Promo for A New Chapter Contest

Title: Back in the Saddle

Characters: Eric, Sookie, Pam, Alcide, Amelia, Tray, and Sam.

Word count: 11,830

Pen name: Seastarr08

Beta: Missus T

Status: AH Addict, and organizer/pimp

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters.

Sookie

"Sookie, are you sure you're going to be okay here?" Amelia looked at me sympathetically.

"Ames, it's your honeymoon. Go, enjoy Europe with Tray. Sam and I will take care of the horses. Don't worry about a thing." Sam and I took care of the horses anyway. It wasn't like things would be any different. She'd booked three months of travel. To say I was jealous was an understatement.

"I know. I don't know why I'm so worried. You know the new boarder arrives tomorrow, right?"

"Dr. Northman. Yea, I got his email." More like his seven emails. There was horse crazy, and then there was bordering on obsessive. A south facing stall? Really? Organic oats? We grew our own oats here, so it wasn't like there was any need to be concerned on that end. His incessant demands were driving Sam and me crazy.

As the trainer at Bon Temps Estates, I was very involved with all aspects of the horse's care. I took care of everything from their food, to their turnout schedule, to their visits from the blacksmith and the vet. Not that I shoveled shit. Sam, the stable boy, well, man, took care of that. I taught riding lessons, and was the expert when it came to all things equine.

I'd fallen in love with horses at age three when my grandfather bought an abused pony from the Rattray's who lived one parish over for fifty dollars. I adored Lightening. Caring for him and riding developed into a lifelong passion and eventually a career. I met Amelia at Pony Club when I was seven when I beat her in every show for an entire season, even though her horses were always far better than mine. She was never in it for the ribbons, neither of us were really, and we'd been friends ever since.

Amelia's father had died about five years ago, and she'd sunk a huge amount of her inheritance into Bon Temps. It was a risky venture, but with her marketing and my reputation as a horsewoman, it was beginning to pay off. I taught about four lessons a day and we were getting more and more people boarding every month. If things kept up, I'd have to hire an assistant. Sam's younger brother, Tommy, had started on part time doing maintenance, and Amelia and I had discussed offering him full-time hours for the summer, which was our busiest time of year.

"Well, make sure you keep him happy. He's bringing quite the horse here, and he told me he's interested in offering him out for stud, which would be good for business too." Amelia leaned on the fencepost that Sam had just pounded in for the new round pen.

"What kind of horse?"

"Danish Warmblood. Thor. He's gorgeous. He emailed me some pictures."

"That's not a very common breed. Not around here." They were pretty common in the international show circuit, but I'd never seen one. Not that I was aware of.

"You'll have to ask him more about him when he gets here." Amelia stood up. "I should go pack. Our flight is in three hours."

"I'm so happy for you two. Really, don't worry about a thing." I squeezed her tight. It had been a beautiful wedding. Despite her being the financial backer, the farm was ours, both on paper and otherwise. She lived in the huge main house, and I lived in a small house that was attached to the barn, which was ideal. Perfect for one person, and I liked being close to the horses.

We said our goodbyes, and I went inside to see my mare, Claudine. I'd saved up for ages to buy her. She was descended from Man O War, which in the thoroughbred world, meant expensive. I knew, the minute I saw her, gangly legs, three days old, that she was my horse. The breeder had held onto her until she was a year and a half, because I'd swore up and down that I'd get the money somehow. I worked my ass off, and, with a little bit of help from Amelia, which I'd paid back, I got her, just as people were starting to make offers. She nuzzled me with her black nose, leaving tiny white hairs all over my sweater. "Come on now. I have a date."

She stomped her feet disapprovingly. "He's nice. An accountant. Amelia's accountant, Bill. I won't be too late, and I'll bring you some carrots before bed."

"What's that about a date?" I looked up to see Sam, with a bale of hay. "I'm sure you're too good for him, Sook."

I grinned at him. Sam had been in love with me for years, or so Amelia told me. "Sam, you're too sweet. He's nice. An accountant."

"I heard you telling Claudine. He sounds boring."

"Hey, come on now." I put my hands on my hips. "I'll be back later."

"Come up and say goodnight if you want." Sam lived above the barn in an apartment we'd built for him. "Tommy and I bought every Clint Eastwood movie to watch over the summer, and the barn cat just had kittens."

"Tempting." I tapped on my chin. "We'll see how late it is when I get back."

I got into my Jeep, and headed across town, where Bill was waiting for me, with a bouquet of red roses. "Sookie, you look divine."

"Uh, thanks. Sorry about the horse hair." And with that, he began to sneeze. And he didn't stop. "Are you okay?"

"I have animal allergies." He wheezed out. "I'll be fine."

He was not fine, and Sam was right, he was boring. And the allergy was an out. He went to kiss me goodnight, and sneezed in my mouth. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I need to go though." I smiled warmly. "Thanks for dinner."

"Can I see you again?"

"I don't think so. I'm always covered in horse hair."

He nodded, looking defeated. "Well, if you ever give up the horses, give me a call."

Fat chance. "Will do."

I made it back to the farm around nine, and knocked on Sam's apartment door. Tommy opened it. He was Sam's doppelganger, although about ten years his junior. "Oh hey, Sook. Come on in."

"Where are the kittens?" I smiled.

"Sam's got them in the kitchen in a box." I followed him in and smiled at Sam, doting on the box of tiny cats.

He looked up when I crouched down beside him. "Oh hey. He was boring, huh?"

I nodded. "Yea."

"Someday, you'll find the right guy. Maybe he's just under your nose." He smiled warmly.

"Who knows? It's not as though I'm not busy in the meantime, with all this." He handed me a tiny calico kitten. "They're gorgeous."

"I know." He picked up a black one. "We need to get old Daphne fixed. She had seven. That's more than enough cats for the barn."

I fell asleep on Sam's couch, and woke up when he poked me. "Sook, I'm going to bed."

I mumbled, pulling myself up. "Night, Sam."

I crawled into bed, so ending another day in the tragically pathetic life that I loved calling my own. Bad date, kittens, and Clint. All par for the course.

I was rudely awoken the next morning by my phone incessantly ringing at 6 a.m. Unknown number. "Yes?"

"It's Eric. Eric Northman. I'm lost, and I need directions. Amelia said to call you if I needed anything."

I pulled myself up. "Where are you?"

"I'm lost." He sighed. "I don't know."

"Well, what does it look like where you are?"

"I'm at a fork."

