liars. She yells at Hunter for lying to her. Hunter holds his ground. Patty is cringing. I decide to take a peek into her brain while the children verbally spar.

Patty is thinking about how she wishes this had not happened. She figured a while ago that Hunter was like me but she got so comfortable having him around that she forgot at times. Now, it seems that he was listening in on her inner dialogue while she was realizing that Danny would see her naked, soon. More than that, they'd be having sex. "What if he doesn't like what he sees? What if I'm lousy in bed? What if I don't like sex? It might hurt... please god don't let it hurt, at least not too much. Oh good god, I'm thinking about it again. No wonder Hunter thinks I'm afraid of Danny. Hunter, if you're still listening... I'm not afraid of Danny. I'm just nervous 'cause I've never been married." Patty thinks about saying something about him being nervous on his first day of kindergarten but then decides against it.

Hunter walks up to her. "Trevor says he met lots of friends in kindergarten."

Patty says, "You want more friends but you're a little afraid that they won't like you?" Hunter nods his head. Patty thinks to tell him that she wants to be married but that she is a little afraid too. Only she's not sure that Hunter will understand that she really isn't fearful of her man.

Hunter says to her, "He loves you. I can tell." Then he lets me know that he is getting my message when he tells Patty, "Aunt Sookie wants me to stop listening. Sorry if I upset you."

Patty finishes toweling off and Hunter rejoins the children. Addison talks with her mother for a couple of minutes before she too rejoins the games.

Patty goes into the farmhouse to change and ready herself to leave. Maddie follows her inside and makes it clear that she wants some time alone with her future daughter in law.

About an hour before dusk Patty and a handful of lionesses leave for Shreveport. The rest of us take our time getting ready. The cubs are getting excited as dark nears.

Addison asks Mama Arielle and me a lot of questions about vampires. Her siblings listen carefully but neither says anything until Addison says that none of them has ever met a vampire before. Troy says that he has seen one before at his Daddy's house, "She was real pretty and sang to me." The others clearly believe it to be a dream. Troy is upset that no one believes him and he pouts.

We all begin getting ready to head for Shreveport. Before I realize how much time has passed, Eric is nuzzling my neck.

I inform him that Beth is in Shreveport. Eric had told me that she probably would come. I then tell him that her being here seems to be significant to the lions.

Eric tells me, "Beth is the queen of Southern California. The fact that she is here while Cleander is as well could be worrisome."

I wonder out loud, "She wouldn't be here to tell Cleander that she's ousted him, would she?"

"Highly unlikely," He explains, "As far as any of us can tell, the two pretty much leave each other alone. Beth tends to vampire affairs in the area and Cleander tends to his Pride. Beth has been known to contact him when she is in need of additional security, but that is true of many people; living and dead alike."

I speculate, "Could she be here because de Castro is still here?"

Eric tilts his head, "At the moment that is the best guess."

"Well no one has mentioned any armies coming along with her." I think for a moment, "Maybe she wants to negotiate with de Castro on something. Or, maybe she wants to marry him."

Eric's response to Beth seeking marriage is kind, but his tone indicates that he does not believe it. He says, "It's a possibility."

My man switches topics by asking me how Patty is. I tell him. He isn't very surprised that Patty was too anxious to enjoy her massage today. We talk some more, and of course, children are mentioned.

Eric turns to me, "You become sad whenever children are mentioned."

I respond, "Well yeah. I love children and I'd like to have some one day." My man quirks an eyebrow at me, "I want the child to be ours... I don't know if I can allow myself to have a child with another man's sperm."

Eric grins and crouches down beside me. He takes my hands and looks at me until he knows that he has my undivided attention. "I want you to have our child. Another man's sperm is necessary; there is no way around it."

My eyes start to water, "Eric, I can't..."

He cuts me off. "I have a proposal. You need to listen to the whole thing and then decide." Eric waits for me to nod and then he begins. "You can have my child, our child... our children; children that will be yours and mine biologically."

