A/N: Thank you to my beta for her fantastic beta work and of course than you to you all :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Southern Vampire Mysteries. Charlaine Harris does :)
Adele Stackhouse
After he asked "What's happened?" I went on to tell him what I'd learned, from my inside contact. To say he was angry was an understatement. He was livid, judging by the growling and mumbling down the phone line...
"How did you find out about this?" He paused, "Or should I say whom?" He asked bitterly. Uh-oh.
"An inside palace worker." I said as honestly as I could.
"Liar." He hissed.
"Tell me who your spy is, Adele." Fintan demanded of me.
"I'm sorry Fintan but I cannot do that, as I would fear for their safety if I did!"
"Adele... Please do not make this difficult." I heard the warning in his voice.
"You are not going to know who this person is. I know them through family connections; that is all I am saying."
"Why are you ringing me? After all this time? If you will not give me all the details of the situation, how am I going to be able to help keep Sookie safe?" He growled angrily. He'd asked the one question I'd hoped he'd ask; how hewas going to insure Sookie's safety.
"Well... you see... I've already worked that one out too."
"Woman, what have you been up to since we last met?" He was half curious, half angry.
"A lot; if you'd stuck around you could have been here and seen for yourself! Andbeen a part of your grand babies lives." I snapped. It was a sore topic for me. Even though I loved my husband, Earl, Fintan was the one for me and it hurt when he left.
"Please don't bring up this topic of conversation now, Adele. We have more pressing issues to discuss regarding my grand-daughter." After a moment, he added. "Who I happen to love and adore very much. Despite the fact that I haven't been able to be there for her."
"What about Jason?" I demand.
"The boy's nothing but trouble. I may not have been around in your world for some time, but we have our on-land sources, just as you have your palace insider."
I smirked, and used his own words, spitting them at the phone.
"Tell me who your spy is Fintan." I demanded sarcastically knowing full well that he wouldn't tell me, even if I paid him.
"No need to sound bitchy or sarcastic, Adele Stackhouse, it doesn't suit you. Now, tell me, what are your plans for MY grand-daughter? I assume, of course, that I am involved in this plan of yours, as you used the phone I gave you all of those years ago."
"Yes. Well, I want Sookie to live with you."
Nothing followed but silence- complete and utter silence. The silence lasted for what felt like eternity. Perhaps I'd done the impossible and shocked a full-blooded fairy?
"Why?" He finally asked.
"Because I feel that's where she'll be the safest. If your on-land spy has been observant, then you'll know that Sookie isn't your average 25 year old girl. She's referred to as 'Crazy Sookie' by most of the town folk and has been through more than anyone should- from such a young age, too. She may smile, or act like everything is okay, but I know that deep down, she is not happy here, Fintan. She's been pushed aside and insulted. She may just shrug it off, but it hurts her deep down. The things she hears aren't pretty either. She's shared some of them with me and I never knew human minds could be so cruel and unkind. She calls her gift a disability and works hard to keep people out of her head. Her own mother was afraid of her and favoured Jason above her... They put her through a thousand counselling sessions and hospital visits to the mental ward. She didn't deserve any of that. I want to do this for her; I think she'll be happier around her own kind..."
"What kind would that be Adele?" He asked softly.
"Fairy. I'm almost one hundred percent certain she has more of your family's blood in her than her own. I don't understand why, maybe it was because her mother never really wanted a second child, plus she was terrified of Sookie and often didn't hide her feelings or try to hide her thoughts. She took after her father, and she reminds me a lot of yourself. Plus, I think she's more gifted than any of us realise."
I paused. Fintan remained silent, so I quietly continued. "I don't want her to be used by Sophie-Anne, Fintan. I don't want her to be seduced by Bill Compton or bonded to him so he can order her around and hand her to the Queen as a gift. She's been through so much already- she doesn't deserve this future that's being planned as we speak! Compton's due to arrive any day and if we don't act soon, Sookie will suffer."
"When is the Vampire due to arrive in Bon Temps?"
