Nuclear Winter
Chapter 34
No
**
As we made our way back to the house, we made a ‘pitstop’…
The garage looked like a farmer’s market… and Sookie treated it as such.
She tossed impressively red tomatoes (courtesy of Maximo) to the other Lwizyané, and they ate them as though they were apples… They filled baskets with items while they discussed the menu for the next day… The bulk of the items carried back to the house were meant as ‘nibbles’ while everyone was ‘hanging out’…
Once again, Sookie was proving she was an experienced hostess, but it seemed like she was content to entertain the guards for the extent of their tenure.
As we approached the house, I felt Sookie’s attention drift…
After monitoring the house for a few moments, she offered, “Allecks behaved. He was more hung up on how the girls took our divorce so well. He took the girls’ understanding as apathy towards him, which is probably why he’s been so manic. The girls explained the details of how telepathy works. They filled in a lot of the gaps about Shifters… And Brandon caught Allecks leaning towards the summons. As serious as Lindy seems, he’s keeping her age in mind. He figures he’d move closer to the kids anyway, so sealing the trust for her just means that she’d get to choose what charities benefit from liquidating it all later.”
“Is Lindy pleased?” That was all I gave a fuck about.
“To say the least… a little bit of why she’s so hyper is because of how relieved she is. Her big concern was that her father would reject every- well, how my mother acted is still fresh for them. She didn’t die long enough ago.”
Corbett mumbled a quiet ‘amen’.
I asked, “And how are Misty and Jenny?”
Sookie took a deep breath and sighed, “Misty’s cynical. She’s trying to be happy for Lindy, but she’s jealous because she knows that her mother would lash out like she always did with me… Jenny’s thinking that someone needs to have a sit down with Hadley. The adoption was the only thing we’ve been waiting for. As soon as it’s over, she wants to be sure Hadley understands what she is…”
“We’ll have the opportunity next month…” Between our Disney vacation and acquiring Louisiana over Easter.
Sookie grinned at me from the other side of the crate she insisted on helping me carry. “Okay… I think I’ll let you talk to her about it though.”
“Are you chicken?”
She shook her head. “No… I think she prefers you because you don’t have shields. She can tell how honest you’re being with her. I use my shields to keep my brain and my gut from confusing situations…”
“And part of her thinks you’re using your shields to hide subterfuge.”
“Yeah.”
Sierra ran past the group to open the door since she’d only been given an armful of bread to carry… and when we walked in, Jenny was standing in the foyer in her nightgown and slippers…
With a laundry basket full of damp towels.
Selma cooed, “Ohhh, how the Stackhouses spoil their guests… Is that what I think it is?”
Jenny nodded, pushing the basket along the floor to follow us to the kitchen.
As everyone set their loads on the counters and table, Jenny handed out steaming towels to everyone… She’d run them through the wash, and started the dryer when she felt us returning… The hot towels were the best way I’d ever thawed after being in the cold…
Ever.
And I wasn’t the only one to appreciate the gesture.
Cornelius actually said that if more children were as sweet as Jenny, there would be more Vampires who kept families.
He’d said it in English and loud enough for her to hear…
Unfortunately, the praise and appreciation was more than she could take gracefully… But Edward saved her by setting her on the counter and claiming his towel was broken. She was more than grateful for the distraction, and tentatively held his towel over his face and ears…
Misty and Jenny had opted to give Lindy and Allecks some time alone. After they’d showered and dressed to relax, they helped Igon and Brandon adjust the walkie-talkies for European use… then they moved extra mattresses from storage with Miles and Nigel (read: rode them down the stairs) to accommodate the additional Vampire guests…
When they ran out of things to do, Misty went to supervise Emre… and Jenny fed Whitey and Yogi, and helped Saskia in the kitchen.
Poor Emre…
While the rest of us were greeted with a smiling miniature hostess with warm towels, he was being supervised.
**
We broke company so everyone else could change into something comfortable, planning to meet in the kitchen again for dessert and ‘nibbles’…
I found Misty and Lindy in my office.
Misty was sitting on the corner of my desk in a green set of Yoda Underoos… Lindy was sitting on the other corner in a Notorious T-shirt barely long enough to pass her panties… They were so focused on the chess set, I wasn’t sure they noticed anyone had returned.
Emre had removed his jacket and loosened his tie. He was hunched over a legal pad, scribbling maniacally while his knee bounced quickly enough to shake the rest of his body…
It wasn’t normal for him… or at least, I hadn’t noticed the behavior before. I could have just finally noticed because I’d broken my habit of missing details.
I asked, “How hard did they ride you?”
His head shot up from his work and he gulped hard enough that it sounded painful.
“They… uh… They’re playing chess.”
Stating the obvious?
“Have they been cracking the whip?”
He winced as though he was in pain, gulping again, and shaking his head.
“Uh… uh… uh… they uh… Misty could probably score high enough on an LSAT to get into law school…”
The stammering was definitely new. I would have noticed that.
“She said she read a lot of do-it-yourself legal books.”
I nodded. “They’re voracious readers…” I paused when he tilted his head to crack the joints in his neck. “How is your work progressing?”
Instead of answering right away, he watched me pull Misty’s hair back and braid it to keep it from her face.
“I… uh… I should probably…”
When he trailed off, I asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”
The most off-putting aspect of his behavior was fear…
The boys had recruited him for me from their firm in New York. Emre hadn’t ever heard of me, so he’d never been more than slightly anxious in my presence. Even then, that was only when he was first hired.
“Girls…”
Lindy offered, “Hope passed out… Poppa’s in the shower. We had a good talk, but he needed some quiet time.”
“That’s understandable. I was going to suggest you talk to Daan. He’s very anxious at the moment.”
Misty snorted, “Not as anxious as Emre. He’s like, last-meal-nervous.”
I chuckled, “Regardless, it came up in conversation that the father Daan’s never met is a Boston firefighter…”
While Misty tipped her King over and bolted from the desk to run after Daan, Lindy let out an eardrum shattering squeal.
“His dad is Danny Driscoll!”
I actually checked to be sure my ears weren’t bleeding.
I nodded. “Your mother is planning to contact him once she’s changed.”
She stood up on my desk and lunged at me for a hug. “This is really exciting!”
I asked, “Is there more to it than a boy finally contacting his father?”
“Yeah. We’ve been keeping track. We found a pair of brothers in Atlanta who got adopted separately. One was a pusher, the other was a telepath. They were going to the same college.”
“Then you might be interested to know Corrado and Daniela DiPolito’s father was at the feast tonight as well. His Maker brought him over after a car accident…”
She took a deep breath, but I managed to put my hand over her mouth to muffle her squeal.
“Is there a way to keep you from doing that?”
She giggled, “Ball gag?”
When Emre whimpered from behind the desk, I realized he was sweating… and looking at Lindy’s legs.
No.
I set her on the floor and she dashed from the room, her tiny feet slapping against the stone floor…
I growled as I stepped behind the desk, “Little girls, Asker?”
He scrambled from the chair, and backed himself into the corner with his hands out to protect himself.
“Nonononononono… Not like that… no…”
“If you laid a hand on any of my girls…”
“NO! I wouldn’t… it’s hard…”
I nodded. “I noticed when you left my fucking chair.”
