No huge changes this chapter, but I like to think that my story is a small stone thrown into a large pond. The point of impact might not be big, but the ripples go far beyond that. Poetic, I know.
Disclaimer: Characters, plots, and places belong to Charlaine Harris/Alan Ball. If I haven't said it in a while, don't sue me. Copying intended, but not for monetary purposes.
It felt a little like being Red Riding Hood. Sure, Sookie had called ahead of time to make sure the big bad wolf (or whatever Jason's latest conquest turned into) had gone home, and she was had just left Granny's house instead of heading towards it, but she was carrying a basket with food in it. Her new car had driven beautifully, and the heat worked like a dream. In fact, she had almost been too hot despite the chill outside by the time she reached Jason's house.
"Whose car's that?" Jason shouted from the doorway without offering to grab any of the things she was carrying.
"It's mine." Came her triumphant reply.
He whistled in admiration. Sure, her brother was more of a truck guy, but he could still appreciate a new car that didn't have a bed on the back. "When'd you get it?"
"Believe it or not, last night. My old car… died. Eric picked it out for me." Better to keep things simple.
"I knew he was rich." Of course that is what he would focus on. Not the fact that her other car had died, or how sweet it had been for Eric to get her a car so quickly, but the money involved.
"I had been thinking about getting a car for a while now anyway, guess I will put the money I had saved up into the house or something." She was thinking out loud while setting the food out. She had fried chicken for Christmas, an old family tradition, though hers always turned out drier than Gran's. That morning she had made some fresh biscuits to go with it. Since it was just lunch, she figured that would do. Jason would have just made himself a sandwich anyway.
"Well, you can always buy me a new truck if you wanna." Jason tried the grin that had melted the hearts of so many women on his sister. It still didn't work.
"You're a grown man, you can buy your own things."
"Ouch, Sook, that was harsh."
Truth be told, she probably could have bought him a new truck. Money wasn't coming in quite as steadily as it had been, but she had saved up quite a bit in the last few months. She and Eric had renegotiated her contract recently. It had been a real battle, but he had finally realized how important it was for her to feel like he wasn't paying her just because she was his girlfriend, even if he didn't really understand it. However, he had added in an extra clause for Hazard Pay. She had laughed at the time, but right now, she was probably making money while doing nothing. She had hoped against hope that the clause would never need to be activated. Would he count daylight hours as well, since Godric was not really a danger to her? At the time they wrote it, asking for details seemed like tempting fate. Now, she had to wonder if she should have gotten everything clarified.
"Sook?" She had missed what he said.
"Huh?"
"I asked if you brought the sweet tea?"
"Yeah, it's in there." She pointed to the old milk jug she had cleaned out to transport the drink. No way was she coming over without it; otherwise, she might have to drink beer for her lunch.
Jason was, at least, nice enough to get out two cups with ice for them.
"So, what was so important you had to come over?" He asked as he pulled out a chicken leg and a biscuit. Leftover fried chicken was best served cold.
"A couple things actually."
"Vampire stuff?" He guessed, not completely inaccurately.
"Some of it."
"Well?" A bit of biscuit tumbled out of his mouth as he phrased his one word question around the food already in there. For her part, his sister tried to ignore it. Jason and table manners had never really gone together.
"First, Godric has gone a little… off the reservation. The situation is all kinds of messed up, and unless you want to know all the details?" Jason shook his head. He would have been quite comfortable with his world having never included vampires. Staying out of it was the name of the game for him. "I figured. The important part is that he is dangerous right now, he knows where Gran's house is, and he can track me." She hurried along her speak at his worried expression. "I've un-invited him, so he can't get in anymore. Which means I am safe in the house, but it isn't safe for you to come round at night."
"Damn."
"Yeah."
They both ate in silence for a minute while Jason digested the information. She made sure to stay out of his head while he worked through things for himself. Like most men, he was a problem solver, but she already knew this was a little beyond him. He just needed to come to the same conclusion on his own.
