Chapter 12: Unexpected Visitor
Three days later I was covered in sheetrock dust wearing just my blue jeans and a plain tee shirt. Rodrigo was more than helpful and was enjoying learning a trade. His blood was tasty but he was lacking skill in the bedroom. I had decided to put him to other use for the time being while I debated what I would have him do. I looked at the wall we had just finished and smiled.
"Only three more to go," he sighed as he looked at what we had done.
"And then we can mud the cracks, hide the screws and debate on what I am going to put on the walls," I laughed. Rodrigo smiled at me and went to move to get ready for the next wall as Quinn stepped in. I looked at him and smiled.
"There is a Sam Merlotte here to speak with you," he growled.
"Well show him in!" Quinn stepped aside and opened the door. Sam was standing there and smiled as he saw me. "Hey, Sam."
"Hey, Mags. Sookie told me you became Queen," he breathed as he stepped in.
"Yeah, guess you are missing your fill in bartender. Sorry about that."
Sam waved his hand. "Don't think about it. I got things covered." Sam looked around the room and smiled. "So what are you doing in here?"
"Well what does it look like, silly?"
Quinn growled and I rolled my eyes. I turned back to my work and pulled out the tape measure. Rodrigo took one end and held it down as I took the measurement for the next wall to go up.
"Well, I don't know too many vampires that are willing to do construction work on their own."
"Pfft! That's because they rather have someone do it during the day and see what the finish project is when they wake up. I am more of a hands on type. I rather see the progress and boast about what I have done than boast about the money I spent."
I pulled a sheet off the stack and held it against the joists as Rodrigo secured it in place. Quinn grabbed the next sheet and held it against the one that we were finishing up and Rodrigo just continued on.
"So besides confirming that I became Queen, what'cha doing here?"
"Oh, I had a few questions but they are more business orientated and not too important," he said. I blinked at him as I moved the next sheet into place.
"Sam, what is it? Nothing isn't unimportant to me." Sam glanced at Quinn and Rodrigo and then to me. I nodded and had Quinn take my place. "Alright, let's talk about this in my office."
I shook my head and released the dust from my hair. I dusted myself off the best I could with my hands and led Sam towards my office. As soon as the door was closed I turned to him. He sat down and took a deep breath.
"Is this about the two-natured community?" I asked bluntly.
"How did you know?"
"I pay attention. I have talked with most of the Pack leaders in the state."
"Really? You are willing to associate yourself with us?"
I sighed and sat down in the chair across from him. "Sam, I willingly worked for you. I have Quinn as head of security around here. I have worked with much of the Supe community that I cannot fathom not working with any part of it."
Sam leaned back smiled. "You have been around a long time, haven't you?"
"Sam, I am going to tell you something, it doesn't leave this room till it is out in the open," I stated as I leaned forward. "Eric Northman is my human father. My Maker is his Maker's Maker. So in the Vampire world, as Sookie has stated, I am Eric's aunt."
Sam chuckled, "I bet he was happy to find out that his own flesh and blood was turned."
"Well, we haven't had much time to discuss that. And although he is older by me in Vampire years and human years, I am stronger since my maker was ancient when he made me."
"Huh? I guess that makes sense. So how did you become so involved with the Supe community?"
"I spent a great deal of time working with Mr. Cataliades. He still comes to me if he is unsure about a contract. And obviously that places me within the good graces of the Council."
"Does the Council back you with taking over Louisiana?"
"They don't deny that I will do more good than Sophia-Anne. They are hoping that I excel in their expectations of me. Thus far I have a good start."
"By keeping the old mansion and working on it yourself?"
"Among other things." Sam smirked and looked around.
"Sookie tells me that you are one of a kind."
"Well if that is what she thinks then I take it as a compliment."
"I tend to believe her. You are defiantly not like any other Supe I know."
"Awe, shucks, Sam! Now you are just being nice."
