A/N: Thank you, thank you for the reviews and follows! It really means a lot :) I couldn't keep writing without them! So you will see in this part that I did borrow a few lines/elements directly from the show but not too much!

The tears had stopped but her heart still ached, maybe it just would never stop hurting because ever since Sookie could remember this is what it had been like. One goddamn heartache after the other, perhaps this was what being Sookie Stackhouse meant.

She pushed herself off the floor and stumbled towards the living room, she reached her mind out – stretched it as far as it could go just so she could feel connected somehow to someone. But her mind was too addled from the alcohol and she couldn't find a single soul. Her cellphone buzzed against her leg bringing her out of her sour mood.

Alcide.

"Fancy hearing from you on this lovely eve-"

"Sookie. Stay inside; I'm on my way to you. Russell is out."

Before she could ask any questions he had hung up. Russell…the nut job vampire who had a penchant for faerie blood was on the loose? But Bill and Eric killed him. Didn't they?

"Well, fuck."

She muttered, pulling herself off the couch.

"Must be Tuesday."

She giggled despite everything, grabbing her jacket and shoes and taking another sneaky drink of the concoction she had created called 'Sookie Stackhouse does the blues'. She contemplated getting her daddy's old hip flask and filling that with a drink for the road but sobering up was probably a sensible idea with a madman not as dead and gone as he should have been.

Sookie moved towards the front door but stopped and looked back at the cabinet where the hip flask was, a madman on the loose…actually, having a drink seemed to make a whole lot of sense considering the predicament she was in. Sookie heard the tyres on the gravel before she noticed his mind, looking out she watched his large frame walk up the drive. He was a mighty fine tall drink of water that's for sure but blowing his ex girlfriend's brains out had put a bit of a dampener on their relationship.

Sookie sighed. God her love life was a joke sometimes.

"Sook?"

"Hey, Alcide. Let's go."

She smiled sweetly and pecked him on the cheek making her way down the steps. Despite everything his cheeks warmed at her kiss and he felt his stomach twist at her closeness, Sookie was magical in more ways than one and even if she couldn't see it for herself there were plenty of people that could, including himself.

Sookie hummed as she slipped into his truck, buckling up. Alcide followed suit looking over at her, she was pretty calm all things considered and he could smell the alcohol all over her.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh Alcide, why wouldn't I be?"

She fluttered her eyelashes at him and watched as his cheeks warmed yet again.

"Oh wait, that's right. A maniac who I thought was dead and buried is on the loose and he's got a hankerin' for some sweet faerie blood!"

She cackled with laughter and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Boot and rally baby. Come on!"

Sookie winked and Alcide started the truck, too shocked to say anything at all.

Eric and Bill landed with a thud outside Fangtasia, it was a Friday night so the club was busy and crowded. They entered around the back and headed straight for Eric's office.

"Pam. Get everyone out of the bar now."

She looked up from her place between a pretty girl's thighs and raised her eyebrow.

"I'm a little bus-"

"I command you to."

She narrowed her eyes, wiping her mouth and hissing under her breath. She had not heard a word from him and then he waltzes in commanding her to do this and that. They had still not talked about what happened outside Moon Goddess Emporium even though she had tried many times, she couldn't help it if she hated the faerie bitch. As far as Pam was concerned maybe he should rethink his choice in women.

"Come on sweet thing, scat."

The girl scrambled quickly out after Pam, her hopes in some kind of group loving fading quickly.

Eric moved swiftly, pulling his cellphone out and dialing Alcide. The two were on their way and Eric could swear that he heard Sookie singing in the background, dream Sookie had been right all those years ago…she couldn't hold a tune.

"I think I am going to have to call in a big favour and I don't know how it will effect us."

Bill looked up at him curiously.

"There is…someone, I am close to in the authority. She may be able to help us."

Of course it was a she, Bill thought bitterly to himself. Was there anyone out there that wasn't head over heels for Eric because it sure as hell didn't seem like it. He knew jealousy was ugly on a person but ever since he arrived in Bon Temps all those years ago now Bill was always being overshadowed by fucking Eric Northman. If he didn't love Sookie Stackhouse then he would have left town a long time ago no matter how cowardly that would have looked.

