Another snapshot for you. Hope you enjoy.

Merick

Part 14

I couldn't recall the last time I'd been to Bill Compton's home. I didn't tend to remember things that I saw as unimportant. After living a thousand years one had to learn to be selective with these things. I knew that I certainly didn't walk him home the night Sookie had thrown us both out, the night she'd broken up with Bill for good. So, safe to say it had been awhile.

I could have just barged in, and I did think about it for a moment, but then decided on simply knocking at the door and waiting to see what happened, I had no idea who else might be inside and if his witch friends, assuming the worst of course, were there I was not ready have another curse thrown at me; I wouldn't be much use to anyone then.

Jessica answered, peering through the half open door.

"Eric?" She was genuinely surprised to see me.

"Jessica. Is Bill home?"

"Sure, come on in, I'll fetch him." Fortunately Jessica was still my friend it seemed, I doubt Bill had bothered to tell her about his attempt to encase me in concrete. She had no reason to be suspicious of my visit, I was still the sheriff and quite entitled to visit any Vampire who lived in my area.

Gladiola had stayed just hidden away beside the porch, out of view of the house's occupants; I glanced back to see her before stepping through the door that Jessica opened wide for me. She was going to track around Bill's and search for any familiar scents, such as those she had found at Sookie's the first time she and her sister had come out. Then she was going to wait for me on the porch, in case I had need of her special talents; and those blades.

I closed the door behind myself as I stepped into the parlor. Jessica spoke to me, without looking backwards at me as she mounted the first step of the staircase going up.

"What brings you back to Bon Temps Eric?"

I never got the chance to answer her, as Bill came down the stairs, stopping to meet the pale redhead and to give her a little smile.

"Yes Eric, what does bring you out here?" I had forgotten how annoying that drawl was to me.

"Just a few questions for you Bill." I made my voice sound all business-like, I didn't want to start out my questioning as an adversary, if he got his guard up too early it would be so much more difficult to get answers.

"Yes?" He joined me in the parlor, not offering me a seat, but standing, just out of my arm's reach, staring at me. Apparently he still held the animosity of our last encounter in his heart; at least the last encounter I could remember, perhaps I had insulted him and his pride at another occasion?

"I've had reports of some strange activity around Bon Temps again Bill. Have you or Jessica come across anything?"

"Do you mean besides the shifters, weres, maenads and psychotic vampires?"

"Funny." I answered, though I didn't really think so.

"Of late, no I haven't seen anything."

"And what about you Bill, what have you been busying yourself with these last few months?"

"I don't know that my affairs are any of your concern Eric." He looked at me with his square jaw, slightly cocked in defiance. I could see that he wasn't going to be volunteering anything, not that I had expected he would.

"Actually, your business is my business Bill, when it has to do with other supernaturals in my area. In case you have forgotten, I am still the sheriff here."

"No, I hadn't forgotten."

"And what about Sookie, Bill? Have you been by to see her recently?" The mention of her name made him grit his teeth; perhaps it was a chink in his armor?

"Again, I don't think that is any of your business Eric. But if it will make you leave faster I will answer it. No. I haven't seen Sookie."

"So you haven't been skulking around her house at night, tonight?"

"Why do you ask? Did she call you?"

I had him.

"I've spoken with Sookie recently, yes."

"Then you know where she is?" He sounded a little desperate, and so I remained silent, giving him more rope, by which I hoped he'd hang himself. "I did go by her house tonight, she wasn't there, and Jessica has said she hasn't been at work for days." His tone of voice was unsettling, as if he really didn't know what had happened to her.

"She is with me."

"She's with you!" His tone of southern indignation was nothing compared to the roar I felt simmering in my chest just having to look at him again, but I held it back. "What has happened to her?"

"Rest assured she is safe." I baited him.

"What have you done to her?"

"I have done nothing to her, I would never hurt her Bill." I emphasized the 'I', just for effect.

"You would never hurt her? You have a short memory Eric!" I let him shout for a moment. "You tricked her into taking your blood, to save you from silver poisoning! You locked her in your basement against her will to use her as bait to catch Russell Edgington! For all I know you have her held captive now!"

"I never lied about loving her Bill! I never made her love me so I could sell her to my Queen for her favors! I never abandoned her or came close to killing her! I have always protected her, even if she or you did not understand my methods!" I roared at him like the Viking Warrior I been bred to be. My fangs dropped as his did, and with his own, sadly pitiful roar he dove at me, it was nothing to side step him and whirl to meet him again, snarling, ready for him to make the first move so that I could defend myself.

"Bill! Stop it!" Jessica had come running back down the stairs.

Ah, the scream of reason, from Jessica's lips, concerned, as she rightly needed to be, about her maker's survival. If he had made contact with me, I would have killed him; or at least incapacitated him; I did still need information from him after all. Bill rightly listened to his child, and hissed at me like a snake. I raised my eyebrows at the sad attempt to strike fear into my soul.

"If I discover that you have done anything to bring harm to Sookie Bill, rest assured, I will return and I will make you rue the day you were made vampire."

"I already do Eric, you can do nothing else to hurt me! I have lost everything because of you!"

Oh, he was quite wrong about that.

"Good bye Jessica." I offered her the courtesy. "Keep an eye out for witches will you little one? Even if they come into your own house." I glared at Bill.

I left, and met up with Gladiola who was waiting for me just where I had last seen her.

"Did you find anything around the house?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"Not a trace of the scents we found around Sookie's house earlier." I was somewhat disappointed in that news, wanting an excuse to go back and confront Bill with something tangible. But the absence of direct evidence didn't absolve him yet, not in my estimation.

"But I did find a disturbed grave, it might be the source of the grave dirt that was in the powder." Gladiola continued.

"Show me."

We walked quickly amongst the tombstones, so many so old and weather beaten that the names were hardly visible or even the dates, until we reached the one that Gladiola wanted to show me. It was much newer, but was beside one that had seen many more years of weathering; I knew the name, if not the woman buried there, Adele Hale Stackhouse. Fucking witches!

Gladiola insisted that she would stay in Bon Temps and keep watch. I wanted to get back to Shreveport, no, I needed to get back to Shreveport. Had I been human, I think I would have wanted to throw up just then. Not only had I found out that whomever had created the damn powder had used the grave of Sookie's beloved grandmother to do it, but I had been reminded of how I had used Sookie in the past. Not that I had totally forgotten the ways I had inserted myself into her life, and her into mine, but it was easier to feel superior when she looked at me with forgiveness for something she couldn't even remember, then when it was thrown in my face by another predator. I wanted to believe the words I had hurled at Bill, that everything I had done had been to protect her, and I did, mostly. Damn it! I took to the air, hurrying homeward.