Chapter 10 – Instant Replay

As I drove away from the palace, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief just from being out of there. I was headed to my suite that I kept at the Hotel Monteleone in the Quarter. After dark there were only so many streets open to cars in the French Quarter, but the Monteleone, which was an historic New Orleans landmark on Royal Street, had special entrances. It cost over $180,000 a year to keep a suite there, but on nights like this, it was totally worth it. The suite I kept there would have cost almost nearly twice as much, but that I let them call me to rent the suite if they needed the room, especially during Mardi Gras. The hotel staff communicated with me at least four or five times a month asking for permission to rent my suite, and every time they did and I agreed, my annual rent was lowered. The last email I'd gotten from the Monteleone was on the same day that I'd gotten the email summons from Sophie Ann, so I'd had them hold my suite for me. I pulled into the private parking garage and headed to my suite. I checked the time: just a little after nine. The night was a toddler. What to do, what to do…

Before Sookie, I would have wandered around the French Quarter until I found a suitable fuck and feed. But that seemed so tawdry now. She was better than that, which meant I had to be better than that. Hmmm… It's not like I could just hang out at Pat O'Brien's listening to the cheesy dual piano players while nursing a Hurricane. In times past, the jazz greats like clarinetist Pete Fountain and trumpeter Al Hirt had their own clubs in the Quarter. But Pete, who just died in 2016 had long since closed his club, and Al had passed in 1999. I'd been lucky enough to see both jazz greats when they were young and in their prime. I guess I could head over to Preservation Hall and watch the old-timers play some Dixieland jazz. But first I wanted to find out what was going on in Bon Temps.

I got to my suite and tossed my bag on the bed after I removed the burn phone. I dialed Sookie, but it went to voice mail. I knew The Enchanted Forest was closed by now, so I wondered why she didn't answer. I paced around the suite trying to think of what I should do. I kept telling myself to keep calm; it was just one missed phone call, she could be showering or some other mundane thing. I picked up the phone again and dialed Thalia's number – voicemail. Now that was unusual. What could keep her so busy that she couldn't answer her phone. I paced some more. Then I dialed Godric's number – AGAIN VOICEMAIL. I was about thirty seconds away from flying up there. If I drove it would take at least three hours or more. If I flew, it would only take a little over an hour. DAMNIT! So much could happen in an hour. Fucking Sophie Ann. It was a good thing I decided not to spend the night in the palace, or Sophie Ann's life would be forfeit. I swore by all the gods that if anything AT ALL happened to my Sookie or her family, I would punish anyone responsible… with extreme prejudice. I continued pacing trying to decide what to do, and I noticed my hands were shaking. My hands didn't shake unless… I needed to calm myself down right away because I knew that shaking hands were the first sign of an oncoming berserker rage. I didn't dare leave this room in this state. I tossed my phone onto the bed and started a tai chi routine in order to steady myself. I was half-way through my second time through the form when my burn phone rang. I answered it at vamp speed. "Speak," I barked.

"Sheriff?" Thalia asked.

"Why didn't you answer your phone earlier?"

"So it was you who called. I would have answered, but I was a little busy at the time. We had an … incident," she said.

"I'm waiting," I answered swearing that if anyone was hurt…

"Everything is fine now," she quickly added, and I let out a breath I didn't even realize I had been holding.

"Tell me everything; leave nothing out," I ordered.

She snickered. "I didn't do anything. I didn't have to," she paused. "It was actually a little past closing time when Andre and two vampires with him showed up here pretty soon after first dark, so they must have sheltered at Compton's place. All six of the new hires and all four of the bodyguards were there. Jason and Sookie were showing some customers, a middle-aged couple, through the main green house when Andre tore the back door off of it. The six new Weres were scattered throughout the greenhouse, working on various projects, but they flanked the sides three and three. Andre, flanked by the two vampires, demanded to speak to Sookie and Jason… alone. What he didn't know was that while he was dramatically walking into the greenhouse, the four body guards had entered the rear entrance – you know the one he'd just torn off—and were standing behind him. Jason walked about half-way to him and said just as polite and innocent as you please, 'we're working with another customer right now, but we can help you as soon as we're done; take a look around and see if anything in here is to your liking,' and he started to walk back to the customers. By this time Batanya and Clovache had gone invisible. 'I'm afraid it can't wait,' says Andre in a growly but rather amusing girly voice," Thalia chuckled.