"Who is she?"

Eric looked away.

"The who is not important it is how she can help us that is. I need to call her on a secure line so we can see how things are playing out at the Authority. Maybe she can buy us some time for the Nan bullshit so we can track Russell."

Although this was what he was accustomed to – thinking about so many different elements of a potential battle at once – he felt drained. The Authority, Nan, Russell…they could all fuck off just so he could crawl into his bed at his safe house and try for a dreamless sleep, one that didn't include a heart breaking faerie in her red lacy underwear.

"How do we know she isn't just going to throw us under the bus, so to speak?"

"She won't."

"For fuck's sake Eric, who is this woman to you?"

Eric sighed, one habit he could never get rid of in his afterlife.

"Just trust me Bill."

Bill raised his eyebrow.

"Trust you Eric?"

Bill hated being in the dark, Eric and he were unfortunately in this mess together but that did not mean that he would let his guard down for one second around Eric. He had known him for far too long to truly believe that one week with Sookie made him a better man. Before he could speak again the door was thrown open and a flushed face Sookie stood with her hands on her hips.

"Now, would one of you kind gentleman tell a lady why a maniac is on the loose and not dead?"

She crossed her arms and quirked her eyebrows at the both of them, tapping her foot impatiently. Walking into Eric's office with Alcide trailing behind her, she shooed Eric off his seat behind his desk and took his place. Sookie leaned forward, staring intently at the two vampires.

"Well? This night ain't getting any younger and since Alcide confiscated my daddy's hip flask my patience is wearin real thin."

Alcide snickered and flopped down on the couch, waiting to hear their goddamn weak excuses.

"I wanted him to suffer."

Sookie flicked her eyes to Eric; a warm feeling snaked its way deep into her belly when she remembered their heated exchange earlier this evening. She was trying to stay angry with the both of them but she just wanted to keep on laughin' at the knocks that kept on happenin' this evening. She knew Eric's reasoning and her soft heart went out to him and his family but it didn't change the fact that he should have been deader than dead a long time ago.

"Well, look how great that worked out."

Alcide grumbled.

"Why are you even in this office wolf? None of it concerns you?"

"Fuck off fanger."

As the three of them all started to bicker with each other all Sookie could think of was that they were acting like a bunch of dogs, barking and trying to claim their property. The thought sickened her, this was why she wanted some time to herself and instead they came back and weaseled their way into her life again.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes, the alcohol was wearing off and her head was pounding with the beginnings of a hangover.

"GUYS."

They all turned to look at her.

"I get it. You all hate each other but you also have one common interest…me, now I don't see why since I aint nothing special but you all insist on being in my life even though I asked for some space. But there are far more important things, such as the psycho who wants my blood. So, let's cut the crap and talk some kind of plan."

She sat back, enjoying Bill's shocked face at her outburst. He always treated her like a fragile southern belle, it felt good to remind him that after all she had been through with and without him she was far from the sweet little girl he had met when he walked into Merlotte's Bar and Grill all those years ago.

Eric smirked at Sookie, his eyebrow raised. This was the Sookie that he loved, her feistiness turned him on and this moment was no different, he shifted in his seat as dirty thoughts ran through his mind. He knew he needed to focus on more important matters but he allowed himself a few more seconds of fantasy because lord knows he didn't know when he would get that again anytime soon.

"Well, firstly we need to find out who let the fucker out."

The mutt.

Eric's lip curled in disgust as his little fantasy was doused with a bucket of stinky dog, Alcide was right but it would have been nice to pretend that he wasn't even in the room.

"Yes well, that is the obvious starting point. Other than Eric, Alcide and myself who knew about where Russell was?"

"Pam."

Eric's voice was icy as he said her name, his eyes flicked to Sookie's and he could see the recognition in them.

"Eric, surely she wouldn't be that vindictive…"

Sookie's voice trailed off as she realised she was talking to a now empty chair.

Hope you all enjoyed it :)