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Sookie sagged against Eric’s lifeless body and sobbed. She held onto him for an hour before she finally let go of him. Sookie peeled herself away from him and decided to leave her dress behind for him. She took the shirt he had been wearing and left a note for Pam since she hadn’t been able to say goodbye to her. She was exhausted but summoned enough Light to pop back to Jason’s house.

Her brother was still asleep so she made herself some coffee. When the bank opened they would go and transfer her funds to his account. He was about to become a wealthy man and the money would just keep growing. Sookie planned to ask him to give the enchanted jewels to Eric. He would make better use of them than Jason would.

Sookie showered, fixed her hair and dressed as a human woman would for the last time. She was just getting to her second cup of coffee when Jason came out of his bedroom, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Good morning, big brother,” she said as cheerfully as she could. It wouldn’t be easy, but Sookie was going to try her hardest to keep her promise to Eric to be happy.

“Mornin’, sis,” he said. His tone wasn’t nearly as cheerful as hers.

There’s gotta be a way to stop this from happenin’. They can’t just hold Sook against her will like she’s a prisoner. That ain’t why Gran gave her to them fairy fuckers.

Sookie sighed but didn’t respond to her brother’s thoughts. He was entitled to his privacy after all. She drank her coffee while Jason got some for himself.

“We need to go to the bank,” Sookie told him. “I’m giving you everything I have.”

“But if you do that it means you ain’t never comin’ back,” he said.

“I’m not, Jase,” she said softly. “This is it.”

“I can’t believe that,” he shook his head.

“It’s not what I want, but it’s what I have to do.”

“Why? We just found each other again. You’re all I got left.”

“And I want you to have a chance at a better life,” Sookie said. “I want my nieces and nephews to live in a safer world. I don’t want to be worried that you’ll get yourself drained while you’re pumping gas or taking out your trash.”

“And I don’t wanna lose you,” he said. “I wanna be selfish.”

“I love you for it, but it’s done, Jason. I gave my word and I have to keep my end of the deal. Without my honor and integrity, I don’t have much,” she said.

“Why you gotta be so good?” he asked. “It’s like you’re Gran, and she didn’t even get to raise you.”

“Just lucky, I guess,” Sookie smiled and Jason nearly knocked the wind out of her when he hugged her.

“I love you so much, Sook,” he said. “I’m gonna miss you so much.”

“Me too, Jase,” she said as she hugged him back.

They ate breakfast together and while Jason showered Sookie drank a few bottles of Illumia to replenish herself. She still had half a dozen bottles of the glowing substance left and she was unsure about what to do with them. Maybe she’d turn them over to Eric. They might come in handy as a weapon for him.

Jason opted to put the money Sookie gave him into a savings account until he could think of something better to do with the money. After the bank they went to Gran’s. Sookie emptied out the fridge and Jason helped her bag up her barely worn clothes so they could be donated to local charities. He promised to close up the house for her after she was gone.

“Are you going to sell it?” Sookie asked him.

He could certainly afford to keep it now. Maybe someday one of his children could live there and raise a new generation of Stackhouses in it. That would be nice.

“No,” he said. “It’ll be here for you if you ever get to come home. No matter when that is.”

Sookie nodded. It would be sad to come back to a world that didn’t include her brother, but Sookie knew she was going to outlive him by decades no matter what.

“What about Dawn? Think you’ll marry her someday?” Sookie asked.

“I don’t know, maybe,” he said. “But I do know that if I ever have a daughter I’m namin’ her Susannah Adele.”

Sookie smiled at her brother and said, “I’m honored. I think Gran would be too.”

“She’d be honored as long as I’m married when I got kids.”

“Then don’t mess it up, Jase. You can still have a family,” Sookie reminded him.

“But I want my kids to have an aunt Sookie to go to. Or an aunt Cookie, ‘cause you know they’re gonna mess up your name.”

Sookie laughed and said, “I wish I could have that too, but at least you can tell them stories about a beautiful fairy princess and they’ll be true stories.”

She knew it wasn’t good enough, but it was all they had.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “And about how brave their aunt was. How she changed the world and no one ever knew.”

“Exactly,” she said.

“When I was gone on my vacation, I bought a video camera,” he said. “Can I take a video of you to show them one day?”

“Sure,” Sookie nodded.