I sit up and ask him "how" without uttering a single word. Eric tells me, "Sperm mediated gene transfer." What in the world is that? Eric explains, "We still need another man's sperm. But, his DNA will be extracted and replaced with mine. I might not be able to make sperm, but I do still have DNA."

He waits for me to speak. After several failed attempts at speech I manage to ask him, "Can this really work?"

My vampire tells me, "Human's have done this several times; transferring DNA. They have not allowed any eggs to be fertilized but it is believed that the sperm with the new DNA is just as viable. Dr. Ludwig says she can make it work. I would have told you sooner, but I did not want to give you false hope. It would have been enough for one of us to have his dreams for us killed; I didn't want both of us to go down."

I hug my guy. "I want to do this. When do we start? Can we call Dr. Ludwig now?"

Eric smiles, "I'll call her tonight. She'll need some time to prepare the sperm."

I kiss my guy and give him one hell of a hug. I tell him, "You are so getting laid tonight." Then, I hit him on the shoulder. He looks at me with surprise. I ask him, "Why did you choose now to say something? My mascara is running down my face. I have to wash it all off and start over."

Eric takes a wash cloth, wets it and starts to work on the streaks of mascara. He tells me, "For one, Dr. Ludwig only recently told me that she could get it to work. She had a bit more research to do since my DNA was altered when I became Vampire and you are not altogether human either. Number two, there are children around here now which I know you love; but it also makes you sad because you never thought you could be a mother. Number three, we're going to a wedding tonight."

I pull back, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that most women contemplate their own futures' when attending a wedding." He looks at me and waits for my silent confirmation. "It's only natural. But I want you to be happy for Patty and happy for us too. Patty will have children of her own. As will you, with me... unless you change your mind."

I find the nearest pillow and throw it at him hard. Then I follow it with another kiss. I tell him, "I'm going to be the weepiest woman there, thanks to you."

Eric chuckles and says, "We won't make it to the wedding if you keep kissing me like that. And that hug you gave me moments ago?" I look at him and he teasingly warns me, "Woman, don't ever do that again unless you want to be fucked like an animal." I smile. I'll file that away for later.

I go into the bathroom and wash off the rest of the makeup and begin again. I have the hardest time seeing straight to reapply the makeup. Eric and I can have a child of our own. I have no doubt that he'll be a great daddy. I hope that I'm a good mother. I'd like to be great, but I'll settle for not messing up my own kids like some parents do. Please lord; don't let me be one of them. What am I talking about? I have Eric; he has tricks and solutions for everything. I think about the pitter patter of little feet; one day the sound will come from our child.

"I told you that she would get emotional." Pam's voice sings out. Pam approaches with some makeup in hand, "Allow me." Pam eyes my queer expression. She says, "I am doing this because I am good at it and I am faster than any human. We need to be going soon. Do not expect me to do this again, Mummy."

Minutes later, I am ready to leave with the rest of the group. We head out to Shreveport. While we are in the car, Eric steals glances at me. He says, "Bill will be in attendance tonight." I look at him sideways. Wait for it... Eric says to me, "Do you remember the night that Mr. Compton handed me an envelope of wonderful interest?" I nod my head. Eric informs me, "It contained all the information needed to get Dr. Ludwig going. Because of Bill, a way has been found for us to have a family."

I'm teary-eyed all over again. "You're awful!" I smile and screech at him. "I'm crying all over again. My make-up won't last more than an hour at this rate."

We arrive at a Catholic church. Pam leaves us to find Patty and make sure that everything is as it should be while I go tend to my make-up once again only to find that Pam used water proof materials. Thank you, Pam.

Eric and I mingle with the guests. I see Bill and hurry over to him. I give him a great big hug and it just about creates a scandal. People are curious and there is a lot of murmuring as they watch the scene. Eric looks pleased rather than furious. Bill is momentarily shocked but soon realizes that Eric must have told me what he did for us. Yeah, I know he really did it for me but Eric benefits too. I thank Bill for his "service" to the Sheriff and me; it is way too soon for others to know that I will be pregnant... Let alone pregnant by an ancient vampire.

