- Author's Note - Hey, guys! Sorry this Chapter took so long, real life's been hectic. But here it is! I hope you all enjoy it, and, as always, PLEASE review!
The following evening was Arlene and René's Engagement Party at Merlotte's. Elena spent the day with Sam and others getting everything done and ready, before she ran home to shower, and change into her attire for the event - a white lace tank top dress that ended just above her knees and cream colored high heels. She left her hair down, added a necklace and earrings, grabbed a denim jacket in case it got a bit chilly, and headed back to the bar, as night fell, and the party began.
Despite her concern for Bill and Eric, and the knowledge that there was still someone out there who wanted her dead for her relationships with said Vampires, Elena had a wonderful time.
The music was great, she danced with everybody she could, men and women alike, and even in groups. The food was great, she ate at least three of everything. The drinks were great, she had a couple frozen strawberry margaritas with the ladies, but held her own with good hard beer with the males, and had a few glasses of water to balance it out, as well as wash down the food, and allow her to keep dancing.
When the ice ran out, Elena offered to get more, and grabbed two of the empty white buckets, then headed inside. It was so weird to see the restaurant completely empty, but with all of the lights and power on.
Moving behind the counter, she quickly filled up one of the buckets, and was just working on the second, when the large room suddenly went dark, as the lights were killed.
"Hello?" Elena called out, figuring Sam had decided it was pointless to keep the power on inside any longer. "Sam, I'm in here!" But her words were met with silence, and her brow furrowed slightly. "Sam?" Her heart skipped a beat at the continued quiet, which was swiftly shifting into an eerie, uncomfortable silence.
Elena summoned her brilliant scarlet hexes to one slender hand, the powerful tendrils of energy snaking around her delicate fingers, as she reached out with her mind, and the image it was immediately hit with caused her to gasp softly in horror. It was a young brunette woman, struggling for her life, while it was choked out of her by a pair of hands around her neck.
Before she could recover, someone lept up from the other side of the counter, and reached out for Elena, but their grasp barely grazed her skin, as over 100 years of instincts kicked in, causing her to blast the person attacking her with her hexes formed into a ball, and, while they fell backward, she took off running, heading for the back door, which she found locked.
Deciding she could circle back around through the kitchen, Elena ducked into the room, and, as quietly as possible, then got down onto her hands and knees, where she reached back behind herself to pull off her high heels. She could hear the heavy booted footsteps of her pursuer, and reached out into their minds once more, causing hers to be met with the same image as a moment ago, only, this time, she watched as the woman's struggles ceased, when the last of her strength left her, and her killer stroked her face, before her now lifeless body slumped to the floor.
The footsteps were now only a few feet away, and, when Elena turned her head, their owner launched themselves at her. It was so dark, she couldn't see their face, but she knocked one of the shelves over in their path with a blast of her hexes, before she swiftly climbed through the counter window, landing on her bare feet, then bolting toward the front door.
"Elena!" came Sam's surprised, confused voice, as he suddenly found the brunette in his arms, when he stepped in through the main entrance at the same time she was attempting to rush through it. "Sweetheart, what was it?"
"Shh!" Elena said, clamping a hand over his mouth, while her gaze turned in the kitchen's direction, and noticeably flashed scarlet in the dark, as the two of them heard whoever was in the back exit that way.
"What happened?" Sam asked, when silence fell upon the restaurant, and the pair of them, while he turned his worried, questioning gaze down onto her, as she collapsed in relief against his chest, causing him to instinctively hug her tightly, despite his confusion and concern. "Elena, what happened?"
Later, Elena and Sam were at the Stackhouse home. Sam was going to stay with Elena again. Even though she could obviously take care of herself, and, even if she didn't, she'd recently shared she had three massive Dragons watching over her, he loved her too much to simply leave her alone, while he went and slept in his trailer, especially since said home was behind his bar, where she'd just been attacked.
"You said you saw a woman in their mind?" Sam inquired, as he and Elena sat on the couch in the living room. She was still in her dress, but had shed her high heels and denim jacket. "What was she like?"
"Young, pretty," Elena replied, while an image of the terrified girl having the life strangled out of her filled her mind. "She had on a Waitress uniform." Her dark brow furrowed, as she concentrated. "She had a name tag too, but I didn't really focus on it. All I could see was her eyes, she was so scared. And so surprised. Like she couldn't believe this person was doing it to her."
"Maybe she knew them," said Sam, with a gentle shrug of his shoulders.
"Probably," sighed Elena. "Sometimes it's more likely to be hurt by someone you know, love, and trust, than a complete stranger."
"Hey," Sam spoke, lifting a hand to reach over, and gently grasp the back of her slender neck, which he began soothingly rubbing. "It's gonna be all right, Chère."
