The Moon, Ch. 16

**A/N: So, there seems to be a bit of interest in some Sevrin guy, huh? Yeah? No? Should I tell him to just go on back home, then? What? Let him stay? Well, ok. So, yeah, Sevrin has a strong accent – imagine a blend of old Polish and old European – but I am not going to abuse your eyes by trying to “type-speak” in that accent.   The only accent I ever really try to type-speak is Southern and that’s solely because I *am* Southern, so use your imagination, just make it more on the tall, dark, and handsome “guttural sexy” side.**

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Sookie had finished washing dishes and was ambling toward the den when she heard a knock at the door, and recalled the note that Eric had left her reminding her that someone would be delivering the supplement from the doctor.

Even though she knew it was probably that person from the doctor’s office, she paused to listen to the person before taking one step closer to the door.

These days it paid to be a bit more careful. Something about Steve still had her on high alert, something other than him knowing about her telepathy (when she’d never mentioned it to him): his fists.

When the stranger’s thoughts revealed nothing more than vague curiosity about the person needing that particular formula, she finally opened the door. Her basic manners almost had her inviting the delivery lady into the apartment, but the safety of the two vampires dayresting in the bedrooms stopped that inclination fast.

The lady, a Were of some sort judging by the red tinge to her thoughts, was holding what looked to be a folded set of instructions and a mid-sized cooler. Her hair was a peachy-red color not yet found in nature, but her brown eyes were kind.

“Ms. Stackhouse?” The thoughts of the lady in the white lab coat told Sookie that she was only verifying her identity for propriety’s sake, and that the doctor had already described ‘the patient’ to her in detail.

“That’s me,” Sookie replied, still fighting the urge to invite the lady in. A lifetime of manners was a hard habit to break.

At the confirmation, she placed the cooler and stapled papers on the floor by the door. “I’m Gail, one of Dr. Ludwig’s assistants. The instructions are easy to follow, but basically they just tell you to drink one bottle a day unless the doctor raises it to two, or unless you suddenly feel a strong craving for more. If you do, go ahead and drink another bottle, but call us and let us know. Now, I need to get your bp,” she said, her tone that generic “nice but busy” so common in a doctor’s office.

Sookie watched as Gail withdrew an old-fashioned cuff and bulb set from a large pocket in her coat, and was glad to be wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt. After enduring the lady’s attempt at squeezing her arm off with the cuff, a few minutes later Sookie was pronounced fine as the assistant put the equipment away.

“It’s still a bit on the high side,” Gail noted as she wrote the numbers down in a small book she had dug out of her other pocket, “but it will fine if you’ll take it easy.” She nodded at the cooler. “That will help, too. Now, do you have any questions?”

“Only about a million, but nothing for right now,” Sookie quipped.

Gail smiled, then produced a card and handed it to the telepath. “Here’s my contact information. Dr. Ludwig is sometimes…not available..for non-emergencies, so feel free to call me if you have questions. Now, I need you to sign this form so that Dr. Banner can release your information to our office.” From the same apparently bottomless pocket that held the small notebook came a folded and stapled set of papers.

After glancing over the form then holding it against the wall to sign it, she handed the papers back over, and smiled when Gail refolded and stuck them back in that mysteriously expanding coat pocket.

“I take it the stuff I’m supposed to drink needs to be refrigerated? Do you need the cooler back?”

“Yes, it does require constant refrigeration, but no, we’ll pick the cooler and jars up on the next delivery. Is there anything else?”

“Nope, not right now. Thanks, Gail.”

Sookie noted the woman’s slight but pleased surprise that she’d remembered her name. It seemed she was more accustomed to being overlooked than acknowledged.

“You’re very welcome.”

After watching the woman enter the elevator, Sookie grabbed the instructions and the cooler, which was a lot heavier than she’d expected, and reentered the apartment. She was curious about what the doctor had sent for her to drink, and hoped it would ease the “never quite full” feeling plaguing her for the last couple of months.

It would really suck if she had to endure that nagging sense of hunger for another three months. She wisely refused to consider the possibility of a fourth…

The contents of the cooler were a nice surprise. Inside were seven quart sized canning-type jars filled with a thick light creamy orange liquid. Hoping they tasted the way she thought the color indicated, she hurriedly stashed the other six in the refrigerator, and opened the last jar.

A sniff heightened her expectations, and a sip confirmed it – creamy vanilla-orange bliss! It reminded her exactly of the orange-cream ice cream she used to love as a kid.

In short order she downed the contents of the quart jar, and even rinsed it out with milk and drank that, too.