There are many more guests than I would have expected given that the decision to wed was late last night (or was it early this morning?). It looks like most of the Hotshot group is here. A good number of Long Tooth Pack members are here as well. And of course, there are vampires; lots of them.

Every vampire in Area Five that is able to be here on such short notice is here now. Eric did not demand that they come but most chose to for one of two reasons. Some came for both reasons. Number one, attending a function that is important to a superior can never hurt as long as you behave. Number two, the bride can manipulate fire and the area vampires have great respect for what she did in Fangtasia.

Soon, I find myself sitting up front with Pam. Also on the bench with me are King de Castro, King Stefan, Alana and Claude. Gulp. Jason and his girlfriend sit behind me. Also behind me are Vinny and the woman that I believe to be his girlfriend (and therefore Coby and Lisa's aunt), Thalia and a vampire named Stew, Fiona and Robbie, Maggie is sitting with Vicki (they started dating not too long after they met in Patty's hospital room). I see that Sam and Amelia are here too; they're sitting together watching Pam.

My people watching stops when the music starts. Cleander stands near the Alter and beams when he looks down the aisle at Patty. Eric walks her down the aisle. Patty looks at Cleander, but I don't think she's aware of how many people have shown up tonight.

Once they make it to the Alter, Eric gives Patty a peck on the cheek as Pam dashes out to fix the train on the dress.

Patty's dress is a ballroom style gown. It is strapless with some beading across the top and more beading on the train in the shape of a cross.

The ceremony is longer than any I can remember. Granted, I haven't been to many. The poor priest is nervous as all get out. He knows that many of the people here are vampire or some kind of shifter. What he does not realize is that the magical creatures outnumber the humans by a great number. In fact, I can probably count the number of humans present on one hand; maybe two.

Finally the two kiss and there is applause. The vampires' applause is much more subdued than that of the two-natured. The couple turns toward us and Patty takes in the view. She is shocked to realize that there are so many people here.

We all file out and follow the couple as they exit the building. Patty looks to have something to say to me, but Cleander whispers something in her ear which surprises her and causes her to not come up to me. She taps her head, so I listen in.

She says to me, "Good Lord, Sookie. Did you know all these people were coming?" I just smile. She continues, "I wanted to come over and thank you for everything. I can never do enough to repay you. Anyway I want to say thank you and to let you know that I love you like family... Danny says there's more to come and that I'll see you real soon. What can he possibly mean by that? I don't know if I can take anymore."

The newlyweds climb into a waiting limo and depart. The crowd disperses too as we all begin to head toward a banquet hall.

Northman Enterprises and Extremely Elegant Events make quite a team. The hall is one of NE's holdings. So when Eric called to say that he wanted an event the manager put in an all-nighter to get it done. The actual catering is being done by Triple E. All four owners came here for the event, everyone available in Quinn's area vied for a spot as soon as the call went out. I'm told once again that Cleander's partners kicked him out earlier. I ask Eric, "Who are the other two partners in Triple E?"

Eric responds, "They're all felines. If that is what you are wondering. Kareem has the Northern states. The others are headed by Aaron." Eric points to the large men. He adds, "I'd introduce you but they're a bit busy at the moment." Yeah, and they think that you stole me from their buddy Quinn.

I bet Quinn heard our conversation because in no time he brings his partners over and introduces us. His buddies are cordial to Eric and me, but I have no doubt that Quinn has talked to them about us. They don't seem to like that I'm with Eric either, and it's not just the typical "breather's ought to be with breather's" mentality.

Quinn turns toward Eric, Pam, and me and informs us that we are needed in the garden. We follow him to find the new couple posing for pictures.

At the moment, the children are walking away so that the photographer can get more of just the bride and groom. De Castro, Eric, Pam, Stefan and I watch for a couple of minutes and then we are directed to the area. Several different poses are taken.