“NO! It’s hard to explain… Just… Just give me a chance to explain…”
“Are you going to try to tell me you’re a good little pedophile, that you look, but don’t touch?”
“No! Just… Just hold on!”
“I get it… You’re going to tell me you’d never touch my children, yes?”
He pushed against my chest as though that would help him at all. “Put the fangs away! You can’t bite me! You know you can’t-”
Before he realized I’d backed up, I’d taken a sword from the wall, noticed I had company, and used the fuller of the blade to pin him to the wall by his neck.
“You were saying?”
“I’m not a deviant… I like blondes b’buuuu…”
Simon and Lars growled behind me, confirming that Emre wasn’t helping his case.
“They’re fucking with my head!”
He didn’t really just blame Misty and Lindy for his hard on, did he?
I hissed, “You’re only digging your own grave.”
“Not like that! They aren’t just little girls! I don’t know if it’s that fucking allure or because they’re more mature…”
“You need to get to the part where I shouldn’t take your head.”
“Ages! I see ages, relative perceptions… They aren’t normal kids!”
“What the fuck does that have to do with your hard on?”
“Lindy… is… looks like she’s university age… She was bouncing on my lap and… I WOULD NOT touch a kid! Whatever they are is conflicting with my shades!”
Lars asked, “Majesty, should I fetch your wife? She can sense lies.”
“Thank you, Lars…”
As Lars left, Simon asked, “Ya say Lindy like she de only one.”
Emre choked when I leaned against the blade. “Not just her, but she’s the… Lindy’s the only one who isn’t… The other girls weren’t as friendly. Lindy was climbing all over me…”
Simon urged, “Keep talkin’.”
“Most of us have it- shading. It only ever really helps when we’re dealing with one another, because of the way we age… I’m not a deviant, I swear. This has never happened to me before… Don’t get me wrong, I will more than likely be attracted to her when she’s older, but… tonight, I was just trying to get through my work… Misty and Jenny look older… That other kid, Daan, he looks like he’s in his early twenties too… It’s not usually a problem. I can choose which way I want to see people, but I can’t hold the shade for longer than a few seconds at a time…”
Sookie arrived silently, being carried by Gawain who was moving as quickly as he could indoors… She ran to my side, resting her hands on my shoulder.
Emre continued to backpedal, “It was just weird at first, a glitch of sorts, but then she started sitting in my lap… I was fine when Misty was just being inquisitive… But then Lindy showed up in her pajamas… Pretty nerds, that’s what I’m into… My last girlfriend built and battled robots, for fuck sake… She was thirty.”
I asked Sookie, “Have you ever heard of this… shading before?”
She was disgusted, yet calm…
“Sort of… Tess Vavros, my neighbor in Bern…”
“Call her.”
Sookie’s hand slipped into my pocket for my phone and as it rang, she rested her hand between my shoulder blades.
When the woman answered the phone, Sookie started, “I’m sorry to wake you up, Tess, but I couldn’t think of anyone else to call…”
Tess replied, “Sookie? What’s wrong that you’re calling me?”
Sookie huffed, “I need to know… What does Lindy look like to you?”
After a pause, the woman asked, “There’s a problem, isn’t there?”
“A Daemon… Lindy was sitting on his lap…”
The woman blurted, “She looks like you, Sookie. Atlas and I think it’s because she’s so emotionally advanced for her age. Your nephew looks like a young teen to us, but his father doesn’t offer any surprises. We think it’s the maturity reaped from telepathy. Misty and Jenny look older, but once we heard what they went through…”
Emre blurted, “See! It wasn’t intentional. She even confirmed what I said about Misty and Jenny.”
He was feeling vindicated… instead of realizing how lucky he was.
Sookie offered, “Atlas never mentioned a problem…”
Tess answered, “We’ve known her since she was so little though… I don’t bother with shading because buxom blondes aren’t my type, and you know how busy Atlas is. He’s almost never home… We have been joking about how Allecks will need a gun, perhaps snipers, once she’s actually a teenager though.”
Lovely.
Sookie sighed, “I’m gonna let you go…” She slid my phone back into my pocket and turned her attention to Emre. “So, my five-year old is your type, huh?”
He choked, “She probably will be eventually, but right now, she’s a serious threat to my life…”
“You bet your fucking ass she is. If you ever…”
He groaned, “I won’t.”
“Good. Get back to work so you can get out of here.”
He began rubbing his neck as soon as I moved the sword. “Honestly… that’s what I was trying to do. I made Lindy get off of my lap. I suggested that she put on more clothes, and that she could find somewhere else to hang out. I understood that she was looking for a distraction from her father’s thoughts… They’d just started playing chess when everyone returned. I did what I could… Is there an appropriate way to explain lap dances to a child that age? What should I have done, explain to a five-year old that I couldn’t stop seeing her as a scantily clad version of her mother? Is it acceptable to tell a princess to take a hike? This wasn’t exactly in the manual.”
Sookie narrowed her eyes. “Me? Are you speaking figuratively or literally?”
“She’ll be taller, have straighter hair, and…” He paused to clear his throat. “She’ll be just as curvaceous.”
Fuck. I needed to commission a drawbridge.
I asked, “Is there a particular reason you didn’t explain when she was on your lap earlier?”
“Yes. She was completely clothed and it was my understanding she would be supervised by her father. I didn’t expect for her to come to the office and climb onto my lap again, especially not half-dressed. I’d planned to say something to you about it once you returned, but the conversation was going to concern Misty and Jenny’s apparent ages more than Lindy’s. For them to seem so much older, it’s indicative of abuse. I thought that was more pressing than the topic of how attractive they’d eventually be… until Misty teased Jenny for wearing Monday’s panties.”
Sookie sighed, “We already knew about the abuse. It’s why Allecks and I pursued custody of them in the first place… In the interest of keeping your head, I’ll tell the girls to stay the hell away from you.”
Emre sighed, “That’s more drastic than necessary. I was just going to suggest a courteous observance of personal space and clothing… Pretty girls are just pretty girls until friction and nudity are factors…”
Fuck his point.
“Since Eric still wants to kill you, you’d better hope that’s enough…”
He bowed, thanking Sookie as though she hadn’t just told him my sword might as well still be at his throat.
She snorted, “Don’t thank me. Thank them.” She thumbed over her shoulder to the peanut gallery.
“If I might ask, why them?”
“Because they have daughters of their own… They’re concentrating on how lucky you were that Tess answered the phone and was willing to discuss shading, instead of thinking of ways to dispose of your body discretely… No, wait… Simon votes that Eric should get to kill you just for robbing him of what little peace he would have had for the next few years. Eric should have been safe until training bras ruined everything.”
Simon was growing on me.
**
After locking Emre in my office, I followed Sookie upstairs…
Since Allecks was still in his room, I volunteered to talk to the girls while Sookie tended to Daan’s introduction to his father.
It was simple…
Without being too graphic, and without explaining Emre’s preference (or the reasons behind it), I offered, “As it turns out, some Dae have the ability to see a person at their age of maturity, rather than their actual age. You all know you’re far more mature than the candles on your birthday cakes suggest. Do me the favor of wearing robes and keeping your hands off of Emre so I don’t have to behead a perfectly good lawyer for asking one of you for a date before you’re 30.”
