Disclaimer: I do NOT own True Blood. I only own Evie and any other character that you don't recognize

Chapter 2

I try to focus on the lyrics as one of Gran's friends sings at the podium, but I can't really concentrate on anything since I am still caught up in the whirlwind that this week has brought. Most of my time has been spent with Sookie or Tara while we made the arrangements for the funeral. Luckily, Gran had everything planned out to a tee, making the process as stress free as possible.

It was such a beautiful day, the exact kind of day that Gran would have loved, even if the thick Louisiana heat was stifling.

I recognize most of the people who are in attendance, most of them I've know my whole life. Seeing these people again is one of the strangest parts about being back in Bon Temps. The first time I had left the house to go into town, I had gone to Merlotte's to pick up some takeout for Sookie and I. The moment I had stepped into room, the entire place had gone silent. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at me, and I had begun to feel like part circus freak and part ghost. They were all looking at me like I wasn't real, and for the briefest of moments I didn't feel real. That was the first time I realized I was now a stranger in my hometown.

I look to my left to glance at Sookie. She looks about the same as she has since my return.

Numb.

She's been running around all week, pulling together all of the funeral arrangements, going so fast so that she won't feel a thing. Acting very un-Sookie-like. Sookie has always been an emotional person. She's always the first to laugh, the first to yell, the first to cry. This stoic persona has begun to worry me. I'm not sure if it's because she feels the need to be strong for us, or if it's because she hasn't quite recovered from the shock, but regardless of the reason, I offer her my silent support by lightly squeezing her hand. I feel her squeeze back, her gaze remaining straight ahead.

As for me, it isn't time to mourn yet. Not until I find and then punish the person who did this.

I'm about to turn my attention back to the service when I catch a glimpse of Jason Stackhouse.

He looks like shit, for lack of a better word.

He's sweating like a pig, he's breathing heavily, and he can't seem to stay still. Also, his hair isn't combed and his suit is a mess. Gran would be giving him a good tongue lashing right about now if she could.

Before I left, Jason and I were pretty close, almost as close as Sookie and I were. When I was younger, I used to have this monster crush on him, but then again, what girl in this town didn't? As I got older, I got over my little crush once I realized he would only ever see me as a little sister, and I was fine with that. It was nice having a sort of protector to watch over me when I needed it.

Jason and I were able to confide in each other before I left. He's one of the only people who knows about my ability, and he once told me that I was the only person that he felt he could be completely honest with without having to worry about any harsh judgment. Things have obviously changed since then.

Since I've been back, I've tried on numerous occasions to talk to Jason, just to see how he's been handling Gran's death. However, he's been doing a very good job at making himself scarce. I can't say I blame him though. If I were him, I'd be lying low too.

I return my focus to the service just as the woman is finishing her song. The soft notes are almost drowned out by Terry Bellefleur's violent sobs, however. As the weeping woman steps down, the reverend takes his place at the podium and begins speaking.

"Lord, we gather here today to remember the life of Adele Stackhouse…"

I am distracted from the speech when I feel Sookie squeeze my hand with a painful force. I wince before looking over at my friend. However, her attention is focused to her far left. When I finally see what has her so distressed, I return her painful grip.

Uncle Bartlett.

When I see the old man roll up beside Jason, I can't help the anger that consumes me. That disgusting pedophile doesn't deserve to be within a hundred miles of here.

"Uncle Bartlett, what are you doing here?" Sookie finally asks.

"She was my sister," the old man croaks out. I scoff at his words. Gran would likely ring his neck if she saw him this close to Sookie.

"You haven't been apart of this family in a long time," is Sookie's reply. Jason defends Uncle Bartlett and I'm extremely close to losing it when the reverend gets our attention. It seems that it is time for Sookie to say her final words. I give her hand one last squeeze before she stands and makes her way to the podium. She unfolds a piece of paper, takes a deep breath, and begins.

"Adele Stackhouse was everything to me…"

As Sookie continues her speech, I can feel the tears begin to form behind my eyes and I have to take a deep breath in order to keep myself together. When I notice that Sookie is no longer speaking, my sadness quickly turns into worry. Sookie's eyes are darting around the crowd and I can see the first signs of anger begin to peak through her calm exterior. Needless to say, I'm not completely surprised when that anger finally breaks through.

"SHUT UP! JUST ALL OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

While I want nothing more than to cheer at the top of my lungs, I figure that it would be slightly inappropriate. Instead I remain as still as possible as everyone tries to overcome the shock from Sookie's outburst. Suddenly, Sookie violently crumbles up her speech before running off into the graveyard. I begin to stand to run after her, but Jason beats me to it. I sit back down, my eyes following after the two figures as they fade into the trees. I'm slightly uneasy about them being alone together, knowing that their last meeting ended with a handprint on Sookie's face. I hope he grovels for her forgiveness, even though he doesn't deserve it. In an attempt to bring order to the service, the reverend clears his throat and returns to the podium.

"Is there anyone who'll care to share a few words?" he asks. There is a long moment of silence before I here a slurred voice shout out from somewhere in the back.

"I got something to say!"