While we are having the pictures done, I sense that Patty is elated and floored. A few eyebrows are raised when Maine is included in the session as a member of the bride's family.

Many more eyebrows rise when Beth stands with Cleander. You'd think it is the scandal of the century. There are more murmurs when Beth stands with the Pride than when Maine stands with the bride. I see Troy pull on his mother's dress and point to Beth. Arielle's eyes go wide with shock at whatever her boy tells her.

Cleander turns his head sharply to catch Queen Beth's eyes. The Queen gives nothing away. We have one last group picture with everyone representing the bride and the groom and then we head back inside while the couple finishes their session.

I spy Claude again and go up to him, "Are you an adrenaline junkie or just plain stupid?"

Claude silently indicates the item around his neck. Granted, the fairy does look like he is ready to pop out in a nanosecond or less, but seeing him here surprises me nonetheless. Claude says to me, "She might be human but someone ought to be here... Her people were great allies." He must be referring to the Fire Fairies.

I smile, "That's so sweet." My cousin huffs; Supernatural people can never take a complement if they come off as "sweet." Ugh!

The crowd quiets down as someone announces the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Cleander. The couple appears amidst applause. Patty's head moves in every direction as she tries to take in her surroundings.

Cleander and Patty dance to two tunes before others take the floor; How Sweet it is to be Loved by You by James Taylor and Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. It's been a while since I've seen him. I hope Bubba is alright. The first few songs are slow. Each child gets a chance to dance on the floor but they start to get antsy.

Patty looks around and then squeals. She leads the children to an area set up just for them. There are a few board games and crafts available, but the little ones head directly toward the bouncy house. Addison says that it isn't fair that Patty can't jump with them; they should make bouncy houses for grownups too. Her siblings nod in agreement. The group then blows some bubbles in their area before Patty rejoins Cleander.

There is a huge buffet full of food which is attacked by everyone after the couple fills their plates. Their eating is interrupted each time there is a clang of metal on glass, prompting the couple to kiss. The children pick up on the procedure in no time and start clanging like crazy until they are told to stop.

I comment to Eric that this hall is amazing and that it was ready so soon is beyond imagining. Eric smiles and tells me that he tries to keep one of the halls available each night in case it is needed for vampire affairs.

A little later I meet the manager in charge of the banquet hall and learn that Quinn had told him that there might be a need for the hall soon. The manager was worried for a while that the tiger, who has brought the hall a lot of business, and his boss, would need staff on the same night. There is plenty of space for two events. But event staff on short notice tends to be much harder to acquire.

Patty and I get a few minutes to speak together when we meet in the rest room. Her eyes are full of tears. She does her best to clean them up. Patty says to me, "I didn't come in to break down. I'm just... so happy and this, this whole thing is just incredible... I just wish that Mom and Dad and... Well, then this really would be perfect."

I tell her, "I bet they'd approve. Cleander is over the moon in love with you."

Patty says, "I'm pretty sure that Grandma Rose would tell me that I found the right guy. My family would have given him the third degree before declaring him acceptable... then they'd ask both of us all kinds of questions about our plans... Mom always said that it was more important to plan the marriage than to plan a wedding."

I say, "Sounds like she was a smart lady."

Patty tells me, "She would have liked Maddie."

I am curious but don't want to come off as too nosy. "So everything between you and Mrs. Cleander is fine?"

Patty smiles, "Yes. She followed me earlier to talk to me." I don't ask, Patty will tell me if she wants. Patty continues, "Maddie wanted to talk sex."

I say the first thing that pops into my head, "Oh my god." The poor girl; I inquire, "What did you say?"

"Thank you." Patty looks at me, "She told me some stuff that I might need to know... lion stuff. If he can't... well, never mind that... Maddie made me more anxious in some ways but she mostly made me feel better about it. That's more than I can say about anyone else -And her son's got barbs." I raise my brows. Patty says, "Maddie told me what worked for her when her husband couldn't get his barbs to retract; they were both lions but she didn't want to deal with that every time they were together. If that does happen with Danny, I hope that the solution is as easy for us as it was for them." Patty switches gears in a rather obvious attempt to forget about her husband's barbs, "You seem to be happy too. What's gotten into you? And don't tell me that you're emotional at weddings 'cause I know that isn't it."