Sam laughed and stood up. I stood up next to him and gave him a hug and smiled. Sam looked at me in surprise and wrapped his arms around me. "You are defiantly something special."
I smiled up at him and turned to walk him out. "Now, if you need anything, Sam, or hear something, no matter how insignificant it is, let me know. I dislike finding about something that could have been prevented."
"I will, cher. You take care and have fun with the rebuild."
I laughed as I saw him get into his truck and turned back to the room where Quinn was still helping Rodrigo. They were half way done with the wall and were figuring out how to get the sheetrock in place above the first layer. I grabbed the next sheet and floated up and set it in place. Rodrigo climbed up the scaffolding and started to screw it into place. Quinn looked up at me and smiled.
"Good chat?" he asked.
"Not bad. Sam just had some concerns with your kind and all."
"What did you tell him?"
"I made him feel calm about everything. He will be a good one to have on our side."
"You really think it wise to trust a shifter?"
"Quinn, just because he is a shifter doesn't mean that he can't be trusted," I scolded him. "Honestly, you should know well enough to put your prejudices aside around me. If I say he is trustworthy, then he is."
"Alright. I just have to get used to it."
"You better. It isn't too far off before your kind comes out as well." I floated down for the next sheet and smiled at Quinn. "That is why I am working with all the Supe's we need to have some sort of unified front."
"I couldn't think of anyone better than you to start it." I smiled and continued to work on the sheetrock. I wanted this room to be done in a few weeks and at the rate we were going I would have a few days to spare. I smiled down at Rodrigo as he continued to work. He was at least happy to help with anything, no matter what it was.
Ten days later I was sitting in my newly finished room and smiled. I had left the pool but made it look more like a pond and filled it with Kio and water plants. I had all of my furniture from my home in California moved here and had selected a set from my sitting room to fill the space. I had painted the walls a cream color and was working on a boarder design when David, my day man, came in. I looked up at him and was directly at his side.
"What is it?" I asked as I reached for him.
"Sheriff Northman cannot find his day man. He hasn't reported in since yesterday," he breathed deeply. "I was one of the last ones he contacted."
"It's alright, David. Northman wants a word with you, I guess." David nodded and looked at me with fear in his eyes. "Northman won't hurt you. Just tell him everything you know. He will have Sookie with him so the truth will be known."
I looked up and grabbed David and moved him back to where I was sitting. I sat back down and smiled at him. "You did nothing wrong. It was his choice."
Quinn stepped in followed by a very angry Viking. Sookie followed behind him and gave an apologetic look. I noticed that she was still in her work uniform and shook my head while I smiled at them.
"Eric, I trust that you are here to question my day man about yours?" I asked smoothly.
"You already know about that?" he growled.
"I am Queen; I know a great many things. Go ahead and ask your questions. He will not be harmed. This was Bobbie's choice. David couldn't have stopped him anyways."
"Eric," soothed Sookie, "Maybe I should ask the questions. The poor guy seems terrified of you. Why don't you go with Mags and talk like you originally wanted to."
Eric looked down at Sookie and calmed down. He nodded and bent to kiss her. I stood up and patted David on the shoulder. "You will be fine, David. I will have Quinn stay in here if it would make you feel better."
David glanced up at me and glanced at Quinn. He nodded and fidgeted in his seat. I looked back at Quinn and nodded. Quinn nodded and took a stance along the wall. I straightened up and looked at Eric and motioned for him to follow me to my library.
Eric sat down in a chair and I grabbed a book from a shelf and tossed it to him. He caught it deftly and looked at it. "Godric left that at my home in California. He wanted me to give it to you."
"You are just now giving it to me?" he asked with a growl.
"I just got it out of the box three days ago," I snapped back. "I am still getting things settled here."
"I like what you did with that Day room," Eric commented. "Who did you have work on it?"
