A/N: Not an amazing chapter just a bit of fluff I managed to get out. I had to drag this out of my muse. Literally. Hopefully this story starts speaking to me again. I do miss it. I had more time this week, so I was actually able to update all my stories for the first time in a long time. I can never promise scheduled updates though. Since I run my own business now I am either completely swamped, or have nothing to do at all. No middle ground. Thanks for reading !

EPOV

If I wasn't a 1000 year old vampire, I'd say the past few weeks have made me giddy as a school girl. But I am, so I'll just say I'm extremely happy. I've never been this happy in my entire dark and twisted existence. Sookie has finally yielded to me and admitted she loves me. I have my family with me now, for good. Enough reflecting, I need to get up.

After taking a quick shower I head downstairs to see what James is up to. I find him sitting at the table doing his homework.

"Hi son" I greet him.

"Hey dad." he grumbles.

I sit down next to him." What's the matter?"

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow." He says.

'Why?"

"It's career day. Parent's are coming in to talk about what they do for a job."

"What's wrong with that?" I ask.

"I'm the only one who's parent isn't coming." He grumbles.

"Why is that? Did you not tell mom about it?" I know Sookie would go and speak. After all she is a college librarian. So much better than a waitress in a backwoods bar.

"It's not that. She said she'd go. It's… well nothing..."

I look him dead in the eye" It's not Nothing. What's the problem?"

He sighs." Most of my friend's dads are coming in." he says silently.

Oh. Something I can't do for him. Ever since James has come into my life, I find myself missing my human existence. There are so many things I can't do with him. But I try to make up for it as best I can.

"Are you upset I can't go in?" I ask.

"I guess" he mumbles.

"Son, if I could go, I would. You know that." I tell him.

"Oh I know Dad. It's just hard sometimes. You know."

I can imagine it must be hard on him. Up until he met me, he lived a fairly normal human existence. Now he's surrounded by vampires. Definitely not the normal way a mostly human child grows up.

"Are you upset I'm a vampire?" I ask him.

"No. I mean I don't care about that Dad. It's just that there's a lot you can't do. You can never drop me off at school. Or pick me up. You can never do things with me in the daytime."

I think on this a minute. A few weeks ago, James had come home wanting to join the cub scouts since a few of his friends from school where in it. He enjoyed it, until one day he came home and told us he wanted to quit. All he would say was that it was now stupid.

"James, why did you quit the cub scouts?" I ask gently.

He glares at me."It was dumb and I did not want to do it anymore."

"There's more to it."

He slams his hand down on the table." There was a father son camping trip." He growls.

I'm confused." You did not want to do camping?" I ask.

"No, I wanted to go."

"Then why did you not go? Sam and Michael went." The shifter's son also belonged to this group and Sam was taking him camping. I knew he'd take James with them.

'Your suppose to bring your dad. I can't do that. So I quit." He seethes.

I look over at my son and see he's hurting. I move over to put my arm around him."James I'm never going to be like those mortal fathers. There are many things I can't do with you. And I'm sorry for that. I wish I could have taken you." Okay I'm lying a bit here, the prospect of sleeping on the ground for a weekend outside sounds very unappealing, but if I could have taken James, I would have and suffered through it.

He looks up at me with tears in his eyes." I know dad. Sometimes it's just hard is all. I would not want another father. Never." He smiles at me.

I hug him." How about we skip this homework for now, and go play a video game?" I ask.

He smiles and nods so we head down to the game room to play until Sookie get's home from work.

Sookie get's home about two hours later as James is whipping my butt at the game we are playing.

She comes over to me and gives me a kiss" Hello my love, good day at work?" I greet her.

Plopping down on the couch she sighs." I'm just getting bored. I'm thinking of quitting and going back to school."

I throw down the game controller and move to the couch grabbing her and putting her on my lap." Hmmm" I whisper kissing her neck.

James just looks back at us and shakes his head. I guess over affectionate parent's gross him out. Too bad kid.

"Eric cut it out." She chastises me.

I chuckle. "Mrs. F apparently needed to leave early today. She left a note. How about we go out to dinner?" I ask.

James perks up at this." Can we go to Dave and buster's dad?" he asks. Dave and Buster's is this restaurant that as all kinds of games. I'd been dragged there quite often lately. I did not really mind.

"Ask your mother." I tell him. I don't care where we go, since I don't eat, but Sookie might feel like something other than the food they serve.

"Mom?" he asks.

"I guess so. Let me just go change into jeans." She says getting up to head upstairs.

After Sookie get's changed, we head out to the restaurant. James and I head off to play some games until the food comes, Sookie decided to just relax at the table. She looked a little tired. I guess I've been keeping her up too late. Oops.

As we are playing air hockey I decide to ask James for his help with something.

"Son, your mom is going out with Aunt Pam tomorrow night for a bit, I need your help with something, but you need to swear you can keep a secret. Can you do that?" I ask him.