I tell her, "No one knows this... Eric has found a way for us to have a child... of our own. He or she will have Eric's DNA and mine."

Patty squeals and then hugs me. "I look forward to meeting the little barn." We chuckle and make our way back out to the party after we dry our eyes.

I meet the Queen of Southern California, Beth. She looks like a little girl but acts like a mature woman. King de Castro comes over and asks her what her "real" reason is for coming into his Kingdom.

Beth responds, "As I said, I am here as a friend of Sheriff Northman. We've known each other for a couple hundred years, we do business together on occasion, and I consider him an exceptional and honorable ally."

De Castro responds, "Northman didn't tell me that he was inviting other monarchs. You seem quite comfortable with the cats."

Eric comes seemingly from nowhere and looks at the two vampires, "Your Majesty," he addresses de Castro, "The queen here did a great favor for me recently and I am indebted to her." He turns to Beth, "And thankful."

The fact that a sheriff of one kingdom is indebted to the ruler of another can have some major repercussions. The King does not look angry but he does not look at ease by a long shot. Eric suggests that we go to another area.

We go into a room adjacent to the banquet hall. Cleander joins us moments later and asks, "Is there a problem?"

Eric responds, "I don't expect that there is, no. At least not once I explain what the Queen did for me recently." Eric tells his King, "Several weeks ago I hunted in Beth's territory."

Cleander steps closer to the group and corrects Eric, "We hunted."

De Castro is surprised, "A two-nature and a vampire hunting together? What creature would be so insane, or stupid, to piss off two supernatural beings."

Eric, Cleander and Beth answer in unison, "a human."

De Castro does not care that they killed a mere human but he is shocked that there was collaboration to do it. Cleander says, "He hurt my woman."

Now, the king wants details. Eric and Cleander tell him what they know. De Castro laments that he was not in on the kill.

Beth observes, "You are concerned for a human that isn't yours."

The King responds, "Northman isn't her only vampire ancestor." He looks at Beth, "And you? To allow them to hunt would be one thing, but why did you join them? Why are you so familiar with the cats?"

Cleander is very anxious as we wait to hear her answer. He knows something. Patty comes in looking for Cleander. Beth stares at Felipe for a moment. Then she says, "One of your flunkies tried to kill the human. What's your game?"

Cleander says, "If you are referring to the shifters, we have sorted that out."

"Sandy Seacrest." Beth says, "I know she sent the day crew over to fuck things up. I am talking about the attempt before that... When your human, Kendal, had mushrooms added to a meal intended for the human."

King de Castro is seething. "I gave no such order. The blood bag has been missing for some time now. Am I to assume that one of you took care of him?"

"He was dispatched." Beth tells him. Then she adds, "I don't know what your game here is but it ends when the human is in my territory."

"You threaten me in my own kingdom?" Now the king is really pissed.

Patty steps in. "Hey, bride and groom here..." She looks at them, "Yeah, I know. I am a lowly human and you are vampires; vampire royalty at that. But you two are arguing at our wedding." She points between herself and Cleander. Then she chuckles, "there's always one at a family gathering."

Each one of us is staring at the bride. She pauses for a moment and then turns to Beth. "Your Highness, I do not believe for a minute that King de Castro sent someone out to harm me; he has been nothing but kind and helpful." Next she turns to King de Castro, "Your Majesty, Queen Beth not only did a great favor for your sheriff, but for Danny too. Since Danny lives in her territory and I'm... well, I was sort of attached to the vampires here... with all that was going on, of course she wanted to check it out before I came in bringing trouble to the area." Eyebrows rise at that.

King de Castro looks at Patty, "Mi hija, as you pointed out we are guests at your wedding. This discussion should take place elsewhere. You need not be so formal with me; I do not care if anyone outside of my entourage knows."