"Guess there's no real point in you staying here if he can track you."
"Nope, but thanks for offering." She said with sincerity. It really was a sweet thought, even if it hadn't exactly been an offer.
"It's a good thing you told me, cause I was planning on dropping by later."
"Yeah?" That was news to her, not that Jason usually announced his visits. In fact, that was one of the main reasons she had made a point to tell him. It would be just like him to show up while Godric was trying to break down her door.
"Yeah, I wanted to tell you about the girl I met last night. I think you'd really like her."
"About her…" Sookie was not quite sure how to break this to him.
Jason's head tilted to the side as he watched her. Everyone in Bon Temps knew she was abnormal in someway, and her brother knew the truth, even if he would never admit it. "Sook, how could you possibly know about her? You weren't there last night to… you know." He tapped his head with a finger, the closet to admission he had ever come.
"I have my ways." She told him cryptically.
"Well, she sure as _ ain't no vamp. I watched her walk outside this morning into the sun, pretty as ya please."
"Nope, she's not a vampire, but when they came out, didn't you ever think that maybe they weren't the fairy tales characters that were true. She's something different." Considering she had just met her fairy godmother the night before, the irony of her statement was not lost on her.
"Well shit... you're sure?"
"Some others who are kind of like her told me. And they are sure." After all, Sookie didn't know what this girl became, so they probably weren't all the same type. Sam was considered a true shifter (which was rare as far as she could tell), meaning he could turn into any animal he saw, and Luna… well, Sookie hadn't actually found out what Luna turned into. It seemed like a rude question to ask.
"Damn it all; I really liked that girl, and she was a real tiger in the sack."
"Oh, sorry Jason, I didn't realize she had shown you already, well, if you're alright with it…" Sookie's voice trailed off as she realized her mistake judging by Jason's rapidly paling face. He had no idea what a poor choice of words he had made.
"Holy shit… a tiger?!" Really, it was a good thing that he was sitting down already. The telepath wasn't sure his legs would have held him at that moment.
"Maybe not, it could be like a bunny or a cute cat or something."
"I really wish I didn't know that." He was picking apart his second biscuit without ever taking a bite. Gradually, his gaze travelled back to his sister. "You must know a lot of stuff the rest of us don't, huh?"
Sookie only nodded.
"When'd you get so good at keeping secrets?" Now it was Jason's turn to realize he had said something stupid. Rather than respond, the telepath burst into laughter, which her brother joined with only a mild look of discomfort.
Sookie had been keeping secrets since before she could really understand the concept. Really, it was no surprise that she should know so much more about things that go bump in the night than other humans. She knew more about humans than their compatriots anyway, and men that turned into dogs did not seem that much stranger than some of the things she knew about the good people of Bon Temps.
The laughter, at least, helped get Jason flowing back to his normal state-of-mind. It might not be the best way of dealing with things, but the boy was definitely good at compartmentalizing. Just as he accepted Sookie's strangeness by filing it away where he didn't have think about it, his sister watched him tuck away this new strand of information as well.
"How was your party last night?" His subject was rapid but expected. He would stay away from her house at night, but she didn't know if he would stop seeing that girl. Either way, her sisterly duty was fulfilled.
"It was a lot of fun." They talked about their nights since Sookie had missed out on all that happened in Bon Temps. By the time that Jason was finished relating a story about Hoyt getting a flat tire, he was pretty much back to his usual, and by the time Sookie was ready to leave, any thoughts of shape shifters had completely left his head.
"Well, I got to get heading on to Shreveport to meet with a friend, so I can get home before nightfall."
"Who's the friend?" Jason said, wagging his eyebrows. He knew perfectly well that Eric would be gone for the day.
"You might remember me talking about him, Alcide." Sookie had kept the details of her trip to Jackson a secret. If Jason couldn't handle knowing about shifters, he definitely didn't need to know about the goblin she had seen at an all-Supe club.
"Oh yeah, Herveaux. Isn't he supposed to be rich?"