My evasion might have been mistaken for sugarcoating.
They knew there was more to it than that, but instead of challenging me or demanding details, they unpacked robes or loungewear before leading the way to the kitchen…
While I fed another bottle to Hope, the rest of my Legion prepared nibbles with our company as they trickled into the kitchen… and they all complained that Sookie and Daan were keeping the conversation with Dan Driscoll under telepathic lock and key. More than anything, I was curious about how they’d eventually explain the connection to Daan’s aunt… The best scenario I could think of included a glamour I would be willing to perform.
Simon, Swaantje and Saskia worked together to assemble Bananas Foster and serve it to everyone who could enjoy it… Miles asked Simon to marry his mother so there would be something edible in her house. It didn’t matter to him that his parents were just as married as Simon… Sierra explained that she’d met her Maker while she was traveling with college friends under the guise of art appreciation, but it was all an excuse to see the Beatles play at Palais du Sport… Mentioning the Beatles reminded Igon that his wife almost didn’t accept his proposal because of her devotion to Elvis. She only agreed to marry him after he sang Have I Told You Lately That I Love You to her… As an ‘Elvis man’, Corbett approved, and blamed his father for his affinity for the singer because his father was susceptible to earworms. Corbett knew the lyrics to Hound Dog before he knew the lyrics to America’s national anthem… Within a few minutes, Miles was already humming Hound Dog involuntarily…
Misty took it upon herself to show Alcide proper vodka and caviar consumption… I might have stopped her if she was making things up as she went along, but when Allecks joined them, I assumed it was allowed. She was permitted one shot of vodka, and only once in a while. Allecks jokingly mentioned that she was an excellent faker because when he was her age a sip of wine turned his stomach… Unfortunately, I knew better; she actually enjoyed it. She was also the only one of the girls who enjoyed the caviar and salmon; Jenny preferred the sweets, and Lindy ate a plateful of tomatoes and mozzarella as though we might run out.
They didn’t even enjoy the same types of snacks, my legion… The brave adventuress, the fragile caregiver, and the exuberant social butterfly… It was too early to make any predictions about Hope’s personality, but Winston would need to be a calculating fighter. I was going to need backup.
**
When Sookie finally joined everyone in the kitchen on her own, she was wearing an enigmatic grin. She announced that she had one Boston firefighter eager to meet his son, and a boy so anxious that he actually vomited… Even though the boy was trying to calm his nerves after the phone call he’d undoubtedly been fantasizing about for most of his life, the boisterous (and supportive) round of applause that erupted from the kitchen drew him out of his room.
When Ema finally returned, she attacked me with an aggressive hug and excitedly talked about snow as though the light flurries she’d seen had been unicorns. She was exceedingly grateful for her car, but when Dillon saw her reaction to snow, he was amused enough to make a quick stop at his parents’ house to borrow his sister’s ice skates. Not only had the Texan never seen snow, but she’d never gone ice skating until Dillon took her to a pond nearby… She jokingly suggested that gravity was broken in the Netherlands because no matter how many times she slipped, her butt never hit the ice… Dillon had caught her so many times she’d lost count.
She was so excited that her smile was contagious, but there was so much company in the house that I hadn’t thought to wonder what had been keeping Ema. The girl had slipped my mind in all of the commotion… Enjoying the company was bizarre enough, but the fact that there was too much happening for me to focus was a spotlight on the imminent security issue. Thankfully, part of the chaos came from having so many capable guards on hand, but the pandemonium needed to subside soon.
**
Just as there had been a group effort to prepare and devour the snacks, the collective tidied the kitchen and parted ways. Alcide and Swaantje planned to take over the ‘command headquarters’ for the guards so that Simon, Lars, Igon and Gerrit could touch base with their men, both on the property and at the hotel in Maastricht. Selma and Sierra excused themselves to tend to Notorious related business. Given that Cornelius and Mee had plenty of time to return to their districts, they said their goodbyes (even if they did seem to be worried they would miss something interesting). And Misty announced that Raiders Of The Lost Ark would be playing in the den. Disney MGM had an Indian Jones attraction.
Spieeeeeeelbeeeeeeerg.
**
While everyone migrated to the den (Sookie’s family tree, plus Gawain, the boys, Ema and Daan), Sookie and I stopped at my office to check on Emre’s progress.
When we walked in, there was a tray with an empty plate and a coffee cup sitting on the side of the desk.
I didn’t have to ask to know Lindy had snuck away to deliver a snack to Emre while he worked.
He stood up and removed several pages from the printer. The only documents that weren’t already prepared were for Hope’s adoption. He wanted to be sure of the hyphen because there wasn’t a middle name on the paperwork from Hadley. After a few keystrokes, the printer came to life, printing the last of the mountain of forms Sookie and I needed to sign.
As Sookie and I autographed document after document, it occurred to me that I would have called Emre’s visit incredibly productive if it hadn’t been for the insanity of his reaction to the girls. At least he had the sense to still seem cagey in my presence…
Simon was right. I’d been robbed. Pricks like Alexei could be easily disposed of. They made themselves stand out. Even if Emre wasn’t a pedophile, he was a blaring reminder that there were monsters that seemed perfectly harmless. Monsters like Sookie’s uncle. Monsters like the ones who had aged Misty and Jenny immeasurably.
I actually had the inkling to ask Emre if he had any artistic ability, if he could draw the girls as he saw them, but… I didn’t want the answer. I couldn’t fix it. I couldn’t do a single fucking thing to give their innocence back to them. And they’d know that I pitied them even more than I already had.
**
Watching Indiana Jones had been a learning experience… Seating wasn’t really an issue, but the den was nothing if not cramped. It helped that the girls relaxed on laps until they fell to sleep, but I was sure sprawling on futons would be more comfortable than sandwiching onto overcrowded sofas. I actually missed a few minutes of the movie while I considered the options that would fulfill my promise to Misty that I’d refurnish the room. I would have cringed at the thought a week earlier, but the most comfortable plan I thought of included piles of pillows, futons, and blankets.
I’d taken the girls to their room after the movie, certain they’d be awakened by someone’s dreams and they’d eventually stagger downstairs…
Once Hope was settled in her hammock, I joined my wife in the shower while she washed away the scents of hundreds of fans.
I wrapped my arms around her and started, “I already miss it.”
She rested her arms over mine and asked, “What?”
“Your scar… It was beautiful.”
She snickered, “It was grotesque. I understand why it was so rough. I mean, keeping Lindy and me alive was the priority over cosmetics, but… I was actually… eventually going to see a plastic surgeon about patching it up a bit.”
“After you had another baby.”
She sighed, “Well, that was the thinking behind it at first.”
“Are you afraid of being disappointed again?”
She nodded. “Completely.”
“How many other Sookie’s have had miscarriages?”
She took a deep breath and sighed, “Two, but one doesn’t count.”
“Why not?”
“Because she didn’t just miscarry… she had a miscarriage after she was attacked. She was shot by some lunatic and the baby didn’t make it.”
“So you only know of one miscarriage that you haven’t had yourself?”
She took a deep breath again. “Yes.”
“And none of yours were before Lindy.”
“No. All of them have been since.”
“Then, if your scarring is completely gone, I don’t see a reason to be timid. You’re generally pretty fertile.”
