Howdy! Well. It's been a while since I had something and this is no promise that I'll be the most awesome, organized, error free, flawless writer on this place. But damn I hope you enjoy this story!
It's going to start off boring of course (as all stories do) but it will get to the action soon, and the romance (ra ra ah ah ah) and all that other stuff that makes a story a story pretty soon. Dont be afraid to push that review button and give me ideas (I'll take what I can get!) and dont be afraid to drop me a message if you just want to chat or anything like that =D I promise I wont bite as long as there is no blood of course.
True blood doesnt belong to me, and this story takes place during episode one of season four. Im just playing with someone elses dolls, please dont sue me~!
The moment I stepped from the wake of the cemetery towards my home I could tell something was wrong. Whatever damage that had been left by the maenad was missing, my garden had recuperated from the neglect Id given it after Gran had died. Id been involved in too much ''vampire shit'' to be able to sit down and work on it, the plants had suffered because of it. Who's been able to do all of this? All in a day? I half wondered if supe's was involved, but was so tired and unwilling to think on this I passed it off as fictional. I didnt have the energy to think about anything serious for a long while. I just thought I would deal with it later and mosied myself up onto the porch to search for my spare key.
My fingers finally grasped the metal and with a sigh of relief (I was that much closer to a nice hot bath and book to calm my nerves) moved it towards the lock. It took me a moment to fumble around. My hands were a little shaky from the after-shock of my faerie adventure and it took concentration to get it to catch. I visibly relaxed when it did, afraid whoever had broke into my house and trespassed my property had changed the old doors lock too.
I almost fainted when I saw the interior. My furniture was dusted and cleaned of the grime and dirt of the crazy, orgies that were thrown (without my permission mind you). The plates that had piled up in the kitchen were neatly free of debris. The cabinets,and the wallpaper that had peeled was re-plastered and looked (and felt) brand spanking new. It smelled absolutely heavenly. I creeped into every room of the house, touched everything I could, excited almost, and eventually I decided this place looked back to the way Gran had kept it. Before everything had happened resulting in her death, my debt, and too many dead bodies and compromising positions.
I did the only thing I could. I burst into tears.
I didnt know if I was happy, still frightened, lost, or ecstatic, I just knew that I needed to cry and I did. And it was really the only power I had, and the only thing I could do. I cried for my grandfathers loss, I cried for Gran, I cried for Bill. And Id fallen asleep curled up into a ball, my shirt wet, when the door opening and closing had startled me awake. I looked at the clock in a flurry, Id drifted in and out for probably two hours, that left three until sunset.
Id began to pat down my hair, and wipe my eyes trying to look decent and composed, and though most people wouldve just pretended like Id been doing nothing but waxing the floor Jason stopped and stared at me – and I stared back.
"Jason, where did you get that cop uniform." I asked, standing up and flattening the wrinkles in my dress. He didnt answer for a while, and the staring was starting to make me extremely uncomfortable. I reached out to touch his hand and he recoiled from the contact.
"You gotta be fucking shitting me." He said, leaning his head forward as if Id suddenly grown a giant wart right in between my eyebrows and it was pulsing and had grown arms and began to learn the macerena.
"JASON. Watch your language, this is still Grans house! She'd be rolling in her grave right now!" I hissed, wagging my finger to further emphasize my serious tone and nature. Jason hated when I mothered him like this. He used to call me a ''hen'' all the time, but it had got him to stop whatever he was doing and have the intelligence to atleast look guilty about it.
"Sookie? Sook? Is it really you." His calloused fingers reached forward then and he took my face in his hands, I frowned. Indignant and a little confused. I voiced my first thought outloud, despite how rude it might be. "Who else would it be?"
And then he hugged me so tight I thought my lungs would explode.
"Jason, I cant breathe!" I squealed, and he held on for another moment before setting me on my feet. Keeping his hands on my shoulders, and apparently he also forgot about privacy. He was about three inches from my face grinning like a lunatic.
"You're real girl! It's really you!" Once again, I looked at him dumb-folded and crossed my arms. Raising a eyebrow inquisitively.
"Just who else would it be?" I clucked again, leaning back to tap my foot and let him know that I was serious business. Just what is going on? My house looked brand new, my brother was wearing a costume, he thought I was a ghost or something? Was Jason on some drug again? This wouldnt be the first time. Id caught him sneaking out one too many times back in high school, and heard him tiptoe back in too. "Are you on drugs again?" I verbalized, it was my turn to grab his face and look into his eyes. I blocked out his thoughts easily with well trained shields – I didnt even think of my telepathy right now. That curse had gotten me into too much trouble today and I wasnt up to using it. Especially on my own brother.
"No! Youve just been gone for a whole year damn near. OH." He covered his mouth and raised his hand as if to apologize to the spirits of the house but I was too involved in staring at him to really catch that one. And speaking of a year.. I did notice.. he did look different. His hair was cropped a little shorter, he had a shadow coming in on his strong chin, he was more muscular – defined, he looked .. oddly more .. responsible, and was that a look of worry? All of this work on the house couldnt have been done in a matter of hours too.. why that didnt dawn on my earlier was a mystery (id probably been too tired and happy to care) so it made perfect sense that.. Oh.. oh my.