I waited for her to continue for a moment or ten before I asked, "and?"

She continued chuckling but continued, "Sheriff, as Adele would say, you just hold your horses," and she chuckled again, "I am telling this story, and I want to tell it my way, exactly as it happened. So… Jason turned back to Andre and said 'I'm afraid it'll have to.' I like that Jason, and I don't like many humans." I cleared my throat unnecessarily, and she went on, "anyway, Andre was getting madder and madder, so he signaled the two vampires with him to grab Jason and Sookie, and what do you know… they must have run into two invisible Britlingens who knocked them out cold. It looked so cool… and so weird. One moment they were charging after Jason and Sookie, and the next they were just out flat on the ground."

"What did Andre do then?"

Thalia began chuckling even more, "Well… at first he didn't do anything because he was so stunned." She continued chuckling but the chuckles turned into giggles which sounded so bizarre coming from her. "All six of the Weres were laughing their asses off. By then Lafayette had heard what was going on, and he came into the greenhouse and retrieved the customers to take them up front to the office. Jesus accompanied him there. So Sookie said to Andre, 'well you got us alone, so what the hell did you want?' Andre turned and looked at the Weres and me standing in the back. 'I'd hardly call this alone. Send them all away,' he ordered. Jason just laughed at him and said, 'you know I was born at night… just not last night; they stay.' Then the Weres were really, really laughing, and maybe I was a little too. Andre got so mad that I thought at one point his head might explode," she continued her laughing. I couldn't help it; by now I had a smile on my face.

"Then what happened?"

"Then Andre kind of snapped and started snarling; I think he thought it would sound scary, but it just didn't. But it did sober us all up a little. The Weres all stood and lowered their heads, and some of their eyes started changing colors. A few of them let off a few growls and snarls of their own. I had no idea where the Britlingens were at this point, but I was pretty sure they had placed themselves wherever they thought their best defense points were. Then Andre started threatening, 'I will kill all of you and take them anyway, so get the fuck out of here while you still can,' he said to the Weres, then he turned to Sookie and Jason, 'you both belong to my queen, and you will come with me NOW,' he shouted so loud that some of the panels in the greenhouse rattled. Sookie turned Jason and said, 'why do nasty vampires keep saying that belong to the queen thing? I've got news for you, you little troll, I don't belong to anybody,' and then she turned to look at the camera the police department had placed against the ceiling over the door to the office, after one of Compton's failed visits, and asked, 'did you get that Sheriff Dearborne?' Then over a loud speaker next to the camera the human sheriff answered, 'sure did, Miss Sookie, that's enough that I don't even need a warrant to arrest him.' Andre looked really surprised, and if it was possible, even more angry. He then stupidly said, 'do you think I won't kill the police, too?' And Jason just shook his head and laughed, 'pretty sure threatening to kill police is a really, really serious offense, dude.' Andre just snarled and said, 'do I look worried to you, dude?' And then, and then… " and Thalia was laughing AGAIN!

I waited for her to stop laughing. And I waited. Finally when I couldn't take it another second, I all but shouted, "and then WHAT?"

As she calmed herself, she said, "I felt the presence of someone next to me as I stood by what used to be the back door of the greenhouse, but all Andre knew was that he was hearing a very calm, very soft voice from behind him that said, 'you would do well to be worried.' Andre spun around, and if his face could have blanched even whiter, I swear I think it would have. When he finally found his voice, he nodded his head almost into a bow and said respectfully, 'what are you doing here?' Apparently they didn't need an introduction. The vampire next to me lowered his head and just stared at him for a long time – until Andre started to fidget and squirm under the scrutiny. When he finally spoke, he said very softly, 'my activities are none of your concern, nor that of your queen.'

