Sookie had just left Bill that evening, when his security team told him that Eric Northman was requesting an audience. Knowing that whatever Eric had to say, would probably cause him trouble, Bill thought about saying no.
But his mouth told the guard to let him in.
Eric entered his office with remnants of vampire matter, still clinging to his clothing. Bill wrinkled his nose, closed his door and faced him.
"Who do you have all over you?" Bill asked coldly.
"This would be my youngest progeny-Alcide Herveaux." Eric replied in a nonchalant tone. Bill's jaw tightened.
"You staked Alcide?"
"No. The ghost of 'Debbie Pelt' staked Alcide while trying to stake ME."
Bill sank into a chair.
"Sookie told me a little bit about that, but I was lead to believe that Alcide was handling it."
"I was suspicious of Alcide. I went by his house tonight and found him there with none other then Chancellor Kibwe."
"Kibwe?" Bill asked. "He's the one that helped Alcide switch bodies with me."
"Yes and I think he was the conduit between Debbie and Alcide. I told Alcide that Tara and my children would not be retuning to that house. I also made sure that Debbie knew something else. Something that would make her not want to kill Tara."
"What?" Bill asked, standing up again.
"Tara and I are married."
Bill frowned.
"What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean Tara and you are 'married'? Since when?"
"Since Chancellor Kibwe, at my request, put a spell on a document I asked Tara to sign. She thought it was about my giving over custody of Ilsa and Alexander to her. But..."
"Oh my fucking God! THAT agreement? Sookie and I stood in this house, as Tara went on and on and about 'cooperative' you had been and how quickly you signed it! So it looked like a custody agreement to her eyes but in reality it was what?"
"A vampire marriage agreement." Eric replied.
"What the fuck do you have on Kibwe? He is always doing your dirty work." Bill noted.
"Apparently not just mine, since he's hooked up with Alcide on several occasions. And since he was present when Debbie Pelt tried to stake me with the wooden end of some cheap table of Alcide's, Kibwe was in on this plot as well."
"Okay, Eric. What do you want from me? And tell me why I should help you at all?"
"Alcide's death needs to take place later than it did. I know Sookie just left your house. When all is said and done, I want you to be a witness as to what I had to do to Alcide."
"You mean you want me to tell people that I saw Alcide trying to get Debbie Pelt to stake you? What about Kibwe?"
"He was out of there before Alcide's parts cleared a couch. He wants no part of this and I'm sure he'll even deny being in the house if accused." Eric said.
"And I should do this, why?" Bill asked.
"Because, you are still the King of Louisiana. And let's face it: Tara was a popular queen among vampires. You don't think I've seen the websites that claim that I am a drug dealer and a liar?"
"Both of which you are." Bill told him.
"People think that I'm lying about being Ilsa and Alexander's real father. Many think that YOU are and that Sookie broke Tara and yourself up."
"I notice you weren't offended at being called a 'drug dealer'."
"That's beside the point," Eric replied, "what I'm trying to get across to you, your highness, is that my marriage to Tara will finally begin to pave the way for Sookie to be accepted as your queen. But that won't begin to happen if Tara does not fall in line."
"Meaning, give in to the fact that you killed Alcide and tricked her into marrying you?"
"Meaning you will back up my story, which is true, that Alcide tried to kill me via a vengeful ghost. If you do not, Tara will be resistant to settling down with me. And that will give the vampire public, hope that the two you will get back together-and Sookie will once again be tabloid fodder."
Bill knew Sookie didn't read tabloids. But he was aware that she was a bit miffed to be seen as the 'other woman' and the real reason Tara and himself were not together anymore. Almost no one ever blamed Alcide for his part in all of this, strangely enough.
"Alright, Eric. I'll go along with this. Tell me what to do."
Tara had just put Ilsa down, when a strange feeling passed over her. She thought about calling Sookie but knew it was way too late in the night to be calling her. Maybe it was nothing.
She heard Eric come into the house and she left the twins room and hurried out to the front hallway. expecting...Tara didn't know what.
But she could see blood on Eric. It was vampire blood.
"Eric?" Tara asked, trying to remain calm. "Where have you been? And that blood..."
Tara trailed off. It smelled familiar! It smelled like...
"Eric? Where were you?" Tara asked again.
"I don't want to sit down! Why am I smelling Alcide all over you?! Tell me!"
"He's gone, Tara. Debbie Pelt tried to stake me and I had no choice but to use Alcide as a shield. Bill was there. He can attest to the fact that Alcide and Debbie were plotting to kill me." Eric said, staring at her.
Tara blinked.
"Wh...what? What the fuck are you talking about? Alcide did what?"
"Sit down." Eric said again and took Tara's arm. He lead her into a front room and gently deposited her into a chair. He then sat in one across from her.
"I went to Alcide's home tonight..."
"You mean our home!"
"I mean, please do not interrupt me again." Eric answered. Tara folded her arms, barely containing her rage! Eric was about to tell her some bald faced lie! She could feel it!
"I went to Alcide's home tonight because when Sookie told me what he was planning, I was concerned. He wanted to get rid of Debbie using some sort of black magic and he wanted the both of us to be in attendance when this was done. It was as I was about to head over there, that I received a call from Bill. He knew of this exorcism plan and he too was concerned, since it required Sookie to be present as well."
Now Tara raised a brow. Debbie had hated Sookie. She was her original target when Tara was shot. But still...
Eric continued talking.
"When Bill and I arrived, we found Alcide there talking to himself. For whatever reason, he seemed unaware that we were nearby. He was telling someone, who we now know was Debbie Pelt, to 'stake Eric' during the exorcism. I went in to confront him and Alcide said 'Debbie, do what we talked about NOW'. A piece of some crappy, wooden table, flew towards me. I had no choice but to grab Alcide and use him as a shield. He was staked." Eric finished.