Oh. Shit.

And then, none other than Lettie Mae Thornton drunkenly makes her way to the podium. Lafayette, Tara and I stare after her wide-eyed, completely shocked to see the woman and terrified of what she has to say. Tara tries to stop Lettie Mae, but she just continues on.

"Oh my fucking God girl, this is about to get ugly," I hear Lafayette mumble as the three of us brace ourselves for what is sure to be a memorable speech. Surprisingly enough, her words are gracious and kind, not exactly what you would expect out of someone who only ever showed extreme hate towards the woman she was speaking of. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as her speech went on. Lettie Mae was a vile woman who should probably be in jail.

After Lettie Mae finishes her speech, the reverend ends the service. As everyone begins to mull around and socialize, I stay in my seat, not in the mood to converse with people I haven't seen in six years. Lafayette must not be in a hurry to be social either, as he also stays seated beside me. Tara has already gone off to confront her mother.

"I'd say this was a success. Miss Adele would've loved it," Lafayette drawls out, his usual sarcasm in place.

"How could she not? You know how she just loved Lettie Mae Thornton. And Sookie cussin' out the whole town? Gran would just be so proud," I reply, laughing softly.

"It's about time that Sookie finally told off these fuckers. You know they deserved it."

"Yeah, I guess. It's just Sookie has enough goin' on. The last thing she needs is another round of freak rumors. They may not say them to her face, but she can still hear them," I say. I can't help but worry about the aftermath of Sookie's 'colorful' speech.

"She can handle all that though. She's got to be used to it by now."

"Yeah, maybe," I reply, not entirely convinced.

"I need you! You're all I got!" Lafayette and I both turn to see Tara storming off, looking pissed while Lettie Mae continues to yell after her.

"I better go make sure they don't go killin' each other," Lafayette says before he goes off in Tara's direction.

I am able to sit in silence for a few minutes before I hear a high-pitched voice softly calling my name.

"Evie?" calls the timid voice. I turn to see bright red hair and a nervous expression.

"Oh. Hey Arlene," I say, hoping that I sound at least a little bit welcoming. I'm not really in the mood for an interrogation.

"Hey. So…you're back now?" she asks. I reply with a nod.

"For how long?" I open my mouth to answer but quickly find that I don't know what I'm going to say. How long was I back for? Forever? Until I found the murderer?

"Indefinitely," I answer, vaguely.

"Oh, well that's such good news. We've all missed you sweetie," Arlene says as she lays a hand on mine which are currently folded in my lap. I try to hold in my scoff, but some things just can't be done.

"Yeah, I'm sure you did. I guess y'all just have a funny was of showin' it."

"Oh don't pay no attention to that. We were just shocked, that's all. I mean it has been a whole six years. And the way you left, all mysterious-like with that-"

Thankfully, she isn't able to finish when a moderately good-looking man approaches us, stealing the red head's attention.

"Hey babe, you ready? We should get back to the babysitter," says the man with a thick Cajun accent. Arlene quickly stands and attaches herself to the man's side.

"Oh honey! I wantchu to meet somebody! This is Evie Gibson. She grew up here in Bon Temps. Evie, this is my boyfriend, Rene Lenier." Rene smiles softly and offers his hand for me to shake.

"It's good to finally meet you miss. I was startin' to think you didn't exist."

"Well, here I am. And it's nice to meet you too," I reply, giving him a friendly handshake. My smile quickly fades, however, when I feel a cold chill go through me. I quickly drop Rene's hand, and he doesn't seem to notice my strange behavior.

"Well, better be off. Can't keep the babysitter waitin'! It was so good seein' you again Evie. I just wish it wasn't because of such horrible circumstances," Arlene says as she throws her arms around me, enveloping me in a tight hug. I lightly tap her back, still not able to come to my senses. When she releases me, I am able to manage a weak smile. As the couple walks away, my eyes are trained on Rene. He seemed nice enough, but I just can't seem to shake that feeling I got when I shook his hand. Maybe I'm just being silly.

Instead of heading to a car, Arlene and Rene join a line that leads to the graveyard's exit. The guests have formed a receiving line. But who's the one doing the receiving? Sookie wouldn't have come back, so that leaves…

I strain my neck to see around the crowd of people and sure enough, I can see Jason shaking hands and accepting condolences. I must've been too distracted to notice that he had come back. Deciding that this could be my chance to get Jason's undivided attention, I decide to wait until the crowd has cleared to finally talk to him.

As I wait, I notice that Jason seems even worse off than before. Before, he just looked like he was uncomfortable. Now, he looks like he's in pain. I guess his conversation with Sookie didn't go as well as he had hoped.

Before long, the line dwindles down to only a few people and before I know it, Jason is already headed over to his truck. I have to run to catch up with him.

"Jason!" I yell, trying to get his attention, but he just keeps walking.

"Jason, stop!" I yell again, this time catching his elbow and halting his movement. He turns to look at me and I am momentarily speechless after I see the look on his face. His expression is twisted into a mixture of extreme sadness and desperation. I don't think I've ever seen Jason like this before.

