A/N – This chapter's not so fluffy but there will be more good stuff down the road. Can't be wine and roses all the time, eh? Thank you for all the kind reviews, it really helps to motivate me. And special thanks to TxGal, for helpin' me out with the grammar and stuff. Enjoy.
Chapter 9
The next day I worked from the cabin all day, but knowing Eric was asleep at my house distracted me mightily. I took several breaks just to go down to the house and piddle around, taking comfort in knowing he was beneath the floor. Silly, I know, but I wanted to do it. I knew he would be getting up around 5:30 so I washed and dried his clothes on my lunch break and had them waiting on my bed for him.
I couldn't decide if I wanted to see him or not before he left. Since I slept late and didn't technically start work until 10 am I needed to work until 7 pm to get eight hours in, so I left Eric a note telling him I had to work late at the cabin. I really didn't expect him to stop in on his way to Fangtasia, yet I was still disappointed when he didn't come by.
Lance called me early in the evening.
"Missed you at the office today," he said. "I was wondering if perhaps you and I could get together this weekend; maybe get dinner or a show."
I hesitated. I liked him, and he had just enough Were blood to make his thoughts a little muddled and not screaming at me. I had to try hard to hear him, so the telepathy thing with him wasn't a problem. That was a relief. But the thing with Eric, I didn't know if I should see anyone, yet he hadn't given me an answer yet.
"Lance, I really like you and I'd like to go out with you," I said honestly, "But there's kind of been someone else in my life – it's not resolved but it's going to be soon – can I get back to you on it in a couple of days?"
A pause at the other end.
"Can I ask you something?" he said.
"Sure."
"Is it a vampire?"
"Yes."
"The one I saw you with at the cocktail party?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
"You're a nice girl, Sookie, and it's none of my business, but it just seems like you could use a little more warmth in your life than a vampire can give you. Just let me know. I'd like to take you out, I really like you, and we get along well." I promised I would let him know soon then got off the phone.
Friday Alcide wanted me to go by some of the area elementary schools with the pamphlets and maybe talk to the principals about setting up a presentation. Schools surrounding the Hot Shot community were reporting the most incidents, so I started there.
I pulled up to West Bayou Elementary with a sense of nostalgia. No matter what happens, schools always seem to stay the same, with the same white halls and smells of lunchroom cooking. I stopped in the office and talked to the principal, Mrs. Bellweather, a nice lady in her mid-fifties. She explained the hazing going on, I gave her the pamphlets and told her I would schedule a time to come back and talk to the kids. We chatted for a few minutes, and I mentioned that Jason had married a girl from Hot Shot. When I turned around to head out the door, I caught her last thought.
"Seems like a nice girl. Wonder if her brother's going to be alive after the full moon."
I stopped in my tracks and turned back. She smiled brightly. "Is there something else you need?"
I shook my head and forced myself to speak. "No, I'm fine. Just let us know if there are any more incidents, we will help the schools anyway we can." I gave her my maniacal smile and left. I stopped to put a few more pamphlets on the information table by the front door.
"Big waste of trees when there's not going to be anymore of those creatures around next week." I whirled around to see the principal's secretary give me a sidelong glance as she chick-clacked her heels down the well-worn wooden floors.
Okay, something's definitely going on with Hot Shot. I thought hard as I walked to my car. I tried to figure out where the most people would be so I could try to hear thoughts and investigate more. I went to the Wal Mart, Target, nothing there. I drove around Shreveport on the Hot Shot side about 20 minutes before I spotted a Hooters. Bingo.
I sat at the bar and ordered a couple of oyster shooters and a beer. Boy, not a good place for a single woman to have lunch, I got a lot of looks. It didn't take long, though, about twenty minutes, before a group of six mostly heavy-set men came in and got a corner table at the bar.
They started thinking and talking, and I hit the mother lode. I was shaking big time by the time I left thirty minutes later, but I had enough information to go to Alcide. I drove like hell all the way back to the office, calling Alcide on my cell phone to tell him to meet me there.
