I'm terrible. Please, don't throw things at me for taking an eternity in updating this. To say I was suffering from writer's block is an understatement. Hopefully, this will appease to ya'll.
Again, I own nothing; all characters, except for T.S., are owned by CH and AB. I am grateful they allow me to play with them *giggle*
"So, how are things with Mr. Tall, Dark and Dead?"
Sookie blushed slightly and whirled to frown at the smirking face of Lafayette. "I don't think this is the appropriate time or place to talk about that subject, thank you very much."
The grin on his face grew wider as he used his unfurled fan to encompass the nearly empty room. "Actually, I think it be the best time, considerin' the only person in here is Jane Bodehouse." He pointed at the scantily clad women at the end of the bar, who seemed to be having a intense make-out session with the countertop. "And she sure as hell ain't gonna hear a damn thing. We dead tonight, hookah. Now spill."
Sookie averted her eyes. "Ain't nothing to tell."
"See bitch, you lyin' to me. Don't make me pull out da big guns."
Sookie opened her mouth to ask just exactly what "big guns" he was talking about when she felt a tingling at the back of her neck and the familiar, comforting blank space of his mind fill her head. She smiled widely to herself, forgetting Lafayette for a minute and watched as Bill and T.S. walked through the door, their faces lighting up with similar smiles as they saw her. T.S. ran up and wrapped himself around her waist. "Hey Momma! Are you surprised?"
She laughed. "Very much." She lifted her face towards Bill and closed her eyes as she felt his cool lips brush her cheek. "What brings you boys down here tonight?"
Bill's mouth quirked up. "T.S. was bored."
"Oh, really. And there was nothing you two couldn't think to do?"
"Well, we watched television for a while…"
A frustrated sigh interrupted Bill. "Daddy, it was on the History Channel. And it was real boring." T.S. peeked behind his mother and noticed Lafayette and a now present Tara and Arlene behind the bar. "Auntie Tara! Auntie Arlene! Uncle Lafayette!" he squealed, dashing over to hug them.
Sookie turned her full attention to Bill. "Please tell me it wasn't one of those Civil War documentaries you're so fond of."
He shrugged and managed to look sheepish. "Maybe…"
She laughed. "No wonder he was bored."
"If he had sat still and watched, he might have learned something."
"Yeah, like what the backs of his eyelids looked like."
He smirked back. "You are lucky I managed to talk him into coming here after the show. He was quite adamant about an activity involving a Slip-and-Slide, the stairs and a sled." He became serious again and stepped closer to whisper, "You are not upset we are here, are you?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"I thought that you may still want to keep my relationship to T.S. a secret."
She shrugged and fidgeted with the hem of his henley. "I think for the time being, that's a good idea. They'd have questions and we don't exactly have convincing answers."
Bill nodded at her reply. "Yes, I concur. I was reluctant to bring him down tonight, but the alternative did not sound pleasant."
She rolled her eyes. "Ah, one of his notorious experiments; he's famous for them. Once, when Tara was babysitting, he built a ramp at the foot of the stairs and tried to jump his tricycle. It was actually quite neat, considerin' he was only three at the time…"
"Why do I feel a 'but' coming on?"
"But Tara just happened to be walking past at that moment and she took a wheel to the face." Bill winced slightly. "I'm still payin' for that tooth and she didn't baby-sit for a while after that."
Bill laughed. "He is inventive, just like I was at that age. As a boy, I got the idea that I could fly, so I built wings out of twigs and an old sheet one day, then took a flying leap out of the tree in our yard." He smiled at the memory, then his eyes flicked behind her. When they returned to her face, the blue irises sparkled mischievously. He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him; their bodies pressed tightly against one another. He dipped his head close to her and whispered, "Do you realize that everyone is staring at us right now?"
Dazed, Sookie glanced behind her to see Lafayette fanning himself furiously, Tara standing with wide eyes and an open mouth and Arlene leaning forward, biting her lower lip. Realizing they were caught, they snapped themselves out of the trance and tried to look busy, all failing miserably. She giggled, gave the trio a knowing look before she faced Bill again, planting a light kiss on his lips. "Go sit. I'll be over in a second."
He smiled at her once again and turned to slid into the booth. Sookie gathered herself before turning around to walk back to her friends. I am never going to live this down…
" 'Ain't nothin' to tell' my sweet ass," cackled Lafayette. "Not with that eye porn, hookah. You givin' up the goods, my crazed skank?"
"No!"
Lafayette sighed and leaned towards Tara. "Why is e'rybody tellin' me lies today?"
"I'm serious. Bill and I haven't done…that since before he left."
