Finding My Own Way: Chapter 17
Title: Finding My Own Way
Summary: Sookie's world gets turned upside down by her handsome, yet very mysterious, new neighbor. Will she be able to help him face the demons of his past, and maybe help herself in the process?
Pairing(s): Eric/Sookie
Genre(s): Drama/Romance
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.
Chapter 17
This was it, the moment Sookie had been dreading and looking forward to at the same time. But as of right now, she was more nervous than anything else.
“I don’t think I can do this. What if they hate me?”
Eric shook his head. “Not possible, they’re going to love you.”
“How do you know that?” she wondered.
He kissed her lips sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because I love you, and all my parents care about is that I’m happy. You can do this; I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Sookie nodded, taking in another calming breath as she followed Eric into his parents’ house.
* * * * *
“It is so great to finally meet you. The few times we’ve spoken to Eric on the phone, he does nothing but go on about you.”
Sookie blushed, smiling at the woman before her. She seemed kind, and really tiny compared to his father. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Northman; you have a very lovely home.”
She waved her hand in the air. “Please, call me Margaret; we don’t have to be so formal here.”
Eric was in the kitchen with his father, giving the women some privacy, but Sookie really didn’t know what to say. When Pam made her presence known a few minutes later, everything just became even more awkward.
“So, what exactly did you do to get my brother’s attention? It took him months to ask Felicia out, and that was only because I practically had to force him. You can’t tell just by looking, but he’s always been a bit shy.”
Sookie chose her words carefully, afraid to get on this woman’s bad side after their first meeting. “I just went over to introduce myself with cookies, my grandmother’s recipe. You can’t go wrong with those.”
“How sweet,” Pam claimed, rolling her eyes. “I don’t know how he could stand living in that place. From what I’ve seen, it’s not all that special.”
The way she was looking at Sookie proved she meant more than just the town.
“That’s quite enough, Pamela. Sookie is our guest and your brother’s girlfriend, you will show her respect or you won’t be allowed to stay for dinner.”
The blonde laughed. “I can’t believe you’re falling for this act, Mother. I know the kind of people she lives with, barracudas who do nothing but gossip about things they don’t understand. I was only there briefly and heard the things they were saying about him, you would have been disgusted. He can do better than some cheap floozy in a hick town.”
Sookie wanted to cry, but wasn’t about to in front of his family. It could wait until she was alone.
“All right, that does it,” Eric remarked after hearing everything his sister said, moving to Sookie’s side and taking her hand in his. “I know Felicia was your friend, but Sookie is the best thing that’s happened to me since the accident. She is nothing like those people; all she has ever done is stand up to them in my defense. She is a kind, good hearted woman, and I love her dearly. If you can’t treat her like the amazing person she is, then I don’t have anything else to say to you. I love you, Pam, you’re my sister and that’ll never change, but I will leave if you can’t learn to be civil to her. You said you wanted to meet her officially and do things right, was that only a ploy to get us to come here just so you could attack her? I thought you were better than that. I’m sorry, Mom, but I don’t think we can stay. This was obviously a mistake.”
Margaret shook her head. “No one is going anywhere; I haven’t gotten a chance to know Sookie yet. You are going to behave yourself, young lady,” she told Pam, giving her daughter a stern look. “You’re twenty-six, it was about time you started acting your age. We are going to sit down and have a nice, family dinner together. If you can’t do that, you know where the door is.”
Pam crossed her arms over her chest, but didn’t budge. That was as good as things were probably going to get from her.
“Dinner’s served,” Mr. Northman stated, coming out of the kitchen and noticing the tension around him. “What did I miss?”
* * * * *
Sookie found Pam outside after what was a very uncomfortable dinner, wanting a little time alone with the other woman.
“I love your brother more than anything,” she said to break the ice, taking in a deep breath when Pam looked her way before continuing. “I know this is all happening so fast. We haven’t known each other all that long, but sometimes it only takes one moment to know when you’ve found the right person. I know he loved Felicia very much and she meant a lot to all of you, but I’m not trying to replace her. I could never do that. I’m just asking for a chance, maybe if you get to know me a little better, you’ll see I’m not all that bad. I would never take Eric away from his family; you all mean the world to him. Just because he no longer lives here, it doesn’t mean he loves you any less. I don’t have much family left; it means everything that I get to be here with his, but it would be even better if we could get along. I know he would want that.”