"Go right. The sign must have blown down. You're almost here. I wasn't expecting you so early."

"I didn't know there was a time. I get up early, and I wanted to get Thor settled."

"We're at the end of the road. You can't miss us. There's a big sign."

"Okay. Will you be there to show me in?" He was so demanding.

"Yea, I can be. I got the stall ready last night."

"Wood shavings, not chips, right?"

"Yea. And a blue salt lick, not a red one." I rolled my eyes.

"He likes the blue ones."

"Okay." I hung up, and pulled on some sweats, and an old hoodie. Sam was feeding the horses when I got down to the barn. "King Northman is on his way."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Shavings, not chips. Got it."

I patted him on the back. "Yea. I hope he's a nice horse. We've never had a stallion around here."

"We'll put him in the round pen to start. It's the sturdiest."

I nodded. "Let me know if he's a dick to you. I'm not putting up with any shit. No matter how nice his horse is."

"Will do."

I walked outside just as a giant silver trailer, with living quarters in the front, pulled into the driveway. It was the trailer of my dreams. I wiped the drool from my face, and approached the huge black truck that pulled it. A giant, gorgeous blond, in jeans that fit like a glove and a blue polo that made his eyes practically glow hopped out.

"Susannah?" He glanced at the barn, unimpressed.

I stopped myself from just staring at the god before me. "Eric, I presume."

He extended a hand, towering over me. "I thought it would be bigger."

I stifled a 'that's what she said'. "The facilities here are more than adequate."

"I'm sure they'll do. You have an indoor facility, right?"

"Yes, right over the hill there. It's not attached to the main barn, but if you want, we can move your stall there."

"I'm sure whatever stall you picked will be suitable." He opened the door to the trailer, and I stood back, as he cooed at his horse. "Can you get the tailgate? It's springloaded, so you don't have to lift."

Fancy. "Sure." I went behind the trailer, and pulled the gate down, to reveal a huge black rump. The infamous Thor.

He unloaded him, and I quickly saw that Amelia was right. He was gorgeous, with a huge black mane and tail, and four white legs which matched the small blaze on his face. He was at least seventeen hands, but then again, Eric would need a big horse, since he was well over six feet himself.

"Susannah, Thor. I assume you'll be caring for him?"

"I'm the trainer. Sam does the day-to-day stuff. Do you need someone to ride him?"

"I plan on riding him almost every day. He has a lot of energy, but maybe on the off days. We'll see." He rubbed Thor's shoulder. "He's a handful." As if to prove his point, he snorted.

"Where did you get him?"

"I had him shipped from Denmark. My grandfather owned his sire, but I've owned him since he was a colt."

"He's gorgeous."

"I know." He raised an eyebrow. "His foals all take after him too. I'd like to start a breeding program in the states. There aren't a lot of them here."

We stood there, awkwardly, for a few minutes. He, and his horse, were strikingly handsome, a study in contrasts with his blond mane next to Thor's shiny black one. "What do you ride?"

"English, of course. I've ridden since I was a child. Mostly showjumping, and grand prix. I don't compete anymore. I don't have time with my practice."

I had a flash, imagining him in impossibly tight pants. It was almost too much to think about. "What do you do?" I knew he was a doctor, but not what kind.

"I'm a vet." He looked at me, like that was the obvious answer. "I just opened a clinic in Shreveport. I bought it from Doc Smith." That made sense. He'd just retired. "Mostly large animals. Artificial insemination is my speciality. Not that Thor needs my help in that department." He laughed. "He's quite the stud."

"Indeed. We'll come on in. I'll show you his stall."

Eric and Thor followed me into the barn, and I watched him take everything in. Arrogance, along with something else oozed off him. Almost a calm, of sorts. Great. He stopped at Claudine, who was quietly nickering at Thor. "Who's this now?"

"That's Claudine. She's mine."

"Thoroughbred?"

I nodded. "Yep. She just turned four."

He stroked her muzzle. "She's stunning. Great colouring."

I loved a grey horse. I always had. "Thank you." I smiled. "I've been working with her a lot. I'm going to show her next summer."

"Do you jump her?"

I shook my head. "Dressage mostly."

He nodded. "She's got the build for it."

I showed him down the aisle a bit further. "Here's Thor's stall."

He handed me his lead rope, and went in to investigate. "Looks good. Just as I requested."

"You were very specific."

"I always am." He smiled.

I excused myself, and went and had a shower, and when I came back, Sam and Eric were talking. Rather, Eric was talking at Sam. "I don't want him in a round pen all day. There's no grass."

The next few weeks went by without incident. I'd pass Eric in the aisle, and I was impressed by the care he gave Thor. He doted on him, spending hours with him, brushing him, riding, and lunging him in the arena. We were friendly, and talked in passing, mostly about the horses. Thor had been here a month, when we both showed up to ride in the arena at the same time. "I had the arena booked." I pointed to the sign-up sheet.

"I have to leave for Sweden tomorrow for a couple of weeks." He adjusted his helmet. "Can't we just both ride?"

"I'm practising a pattern, but if you can stay out of my way, sure." I shrugged.

We managed to co-exist, avoiding each other as we went about our routines. We finished around the same time, and led Thor and Claudine back to the barn together. "You have a natural seat. You can't learn that."

I smiled. "Thanks. You aren't bad yourself." He was fantastic. He had this amazing way about him with Thor,this calm that I'd never seen before. He made it look effortless. I looked at him, gorgeous as always in jeans, a polo, and a pair of leather boots, and I couldn't help myself. Maybe I was lonely. Hell, there were no maybes about it. "What are you doing for lunch?"

He shrugged. "I need to get a flight at five, but I'm wide open until then. Why?"

"I have a bunch of vegetables that need to be eaten. Want to come have salad with me?"

"Sure."

I looked at Thor, and then at Claudine. "Do you want to go for a trail ride first?"

His eyes lit up. "Yea, sure. I've been meaning to get him out of the arena, but I didn't know where to go. Yea, let's do it."

I mounted, and he did the same. "The shortest trail is over here, since you're on a bit of a schedule. It's about a half hour."

"Sounds good."

I led the way at first, but then he moved up beside me, our legs brushing against each other when the path got narrow. Claudine and Thor actually got along quite well, and I laughed, as he snorted at her.

"He likes her. He doesn't usually like anyone." He reached up and stroked his mane.

"It's because they spend so much time across from each other. Who knows what they talk about when we aren't around."

"Hard to say." He smiled. "It's beautiful back here." He looked up into the tree canopy, which was thick overhead.