He met me at the door, a concerned expression on his face. I shooed him back into his office. I just wanted to talk to him in private, what I had to say was so scary.
"The Fellowship of the Sun has banded with every hate group in Louisiana, Neo-Nazis, skinheads, even some street gangs," I explained in a rush, my voice breaking. "They've been setting up camps surrounding Hot Shot for the past two weeks, all under the guise of getting ready for whitetail bow-hunting season to open this weekend." Alcide's eyes got wider and his hands gripped my elbows tighter as I talked.
"The full moon starts tomorrow night, and as soon as the sun sets, they'll be moving in from the outskirts. They'll start in the woods, working their way into town. Everyone's going to be in hunting garb, camoflauge, orange vests, the whole nine yards. Except they won't be hunting deer, they'll be hunting the two-natured, and the directive from the top is 'If It Shifts, Shits, or Moves, Shoot It' "
Alcide let go of my elbows and sat down at his desk, running his finger through his hair.
"How do they think they're gonna get away with this?" he asked, and I felt so sorry for him, he seemed so distraught.
"The Louisiana legislature hasn't had time to really draft any laws concerning Weres yet, Alcide," I explained as gently as I could. "If they're supposedly hunting, and the person is shot while they are in animal form…."
"They could possibly avoid murder charges," Alcide said quietly.
"Yes. And the FOTS knows that the lack of governing policies will only act in their favor, so now, while it's still early in the game, is the best time to strike."
"We have to act quickly," Alcide stood and walked to the window and paced back and forth. "We expected something but nothing of this magnitude this soon. I'll call a meeting of everyone I can find tonight at the warehouse to decide a strategy."
"What can I do?"
"Go home and rest, Sookie. I'll call you at 7 am tomorrow morning and tell you what's going on. Be prepared for a long day."
I stopped by Fangtasia on the way home from work to tell Eric about what I had heard. He sat at his desk and stared at his hands while I explained. When I got finished, he continued to keep his eyes lowered. He looked really nice, in a sapphire blue cashmere v-neck sweater and black jeans, his hair tied back the way that I liked it. Not that I was looking.
"Can the pack count on the vamps to help them?" I asked, holding my breath.
"Honestly, Sookie, I don't know," Eric said, rising from the desk and finally meeting my eyes. "Felipe hasn't made his policy known on the issue. I will have to defer to him, but I will find out as soon as possible."
He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number, but obviously got an answering machine. He left Felipe a quick message, saying it was urgent, then looked back at me. He seemed annoyed.
"I knew this job was going to be a problem from the start," he began.
"Not fair, Eric," I cut him off. "I helped the pack before I had this job."
"Yes, but it doesn't help matters does it, and you're going to work for them isn't going to have the King looking any more favorably at this situation. I will help you any way that I can personally, but I cannot guarantee vampire support."
I nodded. I started to get up to leave, then shored up my courage, I needed an answer today, I couldn't put Lance off forever.
"Have you had time to think about my suggestion for our relationship?"
"Yes." He sat back down in his chair and regarded me coolly over steepled fingers.
"And…"
"And I think I'll pass."
Oh hell. Here goes.
"Really?"
"Yes." Apparently he did not feel the need to go on.
"Care to elaborate?"
"I find the prospect distasteful, and quite frankly, beneath you to suggest it," he clipped.
I felt my temperature start to rise. Did vampires take the concept of a double standard and somehow make it radioactive? So it's fine for him to fuck and feed from hypnotized whores, but when I suggest a lighthearted, casual relationship, completely on the up and up, it's in poor taste? Okay. Whatever.
I swallowed. I had prepared myself for this possibility; I needed to keep my head clear. Stay cool, Sookie, stick to the script.
"I thought I had come up with something pretty practical, at least I tried to," I fought to keep my voice level. Now for the million-dollar question. I forged ahead.
"Do you have a better idea?"
('Will you walk into my parlour?' said the spider to the fly…)
He turned his head away from me. I tried not to think about how heartbreakingly gorgeous he was, even in silhouette.
"No."
Well, I had to know it wouldn't be that easy. I'd just hoped he would rise to the bait. I took another big breath.
