SPOV

It has been a little over 5 ½ years since that fateful night of the fairy war. Every year, on this night I look back at what my life has become and allow myself to think of my one great love…Eric.

After the aftermath of the fairies I was broken. Unable to feel, scarred for what I believed to be forever. Eric tried; he was always there for me: Holding my hand, just trying to support me and help me to heal. But I was unable. In my mind, I would never heal, and I resented at what the time I believed to be pity that everyone in my life was giving me. About a month after, I was getting sick every day and went to a doctor; to find out I was pregnant. Of course my first thought was that the child I now carried was the result of the rapes from the fairy. I was frightened. And in being frightened I did what I did best… I ran. Stole away in the middle of the day, with the help of my fairy great grandfather Niall. He had told me before he left this world for the fae realm that "the vampire is a good man, and he loves you". But never told me which one he meant. I now know he meant Eric.

I left Bon Temps behind and moved to Sanibel Island, Fla. It's really a beautiful peaceful place. I have a cute little house on the beach and in this past few years have managed to finish college and obtain a degree in library science. I'm the local librarian here on the island. My name is now Adele Corbitt. I'm known by the locals as a friendly widow with my 5 year old son James. I no longer associated with supes of any kind. No one here knows anything about a person named Sookie Stackhouse, famed telepath. In fact no one even knows I'm a telepath. I live a quiet existence with my little boy. Men have asked me out, but I just cannot bring myself to accept any dates. My heart will always lie with Eric.

In the middle of my reminiscing, James comes running up to the house from the beach. "Mommy, look at these shells I found" he exclaims. "Oh honey these are so pretty, run and put them in the sink so we can wash them". He bounds into the house, but not before he places a quick kiss on my cheek. I smile at my little man. The day James was born was the best day of my life. I also knew without a doubt once he was born that he was Eric's son. He came out with Blond hair just like mine and Eric's and Eric's cobalt blue eyes. I can't tell you how a 1000 year old Viking Vampire managed to impregnate me, but something tells me the fairy blood and Niall had something to do with it. I think of my little man, and sigh. His true name is James Eric Northman. But of course I could never put that on his birth certificate. So he's known as James Eric Corbitt. And of course, as fate would have it, my son is also telepathic like me. Luckily James never had problems controlling his gift when it emerged last year. It was like he was born with total control of it. He asked me about his father recently, I told him that his dad died before he was born. Which is somewhat true. Just not that his dad is still roaming the earth and is in fact a 1000 year old Viking Vampire.

I decided to head into the house, and make dinner and get James ready for bed. Once I've got him down for the night, my thoughts go back to my old life. There has been many times where I've wanted to go back. Enough years have passed, and I do miss everyone fiercely. Just last year I got in touch with Jason and told him I was alive. He cried. And a few weeks later he came to Florida to meet me and James. We had a wonderful visit. But Jason, even as dense as he is, realized immediately whose son James was. I remember the conversation we had that night after James went to bed. "Sook, why does he look just like Eric". Jason said. I sighed and told him, "yes Jason, he is Eric's son, and now I think you realize why I left and have not come back" I said. " If people especially vampires, where to find out that James is his son, it would put his life in grave danger, so I can never go back, and you must never tell anyone you know where I live and that I have a son". Jason agreed. And we dropped the subject. Before he left, he told me that Eric had changed. He said that after I disappeared Eric kind of flipped out. He went crazy trying to find me at first thinking I had been taken. He was spending all his time searching for me and Fangtasia and his area where neglected as he searched for me. That was until Amelia had told him about the letter I left her explaining I'd just left. Jason then told me that he almost killed Amelia for lying to him. After that apparently, he become the cold blooded ruthless vampire he was before he met me. Showing no emotion whatsoever. Jason said he saw him from time to time, and heard rumors that he was back to feeding and fucking on any woman with a pulse. I can't say I blame him. I left him after all. But I still felt jealous, even though I had not felt anything from our bond in years.

The next few weeks passed without incident, and I focused on my life. I only allowed myself to dwell on my former life on one night of the year, and then I locked it back up in the deep recesses of my heart. That was until my former life smacked me in the face.

James and I had been out running errands and we decided to rent a video. We went into the store and where looking at the various movies and laughing trying to pick the perfect movie, then it happened. I heard that voice "Sookie, is that you?" he said. I turned around to be faced with my first love: Bill Compton. After first I panicked I grabbed James hand, and turned to leave that video store as fast as my feet could carry me. Of course I did not get far. Bill spun around at vamp speed and cornered me. "Sookie please do not ignore me, please just talk to me you have nothing to fear from me". He said. "Bill not now, come by later", I quickly gave him my address and left the store. On the car ride home James said" Mommy, why did that vampire call you Sookie and who is he?" I explained to James that Bill was an old friend of mine. And that Sookie was a nickname. Okay I lied, but I could not think of what to say. We got home and I fed James dinner hoping Bill would wait until James was asleep before he came over. Luckily he did.

