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HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY/NIGHT!!
**A/N: Go make yourself a cup of something warm and comforting…maybe change into your jammies and put on those comfy bunny slippers…grab a tissue…kick back, and enjoy:**
After popping to the end of her drive to place some bills and her "what did you mean by this" reply in the mailbox, Sookie escorted her hangover back into the kitchen and continued trying to drown it in coffee. A little while and some pain relievers later, she decided that she was going to live after all, and bravely prepared herself some toast. She might be a bit younger than she used to be, but hangovers were still awful.
Deciding to keep the morning from being a complete loss, she took another cup of survival into the living room and sat on the sofa to peruse the latest foundation reports from Mr. C. While she did so, she made the conscious decision to keep her mental net focused on her mailbox just to see if her suspicions were correct.
An hour later, as she was penciling in recommendations for more anonymous donations to several local libraries and instructions to expand on her youth center in Bon Temps, she caught the reddish signature of a Were approaching quickly, stopping, then departing just as quickly. Intensely curious and highly suspicious, she popped herself out to her mailbox, and, just as she suspected, the bills she was mailing out were still there and the flag was still raised, but her letter to Eric was gone. With a smirk, she popped herself back to the sofa.
Gazing down at the list of her charitable activities and the updates the firm had provided, she couldn't help but grin. It seemed King Eric Northman had about as much patience as Sheriff Eric Northman used to have – not much.
It did her part-fairy heart good to know that he was just as affected by whatever was going on between them as she was. Realizing that she was about to go a daydreaming trip, she set the files aside. Her amended motto, "with great money comes great possibilities", floated through her mind, but on some days the files looked better on her desk than in her hand.
Her inheritance from Niall's had been a huge and somewhat frightening shock at first, but with Mr. C's gentle guidance, it hadn't taken her long to figure out what she wanted to do with the monetary portion of it. Since that time, libraries in Bon Temps and several surrounding towns had received massive donations. Bon Temps' elementary, middle, and high schools had also received new libraries and new computer sciences lab, all of which were kept up to date, and every year five "mediocre but with potential" high school students received full scholarships to the local community college.
She had been determined to help out students who were intelligent but who had some other difficulty in their lives preventing them from being able to reach their full potential in an academic environment…students like her own self back in the day. While they might not be telepaths, they still deserved a chance for a better life, and helping to provide them with better educational opportunities was one way that she could help. For whatever reason, Niall had seen fit to provide much more than adequately for her future, and she was glad to pay it forward.
Her friend Tara, now happily single and an excellent mother of two adorable brats, was handsomely paid to manage a series of clothing stores and nail/tanning salons carrying the latest, safest, tanning equipment. She didn't know that the name of the company she worked for, SBS, was short for Sookie Brigant Stackhouse. She thoroughly enjoyed spoiling Tara's kids, but never once felt the need to procreate herself.
After her first few months with Sam, she'd scheduled a brief consultation with Dr. Ludwig. With the parameters of her heritage in mind, it had taken the good doctor a couple of days to concoct the right mixture, but thereafter every three months Sookie gladly received her birth control shot.
She'd been surprised by how easily she'd released to the universe her dreams of sitting on her front porch watching the sun set while surrounded by her grandchildren. As much as she'd wanted that, she knew it not only wasn't practical, but extremely selfish, too. There was no way she could put a child of her through all she'd endured. Whether or not her telepathy was passed on to the next generation, any child of hers would automatically be suspected of having "special skills" by the supe world, and she couldn't justify exposing any child to those risks.
Sam wanted kids, though, and his increasing noticeable disappointment with his failed attempts had made her start feeling slightly suspicious about exactly why he wanted kids. Was it that he wanted children in a general sense, something he'd never mentioned before considering his then current fascination with the subject, or was it that he wanted to make kids with her…specifically, telepathic kids?
She didn't know, and she didn't want to find out. Family had been very important to her, but she was determined to be the last of her own line. She was also going to definitely be keeping an keep an ear out for any bastards bred by her whore-dog brother.
While Sookie and her brother Jason had tried to keep close to each other, both had finally realized that they didn't actually have all that much in common. In the end, Jason's disapproval of her divorce from Sam had been the painfully final straw on their already strained relationship. Instead of supporting her decision, he had repeatedly foisted his unappreciated and ill-considered advice on her to the point that she had eventually told him that if he couldn't talk to her about anything else, then to not bother talking to her at all.
His love for her was conditional upon her living within what he decided were acceptable boundaries, and Sookie had had enough of that to last her a lifetime. She missed her brother, but not the man he'd become.
In a bittersweet way, Hoyt had been a better brother to her, especially after Mrs. Fortenberry's timely demise. On her behalf, lots of casseroles, pies, and gossip had been served after her service, and life had then quickly settled down quite nicely without her unnecessary input. Everyone adored Hoyt's ex-stripper girlfriend from Monroe even if her presence in his life was suspected to have been the unofficial cause of Maxine's massive coronary. The pies after the service really had been delicious.
Chuckling to herself, Sookie put away the foundation paperwork and fought against a subtle, inexplicable impatience. Since she had no pressing errands or appointments that day, she decided to put her time to great use and took a nap.
•0~*~*~*~*~*~•0•~*~*~*~*~*~0•
Eric was in a situation that rarely existed, but when it did, it invariably involved Sookie. Eric…was in a quandary. Once again.
Sookie had finally asked about his deviously vague observation, but what was he to do now? How should he answer the question now that it'd been asked?
He'd been waiting on pins and needles to see if she would be curious enough to actually bring it up. That she was curious to begin with, much less curious enough to actually ask him about it, was news most excellent. So much of his future depended on this exact thing.
Eric heated himself up yet another in an endless supply of bagged blood. His vampire instincts missed the chase and capture of his natural food supply, but his "more delicate sensibilities", he snorted to himself, detested being that close to the foul stench of his normal prey.
Humans certainly had much better bathing options now than in the past, but unfortunately nothing hid the stench of slow deaths by chemicals introduced into their bodies in a fanciful bid to escape reality. He often wondered why some humans chose to make their lives worse by giving it away to small-time drug lords, then turned right around and tried to make their skewed realities seem better by taking even more of those same drugs. But in the end, he didn't really care. He totally supported the concept of Darwinism.
At least one of the benefits of being king was having at his disposal the cleanest blood available. His royal grounds contained housing for screened donors, but he refused to house anyone of that sort on his property since he wasn't comfortable with keeping a herd of humans on hand. In his opinion, vampires could catch their own dinner, drink from bags, or lift a bottle. Any visiting vampires could bring their own or drink what was offered; he didn't care which. Somehow he didn't think Sookie would mind his version of vampire hospitality.
How to approach his Sookie…
He pondered as he paced barefoot, his black silk robe billowing with each step.
If she was curious enough to ask, it would mean that she really was interested in pursuing at least some sort of a relationship with him. If she hadn't asked, it would have meant that she wasn't ready yet, that he would need to shelve his need and impatience, and try his hand in other ways on another night. He wouldn't give up, but he would have had to pull back, going with the theory that you can't miss something if it isn't gone.
But, to his everlasting and almost painful relief, she had asked.
All evidence of any sort of stoicism was gone from his demeanor in the privacy of his chambers. Here, he was free to pace, free to gloat or think or swear or anything else to his dead heart's content. Once this area had been completed, no one save a highly glamoured and witch-spelled maid was allowed in to clean once a week. Even his weekly supplies of blood from a vampire-controlled and screened blood bank were handled only by his Second.
What to do…what to do…
Ruthlessly determined to be realistic, even if Sookie had asked that all-important question, it by no means meant that he'd been forgiven. It only meant he was being allowed to plead the rest of his case, and offer a logical solution to the trust problem.
He took up his pen as he paced by his desk, and rolled the platinum piece between his fingers. Thus far this pen had provided him with the ability to carefully chose his words for maximum truth and effect. This pen had saved him from saying too much or saying the right thing the wrong way. This pen had given him the time to think about his words before he sent them her way.
This pen had helped bring his Sookie back, however distantly, into his unlife. He just might frame this pen if his wishes came true.
He sat and wrote.
And wrote.
Ten crumpled pages later, he finally finished.
But…this was not a letter that could simply be delivered by another party. The contents of this short missive were too important. He would think on it during the night and plan something appropriate.
As he dressed for that evening's serving of kingly pap and bullshit, an urgent call came in from Rasul's capable yet boring replacement. He rolled his eyes. Apparently yet other fool and his rag tag band of vampire desperadoes had decided to mount a 'dramatic' takeover of the new monarchy.
