- Author's Note - Hey, guys! So, after thinking it over, I've decided not to bring back Cullen. At least, not at this time. Therefor, I've edited the ending of the last Chapter to exclude his return. With that, here's the next Chapter! I hope you all enjoy, and PLEASE review! Little to no reviews = no story.
The next day, Elena was back to work, on the lunch shift at Merlotte's. Sam found her in his office, sitting in his brown leather chair, gazing unseeingly out the window. She was dressed in her usual uniform of black combat boots, black skinny jeans, and a Merlotte's t-shirt, but her hair was down, rather than up in a high ponytail.
"Hey, chère," he said, leaving the door partially open, while he moved over to her, gazing questioningly and in concern down at her. "You all right?"
Elena tore her gaze off of the window, in order to look up at Sam, whom she offered a soft smile. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine, Sam. Sorry, I just needed a few minutes alone."
He fell into a crouch beside the chair, and reached out to lay a hand over her nearest bare forearm, which he instinctively began to rub with his thumb. "You know, you don't have to be here if you don't want to be. I can always tend the bar and Mia can help Arlene with the tables."
"That's sweet of you, Sam," Elena replied. "But, like I said, I'm all right." Taking in a deep breath, she released it, then began to rise from the chair, as she heard Terry yell, "Order up!" twice from the kitchen, making her realize no one was picking up the ready dishes. "And I think it's time I got back to work."
"Well, the office is here, whenever you need a few minutes," Sam said, getting to his feet, while she did the same.
"Thank you," Elena smiled, before the expression of happiness faded from her beautiful face. "Sam, listen, I'm sorry about what happened between us the night Mrs. Stackhouse died." She continued when he looked at her with uncertainty. "Our kiss. I shouldn't have let that happen." Reaching out, as realization dawned for him, she grasped his closest hand. "But I want you to know that I haven't forgotten about it, about you."
"Hey," said Sam, lifting his free limb to cup one side of her gorgeous visage, where he offered her a gentle grin. "Don't worry about it, chère. I'm not going anywhere. And I'm here, whenever, if ever, you get there."
Elena returned his soft smile, and nodded her long dark silky head, before brushing past him, then heading out of the office, to the counter window that looked into the kitchen. Her dark brow furrowed when she saw no food waiting for her on it.
"I thought you said, 'Order up.', Terry," Elena said to Davina's cousin.
"I did," Terry replied. "New girl took 'em."
"New girl?" Elena asked, her dark brow furrowing in confusion. Sam hadn't said anything about hiring another waitress.
Turning, she made her way into the main room, flicking a curious glance around to spot this new girl, and she soon found her, handing out a tray full of food, names and all, before announcing there was a table open, when the men at it finished, and left.
"Ellie," came a familiar voice, and the brunette looked over to see Jason approaching her, a half empty mug of beer in one hand, while a bright smile of joy lit up his face. "Isn't she something?"
Elena looked over at the girl, she had shoulder blade length curly brown hair, which was done in a side ponytail, and pretty green eyes, while she had on boots, jeans, and a peach top, a long necklace of silver hanging around her neck.
"Is she with you?" Elena inquired, as she returned her gaze to him.
"Yeah, we met last night," replied Jason, before he leaned in to almost whisper to her, as if he didn't want anybody to hear what he said next. "I really want you to like her."
Before Elena could respond, the girl approached them, offering her a soft smile. "Sorry about that," she said. "I wasn't trying to step on your toes or anything, but the natives were getting restless." She quirked a dark brow at her, while extending her hand to her. "You're Elena, right? Jason's told me so much about you. I'm Amy Burley."
Elena accepted the girl's hand, giving it a shake, as a sweet grin of her own lit up her beautiful face. "No, I appreciate it. Thank you. And it's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too," Amy replied, before retracting her hand, in order to reach into her front denims' pocket. "Oh, and I think the guys at Table 5 really liked you, because they left you a really nice tip." She offered the fellow brunette a small wad of cash, folded up with the party's receipt.
"Thank you," Elena said once more, taking the item from her, and tucking it into her apron, then gazing questioningly at her. "I take it you've waited tables before?"