“Are you trying to talk me into having a baby?”
“No.”
“Then what are we talking about?”
“I imagine we’re talking about Winston.”
Her voice shook as she asked, “Do we have to?”
“I was only curious before, but now I want to know why you don’t want to discuss him.”
She took a deep breath and turned around to face me. “I don’t want him… I know that sounds horrible, but I don’t mean him specifically. If I hadn’t had problems, I wouldn’t have just perpetually popped out kids like a baby factory. Truth be told, I probably would have stopped at two or three. I’m afraid that if I did decide to have another one, it would just be to prove I can. Is that a good enough reason?”
“Are you asking if I think you need to justify…”
“I’m asking if ‘because I can’ is a good enough reason to have a baby.”
“In that case, no… I didn’t intend to upset you.”
“I know… I’m not upset with you… I’m disappointed in me, I think… Maybe just at the idea that there was a splinter of truth to Allecks’s line of thinking…”
“No. There wasn’t. You weren’t doing anything to cause the miscarriages you had. You would have been a loving and devoted mother to those children like you are to the others. He wanted more ‘just because’. You’ve given birth to one child, taken in three others, and you’re practically a foster mother to an entire Supernatural community, Sookie. You’re anything but selfish.”
“Is it okay that it scares the hell out of me to know how accurate Ema’s drawings are? Unless I eventually change my mind, which I’ll admit is possible, I can’t imagine what that means… Now that I’m not broken anymore… It’s not like we can have a surprise baby.”
But we knew about a Sookie who’d had a baby after being raped.
Now that she’d pointed that out, it would rattle around in my mind until I brought her over.
“Perhaps Hadley’s procedure doesn’t take? Fails? How does that work?”
She sighed, “I guess it could reverse itself. It’s been known to happen.”
“Good let’s assume she fails at being sterilized like everything else.”
She snorted and rested her head on my shoulder. “It’s so weird… I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out where he’d come from, how we’d end up with him.”
“I probably will too. I’ve only considered how you’d go about choosing a donor. I assumed that would be how we’d end up with him.”
“We need a psychic.”
“Do you know one?”
“Other than Ema? Just my dead aunt, but it’s possible to run into her.”
She finally began calming down enough to finish washing, and I was left to consider variables while I waited for my turn under the water.
I still hadn’t thought of anything when Sookie darted from the shower to wrap herself with a towel and answer a knock on our bedroom door.
I’d just lathered my hair when I heard Sookie gasp…
Feeling her rush of curiosity, but not being able to identify what it was mixed with, I finished washing as quickly as possible… but I found her sitting on the side of our bed, leafing through our copies of the legal documents.
Ema was standing in the doorway, chewing her lip and cringing as though she’d done something wrong.
“What happened?”
Sookie opened her mouth, but she balked several times before offering, “Mystery solved.”
I sat next to her and asked, “Another drawing?”
She shook her head. “The rest of one…” She handed a piece of paper to me with nothing but ‘Rutger’ scribbled on the bottom.
The rest?
Oh.
Without being asked, Sookie offered the sketch of Winston…
While I compared the pages, Ema offered, “That’s happened before… When someone takes a sketch from me while it’s in progress, I just finish it on whatever’s underneath. Y’all know what it means?”
I wasn’t sure why the fuck Sookie would say ‘mystery solved’… Reading ‘Winston Northman Rutger’ didn’t fix anything. It only added more confusion…
Until Sookie handed some of the paperwork to me…
I hadn’t even noticed, because I’d been concentrating on the other documents, assuming Sookie had been proofreading to be sure Hope’s hyphenated name had been remedied, but Asker had completed Hope’s adoption papers, giving her my last name.
It wasn’t as though I would have corrected the mistake unless Sookie took issue with it, but I’d assumed Hope’s last name would match the other children’s.
Sookie cleared the lump from her throat to remind me, “It’s family tradition to give babies’ their mom’s maiden name in the middle.”
“Hope?”
She nodded towards the sketch and sniffled, “That’s our grandbaby.”
All I could say was, “No,” because my mind hadn’t caught up yet.
Hope Lynn Northman… Winston Northman Rutger…
Nevermind that I had to wonder how the fuck those two family trees would merge…
There was so much more to consider…
And the swell from hearing Misty and Jenny’s choices for their middle names came back to me again… Liz had picked Northman for me… Seeing that Liz was still leaving fingerprints decades later… Not haunting me anymore, but leaving little echoes that would make me smile…
Sookie asked, “I could get dizzy trying to figure out what’s going on up there…” At least I wasn’t the only one, but until she said something I was prepared to blame our bond. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Where to start…
I opted with a joke because Ema was still in the room…
“If Winston is Hope’s son, but his last name is Rutger, the moat won’t keep the guilty party away from her, will it?”
Ema giggled and Sookie gave me a sympathetic pout. “No sweetie, I’m afraid not.”
EricIzMine FanFiction 
Beaut! Just read the previous chapter and I’m awaiting this one!
This banner looks very ominous….isn’t that the lawyer that everybody was swooning over? Does he get in trouble or start trouble unintentionally? Can’t wait to see.
Can’t wait 🙂
Yes Yes Yes!!! 🙂
Impatiently awaiting!! : )
Omg that’s dean I’m going to have to check out your casting pages now for sure!!!
Do we have an ETA on this yet? Since the banner was posted there have been two updates to Intrepid….just wondering if your muse will wander back in this direction soon? Not complaining just twitching.
Damn, woman, you can cause heart problems even in the healthiest of us!!! I was rerererererereading the Verse, and my heart jumped in my throat when I saw a new chapter banner!
Save us from choking on our own innards, dear! Xxoo
I will just keep checking each day until you get it posted…
Could that be Eric’s answer to Emre offering his services to him and Sookie’s donor problem.
IsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyet….
…or does ex-husband get the no? Does he try 2 ‘get’ Sookie back? I’m sure that wait is worth (free) perfection!
hahahaha i liked this so i am repeating it
IsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyetIsitdoneyet
Just four more days and you will have successfully kept us twitching for a month now. Is that a record? So I just finished re reading this verse for the upteenth time and I have a few questions.. Question 1: In BTD Sookie mentions that Hadley’s mind ‘whispers’ and we’re led to believe it could be because she’s half fae…..in this verse she’s met Gwain so does she notice the same thing from him? Question 2: The title of this chapter, does it have anything to do with the information they got from the skip and if not when will we find out?
Twitching for more,
Aly
Gawain is completely different then Hadley, he was more fae then any of them & he is telepathic like Sookie, so it would be like any other telepath she encounters; shields/no shields. Every encounter besides that discovery is that he is a daywalker and really invasive lol. Not to mention his jealousy that Sookie is a more impressive telepath.
Thanks for asking this. I just re-read BTD and Meanwhile where the “creepy whispers” are mentioned and wondered what happened with that. Hunter even said he heard someone else like that in the supermarket once.
I hadn’t realized just how long you’ve been teasing us on this till Ally pointed it out tomorrow we will have been on edge a month. Didn’t realize I’ve been sick that long! But then again time flies when all ya do is sleep eat occasionally and sleep some more between coughing and pills. And teas. And boy has this been a tease! Lol
A month wait is nothing guys. I’ve been waiting a year and half for an update on Alcide In Wonderland and it’s only got one chapter left and hopefully a bonus with Hadley, Alcide and the boys in NOLA. Plus 3 years of waiting for Life and Death to continue.
