My first True Blood fanfic, it would be nice to hear what everyone thinks and whether its worth continuing on with this story. So i hope you all like it.
"One Flesh one Bone, One true Religion, One voice one hope, One real decision…"
Remy mostly screamed rather than sang out the words to the old Queen song as she floored the accelerator of the old pick up she still drove. The palms of her hands rhythmically slapped the leather of the steering wheel as Freddie geared up for the chorus once more. God she loved this song.
The Louisiana countryside flew past her wound down windows as Remy continued down the roads leading her once again closer to the town she grew up in. She was only coming home under duress, which was mostly the reason for Freddie blaring away at top volume. She needed the encouragement he offered. As she drove closer the familiar southern ropes of familial obligation started to wrap themselves around her heart. The countryside started to turn into places she knew from childhood memories and houses sprouted up that she could recite the ownership of for at least the past few decades. Remy knew it was the right thing to do to come back, hell even if she hadn't been around for the past few years it didn't change the fact that Adele Stackhouse was the only grandmother she'd ever known and Sookie and Jason needed her there.
Even so she could only imagine the reaction she was going to get. Hell she really wasn't the sweetest southern belle to wander the streets of Bon Temp. She'd always been the black sheep of the family and that was saying something. What with most people thinking Sookie was crazy and Jason a good for nothing layabout. Her own brother Kyle had been the only Stackhouse to ever get out of Bon Temp with a decent reputation and that was only because he had followed their once glorious leaders call to arms and vanished off to join the marines.
Not liking the way her thoughts were going Remy shook her head angrily and cranked the volume on the old tape player up as high as it was possible for it to go. Once more getting into the flow of the Queen songs. She ignored the few people she passed on the streets, not bothering to even notice their disapproving looks and frowns as she sped past. She refused to slow down until she sped into Sam Merlotte's gravel strewn parking lot. Skidding to a halt she finally turned off the queen and jumped from the cab of the pickup to the floor quickly checking her reflection in the wing mirror she scraped a few strands of hair off her face before turning grabbing her barely in one piece back pack and marched to the entrance of the bar, then with a deep breath she pushed open the door.
Merlotte's hadn't changed over much in the 4 years since Remy had last been here. The booths were still the same green leather, the floor still the same dark wood floor boards along with the bar, even the covers of the menu's stood on the numerous tables. Even more disturbing though was the people who sat around eating, chatting and drinking. They were exactly the same people who she had last seen in this place. The only difference she could spot was the addition of a scowling black girl stood behind the bar. Remy couldn't help smiling as she stared at Tara.
She walked over to the bar leaning her elbows on the high wood as Tara stalked over to her, Remy removed her sunglasses and smiled. It took Tara a few more minutes of staring before recognition kicked in and disbelief and shock flooded her features. "fuck Remy, is that you?"
Oh that was Tara alright, "Your fucking right it's me" Remy answered smiling "how you been Tara?"
Tara was still blinking in shock as she stared at Remy, shaking her head "Jesus I can't believe your back. You look good girl"
"Ya think?"
"Shit yeah, Californian life must agree with ya"
Remy shrugged studying her fingernails deliberately being absent. "Oh I don't know, you ain't looking so rough yerself"
Tara snorted "Yeah right" she muttered "if I ain't changed much since looking in the mirror this morning I look like hell"
"Yeah well from what I hear ya'll have got good reason to look like shit"
Tara actually cringed as she looked down at the floor behind the bar. "Shit Rem I'm sorry. I mean… the funeral it's why yer back right?"
Remy nodded "only right I suppose, even if I did drive the woman insane"
"Adele loved ye all Rem and ye know it"
Remy smiled slightly "yeah I suppose she did" sighing she slid onto one of the stools in front of the bar and dumped her ratted back pack on the floor by her feet she pointed to the whiskey bottle on the back of the bar "wanna pour me one of them"
Tara nodded and grabbed two glasses before pouring large measures into both of them. She pushed one over to Remy who took it in one hand raising it into the air "To my gran, Adele Stackhouse who was one hell of a lady"
"Amen" Tara agreed as both girls downed the whiskey.
"So, Sookie and Jason around here somewhere?"
Tara glanced back at the clock behind her "Sookie should be in soon, her shift starts in 30 and Jason won't be far behind the road crew finish in about an hour. You gonna wait here?"