"Yeah, in College," answered Amy, as Jason wrapped an arm around her mostly bare shoulders, while beaming in pride of his girl.
"Well, if you're looking for work, talk to Sam," Elena replied, nodding her long dark silky head at the back area. "His office is down there, to the right."
"Oh! Thank you," Amy said, smiling once last time, before brushing past Jason, and following Elena's directed path to see the bar's owner.
"She's sweet," said Elena, moving her rich dark chocolate hued orbs back to Jason, as Amy disappeared in the back. "I like her."
"Really?" Jason asked, before grinning brightly, as he stepped forward to hug the brunette who was like a sister to him, an action she returned. "You're the best, Ellie."
Later, as the sun dipped down, and the moon rose to take its place, Elena got ready to go to Fangtasia. Since Bill was coming with her, she waited at her house for him to pick her up in his black four door BMW.
She'd gotten to know Amy a little bit when the lunch rush was over and the two had been cleaning up. She hadn't been thrilled to find out the young woman and Jason had met at the very place she was going that night, though Amy had assured her the two hadn't been there for any bad reason. Both had just been curious about the Vampire bar, but Elena still made a mental note to talk to Jason about it. She knew she had no right to tell the grown man what to do or not do, but she didn't want anything to happen to him. She also decided to speak with Eric about it. Maybe he would keep an eye on him for her if he ever came back to Fangtasia.
Elena dressed in black flared jeans, a grey t-shirt, and her Converse. She left her long dark silky naturally straight hair down and also wore her Mother's necklace.
When Bill arrived arrived outside, she grabbed her black purse, and went outside, locking the front door, before heading down the porch steps, where she climbed into her Father's car.
Upon arriving at Fangtasia, Bill parked his BMW, then got out, arriving at the passenger side door before Elena had even fully opened it. She sent her Father a soft smile, as she took his offered hand, and climbed free, standing next to him, while he closed the door, then guided her to the bar's entrance.
Inside, Eric, Longshadow, and Pam were waiting for them. The place was completely empty, as the Vampires had closed it for the night to allow Elena all the time she needed to find out who'd stolen their money. Sitting at one of the tables was a Human man, a bit heavyset, and losing his hair, dressed in suit pants and a button down, with a red and white tie, and wearing thin almost square shaped glasses. He was also dripping with sweat.
"Elena," Eric smiled, as she and Bill entered the bar, and he moved over to the two of them to offer her his large hand, which she took, after meeting her Father's gaze, and silently sending him reassurance, so he released his hold on her delicate limb. "Come meet Bruce. He's our Accountant."
Longshadow stood behind the actual bar, playing with a small lighter, while Pam, dressed in grey pants, high heels, and a pink sweater, her long blond hair done in soft, loose curls, leaned back against the counter, and Bill soon did the same, though as closely to the table where the Human sat as possible.
"Bruce, meet Elena," Eric went on to the man who looked about three seconds away from having a hysterical breakdown.
"Stop it, Eric," Elena said to the Vampire, as she pulled her hand free of his, and flicked her gaze over he, Longshadow, and Pam. "He gets it. You're three big bad scary Vampires. I'll have an easier time learning the truth from him if he's not terrified out of his mind."
A soft smile of pride lit up Bill's face at his daughter's actions, an action Pam noticed, but he didn't care that she had.
"My apologies then," replied Eric, nodding his golden blond head at her, before holding out the chair at the table for her. He was dressed in a black tank top, dark denims, and black flip flops, along with two necklaces, which were tucked into the front of his shirt.
Elena pulled her purse down off of her shoulder, and slung the strap in place over the seat's back, before she settled down onto it, gazing over its surface at the nervous Human.
"I'm not going to hurt you," she said to him, before laying one of her slender forearms over the table, palm facing upward. "Just give me your hand. That's all you have to do." She went on, when Bruce flicked a terrified glance up at Eric. "I won't let him or anybody else hurt you."
Returning his gaze to Elena, the man reached out, and placed his sweaty chubby hand in her extended delicate one. Closing off the rest of the room to her mind, and his own, she sought out the answers.
Bruce's mind was a whirl with thoughts, from wondering what the Hell she was doing to him, to how stupid he was to have ever agreed to work with Vampires in the first place, and even revealing to her that he'd been the one who reported the stolen money to the trio.