'You dare to defy your queen?' Andre demanded. The vampire next to me just smiled, 'she's not my queen.' Then the human sheriff came over the speaker, 'to the vampire that is threatening the Stackhouses… and the police, we have this greenhouse surrounded. We are armed with both silver and wooden bullets. We have silver nets draped and ready to fall at both entrances and other points around the structure; you will not escape. You will surrender yourself at once, or we will use deadly force. Son, I suggest you cooperate,' Thalia paused in her story. 'After about a minute or two, which seemed much longer to the humans, I'm sure, Jason smirked and asked, 'well, son, what are you going to do?' That must have been the final straw for Andre because he snarled, 'teach you to respect your betters.' And Jason –did I mention that I really like him—said 'well you show me my betters and maybe I'll consider it.'

With that Andre launched himself at Jason. Before he could get the second foot off the ground, the vampire next to me moved so fast that he had Andre on the ground with his hand around his throat before Andre knew what happened. The vampire holding Andre then turned to me and said, 'tell the human sheriff that he can now safely apprehend this offal.' Since the police were already listening in they stormed the greenhouse, unfortunately destroying some of the plants along the way, and placed Andre and his two unconscious pals into silver and carried them off with Andre screaming curses and death threats all the way. Once they were gone, everybody let out a sigh of relief, the two Britlingens re-appeared right in front of each of their charges, and Sookie said, 'you must be Godric, pleased to meet you, and way to make an entrance!' And he smiled at her and said, 'indeed I am. It is also a pleasure to meet you Miss Stackhouse. And you must be Jason Stackhouse…' To which Jason nodded, and believe it or not, Godric extended his hand and said, 'it is also a pleasure to meet you.' AND THEY SHOOK HANDS! Jason said, 'my sister told me you might be coming, so it's great to meet you, too. And thanks for your help.'

And finally I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding. Again. "So all ended well?" I asked.

"I'd say so. Sookie, Jason, Adele, and Lafayette are all well. As are the Weres, who didn't have to do much more than put in a day's labor and enjoy the show that followed." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "I have to thank you, Sheriff, for giving me this assignment. I haven't had this much fun this side of the renaissance."

I nodded my head even though she would not know it. "Very well. I am pleased. I will talk to you again soon." At that, I hung up.

Less than a few seconds later, my phone rang. I answered, "I am here."

My heart sang as I heard the music of my favorite person's laughter, "has anyone ever talked to you about proper phone etiquette?"

"My Sookie, I am so very glad to hear from you. I just got a play-by-play that would make the National Football League proud from Thalia of the evening's events."

Sookie laughed, "Well, she had a ring-side seat, so to speak. Even if she was somewhat in the endzone."

I felt my tone change, soften, "Are you really well?"

"I really, really am. Don't worry. The guards you hired did their jobs splendidly, and Godric is…" she paused, "Godric is da bomb," and she laughed. "He's standing right here, by the way, do you want to speak to him?"

"I love hearing the sound of your voice, but, yes, could you put him on the phone please?" She must have handed her phone to him.

"Hello, min son. All is well here. And with you as well?" he asked.

"I am well, fader. Thank you for being there for them, and apparently you've made quite the impression. It means so much to me. Did the camera in the greenhouse record what happened?"

"I do not know, let me ask," he said to Sookie, "Eric wants to know if the camera in the greenhouse recorded the incident."

I could hear the responses, first from Sookie, "I'm not sure…"

Then from Jason, "Lafayette," he shouted, "Do you know if the camera in the greenhouse recorded tonight?"

From further away I heard Lafayette's reply, "It sure as hell did; the sheriff wanted evidence if he should need it."

Godric returned to our conversation, "you heard that, I'm sure."

"Ask them to send it to my regular phone."

"I will, min son."

"Thank you, fader. For what you've risked and for being there and making sure they are safe when I cannot."