The nagging hunger was gone, replaced with a sense of repletion and an easing of the slight aches and pains she had tried not to notice before. Eric’s blood had helped, of course, but there had still been twinges and pressures that nothing seemed to ease…until now.

She briefly considered sending Dr. Ludwig a box of chocolates in gratitude.

Sated and satisfied, she did the only logical thing she could think of – she decided a sleepy snuggle with her Viking was in order.

As she hefted her ungainly body under the covers and arranged herself into the curve of Eric’s cool form, she blushed. Memories from the night before had danced and flitted around in her mind since she’d woke up hours ago, and during her shower she had tried especially hard to stop thinking about his talented ways.

She hadn’t been particularly successful, and shivered once again at the memory.

But even more than the physical pleasure his hands had wrought, it had been the look in his beautiful eyes that had set some of her doubts to rest. He truly had thought she was somehow attractive, even as big as she was now.

As she dozed back off, she wondered how long it would last.

•~•0•~•

After rising and finding a clean-smelling Sookie in his arms, Eric had made a note to himself to speak with her about the lack of safety in showering while no one was awake to help her should she fall. He chose to remain curled around the soft, warm hybrid in his arms, and relished the opportunity to inhale her sweet fragrance all he wanted.

The increasing sweetness of her scent was going to cause problems among his kind, and he thanked his gods of old that Willa had been in constant contact with her and so had built up a tolerance for what would cause any other newly Turned vampire’s fangs to throb uncontrollably.

Of course, after Sookie had fallen asleep Eric had fought off his own dayrest long enough to wrap the vials of her blood in several layers of plastic wrap, deposit them into a thick re-sealable bag, and place them at the back of the refrigerator drawer that now contained cheese. No sense in teasing his Youngest with the delicious scent of heaven…

He would definitely have to keep all but the oldest vampires away from what they would instinctively consider a delectable morsel. As he moved his hand to lightly rest upon her stomach, he realized that he didn’t honestly trust the oldest ones all that much, either.

Sevrin…that old bastard should be fine.

As he concentrated on feeling the lightly fluttering movements of the child within her, he also concentrated on the reestablished Bond. Her emotions seemed subtly pleased during her sleep with neither worry nor fear rearing their ugly heads.  He wished it could stay that way but life wasn’t known for its kindnesses and mercies.

On that note he rose, showered quickly in the Sookie-scented stall, then downed some decidedly not Sookie-scented blood.

He knew she wouldn’t mind him drinking the vials of blood now calling to him from that funky-smelling cheese drawer, but… Last night it would have been too soon after she had just taken his own blood, and he hadn’t wanted to risk an unplanned Bonding. This late afternoon he refrained because he knew from past experience that once he had her blood, he wouldn’t want to stop having her blood, and he realized that she wasn’t quite ready for that step yet.

With a sigh and a grimace, he finished his mediocre repast.

Then he checked his voice mail.

It was while he was pacing furiously that Willa had entered the kitchen. Her questions, however, startled him.

“Did you heal her? What’s wrong? Is she ok?”

The difference between Pam and his Youngest was never more apparent, and as he took her into his arms, he sent Willa a Maker’s approval.

To a vampire, nothing was more satisfying on a soul-deep level than feeling the approval of one’s Maker, and he fully intended to share that joy with her.

“Yes, she is healed. She is fine,” he said into her hair. A moment later he drew back and kissed her forehead. “I am proud of who you are, Willa. You are a credit to my Maker’s line.”

He released the pleased but slightly bewildered lady so that she could enjoy her waking feed.

“Um, ah, that’s good?” Willa needlessly cleared her throat as she opened a bag of blood Eric had already warmed for her and poured it into a glass. She didn’t know what all that was about, but knew it was a good thing…whatever it was. At least Sookie was healed, though she didn’t know why Eric was in such a state.

After a good long gulp, she asked, “So why were you pacing? What’s wrong?”

Eric proceeded to tell Willa about his messages.

 •~•0•~•

Several hours later Sookie woke up alone in the bed. After visiting the bathroom, she went to the den, and immediately noticed the somber expressions on the vampires’ faces.

She came to an immediate stop.

“What’s wrong?”

“Come, sit,” Eric replied as he blurred over to her side. He guided her over to the sofa and helped her sit down, then took his place beside her. Willa looked on with obvious worry in her eyes.

“We need to move to one of my safe houses tonight,” he stated calmly if firmly before she could speak again.

“Why? What happened?” Sookie hadn’t expected to be able to stay in Willa’s apartment forever, but this seemed far too sudden to be just about giving Willa back her space. Plus…safe house?