He sighed as he grabbed his phone to call, among others, Thalia and Jessica to his side. Thalia would have his head if he neglected to invite her to any sort of conflict, and as supportive and helpful as Jessica had been during the rebuilding of his kingdom, she deserved to participate in the excitement of a small skirmish as well.
Although young and still needing his mentoring in many ways, she had surprised him. Beneath her genial and usually mild personality lived a delightfully vicious streak which he had carefully honed and nurtured. She'd been a bit timid at first, but it hadn't taken as long as he'd thought for her to blossom into a very capable vampire. She was a natural at hand-to-hand combat, took to the sword as if born to it, and was an excellent shot. Sweet, tame, "mainstreaming" Jessica was proving to be an enthusiastic and highly-skilled killing machine.
Just another night in paradise, he thought to himself as he grabbed his sword and flew to battle. He hoped this one would last more than an hour.
Unaccountably disheartened by the whole lot of absolutely nothing that had happened the night before, not that she'd been expecting anything, the next morning Sookie rose, showered, and proceeded to get on with her day.
While she could easily have chosen to rest on her expensive laurels, she much preferred to put her education to use in the running of her foundation. Mr. C's team did a fine job of keeping all the legalities in order and the interest mounting up, but she enjoyed doing her own research on new projects to see if they needed her particular brand of support.
This afternoon she was scheduled to investigate a new "crisis support" non-profit just starting up over in Minden. Times were hard everywhere, and she was glad to help. She was already providing the majority of anonymous financial support for seven different "community help" organizations, and was likely to add an eighth one to her list that evening…if the place met her "no discrimination of any sort allowed" standards.
Last minute review of their financials complete, Sookie headed out to her two-year-old Cadillac Escalade. She missed her ancient yellow beater, but when it had finally died a painful death, dear old Sam had nagged her into replacing it with a boring compact. It, too, had served her well, but had never felt like "her" car.
Then one day she'd passed one of those big, beautiful Escalades on the road, and she'd fallen in love. After a bit of research, the next day she found the nearest dealership and went and bought herself one. She had been so nervous and excited – it was the first completely unnecessary and exorbitant purchase she'd allowed herself. She figured that not only would Niall have approved of such a luxurious purchase, but that she deserved it. She had only wished that her beloved Gran had been around so that she could have literally shared the wealth.
Although she was a billionaire several times over, after general maintenance and making expensive improvements on her home, she still maintained a rather modest lifestyle. She'd had a new roof and wrap-around porch put on the house, and had installed a new heating and cooling system even though she loved using the fireplace on cool and cold evenings. The old house had needed new wiring and pipes, and she'd loved painting all the walls brighter, cheerier colors. It had taken some time, but she'd enjoyed finishing the attic and converting part of it into a very rarely used home office with en suite bathroom. The rest of the attic remained dedicated to hiding the family's "seen better days" possessions.
Only once had she gone down into Eric's cubbyhole, and that was to check on its condition after a particularly rainy hurricane had blown through. After seeing that it had sustained no damage, which had somehow required her to sit on the bed for over an hour lost in her memories, she'd stripped the bed and dusted the small area. She convinced herself that the reason she remade the bed with clean sheets was that she never knew if she might need the safety of Eric's hidden room. On that weak premise, she'd hauled down a backpack loaded with bottled water, energy bars with a long expiration date, and a couple of her books…that she'd placed beside his on the nightstand.
She hadn't gone back down since.
Once she reached her intended destination, she concentrated then swept her hand over her body. Her strong fairy glamour immediately changed her appearance into that of a woman curiously resembling her fairy cousin Claudine. During the few times she'd chosen to mask her appearance when doing her own investigative work, she'd chosen to model her new look on her beloved cousin as both a remembrance and a nod to her heritage.
It didn't take long for her to see that this newest community resource center was worthy of her investment, and she was soon on her way to Mr. C's office in Shreveport. She was a bit surprised by how tempted she was to accidently to drive by a certain converted plantation, but firmly resisted the pull.
When she finally returned home, she automatically checked her mailbox. It had been empty save for a lovely flier for a local furniture store that went out of business several times a year. She was intensely disappointed to find no letter or flowers…or wood… on her front porch, either.
Oh, well, he's a king with kingly things to do, she figured with an unintentional pout. Of course she noticed that the sun was setting as she fed the cat, and it was depressingly dark by the time she finished her boring salad for dinner.
Unbidden doubts and suspicions had started to surface, but instead of moping, she planned out her evening then got to it. She took her evening shower, then spent some quality time playing with T2. She painted her fingernails…then her toenails…then checked her emails. The latest one from Amelia was ignored, just like all the others she'd sent.
Amelia had just been doing as Sookie asked when she'd brewed up the potion to break the bond, but she'd also been just a little too excited about interfering in her and Eric's relationship. After that, Sookie had started paying more attention to not only Amelia's thoughts, but to the intent behind them, as well. Something about the little witch started feeling "off", and Sookie had wisely decided to start putting more and more distance between them. She never detected anything truly seditious or disparaging, but her intuition was telling her to ease herself out of the witch's sphere of influence, so she heeded her own instincts.
Her friendship with Octavia, however, was flourishing right along. That ancient witch was more technologically advanced than she, herself, was, and they enjoyed lively email discussions about everything under the sun.
Afterward she built up a nice fire, made herself some hot chocolate, grabbed up T2, then flipped aimlessly through the television channels until she found one of her favorite old black-and-white romantic tearjerkers, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. No one came by bearing letters or flowers or wood.
She couldn't remember when time had ever passed so slowly.
With the sun rising in half an hour, Eric had to move quickly to complete his shower, touch up some final details, and go to rest.
Last evening's amateur revolt had been squashed disappointingly fast – Thalia had muttered under her breath for hours afterward – but the annoyingly thorough investigation afterward had brought to light a slightly more serious problem.
The small band of delusional vampires had been egged on by another group with their own agenda. Those dissidents were gathered into a larger, stronger, better-organized and better-backed group, and were a somewhat more credible threat…"were" being the key word.
This night, along with half of last night, had been spent searching out those individuals and anyone associated with them. Through a little time and effort, and a couple of convenient explosions, not a one was left to see another moonrise. Eric's large network of loyal friends and allies, and highly-paid Weres, had once again proven their loyalty. Thalia's blood thirst had been moderately relieved.
Now that he'd stamped out yet another supposed threat to his throne, he was ready to rest and contemplate exactly how he was going to answer Sookie's question.
With a smirk engendered to hide his own nervous anticipation from himself, he reached for his phone. Over three years too late, yet too soon, he was going to do what had to be done.
He sank into his day sleep with a smile gracing his firm lips.
All day Sookie had unintentionally felt as though she were waiting on something, but she couldn't figure out why. She would clean her house in short, energetic bursts, then sit on the sofa for a while listlessly flipping through pages of her latest novel. She even cleaned the already spotless attic, then returned to take up her fruitless watch on the sofa. She cleaned the litter boxes again, the one in the laundry room and the other in the spare bedroom, determined as always to prevent the smell of a cat's bathroom from pervading the house.
By late afternoon she was a nervous wreck but couldn't pinpoint why. She just knew that, once again, no one came by bearing letters or flowers or wood. Or coats. Or comfy slippers. She looked down at her warm, toasty toes and smiled. She didn't know what was going on or what to think, but was glad her feet were happy.
Surely she hadn't scared him off just by asking him what he meant?
Maybe she had, she thought with a grimace, then rearranged her thinking. If Eric was one to be put off by a mere question, a question about something he himself had brought up more than once, then she could sprout wings and fly. Glancing back over her shoulders just to be sure – she was a fairy, after all – she caught sight of T2 stalking the feather duster, and had a good laugh.
That distraction was just what she needed, she thought as she levitated the duster while the kitty chased it. There was every possibility that, realistically, Eric was just caught up in king business and that his delay in getting back to her probably had nothing to do with her at all.
A bit more lighthearted after her little chat with herself, she played with the cat for a while longer then took a shower to clean up after having cleaned all day. She took the time to apply her favorite lotion, a sultry blend of lily of the valley and jasmine, and threw on her favorite comfortable jeans and warm, red, v-necked sweater.
After that, she fixed herself a nice dinner, wrote out a grocery list for shopping the next day, then once again piled up on the comfy sofa, but chose to read instead of watching television. T2 curled up on her lap, as was her innate right as queen of the house, and purred.