He looks up at me intrigued." Yeah. What do we need to do?" he asks.

"Ill tell you tomorrow. But this is between us. Just the guys.' I smile at him.

James is beaming." Okay dad. I'll keep it a secret."

We finish up on our evening out. By the time we get home it's already time for james to go to bed, so we send him to his room and Sookie and I retire to ours. She looks exhausted. Poor baby. Since we got back together, I've admittedly been quite …err. Lustful and I've been keeping her up most of the night.

We settle in bed and I lean over and kiss her." Go to sleep Lover. You look exhausted." She nuzzles against my chest and is out like a light in minutes. I hold her for awhile until I know she's asleep, and then slip out of bed to do some work in my office. I get through the area business then work on some of my financials for awhile. I had initially thought about opening another club, but I decided against it. With my other investments and area business, if I was to open a club, it would take precious time away from me spending with my family, and I honestly don't need the money. I'd rather spend time with Sookie and James.

Right before sunrise I finish up, Check on James and go back to snuggle up with Sookie so I can die for the day. I won't see her tonight till later since her and Pam are going shopping and out to dinner. I've been happy their friendship is getting back on track. I knew Pam would stop being a bitch as soon as she saw Sookie would not hurt me again.

When I rise I take a quick shower and head downstairs. James and I head out almost immediately.

"So what are we doing dad?" he asks me.

"You'll see." I tell him.

We pull up to the mall and I lead him in. Luckily I'd already told Pam to take Sookie to a different mall so we would not be caught. We make our way to Tiffany. When we walk into the store James looks confused.

A sales woman comes over "Anything I can help you gentleman with tonight?" she asks smiling at me and James.

Okay now he'll be shocked. "Yes, I'd like to see engagement rings please." I tell her and look over at James. His eyes are bugging out of his head. I would not need to be doing this if I had not thrown her ring into the lake after the last time we broke up.

"What's an engagement ring dad?" he asks me.

I smile at him" It's a ring you give a woman when you ask them to be your wife."

He smiles at me." You're going ask mommy to get married?"

The woman motions for us to follow her to another counter." Yes. And I need your help picking out a ring mom would like."

"Cool. I can do that." He beams.

We spend the next hour looking at different rings. I of course go for the biggest and best first; James keeps shooting my choices down.

"Son, why would your mother not like any of these? Some are very nice."

'Yeah dad, but mommy would never wear anything so big. How about this." he says pointed to a simple but elegant 4 carat princess cut diamond in a platinum setting.

The sales woman goes to get the ring for us." This is very nice. Classic." She says.

I agree. "So is this the ring my boy?" I ask him.

He nods." Yep. Mommy will love it."

"Okay we will take this one." I tell the woman.

"Yes sir that will be $35,500." She tells me." We have in house financing available."

I nod but hand her over my black Amex card.

"Now son, this is a secret. I'm going to ask your mom to marry me on New Year's Eve. This is a secret just between us." I tell him.

As we head out of the store I take James to the food court to get him dinner. As he's eating dinner he asks me "Why New year's eve dad?"

I smile. New Year's Eve is special to Sookie and I. After all that was the night she stopped for me when I lost my memory.

'It's a special night for your mom and I." I tell him.

He looks at me. "Okay dad. I swear I won't tell her." He beams.

After he finishes eating I have a surprise for him. Sookie knew tonight was the night I was getting James a dog.

We walk around the mall a bit toward the pet store. Once we get to the store James runs over to look at the dogs in the window. He's wanted a dog for awhile, and while I detest the creatures, it will make my boy happy, so I will endure.

I walk over to join him." Sorry dad, just wanted to look." He says

I grab his hand and lead him in." Choose one." I tell him.

He looks at me wide eyed and immediately clasps onto my legs hugging me." I can get a dog! Thanks Dad!" he screams practically jumping up and down. I love to see my little boy smile.

When James wanted a dog, I thought he'd get a fine guard dog like a German Shepard, a rottweiler or even a Siberian husky. But no. One hour and three thousand dollars later after the cost of the dog and all the accessories one needs for a canine, I found myself walking out of the pet store with my son holding an ugly British bulldog puppy with one tooth hanging over its lip.

"So James, what's his name?" I ask him as we head toward the mall exit.

He smirks at me." Fang."

I just shake my head. As soon as we are near the exit of the mall by the movie theatre, I see someone I really don't want to see. Compton. I want to try and avoid him, but james spots him and runs over yelling' Uncle Bill. I gotta dog."

Compton bends down and pets the mutt and looks up at me."Eric" he greets with a nod.

"Compton"

Just then I notice a black haired woman and a little girl join Compton.

"Eric this is Laura and her daughter Cassie." He introduces me.

I nod to them. James pipes up" Hi, I'm James and this is fang." Motioning to the dog.

The woman and the little girl down to pet the dog and Compton look over to me "Fang?" he questions with a smile.

