Thanks to everyone for all of the reviews. You really give a girl something to think about. I really appreciate all the input. I sincerely hope that I don't disappoint anyone with the way things will go out from here on out. I am floored by the amount of Favorite Story and Favorite Author alerts I am getting. You guys are awesome! Thanks so much!
Charlaine Harris owns all characters Sookieverse. The rest is coming from my twisted imagination.
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SPOV
We talked for a while and ate, but my mind was in a million different places. I had a ton of things to think through. All of a sudden I had these new powers to deal with, and my grandfather and Serafina are telling me that I will know how to use most of them instinctually. Gee, thanks.
"Scoot over, Sookie," Pam told me, gently shoving me aside on the chaise lounge.
She picked up my plate, still half-full and removed it to an adjacent table. I was hard at thought; I had no appetite to speak of.
"What is troubling you my friend? Most would be elated to hold such power," she asked me.
I gave myself a minute to think through what I was going to say, before my ability to ramble kicked in.
"It's all of it Pam. The last few weeks, we have been working towards getting Eric out of their grasps. I am so emotionally raw. I mean first he leaves and then we made this plan, and then I get sick and now I am this super faery thing. The wedding is in just a few weeks and I am torn. On the one hand, I cannot wait to go get my husband away from them; and on the other I am afraid that if I go, they will simply kill him and I can't live with that. "
"Sookie, they will not kill Eric. Do you have any idea how many times he has faced death in his long life? And besides he is much too valuable. Are you having second thoughts about going to him, or about changing your life?"
"No. I am committed to him; I am going to get him. I just need some time to think. But tomorrow night, Pam." I added.
"I see. Do not worry Sookie, I will be a good mistress to you. I have had an excellent teacher."
She stood and then swooped back down and gave me a hug, this was so unlike Pam.
"All will be as it should be. Go to bed, think. I will take care of our family for you," she told me and walked away to the others.
Our family? New tears started forming in my eyes. Yes, this was our family.
I walked into the house and down the long hallway to Eric's room. The bed linens needed changing so I ripped them off and deposited them in the hamper and went to the linen closet to get another set.
Returning to the room, I made the massive bed and began removing my clothes from the day. The bureau was full of Eric's clothes even though I had worn through most of his t-shirts(I just couldn't bring myself to wash them yet and lose the scent), but I found a whole new stash in the bottom drawer.
I pulled the enormous black t-shirt over my head and sank into his scent. Setting the alarm clock for 5:30 a.m., I fell into bed. I wanted to fall asleep quickly, I had a lot to accomplish tomorrow, but sleep would not find me.
So, after an eternity of counting ceiling tiles, I gave up and turned on the television. At this time of evening there were the obligatory couples comedies, infomercials, reality programming. I thought I would never find a suitable diversion when I came across TCM( Turner Classic Movies). They were playing the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet and I settled into and watched the movie.
We read the play in the ninth grade as a class, but I must have read it a dozen more times on my own and had it nearly memorized. The movie was already in progress and was on the scene where Romeo and his fellows are preparing to crash the Capulet's feast. They are cavorting like any teenagers, except Romeo who was of course depressed over the fair Rosaline's rejection. No amount of coercing from Benvolio or Mercutio was changing his mind.
I fear, too early: for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But He, that hath the steerage of my course,
Direct my sail! On, lusty gentlemen.
There it was, the moment that Romeo perceives that his short life was doomed to end too soon. Where the foreshadowing begins. I continued to watch the movie through to the end, where Romeo kills himself thinking that Juliet was dead and when she awakes she kills herself rather than live without him.
What would happen if I didn't have Eric, would I kill myself? Would he meet the sun for me? For that matter, would I meet it for him? I stared at the screen transfixed as the credits rolled. I was suddenly exhausted, although it was still relatively early and I fell asleep with dreams of Verona.
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I awoke five minutes before the alarm clock went off and immediately got dressed. I had a lot to get done today, so I went into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. I cooked myself a huge breakfast of eggs, biscuits, bacon, and fruit. Sitting at the table, I relished in the tastes of every bite and drained three large cups of coffee which I splurged on. Looking at the clock above the phone, I saw that it was nearly 6:30 and that sunrise was supposed to be in twenty-two minutes. I quickly jotted a note to Amelia telling her that I would be back this afternoon and left it propped up next to the coffee pot which I had refilled, all she had to do was turn it on. And I left the house out the backdoor, walking into the middle of the pasture with a travel mug of coffee in one hand and a lawn chair in the other, a camera slung over my shoulder.
