Author's Note!

Once again, thank you all so very much for your reviews! I'm really enjoying writing this story, and I'm glad that you all are enjoying it as well, but this was another tough chapter to get through. I know that these first few chapters have been pretty depressing, but no worries! It's only going to get happier from here on out!

Read and review, send me your love!

Characters aren't mine, I just like to play with them.

Previously...

She runs through the front door, and I hear her scream.

Unable to come in through the front door, I call to her, "Sookie, you have to invite me in!"

I hear her muttered invitation, spoken through tears, and I'm by her side in less than a second.

She is on the floor, sobs wracking through her entire body, holding the body of an elderly woman, who is lying in a pool of her own blood.

Chapter Six

SPOV

Not again! I thought to myself, cradling my poor Gran in my lap. I cried uncontrollably, trying to comprehend what had gone wrong. There was no reason that my Gran had to die this time! Everything I had changed so far should have prevented this from happening! Maybe, I had changed too much? Magic is a very fickle thing, and there's always consequences, good or bad. I shook my head, still trying to process what had transpired. Meanwhile, as soon as I invited Eric inside, he was in and out of every room in the house.

Then, he was by my side, causing me to jump at the speed of it.

"Whoever did this, they didn't stay long," he said, investigating the crime scene more efficiently than any policeman ever could, "can you think of anyone who could have done this?"

I knew who did this, since she had been killed the same exact way as before, I just couldn't figure out why.

Trying to calm myself, I looked up at Eric and said, "No. I can't imagine who could have wanted her killed."

Looking back down at Gran, I thought to myself, yet another lie. I wasn't sure how much longer I could refrain myself from telling Eric the truth, but it would have to be soon, if I wasn't preventing as much as I thought I had.

Gathering my thoughts, I jumped up and turned my attention to Eric once more.

"Eric, you have to get out of here!" I exclaimed.

Eric shook his head, and responded, "Absolutely not. I can't leave you unprotected, not with a killer out there."

I stepped toward him and grabbed his arm, trying to convince him to leave.

"Eric, you can't be here when the police come. I know for a fact they aren't exactly tolerant of vampires! With the two other murders, and those girls' involvement with vampires, what do you think the police are going to think! Besides, how are you going to explain how we got here?"

He took my hand from his arm and placed it in between his own, saying, "Sookie, do not worry about me. I have already called the police. Pam will be here shortly with my car, and we have an alibi. The security records at the condo will show when we left. Right now, we must be concerned with finding whoever did this."

I pulled my hand away and walked toward the front porch. I couldn't be near Gran's body right now, it was too much. So much blood, so much violence! I had to get away from it.

I stood on the front porch, looking up at the stars when Eric walked up beside me. Still gazing heavenward, I quietly asked him, "Why are you helping me? This doesn't concern you."

I saw emotions flicker over his face, out of the corner of my eye. A very rare slip for him.

He sighed unnecessarily and answered, "I have seen your tears twice since we met. A woman's tears do something to a man...even a dead one. Also, this has to be connected to the other murders, and that concerns me."

I took a deep breath and said, "Of course it has to be connected. Two killers, simultaneously committing crimes in a town as small as Bon Temps? Statistically, it's nearly impossible. You'd have better odds winning the lottery three times over. The thing I don't get is the motive. She had nothing to do with vampires! There's a missing piece here..."

Eric moved in front of me, commanding my attention. So, he had noticed how I was pulling away at his touch. He softly stroked my cheek with his fingers, and then gently held my face in his hands.

"Sookie," he said softly, mesmerizing me with his voice, "I do not think your grandmother was the target. I believe you were."

"I know." I said, my voice quivering with emotion.

I could see the flashing of police lights through the trees before I finally broke down, collapsing into Eric's arms.

Everything was such a blur. The police showed up and did what they had to do. They asked me some questions and I did my best to answer them, but I was in no state to be questioned. They checked out Eric's alibi, and just like he promised, his car was in the driveway, and the security records checked out just fine.

As the police combed through the house, searching for clues, I was lost in my own grief. I wasn't only grieving for Gran, but for Eric, our children, and the life we worked so hard to build. We were happy! Finally happy, until someone had to take that away. Gran's death had me thinking twice about what I had done, if it had all been a mistake. Was I destined to be alone? I had Eric for fifteen years, and taking my fae blood into account, I was supposed to have him for so many centuries beyond that! Was life so cruel that everyone I would ever love would end up leaving me, one way or another?

Pulling myself back into reality, the first thing I noticed was Eric's shirt was completely ruined now. Not knowing how much time had passed, I glanced down at Eric's watch and realized dawn was just over an hour away.

"Eric!" I gasped, "you have to go! Sunrise is in less than an hour."

Still holding me, he let out a laugh, saying, "And leave you here alone? I won't have you ruining anyone's shirts but mine."

"But, Eric-"

"No. I will not leave you alone. I will either go to ground here, or you will come home with me." He demanded.

Too exhausted to fight him, I gave in, muttering, "Fine. Take me to your house, then."

I was surprised to find that the policemen had already left, doing all that they could then. So, Eric scooped me up and we flew off into the sky. Some point after leaving my house, I dozed off, with no tears left to cry, and my dreams were taking on nightmarish themes. I saw Eric, dying in my arms, and now Gran, dying alone with no one to hear her screams for help. Then, two figures were walking towards me, similar in height. Their faces were foggy, until they came closer. There was a man and a woman, both with long blond hair and sapphire blue eyes. They reminded me of Eric's eyes.

"Celeste! Aidan!" my dream self cried out in recognition.

My twins looked at each other, then back at me, and nodded.

"Keep going, Mother." Aidan said, his voice so similar to his father's.

"You're on the right path. Don't give up now!" Celeste encouraged, sounding so much like myself.

I felt empowered by their words, encouraged by the sight of them. Yes, I had to keep going. No matter how hard it would get, no matter the loss, I had to keep going for my children. This world was not a world I would want to be in if they weren't given the chance to exist.

My dreams took a more pleasant turn, consisting mostly of my memories of Eric. Our wedding day, the night I gave birth to our twins, laying in bed, simply talking and laughing the night away. But, then, something at the back of my mind was pulling me away.

"No...not yet..." I said aloud.

"Sookie...you've been asleep all day...it is evening now." Eric's voice beckoned me.

Opening my eyes, I searched the room for Eric and see him sitting in a chair across the room. He was staring at me, and I couldn't place the emotion that was in his eyes. Anger? Confusion? Suspicion?

I was about to ask him what was wrong, but he silenced me with a wave of his hand.

"Before we speak of anything else," he said, his voice quiet, but authoritative, "I know you have your secrets, I'm not so stupid as to not realize that, but, you should know you talk in your sleep. And I must know who Celeste and Aidan are."

Oh, shit, I thought to myself, how am I getting out of this one?