"Don't ask." I mumble.

The kids are playing with the dog when Laura joins us. She places her hand in Compton's. So this is the teacher.

"Laura, Eric is the man who helped us with that little problem." He tells her.

She blushes."Thank you. It was very uncomfortable." She blushes.

The vampire, Darius, had followed her from Compton's home one night and stalked her to her home. She does not look like a fangbanger at all, but a good kind woman.

"It was no problem Laura. I can't have any vampires in my area scaring mortal woman."

"Your area?" she asks.

"I am … I guess you could say the local law enforcement for this area's vampires." I tell her with a smile.

"Well thank you. I've never really been around vampires until I started seeing Bill." She says.

"Well Laura, Just as with mortals, there are good and bad vampires. The bad one's unfortunately give the rest of us a bad name."

'Where's Sookie tonight?" Compton asks.

"She and Pam went out shopping and to dinner."

"That was nice of you to watch her son." Laura says.

I almost growl at her, but then remember she's mortal and would never understand the circumstance around James's parentage.

Compton steps in though." Laura, James is Eric and Sookie's son. Eric adopted him at birth." He says. Wow for once I don't want to slug the bastard.

James and Cassie come over. "Dad, is it okay if Cassie comes over sometime to swim sometime?" he asks me.

She's a pretty little girl. I see another thing my boy has inherited from me. "Of course. Son. Perhaps Uncle Bill and Laura could come over and as well. We will talk to your mom about it."

"Eric may I have a word?" Compton asks.

I nod and tell James to stay with Laura for a moment.

"Yes?" I ask him.

"It would be great if we could come over sometime." He tells me.

"And why is that Compton?" I ask.

"I care deeply for Laura. Cassie as well. Laura has never been around vampires before me. I'd like her to see that vampires can lead normal lives. Just like anyone else."

So Compton's in love. Thank fucking god. He's finally quit pining away over Sookie. I decide to help the tool.

"Of course. Perhaps Sookie can spend some time with her as well. It is hard on children having a vampire parent though."

"I can only imagine. But James is the most well adjusted child I've ever seen. As much as I hate to say this Eric, you are a good father to him."

I've just entered an alternate universe. Did fucking Compton actually pay me a compliment?

"Did you expect I would not be?"

"Well you changed after Sookie left. I guess I have to finally admit that you two belong together. She keeps you humane."

I chuckle." I suppose she does Bill." He looks at me shocked when I call him that. Maybe it's time to end my rivalry with him. After all, I did get the girl.

We head back over and I see James talking on his cell phone.

"Okay mommy. I'll tell dad. "He says hanging up.

"Was that mom?" I ask him.

"Yep her and Aunt Pam and at the house. She tried to call you first." He tells me.

I realize I left my phone in the car.

"Well we better be off. Nice to meet you Laura and Cassie." I smile at them.

We head off I hear James say" I'll call you Cassie." I just smile. He's my son indeed.

Once we get back to the house, James grabs Fang and runs in the front door. Sookie and Pam had been sitting in the living room talking.

"Mommy, Auntie Pam ! I got a dog" he screamed running over to Sookie and Pam.

"That's great sweety. What did you name him?" she asked.

"Fang" he smirked. He placed the dog down and it immediately went over to Pam, sniffed her for a moment and peed on her Manolo's.

Pam growled and picked poor Fang up by his neck "I'm going to drain you, you little mongrel."

"Pamela. Put. The. dog. Down. NOW" I growl.

"But Master" she whined "It ruined my shoes"

"Put the fucking dog down Pamela. I will replace your shoes."

Pam finally released the dog and he trotted right over to James. "You wouldn't have drained him, would have Aunt Pam?" he asked.

She smiled at my son."Of course not sweetheart. I was only teasing" she assured him. Bullshit. If James was not there, I would have had to try and find a Fang replacement really quick.

Sookie just shook her head throughout it all.

Later that night after we were settled in bed I decided to tell her about Compton's new woman.

"So Lover, I met Bill's lady friend tonight."

"You did?" she asked intrigued." Does she seem nice?"

"She was very nice. Not a fangbanger at all. Bill seems to care for her as well. She has a little girl about James's age."

"Bill?" she asked with an eyebrow up.

"Perhaps his emo ass is growing on me." I growl. "After all you did choose the better man." I smirk at her waggling my eyebrows.

She just giggles. "Lover perhaps you might call Bill's woman and invite them over one night?" I ask

Now Sookie really looks intrigued."Why would I do that honey?"

I sigh."Perhaps, I told Bill you would. He asked me if we could. You know, show her how blended families can be normal and all."

She just smiles at me. "Of course. I'll call Bill and get her number. Now, how about you show me why I picked you stud?" she winks lifting her nightgown over her head.

Shaking my head I just growl "Now you've asked for to be pillaged !" I yell tackling her.

Let's just say I pillaged her village. Several times that night.