Forty-five minutes after first dark, there was a knock on her door.
Eric slowed down to turn onto Sookie's long driveway, and allowed the memories to flood back into his mind. With his vampire vision he noted every single change as he all-but coasted along, noticing more changes as he approached her house. As it had been so very long since his last visit, he decided to park out front.
Slowly, savoring the bittersweet experience, he exited his vehicle and quietly shut the car door before approaching the steps leading up to her front porch. After taking a huge, unnecessary breath, he slowly ascended the steps. Her light, sweet scent, tinged with more fairy than he remembered, led the way.
Memories, so many memories, some good, some bad, and some horrible, passed before his eyes. Echoes of conversations long past soothed and tortured his ears while his eyes remembered the light of his beautifully temperamental fairy.
Holding absolutely still as only a vampire can, he listened to the few winter's night noises in the surrounding area, then narrowed his scope to hear the two hearts beating within the house. One, smaller and quite rapid, obviously belonged to the cat that resembled the one murdered so long ago.
The other, the most precious sound in his world, belonged to the most precious person in his world…that beloved, irreplaceable person who was just inside that door.
Seeking wisdom, courage, and fortitude, Eric did as he was taught by his human father so many lifetimes ago. He closed his eyes, threw back his head, inhaled deeply, and concentrated on centering himself. What worked for one type of battle must surely work for another…
With strong determination firmly subduing a remarkable case of annoyingly human nerves, Eric knocked on Sookie's front door as he felt the magical proof of his rescinded invitation. He couldn't, wouldn't, blame her for that even though its past necessity greatly saddened his heart. He heard her light-footed approach, and stepped back two paces when she flipped on the porch light.
She opened the door, and the look of complete shock on her lovely face gave him a much-needed moment of humor before the youth of that lovely face stunned him.
"Sookie," he gasped quietly, his shock evident in his voice and in his slightly widened blue eyes.
"Eric?" The gently questioning tone of her voice brought him back to himself.
He cleared his throat.
"If you have a moment, I would like to answer your question now." His eyes eagerly roamed over her figure as he took in the few changes wrought over the past years.
She looked…perfect.
From what he could tell, it wasn't just her face that had taken a few steps back toward youth. Her body seemed just as young and toned as she'd been the last time he'd lain with her. While they "why's" were intriguing, he'd love to find out the old-fashioned way if what he was seeing really was the truth. All in good time, he commanded his rising libido.
Sookie stared in amazement. Logic dictated that since he was Vampire there wouldn't be any changes visible in his appearance, but he still managed to take her breath away. Still just as tall, still just as handsome, still just as unconsciously suave and debonair, Eric was still…Eric.
Blond hair gleaming in the porch light, blue eyes as fathomless as a blue sky at dusk, the only thing missing was his trademark leering grin. The serious sadness on his beautiful face suddenly made her miss that detested smirk.
She attempted to clear her thoughts, then nodded her head. Hell yeah she wanted that question answered!
Eric took a third step back and gestured for her to join him. He didn't dare ask for entry, not yet.
She chewed on her upper lip for a second as she debated the risks associated with being so near him, then threw habitual caution to the wind and stepped out of the comfort of her house, and joined him on the porch.
As soon as the screen door closed behind her, he withdrew an envelope from the inside pocket of his leather jacket and placed it on the nearby table. Then, to Sookie's surprise, he shrugged the jacket itself off his broad frame and held it up for her to put on.
"I don't want you to catch a chill," he said, his voice slightly husky. She was so close that her scent and her warmth were having its usual effect on his body.
His jacket, many times too large for her smaller frame, hung low on her hips and the arms were so long they hid her hands, but she was warm. Subconsciously she sniffed, inhaling the beloved masculine scent of his skin, then sniffed again as memories invaded her poor, bewildered brain.
A moment later an envelope appeared before her eyes. Instead of taking it, she looked up and saw Eric watching her, his eyes suddenly apprehensive and wary.
"The answer to your question," he stated, his voice strained. He held the envelope up a bit higher.
Hands suddenly shaking as she shoved the long leather sleeves up, Sookie finally took it, and broke the glue seal on the back. She absently noted that Eric had turned and taken several steps away from her as she removed the letter.
•~•0•~•
My Dearest Sookie,
To answer your question, I can only think of two ways to truly prove to you that you can trust me completely.
The first way is not acceptable to me as it would require me to remain apart from you and simply let you die a natural, human death. This would provide you with the ultimate proof that you could trust me not to turn you without your permission. Of course, by that time there could be no "us", and my existence would then be meaningless.
The second way, the one I favor by far, would be for me to Bond with you, and you to Bond with me, preferably permanently, but a Bond of any sort with you would be more than I could hope for.
With a full Bond between us, you would immediately sense if I were to ever lie to you. My every emotion would be yours to read and know.
A true Bond between us would allow you to fully understand the depth of my love for you.
A true Bond between us would allow you to fully understand the regret I have for the things I have said and done to you.
Whatever you choose, know that I humbly beg your forgiveness, and plead for a chance to earn your trust, and your love, once more.
You are my light, and I miss you.
Yours in any way you will have me,
When she finished reading his letter for the third time, Sookie's hands were shaking so badly that she could barely make out the words.
Tears streaming down her cheeks, chin trembling, she lowered the letter…to see Eric on his knees before her, head and shoulders bowed.
Hastily scrubbing the fallen tears from her cheeks, she sniffed, then folded his letter and stuck it in her jeans pocket.
Then she willingly accepted the biggest risk of her life.
She took the half step needed to allow Eric to rest his head just below her breasts. That Eric, tall, arrogant, Alpha-male Eric, would lower himself to his knees before her and beg by written word and deed for her forgiveness took her breath away, broke her heart, and mended it.
If he could be brave enough to expose himself like that, to take such a huge risk to his pride and his heart, then she could be brave enough to do the same.
Eric had waited until her first tear had fallen to kneel before her, but kneel before her he did. The wait while she read was excruciating, but the wait after she'd finished reading was even more agonizing.
He'd felt her take a step toward him, had felt his forehead touching her, but fear kept his eyes closed. He comforted himself with her sweet, feminine scent, her natural bouquet enhanced with lily of the valley and jasmine.
When her hands lightly touched his head, his heart would have paused had it still beat. Then, when she pulled him close into her warmth, he broke, and could no longer hold in his tears of relief and remorse.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please forgive me," he whispered over and over, his voice gruff and cracking. He was broken but determined to win her forgiveness.
Finally, her own voice choked with emotion, she whispered the words that he would later swear saved his undead life.
"I forgive you."
She held him even closer then and added, "Me too, Eric, me too." He caught her as her knees gave way, and lowered her gently to the wooden planks of the porch.
He gathered her in his arms, her face naturally coming to rest in the crook of his neck, and allowed himself to weep. This closeness with her, no matter how painful, was more than he'd dared hope. When she took him in her arms, he sobbed.
In the soft, warm light on that porch on that cold Louisiana night, they each held the other close, each giving the other their strength as together they mourned time lost, trust lost, and love lost…and shared that faintest of hope that love was now found again.
Eventually realizing that it was still too cold for her to remain outdoors for so very long, Eric gently swept her up into his arms and rose.
She gazed up into his face, and saw for the first time the bloody tears that had fallen down his cheeks and neck to soak his shirt. She cupped his face with her hand and smoothed her thumb over some of the bloody trails on his cheek. She smiled a twisted grimace when she only succeeded in making a mess.
"It's too cold to keep you out here long," he stated quietly as he pressed his cheek into her palm. "I need to get you back inside."
His statement, his invitation to her to invite him in, was sweetly open.
Sookie didn't even bother castigating herself. She was held safely in his arms, and while she had no doubt they'd still have their share of problems in the future, for right this minute, she was finally home. With a tremulous smile, she agreed.
"Eric Northman, won't you please come in?"
His smile in response to her invitation brightened his entire face. Eyes sparkling and with a grin so wide his cheeks ached, he held her close while she opened the screen door, while she closed the front door, and while he sat them down on her sofa that he remembered so well.
Unable to let her go, he simply sat her sideways on his lap and helped her to remove his jacket…then promptly took her into his arms once again. He rested his forehead against her hair, inhaling her enhanced scent and placing a soft kiss to her crown every now and then.
She was in his lap, a wish granted that he hadn't even thought to make, and he was going to make he most of it.
Content as never before, Sookie leaned into his chest and did something she hadn't done since the last time she was truly in Eric's arms: she snuggled.