Pam stood up, staring the other blonde down. “Look, you seem nice enough, and I apologize if we got off on the wrong foot. I’m just looking out for him, Eric’s my big brother and he’s always been there for me. I’m the one who introduced him to Felicia; he wasn’t even really interested in her until I kept pestering him to ask her out. I know I shouldn’t have interfered, but he can be so stubborn sometimes. I’m sure you’ve noticed. Anyway, they eventually fell in love, but their relationship was far from perfect. They argued constantly and even talked about separation for a while, but that all changed when Emily came into the picture. In the end, they decided to stay together for her sake, but the love they once felt wasn’t as strong as it used to be. Honestly, I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you; it was a lot to take in. Even with their relationship going downhill, I just couldn’t fathom him ever falling in love with someone else, but I see that I was very wrong. It’s not an easy thing for me to admit. You make him happy, that’s what’s most important, but if you ever do anything to hurt my brother, you will be very sorry. Ask around, I’m not someone you want to piss off.”
Sookie gulped at the look of determination on her face, nodding after a moment. “I understand, but you have nothing to worry about. I’d never do anything to hurt him.”
“Good, see that you don’t and we’ll get along just fine.”
She let out a breath when Pam walked over to her car, heading out of the driveway with squealing tires. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist a second later, Sookie smiled and leaned back against his chest.
“Should I be worried?” he wondered.
Sookie shook her head. “I think we’re okay now. Are you ready to go?”
Eric nodded, this being the last thing he wanted to do, but it was the whole reason for their trip. No matter how much it might pain him.
* * * * *
He stood in front of the tombstones, one bigger than the other. Eric kneeled down in front of the larger one first, placing the flowers he picked up on the way there and tracing the name with his fingers.
“Hello, sweetheart, I’m sorry it took me this long to visit you. I hope you’re at peace, and you have everyone up there waiting on you hand and foot. I wasn’t the easiest person to live with, I know that, but not a day goes by that I don’t miss you. I wanted you to know that I’m doing better now. I’ve met someone, Sookie Stackhouse,” he explained, tugging on Sookie’s hand and pulling her down by his side, not wanting to do this alone. “I know it’s a funny name, but I think it suits her. She’s a wonderful woman; I really think you two would have liked each other.” Eric knew he was babbling, rolling his eyes at himself. Felicia was his wife and a jealous one at that, there’s no way they probably ever would have been friends, but it was still a nice thought. “Goodbye, love, I’ll try not to take too long next time.”
Sookie let his hand go, watching the color drain out of his face when he moved to the next headstone. “Do you want me to give you some privacy?”
Eric shook his head, putting down the other bouquet he brought and grasping her hand again. “No, I need you here.” He may have held it together when talking to Felicia, but now staring at the grave that held his little girl, there was no chance of that as the tears started to form in his eyes. “Hey, baby, it’s your daddy. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for not coming to see you sooner, it was just too hard. I’m sure your mother is taking good care of you, but I hope you’re doing everything she says. You were a blessing, angel, a miracle that we never knew was possible. I will continue to think that for the rest of my days, there will never be a more perfect little girl. I need you to take care of each other now, and know that I’ll always be with you.” The tears were streaming down his face and he didn’t care to hide them, letting Sookie guide his head to her shoulder as he cried his heart out, and holding her even tighter.
“It’s okay, honey, I’m right here.”
Once the sobs died down a bit, he loosened his grip on her, seeing that she had tears in her eyes as well. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. “She really was a miracle,” Eric said after a moment of silent contemplation. “We were told that Felicia wasn’t able to have children. Our marriage was falling apart, but when we found out that she was pregnant, it was like a wake up call. We had to get our act together and be there for this child, she was obviously given to us for a reason. I’ll never understand how the fates could be so cruel as to give us this miracle, only to take her away years later. Take them both away, but I think I understand why I was spared now.” He caressed her cheek, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “I was meant to meet you, and even though I will always miss them, I can’t regret that.”
Sookie smiled through her tears, pulling him up from the ground. Hand in hand, they both strolled out of the cemetery and off to their new life together.