"It's all right," Elena spoke out loud to the man, even though she could easily communicate through their connected minds, but she felt the poor Human was frightened enough as it is. "Bruce, just answer one simple question. Did you steal the money?"
"No," Bruce breathed out, before he once more became hysterical, and began gazing pleadingly at Eric, Longshadow, and Pam. "No, I didn't! I swear, I didn't! You gotta believe me, please."
"Shh," Elena gently said, using her hold on his hand to giving it reassuring gentle brushes with her slender thumb. "Do you know who did?"
Her actions seemed to greatly calm the man, whom she could tell, despite the wedding ring on its assigned finger, wasn't used to such kindness, and he shook his head, as gazed across at the beautiful brunette.
"No," said Bruce, and Elena swiftly entered his mind at this, picking up thoughts of how he'd turn whoever it was in if he did know, and someone named Ginger, whom, according to him, was "fucking dumb, but hot as Hell".
"It's not him," Elena spoke up, lifting her rich dark chocolate hued gaze to Eric, who continued to stand menacingly beside the Human.
"You trust this skinny Human to clear the fat one?" came Longshadow's angry, bewildered voice from behind the bar, and Elena had to bit back the urge to respond, as she met Eric's eyes with her own. She knew he trusted her. It was one thing he didn't have to prove. To her or to anybody.
"Yes, I do," Eric snapped in response to the fellow Vampire. "Now, if you're done insulting our guest, make yourself useful, and bring in our next Human."
Longshadow's expression resembled that of someone who'd just been slapped across the face, and he sent Eric a hateful stare, even while he did as the Vampire said, and moved out from behind the bar to fetch the next one needed for questioning, as Bruce broke down crying in relief, while Elena met Eric's gaze, sending him a soft, grateful smile, an action he returned.
"This is our last of our Humans," said Pam around an hour later, as she led a blond woman toward the table where Elena still sat.
The Human female was barely clothed. She had on high heels, along with a section of denim made into a skirt, and a strip of shiny silver material fashioned into a halter top. She had noticeable Vampire bite marks on her skinny arms and neck, while a cigarette was held loosely in one hand. Her jewelry consisted of layered bracelets on her left wrist, and large dangling earrings.
While Pam sat her in Bruce's previously occupied seat across from her, Elena flicked a glance behind herself at Bill, then moved it over onto Eric, gazing at both men, especially the latter, as if to say, "Really?", before she shifted her dark brown gaze back onto the Human.
"Ooh, yummy," the woman nearly purred in delight upon seeing Elena.
"Ginger, this is Elena," Eric spoke up, while Pam took the Human's cigarette, and put it out on the ashtray nearby. "She has some questions for you, so be a good girl and answer them."
"Aye, Aye, Master," Ginger responded with a smirk, which swiftly melted, when Elena reached out for her hand, and she retracted the limb as if her touch had been like fire, while she glared across at the beautiful brunette. "Don't you touch me."
Elena would've normally been more kind, but the group of Humans Eric, Longshadow, and Pam kept in their employ were some of the most frustrating she'd ever dealt with in her over 100 years, and that was really saying something. So, after an hour of dealing with them, she was at the end of her rope. A double shift at Merlotte's with everybody basically drunk was more pleasant than this.
"Hold her still," Eric said to Pam, who moved behind the woman, and placed her hands firmly on her shoulders, allowing Elena to reach out, then grasp her nearest arm once more.
"Ginger, someone's been stealing money from the bar," Elena began, as she wrapped her slender fingers around the Human's thin forearm. Her mind was filled with angry thoughts toward her, but she wasn't the one who'd taken the $60,000, so she lifted her gaze to Eric. "It wasn't her. Though she knows who it was."
"What?" Ginger scoffed in confusion and anger. "Fuck you."
But one trip back into the woman's mind revealed it was in fact the truth. Her thoughts were now mostly terrified exclaims, and Elena zeroed in on the one where the Human pointed out that a male was going to kill her.
"Ginger, honey, who are you thinking about?" Elena asked. "Who do you think is going to kill you?"