Remy nodded "may as well" she pushed the glass back over at Tara "if I'm waiting may as well be drinking"
"Girl after my own heart" Tara agreed pouring another measure into the glass.
Remy smiled evilly "and here I was thinking your heart belonged solely to my cousin"
Tara almost flushed as she drank down her whiskey "You still a bitch then?"
Remy shrugged "suppose I must be. He not notice you yet then?"
Tara glared for a few moments before finally shaking her head in annoyance. "May as well face it he ain't ever gonna like me as nothing but a friend"
Remy grinned "Honey if you were gonna ever believe that you would have stopped liking the idiot years ago"
Tara's eyes narrowed at Remy "says the girl who followed that idiot bum Todd half way across the country"
Remy laughed "hey I never said I wasn't an idiot as well"
Tara finally grinned "no I suppose you didn't. Hell it didn't seem to work out to bad for you"
"You didn't see me after the dick had run off with the nearest thing with a small skirt and big tits"
"You Remy Stackhouse let a guy get away with doing that to ye?" Tara asked raising one eyebrow in disbelief. Remy grinned and took a sip of her whiskey "I let him think he did for a few weeks, thought I'd give him the chance to enjoy those tits for a few days at least"
Tara snorted "I don't think I wanna know"
"Probably best" Remy agreed smiling. From the other end of the bar someone shouted at Tara trying to get her attention, Tara just turned and snarled angrily at him making Remy laugh as her friend finally moved over to serve him. Remy just swirled the remains of the whiskey in her glass around once more before silently sending another prayer up for her gran and downing the rest of the burning liquid. Before leaning over the bar and grabbing the whiskey bottle Tara had left behind and pouring some more.
"I distinctly remember banning you from this place Remy Stackhouse"
Remy smiled to herself turning round to grin at Sam Merlotte who was stood glaring at her "yeah well I figured 4 years was enough for even you to remove the stick from up your ass"
"You'd be surprised" Sam switched his glare to the whiskey bottle Remy was still holding onto "you pay for that?"
"Jesus Sam lighten up will you"
"Yeah, remember what happened the last time you said that?" Sam asked sarcastically as Remy just grinned wider "far as I recall I had to pull you down off that bar with not so much clothing on and send you on home"
"Oh come on Sam, you got a lot of extra money that night didn't ye?"
Sam narrowed his eyes at her "I also got the sharp end of Adele's tongue. Your gran ain't the sort of person you want to piss off Remy"
"Wanted" Remy corrected
"What?"
Remy put the bottle of whiskey back down on the bar and digging around in the front pocket of her back pack she threw a few bills down on the bar as well before looking over at Sam. "past tense know ain't it. Not want but wanted"
Sam paled as Remy turned and smiled at Tara "seems I'll wait over at the house Tara, catch you later"
Remy never got to door though as Sookie chose that moment to appear. Her cousin hadn't changed much overall. Her hair was still sunshine yellow, still small framed and creamy coloured skin. Only at the moment her eyes were dull and smudges resided under them. She seemed smaller than usual if that was possible. She stopped frozen when she turned and saw Remy.
"Hey Sook" Remy said softly.
Sookie trembled slightly before jerking forward and grabbing Remy in a hug so tight she couldn't breath. Remy wrapped her arms round her cousin just as tight holding her shaking body.
"I can't believe your actually here Rem" Sookie said when she finally pulled back to look at her cousin once more.
"You didn't really think I wouldn't come did ye?"
Sookie should her head "no I knew you'd come. We've missed ye Rem"
"Missed you to Sook" Remy muttered as Sookie pulled her back towards the bar. Remy looked over at Sam who was still stood in the same place he had been before. He must have noticed the question in her eyes as he just shrugged sighing. Which Remy took as meaning she was being allowed to stay. For now at least.
She would never admit it out loud but it was almost comforting to be back here in Bon Temps. Surrounded by the people she'd grown up with. Hell there was only about 8 months between her and Sookie. Jason when he'd arrived had treated her no differently then his sister. Grabbing her in a hug strong enough to almost crack her ribs.
Even so it was maybe slightly suffocating. When she'd been used to her own freedom and if she so desired it silence. Which was why she'd slipped out of the door to stand on the small deck Sam had out front with a lighted cigarette. Gran had always despised the habit Remy had picked up in high school and not been able to shake, but like most things about Remy she had tolerated them because overall she loved her. Remy knew that and inside she was clawing herself up with guilt, she hadn't been here for her gran and had barely spoken to her since she up and left.
