Sookie, Bill and Jessica arrived at 7:30. The ring ceremony was at 8:00 p.m..

    Ruby Jean had been hitting the bottle hard. This shit was just terrible! Why did she agree to marry that vampire bastard, Russell? Why?

    Oh yeah. He got her out of the looney bin and made her realize her witch powers. She probably could do more than see the future, but her drinking kind of interfered with that.

    Meanwhile, LaFayette had slipped out and gotten another dress for Tara. This one was fuschia. He noticed that the vampire blood had worked wonders.

    “Hookah, you look a thousand times better than when Eric carried your ass up in here.”

    “Yeah.” was all Tara said to that.

    “So...you gonna fill me in on what happened?”

    Tara set the dress down.

    “How about you fill me in on what happens after we do this? Are we through with Russell and Eric? Are you going to still be living up in here?”

    “It’s a mansion! Hell yeah, I’m going to be living here!

    Tara gave him a look.

    “Why?” she finally asked.

    “Because I can’t leave my mama with a vampire.”

    “She’s a grown woman. I’m sure she’ll survive.” Tara said.

    “Can we not talk about this shit? How did you end up beat up? Russell sent some wolves out to kill Sam and that horse bitch that showed up at your wedding reception. I like Sam, but damn, if he had anything to do with this...”

    “Sam is going to be killed?” Tara asked in a hollow voice. LaFayette raised a brow.

    “That bothers you? He left you in the hands of some government stooge to work you over!”

    Tara turned away, just as Sookie knocked quickly once, then walked into the room.

    “Are you alright? Russell said there was a problem before, but he’s not sayin’ what it was....I thought we agreed you’d wear the green dress? What’s going on?”

    “Horse whore wore it, posing as her!” LaFayette revealed. Sookie looked from him to Tara.

    “I don’t understand. Luna wore your dress? How?”

    “Alcide told LaFayette she shifted into me! What kind of shifter can do that? Anyway, Alcide said he was suspicious of her and when he pulled a gun on her, she shifted into her old, horse ass self!” Tara snorted.

    “Alcide could probably smell that it wasn’t you.” Sookie guessed.  Tara nodded reluctantly.

    “Where is Alcide anyway? He hasn’t been in to see me.” Tara noted. Lafayette coughed loudly.

    “What do you know?” Tara and Sookie asked in unison.

    “I know that Alcide left with some other wolves to kill Sam. And before either of you say anything, Sam was wrong on that shit. Dead wrong.” LaFayette stated. Sookie turned to Tara.

    “Tell  me what’s going on! What happened?”

    Tara licked her lips, then spoke.

    “I know that Luna changed into me, because LaFayette told me that. All I remember is freezing her and Sam, who broke into my house. Before I could run off, someone that turned out to be a relative of Franklin Mott’s, used a stun gun on me. And the weapon kept me from using my powers--though now I think the fucker was full of shit about that! I was just so freaked out at seeing someone that looked so much like Franklin, I panicked.”

    “What happened after he tasered you?” Sookie asked. She had a bad feeling she was going to hear something she didn’t like.

    Tara took a deep breath.

    “First person I saw was Sam. He told me that the man that had tasered me was not Franklin but some relative. Then the fucker walked in...i don’t even remember if he introduced himself...I was just so shocked. But Sam had wanted to stay with me and the creep told him to leave.”

    “And Sam’s ass left?” Lafayette snorted.

    “I honestly don’t think if he had known what he would do...” Tara trailed off and Sookie looked alarmed.

    “Tara Mae Thornton Herveaux! What did he do to you?”

    “Eric Northman carried her up in here beat up, that’s what he did!” LaFayette huffed.

    “And Sam didn’t hear any of this?!” Sookie asked in disbelief. 

    “I don’t know...I don’t remember much except for Eric being there and then coming here.” Tara admitted. Sookie raised a brow.

    “Uh Tara, just how much of Eric’s blood is in you? He saved you because he sensed where you were.”

    “The hell if I know! I think he spiked my gatorade when I was training with him.”

    “Does Alcide know?”

    Tara looked from Sookie to LaFayette.

    “What could he do about it if he did? What does any of that matter anyway? Look, I appreciate you guys coming up to be with me. But Lafayette, we have a spell to perform. Sookie, you should be with Bill and Jessica. I’m alright. Really.”