Her dark brow furrowed when she reached a corner of Ginger's mind that was almost completely blank, aside from a piercing sound that resembled what you hear when you're laying in your room at night in total silence. Elena knew what that was.
"She's been Glamoured," she said, looking up at Eric, as well as Pam, who now stood beside him. "A Vampire took the money."
Suddenly, from behind the bar, Longshadow dropped his fangs, and jumped over the counter before anyone could react. Anyone but Elena, who, after over a century, easily sensed the oncoming threat, especially from a Vampire, and swiftly stood up from her chair, then spun around, one slender hand lifted and emitting her brilliant scarlet hexes, which she formed into a small ball of energy, then pushed it into the Vampire, as he made a grab for her, causing him to launch backward into the nearby bar stools.
Elena swiftly stepped forward, while Longshadow recovered, and began to charge her once more, but, before he could move more than one single step, she'd formed a fresh ball of powerful red hexes in between both slender hands, and the energy had taken hold of the Vampire, freezing him in place, then beginning to cripple him to his knees.
Ginger, who'd pushed away from the table at the Vampire's attack, was now continually screaming in shock and horror, while Bill had extended his fangs, as had Eric, while Pam was standing where she'd been before Longshadow lept over the bar, arms crossed over her chest, as her expression was mostly uncaring, though she seemed greatly annoyed by the Human woman's high pitched shrieks, and all three soon watched in a myriad of emotions, mostly shock, and horrified amazement, when Longshadow seemed to begin melting from the inside out.
One glance over at Elena told them all they needed to know. That she was doing it. With her abilities. Her hexes had somehow gone inside the Vampire's body, and wrapped the scarlet tendrils around every part of him, seemingly using them to literally pull him apart. She suddenly stretch her arms out diagonally, and the ball of energy elongated to join them, before she began closing the limbs toward each other, and Ginger's screams intensified, as blood started to pour in streams from Longshadow's every orifice, while he gasped around the fluid filling his insides, now long past fighting back, and only able to accept his fate.
Moving closer, Elena pushed the ball of energy down against the center of the Vampire's chest, directly over his heart, and that was the final fatal blow. With it, Longshadow exploded like a balloon filled with blood and meat, flooding the floor with his life giving fluid and entrails.
Ginger's screams were close to glass shattering at this, causing Pam to angrily yell over at her, "Ginger, enough!"
"Thank you," Eric replied, as the blond Human fell silent, but it was soon obvious her shrieks had only stopped long enough to allow her to vomit in disgust at the sight of the pool of blood and guts that were once Longshadow, before she resumed screaming, while the three Vampires gazed at Elena, who's slender hands returned to normal, as she turned to face them, and he took in a breath, before smirking in pride over at the brunette. "Well, that's one way to get rid of a problem. Thank you, Elena."
A short while later, Ginger, still a hysterical mess, was on her hands and knees on the floor, cleaning up what was left of Longshadow.
"For God's sake, Eric, I made the mess, let me clean it up," Elena sighed to him, hating to see the affect doing so was having on the Human woman.
"No," Eric nearly growled out in response, while not even looking over at her from where he stood beside Pam, while Bill was next to his daughter by the bar.
"Hey," Elena said, moving away from her Father, and marching over to where the tall blond Viking Vampire stood, where she pointed a warning finger at him, while gazing angrily up at him. "Don't you dare blame me for this, you bastard. Longshadow was your responsibility. I came here as a favor to you."
"And you killed him," Eric snarled down at her, his blue eyes ablaze with fury, causing Bill to straighten up from he was leaning against the bar, but Elena held up a slender hand to him, all while meeting the tall blond Vampire's gaze, so he relaxed slightly. "What happened to you wanting me to turn whoever it was over to the Police?"
"That was before I learned it was a Vampire, and said Vampire came at me, ready to rip my throat out," Elena snapped in response, before she sighed softly, flicking a glance at the bloody goo that was once Longshadow, before returning her eyes back to Eric's. "So, what now? Are you going to tell your Vampire Authority what I did?"
There was a few second pause at this, with both Bill and Pam gazing over at Eric, who finally relaxed himself, before he answered. "No," he said, with a heavy sigh. "No, I said I would always protect you, no matter what, and I meant it." Looking over at Pam, he went on, indicating the hysterical blond Human on the floor. "When Ginger's done, Glamour her for me."
