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True Blood S4

Chapter 10 My Daughter, My Self

The next evening, deep in the woods of Bon Temps, two vampires rose from their shared grave, hungry for blood and in their desire for each other.

Tara clawed her way through the cold damp earth and emerged first, naked, caked with dirt and fully aware of what she now was, spitting out dirt as she gasped for her first full breath as a vampire. Bill emerged right behind her and it was she who took his hand and pulled him up and out of the grave and then into her embrace.

"Tara," her name issued forth from his mouth like a gentle caress upon her skin.

"I'm hungry..." she informed him through desperate kisses to his dirt-streaked face.

"I know. There are clothes for you there, behind that log. Get dressed and then we will hunt."

"No, after we feed," she said breathlessly, "I'll clean up then."

Bill scooped her up in his arms and then, with her safely ensconced within his embrace, ran into the night with her in search of a victim.

Jessica rose from her cubby with the dying sunlight, refreshed and happy. Bill had told her to be ready to receive them around midnight or so. She went upstairs hoping to find Lafayette still at the house. On the way to the drawing room she was stopped by a guard.

"Miss Jessica, Lafayette asked me to tell you that he will be back by midnight as you both agreed."

"Thanks, Sherman."

Well, that wasn't a real surprise. She figured he had things of his own to do. They'd talked and watched a movie together until it had been time for Jessica to retire. When she left him she told him to stay as long as he liked and then had given him a kiss on the cheek, which he returned with an affectionate one to her forehead.

It was just as well. She changed her clothes and then left to go get dinner.

When Bill and Tara returned to the mansion they headed straight for the shower, where they cleaned all the grit, grime and dried blood from themselves and then made love.

By the time they'd finally gotten dressed it was already 9 pm.

"Tara, there are some things I must address in my office. Come with me...you are my Consort now, and you need to be debriefed about the affairs at hand."

"Alright, but I need to see a few people this evening, before we meet with Jessica and Lafayette, alright?"

"Of course. May I ask who?"

"My mother and my aunt Ruby Jean. It won't take long, I promise."

Bill looked worried.

"Your mother? Are you sure you want to have that conversation tonight, Tara?" Bill knew of the strained relations between her and her mother and feared that the meeting could only result in heartbreak.

"Yes. I can handle it." she assured him. "Let's go to your office, I'm anxious to know what exactly is going on."

Bill could only feel pride as he looked upon this stunning woman, now a stunning vampire. He took her hand and led her downstairs.

All she could feel was sickened by the documents she'd read in Bill's office as she raced to her mother's house. Whoever was behind this bullshit was going to be sorry, she vowed within herself.

She arrived at Lettie Mae's new house, the one she now shared with her husband, Reverend Daniels.

She knocked on the door.

"Who is it at this hour? Who's there?" she called through the door."

"It's me, mama."

"Tara Mae?" came her mother's shocked voice. "Baby? Hold on, baby, I'm coming," she said excitedly, rushing to the door now. She opened it wide and hugged her daughter as she pulled her in.

"Oh, Tara Mae, I'm so glad to see you! How you like my new house, huh? Don't you love it?" she beamed proudly, happy for herself at her own good fortune.

"It's real nice, mama, real nice," Tara answered her sweetly, calmly waiting for the moment when her mother would settle down and really see her.

"Tara, you don't sound happy for me at all—what's the matter? What..." and then Lettie Mae took in the sight of her daughter fully: her daughter had a strange caste to her skin tone, and she saw the hint of fangs just barely caressing her bottom lip through her thin smile.

"Oh, My God! Tara! Who did this to you, baby?" she cried out and began to weep.

"No one did anything to me, mama—I chose this of my own free will."

That stopped Lettie Mae cold, and the full realization of her daughter's statement sunk into her like a heavy stone chucked into a pond. The color drained from her face and she felt like she was going to be sick.

"Mama," Tara began as she reached out to her mother.

"Demon! Killer!" she screamed at her. "You get away from me. I'm so glad the Good Reverend is not here to see this," she spat at her. "How could you choose to be a vampire if you weren't the demon sent from hell I always thought you might be? When I tell Lafayette..." she began threateningly.

"He already knows, mama."