"His father's company does pretty well." And so did they when his father wasn't gambling everything away.
"So, why are going to talk to him?" He meant, why was she going to see him if they were going to sleep together? Perhaps she should have been grateful that he knew she wouldn't sleep with some guy just because he was well to do.
"He needs to know what's going on."
"He ones of those things from the fairy tales, ain't he?" It was an amazing insight coming for her brother. She was impressed he had made the connection.
"Yeah, he is."
"There are others around here. People that I know, aren't there?" Sookie patted her brother on the shoulder. It was a lot to take in.
"Some, but don't let it bother you too much. It hasn't really affected you so far, has it?"
"You're right; it hasn't." She could see he had connected her comment with Crystal already. The girl he had slept with had a name… She had meant it more for Sam or even Luna, but the damage was done. The girl might be perfectly nice, but then, why had Sam thought to warn her?
"I'll see you later, alright?"
"Yeah, sounds good." Jason was already distracted by thoughts of calling Crystal again.
"Just try and be safe Jason."
"Always am." He said with a huge grin at his witty double entendre.
"Gross Jason…" She playfully punched him in the arm before gathering up her purse. "I'm leaving the rest of this stuff here for you; don't let it go bad in your fridge."
"Promise it won't." The Scout sign he held up meant little to her, as he had never been a boy scout, but he walked her to the door all the same.
"Love you." She snuck in a quick hug.
"Love ya too."
She pulled away while he still stood in the doorway, studying her new car. Maybe Eric would grow on him after all.
Alcide's office was apparently closed for New Year's Day as well. She called him on her way up to Shreveport. If she had called him before she talked to Jason, he probably would have just been worrying, and she had determined to talk to him face-to-face already. He agreed to meet her out for coffee at an Applebee's not too far from where he lived and worked. Going to his house had seemed too personal. They were fine again, but she wanted to maintain a certain distance until she was sure there would be no repeats of Jackson. It had been ugly.
"Sookie!" Alcide called from a back corner booth in the restaurant.
"Hey Alcide." She beamed a genuine smile up at him as he caught her up in a hug. He was wonderful to be around when there was no tension between them, and for whatever reason, he was in an excellent mood.
"Come on, sit down, I got us both some coffee. You hungry?"
"Just ate with my brother actually, but if you need to grab a bite, go for it."
"Nah, I'm good." They both just smiled when the waiter came by to refill Alcide's mug. "How are things with you and Eric?"
Sookie scrutinized his face, looking for sarcasm or derision, but he looked genuinely interested. "Well, our relationship is great…"
"But?" He asked the million dollar question.
"You know how things get in the vampire world."
"Actually, there are tons of vampires out there who live their existence in relative peace." His almost chipper attitude about it was a little grating, but she knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. Was that how people felt around her?
"Anyway, we have a problem with witches that I am afraid might end up affecting you."
"Me?" He looked skeptical.
"Well, the pack."
The smile all but disappeared as Alcide switched over to his business face. "Explain."
As with Sam and Luna, Sookie enjoyed the freedom of being able to share the story with someone who would not be freaked out by the details. More and more, she was beginning to feel very out of place in her own world. The human world was the strange one now. She had never quite fit in, but it had been okay when she was the only one who was different. Her only choice had been to act normally because there were no other options, but now she was surrounded by people (and not quite people) who made her little quirk look like a neat party trick. They not only accepted, but valued her. The last year had seen quite a change in worldview for her.
She finished her tale with the bit about Godric's visit. After all, Alcide and Godric were friendly, and a somewhat crazed vampire was an important bit of information.
"Sookie, you can't stay at your house!" He seemed almost torn by this, and she realized that for all that they were alright again, he was not offering to have her stay with him or vice versa.
"You of all people should know he's had my blood. Am I supposed to have him show up at someone else's house? Or a hotel? Nope, as soon as the sun even thinks about setting, I will be snuggly safe in my house where he cannot get to me." It was nice to have so many people worried about her.