"Of course I would be here," he paused and then spoke a little louder, "it's not every day that your son, I believe the expression is, falls head over heels in love?!" I could hear giggling in the background. I couldn't help but wonder, why do all parents get a perverse pleasure in embarrassing their children? "God nacht, min son." And he must have handed the phone back to Sookie.

"He is so, so fun!" she said with no small measure of exuberance. Then there was a long pause, "really, Eric. I don't know what we would've done without your help. Your guards. I don't have the words…"

"Oh, my Sookie," I paused, "I find that I too am struggling to find the words. Just know that you are so very precious to me." And then there was a very long pause.

"Oh, Eric," and I could hear the tears in her voice followed by another long pause. She continued in a whisper, "what did I ever do to deserve you?" And then I heard her sniffles.

I chuckled, "Sookie, if you only knew the ways that I strive to worthy of you! I am constantly re-thinking my choices with a loud voice in my head saying over and over, what would Sookie think?" I waited a moment to continue, "you are so kind and smart and clever and open and, and …"

She chuckled, "I'm so not all that and a slice of cheese…" I had no idea what that meant, but I waited for her to continue, "I just feel like I'm holding a really, really valuable lottery ticket. One I didn't buy, but one I sincerely want to cash in on."

I paused for a moment before responding, "A+ for sweet talk…" And she laughed some more. Just then my regular phone started to ring; I picked it up and looked at it – it was from the palace. "Hold on, Sookie, I think the queen is calling me on my other phone. I'm going to put it on speaker so you can hear, but make sure everyone on your end is very quiet." I answered, "Northman."

"Sheriff, this is Rasul, the queen wishes to speak with you, please hold on." I waited.

"Sheriff Northman, where are you?" Sophie Ann asked.

"In the Quarter, why?"

"Oh… When will you be back at the palace?"

What the hell? Now I had to report my every move to her? "Tomorrow evening to get the financials you are having copied for me."

"Tomorrow evening? Why aren't you staying here?! Who told you that you could leave?" she said with her voice rising.

"Because I have other matters to attend to, and I'd rather stay at my place here in the Quarter. I was dismissed until tomorrow by you, and I was unaware of any new policy demanding I account for all of my activities with you," as I'd heard Adele say once, she was starting to get on my last nerve.

"Check. Your. Tone. Sheriff. Don't make me re-think your position in my queendom."

Really? Did she think she was threatening me? "Then I most humbly suggest you don't cause me to re-think my position either… your majesty." Two can play that game. That statement was followed by a long, long pause.

"Eric… I was just hoping that we could talk some more. But if you have other matters to handle, I understand." What a relief, she 'blinked' first. "Oh, by the way, have you heard anything from your area this evening?" Aha, now we are at the real reason for this call.

"Has something happened that I should know about?"

"No, no, no, just wondering. I will see you tomorrow night." She hung up. I tapped 'end' on the phone, and brought the burn phone back up to my ear.

"Hang on Eric; I'm going up to my room," she paused. "Ok, now we have a little privacy. So, that was the queen?" Sookie asked. "She doesn't sound like…. she's very competent. But maybe I'm letting my current situation with her force unfair judgments onto her."

"No, your assessment is pretty accurate. In fact, the vampire you met tonight is really the brains behind the throne." At that she burst out laughing.

"You're kidding me right?"

"Actually, I'm not."

"Oh my goodness, he seemed dumb as a post, which may be a huge insult to posts." she squeezed out between literal guffaws. I couldn't help smiling with her, but she also needed to be warned.

"Sookie, I'm so glad that things worked out tonight, but make no mistake, Andre is very, very dangerous. He is actually very smart, and now he's also very pissed off. If he should get free of this human incarceration, he will be coming back for you and Jason. His pride and reputation will demand it, even though to do so wouldn't be smart from a public relations or evidentiary point of view. And did you really call him a troll?"

"Sure did. So you think we are safe as long as he is in jail?"