Tara slowly stood up.
"You had no choice?" she asked.
"Yes, Tara, that is what I am saying."
"You had no choice but to kill Alcide?"
Now Eric stood!
"I don't appreciate your tone. I have just told you that I was about to be staked and here you are, quibbling over the details? Your lover, my devil spawned progeny, tried to murder me tonight! And I have not received any comfort or sympathy from you! Why is that?"
"Does it even remotely matter to you, that Alcide was important to me? That he loved your children? That I was trying to make a life with him?"
"Alcide was a wedge you used to keep me at bay," Eric said coolly, "just like Bill was. And he used you. He knew being with you irritated me and that's why he put on this production of being a father to my children and..."
Tara slapped him! She then took a few steps backwards.
"All Bill and you do is lie. No, Eric, I didn't want you to die. I didn't want anyone to die. Maybe if you had stayed here with me tonight, after you told me you loved me, none of this would've happened. Maybe if you had stayed and not went back in time to do, whatever the hell you said you were doing, with that earlier version of me, Alcide and I wouldn't have grown close. Maybe if you had been there when our children had been born, instead of Alcide, I wouldn't have considered giving him a chance. Thank you for helping out while I've been sick, but I feel better now. I'm taking Ilsa and Alexander and leaving."
"You are welcome to leave, if my presence offends you so much. But Ilsa and Alexander will stay here."
"I'm not leaving without my children."
"Then either you will not be leaving, or you will leave without them. We are married now. Vampire law says that our children must live with the parent that can provide substantive, financial support."
"I get a very nice alimony check from the King of Louisiana. And child support. I married you but I have never really admitted the twins are yours," Tara fought back, "and legally, they are still Bill's!"
Eric looked her over. He hadn't expected that. He hadn't expected those words to come out of her mouth at all.
"I suppose we are at an impasse."
"No we're not. I'm taking the twins and leaving."
"Alright, Tara. Let me put it like this: I don't want to have to hurt you. If you take my children out of this house..."
Tara leaped at him, fangs bared! She flung her body at him and he went flying back into a glass table! She then ran for the twins room, but she felt a hand in her hair!
"Get off of me!" Tara yelled.
"You are not well!" Eric hissed. "I had Dr. Ludwig give you a shot! You will collapse in a couple of hours, so stop being silly!"
But Tara continued to writhe and yell, and eventually, the babies began to cry. Eric finally picked her up, kicked open the door to their room and tossed her onto bed! He then pointed down at her.
"You WILL stay there. While I see to our children that you awakened with all of your nonsense!"
Eric then left the room to go see to Ilsa and Alexander, while Tara forced herself to calm down. But she couldn't. The bloody tears would not stop falling. Eric had done what he always wanted to do. He had killed Alcide. He was a drug dealer and the feds would one day take him away. Her children would always be in danger being a part of this man's life. Was she overreacting? Were none of those things a big deal?
Tara laid down on the bed and turned on her side. She had even been lied to about being well. When she awoke tomorrow night she would be sick again. So she would've been unable to care for her babies anyway.
She had no choice but to stay here. For now. But she planned to contact Portia Bellefleur. Tara would now need to find a way to free herself from Eric Northman legally. And this time around, she wanted sole custody of Ilsa and Alexander.
Eric calmed the babies down and soon they were asleep again. He then stayed up and stared out of a bay window, until the sun was about to come up. He did not go near Tara in the bedroom and decided maybe he would sleep in a spare coffin for now.
How had his plans went so awry? Bill's name being included in the story should have made things a bit easier for Tara to bear. But it had made things worse.
Suddenly, Eric turned from the window. Yes, things were bad. For Tara. Or so she thought.
But Eric now had no impediments, to doing what he should have been able to do, long ago. Pursue a relationship with Tara Thornton. And they were vampires. Tara was upset, yes. But she would have quite a long time to get over it.
He walked down the hallway to their bedroom. Tara was still on her side. Bloody tears streaked the pillow.
"Go away." she said softly. Her back was to him.
"No." was Eric's curt reply.
Tara slowly sat up, then turned to face him. Eric spoke.
"I don't want to fight anymore. And I am tired of other people coming between us. I am tired of you putting other men between yourself and I. If you will agree to move on from this, I will promise not to turn Ilsa and Alexander. They will be allowed to live full lives as humans."
Tara looked down and nodded. Eric eased into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Yes, Tara, I am aware of your pain. I am even sorry for it. I think it is wasted on an unworthy vampire, but many people did not understand my despair over losing Pam. So I do understand what you are going through."
Tara still said nothing.
"I want the twins and yourself, to travel to France. I have a chalet there. I want you to rest and recover with our children, while I get things settled here."
Now Tara spoke.
"Settled?" she asked.
"Debbie is still lurking about, despite Alcide's death. And I am not convinced that she is only in that house. We could all be in danger from her."
Tara's eyes widened and she wiped away a bloody tear that was on her cheek. She had never thought about that at all.
"I don't need to go to France, Eric."
"I need you to go there. I need to know that my wife and children are safe. I will make the arrangements tomorrow. We will be taking Dr. Ludwig with us. I will handle what needs to be taken care of here."
Tara nodded tiredly. The drug had begun wearing off hours ago, but now she was truly feeling the effects. Eric helped her back under a light blanket and then watched as Tara's eyes closed. He could tell that getting Tara to forget this incident with Alcide, might be the biggest hurdle he needed to clear in his relationship with her, to date. But he was determined to do so.
And of course, he could never let Tara realize, that his only regret about killing Alcide Herveaux, is that he hadn't done it sooner.