A/N: Wow! I am on some sort of high from all the reviews I have been getting! It makes me so happy that you are enjoying this! I don't really know what more to say other than thank you! Happy dance!
Last chapter I changed the rating to M because of the description of Eric's thoughts he sent to see if Sookie was reading him. I didn't think that was something a teen should read. On a similar topic I don't know if this story will contain anything citrusy, so to speak. I don't intend this Sookie to just run across a cemetery and jump in front of just anyone's fireplace too soon. And as far as Eric is concerned, there will be a few bumps in the road, but this is most assuredly an Eric/Sookie story, so the bumps won't be too big.
This chapter will have a lot of Bill in it. I couldn't help it. We have to find out why he is there, how he plans to correct the situation, etc.
Thank you again for all the reviews and alerts and favorites!
Chapter 3
Pam knew she should have been doing something. With an underling challenging her Sheriff, her Master, her Maker, and a bloodbag holding a weapon pointed at him, she knew she should be taking some sort of action. Something like taking the shot gun away from the breather on the porch, or better yet painting a target on Compton's forehead with her lipstick. However, she found herself frozen to the spot.
Being near Sookie was better than watching 'The Real Housewives of Orange County'.
"Gran!" Sookie cried out, "Don't shoot, please! There's been some sort of misunderstanding!"
"You're right there, honey. These men don't seem to understand that a lady is not something you pull apart to reassemble on a later date!"
Eric wisely took his hands away from her and held them out to his sides to show he meant no harm.
Bill took the opportunity to pull Sookie closer to him, ignoring her struggles to pull away. "Thank you kindly, Mrs. Stackhouse." He poured on his best southern charm for Adele until Pam could swear she saw molasses oozing out of his khakis. "I was just seeing Sookie home safely after our evening was interrupted-"
The rifle's sights remained steady on the pale man as Gran addressed him, her voice stern, "Mr. Compton, I may have given you the wrong impression when we met the other evening. I am not made of delicate lace nor cucumber sandwiches. I am a Hale and a Stackhouse woman, making me a steel magnolia and not a paper rose, and I will have you learn these facts if I have to beat it into your head with my fryin' pan. Now, take your hands off of my grandchild!"
Sookie was released immediately by an even paler Bill. Pam was officially in love.
The weapon was lowered but not put down. "Sookie, what are Mr. Compton and this lady and gentleman doing on our lawn at two in the mornin'?"
Running her hand through her hair she sighed, knowing most women didn't have this problem with attracting Vampires like wayward kittens, "It's a long story, Gran. The gist of it is we needed to leave Fangtasia in a hurry after Bill introduced me to a few of his…" She looked from Bill to Eric, with no idea how to describe the men's relationship. "…colleagues? There was trouble heading our way."
"I would say trouble found you."
The smirk that came to Eric's lips was automatic and he held his tongue to keep from laughing out loud. From the bond he shared with Pam, he could tell she was absolutely giddy, and a little turned on.
"I guess it did at that," she admitted.
Eric raised a hand, getting a sage nod from the woman to speak. "Mrs. Stackhouse. I am Eric Northman, the authority for the Vampires in this area of Louisiana. Your lovely granddaughter came to my establishment to ask about several murders in your town. My lieutenant," he waved a hand towards Pam, who nodded, "and I have come here to investigate."
The shotgun was set down to lean against the post. Adele held her robe shut against the cool air to walk down the steps towards them. With a warm smile on her face, she held her free hand out to Eric. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Northman."
Generally, like all Vampires, Eric did not shake the offered hand of any human. When the corner of his eye caught Sookie's hopeful look, he knew that refusing it would be a mistake, perhaps one that would be corrected with a head wound. His hand engulfed Adele's in a firm hand shake. "Mrs. Stackhouse."
The sight of the man in front of her caused Gran to blush like the little girl she hadn't been in ages. Eric brought to mind another very handsome man she had met a lifetime ago on a warm summer afternoon while hanging laundry in her back yard. She shook herself of those memories and squeezed his hand. "Please, call me Adele. Would you and your lieutenant like to come in for refreshments? We have a couple of those bottled bloods in the fridge."