"Thank you, papa... papa? Papá?" She looks for confirmation, "Felipe. I also want to thank you for sending Violet down here. That was not necessary... But I do love the dress."

Papá Felipe tells her, "Excellent! I'm glad to hear it. It's yours to keep." Then he turns to Beth, "We'll talk after tonight's event."

Beth responds, "You and the sheriff are not the only old vampires with a living relative."

Dear lord, how many of Patty's ancestors are vampires?

Eric and de Castro are momentarily stunned. Beth continues, "Did you ever think that you would be related to a twoey? As a vampire, I never expected to be related to any fairies." She chuckles and then looks at Eric. "I know about your child's taste for fairies and that Patty has not been drained dry because of your command. Should anything happen to you, I will kill your child if necessary."

Beth might be much younger than Stefan, but shit happens. Like, when a little ol' human staked a powerful vampire while on an estate guarded by werewolves. If I can stake a vampire, any vampire, Beth is certainly able to too. But Eric isn't going anywhere. If he dies, I'll kill him! I'll find a way to make that happen...How much have I had to drink tonight?

King de Castro assures Beth that he too would seek revenge on Pam if she should harm Patty. He looks at Eric with an interesting expression; I bet he is wondering why he allowed the fairy addict to drink from her at all. Eric plays it off saying that he commanded Pam not to take too much. Then, he says that he has been looking into a fairy blood detox for his child; he glances at Beth when he says this. Clearly Beth knows more about Eric's personal life than Felipe does.

Felipe says to Beth, "You posed with shifters."

Beth smiles, "I also posed with the bride, before you came out to the area. As for posing with shifters, well, now that they're out we think it is best that the humans believe we are comrades." Beth indicates herself and Cleander.

Eric interjects, "So posing with the lions is a political move?"

Cleander responds, "We're all related now, in some way. The Queen and I deal with one another frequently; it is best for the Pride as well that the humans believe us to be closer than we are."

King de Castro does not look totally convinced but he ceases his inquiries. I sense Patty relax when the chatter turns to a benign topic.

I cannot help myself. I just can't. My self control is momentarily out the window. I listen in on Patty.

Patty is relieved that the Pride secret has not come out. Her thoughts are a jumble but I am still able to pick up quite a lot: She's sure that the others suspect something though. Pretending to have another vampire relative is not hard to do. She does have another one now; now that she's married. Vampires and two-natures are not supposed to be chummy, it's considered unnatural. More than that, she was a lioness turned vampire. That's a major scandal in the supernatural world. Granted, she's been a vampire for a few hundred years now and has proven herself within the community of vampires.

Stop. Sookie, stop. Patty is family. Shame on me. I should not be listening in. Even if it is interesting... stop it! I work to close off reading her thoughts.

Soon, we are all back inside the main reception hall. We walk around and mingle a bit as the newlyweds do their best to visit everyone here as they too walk around the hall.

The few human women and most of the shifter women look at and comment on the lovely jewelry that Patty wears. They also look at the blue bracelet made of cheap plastic beads, but say nothing. Patty shares with everyone that mentions her jewelry, "Danny and the kids picked out the rings. The earrings are Mom's; she wore them when she married Danny's father. The necklace is from Papá Felipe. The anklet is from Eric." She puts one hand on the cheap piece and plays with it as her eyes water, "and this beauty is from Addison, Eve and Troy. They made it for me." The breathing people have the biggest reaction to her words with a big, "aw" at the end. The vampires admire the expensive and flashy jewels and seem mystified with Patty's emotional response to the piece made by the children.

I get the feeling that more than a few people would have hidden the bracelet so it could not be seen at all, or perhaps they would have tucked it away and not worn it at all. Not Patty. She wears it proudly.

Attention is drawn to the couple once again as a large wedding cake enters the scene. Patty shakes her head in amazement and asks Cleander just how much the witch told him about their upcoming nuptials. Cleander pleads innocence. Patty's facial expression indicates that she is less convinced when they discover that it is her favorite type of chocolate cake, created and made by Extremely Elegant Events.