The End
Summary: Sookie's world gets turned upside down by her handsome, yet very mysterious, new neighbor. Will she be able to help him face the demons of his past, and maybe help herself in the process?
Pairing(s): Eric/Sookie
Genre(s): Drama/Romance
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.
Chapter 17
This was it, the moment Sookie had been dreading and looking forward to at the same time. But as of right now, she was more nervous than anything else.
“I don’t think I can do this. What if they hate me?”
Eric shook his head. “Not possible, they’re going to love you.”
“How do you know that?” she wondered.
He kissed her lips sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because I love you, and all my parents care about is that I’m happy. You can do this; I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Sookie nodded, taking in another calming breath as she followed Eric into his parents’ house.
* * * * *
“It is so great to finally meet you. The few times we’ve spoken to Eric on the phone, he does nothing but go on about you.”
Sookie blushed, smiling at the woman before her. She seemed kind, and really tiny compared to his father. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Northman; you have a very lovely home.”
She waved her hand in the air. “Please, call me Margaret; we don’t have to be so formal here.”
Eric was in the kitchen with his father, giving the women some privacy, but Sookie really didn’t know what to say. When Pam made her presence known a few minutes later, everything just became even more awkward.
“So, what exactly did you do to get my brother’s attention? It took him months to ask Felicia out, and that was only because I practically had to force him. You can’t tell just by looking, but he’s always been a bit shy.”
Sookie chose her words carefully, afraid to get on this woman’s bad side after their first meeting. “I just went over to introduce myself with cookies, my grandmother’s recipe. You can’t go wrong with those.”
“How sweet,” Pam claimed, rolling her eyes. “I don’t know how he could stand living in that place. From what I’ve seen, it’s not all that special.”
The way she was looking at Sookie proved she meant more than just the town.
“That’s quite enough, Pamela. Sookie is our guest and your brother’s girlfriend, you will show her respect or you won’t be allowed to stay for dinner.”
The blonde laughed. “I can’t believe you’re falling for this act, Mother. I know the kind of people she lives with, barracudas who do nothing but gossip about things they don’t understand. I was only there briefly and heard the things they were saying about him, you would have been disgusted. He can do better than some cheap floozy in a hick town.”
Sookie wanted to cry, but wasn’t about to in front of his family. It could wait until she was alone.
“All right, that does it,” Eric remarked after hearing everything his sister said, moving to Sookie’s side and taking her hand in his. “I know Felicia was your friend, but Sookie is the best thing that’s happened to me since the accident. She is nothing like those people; all she has ever done is stand up to them in my defense. She is a kind, good hearted woman, and I love her dearly. If you can’t treat her like the amazing person she is, then I don’t have anything else to say to you. I love you, Pam, you’re my sister and that’ll never change, but I will leave if you can’t learn to be civil to her. You said you wanted to meet her officially and do things right, was that only a ploy to get us to come here just so you could attack her? I thought you were better than that. I’m sorry, Mom, but I don’t think we can stay. This was obviously a mistake.”
Margaret shook her head. “No one is going anywhere; I haven’t gotten a chance to know Sookie yet. You are going to behave yourself, young lady,” she told Pam, giving her daughter a stern look. “You’re twenty-six, it was about time you started acting your age. We are going to sit down and have a nice, family dinner together. If you can’t do that, you know where the door is.”
Pam crossed her arms over her chest, but didn’t budge. That was as good as things were probably going to get from her.
“Dinner’s served,” Mr. Northman stated, coming out of the kitchen and noticing the tension around him. “What did I miss?”
* * * * *
Sookie found Pam outside after what was a very uncomfortable dinner, wanting a little time alone with the other woman.
“I love your brother more than anything,” she said to break the ice, taking in a deep breath when Pam looked her way before continuing. “I know this is all happening so fast. We haven’t known each other all that long, but sometimes it only takes one moment to know when you’ve found the right person. I know he loved Felicia very much and she meant a lot to all of you, but I’m not trying to replace her. I could never do that. I’m just asking for a chance, maybe if you get to know me a little better, you’ll see I’m not all that bad. I would never take Eric away from his family; you all mean the world to him. Just because he no longer lives here, it doesn’t mean he loves you any less. I don’t have much family left; it means everything that I get to be here with his, but it would be even better if we could get along. I know he would want that.”