"Are you sure?" Pam asked, nodding down at the woman. "She's been Glamoured so much, who knows if there's anything left of her."
"It's either that, or turn her," replied Eric, quirking a questioning brow at the female Vampire. "You want her?"
"Please, I'm not that desperate," Pam scoffed slightly. "Glamour it is."
"Thank you," said Eric, before he merely brushed past the group, and began toward the hallway that led to his office.
"You know, if you didn't want me to kill him," Elena spoke up, following after him a few steps, as she called out to him, stopping once he did the same, though he didn't turn to face her. "You could've stopped me."
After a long moment of silence, Eric's long golden blond tressed head turned, and he flicked a glance over his broad muscled shoulder at her, quirking a questioning brow, as he nodded down at the pile of blood and guts of the Native American Vampire.
"Could I?" he inquired, holding Elena's gaze for a moment, while she realized he was most likely right, before he faced forward once more, and continued on his way.
"Come on, sweetheart," Bill said, coming up beside her, where he offered her her black purse, while lifting his other cool pale hand to her back. "Let's go home."
Sighing softly, Elena took the item from her Father, and slung the strap into place on her slender shoulder, then allowed him to lead her from the bar.
"Are you all right?" Bill asked, as he drove himself and Elena back to Bon Temps. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I knew this was a bad idea when you told me about it tonight. I should've fought you more on it."
"I'm all right, Father," Elena said, before a soft sigh escaped her. "But you're right. I shouldn't have gone."
Bill reached over, and grasped his daughter's nearest hand, an action she returned gratefully, while he pulled his black four door BMW to a halt in front of the Stackhouse home.
Getting out first, he used his advanced speed to once more arrive at his daughter's side of the vehicle before she did the same, then help her in doing so, taking up her hand, while closing the door after her, before he led her up the path to the porch, then to the front door, where he stood to the side, allowing her to unlock it, before he followed her inside.
"Well, another Father/daughter date night for the record books," Elena smiled at Bill, as he closed the front door behind himself, and he chuckled softly at her words.
Moving over to the staircase, she reached out for the light switch there, and her dark brow furrowed when she felt something wet and cold on it. The foyer was filled with light when she flipped it up, and her dark chocolate orbs widened at the sight of the wall covered in lines of relatively fresh blood.
Before Elena could seek out the source, Bill was at her side, and had one arm wrapped around her, while the other cool pale limb covered her eyes.
"What is it?" Elena asked, as she reached up to grasp her Father's arm, while Bill lifted his gaze to the ceiling, where, from the fan located in the foyer, hung Adele's cat, Tina. She was dead and had been decapitated.
Bill had walked Elena over to his house, before he returned to hers to clean up the scene, then bury the poor cat in the backyard. When he arrived back at his home, she had showered, and put on his grey Henley, in addition to her bra and panties, then curled up in his bed, under one of his spare blankets.
Moving over to the bed, he sat down beside her on one of its edges, and reached out to stroke her long dark silky tresses. His long unbeating heart ached at the sight of the fresh tears evident on her beautiful beloved face.
"I'm so sorry, my darling," Bill said to her.
"Poor Tina," Elena sobbed softly. "Who could do such a horrible evil thing to a sweet little cat?"
"Shh," Bill spoke gently. "Don't think about it anymore. Just close your eyes and go to sleep."
"I can't," Elena replied, lifting a slender hand to wipe away her tears. "Every time I close my eyes, I see her face."
"Your cat's?" Bill inquired, with a furrowed dark brow.
"No, Adele's," sighed Elena in response. "Though, now that you mention it, Tina's in there as well."
"Elena," Bill said, reaching out to gently grasp her arms, and use the hold to urge her to sit up. "Come here, sweetheart."
She did as he silently asked, and pushed herself up. Once in a sitting position, she wrapped her slender arms around her legs, which she drew up close to her chest, where she gazed at her Father.
"You know that I will never let anything happen to you," Bill went on, meeting her rich chocolate orbs with his own sapphire blue. "I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I will always be by your side, to protect you any way I can."
