Grief
By Misha

Disclaimer- I own nothing and I'm not making any money off of this, so please don't sue me.

Author's Notes- This is a drabble I started years ago and recently found again. It's a Southern Vampire Mysteries story set some time around "Dead and Gone" and it focuses on the five stages of grief, each in 100 words from the voice of a different narrator. I don't identify the narrators, but I think they are all fairly obvious. I do like how it turned out, though it was definitely tricky keeping it to 500 words.

Summery- After Sookie's death, her loved ones go through the different stages of grief.

Spoilers- Up to "Dead and Gone"

Rating- PG

I. Denial You drive up to Sookie's for a visit, but as soon as you pull into the drive it hits you. Sookie's dead and has been for weeks.

This is the fifth time you've come by her place since you've got the news.

As you sit there in your truck, it hits you what you've lost. A good woman and a good sister, better than you deserved. You cry until there are no more tears left and then force yourself to drive away from the desolate little house.

You know you'll be back, you're not ready to admit that she's gone.

II. Anger

You're a tightrope of emotions these days, your temper always ready to boil over. Your patron's give you a wide berth and you know you need to get your anger under control or your business will suffer, but it's hard.

You're consumed by the fact that Sookie's dead. Maybe it'd be easier if you could blame someone, like the vampires. But you can't; Sookie didn't die because of anything supernatural, but because of a freak storm and bad roads.

Since that day you've been filled with so much anger that she died. She'd been too young and she deserved better.

III. Bargaining

You think you should have done something differently. If you had given her the gift of immortality, she would still be here.

You'd thought about it, but she hadn't wanted it. You know now you should have forced her, she would have forgiven you eventually.

But it wasn't your place. It was your master's and he loved her too much to ignore her wishes and because of that you both lost her.

You hate these feelings of sorrow; the death of a mere human shouldn't bother you, but she was special and you should have been able to save her.

IV. Depression

You never knew the dead could grieve. Death has never bothered you before, because it was such a human thing and you feel removed from it.

This time is different though, because Sookie wasn't just any human, she was special.

You recognized that the first time you saw her and that's why you loved her. Not because you were told to, but because you didn't know how to do anything else.

You grieve for her now for the same reasons. Death might be natural, but hers came too soon. You expected to feel angry, but instead you just feel sad.

V. Acceptance

After Sookie dies you're filled with anger, sadness and regret. You blame yourself. After all, you could have saved her. But she didn't want you to and you loved her too much to turn her against her will, even though it meant losing her.

Eventually, you acknowledge that you always knew it was going to end this way, you just assumed you had more time.

However, it was Sookie's choice and once you can accept that, you are able to come to terms with her death. You will always love Sookie, but you are finally ready to let her go.

- End