Pam stood up, staring the other blonde down. “Look, you seem nice enough, and I apologize if we got off on the wrong foot. I’m just looking out for him, Eric’s my big brother and he’s always been there for me. I’m the one who introduced him to Felicia; he wasn’t even really interested in her until I kept pestering him to ask her out. I know I shouldn’t have interfered, but he can be so stubborn sometimes. I’m sure you’ve noticed. Anyway, they eventually fell in love, but their relationship was far from perfect. They argued constantly and even talked about separation for a while, but that all changed when Emily came into the picture. In the end, they decided to stay together for her sake, but the love they once felt wasn’t as strong as it used to be. Honestly, I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you; it was a lot to take in. Even with their relationship going downhill, I just couldn’t fathom him ever falling in love with someone else, but I see that I was very wrong. It’s not an easy thing for me to admit. You make him happy, that’s what’s most important, but if you ever do anything to hurt my brother, you will be very sorry. Ask around, I’m not someone you want to piss off.”
Sookie gulped at the look of determination on her face, nodding after a moment. “I understand, but you have nothing to worry about. I’d never do anything to hurt him.”
“Good, see that you don’t and we’ll get along just fine.”
She let out a breath when Pam walked over to her car, heading out of the driveway with squealing tires. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist a second later, Sookie smiled and leaned back against his chest.
“Should I be worried?” he wondered.
Sookie shook her head. “I think we’re okay now. Are you ready to go?”
Eric nodded, this being the last thing he wanted to do, but it was the whole reason for their trip. No matter how much it might pain him.
* * * * *
He stood in front of the tombstones, one bigger than the other. Eric kneeled down in front of the larger one first, placing the flowers he picked up on the way there and tracing the name with his fingers.
“Hello, sweetheart, I’m sorry it took me this long to visit you. I hope you’re at peace, and you have everyone up there waiting on you hand and foot. I wasn’t the easiest person to live with, I know that, but not a day goes by that I don’t miss you. I wanted you to know that I’m doing better now. I’ve met someone, Sookie Stackhouse,” he explained, tugging on Sookie’s hand and pulling her down by his side, not wanting to do this alone. “I know it’s a funny name, but I think it suits her. She’s a wonderful woman; I really think you two would have liked each other.” Eric knew he was babbling, rolling his eyes at himself. Felicia was his wife and a jealous one at that, there’s no way they probably ever would have been friends, but it was still a nice thought. “Goodbye, love, I’ll try not to take too long next time.”
Sookie let his hand go, watching the color drain out of his face when he moved to the next headstone. “Do you want me to give you some privacy?”
Eric shook his head, putting down the other bouquet he brought and grasping her hand again. “No, I need you here.” He may have held it together when talking to Felicia, but now staring at the grave that held his little girl, there was no chance of that as the tears started to form in his eyes. “Hey, baby, it’s your daddy. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for not coming to see you sooner, it was just too hard. I’m sure your mother is taking good care of you, but I hope you’re doing everything she says. You were a blessing, angel, a miracle that we never knew was possible. I will continue to think that for the rest of my days, there will never be a more perfect little girl. I need you to take care of each other now, and know that I’ll always be with you.” The tears were streaming down his face and he didn’t care to hide them, letting Sookie guide his head to her shoulder as he cried his heart out, and holding her even tighter.
“It’s okay, honey, I’m right here.”
Once the sobs died down a bit, he loosened his grip on her, seeing that she had tears in her eyes as well. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. “She really was a miracle,” Eric said after a moment of silent contemplation. “We were told that Felicia wasn’t able to have children. Our marriage was falling apart, but when we found out that she was pregnant, it was like a wake up call. We had to get our act together and be there for this child, she was obviously given to us for a reason. I’ll never understand how the fates could be so cruel as to give us this miracle, only to take her away years later. Take them both away, but I think I understand why I was spared now.” He caressed her cheek, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “I was meant to meet you, and even though I will always miss them, I can’t regret that.”
Sookie smiled through her tears, pulling him up from the ground. Hand in hand, they both strolled out of the cemetery and off to their new life together.
The End