About an hour later, an hour filled with nothing more than simply holding each other and healing various unseen yet excruciatingly painful wounds, Sookie grunted a pout. Eric responded with an inquisitive noise, nowhere near ready to let her go.
With a disgruntled tone, Sookie announced that she needed a human moment. Eric laughed, a deep, full-bodied rumble, as he helped her to stand.
"I'll be back in a minute," she told him, scared that he'd be gone when she returned.
"I'll be right here," he reassured her, dead certain that nothing but the sun could tear him from her side as long as she wanted his presence.
With a smile she left the room. Once she was finished her human moment, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror above the sink as she washed her hands. Upon frank examination, she realized that she appeared both hopeful and scared to death. She splashed her face with cold water to get rid of the tear tracks, and heated Eric up a washcloth with warm water. His bloody tears had dried in her hair, and she couldn't care less.
When she returned to the living room, he was exactly where she'd left him. His gaze followed her every step until she stood before him. She straddled his lap, her knees on each side of his thighs, and met his inquisitive gaze as he rested his big hands on her hips.
"Close your eyes," she gently ordered, then proceeded to wash away every dried tear from his face and neck. Sadly there was little she could do for his shirt. When finished, she tossed the very pink cloth to the table, and going on instinct, took him in her arms and snuggled into his shoulder.
"Ah, Lover, you're going to be the death of me," he whispered into her ear.
Shaking her head side to side, lightly rubbing her lips along his neck, she quietly disagreed with him. "Nope, not if I can help it."
As expected, he softly chuckled, then tightened his arms about her small frame.
Those were the last words spoken for the next several hours. Each was content to simply hold and be held by the other, giving and accepting the healing comfort that only the other could provide.
An hour before the sun would rise, Eric reluctantly pulled back to gaze down into his Sookie's face.
Before he could speak, she decided to use her bravery and speak some words of her own first.
"Eric, I want us to take it slow. I want to get to know you, the real you, who you are now, and I want you to get to know who I am now, too. Is that ok?"
He couldn't believe the worried look in her eyes. How could there be any doubt?
"Of course, Lover! We have so much to discuss, so much to sort out and settle between us. There's nothing I would like more!" His exclamation was a bit loud considering the quiet of the house. "Well, there is something…" he added, his words trailing off suggestively, his voice deeply seductive.
He quirked that eyebrow she loved so much.
Sookie snickered, then did something she'd very rarely done in his presence. She giggled, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and continued laughing lightly into his neck.
"There you are," she whispered into his ear, her voice light and happy and sending shivers down his spine. "I'd wondered where you went."
**A/N: Ok, y'all, what did you think? (And before you pelt me with rotten fruit, for the record I *am* planning an epilogue to be completed within the next few weeks…)**
52 thoughts on "Valentine's Night, Ch. 3"
Pingback: ♥ ♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Valentine's Night, Chapter 3, is up! ♥ ♥ | Addicted to Godric…& Eric…& Andre
gwynwyvar on February 14, 2014 at 6:29 PM said:
Happy Valentines to you 🙂
Dang. I didn't get the tissues. I needed tissues, and i can't blame you, cos you did warn us…
That was awesome. I love that Jessica is about, and happy working with Eric.
Fantastic ending. Thankyou 🙂
theladykt on February 14, 2014 at 6:30 PM said:
Glad Jessica, Hoyt and Tara are doing well. Jason is such a wanker. Yea I always had questions about Amelia after the bond and Alcede in Sookie's bed thing.
Glad he was open and honest with her.
gyllene on February 14, 2014 at 6:37 PM said:
So sweet! I love how open Eric was with her. Letting her see his vulnerability. I wasn't expecting those to be the options. I don't know what I thought they were, but that wasn't it. Can't wait for more! 🙂
jrwatkins0711 on February 14, 2014 at 8:11 PM said:
And they both lived happily ever after, cause they're supposed to, woo hoo! I loved that ending to their story! And he doesn't have to turn her yet, because she clearly has the fairy thing going on for awhile…nicely done!
shoegirl01 on February 14, 2014 at 8:20 PM said:
So love this story!
lostinspace33 on February 14, 2014 at 8:20 PM said:
That was FANTASTIC!!! (And well worth the wait.) I couldn't have imagined a better reunion and forgiveness scene. I'm looking forward to the epilogue. Hope you're feeling better!
lilloucfer on February 14, 2014 at 9:37 PM said:
Thank you for an awesome Valentine's gift! I'm glad these two are communicating and being the mature adults they are. Great start that they are being realistic that not everything will be roses or that it will be fixed immediately 🙂 Loved how you ended the chapter with the Eric we all know and love making his brief appearance. Can't wait for more!
jules3677 on February 14, 2014 at 9:41 PM said:
Amelia was always someone who I never trusted when reading the original character. Her intentions were to overwhelm a small problem with 300 kilo (pound for those who live elsewhere) hammer & then think of the ramifications of so power unsettled me. I digress. Loved the three chapter of your story. The idea that they could begin to resolve their issues by correspondence tickled my fancy. Though I am glad that the correspondence didn't continue endlessly as much can be inferred by the fact that neither was able to confront the other face to face if it continue. Lucky for us Eric drew on his fortitude & entered his beloved's property. Adored the retrospection of their actions. Thankyou for this delightful story.
treewitch703 on February 14, 2014 at 9:41 PM said:
I'm luxuriating in these wonderfully long chapters with plenty of time to ponder Eric and Sookie's thoughts and resolutions. So satisfying.
mom2goalies on February 14, 2014 at 9:54 PM said:
Amazing story!
ericluver on February 14, 2014 at 9:58 PM said:
Absolutely FANGTASTIC!!!! Loved it…but really want to know what happens next. Can't wait 🙂
bbrock525 on February 15, 2014 at 12:03 AM said:
Woohoo finally. Yes I love HEAs.
msbuffy on February 15, 2014 at 10:15 AM said:
WONDERFUL!!!! I loved this! This is the perfect Valentine's Day story. Eric's answer was just what was needed to regain Sookies' trust. A bond between them would only allow for truth, so it's really is the ultimate tool for trust! Aren't you clever?
I love "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." It's been one of my favorite movies since I was a young girl…just a few years ago…
Thanks so much for this lovely gift you've written for all of us. Such a fun & romantic side story to what might have been, or what we can all imagine. I hope you had a wonderful & magically romantic Valentine's Day!
Tiffany on February 15, 2014 at 11:17 AM said:
Pretty sure I'm thoroughly anticipating that epi!
Loved it and your brief exploration of what could have been had she not destroyed the series.
J.H. on February 15, 2014 at 12:09 PM said:
I love it. I want more and hope to read the next part soon.
amiramo11 on February 15, 2014 at 1:36 PM said:
I really hope there will be a few chapters between this one and the mentioned epilogue, because it would be a shame to let a story this good remain so short. do those muses of your's need more sweets?
redjane12 on February 15, 2014 at 5:13 PM said:
Awwww…. Perfect Valentine's story chapter and conclusion (though I can't wait for the epilogue!). I thought you wrote this regretful Eric masterfully and I loved how touching his actions were (from the letters to his gifts to his apology). It was funny to see Sookie fretting when suddenly there was no sign of him… but she didn't have to wait long and loved that porch scene. Just perfect esp. that last line… Sexy Eric is not gone by any means…
cuinawen on February 15, 2014 at 5:56 PM said:
Ah, I loved it. Nearly ended up sobbing for a moment there… (helped along by the fact my ipod decided to play 'Open Arms' at just the right moment!)
It was nice to see a sweet and honest side to Eric
meridiean on February 15, 2014 at 6:16 PM said:
jules3677: Exactly – Amelia always seemed just too happy to kill a fly with a tank…
I may have Eric and Sookie (theoretically) continue writing each other, but you're right again: until they learn how to deal with each other honestly and respectfully when face-to-face, their relationship couldn't grow.
Thank you for reading and for your great reviews!
treewitch703: 😀 Thank you!! I intended this to be a short story as far as numbers of chapters, but I wanted each chapter to represent, as fully as possible, a ""chapter"" in the progression of them getting back together. Each character deserved to have their own story told, and I hope I managed to intertwine their thoughts and feelings in a "readable" way.
