What Lies Ahead
I only had vague memories of life outside of Bon Temps. Scattered images of a dreary city skyline and of a cold, unloving man, with brown eyes fill of disappointment. My mother brought us to Bon Temps when I was a little under four and it was here we had stayed ever since. After the death of my mother, I had travelled around a bit, but no place felt as right as this little town, and this little house. Sighing, I force my black hair, which I hadn't touched since I got up this morning, into a loose bun, grabbing my keys and heading towards the door. I use my foot to push the green painted door shut behind me and I smile at the cracks along it. Allowing my mind to fly back to the time when my mother and I had first painted it. I jingle my keys happily in my hand, turning to wave to my neighbour Mr King, who was tottering to the letterbox, leaning heavily on his walking cane. "Morning, Alice," he calls to me, his voice old with age.
"Morning," I reply brightly, unlocking my car and giving the door a hard pull to open it. It creaks as it opens causing me to wince. "Get that fixed," I mutter to myself, throwing my bag on the passenger seat, "get new car," I add, glancing over its worn interior. I turn the car on, heading towards Sookie's place, since through the rumour mill of Merlotte's, I heard she'd caught up with vampire Bill again last night. I could hardly believe that it was my night off, I had wanted to witness that.
"Sookie," I call bounding through the screen door, into the Stackhouse home. I had spent enough time here to consider my home as well.
"Good morning, Alice," Sookie's grandmother greets me, a kind smile on her face, "would you like some breakfast?" she questions.
"Ooh yes please," I say, taking the seat next to Sookie, "I have work this afternoon so I think I really must eat."
Sookie laughs, "You do tend to forget to do that, don't you?" she jokes, giving me a smile as a hello.
I grin, "It's not my fault," I argue, "it just somehow never ends up on the top of my list." Sookie shakes her head at me, as Adele places a plate in front of me.
"That's why she comes here, because she knows I'll feed her," she says, giving a kiss on the top of the head.
I laugh, "Guilty as charged, but in all fairness you're a way better cook than I am," I tell her, picking up a piece of toast and nibbling into it.
I look up as the door squeaks open to reveal Tara, "Hey, miss Stackhouse," she greets Adele, heading over to the counter towards the coffee.
"Good morning, Tara," Adele replies smiling at the girl, heading over to give her a kiss on the cheek, before ushering her away from the counter, "no, you sit down. I'll make a new pot." I look over Tara critically as she takes the seat across from me, noting her dishevelled appearance and tired eyes.
"You look awful," Sookie voices the words I had just been about to say.
"Yeah, and I feel even worse," Tara responds her voice strained.
She's about to continue before Sookie interrupts her, "Yes, you can take a shower here, and borrow some of my clothes," she tells her.
Tara smiles in response, "Thanks. Any news about Jason?" she questions Sookie.
My eyes widen at her words unable to believe I had walked in here without even asking. "Yes, is he alright? I really was meant to text when I heard I swear, but by the time the news reached me it was so late," I say quickly, my tone apologetic.
"Alice its fine," she assures me, "we heard from Evalee Mason already. They let him go last night," Sookie informs us.
I breathe a sigh of relief, "Thank god, I mean Jason a killer what the hell were they thinking?" I comment.
"That's what I would like to know," Tara adds to my words. I force myself to not say anything about her feelings about Jason that never ended well for me.
"Okay, you must tell me, did we see Bill again last night. I mean I heard we did, but you can never trust rumours," I say in a rush, remembering the reason I had come over.
"Yes, he came into Merlotte's again last night," Sookie informs unable to keep the smile off her face.
I clap my hands together, "And?" I question, waiting for more.
"And considering the fact she's still alive, we can guess she didn't hook up with him after work," Tara says, her words harsher than I expected.
"Tara," I scold, "how can you have a problem with vampires?" I question her.
"How can you not?" she retorts at me, causing me to shake my head and turn back to Sookie.
"So did we see him after work?" I ask her. Sookie glances from my excited face to Tara's disapproving one before nodding. "Yay," I exclaim.
Tara gives me a glare, "Sometimes the both of you," she says, emphasizing the word both, "are just plain dumb."
"Tara," I snap at her, at the same time as Sookie tells her to shut up.
Sookie looks over to her gran before turning back to us, "Lucky Gran was already in bed when I got in last night," she whispers.
"Did he bite you?" Tara questions her immediately at her words.
"No," Sookie exclaims in shock at the question.
"Bill is a gentlemen," I inform Tara.