Smiling softly, Elena moved one of her hands to grasp the nearest of her Father's cool pale limbs. "I know. And I'll always be by your side, to protect you any way I can. You're my Father, the only family I have left, no one's taking you from me ever again. And, if they do, I'll come for you. Always. I promise."
Bill smiled softly in return at her words, which, truthfully, made his eyes brim with his Vampire blood tears, and he lifted her hand to his lips to press a kiss to its knuckles, before he leaned his dark head forward, and the two of them rested their foreheads against one another.
After a moment, there was a sudden knock on the front door, and Bill immediately dropped his fangs, growling protectively, as he used his advanced speed to get to his feet in less than a second. Elena reached out with her mind, and a soft sigh escaped her when it was met with that familiar eerie silence.
"It's Eric," she said to her Father, which caused him to growl softly, but she held up a hand to him, as she pushed the blanket off of herself, and got to her bare feet. "It's all right. I can handle this."
"Call for me if you need me," Bill replied, after retracting his fangs.
"I will," Elena answered, offering him a soft smile, before she padded from the room, and down the steps to the front door.
Sure enough, when she opened it, there stood Eric on the front porch, now wearing a black leather jacket over his matching tank top, and his flip flops had been replaced by also black boots.
"Nice legs," the Vampire said, as he nodded his golden blond head at Elena's bare long slender sun kissed limbs, since she only had on Bill's grey Henley, in addition to a black lace bra and panties set.
"Thanks," Elena replied rather coldly, while she stepped over the threshold, and outside, Eric moving back to allow her room, before she shut the front door, then turned to face him. "What do you want, Eric?"
"To apologize," he answered. "I should've never put you in harm's way tonight. And, you have to know, if there was even a part of me that thought it was Longshadow, I wouldn't have asked you to come."
The Vampire's brow furrowed, when, from somewhere above the house, most likely in the night sky, he heard an unfamiliar noise, unknowingly the screech-like roar Bill and Sam had heard the night Elena had killed Diane, Liam, and Malcolm.
"Well, I appreciate you coming here, and apologizing, Eric," Elena said, making no visible acknowledgement about the sound, before she slowly took in a deep breath through her mouth, then released it by way of her nose. "But maybe it's best if you don't come here anymore."
"You weren't at your house," replied Eric, his confused over the noise remaining, but he returned his blue gaze to her rich brown.
"I don't mean just this place," Elena went on, indicating her Father's home. "I mean Bon Temps."
There was a moment of silence, as neither spoke, and whatever was up in the sky fell quiet as well, before realization dawned for Eric. "You don't want to see me anymore?"
"No, I don't," Elena answered, and the tears that were beginning to shimmer in her eyes were illuminated by the moonlight, as well as the porch lanterns. "At least not for a while. I'm sorry, Eric. But I need a break from all of this Vampire drama. When I killed Diane, Liam, and Malcolm the other night, that was the first time I've had to take down an enemy in over 100 years. Now, not even two nights later, I've killed another Vampire. And I still have some Human Psycho after me, who's killed my friends." She paused, licking her lush pink lips, before going on, as she spoke of Adele, and even Tina. "And my family."
"Then let me help you," Eric said, taking a step closer to her.
"No," Elena replied firmly, though she didn't move back away from him, before sighing softly, and gazing a bit pleadingly up at him. "Please, Eric, just give me some time."
"I've already waited 1,000 years for you," stated Eric. "I'll wait 1,000 more for you, Elena."
"Thank you," Elena smiled softly in relief at him.
He nodded his golden blond head at her, then turned, and walked down the porch steps. Once in the front yard, he turned his gaze upward, toward the twinkling night sky, and, almost in sync of him doing so, the screeching roar sounded again, causing the Viking Vampire to look questioningly back at Elena, still standing outside the front door, watching him.
"Is that what I think it is?" Eric asked, quirking a brow at her, and, when she merely smiled and nodded in response, a smirk lit up his handsome face. "Then you really don't need my help. Nor anyone else's. Good evening, Ms. Compton."
Elena watched as Eric strode across the front yard, soon disappearing into the dark woods, and she flicked a glance upward, at the sky herself, smiling softly once more, before she turned, and headed back inside the house.