Thank you for taking the time to read and review – I appreciate it!
mom2goalies: Thank you! 😀 Glad you liked it!
ericluver: 😀 😀 Thank you!! (I was sooo nervous going into this since I'm not used to taking on writing THE Eric Freakin' Northman alone…)
While I can't promise anything other than the Epilogue, I can't say I'll never revisit their world, either…it just depends on time, muses, and caffeine…
Again, thanks – glad you liked it!!
bbrock525: And Eric and Sookie have been through enough – they DESERVE their HEA!! Thank you for reading, and for your great reviews!! 😀
msbuffy: Thank you!! 😀 And, yeah, my mom loved "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", and it'll always remind me of her. It just seemed an appropriate movie for that part of the story, and I was so happy to be able to plug it! 😀
Thank you for your great review, and I'm so glad you liked it!! 😀
Tiffany: 😀 Thank you!!! If my muse/caffeine level/time (etc) allow, I'm somewhat sorta planning on a bit of raunch in the Epilogue…it IS Eric and Sookie, after all…
Thank you for reading!! (I'm all for pretending the ""other"" ending was just a vivid nightmare in no way based in reality…)
J.H.: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! Thank you for reading, and for reviewing. 😀
amiramo11: (sad face) I've tried bribery…they only want spendy things I can't afford or am allergic to…little snots! 😀 Very glad you liked it!!
I can't promise to ever add any more to the story, but I can't promise I won't, either. It really does depend on the amount of time and caffeine (and energy…) I have, lol. ♥
redjane12: Awww, thank you!! I'm so glad you liked it!! I'm glad you caught the reference in his choice of gifts – everything he gave her was "warming", was thoughtfully pragmatic, and also selected to remind her of better, simpler days. And….Sexy-times Eric is IN the building!!! Well, house… 😀
Thank you for reading, for for great reviews! 😀
cuinawen: Oh, man, what a coincidence!! I'd have been bawling like a toddler if I'd had to listen to that while writing that scene!!! Very glad to hear you liked it anyway!! Thank you for reading, and for the great review! 😀 **passes over tissues just in case**
jrwatkins0711: Yup, That Sexy Viking….yeah, he's still there!
marebare1979 on February 15, 2014 at 8:49 PM said:
This is a day late… but I was tired last night and stayed up to read this chapter. I wanted to give you a review worthy of your chapter. Damn that was a build up I'm not that spectacular). First off I like that you had Sookie make the decision not to have children and not because I'm anit-babies I love them but I respect woman who make the choice rather than give into what society says we're supposed to do (be brood mare's) also being involved w/ Eric it makes it mot but making the choice rather than the choice being taken away from you is easier. Next you made us wait well over have a chapter for Eric's revelations dirty pool old man! I was reading your "ravings" earlier and I realized as open minded as I think I am I'm really not, I kept thinking Eric is weak for bowing and begging for Sookie to return to him, why is that I hate that?! Eric is far more brave putting himself out there and possibly being rejected then being a unmoving cold piece of stone. I agree with Sookie let then get to really know each other, that's something the books & TV lacked, how about a little conversation. Not that I'm apposed to hot monkey sex but they can't always be joined at the groin…right?
Looking forward to the next installment! 🙂
marebare1979: Thank you for an awesome review!! I loved it!
I always felt that with as bad of a time as she's had with her telepathy – from childhood on to now when there are threats all around, Sookie wouldn't want to risk passing her "gift" on to another generation. But, exactly as you said, I wanted it to be her decision – as it should be – about whether or not she wanted kids. While it does make it easier for her to be with a vampire, I wanted her to come to that decision when vampires weren't in the picture.
(Giggling over dirty pool…)
It was hard for me to put Eric on his knees – we're so used to seeing him as THE Alpha Male, all arrogant and and authoritarian, too "manly" to lower himself in such a way, but I wanted to show that he's learned the hard way that his pride cost him too much, that he realized just how badly he'd not only hurt Sookie, but exactly how much his threat to turn her against her will cost him.
I wanted to show that he was more than strong enough, more than secure enough in his innate strength and ability and sense of self, to handle literally begging Sookie for her forgiveness. He was man enough to be vulnerable to her, something he hadn't ever really been able to do much of in the past, and it gave her the opportunity to, for once, be strong for him.
(It was also hard to see because we're not used to a Sookie who'd be worth it… 😉 )
Exactly! They needed time to not only get over all the bigger and smaller rifts, but they needed time to actually get to know each other – like they never really did in either genre before!!
But yeah…they'll get their hot monkey sex…eventually! 😀
Thank you for an awesome review – very glad you liked it!! 😀
Tlynnson on February 25, 2014 at 8:12 AM said:
No fruit here, just petals lavender and lace. The brokenness and sorrow was my undoing. Really good stuff, so thoughtful and well written. Looking forward to the epilogue. These are tears of happiness and joy along with seasonal allergies. LOL
Tlynnson: Whew! Got tired of ducking! Oh, petals and lavender and lace – I can work with these!! 😀 Very glad you liked it, and the Epilogue will be up within the next few weeks – hopefully both our seasonal allergies will be gone by then…nasty, nasty things they are…
Thank you for reading! ♥
askarsgirl on March 1, 2014 at 3:40 AM said:
I loved it loved it! Can't wait to read the epilogue.
meridiean on March 1, 2014 at 4:07 AM said:
askarsgirl: 😀 Thank you!!
treewitch703 on April 4, 2014 at 11:16 PM said:
Stashing that backpack in the cubby was so sweetly emblematic that I knew not to give up hope.
meridiean on April 13, 2014 at 2:57 AM said:
treewitch703: The fact that he "could" hurt her so deeply showed just how much she loved him, and that kind of love doesn't just evaporate. Thank you for reading!
askarsgirl on April 14, 2014 at 2:16 AM said:
That was so freaking awesome! I loved it and thought the scene between Eric and Sookie on the porch was perfect 🙂
Can't wait for the epilogue!
askarsgirl: Thank you!! That scene broke my heart to write!! But…I have a confession…you know that promised epilogue? Well…this story is growing!!! Some must be feeding it awfully well…! 😀
georgiasuzy on April 16, 2014 at 10:14 PM said:
That was so beautiful. You made me cry!
meridiean on April 16, 2014 at 10:23 PM said:
georgiasuzy: I'm sorry?? *hands over half-empty box of tissues* 😀 I may (really did) have teared up a little bit (squalled like a baby) when I wrote that…maybe (really)… 😀
shandiii on April 24, 2014 at 9:24 AM said:
So beautiful, I have no idea why it has taken me so long to read this, I don't want it to end
meridiean on April 24, 2014 at 10:04 AM said:
shandiii: Awww, thank you! I'm glad you like it! 😀
queenofareafive on August 13, 2014 at 11:33 AM said:
Wonderful. Just wonderful. I never liked or trusted Amelia so Sookie distancing herself from her is always a plus in my book.
meridiean on August 13, 2014 at 11:38 AM said:
queenofareafive: Thank you – and I totally agree! There was always something about her that tripped my suspicious switch… Glad you like it! 😀
charity6201 on November 3, 2014 at 3:22 AM said:
Just awwww…..I've never wanted to cuddle so bad in my life!
Meridian on November 3, 2014 at 4:17 AM said:
charity6201: A cuddle with Eric…yeah, you can't go wrong with that! 😀
desireecarbenell on January 12, 2015 at 9:21 PM said:
Great chapter. I am glad he was brave enough to go see her in person. Epilog…..not ready for this to end yet.
ladytarara on May 6, 2016 at 10:19 PM said:
Just beautiful. Eric is so sweet – loved his reversion to his old innuendo-slinging self. Why couldn't the alleged 'canon' give us something like this? Fuck the canon, I say. This is much better.
Meridian on May 10, 2016 at 6:28 AM said:
ladytarara: Thank you! I love to envision Eric as being "strong enough TO be sweet". I feel that canon gave me a ratty old quilt that I can create a hopefully-suitable duvet to cover…


Raise your hand if you like pasta!! Me, Me!! Seriously, who doesn't like pasta?? Well, I found this recipe to be a nice change from your typical spaghetti and meatballs with red sauce dinner, and my kids like it too! And the really great part? It has bacon in it! Double like!!! As you can see I snapped a picture of my hubby's plate and salad. Yes, he likes black pepper…..and lots of it!!!
Here's the recipe, I hope you'll give it a try!!
This creamy Italian dish includes such ingredients as noodles, eggs and bacon and is a family favorite. It's a nice change from pasta and red sauce.
Cook the bacon according to the package directions- I use the microwave.
Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the butter, chicken broth, salt and pepper and heat through but do not boil. Remove from the heat.