I thought for a moment," Not necessarily. Sophie Ann could send someone else for you, and also, I don't know how much she has told the king of Nevada about you and Jason."

"The king of Nevada? Oh, yeah, from the video of Mr. Compton. Is that who she is trying to marry? I never understood why having us would be so important to her getting married."

"Because marriage between royals is very rarely about romance. It is almost always about business and shoring up power. And having a fairy telepath and a fairy empath would be very powerful negotiating tools for both business and power. Contract negotiations for marriages between monarchs have been known to last for decades before all terms are agreed upon so the marriage can actually take place. The standard length of marriage is one hundred years."

I heard her gasp. "As in a century? No wonder they negotiate their contracts so carefully." There was a small silence between us. "Do you think this king of Nevada knows about us already? Is that a threat, too?"

"Felipe de Castro is the king. In his human life, he was some kind of Spanish nobility. He's about seven or eight hundred years old, and he is very, very shrewd. Where Sophie Ann is incompetent, Felipe is the opposite. He helped turn Las Vegas into the goldmine that it is today. So, yes, Sookie, if he knows about you and Jason, I'm afraid he is very much a threat."

"Oh, Jeez," she sighed. "Eric, I've been wondering about something. On that video of Mr. Compton, the queen mentioned something about bonding us to her. What does that mean?" Gods, but she was smart.

"And I've been wondering when you would get around to asking me about that. A bond is formed after a vampire and a human mutually exchange blood three times. After the first exchange, the vampire can sense the human's feelings and locate them anywhere. The second exchange strengthens the first tie. After the third exchange the bond is both mutual and permanent."

"Mutual?"

"As in the human can then sense the feelings and location of the vampire as well. In the old days, some vampires would form a bond just to keep a blood slave on hand. It was particularly handy for insuring daytime protection. However, when the bond is made with love, it is a very different, and so I hear, wonderful thing."

"Kind of like a marriage?"

"Much, much more profound than a marriage. And there is no divorce since the bond is permanent."

She hesitated before asking, "so Sophie Ann wants the blood slave type of bond, I guess. Why?"

"When a vampire makes a new vampire, they have the obligation to teach the new vampire how to behave and survive in both the human and supernatural worlds. A vampire sire has absolute control over the young one until they are released, usually after fifty to a hundred years. At that time, the younger vampire can head out into the world on their own, and most do. However, if a vampire changes someone they are bonded to into a vampire, the vampire child can never leave the sire. They would die if they tried. And if someone were to kill the sire, all of the bonded children would die as well."

"Oh God, oh God, oh God, you mean we'd be her slaves for all eternity?"

"That's her plan, yes. That way, even if someone else coveted you or your talents, they can't take you without her consent and unless they insure her safety. Your very existence would depend upon hers. And since she would be your sire, she would have absolute control over you. In addition, our laws are very specific and harsh when it comes to interfering with a bonded pair." I paused when I heard her gasp for the third time, "but Sookie, I'm not going to let that happen. Any of it."

"What about the laws?"

"Vampire law states that absolutely no one can interfere with a bonded pair. That relationship supercedes all titles or politics."

"What does that mean? Supercedes… I mean, I know what the word means, but what does it mean in this context?"

"It means that if you were to bond with another vampire, say… me for example, no one, whether they be a monarch or the Authority, would or could interfere with that. The bond is sacred."

"I see." She was quiet for a long time. A very long time.

"Sookie, are you still there?"

"Uhm, yeah. I was just thinking. Have you ever had a bond with anyone?"

"No, my Sookie. In my thousand years I never met anyone I would consider that kind of relationship with…," I paused, "until now." Another pause from her.

"I don't know what to say. I feel a little silly sitting here and focusing on what we might do on our second date now." I couldn't help it, maybe it was the pressure of the situation, but I started laughing. I've been talking basically about a forever connection, and she's mentally picking out her outfit for our second date. Eventually she joined in laughing with me.

"I know that I'll never find you boring, my Sookie."