Eric didn't miss the flush of the woman's cheeks when he held her hand. It seemed the Stackhouse women had the same tastes. The thought made him smirk. "Thank you, Adele. That is very gracious of you." He took her hand and put it into the crook of his arm to lead her inside.
"Mr. Compton?" Gran called back to him. "If you are through behaving like a jack ass, you may join us inside." She walked side by side with Eric.
The small creatures in the surrounding woods were silenced as the disarming sound of Pam's laughter drifted through the night air.
Bill sulked in his seat, toying with the half empty bottle of blood in his hand. This wasn't how this evening was supposed to be going at all. Sookie, who hadn't even taken the seat next to him instead finding a space on the arm of Gran's chair, was neither scared nor intimidated by Eric or Pam like she should have been. He had intended to take her to Fangtasia to reinforce the stereotype that Liam, Diane and Malcolm had so elegantly exhibited, causing the girl to see him in the best of lights. After he whisked her away, they would go to his home where he had set up the parlor for a romantic evening. There he would taste her once again and in the heat of their passion he would give her a little more of his blood to bind her to him further. Then he would decide what to tell his Queen, and where to go from there.
Now, to find out she had already known the Viking and his own possessive display on her grandmother's lawn further muddying her image of him, he would need to work hard to gain her trust back. Perhaps a show of deference to his Sheriff and a sincere apology to her and Adele will be what is needed to return to their good graces. If he knew how difficult this assignment would become, he would have never accepted it. His former home was too full of memories and ghosts, each night spent in it only reminded him of what Lorena had taken from him.
Watching her, still remembering the delicious taste of her after having those two drainers beat her near to death, he was at least grateful to Northman for one thing. His interference would give him time. Sophie Anne had warned him to keep her away from Eric; the trip to Fangtasia had been at Sookie's request and a moment of poor judgment on his part. He would need to do some damage control to placate his spoiled brat of a monarch and explain that he still had things under control so she would not send one of her palace thugs to acquire her new 'pet'. That may give him a few more months to decide, to make a few phone calls, send a few emails, make a few plans.
His attention turned back to the room as Sookie finished bringing Pam and Eric up to speed. "Jason didn't do this. He may be the biggest horn dog in the world, and his morals seem to get swept under the rug at his convenience, but he would never hurt someone, especially a woman."
"Have you read his thoughts?" Eric asked bluntly.
Sookie flushed, not used to her curse being so openly discussed so matter-of-factly by near strangers. "I don't like going into my friends and families heads without permission."
"Being innocent, as he claims, he didn't give you this permission?" Pam tilted her head as if this had been as obvious move on Sookie's part. "He could be hiding something from you. In most cases the family is often the last to know when a serial killer goes on a spree."
Sookie huffed at the woman, "He didn't do it." Gran put a hand on hers to calm her down. "Jason ain't like that."
Eric sent a look to Pam to quell the snarky retort he knew was to follow. She held her tongue like an obedient child should and let him have the next words. "Did you read the customers at Fangtasia?"
Sookie's eyes shifted away from him in embarrassment, remembering the x-rated thoughts running around the bar. It was worse than any night at Merlotte's, even when Hoyt tripped and bumped into Dawn who had an entire pitcher of beer in her hands. That was the night she realized that Jane Bodehouse was not that particular when she was drunk. "Yes, I did. All they had on their minds was sex, sex, and more sex. No one there was thinking of killing anyone."
He and Pam shared a glance between them that said 'if only she could read Vampire minds'.
"Is there anything you can do to help us, Mr. Northman?" Gran asked hopefully. "My family would truly appreciate any kind of assistance on the matter."
Eric took a sip of his blood and nodded to the woman. "I will begin to look into things." Even if Sookie or her Gran had not asked for his help, this affected his area and those who owed him fealty. Someone was taking out women who associated with Vampires, and this would cause the human authority to look to his kind as scapegoats, despite the fact that it was a human who killed them. He would have Nan and the AVL breathing down his neck if the media got wind of this and found out he did nothing, which brought something to mind.
He turned to their fifth wheel and asked, "Bill, why did you not report these deaths to me immediately?"