That is a damn good point.
The muse is what it is though. I’d actually hate for EIM to force something instead of going where her muse takes her. Going with the flow is how we end up with the awesomeness that is ALL of her work! ❤
Going with the muse is all good and well, but to never have stories finished when you’re so close to the end is a disservice to your readers. It makes me not recommend authors who do that or not want to start reading a new story for fear that I’m never going to see the end. And I’d rather a story get taken down if there is no intent to ever finish it than to see new readers drawn in knowing they’re going to be frustrated in the long run because a story isn’t finished. Not just commenting on EIM, but all fanfic writers.
If published authors only wrote/finished stories when the muse hit them we’d have a whole heck of a lot less books out there. A good author will continue a story and push through a writers block, they aren’t just going to sit around waiting for their muse to hit them.
Write all the stories you (generic you) want just don’t post them until you’ve finished up the ones already started and posted. And don’t post a story if you don’t know the end before you start writing. Nothing worse than rambling writers. (and no I haven’t seen rambling here) Also know how to end a story, don’t just stop and say The End. Actually have a conclusion.
Sorry about the rant, but too many fanfic authors leave readers hanging for months/years and it drives me crazy.
To broughps- While I understand your point to a certain extent I think you’re not taking something into consideration; these stories intertwine. Think of them as different chapters of one book. If they were written start to finish in chronilogical order there wouldn’t be much suspence in the later parts. We just found out about Hadley’s skip to LAR and that’s fun- knowing something the characters don’t know and wondering when and how they will find out! If you think of the whole Multi-Verse as one story you may be less frustrated.
In case anyone was wondering, Team Beta was set to receive this chapter on 7/1…before this bitch-fest festered. The posting of NW 34 (“No”)had nothing to do with any bellyaching.
Life & Death is dead. I just now changed the L&D to say as much.
AIW will eventually be finished, but at the risk of forcing out complete shite, I’m taking my time with it. And the bonus you’re expecting for AIW doesn’t take place in NOLA.
As for the MultiVerse… to date there are 275 chapters to that story. I’m not sure how 1,500,000 words can be considered a disservice to my readers when I’m still posting chapters to the MultiVerse. No part of the MultiVerse is currently endangered. It’s just on hold.
Last time I checked, you were still doing this for free, and real life can be a bitch even when the muses are cooperating. Take your time. I’m too emotionally invested to walk away now anyway 😛
there was going to be a sequel for BTD …. is that still going to happen or is it dead in the water as well …. 🙂
I’m sure Marelikel was referencing the comment where it has been 3 years to update L&D. Now I guess their correct in their opinion, no? In the middle of a story, it’s dead with no resolve; disappointing. And I agree, I wouldn’t recommend that story based on that.
I was talking generally above, but I stand by what I said. It’s very frustrating to continually see new stories started when older stories are on hold. There are now nine, Nine unfinished stories in the multiverse:
1. Intrepid – current
2. Alpha – last chapter Sept 2012
3. Bright Things – last chapter May 2013
4. Rubbernecking – last chapter Apr 2013
5. Like a Rock – last chapter Apr 2013
6. In The Dark – last chapter Dec 2012
7. Euro Pass – last chapter Sept 2012
8. Nuclear Winter – current
9. Breathless – last chapter Nov 2012
Plus there are the other unfinished stories.
You are a fantastic writer and I know this is all for free and you share your stories out of the goodness of your heart, but realize it is frustrating as a reader to wait and wait for stories to be finished. Do I look forward to new stories, yes, but with a sense of dread at the same time. I now have to wonder if a story will ever be finished and should I even bother to start reading it.
Thanks for the breakdown. I didn’t realize it had been 9 months since I updated Euro Pass…
That might be because I add an average of 2-3 chapters per week to the MultiVerse.
I’m doing the best that I can. I have a life that includes six kids, an unemployed husband, and a mother who was diagnosed with lymphoma in Nov and made it through the other side of chemo only to have spinal surgery.
If you didn’t intend to single me out and complain directly to me about how long you wait for chapters to a specific Verse (even though the stories are all intertwined), then there are forums geared towards ranting about how you feel disserviced by free entertainment… You made the choice to start reading a WIP. I’ve been burned by getting into a story that died too, which is why no one is more disappointed in my lack of follow through than I am.
And I’m not going to ‘push through writers block’ because doing so results in complete shite that the reader regrets investing in too. I’d rather enjoy an inspired idea than suffer the hostility of unhappy readers, and I’m not sure many other writers would say they feel differently.
I think I should clarify my earlier statement above……when I stated that EIM had left us twitching for almost a month and I thought it was a record I meant that she’d made a banner announcing the next chapter was up and ready and then we waited forever for the actual chapter. As for the other “in progress” stories, I agree with Marelikel. These stories do intertwine just like “the braid” suggests. It makes it much more interesting to read it this way – as an on going work- than a completed one. Case in point, NW and EP. When I reread these verses recently I was glad I had initially read them as they were posted because I was able to get the alternating Eric’s point of view, which is missing when you just read the verses straight through. EIM knows what’s she’s doing. Whether it be because she’s wait for on verse to ‘catch up’ with another before posting the next chapter or if she’s waiting for brain hogs to die down a bit…..it’s important to trust she knows what she’s doing because it is HER creation after all. (Despite the characters origins.)
Now I stated this on FB and I’ll state it here…..I believe since I am called a Brat I am fully allowed to act as one which is why I complain so much, but there is a fine line between being a Brat and being an ungrateful whiner. I know which side my bread is buttered on broughps, do you?
While I have jokingly asked for updates at Christmas from Santa iirc this is the first time I’ve pressed the issue (written so much). I also pointed out that EIM is a fantastic writer and she’s doing this out of the goodness of her heart, so no not being an ungrateful whiner. I appreciate that she does give us many chapters in a small amount of time unlike most fanfic writers. I’m not however the only reader who wonders if some stories will ever have an end/update or if they’ll be left to languish. I just decided to be vocal about it this time and only because someone complained about waiting a month for an update when other verses/stories have been left alone longer. A month seemed like a small amount of time to me.
Oh, no! I’m so sorry to hear Life & Death will not continue…You have built a brilliant story with Saints and Sinners and Alcide in Wonderland. Just like the Multiverse, we’d love to see where it goes…I would hope your muse would come back for that one. I’m happy to get a chapter when whenever you give us one….It will be epic and a sad day when the end comes for all your stories!! But hopefully that will be a long time coming 🙂
I’d say waiting for an update on AIW isn’t such a big deal. In my opinion, you already know how the story ends. It’s not like it’s a huge cliffhanger.
I’m totally rereading this now that i know this chappy is with betas
If your impatience is that much of a problem, then you shouldn’t start reading unfinished works. I recommend buying books instead of criticizing the work of, or minimizing the work ethic of, someone doing this for free…someone who has an enormous family with enormous familial obligations: the person who has created THE MOST intricate and involved SVM FF story in the fandom (and it really is…I know because I read too damned much SVM fanfic).