    LaFayette smiled wanly at her. They had been through so much, since the two of them had found out they were witches. He had lost Jesus and Tara had been forced to marry, breed wolf babies and all kinds of crazy shit! Would either of them ever be happy?

    Sookie took LaFayette’s arm and they left the room. Tara watched the door close, then pulled out her cellphone and called her husband’s cell.

                                                          ****

    Alcide answered Tara’s call, just as Debbie, Coot and two three other wolves, were watching Sam Merlotte’s trailer burn to the ground. Sam was not there, unfortunately.

    “Hey.” was all Alcide said.

    “Where are you?” Tara asked.

    “Out looking for Merlotte.”

    “Alcide, let’s just get this ceremony over with, go home and live our lives, okay?”

    “Is this your way of asking me not to kill Merlotte?”

    “He didn’t know. I know that in my heart.”

    “Well I don’t know it, Tara! And either way, the man is trouble, throwing in with the authorities to bring us down. Russell ordered this, so there ain’t much to be done about it.”

    Suddenly, Arlene and Terry Bellefleur came running out of their own home, screaming and crying! A few other residents gathered and a sound of siren could be heard in the background.

    Tara could hear it too.

    “What is that?”

    “Look,” Alcide said, not answering her, “I know that giving him up wasn’t easy. I saw how much it hurt you when he brought that woman to our reception. But Russell won’t let this stand and I sure as fuck am not about to. And I’m speaking as your husband.”

    “Alcide, why am I hearing Arlene Bellefleur yapping in the background?! Where are you?”

    “Sam’s trailer burned down. And don’t ask me any fool questions about how it happened. My point is you need to accept the fact that he’s no longer a part of your life.”

    “This isn’t about that!” Tara said, sitting down slowly on the bed. “Alcide, if you kill him...I don’t know how things will be between us.”

    “Things between us will be just fine. You’ll get used to his being gone. I have to go.” Alcide said curtly, hanging up. He tried not to show how unhappy he was with the fact that Tara was clearly hung up on that fucker Merlotte! And after he had let that bastard almost kill her!

    A car screeched to a halt. Sam and Tommy got out and Arlene and Terry ran over to them!

    “Oh my God, Sam!” Arlene screeched. “The fire truck is on it’s way!”

    Sam and Tommy looked at one another, then over at Alcide and the other wolves.

    “Arlene,” Sam said slowly, “Tommy and I have some business to take care of. We’ll be right back.”

    “Business?! What the fuck?! What other business is there to take care of when your goddamned trailer is burning to the ground???”

    Alcide, Debbie, Coot and the other wolves, walked up to them.

    “Let’s take this into the woods, fuckers!” Tommy snapped. Arlene stepped out of the way. Uh oh...did these people burn down Sam’s trailer? Oh shit...she decided Terry needed to know about this...

    As Arlene eased away, Alcide walked up to Sam and Tommy, with the other wolves behind him. Sam nodded at Debbie, who nodded back, with regret.

    “How’s Tara?” Sam asked.

    “You don’t get to know how my wife is. Now let’s get to the woods. You wouldn’t want all your nice neighbors to see you die. You can tell your runt brother to run...unless he wants to die too.”

    “I ain’t the one that’s going to be dying.” Tommy said matter-of-factly. Sam was only focused on Alcide.

    “See, I don’t think there is any ‘apocalypse’ comin’. I think once Edgington, Northman and whatever other fucking vampires that are a part of this scam, are done trickin’ Tara and Lafayette into allowing them to walk around during the day, they won’t have any use for them. I know some shit too, Herveaux. Tara and LaFayette can just as easily take away those abilities, and you know damned well Edgington and Northman won’t want that.” Sam said knowingly.

    “Let’s get to the woods.” Alcide repeated. Sam and Tommy lead the way until they found a nice spot near a stream.

    Coot grinned!

    “Dyin’ near a stream. How nice!” he growled, as he, Debbie, Alcide and the other wolves, shifted.

    Sam and Tommy looked at one another and shifted as well.

    Into very large elephants.

    Debbie and Coot didn’t stand a chance as they were crushed by the combined hooves of Sam and Tommy! Tommy kicked two of the wolves and they went flying back into trees! Alcide and the few that were left, shifted back into human form, grabbed all of the clothes they could and ran back to their vehicles.

    Terry, Arlene and many in the community, were treated to the sight of naked men running for vehicles, jumping into them and then speeding off into the night. A few neighbors got license plate numbers with their cellphones.