"I don't get back here as much as I'd like. Amelia and I come back sometimes, and bring lunch, but we haven't for a while. It's a bit cold for that now, but it's nice in the summer." Fall was heavy in the air.

We made it back to the barn, and then put the horses away, and headed inside.

Eric

I followed Sookie into her modest, but practical house. It was old, probably nearly one hundred years, with heavy wooden beams. Like a good equestrian, the smell of leather was heavy in the air. I walked past leather boots, a fancy saddle, and a bridle, as well as a cabinet full of tiny horses of various shapes and sizes. "Nice place."

She bustled past me, a plastic bag of lettuce in hand. "Thanks. Anything you don't eat?"

I shook my head, as I took a seat at her kitchen table. "I'm easy."

"I make a mean chef's salad." She winked, and went back to chopping. I couldn't take my eyes off her ass, in those breeches. I hadn't been able to for weeks. She must have had a dozen pairs, and they all clung to her curves in a way that should have been illegal. "Want a drink? Water? Coffee?"

"Water please. I don't drink anything with caffeine. I'm high strung enough as is."

"I don't either. I keep some around for Amelia when she's trying to get away from Tray."

"When does she return?"

"Another two months. It's one hell of a honeymoon." She laughed in a way that was light and carefree. "Maybe you'll cross paths in Europe."

I snorted, unintentionally. "Not unless she's planning to visit my family's farm in the middle of nowhere, or my divorce lawyer's office."

Her ears perked up at the mention of divorce. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not, not anymore anyway. She cheated on me." With my best friend. In our bed. I'd moved to practice in Shreveport three months later, as soon as I could make the arrangements, even though I'd bought the clinic before that.

She raised an eyebrow. "On you?"

I smiled, enjoying the way she looked at me. "On me. I should have seen it coming. We all always got along too well, you know? He used to drive her up to visit me in Stockholm when I was in school." It had been Pam, Alcide, and I since junior high. Thick as thieves. I felt myself tense at simply the thought of the situation.

"We should go riding together again. There are a lot more paths back through the woods. Claudine loves heading back there. They get bored of going in circles all day."

"Yea, that was fun. We'll make plans when I get back."

I got up and headed to the door, and she followed me. "I'll take good care of him." She nodded, a small smile on her face.

"I know you will. I'll probably call. To check in." Hell, I knew I'd call. Thor was quite important to me.

We stood there, facing each other, and I was surprised, as she stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around me.

"Have a good trip."

Her embrace was so warm, and kind and it moved me, in a way I hadn't expected. I reciprocated, wrapping my arms around her. It was then that I realized that I'd been all but avoiding human contact for the past six months. I'd been immersing myself in my work, which meant animals, over people.

"Thanks, for lunch and the ride."

"Oh, wait." She ran back inside, and came back with a piece of paper with her number. "Call me. No one ever answers the barn phone."

"Will do. Goodbye, Susannah."

She smiled, brushing a loose piece of hair off of her face, and behind her ear. "Oh. It's Sookie. That's what everyone calls me around here."

I went through the motions and got to the airport on time and slept for most of the flight. I'd made it six months without seeing or hearing from either of them, and the conflicting emotions I felt, when I thought about both Pam and Alcide was enough to give me a headache. I got in late and got a cab to the hotel where I was staying, about three blocks from the lawyer's office. Two days in Stockholm, and then up to family farm in Oland. I could make it two days.

I hadn't been in my room five minutes, when I got a call. Pam. I answered, and her voice was sympathetic. Pam was never sympathetic about anything. "Eric. How are you?"

"Fine, Pam. The appointment is at 1 p.m., correct?"

"Yea. I thought we could get lunch or something before. Talk it out, before we're being billed for the hours." She chuckled slightly, awkwardly.

"I don't want to have lunch with you." She broke my fucking heart. "I don't even want to be here."

"Look, Eric. We're both torn up about this too."

"Bullshit. I'll see you at the lawyer's office at 1 p.m." And with that, I hung up.

It wasn't any better in person. Seeing the two of them, happy as pigs in shit, was just a cruel reminder of how unhappy and lonely I was, and everything that I'd lost. I hardly said two words to either of them, and didn't even kick up a fuss when I signed our apartment over to her, on the conditions that she'd relinquish all claims for anything beyond that. Since I'd bought the Louisiana clinic before the split as an investment, before I actually ended up moving there, she could have fought me on that. I knew she wouldn't. Besides, it wasn't worth anywhere near as much as the apartment.

I made my way back to my hotel room, stopping for dinner so I wouldn't have to leave the room before I started for Oland in the morning. Then I did something quiet uncharacteristic, for me. I put my head in my hands and cried. I couldn't even remember the last time I cried. Maybe when I was five and I got thrown from my pony, Loki, who had certainly earned his name over the years, with his rotten attitude. It was then, after I manned up, that I decided to call Susannah, er, Sookie, to check on Thor. She sounded a bit flustered when she picked up.

"Yea?"

"Hey. It's Eric."

"Oh, sorry. One of the boarder's horses, not Thor though, has colic. We're just walking him, and trying to move the blockage."

"Oh. Have you given him mineral oil yet?"

"Right. You're a vet." She laughed, uncomfortably. "Not yet. We're waiting for our vet to get here. I never take the risk."

"Smart." It could cause problems if not administered properly. "How's Thor?"

"He's good. I rode him this morning. He's so smooth."

I smiled. "Yea, he's a good horse, especially for a stallion."

The line went quiet. "How's your stuff, there?"

"It's okay. As good as can be expected."

I could almost hear her nod. "Good. Okay, I have to go. I think the vet just pulled in. Call again, if you want."

"Bye, Sookie." I hung up, and lay back on the bed. There was something about her. I wasn't sure what it was, exactly, but there was something. She was sweet, but like me, she was determined and strong. I'd get through this.

After a week in Oland, I decided I'd had enough. It was cold, and windy, and as much as I hated to think about her, Pam hadn't been so far off when she called it a windy shit hole, whenever I tried to get her to come here visit. I called Sookie a few times and I realized that I liked hearing her voice. What that meant, I wasn't really sure.

I got into Shreveport around 9 p.m., and instead of going to bed, which I knew I should have done, I headed for Bon Temps, arriving just after ten. I thought about going right over to see Sookie, which I desperately wanted to do, but I wanted to see Thor just as much. I pulled the blanket I'd bought him out of my car, and went into the barn.