She imagined the video would be as much for him as it would be his children, but Sookie didn’t mind.

“Let’s go back to my house and get it. You could record a message for that fella of yours if you want. I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“Okay,” Sookie nodded, and after they locked up the house Jason drove them back to his place.

He showed Sookie how to use the camera and then went out to the pond to give her some privacy to record her messages. She started with the message for her future nieces and nephews.

“Hi, kids. I’m your Aunt Sookie. I’m sure your dad talks about me and if one of you is named Susannah then I’m the aunt you’re named after. I’m sorry I won’t get to meet you. I know I have no business asking you for a favor, but I’m going to anyway.

“This past month has taught me so much about the importance of family. For most of his life, your dad hasn’t had the family that he should. Maybe one of you will be born like me and we’ll get to meet. I hope that’s true. Be patient with your dad. Love him with all of your heart because he needs it and it’ll make you a better person.

“If any of you are like me, then I hope you use your ability for good. It’ll be easy for other people to call you a freak and make you think you’re weird or somehow not as good as them. They’re wrong. I wish I could be there to teach you how to deal with the gifts you have been given, but know I’m never far away if you need me. Your dad will be able to show you where to go.

“Maybe by the time you get here you’ll have a whole bunch of cousins to get to know and love. But if none of you are born different like me, that’s alright too. Take care of each other. In the end, your family is what matters most. I’m sorry I can’t be there for you,” Sookie said. She dabbed at her tears and blew a kiss at the camera before she turned it off.

She switched disks and started to record again.

“Hey, big brother. So I’m not sure what to say to you here. I don’t really have any words of wisdom, or nuggets of knowledge I can pass on to you. What I can say is that I’m grateful I’ve had this time to get to know you. We both know it wasn’t enough and this isn’t the way we wanted it to end, but I don’t regret my decision.

“It hurts like hell to make this sacrifice, but it’s the only way to stop what’s been happening. If there was another way out, I would take it in a heartbeat. I would much rather stay here with you. I’m sorry I can’t stay longer. Just promise that you’ll use this gift you’re being given. Find someone you love, get married and have the family you’ve been missing.

“Find what you love and hold onto it with both hands. Fight for it the way you fought for me. Don’t ever give up. Camp in the yard with your babies and help them build pillow forts in the living room on rainy days. Don’t let your sons pick on your daughters too much, but don’t fall for your little girls’ tears every time because sometimes we fake it.

“More than anything, don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. My heart will heal and I’ll find a life I’m okay with. Maybe I never truly belonged here. Or maybe this sacrifice is the point of my life. I don’t know. I do know that we will see each other again. Save me a place in heaven, big brother. Until then, I’ll carry you with me. I love you,” Sookie told the camera and turned it off again.

She had to pause to have herself a good cry and figure out what she was going to say to Eric. Sookie stealed herself and then loaded the camera one more time to say what she needed to say to Eric. When she was finished, she took the camera and disks inside.

“I guess we should get to the portal,” Sookie said. She handed over the camera and picked up the bag she packed earlier that contained Eric’s shirt and a few other things.

“I guess so,” he said sadly.

Sookie took a deep breath. If she fell apart now it wouldn’t do her any good. Jason took her hand and they walked to the portal together. Sookie stopped them when she felt the energy.

“We’re here,” she whispered.

“I don’t wanna do this,” he said, and she saw his eyes well with tears.

“If you want to go back, I’ll understand,” Sookie told him.

“No, I’m not letting you go alone.”

Sookie set down her bag and hugged her brother.

“I’ll miss you, Jase. Take good care of yourself,” she whispered.

“I will,” he said. “Name one of your fairy babies after me, okay?”

“Pinky promise,” Sookie said, and held out her finger when she pulled back.

He hooked his pinky with hers and then pulled her into another hug.

“I love you,” he told her.

“I love you too,” she said back. Sookie didn’t want to let him go, but she had to.

“I hope you have a happy life, Sookie,” he said as he pulled back.

“I hope you do too,” Sookie kissed his cheek.

For a few minutes they looked at each other and after one more hug, Sookie pulled back and threw herself through the portal before she could change her mind. She landed in Fairy with a thud and promptly burst into tears.