Only another Vampire could notice the slight twitch in Bill's jaw when he gave his well thought out answer. "I had only learned about the death of Sookie's coworker the previous night, when she asked me to escort her to Fangtasia to gather information on her brother's behalf. I was not aware of the other woman's demise until we had spoken about the possibility of the killer being a Vampire." Bill did his best to sound unassuming, like any good underling. "If we had not been headed your way, I would have visited you in another night to inform you of the murders while I registered in the area."
Bullshit. Both Eric and Pam thought the word at the same time while outwardly neither one reacted. The questions Eric had for Sophie Anne's favorite procurer would wait for later. "Understandable." He looked to Sookie, "It is late, and I wish to start looking into things."
She stood up, smoothing her dress of the few wrinkles sitting had caused. "Let me show walk you out."
Gran stood and offered her hand again, "Once again, I would like to thank you for coming all this way to help my grandson."
Eric took it with a smile, "Not a problem, Adele. I will contact Sookie as soon as I find any information that could be useful."
Pam came up next, and to Sookie's disbelief, the woman grinned at Gran before leaning in and whispering into her ear. Whatever was said caused her seventy eight year old grandmother to blush redder than a ripe strawberry before giggling like a school girl into her hand. She actually smacked the Vampire's arm lightly while saying, "If I were much younger and so inclined, that offer would have been very flattering, Pam. As far as learning to shoot a shotgun, I'm up to teaching you whenever you're ready."
To the entire group's surprise, Pam leaned forward again to press a soft kiss on Gran's cheek. "Adele, you are a wonderful host, and I look forward to seeing you again."
Bill held back a few paces and gave her a tight grin and nod. "I am truly sorry for how I behaved, Mrs. Stackhouse."
Gran waved it off with a smile, "Don't fret too hard over it, Bill. Sometimes tensions run high between young men when a woman is involved and in the heat of the moment, our sense leaves us. You were looking out for Sookie and got carried away; let's just leave it at that." Just then, coldness glinted in the woman's still smiling eyes, "But the next time a lady asks you to let go of her, you need to listen like your friend did and not assume I don't have silver in those shells."
He managed a small uncomfortable smile at her forgiveness and veiled threat, "Thank you for your understanding, Adele. It will not happen again. Sookie, may I have a moment of your time?"
Sookie looked conflicted for a moment, but then nodded. "All right, Bill."
Following the three outside to their respective cars she was a little surprised to see Pam had driven a sage green minivan, possibly the least vampirey vehicle she could ever imagine. "Is this your car, Pam?"
Hitting the button on the key fob in her hand, the woman nodded. "Did you expect me to be in a low riding sports car like Eric?"
When she was much smaller, Sookie and Jason had watched 'The Munsters' on TV after school sometimes. She remembered them favoring dragsters. With Bill owning his BMW and Eric having his corvette, she just thought all Vampires owned something fast or flashy. "Well…yeah."
Pam grimaced and shook her head at the red corvette, "But it has absolutely no trunk space. How would I do any decent amount of shopping in it?"
Sookie blinked at her practicality, never even thinking that it would be an issue. "Oh. Okay then."
"Plus, I can haul a good six bodies in the back and still have room for a guest or two." Pam smiled broadly, showing off her fangs in the moonlight, "Night Sookie. It was lovely meeting you and your Gran. I can't wait to see what trouble you bring to the bar next time."
Figuring it was best just to act like what she had said was a joke, Sookie gave her a little wave, and tried to imagine the reason the van had leather interiors was not because blood was harder to get out of fabric. "Night, Pam. Glad I could liven up your evening."
As she stepped into her van, Eric stopped her for a few words. "Se till att broder. Jag kommer att tala med polisen."(See to the brother. I will go to the police.)
With a nod, Pam left.
"You must fix this atrocious driveway soon Sookie if you intend to have me as a guest again."
Taunting him with a playful smile, she said "Really, Eric? All you would have to do is fly here and you could land on my porch, skipping the entire roller coaster experience."
That devilish smirk appeared on his lips again, "You remember everything of that night, don't you?"
"Who wouldn't remember a tall handsome stranger licking their palm then rocketing off into the night. " Sookie missed the look Bill sent Eric when he found out that the man had tasted her. It was akin to anger and panic, which to most would look like the yuppie had just eaten a tainted hamburger or found out the 'O.C.' had been cancelled. At least that's what Eric thought that constipated look could be about, if he didn't already suspect something. "Tara almost made J.B. carry me to the buses to sleep it off."