“Steve fucking Campbell is out on bail. Your brother is furious, by the way.”

At her gasp, Eric gave into the urge he had felt upon first seeing her enter the room. He quickly arranged her on his lap so that her back was resting against the sofa’s higher than normal arm rests, and held her hand in his.

“Your brother said the request came in yesterday, and that he stalled as long as he could. My team is investigating who arranged his bail. The law office that handled it is based in Maryland and they are not known for having dealings in Shreveport.”

He didn’t mention how very little other information his team had been able to locate about the fucker.

Sookie shivered. This was the last thing she expected to hear, but then Steve couldn’t stay in lock-up forever, could he? And apparently Jason wasn’t the only one who was furious. As she looked up at Eric’s face, she realized that he was having a difficult time keeping hold of his temper, and was already dropping his contractions and clenching his jaw.

“As much as I want you to stay here,” Willa stated calmly, “Steve knows where I live, and would also know that you would be with me.”

“Oh, Willa, I’m so sorry,” Sookie started, but was quickly interrupted.

“No, Sookie, I refuse to let you feel bad about this. You are my best friend and you belong around people who care about you. Fuck anyone who would try to hurt you.” Suddenly Willa looked every bit Eric’s vampire child complete with the fangs, the glare, and the attitude. “I’m glad you came here, and Eric and I have talked about it and I’ll be going with you two when we move.”

Smiling tearfully, Sookie nodded, then leaned into the emotional warmth of Eric’s embrace.

“Sevrin called about an hour ago and arranged to meet me here. Afterward we will pack and leave.”

Sookie nodded, and started to get up and help with the packing, but snuggled closer to Eric instead. As much as her manners urged her to get up and moving, the security she felt in her Viking’s arms far outweighed the need. Besides, vampires could move a hell of a lot faster than she could even when she wasn’t lugging around a baby inside.

After thinking for a moment, she asked, “So you think it’s suspicious that an out of state law office arranged for Steve’s bail? That is odd,” she concluded, her voice trailing off. “Do you know their name?”

“Demopoulos and Sons.”

Of course he knew the name…he’s Eric.

“I’ve never heard of it, but then, the more I think about it, the more I realize how much I don’t know about Steve. He’s one of those people who can say a lot of words but not really say anything.”

Willa nodded wryly. In her ‘past life’ she’d known quite a few people with the ability to say a whole lot of nothing.

“Are you hungry or thirsty? Of course you are – you’re five years along” she answered herself while looking pointedly at Sookie’s abdomen. “I’ll fix you something then get started packing while we wait on Eric’s guy.”

Even though it was a small laugh, Sookie laughed as intended, and Eric sent his Child a small burst of gratitude. All this worry couldn’t be good for the lady on his lap.

Later, while she was eating her dinner at the kitchen table, Sookie told Eric and Willa about the assistant’s visit and the orange-cream flavored supplement, and was puzzled when Eric spoke out of the blue.

“Can you think of someone you would care to have stay with you during the day?”

“What? Why?”

“I do not like the idea of you being alone while Willa and I are dead for the day. Should something happen to you while we are unable to help, the situation could turn dire while waiting for me to wake. My safe houses are within their local 911 districts, but what if you were unable to reach a phone to call? It would be far better for you to have someone you can trust in the home with you.”

Sookie’s mouth dropped. She hadn’t thought about that kind of thing before. After all, she’d been raised as far into the back woods as one could get without hearing banjos, and personal safety hadn’t been that big of a worry, especially not in the past few years.

But then…Steve…and the baby…

Eric was right. She did need to have someone else around during daylight hours.  It wasn’t just her safety on the line now.

“I can’t think of…” she broke off when three hard knocks sounded at the door.

The two vampires instantly rose from the kitchen table.

“That would be Sevrin,” Eric assured Willa and Sookie, but was glad to see Willa standing protectively in front of his pregnant love.

He walked casually to the door, and when he opened it, Willa’s eyes grew wide.

Sookie, peeping around the brunette vampire, watched as Eric and the huge black-leather clad mountain of a man at the door greeted each other in the traditional vampire way – they nodded. She tried hard not to roll her eyes.

“Sevrin, come in,” he said, his tone neither deferential nor commanding. Even Sookie could tell they considered themselves equals.

Once inside the apartment, both Willa and Sookie stared in fascination at the formidable stranger in their midst.

Noticeably taller than Eric, broad shoulders thickened with hard muscles, sleek hair black as night flowing past those shoulders, and black eyes gleaming with experience and intelligence, Sevrin quickly evaluated the scene before him.

