The day after Eric left me was torture. I would have been perfectly content to wonder around all day with a glazed look in my eye, but it seemed the universe had other plans.

I slept in late, which was to be expected since I had… spent so much energy in the pursuits of the day. Breakfast was over, but Gran found me some food that I ravenously devoured in the kitchen. She eyed me curiously and I scrunched up my eyebrows in a silent question.

"You're in a better mood today," she said cautiously.

"Better?" I asked.

"Yes. You were a bit gloomy yesterday. You weren't well at dinner." Oh yes, that had been before Eric had promised to return to me, I image I had been quite bleak, indeed.

"Oh, yes. I'm feeling much better. Just needed a good night's sleep."

"I'm glad to hear that, dear. I was concerned you were upset at Mr. Northman's departure."

"Pardon? Why would I be upset by his departure?" I asked in shock.

"Sookie, I'm not yet blind. You both seemed quite off balance around each other. And if I know anything, that kind of behavior is much more dangerous than whispers in corridors or longing glances." She took a sip of tea, her gaze unrelenting.

"It seems I can't slip anything past you." I spoke so softly in defeat.

"I don't know why you try."

"The sport. There's so little to occupy my time around here." I smiled at her.

"Oh that will change very soon." She seemed to shudder a bit.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, dread beginning to crawl up my spine. Had she heard something perhaps? Had the heist become gossip so quickly?

"You'll be lucky if Mrs. Fant makes it to dinner without realizing that Amelia didn't come back from her evening stroll." With that, she stood and left the room, leaving me with my jaw agape.

It turns out that I was not lucky. True, I had suspected as much, but I pegged Mrs. Fant as being much less observant that she really was. We didn't even make it to lunch, let alone dinner.

"Do you have any idea what her father will do to me?" Mrs. Fant cried as she furiously fanned herself on the sofa in the parlor. She had been at this for a good half hour. As soon as Anne finished packing Mrs. Fant's things, she would be departing for London with the unhappy news.

"I'm sure he'll be understanding. There was no way you could have known her plans." Gran tried to sooth her.

"No! He'll throw me to the streets for this! I'm too old, I'll not survive it!" Her breaths were becoming more ragged and I wondered if perhaps her fainting would not be for the best. Gran was obviously of a different opinion and urged Mrs. Fant to stand up and go to the courtyard for fresh air. I smiled sadly as she passed but she did not seem to notice.

I followed quietly and watched as Gran calmed Mrs. Fant and the footmen prepared the carriage for departure. It was all a very melancholy sight. She was our last remaining guest, and without her, the house would seem even more empty.

When the departure was becoming imminent, Anne came out and began to dawdle at tasks in the courtyard. Though nice, the stones did not need to be swept so thoroughly. It was becoming more and more clear that she only wished to catch glimpses of Liam.

"Anne." Gran called to her eventually. Anne quickly stopped her work and came to stand in front of us.

"Yes, ma'am?" She asked.

"You'd best go pack your things as well." Anne seemed quite confused and worried by this, so Gran continued. "Mrs. Fant isn't well to travel alone, she'll need someone to accompany her."

"You...you wish me to go with them?" Anne asked sheepishly.

"Yes, we won't need your help here now that we have no guests. And I have my suspicions that you'll enjoy the journey." Gran smiled and Anne curtsied before scurrying into the house to prepare. I glanced at Gran and she smirked.

"I told you I wasn't blind." She said before going over to assist Mrs. Fant.

George was leading the horses from the barn and I had a small moment of panic, realizing that I had stolen one just last night. But it was all for naught, both horses emerged just as they should have with no signs of the late night ride. I wondered errantly if Eric had taken care of it before leaving. I snapped out of my musing and went over to assist George as Liam secured Mrs. Fant's trunk to the back of the carriage. I smiled and took one of the reigns from him.

"Ah, thank you Ms. Stackhouse. I appreciate the help, what with Mr. Compton's absence and all."

"Oh? I didn't realize he was missing."

"Yes ma'am," George answered. "Been gone all morning, no one seems to know where." He said as he continued to harness the animals.

"That doesn't seem like him at all." And it wasn't. He had been with us for years and always helpful and dependable. "He said nothing about it last night?"

"No, ma'am. Though I did hear him up rather late last night, into the morning too." George took the reigns from me and finished harnessing the horses as I was deep in thought about Mr. Compton. Surely he couldn't have been aware of any of the events happening in the barn last night...

Soon enough, the carriage finally made its way out of the courtyard and down the road. Anne waved for as long as she could see us, but eventually, they were gone.