"How have you been?" He nickered softly, as did Claudine. "Did you miss me?"

He pushed his head against me, as I went into the stall and removed his old navy blanket. He looked much better in red. "I'll be back tomorrow afternoon, and we'll go for a good ride. Would you like that?" Of course, he said nothing.

I shut the stall, and headed through the aisle to the door into Sookie's house, knocking quietly.

She answered the door in her housecoat, a hideous fluffy pink thing. I couldn't help but fantasize about what was underneath it, even if that was nothing at all. She grinned broadly. "You're back."

"Yea, I just thought I'd let you know, so you didn't think anything was amiss in the barn in the morning. I picked up Thor a new blanket. It's on him."

"What color?"

"Red."

She nodded. "That'll look nice on him. He's missed you. How was Sweden?"

"Cold and windy. Louisiana is heaven compared to Sweden this time of year."

"And the rest of it?" She stood back a bit, kind of allowing me entrance, but kind of not.

"Done. Signed and done." I exhaled, almost automatically.

"How's that feel?"

"Painfully wonderful, if that makes any sense."

"Given the circumstances, it kind of does. I was just having some tea. Do you want to come in?"

"Maybe for a minute. I booked a surgery in the morning. A castration of all things." I laughed.

"Fun." She walked into the kitchen, and I followed her. "Sorry my place is such a mess. I had a camp here last week, and didn't have time to clean up. Hell, I hardly had time to shower."

I glanced at the sink full of dishes and the pile of bits on the table and shrugged. I knew what it was to be busy. "No problem."

"Sleepytime tea okay? I know you don't like caffeine."

"That's perfect." I sat on her couch, and looked at the pile of papers on the coffee table. "What are you studying?"

"I want to be a judge, for dressage, and jumping. I take the test in a few months."

"You're awfully young."

"Twenty-eight. I've had a horse for twenty-three of those years. I'm quite qualified, and I spent all summer practice judging."

"I don't doubt it." I took the cup of tea she handed me. "You ride really well. I'm sure you know what good riding looks like." Her voice had a certain snottiness about it. "What's your background, besides the twenty-three years?"

"A decade in Pony Club, and a degree from the University of New Hampshire in equine management and therapeutic riding."

"That's pretty qualified."

"Yea. I guess." She crossed her legs, before pulling them up underneath her. "Why did you want to be a vet?"

"I wanted to be a vet from the time I was seven. There was nothing else I wanted to do, ever."

She smiled. "I know what that's like. I feel like I'm doing exactly what I always wanted to do. But..."

"It's not as perfect as you imagined. Well, I mean, for me, not for you. Maybe it is perfect for you."

"No, you're right." She nodded. "I guess things are never as good as you imagine them."

"What about you? Have you been married?"

She snorted. "To be married, I supposed you'd have to be in a bit of a relationship first. I haven't had a boyfriend in years. It always seemed to come down to them, or the horses, which is kind of me. I wasn't willing to give myself up and I'm still not, wherein lies the problem." She laughed. "I'm married to a barn full of horses, as pathetic as that sounds, and any man that seems to understand that is a redneck cowboy, which is totally not my type. Been there, done that, have the tacky rodeo t-shirt to prove it."

I couldn't help but laugh. "It doesn't sound so pathetic. Pam, my ex wife, always hated horses. Thor especially."

"Now how could anyone hate Thor?" She smiled. "He headbutted Tommy last week. That horse is my hero."

"He's a bit of a handful."

She shook her head. "Nah. Tommy is a little shit."

I looked at her, her hair pulled back tight in a wet ponytail, and I ached at the thought of running my hands through it. I caught her eyes, and she smiled. "Still no Amelia, huh?" I'd corresponded a lot with Amelia. It was weird never to have met her.

She shook her head. "Nope. She'll be back in a little over a month."

"I like your house. It's very, homey."

"Thanks, I think." She smiled, and pulled her robe around her, but not before revealing the slightest glimpse of her breast. I swallowed hard.

We sat there, for a while, sipping our tea, in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable though, just a few moments of peace and quiet. I finally made the first move. "I should get home. Early morning tomorrow. I'll be by in the afternoon. Maybe we can go for a ride." I stood up, putting my mug in her sink.

She stood up as well, walking me to the door. "Yea, I'm teaching in the morning, but the afternoon is wide open. Come find me when you get here."

"Will do." I opened the door, smiling at her. "Thanks for the tea, and company."

"Of course." She smiled. "I'm glad you're back. It was a bit quiet with just Sam and me here all the time. I missed fighting for arena time with you."

I'd never been good at timing. It was a fundamental flaw that I'd dealt with forever. Ten minutes later, and I wouldn't have walked in on Pam and Alcide. Ten minutes earlier, and I wouldn't have ended up in a bidding war for Thor, and paid a hell of a lot more for him than I should have. If I'd made it home an hour earlier, then I would have delayed my parents mere minutes and they wouldn't have been killed in that awful accident. My timing sucked. But tonight, as I tilted her chin up, and pressed my lips to hers, I was right where I was supposed to be. She whimpered, slightly before closing the door with me on the only side I wanted to be on, as my back was pushed against it. I groaned as she wrapped her hands in my hair, returning my kiss with fervour. Her robe somehow, by the grace of the gods, came undone at some point, giving me a further glimpse of what lay underneath.

She was beautiful, covered in awkward tan-lines in the moonlight. I had no idea how I'd been able to resist her up to this point, but any willpower I had went out the window as she dropped the robe and my fantasy of her wearing nothing underneath quickly because reality.

"You're gorgeous." I whispered, afraid that too much sudden movement or a loud voice would spook her, like a wild mustang on the prairie. It was all too comfortable and too perfect, this moment we'd fallen into. I moved slowly towards her, and she took me in, her look indicating that I was wearing too much. I slowly pulled my shirt off, and stepped out of my pants.

"It's been a long time, for me." She whispered, stepping a little closer to me. Her admission alone made me hard, let alone her amazing breasts, which were usually trapped in some sort of restrictive bra, but were now easily within my reach. Her curves, which I was well aware of, were a whole new level of stunning, strong and muscular, without the unwanted obstruction of her clothing. It had been a while for me too.

I brought my hands to her face, and she pushed her cheek against my palm, a quiet smile on her face. "Where's your room?"

Her eyes met mine. "Upstairs."

I nodded, before giving her my hand, and following her up the narrow staircase, and into a large bedroom that overlooked the pasture where Claudine was usually turned out. I sat down on the bed, and she straddled my lap, her breasts pushed against my chest. In an instant, my mouth was on hers and I reclined back, pulling her on top of me.