◊ ◊ ◊

Eric didn’t open his eyes when he awoke for the night. He wanted to imagine for a moment that Sookie would be there when he opened them. Her scent was still strong on his bed, and he could also smell the saltiness of her tears. He tried to feel for her in his blood, but he felt nothing but his bond with Pam.

He opened his eyes and tried not to let his despair consume him when he saw her dress on his bed. It was so unfair that she had to make the decision she did, and he found himself getting angrier by the second. All the anger that he refused to let surface when she first told him of the deal was coming up fast.

Eric picked up her dress and inhaled her scent, then dressed quickly and took off before Pam caught him. He went to the woods where the portal was and followed her scent until it stopped. He knew the portal must be right there, but he couldn’t see it. He couldn’t feel it. It killed him that he couldn’t just walk through and go get her. Eric knew that she was last standing on this very spot and he hated that he wasn’t here to see her off.

His anger got the best of him and he sped over to the nearest tree and ripped it from the ground. The tree flew through the air and took the tops off of two others before crashing to the ground. He was so caught up in his anger that he didn’t realize a fairy had stepped through the portal and was standing behind him. He only smelled the scent of a full-blooded fairy for a second before it was gone, and he whipped around to see Niall standing there.

“You,” he growled.

“Careful, Northman. I made no deals with my great-granddaughter to save your life… or spare it,” Niall said.

“Why did you force her to stay? You had to know she would have chosen to save so many lives. She’s innately good.”

“And she’s also a female. Our numbers are declining. We need to rebuild our population,” Niall told him. “Besides, a life with a vampire is no life at all for someone like her.”

“What do you care? She’s just a breeding mare to you.”

“I owe you no explanation, Northman. I will fulfill my end of the deal and you may thank my great-granddaughter every night that you can roam this realm freely,” Niall said, and disappeared before Eric could respond.

He growled again and pulled up another tree before taking to the sky and flying back home. Pam was sitting in the living room when he arrived, and she was holding a piece of paper.

“What’s that?” he asked her.

“Here,” she handed it to him so he could read it himself.

Dear Pam,

I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, but this will have to do. I don’t really know what else to say besides take care of Eric. He’s going to need you.

Thank you for letting me help you all. I hope it did some good. If, by some miracle I ever make it back to earth, I’ll have to let you take me shopping. Eric says it’s your true calling in life. Give him the love I can’t.

Best wishes,

Sookie

He smiled a small smile and then handed the paper back to her.

“Sookie solved all our problems,” he told her. “In exchange for her great grandfather giving the scientists working on the synthetic blood the knowledge to finish it, she had to go back to Fairy at sunset tonight. She can’t ever come back. She has to choose a mate and start breeding.”

“That explains the last twenty-four hours then,” Pam said. “So that’s it? She’s a baby factory?”

“Essentially.”

“Apparently feminism hasn’t reached the fairies yet.”

“Their numbers are dwindling and they need to rebuild their population,”  he said. “It’s fucking stupid. She’s not even full blooded.”

“Then maybe there’s another reason they want her,” Pam suggested.

“I don’t think so.”

“Let’s go kill something. You’ll feel better.”

“Kill what?”

“Anything,” Pam said. “Preferably something that walks on two legs.”

“And set us all back? Why undo everything Sookie just did for us?” he asked in a raised voice.

“We’re still vampires, Eric.”

“I’m not fucking up her sacrifice, Pam.”

“Then I’ll go alone,” she said. “I need to feed and we’re out of blood.”

“Don’t you dare fucking kill anyone,” he said.

“I’ll be back before dawn,” Pam said, but made no promises.

Eric let her go, and went back to his room. He picked up Sookie’s dress again, and laid down on the bed with it. He let himself hope that she was okay in Fairy, that she wasn’t crying or sad. She was strong, and he knew it. He knew she would be okay, as would he.

He went into downtime for a couple of hours and only came out of it when his phone went off. He picked it up and found a summons from the Queen. Every vampire sheriff was to come to New Orleans immediately for an emergency meeting.

Eric took a quick shower to wash off Sookie’s scent, even though it hurt to do it, and then he flew off to New Orleans after leaving Pam a note. By the time he arrived, he was told they were still waiting on two more sheriffs, so he and the others waited in a room full of donors. The others helped themselves, but Eric had none. He was still full on Sookie’s blood, and knew none of them would come close to tasting as good.