If she hadn't been outside she probably would have missed the argument. She kind of wished she had managed to ignore the two men in the car park. It seemed to be getting fraught though.
A average height dark haired man was snarling and hissing at a giant blonde one who was smirking at whatever the first man was saying. In the orange gloom on the one stray light Sam had she saw the face of the blonde man. He was beautiful strong lines and smooth features. He was also a vampire, she caught the gleam of his fangs as he turned.
Not sure what she could really do Remy hesitantly went down the steps to the car park, her boots crunching on the gravel. The noise got both men's attention as they turned to stare at her.
"Everything all right?" Remy asked carefully.
It was the darker one who answered, carefully modulating his voice back to a normal calming level and staring her straight in the eye he said. "everything's fine miss. Please step back inside"
"You sure? It didn't really look fine"
The blonde one almost growled when she answered back and took a step forward making the dark one push in front of him "please Miss, it's fine go on inside now"
"REMY!" Remy heard Sookie shout and watched as her cousin came down to stand beside her "What are you doing out here"
"Just checking things out" Remy answered as Sookie finally saw the two men, she smiled at the dark one
"Bill, I didn't know you were coming tonight"
The one called Bill smiled back "I thought you might want company, I see you already have it though"
Sookie almost blushed and Remy suddenly had a bad feeling, her cousin never blushed. Not when it came to men and she could read their perverted thoughts about her in her mind. "Sook?"
"Oh god, my manners. Remy this is Bill Compton my boyfriend and.." she looked at the blonde who was still Remy noticed suddenly staring at her "and Eric Northman he owns a club in Shreveport. Bill, Eric this is my Cousin Remy Stackhouse"
Bill nodded at her and smiled "Remy, I had heard you were coming home. Sympathies on the loss of your grandmother"
"Thanks, I think" Remy said still herself looking at Eric who had still yet to stop staring at her. If she wasn't mistaken as well he had also yet to blink. He moved without any warning pushing past Bill to stand close to Remy who was disappointed in herself when she realised she'd backed up.
"Another Stackhouse" Eric drawled softly "how.. interesting a family you all are"
Remy swallowed hard "what do you mean?"
Eric smirked "I'm not sure yet"
"Eric" Bill growled from behind them. Eric's smirk just widened as he briefly trailed a finger down Remy's face making her shudder, Eric stepped back though quickly nodding at Sookie who was pale faced and watching Remy carefully before he vanished. Completely disappearing from the parking lot. Leaving Remy and Sookie to stare over at Bill.
Bill could see it he supposed, now the two of them were stood side by side staring at him. He could see Sookie in Remy and Remy in Sookie, although you might not have caught it if you weren't looking for their similarities.
Remy was almost the opposite of Sookie in some ways. Her hair was dark inky black although equally as long as her cousins. Her eyes were as dark as her hair although the shape was the same as Sookie's. Their bone structure was similar as well as the shade of their skin the same pale cream that never seemed to tan even in the humidity of the southern states.
Sookie had her Merlotte's uniform on as usual but Remy seemed to differ greatly to Sookie's normal style of sundresses and ballet flats. She had dungarees on, ripped high on her thighs to make them shorts, an old metallica t-shirt was underneath the dungarees and buckled boots came up to just below her knees.
Bill realised the two girls were still stood staring at him. "Shall we go inside?" he offered.
Sookie nodded quickly grabbing Remy's hand and starting to pull her back towards the door. Remy though disentangled herself and stood still "you two go on in, I just want a bit of air"
Sookie frowned "you sure Rem?"
Remy nodded insistently, giving her cousin a small push towards Bill and the doors of Merlotte's. "Go on Sook, I'll be in soon. Promise"
"It's alright Sookie, let's leave your cousin alone for a moment" Bill reasoned taking Sookie's hand. She smiled up at him before finally nodding and allowing herself to be led back inside. Bill spared one last look behind him at the other Stackhouse. She was pulling another cigarette from a box out of her pocket. She caught his eye and smiled wickedly giving him a small salute. Bill turned away giving most of his attention back to a chattering Sookie. Who was more animated then he'd seen her all week. Apparently she was pleased her cousin was home and he was glad of it. He'd been worried about her. Another part of him, one he couldn't pull back stayed out there in the semi darkness with Remy, trying desperately to understand how she had been able to withstand his glamour.