I understand feeling frustrated about unfinished stories…but…if you’ve read the MV, then you know that it’s essentially ONE gigantic, interrelated story. So why gripe about a finite end to one facet of it? That makes no sense to me. Why push for an end to a part? Why try to guilt EIM into publishing utter shit just so that it can say “The End”? Or…why complain that a ‘flipside’ story like AIW is incomplete? If you’ve read S&S, then you know how it ends, barring a few details. To me, that’s nit-picking, and again, pushing for a generic ending rather than waiting for her muses and real life to allow EIM to finish as she’s envisioned.
I don’t really mean to sound so harsh, but it seems to me that your argument/pov is better served to someone who hasn’t updated ANYTHING in ages (months, years, etc.). Patience is a virtue, my friend, and you aren’t presenting yourself as having mastered this facet of virtue right now.
(Disclaimer: the tone/tenor of this post may have been brought to you by my husband, mother, gin, or a combination of all three. No returns/no refunds).
Um, gin messed up. This belonged with the post above yours.
I neither criticized the work or minimized the work ethic of EIM. I merely pointed out the frustration of continually seeing new stories with a plethora of chapters pop up while other stories languish.
And if I hadn’t developed patience I wouldn’t be here now.
Chelle, sorry if this splits your two posts.
Broughps how can you say you aren’t minimizing her work ethic in one sentence and in the next criticize her work ethic??? “Uh EIM, I’m not gonna shite on your parade today, but I am going to THROW shite on your parade. See how those are totally different guys? I did it a round about way, not directly, plus now I’m going to back pedal, so it’s cool!! She won’t mind!! And when she comes on and says what all she’s got going on, but she still somehow manages to get all these chapters out to use when there are total haters out here like me, I’m just going to pretend I didn’t see her post and continue to act like I’m in the right while slightly backpedaling until I make it look like they were the ones with the bad attitude!! I’ve got it all figured out!! Yeah!!!”
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but EIM has some of the most protective fans out there. And coming on her page and trying this crap doesn’t go over well, especially when you start out all high and might and as soon as someone calls you out on it you start backpedaling but then turn around and say the same damn thing!! Angela does do a lot for us while she’s got crapstorm upon snowstorm upon snowstorm upon whatever else kind of storm throwing family and personal issues at her. But as a former navy wife she just swats that crap away like it’s nothing, until one so big comes at her that there’s no swatting. But through all of that we may have gone 2 or 3 weeks at most with out a story and all she said was that RL was kicking her ass. No crying to us about how it wasn’t her fault, no whining about how difficult her life is and that she just has too many stories open so she’s going to close all the old ones without finishing them. No she said sorry, real life is kick my ads, if it lets up I’ll try to get more out to you soon. That’s a stand up woman that doesn’t tell you what you want to hear just because you want to hear it, no sugarcoating, no lies, and only the amount of personal info she felt comfortable giving out. I respect her for that and if, God forbid, she had to walk away from the MV right now, I would still tell people to read it even though it wasn’t finished, because she does have the integrity to do what she can when she can and truly doesn’t apologize for it. Well she does, but it’s, sorry I didn’t get this out sooner, you know how RL is, or that darn baby would NOT take a nap today! Sorry this is so late! Never “Sorry I’ve decided that my family comes before you and always will.” Because that’s the way it should be, and if anyone, broughps or anyone else, has a problem with that, feel free to find me on the Brat page or leave me a message through here. And everyone remember to tell Angela thank you for what she does for us!! I haven’t been over here for a few days so she’ll be getting at least three THANK YOU ANGELA from me!!! She is above and beyond the best, and I’m a choosy birch therefore I try to only read the best so I would know!!
OH!!! And whoever said to push through the writer’s block to keep the story going, do you know what you get when you do that???? The last 6 or so books in the SVM series!!!! ESPECIALLY the last two bricks of crap!!
So Sad about Life and Death, but it isn’t like we were left with major cliffies. We essentially know they live happily ever after and how. Considering the juggernaut that the MV is, the fact that there is on average a chapter a week or more is impressive. I also don’t see any decrease in quality. So here we have quality and quantity. Really what more do you want. Enjoy the chapters as they come.
I love your work. Real life comes first, like it should. People should just be grateful, that you share your fabulous imagination with us, when you are able. If you don’t like it, read something else. It’s ridiculous to complain, when it gets written and shared when it’s ready. It’s very ungrateful. Shame on you for being a bit of a “brat”. You are thinking about your enjoyment and not what real life maybe putting the author through at the point. EIM is always worth the wait. No matter how long that wait is. The MV and the Braid are awesome and always intertwining. Great chapter. Another job well done. Prayers to your mother and your family, EIM.
I love MV and hope it never ends. Thanks for all the wonderful writing!
wow just wow. How you keep this straight is mind boggling. Aww for grandbabies. Emre is lucky to be alive
Thanks for another awesome chapter in the MV!! Please know that most of us appreciate what you do and please don’t get discouraged by the criticism. Everyone has real life issues, but I didn’t realize HOW MUCH is going on for you right now. I would rather wait longer for something I enjoy reading than have any writer try to “push through” and put out a sub-par product. Bad writing is just that – and impacts the story from that point forward. Even though you are working with different story lines, I think that the multi-verse should be viewed as a unit rather than separately anyway. And you have been updating the MV at an impressive rate!!
Love this chapter. A grandbaby for Eric and Sookie. A million YAYS. I really didn’t mind the wait, it just kept me on the edge of my seat waiting, I know how real life is. Please don’t let the negativity get you down, you and your team are amazing to no end.
Wow! I was not expecting any of that! Poor Emre, it’s a good thing he explained fast lol… I swear every time I think I have a new favorite thread of the multiverse you update a different one and I fall in love with that verse all over again. I love how far this Eric has come from the bastard that needed to be stabbed with a fork to a father who absolutely see’s these four girls as his daughters.
And as far as the drama going on up there ^ You just do you thing, personally I really enjoy the jumping around and seeing how everything intertwines and learning things about your OCs and then going back and applying that information to other versions of themselves… and frankly I love all the different verses so much that I dont want any of them to end! so you let that crazy creative muse of yours take you where ever it goes because you’ve certainly never let me down yet!
Do I have to whine/moan/groan/bitch/complain about this FREE entertainment, or can I just go on and act like a thoroughly-satisfied and mature adult and say ” I LOVED THIS CHAPTER!”??
I can see where some complainers are coming from (we’ve all been sucked down the reader rabbit-hole of beloved but unfinished stories), but dang – it’s just a frustrating part of the “freely reading free works for free” deal.
In some instances, ugh, you DO – sadly – get exactly what you pay for (nothing for nothing, y’all)…but then in other instances, you happen to stumble upon a true genius in the field, and should be glad for the chance to reap the benefits of their efforts. EIM’s genius seems to lay, at least in part, in the creation of an enormous story of truly epic proportions that follows many smaller stories woven into other stories, ofttimes many of them at the same time, during the creation of each story as it goes. Therefore, very rarely could any story can be considered completed until all the other stories affected and effected by said story are also completed, which cannot happen until all other stories affected and effected by said second story can be completed, which cannot happen until…(breathe…)…
See what I mean?