I sat up my chair and waited watching the sky turn a hazy pink and then lighten up to a dull blue. The sun rose off in the distance and I began snapping pictures quickly before settling back down and listening to the birds welcoming the morning.
Once the giant star had taken its full residence in the sky, I picked up my gear and headed back to the house. The note was still by the pot, so I knew that Amelia had not yet awakened.
I grabbed my keys and headed out to my old car, which started without any bribing today. I backed out of the driveway and drove into Shreveport to Avalon Hair Salon on Youree Drive, hoping fervently that I didn't need an appointment.
As luck would have it, there was a sign right above the door that said that walk-ins were welcome. It had taken me about forty-five minutes to drive from the house in Gilliam and was almost nine in the morning.
A woman wearing a purple smock was just leaving her Ford Explorer and heading to the door and I followed her in.
"Hey hon, my you are an early one aren't you? Do you have an appointment?" she asked me as she turned on the lights and began setting up a station.
"No ma'am. Sorry about that, but this was sort of a last minute decision."
"No problem, sweetie. My name is Brandi and I don't have an appointment until eleven , so what can I do you for?" she asked me holding out her hand.
I lowered my shields for a moment and listened to her, which I know was rude.
This baby looks like she has a lot on her mind. Hope I can make her feel better. She has sensational hair, I wonder if it's natural.
I smiled warmly at her and followed her to the shampoo station. I leaned back after she fastened the cloak around my neck and shivered just a little as she wet my hair down. I was just about to get relaxed as her fingers kneaded my scalp with a fruity smelling shampoo, when she began to talk
"So, darling. You got a name?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Sookie Stackhouse, nice to meet you Brandi."
"Well, hello Sookie. Cute name. So you got a special something coming up?" she asked me as she continued her thorough massage on my scalp.
"Yes, ma'am. You could say that."
"Okey-dokey. We'll get you fixed up, but please don't call me ma'am. I'm only thirty," she laughed as she began rinsing the shampoo from my hair.
"Yes ma'- I'm sorry. Okay, Brandi." I told her. She was two years older than me, what would Gran think?
"So, what are we thinking about? What is the occasion?" she asked me.
Oh, well my boyfriend/vampire husband was kidnapped and I 'm gonna be a vampire soon to go get him so I wanted to get my hair trimmed for eternity.
Yeah, that would go over well.
"My husband has been away and I will be seeing him very soon."I told her.
"Oh, that is great honey. My husband is on his third tour in Afghanistan. He is air force. I haven't seen him for three months," she stopped to blow her nose, stepping away from me, " last time we talked he said that he was supposed to be home by Christmas. He hopes anyway. Oh, I'm so sorry. You didn't want to hear me cry."
"No. You're fine. What is his name?" I asked.
"Senior Airman Conlan Ashbury," she told me with pride shining behind her tears.
"He will be home soon, I just know it."
I touched her arm when I said it and got an image of a very handsome man in airmen's clothing. It was warm outside and he was exiting a plane, looking desperately for her. When he found himself, he ran to her and stopped short as she was several months pregnant and he was clearly surprised. I sent you a letter telling you, I guess it never got there. I'm gonna be a daddy? She nodded her head and he picked her up and spun her around.
"How far along are you?" I asked, realizing too late that I had goofed.
"How did you know that I am pregnant, I haven't told anyone," she asked me shocked as she towel-dried my hair.
I decided that just this once, the truth couldn't hurt.
"I can see things sometimes. I hope that doesn't scare you, I will leave if you want me to."
"No. I'm not scared, just shocked. My momma could see things too. I am just about three months. I wrote him a letter but they told us that the mail delivery was never a sure thing, so I don't know if he knows yet."
"Well, congratulations."
"Thanks! Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
I had decided to trust Brandi and left with the best haircut I had ever gotten in my opinion. She left my length but cut in some nice contrasting layers. Items number one and two were down.
Immediately after leaving the salon, I went to a florist down the road. After a few minutes of waiting, I was greeted by a young black guy named Antonio with an infectious smile.
"Good morning, ma'am. What can I help you with this morning?"
I explained that I was just looking and he directed me to a catalog. After a few minutes, I told him that I would take the Orchid Basket and a dozen mixed color roses.