"Oh, does he now? Y'all is both good for nothin' hell spawn!"

"You can say whatever you like about me, but don't you EVER talk about Lafayette like that again!" Tara roared at her.

"Yeah, you two hell spawn have always stuck together and hell is where you're both goin'! I ain't never raised you to do nothin' like this," Lettie Mae hissed at her.

"That's right, mama, you ain't never raised me at all." Tara leveled the truth at her mother and then caught herself. "That's not what I'm here about," she said through clenched jaws.

"In the name of Jesus Christ I rescind my invitation to you to enter this house!" Lettie Mae said then, smugly and self-righteously.

A strong wind rose up in the house, the force of a small whirlwind but nothing happened.

"In the name of Jesus Christ I rescind my invitation to you to enter this house!" she cried out, as if her God hadn't heard her the first time. But something in Tara was strong, indomitable...it still didn't work, which terrified Lettie Mae even more.

"IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST I RESCIND MY INVITATION TO YOU TO ENTER THIS HOUSE!" she screamed out, frantically, the whirlwind now a small enough tornado that items in the room began to hurl about.

"I love you, mama," Tara said softly, the wind whipping wildly through her hair, a blood tear spilling down her cheek. "And my love is stronger than your hate; stronger than your fear. Goodbye, mama."

She left Lettie Mae's house on her own will, heading bravely to her destiny.

Lettie Mae broke down into tortured sobs, realizing that she'd lost her child, and not just to the world or vampires. She knew in her heart, amazed that her daughter could even remotely still love her, that Tara's words had been true; and that it was all her own fault that she had cast her own self, unnecessarily, out of her daughter's life once and for all.

She knocked on the window of Ruby Jean's room lightly. She could see her stirring fitfully in her sleep. Alarmed, she dared to knock louder, not caring who it might alert as long as she could wake Ruby Jean up.

Ruby Jean awoke with a start, drenched in sweat, the bad dreams that had assaulted here still fresh and present. Jesus was calling her, always calling her and trying to get her to let him in. It was a nightly struggle that she wasn't sure she could keep up much longer. He knew to attack her in her dreams; but even though she had been driven insane by her talents and the consequences of those who had been against her she had still been strong enough to fight him. She was fighting for her LaLa, because that was who Jesus really wanted.

She sat up to take a drink of water from the bottle on her night stand and heard a strong rap at her window. It was Tara Mae. She got up and rushed over to it, threw open the sash and let her in.

"Auntie," Tara sobbed into her arms as they embraced.

"You saw your mama. It's gonna be alright, child, I promise," said Ruby Jean in that sane soothing voice that Tara loved so much to hear.

Tara looked up at her finally, trying to compose herself. "Auntie, are you alright? You looked like you were having a fight there in bed..."

"I was. Jesus is strong, but he's not as strong as you and LaLa. He wants his power, baby. He's been after it all this time. I can see that you have a lot on your plate right now," she said as she stroked Tara's pale face, "but you must protect my LaLa—you're the only one who can."

"I understand, Auntie. You have my promise on that."

"I know, baby; my daughter, my self. This course of action you've taken has assured that you will not meet my fate."

Ruby Jean's words washed over Tara like the cleansing waters in a rippling river.

"What can I do for you, auntie? I want to take you away from here."

"This is the best place for me now. I know it doesn't seem like it, but right now this is the safest place I can be. We are going to win this battle, Tara Mae, do you understand me?"

"Yes, auntie," she said with conviction, but Tara was crying.

"Stop crying. I saw this a long, long time ago. It is all almost over. Go on now, you have important matters to deal with, you and your King. You go to him now and tell him I said thank you; for loving you and giving you this precious, precious gift. It is a gift, Tara. LaLa is going to realize that one day, as well. Go on now, I need to get some sleep." Ruby Jean gave her niece a warm bear hug and a kiss on the forehead. Tara found it almost impossible to release her. Then a light bulb went off in her head.

"Auntie, what if..."

Ruby Jean cut her off. "Oh, I do love you, Tara Mae. But my brain is too damaged now to be one of you. But I thank you for the offer. Go on, baby."

"Goodbye, auntie. I'll be back soon," Tara assured her.

"I'll be here," she said smiling, as she watched Tara go.