Take the spaghetti with tongs and place it directly into the skillet with the other ingredients and lightly toss it in the mixture to coat. Add the eggs, and continue tossing for about a minute or until the sauce thickens. Add the parsley, then the cheese, and toss again. Sprinkle bacon over the spaghetti and stir it in!!
Wishing you a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!!
Looks so good and thanks for the recipe. You, too, have a great Memorial Holiday.


text:
MSP seek driver in hit-and-run crash on WB I-94
by: Michael Oszust
COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Police are looking for the suspect in a hit-and-run crash that sent a man to the hospital in Kalamazoo County.
Michigan State Police say a 62-year-old Galesburg man was walking on westbound I-94 in Comstock Township around 10:30 p.m. Friday then was reported to be lying down in the right lane of the highway, impeding traffic.
The victim was struck by a passing vehicle that failed to yield. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries, according to MSP. His condition was not released.
Police say the suspect vehicle would have damage to the lower front passenger side of the vehicle and was traveling in the right lane of westbound I-94.
The incident remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper VanLopik of the MSP Paw Paw Post at 269.657.5551.**Editor's note: The original version of this story said the victim died of his injuries. It has been corrected to show that his condition was not released. 24 Hour News 8 regrets the error.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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For the last five years, the Sustainable Farm Systems project has explored the socio-ecological transition from traditional practices to industrial processes in Western agriculture from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. This interdisciplinary work involves collaborative organization and research between five teams in Europe, South America, and North America focused on case studies in Austria, Spain, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Cuba, Canada, and the United States. For most of the year, each team works independently, with regular emails and occasional Skype meetings between members from the various teams. There have also been many graduate student and faculty exchanges between teams, with visits ranging from a few weeks to several months. Once a year, however, members from all five teams meet in person to discuss our progress, reflect on wider goals, and plan next steps. Since the project began, meetings have been held in Bogota, Colombia (2012), Munich, Germany (2013), Guimaraes, Portugal (2014) and Montefrio, Spain (2015). Each year the number of participants has grown as new faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students join the project. From June 28-30, 2016, 41 participants gathered for the fifth SFS meetings in Mallorca, Spain.
Mallorca is the largest of the four Balearic Islands, located south of mainland Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Roughly 859,000 people reside on the 3,635 km2 island. Mallorca features a diverse and enduring history of agriculture that includes Islamic influences that lasted until the thirteenth century, large Catalan feudal estates between the medieval and early modern periods, and parcelled allotments for smallholders beginning in the nineteenth century. The agricultural landscape also varies tremendously, from rain-fed cereal production on the plains in the middle and southeast of the island, combined cropland featuring almond, fig, and carob trees over cereal, legumes, to pasture along the foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains, and very sophisticated terraced horticultural and olive plantation plots along the western slopes. Despite this eclectic agriculture, tourism, particularly from Germany and Britain, has dominated Mallorca's economy since the 1950s. With several project members and case studies located on the island, the SFS team enjoyed a rare perspective of Mallorca.
The location of our meetings was an old monetary, Santuari de Cura, located atop Randa Mountain with a commanding view of the plains stretching out in all directions to the sea. Although the SFS project reserved every room in the hotel for our meetings, Santuari de Cura was also very popular with tourists, particularly cyclists who climbed 548 metres along the winding switchback road to enjoy lunch and the view.
Our first day of meetings involved four sessions of progress updates. The first session featured short reports from each team, while the next three focused on longer reports from each of the three main working groups. While the SFS project is divided geographically into five teams spread across three continents, the focus of our work is divided into three research groups: energy, landscape, and soils. Each of these research working groups is responsible for developing, refining, applying, analyzing, and reporting on a specific social metabolism methodology that uses large historical datasets to help us understand how agroecosystems changed over the course of the socio-ecological transition from traditional to industrial farming. Each working group includes members from several teams who all use the same methods to study their individual case studies and then compare the results. The reports from each of these working groups is an opportunity to share methods and findings with members of the other working groups, some of whom work on only one aspect of the SFS project.
The second day of meetings involved brainstorming sessions on the links between the SFS project and environmental history and other sustainability research. As an interdisciplinary project, SFS has developed a highly refined and sophisticated methodology for quantitatively analyzing the flow of energy, material, and information through agro-ecosystems in the past. The strength of our project is the accuracy with which we can identify significant changes in farm system management from an energy and material perspective. Our interdisciplinary challenge is to take this fantastic amount of detail and make it speak to colleagues working in our various disciplines. The two brainstorming sessions involved smaller groups that broke apart the geographic and methodological specializations and brought members together based on our interest in particular research questions. Thus, each group tended to include at least one person from each team and working group, and we discussed broad questions, such as 'What contribution can SFS contribute to major historiographical debates in environmental history?', or 'How can SFS findings enhance the work being done on the study of local food systems?' The results of these brainstorming sessions both demonstrated the common themes in our various case studies and methodologies, and outlined potential new avenues of work and collaboration for the future. Our last session focused on the final year of the SFS project, a strategy for publishing our scholarly findings, and a broader discussion about accomplishing the larger goals of the project.
The final day of meetings involved a day-long field trip around Mallorca to visit case study sites and other places of significance to the agricultural history of the island. Our first trip was to Calicant, a SFS case study area in the northwest of the island. We stopped at Sos Ferrers Vell, an estate not subdivided during the process of allotment during the nineteenth century. The study of this estate allows team members to compare it with smaller farms that resulted from allotment, revealing that larger farms retained more forest and scrubland, while smaller farms made a transition to more intensive cropping.
Our next stop was Son Vell, a 55-hectare farm owned by Toni Sureda, his son Guillem, and Guillem's wife Maria. Toni's ancestors bought the land during the nineteenth century after an estate was converted into allotments. Son Vell is an organic farm, growing cereal, legumes, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and raising sheep and pigs. The farm also produces approximately 4,000 litres of wine each year. After our tour of the farm, we stopped for a taste of the bread, fruit, cheese, and wine produced by Son Vell.
The third stop on our tour was Raixa, an old Islamic farmstead turned noble estate during the Middle Ages. Located in the foothills of the Tramuntana Mountains, King James I of Aragón granted Raixa to the count of Ampurias after the conquest of Mallorca by in 1229. The count of Montenegro later purchased and lavishly reconstructed the estate in 1660. In addition to the extensive almond trees, carob trees, and vineyards, subsequent owners added large reservoirs and beautiful formal gardens, all built around an elaborate gravity irrigation system.
From Raixa, we continued up into the mountains to Planícia, an intricately terraced olive tree plantation 425 metres above sea level. Planícia has been a olive plantation since the fourteenth century. This entire stretch of the Tramuntana Mountains has been established as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of the extensive, centuries-old stone terraces supporting olive plantations that hug the steep mountainsides. Owners built a mill to process some of the olives, while others were carried down the mountain by donkeys. The mill closed during the late twentieth century when the olive oil market declined. In 2009, Planícia was purchased by the government of the Balearic Islands and the Spanish Ministry of the Environment, and is currently being renovated and rehabilitated as a heritage site.
The SFS project is remarkable for its ambition to bring together scholars from a number of different disciplines including social ecology, landscape ecology, agronomy, economics, biology, soil science, geography, and history to study and compare the socioecological transition in agriculture across several case studies over more than two hundred years. Our work has important contributions to make to the study of environmental and agricultural history. It seems only fitting, then, that our meetings were held in a place that reflects the complexity and deep history that our project seeks to uncover.


Financial year 2017-18 accounts can be downloaded here.
Financial year 2016-17 accounts can be downloaded here.
Aasraa completes nine years in March 2018 with audited accounts.
Aasraa receives its second Mobile Computer Lab donated by The Hans Foundation in 2018.
Financial year 2015-16 accounts can be downloaded here.
Financial year 2014-15 accounts can be downloaded here.
Financial year 2013-14 accounts can be downloaded here.
Financial year 2012-13 accounts can be downloaded here.


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Child Care Center continues through COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a tricky question for several local families, particularly those whose jobs were deemed essential.
Where would they find child care after many centers shut down?
The SUNY Cortland Child Care Center became the solution for dozens of families from mid-March to mid-June.
Stephanie Fritz, director of SUNY Cortland's Child Care Center, met with counterparts from the Cortland YWCA and the Child Development Council of Central New York to determine how to safely provide care for those in need. Since SUNY Cortland's center cares for children from birth to age 5, it was decided that the university would be the only facility in Cortland County to host children in that age range. The YWCA cared for children age 5 and older.