I'd never wanted to be anywhere, as much as I wanted to be inside of her. There was no mistaking her similar need, as she moved her hands down to my shorts, and I lifted my hips to allow her to divest me of them.

I entered her slowly, watching her face contort in a mix of pain and pleasure. I wondered how long it had been for her. I hadn't been with anyone since Pam. She gasped as I pulled out, flipping her onto her back. Without missing a bit, she hitched her leg around my hip, affording me the ability to enter her with one thrust. She bit my shoulder at one point, and I grinned to myself, as I felt her nails on my back. She arched her back as I felt her spasm around me, whispering my name into my neck. I found my release a few moments later, collapsing on top of her, before rolling myself to her side, taking a minute to kiss her, and admire the satisfied look in her eyes.

I pulled her to me, and she laid her head on my chest, as I ran my fingers through her long blond hair. "Do you want me to go?"

She whispered, "No."

It was about 3 a.m., when we heard the first bang from the barn. We quickly went downstairs and both fumbled with our clothes, mumbling insincere apologies, as we made our way into the barn. Apparently, we weren't the only one who heard the banging, as Sam and Tommy beat us to the scene, exchanging a look at the sight of us, rumpled and together. Sam then shot Sookie one that screamed disapproval.

It was pretty evident what had happened. I must not have secured the lock in my haste to see Sookie. Thor had kicked in the door to Claudine's huge stall and was just dismounting, as we turned the lights on.

Sookie

I screamed at him. "Your horse fucked my horse. Fuck!" I would have laughed at the irony, if I hadn't been so damn mad. Sam had brought her in hours earlier. I'd heard him, somewhere in the back of my mind, while I was having the best sex of my life, to date.

He just chuckled. "Can you blame him? He has good taste." He rubbed Thor's muzzle. "Couldn't help yourself, could you?" He raised an eyebrow, and I knew Thor wasn't the only one that couldn't help himself.

"You're such an asshole."I glared at him. "He could have hurt her. How the hell did he get out?"

He examined her leg. "It's just a scratch. She'll be fine."

"I didn't want her to be bred. We were going to show this summer. Her first year on the circuit. What if she's with foal?"

He shrugged. "Then you saved twenty grand on Thor's stud fee. Consider yourself lucky."

"Are you not listening to me? I. Don't. Want. A. Foal." She was too young, and I was just getting her going well over jumps. A foal was not part of the plan.

"Then sell it. Whatever. Who even knows if she took."

"She's been in heat this week."

"Of course. That's why he was attracted to her. I'm sure that's why he broke out of that shoddy stall." He leered at me. "You know, they can smell a mare in heat."

"Thank you, Dr. Northman." I rolled my eyes. "And if he broke out, then why isn't his stall broken?"

He glanced at the door. "He must have pulled the latch up."

"Bullshit." I glared at him.

Sam looked back and forth at us. "Well, Claudine will have to go down to the arena, until I can get this fixed, if you even want her back here, Sook."

"It's her stall. Of course I want her back here." I put my hands on my hips.

Eric sighed. "Okay, well, I'm going to go. I have a client at 8 a.m. I'll be out later. Let me know if there's any swelling, and I'll check her leg out a bit further."

I didn't talk to him for a week. I was so mad at myself, for sleeping with him on a whim like I did. It had felt great, in every way, at the time, sure, but I wasn't that kind of girl. I was pissed about Claudine, but it wasn't the reason I'd go inside when I saw his truck pull into the yard. I was embarrassed that I'd practically thrown myself at him.

The truth was I hadn't let myself care for anyone, period, in years. I had never been good at separating sex and love, despite Amelia's urging me to do so.

I ran into him as I was finishing up a lesson and he was heading into the arena, and after a quick second of eye contact, I knew I was being an asshole. I said goodbye to Hunter, my littlest student, and sat in the warm observation room while he put Thor through his paces. As he was cooling him down, I stepped into the arena. "Hey."

He glanced over. "Oh, so you are talking to me. Look, Sookie, I'm sorry about Claudine. I must not have secured the stall. It was a rough week for me, and I'll take the blame."

"It's fine. I'm sure if she is pregnant, it'll be a beautiful foal, and I'll figure things out. People make mistakes. I'm over it."

He led Thor over, and squared him up in front of me. Perfect confirmation, of course. He really would make beautiful foals with Claudine. "Look, and about the other night..."

"Hey, you were going through a hard time and I was lonely, with Amelia gone." Who the hell was I kidding? Amelia didn't come close to providing the kind of companionship that Eric had. I almost shivered at the thought of him, his weight on top of me.

"Right." He nodded, as his phone rang. "Oh. Yea, I can be there in a half hour." He hung up, and started walking towards the barn. "A mare of one of my clients is foaling. Do you want to come? It's twins."

My eyes lit up. "Of course I do." I'd only been present at one birth and it had been incredible.

"Then let's get Thor put away and we'll go. It's not far from here."

It was amazing, watching Eric deliver two tiny Shetland ponies. He was so kind and gentle with the mother and then with the foals. Seeing them take their steps, minutes after they were born, made my heart soar. We were there about four hours, and once the mare and the tiny colts were okay, we headed back to Bon Temps. "That was incredible."

"And that's why I wanted to do this. That moment, where they get up, on their own, blows my mind every time."

"Yea, wow." I smiled. "Incredible."

We were about five minutes from the barn, when Eric stopped the truck, and looked over at me, in the moonlight. "Look, Sookie. I wasn't just going through a hard time. The other night did mean something, to me. You're incredible. With the horses, with the kids you teach. I can hardly keep my eyes off of you. You almost shine, you're so beautiful. I could just watch you all day long, and be quite content. Every minute I spend with you, leaves me wanting another one."

I didn't know what to say. To say his words touched me was a bit of an understatement, and the truth was, the night we'd spent together meant something to me too. I tried to verbalize, what I was feeling, as eloquently as he had, but I couldn't. Instead, I unbuckled my seatbelt, and brought my face to his, pressing our lips together. His hand went to my hair, pulling it out of its ever present pony tail, and I shook it slightly, as it fell down my back. He growled at me, and pulled me onto his lap, pushing the bench seat back as far as it would go. Before I knew it, we'd found a more comfortable position, stretched out across the seat, and I laughed, as Eric struggled with my boots.

"Shit, these are impossible to get off."