"Is it?" Elena asked, looking over at him with a quirked brow. "First the Rattrays, then Diane, Liam, and Malcolm, then Longshadow. Meanwhile, this man, whoever he is, has been killing the entire time. Even once we deal with him, how long will it be before the next threat arrives? I thought not hiding who I am, what I can do, anymore would help, but it hasn't."
"It will," Sam replied firmly, making sure to meet her chocolate gaze with his own gentle blue, before he spoke. "I promise you." It was now his turned to raise his brow at her. "I mean, you haven't even introduced your Dragons to the World yet." She laughed softly at that. "Who knows what that'll do, Chère."
"You're right," Elena smiled over at him, before nodding her long silky dark brown head. "Of course, you're right, Sam. Thank you."
"No problem," said Sam, returning her gentle smile with one of his own. "Don't ever doubt yourself, Ellie. It just breaks my heart."
"Well, right back at you," Elena spoke, before she leaned over, and laid her head down onto the man's shoulder, causing him to wrap his arm around her slender shoulders, then gently stroke the silky bare skin of her upper arm with his fingertips.
Elena couldn't sleep that night, so, when Sam awoke in the morning, he found her sitting in the kitchen, with her laptop on the table.
"Morning," Sam said, as she looked up at him to find him clad in only his jeans, while he clutched a t-shirt in his hand. He'd slept in what was now Mia's room, whenever she moved in, while Elena was in Adele's.
"Morning," she replied, biting back the smile that begged to be set free at the sight of the man shirtless, something he quickly realized, and began to put on his t-shirt, so she moved on. "I made breakfast. It's in the oven."
"Thanks," said Sam, walking over to fetch the delicious food, once he was finished with his shirt, then joining her at the table with it. "I'm guessing you didn't sleep."
"You would be correct," answered Elena, as she returned to what she was doing on her laptop.
"Have you heard from your Father, or, uh. . . " He cleared his throat softly, before speaking the other Vampire's name. "Or Eric?"
"No," Elena sighed, a soft sigh slipping past her lips. "I spent the night mostly trying to remember anything I could about the woman I saw in the murderer's mind."
"Yeah?" Sam inquired, while he scooped up a forkful of scrambled eggs, and gazed questioningly over at her. "How'd that go?"
"Well, I think I've got something," replied Elena, turning her laptop so that he could see the screen, on which was currently an online restaurant's menu. "The woman's name on her name tag was Cindy, and it was for a pie place."
"I know this place," Sam said, pointing at her laptop with a finger from the hand holding his now empty fork. "Yeah, Big Patty's Pie House, it's off I-49, near Bunkie."
"I guess we're getting some pie for breakfast," said Elena, with a slight shrug of her slender shoulders.
"Looks like it," Sam responded, smiling softly at her.
Elena and Sam spent the day in Bunkie. They talked to a kind older gentlemen named Buster at Big Patty's, that remembered Cindy, who's last name he revealed to be Marshall, and told them about her, as well as her brother, Drew. Apparently, there had been talk about Cindy being involved with Vampires, and, after she was murdered, Drew vanished.
The two then went to the Police Station, and Elena charmed a photo of the brother out of one of the Officers, who said he'd fax it down to Andy in Bon Temps, before they headed home.
"They out there?" Sam asked, while he drove them back to Bon Temps in his Jeep, and spotted Elena looking up out the window, all four of which they had rolled down, as it was a nice night.
"Yes, they are," Elena replied, as she watched her three Dragons soar above them in the night sky. "They followed us all the way to Bunkie."
"How have you kept them a secret, by the way?" inquired Sam next, flicking a questioning glance over at her, when she settled back in her seat.
"Not everyone can see or hear them," Elena answered. "Only Mystical or Supernatural Beings can, such as Faes, Vampires, and Shifters, like you."
"Huh," Sam exclaimed, his brow furrowed in continued curiosity. "So, Humans can never see or hear them?"
"No, they can, if I allow them too," Elena replied. "But it'd require me getting into their minds, which, as you know, I don't like to do."
"How long have you had them?" Sam asked next.
"About five years, not long before I moved here," answered Elena. "It was my Birthday, and a man I didn't know came to my party. He handed me this beautiful mahogany box, and, in it, were three eggs. He said I was the only one who could bring them to life, as the mistreatment of Dragons had caused the eggs to become like fossils. I spent a month trying to figure out what he meant. The only thing I could find was that only death could pay for life." She paused, licking her lips, before going on. "And then, one night, after Cullen died, the eggs hatched." She gently shook her dark silky head. "They used to be so small, I was able to carry all three at once. I had to cook their meat for them, before they could breath fire. And now they can carry me, now they can light whole towns on fire."
"Wow," Sam breathed in awe, before gazing questioningly at her once more. "Did you ever find out who the man was that gave them to you in the first place?"