EIM, you would make an awesome General, if for no other reason than your talent with logistics alone. 😀
Do *I* like dead, defunct, mouldering stories? Fuck no. But…I’m much more appreciative of peace on earth and a great can of sardines than I am of WWIII starting just because a story isn’t finished (yet). When I become frustrated over a beloved story stalling out, I do that thing where I revert to real life and clean my house, pay my bills, walk the dog, chat with neighbors, go to work, FIND ANOTHER STORY TO READ…and maybe, once in a while, I *might* send a POLITE private message (via ff.n or any other way that the writer has allowed contact) and ASK if the writer intends, at some point, to get back to whichever story is grinding on my latest nerve. I would very rarely grab my rude pants and wave them around on a public forum for something as trivial as an incomplete, or even dead, piece of FICTION.
This is free entertainment, provided for free, freely, by amazing people who write…for free. We, in my less-than-humble opinion, HAVE no room to bitch.
*clicks to re-read favorite stories because they’re my favorite stories and not because I’d rather re-read favorite stories than mop the kitchen floor just now*
Love it!!! PANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!
PANTS!!!!!!
I would like to give you a jumping high five and a big ole hug!! You went with polite where I went with flat out rude up above. I think your way is probably better. And may I use “rude pants” in the future cuz I freaking LOVE that shit!!!
Heh, thanks!
The rude pants come in all colors, fabrics, sizes and lengths, so feel free to use at will! 😀
Fantastic and so worth the wait. Sorry to hear about your mom. If there is a way to block annoying idiots from posting do it. you don’t need that stress. You write great stories for our enjoyment and don’t deserve that kind of hate. This is not your priority and people need to know that.
Again, Great story. Love the demon perspective. Sad that Sookie is not have any more babies, but she has 4 little girls to raise. Poor eric needs a bigger moat.
the fact that fanfiction is provided for free doesn’t mean it can’t be criticized. the moment you post something on the internet, you have to be prepared for both praise and criticism. and since everyone who loves these stories can say so, I would assume that anyone who doesn’t can do the same, regardless of the fact that those who loved these stories are the majority. and as far as i’ve noticed, no one bashed (if that’s the correct expression) these stories (here, at least) and no one has been extremely hateful, as a few comments suggest. why is it okay to say if you like something, but if something bothers you, you have to keep your opinion to yourself?
I’m sure I missed something along the way, so maybe one of y’all can help me out. How is it that none if the girls were able to pick up on Emre’s thoughts? It was clear that he was very worried and stressed, so why didn’t one of them listen to him. I don’t recall that daemons’ minds are closed to telepaths. Are they?
@theresa…daemon’s mind are unreadable like vampires all they get are emotions.
@EIM… Great chapter, definitely worth the wait. I don’t care how long you to take to GIFT us with new chapters. The waiting is part of the fun for me like unwrapping a present on Christmas morning. Since Alex is what I ask Santa for every year I’d say you are a great santa’s helper. Lol I just re-read the multi-verse while waiting. You would be surprised the tidbits you catch from other verses that are there. Clever girl! Just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for what you give to us.
Thanks for another quality chapter. EIM, you are awesome and the MV is amazing. I am constantly in complete awe of your abilities to write, keep everything straight, and continuously reinvent these characters. I have to say that I enjoy your stories much more than most of the actual books. I am grateful for anything you can share with us and feel free to take all the time you need to produce your imaginative works. Is there a danger of me wearing out my mouse by constantly hitting refresh once I see a new chapter is to be posted? Hell yes… but please take that as a compliment, not a complaint.
I’ll just say that I loved this chapter. Really sweet how Eric stood up for and protected “his” girls. Awwwww! And the mystery of Winston is solved.
All I’ll say about the debate above is that I don’t want any of the verses to EVER END so I’m content to look forward to whatever we get. Angela is effing awesome to keep all this straight and I love getting new verses and I can guarantee that she’ll get back to all of them eventually while still giving us new chapters every week. Just something to look forward to as far as I’m concerned 🙂
I love that woman!
Wow, you are a master at twisty turny things! Loved the chapter, for the record I always have a OMG moment whenever I see a new posting and love the sense of anticipation. As there is always something going on in the verse, I never feel like I am hanging.
A bit sad that Life and Death is not continuing but I love where you left them, we are just greedy! I do think you should find a Verse role for Eddie Izzard, as he is just so funny.
Hope that all goes well for your mom and the rest of your family. Thanks for all the entertainment.
B
Ooh… nice one! What do you see him as? Maybe a daemon? Are there imps in the Mutiverse?
If so what are they like
Is it weird that my mind just saw Eddie Izzard as a perfect mix between Mr. Cataliades and Gladia?
I say Daemon! Lol
thank you for the chapter, I love this verse. Surprised that Emre was having such a bad time being around the girls, guess his shading isn’t an advantage at this moment. Eric will need a bigger moat and will be pulling his hair out by the time the girls get through their teens. I guess security will have to be reorganized. I love your stories and am very happy whenever I see a new chapter, no matter what the story. Thank you for your time and I am very thankful for your imagination and talent.
Neutering?
Yeah. Another chapter. Gran babies for Eric and Sookie is exciting but weird they are getting them so far in advance. Hope is only a few weeks old. Does this mean the rest of the girls won’t have any children?
If your muse holds out with the characters you could be writing these stories for years. Of course if its been awhile on one story I have to go back and reread to refresh my mind. I have CRS (can’t remember shit) in my old age. I love your writing and your stories. Some times they just make me tired with all the multitasking. I think I have you figured out. You are hyperactive with ADHD with a sense of calm undercurrent. Hence the multitasking overactive laid back approach of Sookie. Love it.
I absolutely loved this chapter. I want to state though. That you EIM are too fantastic to be rushed. I am a seamstress of sorts. I can tell all of your right now if your heart isn’t in your art its shit. The outfits and things I’ve made that I rushed through just to finish aren’t ones I am proud of. Those are the ones that get thrown away because of the flaws.
Writing is like that. I much rather EIM write slowly and produce a masterpiece than rush and give us junk she wouldn’t back because it was a rush job she wasn’t into.
She is fabulous, and updates more often than given credit for. Just cause she is updating one and not another of stories that literally are interwoven together! They are all one big ass story. Look at it that way. Her stories are one big story. So by updating one in a away she is updating all.
I love all of the multi-verse and you are an incredibly gifted writer. Any chapter that you write for any of your stories is a very special treat. I love how protective Eric is with “his” girls. Thank you for updating.
Whoa! Thank goodness Sookie was familiar with a similar Dae. I absolutely loved how Eric claimed the girls as his children. They could not have a better father.
I also loved that twist you threw in there about Winston.
Thanks for the many many gifts lately. I truly appreciate all the hard work you and your extraordinary team put in for us.
That said….more please? 😉
Ok sorry but who is Rutger that Hope seems to marry and have Winston with??
Gerritt, Swaantje, Dillon and Luus are the Rutgers family. 🙂
Or Dillon’s son, newborn… But that’s in a different braid…. But… Maybe he will have his heirs soon?
Wow, unless she bonds and gets pregnant in a different braid. Now that would be weird!