"There wasn't a specific date, but I know it's soon. The Compton house is directly across the cemetery from our home; a perfect location for him to complete his task. The old man, who lived there before has just recently passed away. It's almost a perfect coincidence don't you think? That the old man dies suddenly all of a sudden and Compton moves in to his old house?"
"You always did love mysteries and gossip, didn't you?" He asked, amused.
"I haven't changed much since then. Except for age." That was another touchy subject for me; Fintan doesn't age in the same way humans do.
"Where is my grand-daughter now?" He asked, after what felt like ages.
"At the bar where she works- not far from here, why?"
"I will speak with my father and brother on this topic. If what you say is true, which I'm not saying it is," he added in before I could argue, "then we will be there by the end of the week to pick up Sookie. Do not tell her who we are, as of yet. Wait until I've spoken to my father, and then I will ring or send you a message on this phone to let you know if we will be there or not."
"Who's 'we' Fintan?" I asked, sounding nervous.
"My brother and father. They should be present when we collect Sookie. You have no fears for the brother?"
"No, he or the brother as you call him has a name and it's Jason. But no." I paused, a question nagging at the back of my mind.
"Did you ever..." I couldn't finish the sentence.
"Did I ever move on from what we shared? No! After the death of my son, I couldn't stay here any longer. I always loved you, Adele, even when we were apart. I couldn't seem to move on and, no, I never married or had more children. Sookie is the most important person to me and has always been. My spy's are what keep my mind at ease regarding her safety. I'm surprised they haven't discovered what you cleverly found out yet." I let out a deep breath I hadn't even realized I was holding.
"Even though I was a married woman, Fintan, you were always the one. I loved Earl, but I always loved you more." He was silent again, and I realised I had tears flowing freely down my cheeks.
"You could have come with me, you know. Father would have made an exception... he's had human lovers over the years!"
"I know, I know, but I couldn't hurt Earl or the kids. It wouldn't have been fair."
"I know. You always think of others before you think for yourself, even if it makes you unhappy, don't you?"
"Sookie's very much the same. She thinks and helps others before she helps herself. They take her kindness for granted and use her, only to dump her like garbage. The poor girl has never even had a romantic relationship and very rarely ever dates because she hates hearing what the male thinks about her. The female population thinks she's got some disease, and that that's why she doesn't date and avoids men like the plague."
"My father will be pleased she is un-touched. Perhaps not for the right reasons, but he'll be pleased she is still pure. Maybe she'll be unable to hear our thoughts? Has she socialised with any one she finds hard to read?"
"Yes she's spoken a few times of Sam Merlotte, her boss at the bar. His thoughts are apparently like a badly tuned radio. she described but she can pick up on his emotions more easily than his thoughts. That's why she's been able to stay at Merlotte's bar for so long; because she's had to quit jobs in the past due to her picking up on thoughts she'd rather not hear from her boss."
"I'm curious. If we arrive on Friday, we shall meet you at your home and then head for the bar. I want to see for myself what Merlotte is. He can't be pure-human if she can't hear his thoughts. If he's another supernatural he could be a danger to Sookie... Have you noticed anything about him that may cause concern?"
"Nothing other than the fact that he pines after Sookie puts him down and ignores his advances every time, though, whether she's aware of it or not."
"You visit the bar frequently?"
"Sometimes, though my friend, Maxine Frotenberry, is a regular. She's got eyes like a hawk. Doesn't miss a thing, that woman, and she's worse than me when it comes to gossip. I get my gossip from her ninety percent of the time."
"I have to go; I'm being summoned by my father. I will fill him in on what's happened and get back to you as soon as I can. The latest will be by midnight on Thursday, so that you are aware of our time of arrival on Friday."
I suddenly felt reluctant to let him go, after hearing his voice again after so many years.
"Okay," I sighed, feeling a little disappointed.
"Adele, I always loved you and I always will." He hung up before I could respond.
A/N: Nice one Fintan... Hanging up after a saying something like that! Damn those Fairies, lol!
Next chapter up soon!
Sky xxx
ANNOUNCEMENT: My beta can no longer beta my story for me due to personal reasons and so I'm a little stuck and I have the next two - three chapter done and I can't post them up on hear until they are beta'd. If anyone passing through would like to beta this story, please PM ME!