The price was not an object, I pulled my tip roll out of my purse and removing the elastic band placed several large bills in front of him.
Antonio immediately set to creating my bouquets. He placed the white orchids in a crystal vase and filled it in with Baby's Breath and wrapped the roses in a large sheet of green paper.
I got in my car and drove straight to Bon Temps.
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It felt strange driving up to my house after having stayed in Gilliam for a few weeks. I parked around at the back door, but instead of going into the house I walked straight to the cemetery that separated my land from Bill's.
Last plot on the end of the seventh row, I found my intended audience.
I walked carefully around the graves, diligently trying not to step on anyone and apologizing to them when I did. I am very superstitious about respecting the dead.
Adele Hale Stackhouse
Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Wife and Friend
June 3, 1917-May 23, 2007
"Good morning, Gran. Sorry it's been so long since I came by. It just seems that life won't slow down for me. Look at this, your grave is all covered with weeds. I thought that Perkins boy the church hired was going to keep this yard up. Well, let me just get that for you. I brought you some flowers. Maybe in the spring Eric and I can come out and plant some flowers so they will grow all the time. You did know about Eric didn't you Gran? Probably not, like I said life is just going, going, going. Bill and I broke up. I won't bore you with all the details, let's just say we drifted apart. I have been dating Eric for a while now. Actually," I giggled, "according to him, we're married. He's a vampire, you know that a human just can't cut it for me. So yeah, that is what's new. I have been seeing Niall a lot lately. He is Fintan's father. I don't blame you by the way, I understand. Anyway, I have all these new powers now. Although, I still don't know how to use them completely.
I need to tell you something. Gran, I have decided that I am going to become a vampire. They took Eric, Gran and I have to get him back. What would you do? Do you think that I am making a mistake? Oh God, Gran. I wish you were here. I need you so much right now."
I lay down on the weed covered grave and cried for a few minutes. The air warmed and I heard the sound of a wind chime. Why did it sound so familiar?
I remember! When I was little there was an old pond not too far out in the woods that Gramps took Jason and I to swim in sometimes in the summer. He always said there were too many people at the public pool for him and that he didn't want to drive all the way out to the lake.
He built a small dock on the pond which was just on our property, almost inching onto the Smythe's land behind us. There was an enormous oak tree there and Gran and I had made a wind chime one year out of old kitchen spoons and hung it up in the tree.
I got up and walked toward the sound of the chime. Would it still even be there after all this time?
After several minutes I knew I was there, as I could smell the water in the air. I turned a corner and stepped over a fallen tree to face our pond. The dock was still there-barely. It could definitely stand to be replaced . I walked over to the oak tree where the wind chime was indeed hanging.
But all the spoons were rusted and there was no way that they could have made that sound. I smiled. Maybe I am superstitious or maybe I really am crazy like everyone thought anyway, but I just felt like it was my Gran that brought me here.
I sat on one of the sturdier looking boards on the dilapidated dock and stared off into the water. I knew exactly what was niggling at my mind.
Why was I still going to become a vampire if I had all of these sensational powers? After deliberating for a while, I came up with the only reason, albeit a good one, was to stay with Eric longer.
How could I watch him stay the same forever while my beauty slowly faded? What would I do when he got tired of me?
Now that was nonsense. If he were going to get tired of me, it would have happened already.
I sat and thought some more. Perhaps I didn't need to make this change, not that I was averse to it anymore but maybe my Faery powers would be enough to save Eric from de Castro and Ocella.
For my mind misgives- Some consequence yet hanging in the stars-
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date- With this night's revels and expire the term-
Of a despised life closed in my breast- By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
I never heard him physically or mentally until it was too late. While I was sitting there on the dock, contemplating my life choices, I was struck with an excruciating pain through my chest.
In horror, I looked down at the arrow that ran straight through me. I tried to scream but no sound would come out. Somehow, by the Grace of God I got to my feet and scanned my surroundings for my attacker.
The white shirt I had worn that day was slowly becoming soaked crimson. Seeing no one and more hearing no one, I tried to run back to the house. I had only run about a hundred feet when my vision became blurry and I fell down.
Every breath was like swallowing glass, as I laid there on the dirt bleeding. I was going to die, after all of the planning and uncertainty, after the powers, I was going to die with an arrow in my chest.
I didn't see him coming, I didn't see this coming. Where was the premonition?
Oh yes, Romeo. You tried to tell me Romeo. Didn't you?