"Yeah, I guess that's for the best. That shifter girl still living with you?" He had met Luna the same day she moved in.
"Yeah, but she is staying with someone else just in case. If Godric doesn't remember anyone else, he hopefully won't go after them. Better to keep him in one area if possible. It's kind of like a vampire snare trap."
"You have some silver?"
"Alcide! This is still Godric we are talking about!"
"I didn't ask if you have a stake!" He almost looked offended by her insinuation, but there was also a little guilt. Maybe that had been his next question. "Silver will incapacitate him without doing any permanent damage."
"You know, I do date a vampire. I know about silver."
"Yeah, but you weren't thinking about using it, were you?"
"Who's the mind reader here?" It was weird that they were both smiling about something so horrible, but he knew her pretty well all things considered.
"Don't need to be a telepath to know even when he is a danger to you, you wouldn't want to hurt someone you love." Sookie wasn't sure if Alcide thought this was a good or bad thing.
"Well, I'll put on my necklace tonight, just to be safe."
"Appreciated." His expression went from troubled back to business once more. She didn't need to be a mind reader either to know that now that he thought she was going to be as safe as possible, it was back to Pack concerns. "Now, you are sure these witches are Weres?"
"I don't know if all of them are, but the leader, Hallow, and her brother definitely are from what Eric said. You know Eric, he isn't going to say anything unless he is sure. He hates being wrong."
"Yeah." He was thinking very hard now, but Sookie stayed out of it, occupied with her own thoughts.
"Why do you think Shreveport?" The question had been bothering her all day, but she could hardly ask Eric at the moment, so Alcide would have to do.
"Huh?" His thoughts were obviously somewhere else.
"I mean, if they are as powerful as they sound and all, why a little town like Shreveport? There are tons of other places they could have gone to set up shop."
"Yeah, it doesn't really make sense to me either, but then again, neither do Were-witches. I've never heard of anything like this."
"Are witches not normally this powerful?" She was no expert on Supes for all that she knew a lot about vampires, and witches were a whole new species to her.
"Well, they're just humans, and they stay human."
"Usually." Sookie amended for him. Obviously, this case was even more unique that she had thought.
"Usually." He agreed. "They can use magic, so we keep an eye on them, but usually they're not really a concern."
"Until they are Weres on vampire blood." She was probably a little too condescending about that, but these guys were not to be underestimated.
"Yeah, until then. Just so we're clear, when you say Were…"
"I mean like you."
Alcide looked even more disgusted that before, but he had already punched a number into his phone.
"Sir, this is Alcide." He spoke quickly when the line picked up. If she had been like so many of her friends, Sookie could have heard the other end of the conversation, but she simply had to watch Alcide's face instead. "Yes sir, I am sorry to disturb you, but there is very important information that you need to hear." It didn't sound like the Shreveport Packmaster was any sort of teddy bear. "With permission, I would like to bring someone along who knows more of the details." Apparently, vampires weren't the only ones who didn't say good-bye because Alcide just hung up the phone.
"We'd better get going."
"If I'd have known we'd be seeing your Packmaster, I'd have dressed up more." Her statement had its intended reaction, some of the tension in Alcide faded away with laughter. She had known that Alcide wasn't the Packmaster here in Shreveport, but she had always assumed he was pretty high up. His obvious apprehension over the meeting made her wonder.
"We'll leave your car here and take the truck so you don't get lost."
"Sounds good as long as you can have me back here by three at the latest." She wanted to be safely in her home by five.
"Will do."
"What's he like anyway, your Packmaster?" She asked when they were in the truck.
"Well, he is a retired Air Force Colonel from Barksdale Air Force Base. He's got a daughter who married a local Were, so he decided to stay here to be near her."
"So, I guess Mrs. Flood must be a Were as well?"
"Mrs. Flood died a few months back."
"Oh…" Well, better that she had gotten that out of the way rather than say something to Colonel Flood himself.
