The Fangreaders Anniversary Challenge

Title: The Last Anniversary

Author: Broughps

Anniversary: Eric and Sookie's last anniversary together - no other summary needed.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to CH. No money is being made, just taking them out for some fun.

He knew this would be their last anniversary together. As he held her in his arms he could feel how frail she was. She weighed almost nothing now. Sookie's eyes were a pale blue now, but they still snapped when she was angry. Her hair was still long, flowing past her shoulders, but now a bright white. It was still a pleasure for him to brush it out each morning before they went to bed. Sookie would often sigh and smile at the intimacy of such a small act.

Though Pam had liked Sookie as well as she liked any human, she could never understand why he didn't leave Sookie when she started to age. He loved Sookie was all he would say about it. Sookie would tell him to leave and find someone younger, prettier, but he never left her. He knew if he did his heart would be left behind and while he had lived 1000 years without much emotion once Sookie had brought love back to him he didn't want to go back to his old ways. They had many arguments about his leaving as she got older, but he would kiss her into silence and she would let it go for a while, at least until her next birthday.

Looking down at Sookie he asked, "Are you warm enough? Are you sure you wouldn't like to be back home?"

Her voice frail Sookie said, "I'm fine Eric." She gave him a small smile. He smiled back though there was pain in his eyes that he hoped she wouldn't see.

He tucked her in closer to his chest and flew over her old house in Bon Temps. He looked down at the cemetery and thought of all of the family and friends Sookie had lost. She was the last of her friends and family. He was sure it must be a result of taking his blood all these years. She would be 102 on her next birthday.

Jason was gone as was his wife. His children had both moved west and had little time for their Aunt Sookie once they were married and started having families of their own. Both were gone now too and it was as if the children they had didn't exist. Sookie had been saddened to lose the last of her kin not because they were physically gone, but because the family bond no longer existed. It angered Eric when he thought about it. Family meant so much to Sookie. She would just tell him that it wasn't important and that they were busy with their own families and friends and they didn't want to be bothered by a relative they didn't even know, especially some old lady. Still he knew how much it hurt her.

Claude had finally gone back to fairy and Niall had destroyed the last of the portals to make sure no one could cross either way. Sookie had once mentioned that she wondered what fairy was like and while he knew she would never nor could go there it had felt like a stab in his heart that Sookie might want to be away from him. When she'd seen the hurt she quickly assured him it was just a thought and never mentioned it again.

Tara and JB laying side by side in the cemetery had been killed with their children in a car accident on one of the few Christmases that had had snow. He had noticed that it grieved Sookie more about the children than Tara and JB themselves. Because she never had children of her own Sookie had adopted Tara's kids and become Aunt Sookie to them too.

Sam had been killed by hunters when he chose the wrong form for his monthly run. Sookie had been upset but not as much as he thought she would be. Sam had never been happy about her being involved with vampires.

Alcide had been taken out during a packmaster challenge. The new packmaster had been a thorn in his side ever since. Constantly reminding him that Sookie had to avail herself to the pack since she was a friend of the pack. He had finally put his foot down and fangs out years back and Sookie

was left alone and didn't have to put up with pack business. Their lives had gone a lot smoother since then.

Arlene had lost it and had to be locked away in a mental institution. She was found hanging in her room. No great loss to anyone. Coby had died of a drug overdose and Arlene's daughter had died from injuries from the beating her boyfriend gave her. Sookie had just shaken her head over how badly some lives can go wrong.

No one had ever figured out quite what happened with Terry, but his body was found out in the woods behind Merlottes one morning. Since no one had claimed him Sookie as him to pay for Terry's funeral. It was small but the least he could do since Terry had kept an eye on Sookie when he could be around before vampires had come out.

Compton, he smiled at the memory. Watching Compton's own child stake him had brought more joy to him than he thought it would. Sookie had been upset not only at Bill's death but at the joy that he, had gotten out of it. It was still a sore spot to this day.

And Pam, his Pam, his most precious child, gone. He still felt the ache in his being at her loss. He'd stake De Castro all over again if he could. Using her to keep him in line and then forcing her to meet the sun even when he had cooperated. She had been his most loyal supporter and always had his back. He didn't know if he would or could make another child. No one could ever replace Pam.

When Sookie was gone he was leaving and going back to Sweden, at least for a while. Fangtasia was gone and he had no desire to remain king. He was only in the position because of De Castro's death. It kept him out of Freyda's hands and kept Sookie safe from all other vampires. He never liked nor wanted the position and was happy to let Stan Davis and Russell Edgington fight over LA. Maybe he would go back to his wandering ways again.

"Eric what are you thinking about?" If it wasn't for his vampire hearing he wouldn't have heard her.

"I'm thinking about getting you home and ravishing you."

"I could use a good ravishing." Sookie chuckled.

Eric's heart broke a little more. With as frail as Sookie had grown it had been years since he had fed from her or made love to her. He never tired of teasing her though or she him. She had never lost her sassiness. It was one of the reasons he could never leave her. She still challenged him as no one else had or dared. He didn't quite understand why he was content to simply wrap himself around Sookie when they went to bed. He resorted to the occasional "donor" for feeding, no longer having to rely on fangbangers since becoming king, but he couldn't bring himself to have sex with anyone other than Sookie and since that was no longer an option he was content to just hold her.

"Thank-you for taking me flying."

He smiled in response.

"I love you Eric," Sookie whispered. Her head fell back on his arm as the last breath went out of her. He felt her spirit leave her body. Their bond broken again.

A single bloody tear fell down his face. "I love you too min älskare."