"How would you know? You meet him for like five minutes," she reminds me.
"Yes, but five minutes is all I needed, I'll have you know I'm a very good judge of character," I say to her.
Tara gives me a look, "You know, I'm not even going to bother arguing with that because we both know that's a lie," she tells me.
I sigh, slumping my shoulders in defeat, "Fine but he seems very nice," I counter, as Adele makes her way back into the kitchen with a bag of coffee, effectively ending the conversation.
"You must be glad they let Jason go, huh miss Stackhouse," Tara comments.
"Oh, I can't even believe that they arrested him to begin with. I have a good mind to call Bud Dearborne and chew him out. Jason's a good boy. Everybody knows that," she responds.
I nod my agreement, "Definitely not murderer material," I say, unable to agree that he was a good boy, "anyway I better go my shift starts soon," I tell them.
"You have a good day Alice," Adele says to me kindly.
"I will," I promise, "bye Tara, Sookie," I wave to them.
"Bye Alice," they both say as I head out the door.
I end up heading back towards the Stackhouse house after work, having received an invitation to dinner there with Bill, Jason, Tara, and Adele, which I just didn't think would end well. "Is your Gran vacuuming for Bill, that's adorable," I comment, as I lay back on her bed wriggling my toes that were finally free from constricting shoes.
Sookie laughs, "She says she isn't but," she shrugs her shoulders the end of the sentence intended.
I lift myself up on my elbows, "So why are Tara and Jason coming? Is this like a scare the vampire away from Sookie thing? Is that even a thing? Should that be a thing?" I hit Sookie with a tirade of questions.
Sookie thinks a few minutes before responding, "Yes, yes, and no and those answer the first question."
I nod thoughtfully at her words, "Did you invite me just to even out the numbers? Like two people who don't like vampires, versus two people who do," I ask her, twirling my hair in my fingers.
"Maybe," Sookie confesses, looking over at me, a worried expression on her face.
I laugh at it, "Don't worry, I don't mind, I'm just glad I got an invitation," I assure her, "so do you like him?" I finally ask her, my voice serious.
Sookie sighs, "Maybe," she admits quietly.
"Sookie," I squeal excitedly, "this is the best news ever. You haven't liked anyone since like ever. What's he really like? What does he think about?"
Sookie takes the seat next to me, "That's the thing Alice, I can't hear him," she explains to me.
"Oh, I see," I say a smile on my face, "of course you like him then. So does that mean you can't hear any vampires?" I question her curiously.
Sookie shrugs, "I suppose, Alice he seemed to know I was different somehow," she says to me quietly.
"Does he know what you do? I mean did you tell him?" I ask her. Sookie nods, looking at me closely to watch for my reaction to the news. "Gee, you must really like him," I comment, sitting up and crossing my legs together, "this is big. I'm happy for you Sook, really happy. And I'll make sure this dinner goes well I promise," I tell, pulling her into a hug.
"Thanks Alice, its nice to have some support," she admits to me.
I pull back from the hug, frowning in thought, "Do you think there's a reason you can't read vampires thoughts?" I ask her, "like a reason that might help explain why you can't read mine either." It had always bothered me not knowing why I was the only person who seemed to be immune to Sookie's telepathic powers. It shouldn't have, but I just felt like there must have been a reason that I was different.
"Who knows, I would ask Bill about it, but I don't think he's meet another telepath before," she says, her words gentle.
I shake my head, smiling once again, "Its fine, I was just curious anyway let me grab my bag from downstairs so I can change out of my work clothes, its hardly appropriate dinner clothing."
I run my hands over my dress, taking one of the sandwiches offered to me by Adele with a smile, taking a small bite as she passes the rest of them around the room. Bill shakes his head, as she extends the tray towards him, "Oh my stars, of course, you don't, I'm sorry," she apologizes immediately, embarrassed. She sets the tray down, taking a seat herself. "Your people, Mr Compton, they were from this area, I believe?" Adele questions him, no doubt interested in the knowledge his old age would provide.
"Yes, my father's people were Comptons, and my mother's people were Loudermilks," he explains to her politely. "Oh, there are a lot of Loudermilks left. But I'm afraid old Mr Jesse Compton died last year," she informs him.
"Yes, ma'am. That's why I came back to Bon Temps. There were no living Comptons so I've set up home in the old Compton place. And as I expect the VRA to pass," he starts to tell us.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure about that if I were you. A lot of Americans don't think you people deserve special rights," Jason interrupts him.
"They're the same rights you have," Bill counters.