"You need to get some leverage." I giggled, as he opened the truck door, and braced himself against the seat, pulling with all his might. Eventually, they came off, and he climbed back in the truck, closing the door as his hands moved to my breeches.

"Now these are a little easier, I think." He grinned, going for the button.

"Do you ever ride, in these?" I'd only seen him in jeans. Tight, not that I was complaining, jeans.

He nodded. "Not really anymore. I used to when I showed, and let me tell you, they were just as unflattering as you're imagining."

"I doubt anything could be unflattering on you." I winked, as he pulled my bottoms off, leaving me naked from the waist down on the leather seat.

"Well, they're certainly hot on you, although I prefer them off." I moaned, as he moved his fingers along me, in a most skilled way. I gasped, my hands in his hair, as he moved his mouth between my legs. I came, hard, as Pearl Jam played on his radio.

Eric

After the night in the truck, I got busy with work, for a couple of weeks, so I only saw Sookie in passing. She was cordial, but part of me suspected she was putting on a bit of a show, since Amelia was back, and she probably didn't want her thinking anything was going on. I left her a couple of notes, apologizing for my absenteeism, and told her to call me and we could catch dinner and maybe a movie. She never called and when I was finally able to resume my daily visits to the barn she gave me the cold shoulder, to the extreme. For weeks. And when she wasn't cold shouldering, she was a huge bitch.

Finally, after she yelled at me, for leaving one piece of horse shit in the isle, I'd had enough. Something was seriously wrong. I'd done something.

I followed her into the tack room. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

She crossed her arms, a look of pure disgust on her face. "What do you think, you can just waltz in here whenever you want and leave a mess? That's not how we operate around here."

"I cleaned it up. I don't really know what else to say."

"I don't know if this is working out. You haven't been around and Thor is a real handful. Maybe you should take him somewhere else." She moved her arms to her sides.

Whoa. That was quite a conclusion to jump to. "What did I do?" I shouted. "We were fine, and now you're acting like a crazy person, and you never called. This has nothing to do with Thor."

She sat down on her tack box, her head in her hands. "You never called either. Everything is different now."

"Because your mare is probably in foal? Jesus, I think you need to get out more. It's not that big of a deal. I'll even do the vet work for you for free if that's what this is about."

She shook her head, as we made eye contact. "I'm pregnant, Eric."

I stared at her, as the colour drained from my face. "What?"

"You heard me. You and your damn horse and your super sperm. Fuck."

I thought I was going to be sick. "We only had sex twice."

She ran her fingers through her hair. "Yea, I'm aware of that. Unless this baby has been cooking for three years, it's most certainly yours."

Three years? She hadn't been with anyone in three years? "Were you planning on telling me, or just letting me think I'd horribly offended you, or done something really awful?"

"I wasn't planning on telling you anything, because there's nothing to tell. I can't have this baby. I don't even know you, and I'm not ready for this. I made an appointment. For next week, in Monroe. Amelia's going to come with me."

"No. I'll come with you." I surprised myself with my words. "This is my fault."

"Well, don't beat yourself up over it." She shook her head. "It's just as much mine."

Next week came, and I picked her up around lunchtime. She climbed in the truck, and I tried to break the silence. "So."

She looked over at me, and shook her head. "Let's just not talk. That's better."

"If that's what you want." I stared ahead, feeling a bit numb about the whole thing. I wasn't sure that this was what I wanted, however, it was her body, and I was a strong believer in a woman's right to choose. "I would help, you know. Just so you know."

"No talking." She looked straight ahead.

We pulled up, in front of the address that she gave me, and sat there, staring straight ahead. "What time is your appointment?"

"Ten minutes from now." I watched, helplessly, as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Fuck. I'm twenty-eight years old, and I should be responsible enough for my own actions not to have ended up in this situation. I guess it's not like I ever had to worry about this happening, since I was a month away from joining a nunnery, until you showed up."

"It's totally your choice and I'll support you, in whatever you decide, but if I'm being honest here, I think we could pull it off, you and I. You're great with kids, and, well, I'd learn to be."

She turned her head to the side, her face sad. "We don't even know each other."

"I know you collect little horses." I opened my glove compartment, and pulled out a little Dala horse, that I'd picked up for her in Sweden, a couple of months earlier. "Sorry, I had this for you, from my divorcation. I know you like mint tea, and that your boots are a size eight. I know that Claudine is descended from Man O War, because I looked her up in the thoroughbred registry, and I know that although I'd never rush into telling you I love you, because we haven't had enough time together to determine that, that the potential is certainly there, and even if never turned into anything, I'm a good man, and I'd support you, and our child."

She sighed. "Take me home. If I'm doing this, it's not going to be today."

It turned out to not be any day. We didn't talk about our visit to the clinic, but she didn't go back again, and before long, I started to notice her barn coat grow a bit tighter in the midsection. Everyone else would probably think she was just dressing a bit warmer, for winter, but I was looking for it. We didn't really talk about what was happening there either, until she asked me to take her to her first ultrasound appointment, via a very formal email.

I picked her up around 8 a.m., mint tea from Starbucks ready to go in the cupholder. "Good morning."

"It's not a good morning. I've been sick every morning this week." She turned the heat up, pulling her huge sweater around her. "Are you working this afternoon?"

"Not unless I get a call and it's urgent."

She nodded. "Will you take me to McDonalds, after? I'm craving McNuggets like nobody's business."

"Yea, I can do that." I smiled. "Anything else?"

"I need some maternity pants. I'll pay; I just need you to take me."

"That's fine." We'd have to work out finances at some point. Now was not the time. She'd tell me when it was. "Anything else?"

"I don't think so." She reached for the tea. "Thanks."

"I thought I'd bring the ultrasound machine out from the clinic later this week, and check on Claudine." She was, indeed with foal. I'd done a check about a month ago. "See if she's having twins."

"God, I hope she's not. I don't know if I can handle a baby, and two foals at the same time."

"At least the barn and your house are attached." I grinned. "Really, I'll help with whatever you need." She didn't like asking for help. I could tell.

"I know you will."

Ironically, it turned out that Claudine was not the one expecting twins. She glared at me, as she pulled the seatbelt around her. "It would have been nice to know that twins run in your family."

"While we were having passionate, spontaneous sex, or afterwards? Oh hey, that was great, by the way, twins run in my family. That would have totally killed the mood." I raised an eyebrow. "Where does one buy maternity pants?"

"The mall."

"Okay, thanks." I rolled my eyes. "McDonald's first?"