While about 85% of the 83 children who are typically cared for at SUNY Cortland's center no longer came in as their parents started to work from home, the center ultimately took on 40 children this spring, many of whom had previously gone to other centers in the county.
Going to a new child care center can be an overwhelming experience for any child. The teachers, the classmates and the setting are all new. Additionally, for safety reasons, parents were asked to drop off their children at the door, making drop-offs potentially fraught. And staff members wore masks, a barrier to germs, to be sure, but also a wall between the facial expressions that can help forge friendships with young students.
"Based on all the knowledge we have and in my more than 15 years of experience, when a child starts anything new, it takes them two weeks to acclimate," Fritz said. "They felt safe and were good from the get-go and that was a really nice compliment to my staff and the parents. They were relaying from the children that they felt comfortable here. They all said they wouldn't have known what to do without us here and that was something nice to hear."
Fritz was impressed by how well her staff handled so many changes and created a calm environment amidst so much stress.
"The kids were wonderful and the parents were great," Fritz said. "We had to change a lot of things and change how we do things. The parents couldn't come in the building, so it was tough to drop off your child to a child care that your kid has never gone to and drop them off to strangers. Thank God we had something called the Brightwheel app, so parents had an instant messenger and they got pictures and videos."
The center's six preschool teachers also hosted a weekly WebEx video meeting to stay connected with the children who were no longer coming into the center but being cared for at home.
SUNY Cortland's Child Care Center was closed for just one day ꟷ Wednesday, March 18 ꟷ and reopened the next with four children. Of the 47 child care centers in the SUNY system state-wide, Cortland's was one of 10 to remain open throughout the pandemic.
With Central New York entering Phase IV of the state's reopening plan on June 24, many of the children cared for at SUNY Cortland over the past few months have returned to their original child care centers. Others have returned to SUNY Cortland as their parents have stopped working remotely and gone back to work. Fritz estimates the center will be back to close to its original capacity in the fall although there will be new protocols for additional cleaning and classroom size limitations.
She remains grateful both for her staff and for the new parents who were accommodating and flexible to one another's needs.
"Nobody was ever upset," Fritz said. "The parents were very flexible themselves because they knew this was all so new to us too. The communication of seeing them every day at the door and saying, 'How are you, is everything OK?' It was a really nice community outreach even though we were isolated in our center."
Several community partners also provided essential assistance over the past few months. The Child Development Council sent personal protective equipment and supplies. The United Way and Bill Bros. Dairy and Farm Market donated milk. The Cortland Breakfast Rotary Club gave six no-touch thermometers. Kory's Place, a diner in Homer, N.Y., continued to provide catered lunches.
Despite all the upheavals caused by COVID-19 this spring, SUNY Cortland's Child Care Center provided essential care to the children of essential workers.
Most of all, they made young children feel safe in the middle of a crisis they couldn't completely comprehend.
That led to some emotional goodbyes as children headed back to their original centers in recent weeks.
"One of the little girls that transitioned over, on her last day before she left to go back to her home center, she said, 'I have a plan,'" Fritz recalled. "She really had something to tell us. She said, 'I'm going to have a conference with all of the teachers today and I'm going to make them sit right here. It's my last time. I'm going to tell them thank you for keeping me safe from the coronavirus.'"
"They really kind of understood it," Fritz continued. "We didn't bring up the virus a lot but the parents talked to their kids, the older ones, and they really understood it."


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THE PENGUIN BOOK OF CANADIAN SHORT STORIES by Jane Urquhart ★★★ | Kara.Reviews
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Review of The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories by Jane Urquhart
Reviewed October 4, 2009
Shelved under
This review was published over 3 years ago. Some of its information or my opinions might be out of date.
I wrote this before I came out as transgender.
I've rated, out of five stars, each of the 69 stories in this book, and taken the average of those ratings to determine my overall rating. My actual rating is 2.86 stars out of 5.
It took me a long time to read this book—because it's long. That's not always bad, and for an anthology called "Book of Canadian Short Stories," a certain girth is required to have a truly representative sample. Still, the length can be daunting for a reader, and I repeatedly questioned why I spent $24.00 on a book of stories in which I wasn't particularly interested. This definitely isn't the sort of book you should buy on a whim, like I did.
There are some definite gems in this collection, however, and that's what I'll focus on for the rest of this review. I'm going to iterate all of the stories to which I gave 5 stars and give a brief reason why.
"The View from Castle Rock" by Alice Munro
And then there was Andrew himself, who ever since that day on the rock has felt about his father a deep bewildered sense of responsibility, much like sorrow.
A moving tale about the disenchantment with life that often accompanies growing up . . . the sacrifices one makes in the name of practicality over idealism. This is an excerpt, rather than the full book, and cannot do justice to the characters or the relationships depicted therein.
"Last Rites" by M.G. Vassanji
I wanted to say to him, as I saw him, Look, Bharwani, this is not the time for your smart, sceptical arguments. This is real, this is how you leave the world; at least this once, walk along with the rest of us.
Wonderful story about the conflict between belief and faith. Told from the point of view of a Torontonian mukhi, "Last Rites" concerns the fallout of Karim Bharwani's request to be cremated after death. Bharwani was always an agitator in life, but carrying out his last request may prove a difficult decision for his family and the community. As Bharwani's wife is quick to point out, is it better to honour the request of the deceased, even if that may mean damning them according to one's religion? Such questions do not evaporate as science and technology march inexorably onward.
"The Collectors" by Rohinton Mistry
"I know!" said Jehangir. "That's the one Burjor Uncle lost and thought that I..."
Mrs. Mody squeezed his arm which she was still holding and he fell silent. She spoke softly, but without guilt: "He did not lose it. I destroyed it." Then her eyes went moist as she watched the disbelief on his face. She wanted to say more, to explain, but could not, and clung to his arm. Finally, her voice quavering pitiably, she managed to say, "Forgive an old lady," and patted his cheek. Jehangir left in silence, suddenly feeling very ashamed.
My favourite story in the entire anthology, "The Collectors" demonstrates how much of our lives is determined by what others do rather than the choices we make. His characters are tragically three-dimensional, and even the young Jehangir finds himself full of regrets and confusion about the choices that were his to make, and the choices made for him by others.
"The Flesh Collectors" by Michael Redhill
Roth had long since given up on making sense of the many laws that were to govern his life and his behaviour. These things had been drummed into him as a child, which was part of the reason he had strayed, although straying from orthodoxy to conservativism was a deviation on the order of dark rye to light.
As with "Last Rites," this is the story of conflict between one's religious beliefs and one's personal convictions. The main character is Jewish and planning to undergo a vasectomy so that he and his third, younger wife can continue to have sex without risking pregnancy. But Roth worries he may want to have more children in the future and contemplates freezing some of his sperm—an act that would, his rabbi opines, definitely result in sin, whether he uses the sperm or not. As Roth's vasectomy looms, he's torn between safeguarding against the unknowable future or conforming to the tenets of his faith. At the centre of this crisis, we have to wonder: how much of us, of our personalities and beliefs, comes from the religion in which we were raised?
"Fever" by Sharan Butala
She wanted to tell him that she too had been gone, that she had been exploring, lost, in a wild, violent country, that she had narrowly escaped, that she had had to tear herself away, lest the swamps and bogs and blackness claim her forever.
A man inexplicably becomes ill on a business trip to Calgary. As he lies in a hospital, wavering on the threshold between life and death, his wife, who has accompanied him on the trip, dallies with another guest at their hotel. For reasons she does not understand, she cannot bring herself to worry about her husband, cannot feel anything.
It's difficult for me to say why I liked this book; the main character seems selfish at times and mostly foolish. Maybe it's those foibles, her inability to play the dutiful bedside wife, that I find so endearing. She strays, yes, but ultimately she comes back—as does her husband—and for perhaps the first time in their stagnating 15-year-old marriage, they are changed.
"Ray" by Guy Vanderhaeghe
Over all the months of separation her voice had changed, or his way of hearing it had. Coming out of the void, how false, how insincere it sounded, how actressy. It struck Ray that the owner of such a voice might not know all there was to know. Something more had passed between him and his father, borne on his dead brother's train, than a mere exchange of drinks and loose chang. What, was for him to decide.