"No, I'm just saying there's a reason things are the way they are," he replies, eyeing Bill with dislike.
"Its called injustice," Bill tells him, his voice icy.
Jason seems to be getting angry with Bill's words, "Listen, it's called this is how we do it," he snaps, raising his voice to the vampire.
"Jason," Adele exclaims, "this is my house. I will not tolerate rudeness," she scolds him. Jason still seems angry but wisely in my opinion quiets down and leans back into his chair. Adele turns back to Bill, smiling once more, "Did you know the Stackhouses, Mr Compton?" she asks him.
"Yes, I remember Jonas Stackhouse. He and his wife moved here when Bon Temps was just a hole in the road. I was a young man of 16. Isn't this the house he built? I mean, at least in part?" he questions, drudging the facts up from his memory.
"Yes it was," Adele exclaims excitedly. I couldn't blame her, being able to talk to someone who knew your ancestors would be pretty amazing.
"Alice," Bill says, "is your family from around here, I don't remember any Shephards in this area."
I shake my head immediately, "Oh no, we're not from here. We're first generation Bon Tempers unfortunately," I tell him.
"I see and where is your family from, if I may ask?" he questions me politely.
I grin at his formalness, "Of course you can ask, but my family's pretty much from everywhere, we don't really have a place," I say to him, feeling bad about being semi cryptic but also not really wanting to continue a conversation on my family.
"Did you own slaves?" Tara asks suddenly.
"Tara," me and Sookie both say at the same, obviously both shocked by her boldness.
"I did not, but my father did," Bill answers her, "A house slave, a middle-aged woman whose name I cannot recall, and a yard slave a young, strong man named Minus."
"Oh this is just the sort of thing the club will be interested in hearing about," Adele tells him.
"About slaves," Tara responds in shock and offense.
"Well, about, anything to do with that time," she tries to correct her mistake.
"I look forward to speaking to your club, Mrs. Stackhouse. Now, if it's all right with you, I thought that Sookie and I might take a walk. It's such a lovely night," he suggests, making me smile while glancing over at Sookie. It was just so sweet that she might have finally found someone.
"Well, its alright with me, if its alright with Sookie," Adele responds, looking over at her granddaughter.
Jason slaps his beer down on the table, standing up to face Bill, "I don't think that's a good idea," he interjects.
"I don't think its any of your business," Sookie snaps at her brother's interference.
"She's right, Jason," Adele backs up Sookie.
"Look, Gran, I am the man of this family," Jason informs her, causing me to roll my eyes.
"You are a man in this family, but I am the oldest person here and this is my house. You better respect me, boy," she warns him.
"Actually, I'm the oldest person here," Bill corrects her, attempting to break the tense atmosphere. Adele laughs as Bill turns to Sookie, "Shall we?" he questions her.
"We shall," she responds happily, taking the hand that Bill has extended out to her.
"Have fun," I call after them, as Sookie turns to give me a smile.
I help Adele clean up the kitchen not really wanting to have to deal with Tara's disapproval of my approval of Sookie and Bill or Jason for that matter. "What do we think of Bill?" I question her, placing the leftovers in the fridge.
"Oh he's a treasure isn't he?" she says, "tea?" she asks motioning to the jug.
I nod to the affirmative, "He is," I agree, "and Sookie's happy," I add, which was about all that mattered in my book.
"And what about you Alice, anyone special in your book?" she questions me, a question I had got all too often from her.
I shake my head, "Unfortunately not," I inform her, sighing.
"Didn't you have that date a while back?" she reminds me.
"Yeah that was a disaster," I mutter, not really wanting to remember how that one had gone down.
"I worry about you all alone in that house," she says to me, placing the cup of tea in front of me.
I smile at her as she takes the seat next to me, "Why are you so good to me? I mean you have no need to, but you treat me like family anyway," I reply.
"Alice, you're such a sweet girl and I promised your mother I'd take care of you," she reminds me. I nod remembering that it was her and Sookie's face that had greeted me when I had awoken in the hospital after the accident that took away my mother.
I take a deep breath, "Well, I can most definitely say that you kept your promise to her and I love you for it," I admit to her, "I don't even want to think about what I would have done without you and Sookie. I would have been so lost."
"Well, we are always here for you," she assures me.
"I know," I reply smiling.
A/N - So just to note the story image is what I imagine Alice looking like.
Thanks to the people who fav and followed this story.
Arianna Le Fay - Thanks for the review, as for Alice's power unfortunately you'll have to wait to find that out.