To avoid any more stupid questions, Sookie remained silent as they drove into a suburban neighborhood with ranch style houses. It was not the most upscale of places, but it was still nice. All the houses were well kept, and when they finally parked, it was in front of an immaculate lawn without even a pinecone out of place. It reminded her of Eric's only with out such a professional air. This was kept by someone who loved to garden.
An older gentlemen in civvies answered the door. He still cut an imposing figure even out of uniform. Sookie had to remind herself he was retired. He probably didn't lounge around the house in his dress uniform. His perfectly manicured mustache made her want to chuckle, but he was too austere a man for laughter.
"Alcide." It wasn't much of a greeting, but the handshake seemed warm enough for two men.
The colonel looked significantly at Sookie when Alcide made no move to introduce her. "Colonel Flood, this is Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie, Colonel Flood."
"How do you do, Sir?" She wondered if she should curtsy, but then she hadn't for Jackson's Packmaster. Why start now?
"Very well, Miss Stackhouse, would you like to come inside to discuss matters?"
"Thank you kindly." Her southern belle was peeking through.
"Would you like anything to drink? Tea, coffee, water?"
"No, thank you." She had enough coffee in her system to feel downright sloshy. Making their way to the living room, Sookie clasped her hands tightly in front of her. Apparently, Mrs. Flood (at least, she figured it was his wife) had been a collector of porcelain birds for what looked like many years. Rather than tempt her clumsy side, she sat down, still tucked, as soon as possible.
"Did you two come to get permission to marry?"
Sookie was glad she had not accepted the drink, or she might have spewed tea all over his nice couch.
"No, sir." Alcide looked like he wanted to smile, but just couldn't quite conjure it up. "Sookie has some very important information that you need to hear."
"And why should I listen?"
To anyone else, it would have sounded rude, but the telepath was pretty sure she understood. He wasn't being petulant, he was asking for credentials. After all, she was just some random girl he had never heard of. Alcide, on the other hand, looked strangely offended. Men were so difficult sometimes.
"What she has to say is of concern to the Pack, and…" There was a slight hesitation as he looked at her. "I would give my blood for her." The implications of that sounded very important, but she hoped it would not come back to bite him. Still, it was nice for him to vouch for her. She patted his hand in appreciation before tucking it back in her lap.
"Very well. Miss Stackhouse, what do you have to tell me?"
This was beginning to feel like a monologue, albeit an edited one this time. She left out the bits about Godric. There was no chance of him somehow finding his way to Colonel Flood. Sookie doubted he would even be leaving Bon Temps, if what Eric said was true. Alcide looked at her meaningfully but did not amend her story. In this case, she thought it was her secret to keep.
"And where are the witches now?"
"I don't know, sir. The vampires had some internal issues that needed to be addressed last night," he was able to keep his distaste from his face even if Sookie could still see it in his thoughts, " so I do not believe they were able to do anything further. They will not rise for a few hours yet."
"This is not nearly enough information." Colonel Flood was no longer talking to her, so she relaxed into the cushion behind her. "Alcide, we need to gather the trackers. We have a pack meeting tonight, and I would like to know all we can by then. I will call Adabelle she should hear this before the rest." He was thinking so hard about everything, Sookie was picking up on it unconsciously. Apparently, Adabelle was like second-in-command.
Where Alcide had looked concerned earlier, he looked excited now. The thought of action was obviously a nice one to him. Sookie could live with less action in her life.
"Sorry I could not be of more help, but I thought you all should know as soon as possible."
"It was very considerate of you. I'm sure the vampires would not have thought to."
"They are a bit preoccupied right now." She attempted a defense, knowing full well it would have taken a lot for Eric to reach out to his fellow Supes.
"Still, they are Weres in our territory, we should have known."
"I am afraid that someone in our pack has been keeping things from us." They shared a look, and a thought 'Adabelle'. Apparently, the good ole boy mentality of Were culture was a little too much for her.
"You may be right."