The house had not been this empty since Jason left for the war. Neither Gran nor I spoke a word to each other, choosing to slip silently back into the house and to our own tasks. Gran disappeared into the kitchen to prepare a modest dinner for the two of us while I began setting the guest rooms to rights in hopes of more guests. Though my hands were kept busy in the rooms of the inn, my mind was at the coast. Perhaps by now, Eric had joined the rest of the party. If I was lucky, he had already seen them off and was making his way back to me; though I knew that was not likely.

I smiled at the thought of Amelia and Alcide, finally free. I knew they would be happy together in America. Even if I hadn't been able to read their thoughts, their love for each other would have been clear. What I wasn't sure about, was if Eric could be happy here. From what I understood, he had not lived in one place since long before the war, perhaps not since his childhood. I didn't doubt that Gran would welcome his as a permanent guest, she had been wanting me to find a happy match for years. But try as I might, I could not imagine Eric a content country bumpkin. It was not in his nature. I hoped I was wrong.

When all the rooms were returned to their proper states, I went down to find Gran reading by the kitchen fire. Night had fallen on the inn and the small room glowed with life, like no other in the house. I smiled thinking of all the times I had spent in this kitchen with Gran. I sat down at the table and watched her read. She knew I was there, but it seemed we were both content to let the quiet of the house linger a bit longer. It had been some time since we had been alone here. But so much had changed since then.

"Do you suppose Jason found a girl in America? Maybe that's why he stayed." I spoke softly, careful not to break the calm of the house.

"If I know my grandson, I'm sure he's found plenty of girls in America." She smirked in my direction as I let out a shocked half-laugh. It took several moments for my astonishment at her comment to fade.

"I just can't image he'd leave us without a reason."

"Is that what you think he did? Left us?" She set down her book and stared curiously at me.

"He did in a way. He always wrote about how much he wanted to come home. And then suddenly, he didn't. Doesn't it seem odd that he should change so quickly?" I asked.

"Not at all. From what I know of war, it can change a person beyond recognition. But then again, it doesn't always take something so great as war. It's in our nature to change and adapt to our circumstances. It's how we survive. And if Jason's survival, and happiness, are reliant upon his staying in America, for any reason, then I can't fault him for that." I didn't know what to say, so I stayed silent instead, and Gran continued. "I give you the same benefit. You're a smart girl, Sookie. I trust you to make the best decisions for yourself, whatever they may be."

"Whatever my choice?" I challenged.

"I suppose." She seemed in thought for a moment. "Especially if that decision were to marry Sam and provide me with a inordinate amount of great-grandchildren."

"I would hate to disappoint you Gran, but I don't believe that will happen."

"It appears my only hope to fill this empty house is the prospect of more guests." She sighed dramatically.

"Then I hope for your sake that we have some soon." I laughed and left the kitchen to find a book to occupy my evening.

As it turned out, the hopes I expressed were the worst I could have chosen.

Gran joined me to read in the parlor that night. We sat across from each other and occasionally shared a passage to entertain each other. The night was quiet, too easily broken by the sounds of approaching hooves. I heard them first and my heart leapt at the thought the Eric had returned. I was once again heartbroken when I realized that it was much too soon, by a full day at least. Gran heard them a few moments later and smiled, standing to smooth her skirts. As the sound came closer, it became apparent that it was not just the clatter of a horse, but the clamor of many. Several riders approaching fast from the road. Gran seemed to notice this as well and shared a curious glance with me.

She waited in the light of the hall for the guests to reach the courtyard. When they did, there were several moments silence before a hard, loud knock came to the door. I was already becoming suspicious of the callers, but when Gran opened the door, cold fear washed down my spine.

Several redcoats stood outside the door.

"Yes, gentlemen, how can I help you this evening?" Gran asked as innocently as she was. The men were not as polite. They pushed passed her and came to stand in the dining room, looking about curiously. I stayed in the hall, trying to be invisible.

"This is an Inn isn't it? House us." A man with long black hair and an angular face sneered at Gran. He appeared to be of the highest rank.

"Uh, of course. How many rooms will you need?" Gran asked, trying to remain polite, but I could see that she was becoming more and more uncomfortable with their presence.

"All of them." He answered. He motioned forward with his hand and several men came around him and dispersed in several directions. He continued to stare at Gran. "Is there anyone here?"

"No, actually. Our last guests left this morning. All of the rooms are vacant." Gran was beginning to understand that these were not ordinary guests. She was no longer the hospitable inn keeper, but the owner of a home invaded by soldiers. Her stance straightened and her jaw set.