                                                           ****

    The ceremony itself sort of went off without a hitch. Except that Russell made Tara and LaFayette do it twice, since they both fucked up some of the Latin in the spell.

    They would know tomorrow if the rings, that Sookie slipped onto Russell, Bill, Eric and Jessica’s fingers, worked. They would also have to reverse when they slept, slowly, so that they didn’t get the bleeds.

    There were refreshments but Tara felt sick--literally! What would Alcide say when he did finally come back here? Would he admit to killing Sam? Why didn’t she just leave this place and find Sam so she could help him?

    Because she’d made a vow. A vow to Alcide and now she really owed Eric. That Franklin look alike would’ve killed her.

    LaFayette and Jessica were talking and admiring her new ring, while Bill and Sookie were looking kind of happy, near a plate of some kind of sandwiches. Russell snatched a drink out of Aunt Ruby Jean’s hand and Eric was busy watching Tara, something Tara herself, did her best to ignore. Now that she was feeling better, she also did not know how to feel about Eric.

    Alcide walked in, motioned to Russell, who nodded to Eric, and the three men went off someplace in private. Tara began to follow, when Bill stopped her.

    “Maybe it would be best if you let that be.”

    Tara was about to say something not-so-nice back, when the room began spinning and she passed out.

                                                               ****

    Russell brought a special doctor in. Aunt Ruby Jean knew what was going on, but didn’t feel like giving out any bad news. She knew the special doctor that was looking over Tara, would reveal a pregnancy. A most fucked up one at that.

    Sookie sat in a chair outside of Tara’s room, while Alcide calmly stood against a wall. Bill rounded a corner, motioned to Sookie and the two of them went back around the corner.

    “Bill? What’s going on? You know something, don’t you?”

    Bill took a deep breath. Sookie would not be pleased.

    “Russell and Eric think that Tara is pregnant--with Eric’s child. Apparently, Tara is a fertile witch. It is rare, but she can actually conceive children with vampires. Eric took advantage of Tara by glamouring her one night. He believes this child could be his and he AND Russell, have plans for it.”

    Sookie glanced around the corner at Alcide.

    “Bill!” she whispered. “Alcide is going to have a shit fit! Plus, what if this baby is Sam’s?”

    The door to Tara’s room opened, and a small boned woman who called herself ‘Dr. Priestess’, stepped out and closed the door behind her.

    “We should talk with Mr. Edgington and Mr. Northman.”

    “Who the fuck cares about them? I’m Tara’s husband. Just tell me if she’s expectin’?”

    “Yes,” Dr. Priestess said slowly, “she’s expecting alright. Triplets. And all three fetus’s have different genetic markers.”

    Alcide stepped back.

    “Meanin’?”

    “Meaning, Mr. Herveaux, that your wife is going to give birth to three babies, with three different fathers.”

    Bill’s mouth dropped open! Sookie, who couldn’t hear what they were saying, began to panic!

    “What did that doctor tell Alcide? Tell me!”

    But Bill grabbed her arm!

    “We’re leaving, Sookie. This is not a place we’ll want to be in a short while. Let’s find Jessica and leave.”

    “I can’t leave Tara!”

    “You’ll have to--for tonight.” Bill insisted. Meanwhile, Alcide could not believe what this doctor was saying! It made no sense!

    “Lady, you don’t know what the hell you’re doing! You’re not a real doctor anyway, are you? I’m getting my wife and we’re leaving. I’ll take her to my own doctor.”

    “Do as you wish. But I am duty bound to report my findings to Mr. Edgington.” Dr. Priestess said, moving around Alcide and down the hallway. Bill and Sookie moved out of the woman’s way, then followed after her towards the stairs. Sookie dragged her feet a little, but then decided to listen in to the doctor’s thoughts.

    I have never seen the likes of this! Three babies by three different fathers! Mr. Edgington will probably only want the witch to carry the vampire’s child...

    Sookie stopped walking and Bill looked at her.

    “What is it?” he asked tensely.

    “I listened to the doctor’s thoughts,” Sookie whispered, “Tara is in more trouble than I realized.”

                                                             ****

    Tara sat up on the bed when Alcide calmly walked in and closed the door. He then sat down on the edge of the bed.

    “The doctor thinks that you’re carrying three babies by three different men. I know you’ve been with Sam. Who else was there?”

    Tara slowly stood up.