Going an entirely different direction in their conversation, Eric decided to poke the bear wearing the buttoned down shirt and glaring daggers at him. "You think I am handsome?" This was accompanied by a waggle of eyebrows and a lean against the car to let his jacket open up to show off the snug fit of his tee shirt over his chest and stomach.
It had the desired effect. Sookie blushed a little, unable to take her eyes off him, even letting out the smallest sigh at the sight. He could smell her lust in the air. Bill fumed.
"Stop it. You know very well how good you look." Mouth watering like Caroline Bellefleur's county fair prize winning cake, after finding out she managed to defy all logic and make it calorie free. Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, and George Clooney, all rolled into one. Lafayette would describe him as the devil in a Sunday hat, trouble incarnate.
Flirting still, he ran a hand through his shoulder length hair, noting hoe she stared at his movements, "That I do. I will see you soon, Sookie." He pushed off the side of his car, opened the door, and slid into the seat in a single fluid motion, reminding her of a large cat. "Good evening, Sookie. Bill." He added the nod just for the younger Vampire's sake and let his car roar to life, carefully navigating it over the potholes in her driveway.
Bill hoped his undercarriage would get ruined. It would be his only victory in an evening full of disaster. On the porch, Gran was keeping busy by sweeping away the dust just to keep an eye on them, the rifle still leaning against the post. This would have to do. "Sookie, once again, I would like to apologize for my behavior." He looked intently into her eyes, pouring the influence he had with his blood in her veins over her. Even with that advantage, she only seemed mildly attracted to him. But he would take what he was given, and get more of his blood into her at another time.
It did cause her to finally smile. "It's all right, Bill. You got carried away, like Gran said."
He reached out to her and tucked a loose blonde lock of hair behind her ear, grinning when the brush of his fingers against her skin made her cheeks flush and her eyes turn down. In the air around them, he could smell her desire. "I could make it up to you by taking you out some evening. The night after your Gran's 'Descendants of the Glorious Dead' meeting, perhaps. We could head into Bosier and see a movie." Shreveport was the better place for a date, but after the way this night had gone, he would go out of his way to steer her clear of being anywhere near Sheriff Eric 'fucking' Northman.
Every time Bill looked at her like that, she couldn't turn away. Only the touch of his cool hand on her cheek seemed to break the spell, if only to pull her into another. Sookie wondered if this weird, flighty feeling she got when they were alone was what love felt like, if being drawn to him when their eyes met happened to other women or if it was only her. It was confusing to say the least.
From the porch, Gran cleared her throat to signal that she was done her task, and it was time for Bill's visit to end. It shook Sookie out of her thoughts, to look at him, giving him a nod. "That sounds like fun, Bill. We can meet up here just after sunset and head out."
"Then it is a date." Risking a glance over her shoulder to Gran, he took a step closer to her and kissed her gently on her lips, inhaling her sweet scent. "I will see you in a few days then. Good night, Sookie."
A shiver ran its way up her spine. "Good night, Bill." She waited and watched him get into his car and drive out past the property line. When he was gone, she made it back to the house. Tina, her grey cat, had decided to come out and wind her way around her legs nudging her with her head. "Didn't want to introduce yourself there, Tina?" Sookie asked while squatting down to scratch her furry head.
"I think she was just watching from the windows to take in the show." Gran was rinsing out the last of the empty True Blood bottles from their evening and setting them aside to dry.
"I didn't mean to make such a commotion, Gran."
A soft understanding chuckle and an arm over her shoulder put her at ease, "Don't you worry about that, honey. You did what you needed to get your brother and them poor girls some justice. It isn't your fault those two got to posturin' in front of a pretty girl. They're men, it's in their nature. You've seen it happen with your brother with one woman or another many a time."
Sookie shrugged it off and was about to wish her grandmother a good night when she remembered Pam whispering to her. "What did Pam say to you to make you blush so hard anyway?"
Color returned to the older woman's cheeks, as well as a knowing smile. She made her way to her bedroom door, "She asked me if I wanted to spend some time with her finding out why people become addicted to Vampire sex. Apparently, I'm something of a GMILF." Another chuckle filled the hall. "Close your mouth, Sookie dear. You'll catch a moth that way."