"Hell yes."

After about fifteen nuggets slathered in McChicken sauce, and a large strawberry shake for Sookie, and a Big Mac for me, we headed over to the mall and I awkwardly stood outside the change room as she tried on about a million pairs of pants. After choosing some suitable ones, we headed home. To Sookie's home, rather. She hopped out of the truck, and I followed her in, as she collapsed on the couch.

"Five more months of this?" She sighed. "I'm going to be huge. Twins? That's so not fair. How the hell am I going to teach?"

"You're not, I guess, when you're unable."

"I'm already not riding." She lay back, and I sat at her feet. "This sucks."

"Want me to make you dinner?"

She glanced up at me. "You don't have to."

"I want to. What do you want?"

"I was going to make fajitas. You can have some too, if you want."

"Well, if I'm making them, I'm probably going to have some." I stood up. "Tell me what you want."

She sat up. "I want you to stay in my guest room, so I'm not here alone, once I get bigger."

I slowly turned around to face her. "I meant in the fajitas, but okay. We can talk about that." She wanted me to move in? What? We'd hardly talked about anything but the most superficial things, since that day at the clinic. "I'm just surprised, that's all."

"You're surprised that I'm about to get massive, and I want someone to be around? I might need you to ride Claudine too, or at least lunge her. She's going to need exercise, and I can't ride her."

She was right. She needed to stay in shape, since she was in foal. "Yea, I can help you with that."

"Okay. Then that's settled. And I need you to tell Amelia."

I looked over at her, and I knew she didn't mean about me staying here a bit. "What? Didn't you already tell Amelia?" She had said she was going to accompany her to the clinic a couple of weeks earlier.

She shook her head. "I kept trying, but I couldn't. I'm kind of what keeps things going around here." She sighed. "I'm going to let a lot of people down, Eric."

"I don't think they'll see it like that."

She bit her lip. "How could they not? I got knocked up, and you aren't even my boyfriend. This was not part of the plan right now. And twins? That's two babies. I can't even imagine how many diapers that's going to be, or how much laundry. I hate doing laundry."

"I'll tell Amelia, if you want, but I think it's probably better that she hear it from you. I could be your boyfriend, if you want. If it'll make things easier, for you telling people."

"I don't want a pity boyfriend." She sniffed.

"Well, I kind of like to think that if none of this," I gestured to her belly "had happened, I might have been your boyfriend anyway, by now."

"Who knows? I could have hated you by now. Or you me."

"But I don't," I added some peppers to the heavy cast iron frying pan. "And unless you turn into an uber bitch again, for no reason, then I don't think I will. You're having my babies, Sookie. I'm not going to just hate you."

"Maybe we can tell her together then. She's been on my case about not riding with her for weeks now."

"That's fine. Whatever you want to do." I cut the chicken up, and covered up the frying pan. "We don't have to really date, either, if it's not something you want. I'm fine with just keeping up appearances. I'm here all the time anyway."

"Of course I would want to date for real, although I'm not sure why you'd want to date my birth control fail ass." She grabbed a tissue from the side table, and wiped her nose. "I think it was probably the first time. I'm not exactly on the ball with taking my pill. Things always come up. As you know, my life is a bit chaotic."

"Hey, I'll take the blame for Claudine, if you're taking the blame for these two. And I didn't even ask. I just assumed, which was clearly not very intelligent." It had just kind of happened, and here we were.

Sookie

We made plans to have Amelia and Tray over for dinner, a couple of nights later. When Eric had driven me to the clinic, he'd given me a lot to think about, and I finally listened to my heart, no matter how irrational it was. At eighteen things probably would have been a different story. But I'd decided to go for it.

I didn't want to force things with him though. It wasn't fair to expect him to fill a role in my life that was huge and desperately lacking, simply because we'd spent a couple of nights together and gone riding a few times. I'd also been a total bitch to him, for weeks, before telling him what my problem was.

It meant something, that I was able to tell him what I was unable to tell my best friend of over twenty years. I guess that was probably because it concerned him more than it concerned her. I'd been avoiding her, and worrying myself almost sick thinking about how this was going to affect my business. I knew I'd be able to teach, for a while still, but when my feet were too swollen to fit in my boots, there was no way I was going to want to, or be able to.

When Eric left that night, after fajitas, he awkwardly stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. "So are you going to tell her we're dating?"

"Are we dating?"

"Well, I'm not dating anyone else."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Me neither. And I probably won't be, for a long, long time." At least the sex we'd had had been fantastic. It made knowing that I wasn't going to be having any more for a long, long time, a little more bearable.

"Well then, let's do it. We'll go steady. Is that what you call it here?"

"In the fifties." I raised an eyebrow.

Amelia was a bit mad at first, but quickly got over it when it sank in. It was funny though, almost overnight the dynamic I had with Eric changed. When before I'd though he was arrogant, I realized that he was just confident. He was also very attentive and considerate. I also began to understand that since he'd been married, before that his ex-wife had trained him quite well. He did the dishes after he cooked and willingly rubbed my feet and watched chick flicks in the evenings. He also called before he came out, to see if I wanted anything. I always did. Every day I was craving something different, and no matter how ridiculous my request was, he did his best to fill it. I also noticed that while Thor was still a priority, he wasn't his only one anymore, which was kind of refreshing. He seemed happier, having something else to focus on.

As a 'couple', we were more like friends than anything. It was hard to make that leap, from what we were to something else. It wasn't that I wasn't attracted to him, far from it in fact, but I still felt a bit like I was forcing him, and maybe me, into a relationship for the wrong reasons.

I was also starting to think that I was lacking the mother gene. I felt my body go through the changes, that were bound to happen, but I wasn't as overjoyed as I thought I should be. All I could think about were all the things, all the parts of my life that I was going to have to give up.

That was until one night, coincidentally, the first night Eric spent in my guest room. He'd just kissed my forehead as he went into his new room for the night and I'd just crawled under the covers when I felt it. It could have been mistaken for indigestion, at first, but the second time, I knew it wasn't. "Eric?"

He poked his head around the corner, a minute later, toothbrush in hand. "Yea?"

"Come here."

He shrugged, and sat on the side of the bed. "What is it?"

I grabbed his hand, and pushed my shirt up. "Feel."

His eyes went wide, and a smile came across his face. "They're really in there."

"Yea, they are." I put my hand over his. "It's really amazing."

I slid over, and he crawled in bed beside me, never moving his hands from my stomach. "It really is."