Even before he had entered the elevator on the ground floor he had scented what could only be a fairy hybrid, and when he had stepped into the hallway leading to this door, he had paused a long minute to become accustomed to the frustratingly delicious scent of not just a part-fairy, but a breeding part-fairy at that.

It had been far too long since he had last partaken of a gravid woman as such things were frowned upon in this night and age even though he had never killed one with his hungers, but the thirst for such would never die.

When compounded with the enticing aroma of fairy…

He was thankful for the centuries of hard-won self-control he could call upon to stifle his instincts.

But what was that other scent, vague, and slightly off?  It would come to him.  He had an unnaturally refined talent for scent and scent-memory.

When he had stepped into the Northman’s abode and taken a deep breath, he had known. He had also almost laughed at the defensive stance of the baby vamp protecting the mother-to-be, but held his tongue for once.

Despite his admittedly fearsome appearance, the young one held her ground. He knew he was an ugly bastard with his face set in stern lines and his eyes holding a natural glower he had never bothered to soften. Vampires centuries older that than the toddler had cowered before him just from a look, but she held strong.

Courage was something he could understand. Courage, he knew. Northman had chosen well with this one.

His other, however…

“Sookie, Willa, this is Sevrin. He will be escorting Pamela to her new home and will be responsible for her thereafter.”

Despite the intricate tattoos on the vampire’s hefty arms left uncovered by the leather vest, and despite the dagger resting on one side of his hips and the stake on the other, Sookie had been around enough blocks to recognize a world-weary expression when she saw one. She also knew Eric would never have allowed anyone untrustworthy around her, so she stepped confidently around Willa. When the young vampire made to stop her, she simply grabbed her hand and brought her along.

Eric smirked. Trust Sookie...

“This brave soul is my Sookie,” he announced as he wrapped an arm around her waist, “and this is my Youngest, Willa.”

Sookie looked up…up…up into Sevrin’s dark features, and smiled broadly. There was something about him that she just plain liked, an instantaneous feeling that was almost… sisterly.

“Come on in and have a seat, Mr. Sevrin. Would you care for a blood?”

Determined not to show his shock at the breeding woman’s openness but fearing he was failing badly judging by the Northman’s smirk, he just nodded.

He may have also grunted in acceptance, but he wasn’t sure.

“Sevrin.  No mister.”

Smiling even more broadly, Sookie teased, “Ok, Sevrin no mister, please, have a seat.  Willa and I will be right back.  Eric, do you want another blood?”

At his nod, she and Willa left the room and entered the kitchen.  Via a series of eye movements and facial expressions they mutually decided that Sevrin was, indeed…WOW!  If they were teenagers they’d have called him ‘hot’.

Sookie could tell that Willa was blown away by the vampire’s heady presence, and planned many ways of teasing her about it in the future.  She wasn’t sure if it was a unique ability or if she was just still so young that the human ability hadn’t yet faded, but Sookie was delighted with Willa’s very faint blush.

Sevrin definitely had an admirer.

Immediately upon taking their seats and receiving their glasses of warmed blood, Sevrin and the Viking began discussing the terms and particulars of his Child’s upcoming incarceration, but as she was to be treated no differently from any other “guest”, that conversation quickly switched to what was obviously of far more importance – the safety of the blond vampire’s woman.

As the Northman revealed more about the situation, the investigation, and the odd lack of information about the asshole in question, Sevrin found he had to agree. To his own surprise, he had even offered to stay for the next night or two to help.  Something about that fucking Campbell didn’t feel right to him, and besides, Pamela was currently ‘secure’, and it wasn’t as though he had to rush back to the mines.

He was glad to learn that the child would be staying with her Maker and his mate. She was too young to be on her own yet, no matter how nice the current abode.

Half an hour later he was amazed to find himself still sitting in a chair in their main room listening to this Sookie and this Willa prattling along about the pregnancy, something foul called a “baby daddy”, and the impending move.

Northman, who had lately said little as he seemed to be enjoying the chatter, was wise to consider evacuating this current location.

“…but I don’t understand why this pregnancy is going to last so damn long! It makes no sense. Normally it’s just around nine to ten months, not over a year!”

The woman’s words brought his attention away from the pleasing manner and appearance of the young one. Should he tell her?  He couldn’t imagine not doing so, but, fuck it.

With respect for this Sookie’s gravid state and obviously cluelessness, he spoke gently…for him.

“The unborn is Dae. They take longer.”

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**A/N:  Soooo, that’s Sevrin.  Think a blend of “Wrath” of the BDB and Jason Momoa of, well, anything…   What did you think of the chapter?**

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