I stayed put, waiting for death to take me under. Eric, I love you. I should have told you sooner. You are my everything, please forgive me.
"Morning, bitch!" a gruff voice boomed over me.
I moved my eyes to the sound and saw a pair of camouflage hunting boots and tattered jeans. The man was tall, as I could not see his face.
Finally, he squatted down beside me. I gasped as much as I could as I saw his red hair. I remembered him from the field with Sam. He was the big, red wolf that was waiting for me. Truman Yates
"Does that hurt, you little whore?" he taunted me.
With one large hand he pulled the arrow straight out of my chest. This did nothing for the pain and I was still bleeding.
I tried desperately to touch my ring, begging in my head for Niall to come for me. I tried to teleport, squinting my eyes and wishing for the house like Dorothy did.
Nothing happened.
As soon as the arrow was out, he examined it for damage and wiped it clean on his flannel shirt before returning it to the quiver.
"No sense in wasting a good arrow on you, now is there? You know, I had really hoped it wouldn't come to this. I just wanted to scare Alcide a little but he just had to be the Alpha didn't he? That should have been me. He told me that you were just a friend, as a matter of fact a 'friend of the pack'. Ha, well you ain't never done nothing for me.
So, I come to see you and you call for Alcide. Well, Little Red Riding Hood, you called the wrong wolf. Alcide is all talk and no balls. I am the big, bad wolf.
I suppose you know by now what happened? Well, don't be shy. Speak up."
I just looked at him. I wanted to speak, to spit in his face, to do anything.
"The fucker abjured me. So now, I lost my rightful place to him and my pack to his bitch. Have you ever lost something that you loved? Do you know how it feels?"
He sat down next to me on the moist earth. I was squirming and large, hot tears were falling down my cheeks. You know that feeling when your hand or foot falls asleep? Well my whole body tingled like that. I knew that something had to happen and soon or I was going to die here with this creature-alone.
"Then I saw Quinn at Merlotte's. Fucking John Quinn, a legend. And like all these pansy asses around here, who is he carrying a hard on for? You! I thought about it while I ate lunch that day.
I went in cause I was hoping I could piss Merlotte off and have a little fun. Herveaux stopped us just as it was getting good last time. But I seen that he was already busy with Quinn. I have to give the little bastard this, he wasn't scared of Quinn.
So I showed Quinn how to get to where you are staying. Of course, I had already tracked you by your smell. Maybe that is why everyone wants you, you smell so fucking good. Anyway, I figured by what Merlotte told him that you would reject him, cause apparently you like fucking dead guys."
He laughed loudly here.
"A fucking fangbanger. I thought that you might piss Quinn off and he would shift and end you, which would in turn piss off Alcide who would go after the tiger and probably get killed. It was all so perfect. But Quinn ain't nothing but a big pussy, excuse my pun. He just left you there, I saw him the next day filling up his pickup in front of the gas station. He told me that you all had a barbeque and that he fell asleep in his truck. He was in a good mood, even though he didn't know why he was naked.
The big mother—shook my hand. I spent every night for a week at that shithole of a bar. But you just stopped coming in. I saw Merlotte, I even saw that douche bag of a brother of yours hanging around.
But I waited, and today there you were just walking through the woods—alone. Perfect. I been watching that house for a week now and no one has been there but the mail man. Then bam, here you are. "
He pulled a cheap looking cell phone from his jacket pocket.
"My, my, would you look at the time? I better get going. Let me just get a picture of us. Say cheese. Oh yeah, Herveaux is gonna love this," he said as he jerked me upwards and snapped a picture of us on the phone.
He walked away whistling. I tried desperately again to do anything. I tried to form an orb, but got nothing more than a spark.
I got my hand up to my face and nuzzled the ring, thinking to Niall. I tried to teleport myself again.
It began to get cold and I knew it was the end, when I finally heard a pop.
"Sookie, no! Granddaughter, I need to get you out of here. There is no time to lose."
I felt myself being lifted into the air, in Niall's arms and before I knew it I was in Eric's home.
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A/N: I am going to stop promising quick chapters, as Real Life just likes to play me like a fool, but I already know what is happening in chapter 15 so I hope to get it out tomorrow. Thank you all for the reviews, the alerts and the favorites. A big thank you to my girl VampLover1 who helped me out with a serious issue I was having. You guys are all awesome. Thanks so much.