"My Mother knew him, some of my family and friends did," Elena said. "He was a Fae too, and I've tried to find him since then, but he's nowhere to be found."
"Well, I think he goes down in history as giving the best Birthday gift ever," replied Sam, and she laughed softly at this, before the sound of her phone going off in her bag on the floor by her legs filled the air. "Maybe it's Bill, or Eric."
"Maybe," Elena answered, as she reached down to fetch the item. She wasn't getting her hopes up for it to be one of them. And she was right to, since, once it was out of her bag, then in her hand, she saw Amy's, Jason's girlfriend, name on the screen. "It's Amy." Pressing "Accept", she lifted the phone to the side of her beautiful face. "Hey, Amy. What's up?"
"Hey, Ellie," came Amy's response, and her dark brow furrowed at the hesitation and slight fear in the young woman's voice. "I'm sorry to bother you. I know it's getting late."
"You're not bothering me," Elena said, sharing a look with Sam, who gazed questioningly over at her. "Amy, is something wrong? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I just. . . " she began, before pausing, then continuing. "It's probably me being totally paranoid, but René just gave me a ride home from work, and Jason's still at the bar with Hoyt and the others. I don't know. Like I said, I'm probably being stupid, but something doesn't feel right. Do you think you could come over and keep me company for a bit? Just until Jason gets home."
"Yes, absolutely," Elena replied. "I'll be right there."
"Thanks, Ellie," Amy said, and she could hear her sigh of relief in her voice.
"No problem," answered Elena, before she hung up the phone.
"She okay?" asked Sam, continuing to gaze in confusion, as well as concern, over at the brunette.
"I don't know," replied Elena. "But could you drive me over to Jason's?"
"Yeah," Sam said, as he looked around to figure out where they were in town, and how the best, fastest way to the man's house would be.
When Sam and Elena arrived at Jason's house in the former's Jeep, their hearts simultaneously dropped into the pits of their stomachs, at the sight that met them. The front door was wide open, the light from inside spilling out onto the dark front yard.
"Oh, my God," Sam breathed, as he quickly placed the vehicle in park, then killed the engine, while Elena was out the passenger side door, before he'd even brought the Jeep to a complete halt. "Elena, wait!"
She bolted toward the house, ignoring him, even while he got out of the car as fast as he could to follow her, and was inside in a matter of seconds, where she gazed in horror around at the scene that met her.
The furniture in the living room was mostly overturned, and things were scattered everywhere. It looked like Amy's concerns had been justified, as the house resembled one that was broken into, and a struggle had ensued.
"Amy!" Elena called into the house, just when Sam arrived behind her. "Amy, where are you? Amy!"
"I'll check downstairs, you look in back," he said, and she nodded in agreement, before the two took off to search for their friend.
Elena found her, still wearing her Merlotte's uniform, in the bedroom. She laid on the bed, splayed out on her back, her eyes closed, while there were what looked like finger marks around her neck.
"Oh, my God," Elena exclaimed in horror, as she rushed over, and jumped up onto the bed. "No, no, no. Sam! Sam!"
Reaching out for Amy, she checked her pulse, then leaned down to place her ear above the girl's mouth and nose, listening for any air going through them. Sam came running into the room a few seconds later, where he gazed down in shock at Amy's seemingly lifeless body.
"Help me get her onto the floor," Elena said, and he swiftly moved over to the bed, where he scooped up the brunette's limp form, then carried her over to the floor by the bed, placing her down, before he straightened up, digging his phone out of his jeans to call 911.
Elena desperately began CPR on Amy, while Sam soon reached the Police Station. Minutes ticked by like seconds, and he was soon hanging up the phone, then moving over to her. He reached out, checking Amy's pulse, then holding his hand above her mouth and nose, but there was nothing.
"Elena," Sam said, as the brunette was still trying to bring life into her, when there was none left. "Chère, she's gone. Elena!" He grabbed her wrists, gently, but firmly, in his hand, halting her actions, and causing her to look up at him, where he gazed sadly into her chocolate orbs. "She's gone, sweetheart. I'm sorry."
"No," Elena breathed, as tears began to rise up in her eyes, shimmering brightly in the dim light of the bedroom. "No, no."
"I'm sorry," Sam repeated, soon getting up enough to walk around Amy's lifeless body, then fall into a crouch beside Elena, whom he pulled over into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Chère. I'm sorry."
He held her as she cried into his shoulder. She'd lost another one, another friend, another person she loved. First Dawn, then Adele, then Tina, and now Amy. They'd all been murdered, and their bodies had all been found by Elena.
From outside, over the sounds of approaching Police and Ambulance sirens, Sam could hear the despair filled roars of Elena's children, her three Dragons, who could feel their Mother's pain, which was becoming an all too frequent emotion for her.
- Author's Note - Elena's outfit for René and Arlene's Engagement Party has been added to my Profile. :)