At 11pm, my door bell rang. I took a deep breath and went over to answer the door. I invited Bill in and sat down on the couch motioning for him to join me. I stated" I'm sorry I cannot offer you a blood, but I don't know any vampires anymore". He smiled and told me that was fine. He then began. "Sookie, it's great to see you, I've missed you so much", so, you have been here the past few years?" I nodded, and he continued. Asking the question I knew he would. "Who is that little boy, and why does he resemble Eric?" I sighed and said" That's my son James Bill. He's 5 years old and he resembles Eric because he is Eric's son ". I think Bill gasped. "Are you positive?" he said with a startled look in his eyes. "Yes Bill, look at him, you know he's Eric's". I replied and looked down. "I suppose I do, he looks just like that smug bastard" Bill says with sadness in his voice. The rest of the evening we caught up. I told Bill all about my life here, and he informed me that he was Florida investigating something for Eric, that he was now Eric's area investigator and he's seen me across the parking lot and followed me into the video store. Bill left about 3am and we parted with a hug and his promise to come back the next evening to meet James and spend more time with us. I begged him not to tell Eric he found us, and he smiled as he placed a quick kiss on my forehead" Of course darling, it's our secret".

The next night Bill did come back and I introduced him to James. Bill ended up staying in Florida for two weeks and spent every night with us. Bill spent a lot of time with James and my little man took to Bill. I was touched how great he was with James, but I knew Bill was a father in his human life. We resumed our friendship, and odd enough I felt happier than I had in years having Bill in my life again. On the night he was to leave he came to say goodbye to us, he asked me to marry him. He promised me we could run away together and raise James as our son and no one would ever know. I had to turn Bill down; I told him that my heart still lied with Eric, and that even though I knew we'd never be together again, I'd always love him. Bill replied angrily," Sookie, I don't know why you still love that bastard, the minute you left, he was back to being the manwhore of Shreveport. "He cared nothing for you, and would care nothing for your son". I slapped Bill. "Bill, Eric can do whatever he pleases I left him, I would not expect him to be faithful to me after all these years, "as for OUR son, he would have loved him". Bill quickly apologized, realizing he'd crossed a line. We parted with a promise to keep in touch and that he would keep my secret.

Over the next year, Bill came to Florida a few more times. We always had fun when Uncle Bill came down and both James and I looked forward to seeing him. On his last visit he told me he thought Eric knew something. He explained that after his last trip, Eric had grilled him about why he was going away so much. This was the night of James's sixth birthday. Bill had brought him a train set and spent the evening helping him set it up and playing with him. As the boys where setting the train set up I heard a conversation go on between James and Bill. "Uncle Bill, are you my daddy?" my precious son asked him. Bill replied" James, it would be an honor to be your father, but im not". "I'll always be your uncle and love you". James then asked him, "Uncle Bill did you know my daddy?" Bill hesitated and then replied" Yes, I knew your daddy; he was a good man and would have loved you very much". I continued to clean up from the party we had earlier and we both put James to bed with a hug and a kiss. Bill tucked him in and told him a civil war story, then came back downstairs to join me.

That night Bill told me that Eric had accused him of hiding something and that in fact had chained him up in the dungeon under fangtasia the week prior torturing him to try and find out what he was hiding. Bill told me not to worry he did not give me away, but that this time he was followed and had to spend time losing his tails before he came to us. I panicked and was planning my next great escape. That was until Bill told me the rest" Felipe knows your alive and in Florida" he said. "What??? How do you know?" I practically screamed at him. Bill explained to me that Felipe had called him and said that he has followed him on times while he was here and said he knew I was alive and that I had a little boy. Then Bill said the thing I dreaded the most "Sookie I believe that since Felipe knows you're alive, you are in grave danger here unprotected… Sookie... it's time to come home". I cried while Bill held me. Once my sobs had stopped I finally answered Bill. "What about Eric? " He'll kill me for leaving him and keeping James from him". "I'm afraid". Bill nodded and told me he'd talk to Eric first to try and calm him down, but that I needed to decide quickly about what to do. I was in danger. He suggested I take James on a little vacation to leave our home to be safe. He stayed for a few more hours just comforting me, and he left with a promise to call me after he'd spoke to Eric.

BPOV

I had missed Sookie terribly in the five years since she had gone. I always loved her and would always love her. When I found out she was alive, it was the greatest night of my undead life. Then I found out about James. The little boy was amazing, and it made my blood boil that a worthless piece of shit like Northman was his father. James looked just like Eric, so there was no denying that the bastard Viking had once again managed the impossible: Fathering a child. I still longed for my human children, long since dead and would have given anything for the gift of fatherhood once again. I had proposed to Sookie and promised her that I would be the father James needed and we would be happy and safe. Of course she turned me down. Claiming she still loved Eric. My temper got the better of me, and I screamed at her basically that she was foolish and that he cared nothing for her, and would not care for her son. She slapped me. There was my feisty Sookie that I loved. I calmed her down and dropped the subject.