This was an absolutely stunning story about the relationships a man has with both his wife and his father. Ray is an utterly practical individual who fails to grasp the nuances of society and humanity; his wife married him because he makes her feel better about himself, not because she loves him. Ray feels a bond with his father despite the fact that he received little affection, whether as child or as adult. But ultimately, I love the development Ray undergoes in such a short story. He starts off as a shy, unassuming man and becomes more confident—with the right amount of tribulation along the way.
"Jhoomri's Window" by Anita Rau Badami
Amma acts like she did not hear me and asks Jhoomri again, "Well Jhoomri, what is wrong with Mungroo?"
A great big smile spreads across Jhoomri's face, "Bibi-ji, he has a hairy nose," she says.
Amma frowns at her, "You still behave like a child, girl, and about to get married too."
"No Bibi-ji, I am no longer a child, am I?" says Jhoomri.
Amma pats her on the shoulder and says, "Don't worry, you'll be happy, you'll learn how to be happy with Mungroo."
"Yes," says Jhoomri.
"And your window?" I ask, totally confused now. How can Jhoomri be happy about marrying Mungroo? "Will you be getting your pink window today Jhoomri?"
"What will I do with a window now, child?" asks Jhoomri. And all of a sudden she sounds just like my mother.
Told from the point of view of a capricious seven-year-old, "Jhoomri's Window" is a bittersweet story about growing up and turning in one's vibrant cloak of idealism for the more muted colours of pragmatism and practicality.
"Catechism" by Wayne Johnston
He had always had great reserves of politeness, consideration, and forbearance, which were fatally combined with a desire to be liked, and so he had never been able to dismiss someone out of hand or offend them even when he knew it would have served their interests even more than his if they were to never meet again.
Much more happens in "Catechism" than one would expect to find in the average short story. The narrator shows us little moments, without judgement, from the life of the main character. In many ways his life is on hold, static and dreary like the Canadian winter in which much of the story takes place. He fails to connect with anyone even though he yearns for connection. In the end, he must confront the fact that he is unhappy. While "Catechism" is not very uplifting, it felt very emotionally true.
"An Easy Life" by Bronwen Wallace
Sometimes what Marion thinks is simply that she's lucky to have such an easy life. "Karma" some of their friends used to call it, hanging out at the farm, smoking black hash, letting the boys run naked through the fields.
Other times she knows damn well it's because of Carl and their double income, her education, her parents' double income even, everything that's made her luck possible. Political, not spiritual, and she should damn well face up to what that means. Whatever that means.
Sometimes she just doesn't know, and it scares her.
This story moved me because of Wallace's portrayal of parallels ... how circumstances beyond our control can profoundly influence our lives, more than we'd like to admit. "An Easy Life" also has a ray of hope, as Marion Walker's easy life is not an empty one, and she manages to pay her karma forward to the young Tracey Harper.
"The Art of Cooking and Serving" by Margaret Atwood
I couldn't understand why she'd chosen to do what she'd done—why she'd turned herself into this listless, bloated version of herself, thus changing the future—my future—into something shadow-filled and uncertain. I thought she'd done it on purpose. It didn't occur to me that she might have been ambushed.
To a child, everything is amplified, larger than life. Additional responsibilities—such as caring for one's pregnant mother or for a younger baby sibling—can seem like monumental tasks. Atwood replicates the stresses a child can feel, and the ways in which he or she copes in the absence of real parental guidance. I loved both the tone of the narrator and the denouement, in which the narrator seeks her freedom. There's a certain amount of generational observation here, as modern children have a sort of independence less common in previous generations of families.
"The Glass Sphere" by Sean Virgo
"The sphere had frozen, and baked. The air inside it, which was the breath of a man, had made frost-flowers upon its walls, and had filled it with mist."
The title is slightly misleading, since the story is less about the sphere than it is about how that sphere connects two people across two centuries. It's about the breath trapped inside the sphere, the incredible journey on which it has gone, carried in the seemingly-indestructible blown-glass vessel, until it was finally released and taken in by another person. Virgo writes with such wonderful conviction; his descriptions are beautiful, as is this story.
"Constance" by Virgil Burnett
The identity of the partner in the sins of which Constance was suspected by the court gossips was a subject of endless discussion. A multitude of theories was advanced, factions developed, and the probability of each candidate for her affections was debated hotly and with utter frankness. . . .
Evidence was collected by every imaginable means. Servants were threatened, bribed, beaten. Patrols were organized along the ramparts so that Constance's windows could be constantly observed. Informing, eavesdropping, and spying became as prevalent in the palace as gossip had always been. This diligence was rewarded by the exposure of a score of entertaining scandals, but none of them involved Thibault's wife.
This is one of my favourite stories because it's just so different from the rest of the anthology. It actually has a plot, for one thing. And I love this idea that the courtiers are going to such great lengths to discover if Constance is having an affair (all the while she is, although her lover's identity is never discovered). Burnett uses this irony to inject some humour into a story that might otherwise be considered tragic or even haunting.
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Babcock, K. (2009, Oct 04). [Review of the book The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories , by Jane Urquhart]. Kara.Reviews. https://kara.reviews/the-penguin-book-of-canadian-short-stories/ Chicago/Turabian 17
Babcock, Kara. Review of the book The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories , by Jane Urquhart. Kara.Reviews, October 04, 2009, accessed January 20, 2021. https://kara.reviews/the-penguin-book-of-canadian-short-stories/ MLA 8
Babcock, Kara. Review of The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories , by Jane Urquhart. Kara.Reviews , 04 Oct 2009, kara.reviews/the-penguin-book-of-canadian-short-stories/
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DAVIS--A memorial for UC Cooperative Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey, a 26-year member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 7 in the Putah Creek Lodge, located off Garrod Drive, UC Davis campus.
Field in Yolo County damaged by common leaf spot, May 2017.
Why do my alfalfa leaves look spotty??
Common leaf spot (Pseudopeziza medicaginis) has been very common in some alfalfa fields this spring due to our wet weather! Symptoms include small circular, brown-to-black spots on the leaves. As the disease progresses, infected leaves turn yellow and drop. Although the disease does not kill plants, defoliation reduces plant vigor, hay quality, and yield, especially with leaf loss during drying and harvesting.
UC Cooperative Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey, a 26-year member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty and widely known for his research on applied insect ecology and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, died April 18, succumbing to cancer. He was 60.
Figure 1. Earthworm cocoons under the dissecting microscope.
A consultant recently brought in some alfalfa plants to get another opinion on why growth was resuming slowly this spring. The field is located in Merced County and is a sandy loam soil. The field is in its fifth year, is glyphosate-tolerant, and has traditionally produced high-quality hay. About 5 acres of a 40-acre field are affected.


It is impossible to recall a presidential aide contemporaneously broadcasting his disgust with his own president.
But it is important to understand the precise nature of their distress. It is emphatically not because they are shocked to learn their boss is a racist, a fact that has been established through numerous episodes, such as Trump's insistence a Mexican-American judge was inherently biased against him, his call for a Muslim immigration ban, his slander of Ghazala Khan, and so on. They are angry that Trump revealed beliefs they wish to keep hidden. "Members of the president's staff, stunned and disheartened, said they never expected to hear such a voluble articulation of opinions that the president had long expressed in private," reports the New York Times.
This raises the question once again of why they are working for Trump at all. A legitimate public rationale can be made for serving the administration in certain roles. The federal government plays a vital role in domestic and global security, Trump is a dangerous and erratic figure, and somebody needs to try to steer him away from decisions that would provoke unalterable tragedy. That justification covers serving Trump as a foreign-policy adviser, or as homeland security and disaster-response officials.
But what justification can the domestic and political advisers offer? Any benefit they can get by helping produce what they regard as better policies is surely offset by the cover they (and their policy successes, should they produce any) provide him.
Trump certainly has revived certain aspects of the political excitement of the 1930s: Nazi torchlight parades, presidential attacks on the media as enemies of the people, and street battles between armed extremist factions. He has not yet revived the infrastructure build-up that supplied a great deal of the Nazi party's political capital. The apparent objective Trump's domestic advisers hope to achieve is to create a political constituency for a president they consider racist, while concealing his racism as best as they can.
A West Wing official tells the Times that Trump has "expressed sympathy with nonviolent protesters who he said were defending their 'heritage.'" (This is a rally that began with chants like "Jews will not replace us.") Preventing Trump from doing something damaging is a legitimate and even noble calling. But that admirable motivation can easily mutate into rationalization. Are Trump aides really working to protect the country from him? Or are they working to keep the country from seeing his real nature?