"I'm sure she had a reason, if she did." It was the first time in a while that Sookie had accidentally spoken regarding a thought she shouldn't have known. She was just so used to keeping her shields down around Weres now, rather than keep them up in her own house while Luna was around.
"Alcide?!" Discussing pack business with a human was a big no-no.
"Sorry Colonel. It wasn't his fault. I heard it from you actually." The white-haired man looked downright puzzled.
"There is something else you should know about Sookie… she can read minds." Alcide explain slowly.
"A telepath, really?" He was looking at her with a new amount of respect and wariness.
"Usually, I can't really tell what y'all are thinking, but you two were thinking pretty hard just then and practically at each other. Makes it easier." He absorbed that in silence, and his thoughts were once again garbled. The man was just as in control of his mind as he was his lawn and his facial hair. It was impressive.
"Will your friend stay to relate things to the rest of the pack?" Colonel Flood addressed Alcide.
"His friend needs to return home for personal reasons." In the past, she might not have been able to speak up for herself, but she had gone against vampires much scarier than this man, and right now, Godric was one of them.
"Of course." He seemed a little put off, but it would be a lot worse if Godric tracked her all the way up here while she was surrounded by Weres.
"Sir, Sookie needs to be named a Friend of the Pack." That came out of left field, and Flood's face told her whatever Alcide was asking was big.
Silence held the room for a minute. Sookie was a little tired of being the outsider in these conversations, but she was not about to break the tension by asking what he meant.
"I believe you are right. She has done us a great service with her forewarning." And she may be a great asset to us. He took her hand in both of his. "I will tell the leaders of the pack tonight."
Maybe she should have mentioned that contact made it easier to read thoughts as well, but it was too late now. She couldn't really blame him for the thought. Well, she probably shouldn't have anyway, but a part of her still did. She should have been used to Supes reacting to her quirk that way, and the safety of the Pack was his first priority. Of course, he would see her value in that respect. The only reason she and Eric were together now was because he had first been intrigued by her defect.
"Thank you sir. It is a great honor, I am sure."
"Now, I really need to get Sookie back to her car, then I will rouse the trackers and take them to Fangtasia."
"Good-bye, Miss Stackhouse." Their host showed them to the door.
"Colonel Flood."
The men just nodded, and they were off. Neither spoke until they were back in the truck once more.
"I'm afraid that the scent might be lost at Fangtasia. There was a big party their last night." Had that really been less that 24 hours ago?
"Well, it is our best place to start, and we are pretty good at what we do. Were smells a lot different than vamp."
She decided to leave that alone. "What does me being a 'Friend of the Pack' mean?"
"It just means we owe you our protection. Don't worry, you aren't a member or anything. We won't be calling on you to fight." He chuckled at the idea. His amusement rubbed her the wrong way, but she did understand the sentiment.
"But could Colonel Flood ask me to work for him. You know…" She tapped her head.
"It's really a one way street. It is only awarded to those who have done a special service for the Pack. It really is a big honor."
"Just wanted to make sure." She wouldn't have been too happy if she had unwittingly signed some Supe verbal contract… and neither would Eric.
They made it back to her car in time, and the car ride home was uneventful. She enjoyed car rides; they turned out to be the safest time of her day. Except that time with the maenad… and the time the Fellowship ran her off the road. Really, no where was danger free for her.
Still she felt much safer once she was behind her very thick front door at 4:30. Being winter, the sun would be down soon. Until very recently, she had loved that fact. Now, she was dreading it. Picking up a book and her silver cross necklace, she went to the couch to wait. Maybe he wouldn't show up after all. Unfortunately, if he didn't, she didn't want to think about what he might be doing instead.
If anyone is confused, please remember that her talk with Alcide was actually a day earlier than in the books. Forewarned is forearmed. Next chapter, night falls! For those of you who are worried, Eric will still be around, we just have to set some things up first.
Review this chapter, and get a sneak peek of a one-shot I have planned that will be in keeping with these fics!