Several more men entered from the courtyard and it became even more clear how bad this night was becoming. I recognized one of the men, and it was only a matter of time before he recognized me too.

"The barn is empty. Servants quarters too." The man spoke, taking off his hat and shaking it, a bit of straw dropped to the floor. "We'll have to wait."

"I expected as much." The leader sighed. He walked over to the small bar and began to fill himself a mug of ale. It was at this moment that the second man lifted his head in my direction. Instantly, it was clear he had not forgotten me. The smile that spread over his face was the most disturbing I had seen.

"Well, Malcolm, it looks like there's a bit of good news after all." The man continued to smile as he spoke to the leader while he drank.

"What's that Rene?" He followed Rene's eyes and glanced curiously at me before dismissing me and focusing on his drink. Rene lifted his finger and motioned for me to step into the room. I closed my eyes to steel myself for a moment. I knew it would be useless to fight or run. I slowly stepped into the light of the dining room.

"We have ourselves a murderess, a collaborator of the heist." Each of his words dripped with satisfaction as they revealed my secret and brought Malcolm's attention back to me.

"What's this now?" Malcolm asked excitedly as he stepped forward to get a better look.

"She was there last night. Shot James right off his horse. Would have gotten me next if we hadn't retreated."

"May I suggest you don't remind me of your cowardice? Andre will blame me for recruiting such incompetent men." He took another pull of his drink and looked back to me. "At least we have one of the culprits. And I believe I have a use for her."

He motioned to two of the soldiers. They both stepped forward and I silently wondered if they were brothers. Not only did they share features, but they both possessed a massive height and bulk that could only be hereditary. They each grabbed an arm and began to pull me from the room.

"Stop this! You have no right to treat us thus." Gran yelled and made a move to come towards me. Before she could get very far, Rene had grabbed her and pushed her backwards into the wall. As her head hit the wood, she made a horrible grunting sound and collapsed to the floor as I was forcibly pulled from the room.

"Gran!" I yelled past my two handlers as they dragged me up the stairs. I got no response. I began to cry and desperately reached out with my mind to find her warm thoughts. I found plenty of minds that I did not wish to examine further, and one that was too quiet. Her mind was slower than usual and her thoughts were clouded with worry about me. She knew she couldn't help me any longer, but was praying that I would be protected somehow.

I wanted so dearly to go to her and hold her hand and tell her that I would be safe, even if it was a lie. But I could not get away from the brothers. Sobs wracked my body as her thoughts became incoherent and finally stopped.

My mind awakened a bit to my own situation as my body was being bended and pulled into an unnatural position. Malcolm had accompanied us upstairs and was overseeing the brothers as they bound my wrists and tied me to the post of Amelia's old bed. I was crying so hard that I couldn't scream at him as I wished to. Instead, I fought at my bindings, hoping I could break free to scratch his eyes out.

The brothers finally finished and left the room. Malcolm stayed and perched himself on Amelia's desk. He remained silent as I continued to cry. He must have sat there for hours. At times he watched me, at others he occupied himself with some errant papers that had been left on the desk. Against my will, my eyes finally dried. Without my sobbing, the room was silent. Several minutes had passed when he decided to speak.

"Nothing else bad has to happen." He said from the desk. He let that sink in for a few moments before standing and walking closer to me. "All you have to do is tell me where Northman is, and you and your Gran will be free to go."

"You're a very good liar." I managed to spit at him.

"I've had a lot of practice."He smirked. "In any case, I figured you would be uncooperative. No one ever likes to talk to people in uniform. I don't understand why. I think I look quite fetching." He pulled at his collar and stood a bit straighter, as if asking for my agreement.

"Maybe if you'd earned it, it would be more reassuring. Andre giving you the clothes doesn't make you a soldier. You're just a paid hand that he can get dirty." For a moment, Malcolm seemed shocked that I should know this, but he quickly recovered, only his eyes remained a bit haunted.

"I've never met Northman, but I'm told he's very attractive. He has a bit of a reputation with woman. That's why I was so surprised when I was told he was coming back for you. Why would he risk it? I'm still not convinced. Regardless, we're going to wait for him together." He took another step closer and grabbed my chin, turning my head toward the window. "You're going to watch for your little lover to come for you down that road, and when he gets close enough that he can almost taste you again, I'm going to shoot him down on that highway."

He spoke in my ear as if it was a secret he was sharing with me. I turned my head away from him and tucked it into my shoulder, praying that this was somehow a dream.

"Oh that won't do. How would Northman feel if you weren't keeping your eye out for him?" Malcolm tugged my chin back up to face the window. Slowly, he waved his pistol in front of my face to give me a good view.