And we fell asleep like that, for the next five months.

Eric

The rest of Sookie's and Claudine's pregnancies went by really quickly, and with Sookie due in August and Claudine in September, the spring and summer were full of preparation for both births. Sam and I knocked out a wall, in order to give her a bigger stall, and I spent many evenings building cribs, assembling high chairs, and all the other baby related things we had to buy two of.

I'd even taught a few lessons for her, the odd time, although I wasn't nearly as popular as Sookie, with my very proper, uptight horsemanship background. Most of the kids just rolled their eyes at me, and asked when Sookie would be back.

Sleeping with Sookie, but not sleeping with Sookie, had turned into a bit of a lesson in pain tolerance. While I doubted that I'd be so interested in any other pregnant woman, I was interested in her. Maybe it was that I'd always been interested in her, combined with the knowledge that she was carrying my babies. Maybe it was the fact that her breasts were massive, and that she slept in a tanktop and underwear, and I usually woke up with her legs all over me. I knew women had sex while pregnant of course, but she didn't seem interested, and it wasn't like we'd developed the level of intimacy that most expectant parents had in order to discuss it. There was also the fact that her pregnancy was considered high risk, since she was having multiples. She had about two months to go, when she rolled over one night, as I was getting back from a late night colic case.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I was awake. I'm getting uncomfortable. It's hard to sleep." She was huge, and eating a lot to keep her strength up. We'd opted not to find out what we were having, both of us excited about the surprise. Everything with us had always been a surprise. We thought, why not continue the trend?

"Here, let me rub your back a bit." I undressed, and crawled in with her, like I always did, but tonight, she hesitated, slightly, as I moved my hands up the back of her shirt.

"I don't really know how to say this," She rolled onto her back.

"It's a little late to change your mind now, I think." I smiled.

"No kidding." She sighed. "Look, I'm just going to say it. I'm really horny, and I have been for weeks. I wake up every morning with you pressed against me, so I know you're feeling it too."

"High risk means no sex, at this point, even if you wanted to."

"We don't have to have sex." Her huge blue eyes met mine.

"You just want me to get you off. Is that what you're saying?"

"Well, it is kind of your fault that I can't do it myself." She looked at me, her face serious, before breaking out in laughter. "Maybe I'd love you, if you did it."

"What?"

Her eyes were twinkling. "Maybe I love you anyway."

I propped my head up on my elbow and kissed her, softly, using my free hand to lower her underwear. "Then, maybe I love you too."

The next two months went by in a second. Something changed with our admission, and despite our issues, we felt like the beginnings of a family. Both babies, as well as Claudine's foal, were all kicking up a storm, and I'd smile, from time to time as both of them exchanged a look of utter misery, at their current conditions. Thor, with no concept of fidelity, was quite uninterested in Claudine in her current state, and had become quite amorous towards a chestnut mare that had started boarding in the arena a couple of months earlier.

It was a Saturday, and I'd just received a call about delivering a calf, when Sookie who was making tea, looked at me, her eyes wide, as a small puddle appeared on the kitchen floor beneath her.

"Oh," she exclaimed. "I thought I was having contractions, but then again, I've had them for weeks it seems." She had, on and off. The doctor told us it was normal.

"I guess the calf will have to wait." I smiled. "Let me get my truck."

Anna and Henry Stackhouse Northman made their debuts about twelve hours later. Sookie and I had spent a great deal of time discussing names, and we finally settled on two for each, so we'd be covered for every combination. Anna was named for the author of Black Beauty, and Henry, after the Black Stallion's trainer. I have to admit, I was skeptical, at first, about naming our children after an author and a fictional character, but once I met them, it all just kind of clicked. After all, they never would have existed, if we hadn't both had had a love of horses.

They were perfect. Ten fingers and ten toes, both blond and a little over six pounds each. I'd seen a lot of babies born, all of the four legged variety, but nothing equalled the joy I felt when I cut the cord for each of them, and I knew nothing ever would again. Sookie spent a couple of nights in the hospital as she was completely exhausted, but then I was able to take them all home.

I took a couple of weeks off of work, informing my assistant that I was only to be contacted for life and death matters. There were lots of other vets that could handle my client load for a couple of weeks.

The first week, we hardly slept at all. As soon as you'd get one down for a nap, the other would be up screaming, or hungry. Eventually though when they were about a month old, we were able, thanks to Sookies pumping, to each get a bit of rest, separately. It wasn't so much fun, trying to take care of two babies, but it felt right, with her and I.

We'd managed to get them both to sleep at the same time, and fallen asleep on the couch together when Sam knocked. I quietly went to the door, slightly furious at him, for picking that very moment to interrupt. "What?"

Sam looked at me with disdain. He was clearly enamoured with Sookie, and I'd quashed any chance he thought he might have had of making anything happen between them. Sufficed to say, we were not friends. "Sookie's mare looks like she's ready. She's sweating up at storm."

"Shit." I'd been checking in on her when I had a spare minute and I knew it was going to be any day. I knew she'd want to be there. "Call Amelia."

Amelia was not a baby person. She showed up about ten minutes later. "I can't watch the two of them. What if something happens?"

"Then we're in the barn, and you can come get one of us. Come on. It's Sookie's mare."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Okay. I'm just going to wake her up. I just know she can't miss this."

"I'm going to call you if anything happens, on the barn phone."

"I know." I moved aside, and she walked in, taking in our chaotic house. "Don't mind the mess."

"I'm going to send my cleaner down. Consider it a gift."

"Fine, whatever." I knelt down beside Sookie. "Hey. Claudine is having her foal."

She rubbed her eyes. "Now?"

"Yea. Amelia's going to stay with the babies. Come on."

She pulled herself up, hugged Amelia, muttering a quick 'thank you', and we were out. "You realize that this is the first time we've been away from them, at the same time."

"We're in the same building, and I'm sure we'll get a call if they have so much as a poopy diaper."

She sighed. "Yep, that's for sure. You know though, despite the sleepless nights, and all of that, and despite the fact that I don't know you that well, well, I didn't in the beginning, there's no one else I could imagine doing this with."

"Likewise." I smiled, wrapping an arm around her. "Now let's go deliver your other baby."

After a few hours of hell for Claudine, a black colt, who was the spitting imagine of Thor was born. We both took a deep breath, as he clumsily crawled to his feet.

"God, he's stunning," Sookie exclaimed, as he got up to nurse.

"I told you he would be." I smiled. "Can we call him Loki?"

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