Patty believes Cleander when he tells her that he did not know when their wedding would be, but she can't help but think that this is a hell of a lot of work for just a few hours of time for planning and execution. I am not reading her thoughts but I can feel the puzzle inside her. Her eyes catch Amelia as the witch dances with Pam and then walks to Sam when the song ends. Patty smiles; she must realize that Amelia may have told Pam or Sam, or one of her werewolf buddies.

Cleander and Patty seek the children to tell them good night. The children do not want to leave yet, but decide that they can leave after all once their Daddy says that he and their new Mama are on the way out. They walk out with the children and a few Pride members.

A few minutes later, the couple returns to thank everyone for coming on such short notice. The crowd is welcome to stay a while, but the couple is heading back to California tonight / this morning.

Patty and Cleander visit with us one more time to say "goodbye." Patty will be back in Louisiana soon to wrap up some open contracts and to work on my own wedding, but it will feel odd not having her around like before. After a round of hugs, the couple heads for the airport.

Once Cleander and Patty vanish from sight Pam remarks, "Patty will soon appreciate my taste in lingerie."

Sam and Amelia are not too far from us and they hear Pam's remark. Amelia smiles, "You think she's going to join the Mile High Club tonight?"

Sam asks, "They have a private plane?"

Eric responds, "Yes. Leonie is piloting the plane and will return tomorrow."

Amelia shakes her head, "Patty's not joining the Mile High Club tonight." All eyes turn to Amelia and she reasons, "I highly doubt that Patty is going to have sex when her sister in law is only feet away with some flimsy not-sound-proof door between them."

Sam chimes in, "I'm with Amelia on this one."

The next several minutes are spent guessing, and betting, when and where the two will consummate their marriage. It's like we've become teenagers all over again.

Once the banter settles down, Pam leaves with Sam and Amelia. Eric and I do one more pass around the hall before we leave too. As we do this, we learn that Patty (with some help from Beth) is arranging something special for Cleander while they are on their weekend honeymoon. Patty and Cleander both need to pack vacation clothes, so they will spend a day at home before going to Mexico.

We make sure that our last "goodbye" is to the King and that his travel arrangements back to Nevada are set. Then we leave the hall and head for our own abode.

Once we are back home, I take my heels off and realize just how much my feet hurt. My ever vigilant husband notices the relief in my face from taking the shoes off and then my face as I start to walk again. He picks me up and carries me to our room.

I make short work of taking off my own clothes and I can't say where they land; I'm anxious to get off of my feet.

My sweetie comes into bed after me and takes my feet out from under the sheets. He starts to rub them. I'm in heaven. Eric tells me that he likes massaging my feet, especially when he can make me moan the way that I do. I almost always moan when he does this. He could ask me to rob a bank and I'd say "yes" if he asked me this right now.

Eric smiles at me, "you know how Beth is related to Patty."

I respond, "I do." He raises a brow but says nothing. I confess, "It was a moment of weakness. If I hadn't peeked into her head I would not know. If Beth wants you to know she will tell you. Or, Patty will."

Eric smirks, "How about Cleander… or his mother?" My eyes narrow. Eric's smirk becomes a playful smile. He tells me, "I know that Cleander, and many in his Pride, are Beth's descendants... I have known her for more than two hundred and fifty years; you learn a lot about people that way. Especially a nest mate."

I furrow my brows and look at Eric, "I know she's old... vampire, old... but... she looks so young. She had to have been a child when she was turned."

Eric picks up on my train of thought, "Sookie, there was a time when thirty was considered ancient among the human population. Girls married and had children at a much earlier age; that was a necessity of life."

"It has to be weird though, right?" I can't imagine. I say to him, "She looks like a child, but she's hundreds of years old. She has a bunch of descendants that look like they could be her parents, or grandparents."