"I have to sit down." I said, my knee's buckling before he grabbed my arm and helped me to the couch, sitting next to me as if he was a child afraid to lose contact with it's mother. Jason stuck to me like glue, and once I got my breath again, he hugged me tight and threatened to pop me like a balloon once again.
"B-But I was only gone for a few hours tops!" I complained, still confused, dizzy, and probably a bit smelly as my brother explained the search they'd had, how he had lost hope, and how everyone had thought Bill or Eric had changed her, or killed her. He explained his rise into the police force and told me about everything that had happened with Merlottes and Sam, and Arlene and some other townsfolk who were worth a hoot. By the time he was done I was stiff with stress and felt the oncoming throb of a headache.
He'd gone into asking questions I wasnt ready to answer when a walky talky at his hip had gone off, informing him of some number and he looked at me, and stood up, apology in his eyes. "I gotta handle some business, you stay here alright Sook?" His face was serious, and he grabbed me again kissing me gently on the cheek and I returned his hug with gusto."I love you sis, Im so happy your back, I thought – I thought the worse for the longest time and your the last of my family, I gotta protect what's mine for now on. Im going to be better, you'll see. Ive changed. I missed you." Gods. My brother. This was my brother, he was a man, a responsible man. He'd changed. He'd missed me, but really, had anyone else?
After making me promise to stay inside, and at home, and away from things until we got a few things with the law settled. Jason left in a hurry and squeal of his tires, I watched the squad car smoothly reverse out of my newly paved driveway and let out a much needed sigh. I could now get some things around the house down.
The next hour and a half left, I spent showering, pampering, and thoroughly cleaning myself and eating a warmed up tv dinner meal. I knew that I probably should call Sam and see if I still had a friend and a job (I intended on paying the person back who's done all this) and probably call everyone I knew and fix in the gaps. The one lovely thing about being home alone and nobody knowing Im here. I actually had time to think. Now the question was if I wanted to.
The moment I sat down on the couch, a mug of hot chocolate in my hands, the tv on blast, prepared to just relax for the rest of the night. Id realized with a knock of the door I forgot to throw one thing into my equation. Fucking vampires.
Standing up, I went to the door. Wishing that whoever had fixed up my house added a peephole, I hesitantly pulled the knob open only to find my ex standing on the other side. He looked at my face with amazement, and mirrored my brother's startled look almost. Stepping forward closer and slipping inside.
"Get away from me Bill- I rescinded your invitation!" I said shying away from his touch. "How did you get in?" he respected my wishes and lowered his head, averting eye contact. I backed up, watching him stand in front of the invisible barrier that kept vampires out of my house unless I allowed it. Vexed. The silence stretched on for a minute, he'd stopped looking at the floor and was searching my face and body again.
"We thought you dead, or stolen or kidnapped. Bon temps was sure that Id be the one to dispose of you."
I gasped, even though his wounds were still fresh, and deep, And I didnt really want him here right now, I certainly didnt wish ill will on him. Id opened my mouth to tell him what actually happened when I heard a gust of wind, and by the time I was able to figure out what it was. I was staring at the chest of the familiar viking.
There was some sort of .. vulnerability in his eyes for a moment before they slipped into that familiar hard shell. He was invading my personal space, and he'd casted Bill to the side like a piece of scrap paper. Dismissing him with his stance.
"Everyone gave up on you." Eric said first, he remained still. And although it had been a year ago I could clearly remember all he'd done to me and I didnt hide it from showing. "I RESCINDED YOUR INVITATION!" I screeched in protest, and Bill (who was still there, behind Eric's posturing) leaned around to respond. "Your house was sold, and bought within days. Even in it's uh.. depleted form."
It was my turn to look shocked, and I felt a bit self-conscious in my robe. I wrapped it tightly around my body, looking at the wall in front of me, and staring into Eric's smoldering gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that!" I snapped, and he was quiet before responding.
"Everyone gave up on you, Bill, Jason, The shifter, but I never did."
I heard Bill's teeth click down he put a hand on Eric's shoulder, it was stony. "Sookie is mine!" He snarled, and leaned a fraction over Eric to give him the coldest look. "No. I wasnt yours before you made me fall in love with you, I wasnt yours before when you let me get the shit beat out of me so you could feed me your blood, and I definately aint yours now! Im not anyone's OKAY. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." My finger snapped to the door in a vicious point, lips probably curled a bit to reveal my teeth. Id definitely been around vamps for too long.
Bill looked ashamed - taking his hand from Eric's shoulder, and he probably was going to beg and plead and apologize before Eric waved him off. "Leave us, Compton." Bill looked uncertain for a moment, but made towards the door. "We will speak later Sookie." And then he was gone.
And I was left alone with Eric in a house that clearly wasnt mine but he could still enter, unless.
shit.