"What?" he asks in a harsh tone, jolting me out of my stupor.

"I… um… just want to talk. You know? See how you're doin?" I finally blurt out. My anger is quickly fading away and it is quickly replaced with concern for my old friend.

"Well, I ain't got time to talk and I'm doin' just fine," he all but spits his remark in my face before turning away from me. I recover quickly and grab his arm, forcing him to turn around.

"Come on, Jason. You've been avoiding me all week and I just want to talk to you. Maybe you didn't know, but I actually have missed you," I say, pleading with him. Jason doesn't say anything, but he continues to fidget, almost like it's physically impossible for him to stay in one spot.

"Missed me, huh? Well, you have a real shitty way of showing it." I wince slightly at his words. So maybe I should've written more while I was away.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I know I haven't been a great friend, but I'm ready to make up for it. So, please just talk to me. What's goin' on with you? You don't look so good." He takes a deep breath, relaxing a bit, and I do a small internal celebration. My silent celebrating is cut short, however, when Jason pulls away even further than before.

"How do you know something's wrong? Maybe this is just how I act now," he replies, folding his arms over his chest. I chuckle softly.

"That's not-"

"How would you know? It's not like you've been around to actually see for your self! People do a lot of changin' in six years, Evie. I've changed. And, I guess you have too, since the Evie I knew would've never abandoned her family without even a goodbye."

I try to muster up some kind of response, but my mind just goes blank.

"You used to be my friend, Evie. Hell, you might've even been my best friend, but not anymore. I can't be friends with someone I don't even know," he says, walking back towards his truck.

"Jas-"

"No! Let's just leave it at that. I don't know you, and you don't know me," Jason interrupts. Without waiting for a response, he climbs into his truck and slams the door.

I don't wait to watch him drive off. Instead, I quickly turn away and begin walking in the opposite direction, no destination in mind. I don't want to go back to Gran's just yet. Sookie might be there and I figure she could you use some privacy right about now.

Before long, I find myself walking aimlessly through my old hometown, fighting hard against the memories threatening to make their way through. I won't let myself remember, especially after Jason just made it blatantly clear that I wasn't welcome back. I thought I had moved on a long time ago, but now I see that I have only pushed this part of my life aside, and now it was coming back to haunt me.

After an unknown amount of time, I finally stop walking when I begin to recognize my surroundings. This place is so different, yet at the same time, exactly the same. The branches on the trees are overgrown and some of them reach down far enough to touch the tall, dead grass. However, it is the large dilapidated house that grasps my undivided attention. The paint is horribly chipped and there is a thick layer of dirt covering every inch of the building. Some of the shutters have fallen off and the ones that have held on are only connected by a single hinge. The windows are boarded up, and a single sign on the front porch proves my suspicions. Condemned.

I grew up in this house.

When I was little and before my life had turned to shit, this is where I lived with my parents. There are so many wonderful memories attached to this old house, but that happiness is overshadowed by one other memory. One terrifying event…

An intense coldness slivers up my spine as goose bumps appear on my skin, and I feel the familiar tingling in my left should begin. I have to physically shake myself to regain control, to remind myself that it was all in the past. I quickly continue on my way, leaving the house behind me.

I decide that I have had enough reminiscing for one day and head back to Sookie's, hoping that she won't mind my company. After entering through the kitchen, I suddenly halt my movements when I see Sookie, sitting at the table and crying, while eating Gran's pecan pie. Now, I heard about the incident with Mrs. Fortenberry, so I am slightly surprised to see Sookie eating it. I awkwardly stand in the doorway for few more moments before Sookie finally speaks.

"Want some?" she asks tearfully, sniffling slightly. I smile gently in response before grabbing a fork and joining her at the table. As I begin eating, I hold her hand in mine, offering any support that I can give. We sit that way until the very last bite is gone.

After we finish, we hold each other in a long hug before heading up to our rooms. No words were spoken, none were needed.

Sometime later, after the sun has gone down, I am resting on the bed, thinking about how I am going to figure out who the killer is. The only piece of information that I have to work with is that the killer targets women who have "relations" with vampires. Okay, so this may be harder than I thought. Suddenly, I am pulled from my thoughts when I hear the front screen door slam open. I quickly run to my window, hoping to see what caused the commotion. That's when I see Sookie, dressed in a flowing white nightgown, running in the direction of the Compton residence. I can't help but smile at my friend's actions. It's about time she found somebody to love.

As I turn away from the window, I am hit with an oncoming vision. This one is short and abrupt, but the feeling it leaves me with shakes me to my core. I feel as if I have been hit by a truck and it takes me a while to come back to my senses. I stand there motionless for what feels like hours as I try to catch my breath. I can't understand why I am having this reaction. I can feel the terror and longing all the way to my bones. How did one simple image have such an effect on me?

I lay down on the soft bed, hoping to calm my racing heart, but it is no use as the effect of my vision lingers through out the night. I try to sleep but I'm kept awake by two images replaying over and over.

A glowing red sigh that reads: Fangtasia.

And ...

A pair of burning, ice blue eyes.

Next Chapter: ERIC!

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