Thank you for writing, totally worth the wait. Poor Emre. Poor Eric. As much as I’d miss seeing more, will NW now be listed as complete? I know you didn’t post FIN like with Meanwhile, but this seems like a natural stopping place. We have a glimpse of the future, and depending upon how far into the future you get with the MV, we could hear about it through the skips. Despite the logic I’m attempting to talk myself out of, NW is still my favorite verse, and I would love to see more if inspiration strikes again. The multiverse has become my canon for SVM. Thank you once again for giving it to us.
So the mystery of Winston is… Solved… Sort of lol. Very tricky of you 🙂
And now I understand why Emre was so uncomfortable with Lindy sitting in his lap last chapter. Wow, poor Emre. No wonder he was giving off a ‘last-meal’ vibe. Knowing what his reaction to Eric’s daughter (by marriage or blood, no diff) would look like to the very protective 1000yr old vamp King? Yeah, I would think he would have been stinking of fear. Poor boy. I felt for him, cos he was suck. I mean how would you tell a five year old they need to get off your lap cos you are seeing them as an adult and it feels like the are giving you a lap dance? Geezers. Rock and a hard place or what?… Lmao, ok that wasn’t actually intentional. Gonna go crack myself up over my own stupid brain being stuck in Emres ‘hard place’
Thanks for a great chapter!
can’t wait for the next chapters..
loved the chapter, it was fun re-reading all 34 chapters and then when they found out who Winston was going to be the son of was awesome. I figure Winston’s name comes from Harry Winston jewels as another namesake for Liz/Pam. thank you for writing this awesome chapter. Kristie
boy oh boy i loved it expecilly the last line with the mote lol great addition to and already great story cant wait for more but i am loving intrepid too so do what you can when you can and ill be here tapping my fingers hoping for more cause i love these stories so much 🙂
I sort of feel sorry for Emre. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Fortunately, the girls are understanding. I’m glad we got the mystery of Winston solved. Eric’s getting a crash course in being a dad. Excellent chapter, as always.
I love Angela. I think she is a fantastic author. When I am feeling low I can come here to this blog and get lost in another world. These stories stand up to the test of time as I have reread them several times. Since I look at new chapters as a gift I am grateful to get any new ones. If a new chapter gets posted to a verse that has not been updated in a while it just invites me to reread again. I have spent countless hours here. I have never regretted doing so. Keep up the good work Angela. I say go where the muse leads you. We have all seen how it goes when an author has lost her love for her own stories ( Meaning Dead Ever After ).
I Suck At Keeping My Muses Around… There Is NO Way In Hell I Could EVER Accomplish A Feat Like The MV… and I OnlyHave 2 Kids. EIM Never Fails To Astonish Me. I ALWAYS Get Sucked Into One Verse Or Another When I Check Updates AndEnd UpHere For Days. If I Didn’t Hate Typing On My Phone So Much (See Weird Caps And Spacing Above), I’d Leave More Feedback.
As It Stands, And As Little As It Is… Just Know That A LOT Of Us Ff Fans AreMoreLoyal To You Than To CH. Your Verses Are More Romantic… More Involved… MoreDetail Oriented… JustAll Together more Satisfying ThanTheOriginal BooksThat Gave Us Characters That We All Adore. I Can Say, Sincerely And Totally Honestly, That I Am Truly JealousOfYour Brain, Imagination, And Work Ethic To Entertain Us For So Long For Free. Your Are Absolutely Amazing.
Wonderful work! I look forward to more! 🙂
Peace,
JLJ
I just finished re-re-re-re-reading this one and i am even more in love w/this Eric than I thought I was before. I just love how far he has come in learning to remember Liz/Pam fondly instead of being angry and bitter that she is gone. I love his relationship w/his Legion. And I really want to know who Winston’s daddy is gonna end up being. I am hoping for Ema and Dillon to hook up, but since this Dillon hasn’t ‘done his duty’ by adding to the pack yet, will they have an oops baby before and that is who Hope ends up with? Loving all the verses and enjoying being along for the ride!
Finished reading this story. It must be the only one I missed in this multi-verse theme. Adored how you commenced this story. Impressed how you began with an unlikeable Eric & by this stage of the story is one I’m cheering for. The characters are all excellent too. I’m aware that it will never be completed but wish to have my appreciation of the story noted. Thankyou.
I just found your stories and love them. I know that you have a busy life but I would love for you to add more chapters to your stories of the Multi verse stories that are in process. Hope you find the time and your family is doing okay. I will continue to look for you stories and read them as they come to you. I have added you to my watch list and follow list. Thank you for you time you put into all you do for your readers.
I am sad to say that the reason there are no more updates is because Ericizmine died November 2013. She left any empty place in the hearts of all who knew her and read her work. She is missed.
I miss you all the time Angela.
Me too, Desiree. I remember where I was, and how shocked I was when I heard EIM died. What a huge impact she had on us.
OMGoodness! This was an awesome natural ending for this verse, the emotional growth Eric was able to achieve at the end made dealing with his chronic assholelism worth it lol! Seeing Liz/Pam via a skip took a backseat b’cus he was enjoying his present reality so so much. Thank you KY for being such a phenomenal friend and caretaker of Angela and her work. It means a lot that these gems are still available for us to enjoy and spiritually connect to Angela. I love you dearly.
anytime azucar69… i am always lurking to make sure comments are answered if needed and maintaining what the wonderful EIM started. KY
This is my favorite Verse so far. I like the rough, edgy at the start Eric and it’s always pleasant to find a Sookie who is even relatively likable. This was an interesting version of Sookie. “The Boys” are fun, but Gawain is just a little creepy & intrusive for my liking.
I was thrown by the girls hanging out with the attorney unsupervised. Maybe it’s just me, coming from a background of having been abused as a child, but I really can’t see how anyone would allow a child to be alone with an adult like that, particularly a male adult, that isn’t extremely well known to the parents (& frankly even then I wouldn’t). If I walked into a room to see a child climbing on or “bouncing” on the lap of someone any of the family barely knew, I would immediately tell the child to get off the person & not to do that ever again. In the first place, the man was there for business, not as a bouncy seat for a child. It’s one thing to bounce around & play with trusted friends & family like that, but even then, there are far too many instances where ‘trusted’ friends & family turn out to be abusers of that trust. Considering Uncle Bartlett’s behavior with Hadley & Sookie and then that Jenny & Misty had already been abused, it makes no sense at all that Sookie would allow young girls to be in that situation or that the girls themselves would be foolish enough to be so overly familiar with a relative stranger. For me, this part of the story is off & unnatural relative to the characters’ history.
understandable, but i think Angela felt since the girls had their telepathy they would know if the lawyer could not be trusted. plus the way Eric scared his employees i think Sookie felt they were safe since there were so many people in the castle. but since Angela cannot answer that question we may never know. KY
This is one of the stories that has a surprisingly complete ending even if it will forever be a work in progress. It’s probably my favorite of the skips, because my favorite part of the MV is the kids. Misty is queen of all, and Jenny and Lindy are both sweet.
I read the argument above about feeling let down if an author gives up on a work, and I think the MV is proof that it’s what an author gives us that’s golden. We’re not in hypotheticals about the MV remaining unfinished, it’s a certainty, but it doesn’t detract from how amazing the MV is as it stands.
yes the Holy Trinity was a fun read, she was going to tie them in with another verse, the babies were the catalyst there, but we never received the complete chapter. KY