Once I returned from that first trip from Florida I went back several times to see her and the boy. I loved spending time with them. Every time I looked at James I saw traits of Eric. He was cocky; yet he managed to make everyone love him. But he did it with the grace and poise of Sookie. He was such a great child. But he reminded me so much of Eric. When I told Sookie Eric had become a manwhore once again, I was partly truthful. After Sookie left Eric became obsessed with finding her. His business and his area suffered. He was like a man possessed, but so was I. Finally Sookie's friend Amelia came clean with us and told us about the letter Sookie wrote before she left. I really thought Eric was going to kill the little witch that night. I had to hold him back. Well myself and Pam did. After that, Eric became cold, and even more ruthless than before he met Sookie. I had heard from Pam, that he fell into a depression for a few months, but when he recovered he was emotionless.

Every time I had to go to fangtasia after that first visit with Sookie I was paranoid. I thought that Eric knew I was hiding something. At the time I was wrong but after about a year, one night I arose from my rest, and was ambushed by silver and knocked unconscious. When I rose I found myself chained in silver to the wall in Eric's dungeon. He looked murderous. "Compton, I believe you have been hiding something from me". He said with the scariest grin I've ever seen. I was truly scared shitless. "Of course not Eric, why would I do that, I'm not dumb". I replied. He the punched me and broke both my legs. "I think you are Compton, why do you go to Florida so much?" Who are this woman and child you've been seen with?" He stepped back waiting for my answer. I refused. Even though it was dumb of me, and this could very well be my final death I lied and told Eric the woman was just some fangbanger I was indulging in. he knew I was lying, and to prove that he spend the next week doing every unimaginable thing he could to me. He beat me with silver, cut me with razors, and broke every bone in my body several times. Only to let me heal and do it all over again. On the final night of my torture, he was especially devious. He denied me blood for the past two nights and decided he would work my bloodlust up. He came down to the dungeon, with two fangbangers in tow. Then right in front of me he proceeded to feed and fuck them repeatedly. I watched Eric do perverse and horrid things to these fanbangers, hitting them, fucking them up the ass; he was like a man possessed. Finally when the two women passed out and my bloodlust was at its peak, Eric offered me the women and my freedom in exchange for what I was hiding. Knowing by what I just witnessed Sookie would be in grave danger from this monster before me, I still kept my secret. Eric exploded and ending up killing the women in front of me. He unchained me then and basically told me to get the fuck out of his sight. As I headed upstairs from the dungeon I encountered Pam, "She's alive isn't she?" Pam asked quietly, sounding horrified at what she also witnessed Eric just do. "Yes, she's alive Pam". I replied defeated. "I won't tell him, she's not safe from him anymore, He's no longer the Eric he used to be". I was shocked by her candid answer. She also told me as we walked out, that she was leaving; Eric had been cruel to her as well.

A few nights later I got a call that explained it all. Felipe De Castro called and told me in no uncertain terms that he knew Sookie was alive, and that if we knew as well, we would all be punished for hiding HIS asset. He also mentioned how nice it would be to have a young little telepath who he could raise to be his servant. It was at that moment I knew that Sookie and especially James were unsafe, and I needed to not only get her to come back, but to fess up to Eric that she was in fact alive. Which im pretty sure he already knew since De Castro mentioned he'd also conversed with Eric on this matter.

That next week I was traveling to Florida once again for James's sixth birthday. I knew I'd have to tell Sookie. I waited until the final night of my visit. James had asked me earlier if I was his father, with all my heart, I wished I was. I could have been a good father for him. But I told him sadly I was not but would always love him. Then he quietly asked me if I knew his father. I told him that I did indeed, and then lied to spare the poor child and told him his father was a good man, and would have loved him. This little boy would be heart broken to find out his father was an undead monster. "Oh, that's what mommy told me, but I think she's not telling me something". He replied softly. Indeed she was I thought to myself. Sookie was sparing him as well.

Once we put James down, and I told him another one of my civil war stories, which he loved to hear, I told Sookie about Felipe's call and what Eric had done to me, of course leaving out the horrid details. The Eric she remembered is not who he is now. Even I have to say that Sookie made Eric a better man, and I do believe he did love her. Once I recounted everything that was going on, Sookie was horrified and I knew she was planning to run. I told her that this would not be possible. I told her "Sookie, it's time to come home". I knew she was conflicted and suggested she take James on a vacation somewhere to get them out of the house in case Felipe tried something. She agreed and I told her I would speak with Eric and call her with the outcome. I bid her farewell and left to catch my flight back to Shreveport.