He knew what this meeting would be about, and hated that he had to wait to be told what he already knew. He hated that none of these vampires would ever know or understand the sacrifice that was made for this to be possible. Even now his brain was trying to find a way to get her back, but he knew there wasn’t one. Niall wouldn’t let it happen, ever.

When the last two sheriffs arrived they were all taken to a conference room and a few minutes later Sophie-Anne and Andre walked in. They rose to pay their respect, and then she gestured for them to sit again so she could speak.

“After years of research the impossible has been made possible. Synthetic blood has been formulated,” she announced and fangs dropped. “Testing must be done and types will be formulated, but once that has been done, mass production will begin. It will be marketed as a healthcare aid, but it will be fit for vampire consumption, thereby reducing the need for human donors.”

Eric knew this moment should have been a happy one for him, but it was tinged with sadness. Niall kept his end of the deal. It was done. He would definitely never see Sookie again.

“What will this mean for vampires?” one of the dumber sheriffs asked.

“As we speak the American Vampire League is putting together a press release that will be issued tomorrow at sundown. We expect a shift from the human government, but only time will tell,” she said. “Mainstreaming will continue. Public feeding is still expressly forbidden.”

“Will this nullify the GPS bill?” another asked.

“That is unknown at this time, but the AVL will certainly make that motion.”

“In the meantime, I would like to suggest that we keep glamouring,” Eric said respectfully.

“We’re going to hold off on that in the wake of the fight in Dallas. We cannot afford another episode like that,” she said.

“What if we only do it to get weapons, your grace?” he asked.

“That is acceptable.”

Eric nodded, and waited to see if anyone else had any questions. There would not be enough night left to get home, but he needed to call Pam.

“We will reconvene when I have more information to share. The projected date of completion for the research is six weeks from now. Mass production will begin immediately upon the results being accepted by human officials. Within six months we should be free to move about safely at night. The AVL will also be making a motion to repeal the action against vampire owned businesses.”

“May I speak with you privately about that matter, my Queen?” Eric asked.

She nodded and added, “Unless there are any other questions, coffins have been made available for those who cannot return to their area before dawn.”

There were no other questions, so the rest of the sheriffs left the room, leaving only Eric, Sophie-Anne, and Andre. Eric glared at Andre, hoping he would get the point that Eric did not want him there.

“What can I do for you, Sheriff?” The queen asked without asking Andre to step out.

“I would like to start a business, a bar, to be specific,” he said. “It would be a vampire themed bar, gothic in nature, and I would call it Fangtasia.”

The queen smiled at his pun.

“Clever,” she complimented. “I see no problem with this as long as the business pays its usual tribute to the state.”

“The idea would be that we have vampires from the area work there a minimum amount of nights a week as part of their duties to live in the area. Mostly, they will dance. I will have my progeny work there nightly with me, and another trusted vampire to work the bar. They will be the only ones earning a salary. The usual percentage will be given to the regency, but with the synthetic blood becoming available I can see us making enough to give a larger percentage when the need arises.”

“As long as your retinue understands the public feeding law is still in effect, this sounds like a good business plan. File the paperwork and I’ll pass a copy on to the AVL,” she said.

“Consider it done,” he said, and stood. “If you will excuse me, I need to place a call to my progeny before I rest for the day.”

“You’re dismissed.”

Eric nodded respectfully, and left the room after shooting another glare at Andre, who was still staring at him. He went outside the mansion and called Pam.

“What?” she growled. “I’m fangs deep in a pretty ginger with great tits.”

“I need you to call a sunset meeting tomorrow,” he said. “They made the blood. We have a lot of work to do.”

“Done. Anything else?”

“Don’t kill the pretty ginger.”

“I won’t. She tastes like innocence and fear, my favorite combination,” Pam purred.

“Good girl,” he said. “I will see you tomorrow night.”

“Goodnight,” Pam said and then hung up.

Eric went back inside and found his way to his guest coffin. The sun was coming in thirty minutes, but he had nothing else to do. He lay in his coffin thinking of Sookie and how he wished he was in his own bed with her scent. He knew it would not last forever, and he wanted to enjoy it while it was still strong.

To soothe himself, he remembered the way she looked in the sun until the sun itself took him under. At least he went smiling.

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