"Rodrigo, Quinn and myself," I said with a huff as I sat down in the chair opposite of him. "Since I only had to worry about supplies it only cost me a quarter it would have if I had a construction crew do it. Although it would have been finished within a week instead of the two weeks it took me to tear down and rebuild."
Eric smiled and looked around the room. "I see you have added more books."
"Yes, well, some of my collection has been added. I still have more to put up," I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I wanted more information about your, our family," he said calmly.
"Ah. You want me to inform you that my brothers grew up strong and were fierce warriors like you were," I said. Eric nodded. "I can't tell you that. All three of them died within their first ten battles. They were not strong, nor were they quick. I bested them many times when I trained to be Valkyrie. I can say that they did at least die in battle."
Eric looked me in the eyes and sighed. "How many battles were you in before you were turned?"
"I killed my first man at the age of ten. It wasn't long after I started my training to become Valkyrie when the town was raided. All four of us picked up swords and defended our village. That battle changed us all. After that, I found out that I would only be allowed to defend our village and never leave to go aviking," I said in a low voice. "I was only ever able to defend my brothers for that one battle. Mother was not herself when the news came back that Ari fell in his first battle away.
"Ulfr fell a few years after that, he was supposed to be married when he came back. She was pretty but none too smart about running a home. Stigr, well, I think the expression that they use today is S.M.R.T., he actually fell on his own axe in battle. The men didn't want mother to know so they told her that he was struck from behind, which is partially true."
"Partially?" asked Eric.
"His axe was imbedded in the back of the enemy. He was going to retrieve it after the battle when his attention was diverted and he fell backward onto his own axe." I tried to keep the amusement out of my voice but Eric picked up on it.
"How did you find out about it?" he scowled at me.
"The men were talking about it in the hall afterwards. I was in there to help serve the mead and heard the story. I was told to never tell mother." I mumbled, "She never heard the story from me. But she found out about it a few months later and went into a very depressed state of mind. By that time Olaf's children were able to take up chores and did their best to help out."
"What happened?" Eric growled.
"Brynja was found while Olaf was out hunting. She had taken a knife to her chest," I whispered with my head down.
Eric stood up so quickly that the chair he was sitting on fell backwards. "Did she not think of you? Why would she just leave all of her children without a mother?"
"We were all old enough to keep the house. I had already moved to the women's house since I was Valkyrie. She was really no longer needed by us children. And with the death of her three eldest sons, she figured that she had lost all of you. She never realized that I was a far better warrior than my three brothers."
Eric growled and righted his chair. He paced around the room for a bit and I watched him. He seemed to calm down after a while. I stood up and smiled. "Let us go see what Sookie has found out. I am sure there is a reason for Bobbie's disappearance that I will be very interested in hearing."
Eric nodded and grabbed the book from Godric as we made our way back to the room. Quinn opened the door before we reached it and shook his head. I rolled my eyes and reached back for my phone. I quickly went through my emails and found the one I was looking for. Eric was at Sookie's side as David walked towards me. I patted his shoulder and smiled. Sookie watched me and turned to Eric.
"He knew nothing that we didn't already know," she sighed. "Bobbie seemed intent on being turned and was looking for someone to turn him. I think it is safe to assume that he found someone to turn him."
Eric growled and Sookie put a hand on his chest and looked at him. I sighed and rubbed my temples. Eric looked at me. "What do you know?"
"That Bobbie will rise tomorrow night," I growled. "I will tell you who turned him. You must bring them both before me as soon as you find them. Do not dally in this."
Eric narrowed his eyes at me and watched me as I sent him a text message with the name he needed. "I believe that I get to hand out the punishment to the vampire who turned my day man."
"And you shall," I growled at him. "I will allow you to hand out the punishment for all of this vampire's crimes if you so wish." Eric smiled. Sookie blinked in horror. David's eyes widened. Quinn smiled and cleared his throat. I turned to him and smiled. "Oh it will be amusing to hear the pleas for all that they have done."