Eric's touch changes and he looks at me, "The hardest thing about being Vampire is letting go of your loved ones. You will never age and you will live long enough to see each one buried. It is one more reason for vampire's to leave home after turning and it is one more reason to not become attached to a human... She might not want to make the change."

I sense sadness in him as he thinks about that day which will come for me. I tell him, "My immortality will be in our children."

"I know." He looks at me, "But I still hold some hope that you will change your mind."

I ask him both out of curiosity and to get away from the morbid thoughts of my own demise, "Have you called Doctor Ludwig?"

My man smiles, "Anxious, are you? No, I have not yet called her tonight. I plan to do so when you are sleeping."

I don't like that plan. I don't know why but it bothers me to think of him leaving me once I go to sleep. I know he does it; it is the only way that he gets so much done since he's nocturnal and I'm not. But tonight, I don't want him to leave me. I hate to admit it, but I'm feeling clingy at the moment.

Eric looks at me and then decides to make the call now. The doctor will start working on the sperm once she has the DNA samples from Eric and can find acceptable donor sperm. Doctor Ludwig tells us that sperm from a live magical being will work better than it will coming from a live non-magical being (aka human) since Eric's DNA is coming from a magical being.

That bit of information makes me wonder if we'll have a vampire baby. The doctor says that no such thing will happen. Eric's DNA is the same now as it was when he was human. The only difference is the magic surrounding it. Ludwig will transfer the DNA, but she will not (and would not know how) transfer the "magic shell" surrounding it.

Eric hangs up the phone and then uses an internet application to check on a couple of Area Five things. Normally he would go into the office, but not tonight.

Finally he lies next to me and holds me. That lasts about two minutes until I get a sudden burst of energy with a desire to feel him everywhere.

I tell him to stay still. Vampires are good at that. There is very little that they cannot control well. That's fine by me; I like to see his nipples rise to greet me when I caress him. There is even more movement when I massage his groin, but it's a much bigger piece of him that's moving this time. Eric watches me as I touch him and leave no spot untouched, un-caressed. It's as though he understands what I'm doing even if I don't. I don't know why, I just have to touch him. I get heated, and moist, while I tend to him. Eric might not be able to get heated, but he's ready to go!

As soon as I direct him to, Eric enters me. Now, I feel better. Now, Eric can take over. Oh, crap, now that Eric's calling the shots, he's going to have me screaming like crazy. Calm down Sookie, you're in a sound proof room. Remember?

Eric was right, today would have been a bit depressing for me if not for his news. Patty and Cleander tied the knot, vowing to love one another for life... they will have children. That is a major milestone for many newlyweds. Pam even went so far as to pick out lingerie for Patty and bought her some home pregnancy tests. And she says she hates children. Hah!

Eric and I can have that too. We will have many years together as husband and wife. We'll even get to have kids like many humans do. Having a child with a vampire is not at all what I dreamt of when I was younger; this is much better than my teenage dreams about my future.

My vampire is wrapped around me, just the way that I like him to be. I work my arms out and squeeze him tight. Yep, Eric Northman beats every man that starred in my adolescent fantasies. He's all mine. Anyone that tries to fuck with my family won't live to tell the tale.

FIN

I had originally planned that Sam would be the biological father. But, I did a little internet research and found out about sperm mediated gene transfer. If I can find it, the fictional vampire cyber geek could too so I changed that. (Officially) No human babies have been made this way. Scientists know that the DNA can be transferred and have even completed that step, but are (supposedly) worried about the ramifications and implications of creating a child this way. The studies took DNA from (immobile, malformed, etc.) sperm and placed it in healthier sperm. They did not take DNA from elsewhere, but it is believed that it could be done and this is what Dr. Ludwig will do for Eric and Sookie in my version of their tale.

The same can be done with eggs. The DNA from a female egg can be transferred as well. From what I've read, they pull the DNA out of one egg and place it in another; the DNA material does not come from any body part.

I hope you have enjoyed the story. Thank you for reading and sticking with it!