Sookie met three pairs of dubious eyes. "You're telling me that since he came back, ya'll haven't done the Horizontal Horror?" Tara clipped. "What the hell you guys been doing these past weeks?"
"We just…talk."
Arlene scoffed. "Sookie, we ain't dumb; he is completely into you. C'mon, tell the truth."
"If I'm lyin', I'm cryin' and I ain't shed a tear. We haven't had that conversation yet; to be honest, it's the farthest thing on our minds."
"Well, what's more important that that?" questioned Arlene.
Sookie sighed inwardly. Just the fact that I'm still in shock at Bill's sudden return, my lingering anger, the immense sexual tension between us, realizing my son can read human and vampire minds, the harm that might come to him… "It's just…not the right time. Talking is the only thing that we can handle right now."
"Well, I'm gonna say that those gotta be some goddamn stimulating conversations to make you two act the ways you did," Lafayette said. "Lord help me if I wasn't clutching my pearls back here."
Sookie rolled her eyes and walked behind the bar to get a O- for Bill, setting her mental blocks to keep from hearing the conversation she knew they were having.
"I give it a week," said Arlene.
"I give it three days," piped Tara.
Lafayette started laughing so hard he had to wipe away tears. "Ah, you bitches crack me up." He met the glares of the two women. "Was I the only one who saw what just happened? The touching, the whispering and smoldering glances? Dey be fucking each other tonight for sure, yessir," he stated as he waltzed back into the kitchen.
"Babe, what were you and Uncle Lafayette doing before we left?"
T.S. smiled broadly. "We had a contest."
"What kind?"
"A straw paper blowing one. We were aiming for that sleepy lady at the end of the bar. And guess what Momma? I won!" T.S. exclaimed. "I hit her right in the eye!"
Bill coughed, an unnecessary action, to try and mask his laughter as Sookie fought to keep a smile from tugging at her lips. "That wasn't a very nice game to play, young man. Next time you see Ms. Bodehouse, you apologize to her," Bill said as he pulled into the driveway.
T.S. opened his mouth, no doubt to argue, when he snapped it shut and whipped his head towards the window, his eyes wide and searching the dark woods just outside.
Sookie noticed his reaction and said, "T.S., you alright?"
No response.
She unbuckled her belt and turned to look at him. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
His little face moved slowly from the window to her face and she saw fear in his unique eyes. "Bad men…" he whispered.
The car suddenly stopped. "Stay in this car," commanded Bill as he vampire sped out and into the dark woods. She climbed from the passenger side to the driver's seat, squinting furiously into the night to try and see what was happening. The inky depths, however, gave up none of their secrets and she turned again to flash a quick, encouraging smile to T.S. "Don't worry, everything'll be alright, honey."
She felt rather than saw what happened next. A solid thunk shook the small car and a body-shaped indentation suddenly appeared where she had been sitting moments before. Bill flashed up, his fangs out and eyes probing the dark for whatever had just flung him from the woods. His shirt was tattered; Sookie could see the bloody gashes beneath them begin to heal as his body was eerily still, senses poised to detect even the slightest change.
"Daddy," came a whisper from the backseat. "They left."
Despite the softness, Bill heard his son's words and swiftly walked towards the driver's side, forcing Sookie to once again change positions. He started the engine and wheeled around, heading towards the road once again.
"Bill, where are we going?"
"To see Eric."
"What?! Why tonight? What did you find?"
His hands tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles becoming more pronounced against his pale skin. "Nothing. That is what concerns me."
"Nothing?"
He nodded grimly. "There was no scent nor trail in the woods. Yet, I was attacked by someone, someone that could match my strength easily." He spared a glance her way. "Did you sense anything?"
Sookie shook her head. "No, not a thing. If it had been a shifter, I would've picked up on something. Even a vampire." She glanced back at T.S. "Honey, how did you know someone was out there?"
He shrugged. "I felt them," he said simply. He fell into an uncharacteristic silence before adding, "I saw funny eyes too. Just for a second."
"What did they look like, baby?"
"Light," he said. "Like the sky on a real sunny day. " Sookie could tell T.S. was uncomfortable talking about this, so she dropped the subject.
"There are strange powers at work here," Bill muttered. "I hope Eric can enlighten us."
"Momma, where are we goin'?"
"To meet a…friend of me and Daddy. He owns a place called Fangtasia."
T.S. wrinkled his nose. "What kind of dumb name is that?"
If she hadn't just witnessed a vampire be tossed around like a rag doll, she would've laughed at his statement. An uneasy tightness bloomed in her chest; there were too many questions and not enough answers to them.
I have a bad feeling about this…
Make my little romantic, vampy heart happy: leave me a review. :)
Next chapter, fun times at Fangtasia. :P