"Let's see if you still say that after a thousand years," she giggled. What? "I mean… I was just… I don't know what I mean. Oh God, I'm so embarrassed."

"Please don't be embarrassed, my Sookie. I frankly find that idea surprisingly appealing."

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. When will you be back?"

"If all goes well, I should be back to my area tomorrow night. However, I don't know what's going to happen if Andre is able to get in touch with Sophie Ann between now and then."

"Are you in danger?" She sounded genuinely worried. I needed to reassure her.

I chuckled, "Actually, I couldn't be safer. I'm not even there, so how could I be at all responsible for what happened? Sophie Ann herself handed me the perfect alibi."

"But won't Andre tell the queen about Godric?" Again I was impressed with her observation skills and quick mind.

"That would be a problem, if anyone in the state of Louisiana outside of your family or Pamela knew that Godric was my maker, but fortunately for me they don't."

"But Andre seemed to recognize him immediately. I thought it was because of you."

"Ah," I responded. "No, that would be because of Godric. He is very famous among our kind. He's one of the most powerful vampires on the planet. I hope that Andre was suitably respectful since Godric is also one of the most feared vampires on the planet."

"Godric? He's one of the most feared vampires? But he seems so… so soft-spoken and nice."

"Oh, although I don't know how happy he would be with the adjective, he is actually very nice. He's also very, very powerful… and dangerous if he wants to be, or needs to be. He's soft-spoken because he doesn't need to yell and shout to command respect. And I guess he's had more than two millennia to achieve that level of calm and confidence."

"You might find this funny, but he and Gran seem to be getting on like a house on fire. I really like how nice he's being about answering her history questions." I loved her colloquial expressions; I only wish I knew what most of them meant. As up to date as I think I am on pop-culture and current slang, Sookie seems to throw me some pretty good curve balls.

"Believe me, he wouldn't be doing it if he didn't want to, so he must be enjoying her company as well. Which is easy for me to understand. Your grandmother seems to be the very definition of Southern charm."

"If you don't mind, I'm going to tell her you said that. It'll make her day!"

"I don't mind at all."

"Well, Eric, it's been another long day, and I haven't had a chance to shower or anything, so I'm going to let you go for now."

I looked at the clock by the bed, and it was after eleven. Where did the time go? "I understand. And take care, my Sookie. Don't let your guard down just because Andre was arrested."

"I won't. You take care, too, my Eric; I hope I see you soon."

"Sweet dreams."

"Oh Eric, before you go…"

"Yes?"

"What are you wearing?"

I burst out laughing. "Good night, my Sookie."

EXTREMELY LONG, rambling and just fyi fun Louisiana AN: I don't know if you can tell by this chapter, but I am actually a Louisiana native, which is one of the things that originally drew me to True Blood. My father's parents lived in Shreveport, and my mother's parents lived in a small town just south of Alexandria (LeCompte, where I was born). I've personally lived all over the world, but my Cajun roots will always be precious to me. FYI, Cajun and Creole are actually two very different things; if you are really interested in the difference just let me know. My Grandpa, on Mom's side, was a true Cajun; he was born in LA – just north of Alexandria, but he didn't learn to speak English until he was in his 20's. I went to NO many, many times, but first when I was a child. But I really remember the clubs of Pete and Al, and I'm just old enough to have seen both of them in their prime, like Eric, even if I was underage. Oddly, as children my little sisters and I were most impressed with the cheesy NO Historical Wax Museum in the heart of the Quarter-don't know if it's still there since Katrina. However, when I was in college… I went to Pat O'Briens one night while visiting NO, where I had two Hurricanes, watched the dueling pianists, and had trouble walking back to our hotel, which I totally didn't realize until I started trying to walk back to our hotel. All of the places I refer to in this chapter exist now, or existed in the past. You can even Google Hotel Monteleone (in all my trips to NO, I always wanted to stay there, but it was really, really expensive). BTW, most of the streets in the Quarter are closed to automobile traffic after dark so that they are purely pedestrian.