"Allrighty then, if that's what you want. I guess we'll remain business associates, and there is the bond to consider."
No answer. Silence seemed to be his weapon of choice. God, it felt like we were breaking up, I hated this, I just wanted to leave. Finally he spoke.
"Does not really matter what I want, it is all that is practical in this situation. And with you working for the Weres, maybe it is the best for the long run."
Jesus, what a butthead. I knew in my heart he had to be at least somewhat full of shit but it hurt to hear him say it anyway.
"Again, don't try to blame it on my job, buddy. That's low, even for you." He grunted, but surprisingly let me get away with that comment.
"All right. Then I guess I'll be seeing you around," I stood up and turned around, my hand on the door. "Just to make it clear, we're not involved, so we're free to see other people, right?"
He glared at me from under his brow.
"Yes," he hissed, and a more dangerous-looking Eric I have rarely seen.
I guess I had my answer for Lance. I hurried out, trying not to cry until I got in the car. Fucking bastard.
I went home to commiserate with my roomies. We all sat at the kitchen table while I unloaded the whole Were war thing. Amelia called Tray, but he was already in the meeting with Alcide and the rest of the pack. Lastly I told them what had transpired with Eric. I was so tired and over-wrought by that time I was hardly coherent.
"Well, that was dumb," Octavia said.
"Hey, she had a right, don't call her dumb, she's upset enough already, and since when were you such an expert on men," Amelia shot back.
"Well, I know enough about men not to back one into the corner and make him answer a question when I really don't want to know the answer," Octavia replied.
One day I am going to haul off and knock the absolute piss out of Octavia. Just you wait and see.
Amelia opened a bottle of Two Buck Chuck and poured everyone a glass. We sat around the table and stared at each other. After a few minutes of rumination I spoke up.
"It all started with Highlights magazine," I said. I was getting silly with fatigue and the wine wasn't helping, but I really felt like I had hit on something with this train of thought.
"Beg pardon?" Amelia seemed confused by the out-of-nowhere remark.
"My fascination with bad boys. You could have seen it then, when I was seven, eight years old. You know, when you were a little kid, and you went to the doctor, he always had that Bible Story book and Highlights magazine, and some kid had always colored all over the Bible book, so you only had Highlights to read.
"That's when I should have known. Goofus and Gallant were my favorite cartoons."
"I liked the Timbertoes," Octavia said. I scowled at her before continuing.
"Goofus was the bad one, always screwing up everything he tried, never doing the right thing. Gallant did everything perfect, just like he should; his homework, his manners. And I remember thinking even then, as a little kid, that Goofus seemed a whole lot more interesting, and Gallant was pretty much a big douche bag."
"So you're saying Eric is Goofus?" Amelia asked incredulously, "He seems pretty 'gallant' to me, at least most of the time." Her eyes widened, then narrowed. "Are you calling Eric a douche bag?"
"No, I'm just saying…" I searched for the right words. "I'm just saying I don't know what's good for me, and I never did," I finished lamely.
"I think you know exactly what's good for you," Amelia said. "For some reason, you can't get past the details."
"I don't know why y'all are making it so hard. You want to be with him, be with him. What's the big deal," Octavia had to throw in her two cents. "Now you gonna start all over with a new man, while you're still mooning over the old one? Ain't gonna work, never did, never will."
Discretion being the better part of valor, I kept my mouth shut.
"I know you want to figure out your love life and everything, but don't you think we've got bigger fish to fry, what with the Were genocide thing going down this weekend," Amelia said dryly. I had to forgive her sarcasm; I know she was worried about Tray.
I did need to get my head on straight. The possibility of Jason being a target bothered me something awful. I just hadn't adjusted to thinking of him as a Were yet, I wasn't really comfortable with it. My friend Calvin Norris, and Jason's wife Crystal, and all the other innocent folks out there were all in terrible danger.
Seven o'clock was going to come awful early in the morning. I had to be ready to do whatever needed to be done. I decided to stay the night at the house with Amelia and Octavia. I needed people around me tonight.