    “That can’t be! Who’s ever  heard of such a thing? And Sam was the only other man I’ve been with! I swear!”

    “I think Northman glamoured you into sleeping with him. And if he did, then we’re going to have a problem.” Alcide said calmly. He then turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

    Tara stared after him, opened mouth for a moment, then followed after him. When she got downstairs, she stood outside of the study door, eavesdropping, as Dr. Priestess, Russell, Eric and Alcide talked about her.

    “You mutherfucker!” Alcide snapped. “We had a deal!  You vampire fucks now can walk around the sun AND you’ve got my wife carrying a half vamp kid??? Hell no! Hell to the fucking no!”

    Russell smiled coolly.

    “Now Mr. Herveaux...”

    “Don’t Herveaux me! Tara and LaFayette can reverse the spell on those rings! Hell, Tara could probably do it herself! You get this doctor to abort, at the very least, Northman’s kid, and you all can keep your rings!”

    Russell’s mouth dropped open  and his fangs appeared, but Eric set down the drink he had been sipping, and walked up to Alcide.

    “You speak for Tara on this? She’s told you she wants nothing to do with my child and would like to abort it?”

    “Tara is traumatized! You fucked her when she didn’t know it, since there’s no way she’d let you near her if she was at herself!” Alcide growled.

    “I think this is just YOU talking, werewolf,” Eric drawled, “I don’t think Tara would do any such thing to our new rings.”

    “Yes, Mr. Herveaux and why are you not eager to have your wife rid her body of the other shifter’s spawn?” Russell asked.

    “Oh she’s only going to carry mine!” Alcide hissed, looking again at the doctor. “I want you to take care of this--tonight!”

    “No!” Eric snapped. “We’ve come too far to have everything destroyed. Maybe we can re-negotiate...”

    Tara stopped listening. In this fucked up world, she was now carrying three babies by three different men.

    She came to a decision then.

                                                             ****

    LaFayette could hear all of the arguing coming from the study, when he spotted Tara’s fuschia dress, lying on a heap on the floor in front for the study door. There was an envelope lying on it. LaFayette reached down and picked it up. She saw it was addressed to Alcide and Eric.

    LaFayette didn’t bother to knock. He walked in and handed the letter to Russell. Russell tore it open, scanned it, then threw the paper up in the air!

    “I’m going to take a short nap so I can try out my ring tomorrow morning.” he said blithely. Dr. Priestess was sipping a drink and Eric picked up the note. Uh oh...

    Dear Fuckers,

    I don’t know who to go off on first!

    Russell, I hate your ass and always will. My aunt wouldn’t be turning into the lush my late mama was, if you treated her right. I hope you at least get sunburn.

    Eric, you’re a filthy bastard, but you did save me and for that I’m grateful.

    Alcide, you tore my heart out when you told everyone you wanted me to abort every child that wasn’t yours. Eric and Sam’s babies can’t help what they are.

    I’m leaving town and I’ll be invisible until the babies are born. I’ll show myself to get proper care and shit like that, but you all won’t be seeing me or finding me. And Eric, you fucker, you’d better HOPE I don’t put YOUR child in foster care!

    That’s all I have to say. Peace out and Alcide, I’ll be filing for divorce.

    Tara

    Eric dropped the paper and used his vampire speed to leave the study! Alcide picked up the paper, read it, then took off his clothes to shift into wolf form! Tara could not have gone far.

    LaFayette then picked up the note and read it. Damn! He had to find Tara and at least help her out, even if it would be in secret. He then looked over at the doctor, who had helped herself to yet another drink He needed to let Sookie what was going on now.

                                                                ****

    ONE YEAR LATER

    Tara had managed to put her witch skills to use and go to work for the Queen of Louisiana, Sophie Ann Leclerq . She didn’t like it, but she was on retainer and the money was VERY damned good. So much so, that she moved with her three baby girls, Erica, Alicia and Samantha, to a town she had heard mentioned before--Mystic Falls, Virginia.

    There, she purchased a modest home and was able to hire a nanny of sorts. A young woman who was starting college and had lost her parents and her aunt recently. Her name was Elena Gilbert. Now, Tara didn’t have to worry when she needed to leave town to work for the Queen. But she always wondered just how long it would be, before either of her daughter’s three fathers, Eric Northman, Alcide Herveaux and Sam Merlotte, discovered her and their daughters, true whereabouts.

    Probably not long. Not long at all.

    THE END