"This should do the trick." He said as began to twist the gun into the ropes that held me. When he was finished, the barrel pushed up under my chin, forcing me to keep my head up. Malcolm took a step back to examine his work. He smiled, satisfied, and began to leave the room.

"Oh, you should know that it's loaded. Just in case you get any ideas about escaping." I heard him say before the sounds of his footfalls faded as he descended the stairs.

For hours, I stood there. My wrists ached where they were tied together at my chest. The post of the bed dug into my shoulders. I could not move my head an inch, wedged between the gun and the bedpost. I doubt I could have slept even I had been comfortable, but I wished desperately for it. I thought perhaps if I could sleep, then I would wake up in a world where Gran was alive, and Eric and I were safe. But I could not, so instead, I cried, and watched the window.

It was nearly dawn when my attention was drawn to a ruckus developing downstairs. I could hear raised voices and soon there was the thunder of several people running up the stairs. The door to the room was thrown open and I could hear someone enter, and stop. I tried to twist my head just a little to see who it was, but I could not budge. Slowly, they approached and walked into my eye line.

"Bill!" I cried to the man who stood away from me, looking at my casement in disbelief.

"Sookie, your Gran..." he began.

"I know." I said with a sob, letting on a couple of tears escape. "Bill, please help me."

"Oh, I don't think that's likely." Malcolm spoke from behind me. Bill diverted his gaze from me. "You see, Mr. Compton here was the one to tip us off in the first place."

"I didn't know you'd do anything like this. You said you just wanted Eric Northman," Bill said.

"Well we didn't know what we were going to find in this quaint little inn. Ms. Stackhouse here was a collaborator. She killed one of our men." Malcolm said matter of factly.

"Sookie, is this true?" Bill looked aghast.

"It happened so fast. He was going to kill Eric." I tried to explain.

"Yes, that's sweet, but still a crime." A clearly bored Malcolm interjected. "So you see Mr. Compton, there's no way I can free her. In fact, this whole house is now under my jurisdiction. It's a delicate operation we're trying to execute. I really can't allow you to stay, you'd be jeopardizing your life as well as the life of my men."

Malcolm finally walked into view and put his hand on Bill's shoulder. Bill glanced up at me one last time, his eyes full of pity and guilt. As he slowly walked out of the room and down the stairs, I hoped that guilt would haunt him.

Malcolm smiled and left me again. Through the window I watched the sun rise and disappear higher into the sky than I could see. I saw a few travelers pass in the distance on the highway, but none where the one I was looking for. The whole day, I fought at my restraints. The ropes dug into my wrists and my hands were soaked in what I could only imagine to be blood and sweat. A plan had slowly developed out of desperation, but I determined to go through with it. When, finally, I was able to twist one hand just a few inches, and my fingers brushed the trigger of Malcolm's pistol, I knew the plan would work.

Peace descended over me as easily as nightfall over the inn. The house quieted in anticipation for Eric's arrival. Every bug or breeze seemed to shatter the silence of the night as we all listened for him. For the first time, I prayed the Eric would not return; that would forget about me, that he would already be aboard the ship with our friends. But then I heard the clatter of his hooves, and I knew there was no hope.

They were getting closer, approaching from the west. The redcoats finally heard it too. Whispers broke out down stairs but were quickly shushed. I knew they must be poised at the windows, crouching and waiting. So was I. He finally appeared, a speck on the highway, but I would know him from any distance. He rushed towards the inn, and I prepared to warn him. He turned off the highway and made down the road to the inn. Malcolm would wait until he was closer, he would not risk missing. But Eric would not get that far. He would hear the shot, and he would run.

I tear escaped my eye as I took a final breath to steady myself, and brought my finger to the trigger.

So today I sat down at my desk and said to myself: "Ginger, you're not getting up until you finish this chapter."

So after I'd cleaned my bedroom, made a few meals, watched a movie, made plans for tomorrow, and recorded some old vinyl records to iTunes, I finally did it. Done! It only took me two months.

I was going to cut this chapter off where the redcoats first arrive, but then I thought that after all this time, you guys deserved a respectable cliff hanger to make you hate me more. So you got it.

Well...I hope you guys are all enjoying these last bits of summer, especially because True Blood is on. Although, that last episode was crazy. What's with Eric and Sookie's little trip? Wtf, allen ball? wtf?

As usual, please drop me a line and tell me how this story is feeling to you. I recently decided that I don't like the ending I planned. So if you've got requests or suggestions, let me know.