DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TRUE BLOOD!

Divine Intervention

Chapter 21

Anamaria pulled up outside her house, pausing as she parked the car. After she turned off the engine, she just sat in the vehicle, leaning her head back against the headrest as she remembered the events of the previous night. After Sam had revealed in a very crude and disrespectful way to her kind-of-boyfriend – and everyone else in the restaurant – that they had slept together, said vampire boyfriend had attacked Sam. Tara, Lafayette and the ex-Marine Terry Bellefleur hadn't been able to pull Eric off Sam; the vampire had only released the other man because Anamaria had physically put herself between the two men, and Eric hadn't wanted to injure her. She'd told Eric to go, screaming at him to leave before he caused any more trouble. Eric Vamped out of the restaurant, but only after pulling Anamaria into a hard and dominating kiss even as the Latina struggled and pushed against him, obviously marking his territory in front of Sam and the whole restaurant, which had fallen silent during the brief fight.

Sam had started to shout at Anamaria, telling her that what she just saw was the true nature of vampires, how she wouldn't be safe with Eric, that he'd kill her in a heartbeat and then move on to the next fangbanger. Before he could say anything else, she had spun around with tears in her eyes and punched him straight on the nose. The hard and unexpected blow had knocked him back onto the table behind him, plates and glasses going everywhere as blood spurted from his face. Tara and Lafayette had tried to calm her down and hold her back, but she shoved them away, grabbed her belongings from Sam's office and left out the back way without another word to anyone.

When she'd gotten back home ten minutes later, Eric was sitting on the swing on the front porch as if nothing were wrong. She'd climbed out of her car and ignored him, intent on storming into the house and slamming the door in his face. As she was climbing the porch steps and hadn't acknowledged him, he'd Vamped in front of her.

"Anamaria, you can't just ignore me."

"Leave me alone, Eric." She snarled, pushing past him and unlocking the front door. "Just stay the hell away from me tonight."

"Have you forgotten there's a murderer in this town who has set his sights on you?"

"How could I forget?" She snapped, entering the house but turning around and holding the door half-closed before Eric could follow her inside. "I don't want you in here tonight."

"Anamaria, don't be-"

"Don't make me rescind your invitation because you know I'll do it!" She shouted, fresh tears of anger and humiliation welling up in her eyes. "If you want to stand outside until dawn then fine, but don't even think of stepping foot in this house!" Anamaria slammed the door in Eric's stoic face, locking it even as he watched her through the veiled glass window in the door. She had all but ran upstairs and into her bedroom, banging the door shut so hard it rattled against its frame. She hadn't been able to sleep very well, and every time she got out of bed and looked out her window, Eric was standing on the lawn beneath her bedroom. Thankfully he hadn't been facing the house, otherwise she probably would have flipped him the bird.

Back in the car, Anamaria turned her mind from Eric, but it circled back to Sam.

Three years earlier

Their date was starting to wind down, and Anamaria had to admit to herself that she'd had a lovely time. The Sam outside of work wasn't that different to boss-Sam, but he had a great sense of humour, he was sweet, his thoughts were genuine, and he was actually interested in anything she had to say. That was four up on the guys from college Anamaria normally made herself have dinner with.

They were just finishing their shared coconut pie, and Anamaria put her fork down. "Come on, you're not eating your half!"

"No, you have it." He smiled.

She smiled back coyly. "We'll split the rest." She used her fork to divide the piece into two smaller parts, and ate a bite of her new portion.

"Well I guess you saw this coming, huh?" He asked as he drank his coffee.

She swallowed the pie in her mouth and put the next bite onto her fork. "How d'you mean?" She grateful that Sam seemed only amused by her appetite; most of the other guys she'd dated hadn't liked girls who ate a lot, all of them preferring skinnier girls with figures that Anamaria would never be able to achieve, given her naturally wide hips and generous bust.

"I told you you could take a look." He obviously referred to her telepathic abilities. "You've never done it?"

She shrugged. "I have, from time to time. And I have to say, it's a little weird. You don't think the way others do." She chuckled nervously, not noticing how Sam's body stiffened slightly. "With most people, it's words and sentences. But with you, there are some words, but mainly it's images and waves of emotion."

He scoffed. "I guess I'm just a freak."

"I was going to say 'mysterious'." She smiled. Their eyes met across the table and Anamaria felt herself warm slightly. In that moment, most guys' heads would have been filled with sexual images that would have ruined the moment for her, but true to her assessment of Sam, she received only a wave of want and arousal. She knew Sam had feelings for her, but she'd always ignored them, as she hadn't wanted to become involved with her boss, and had assumed that he would be like every other guy she had ever gone out with – full of charm and smile but was a misogynistic pig on the inside. But she wasn't getting that impression from him, not at all. "How come nobody knows anything about you, Sam?"

"Apart from you." He winked.

She could tell he was trying to distract her from her question. She pushed on. "Don't change the subject. I mean it. I never hear you talk about where you're from, or your family…"

"Where I'm from, the people who raised me…They got nothing to do with who I am now."

She nodded heavily. "Well if anyone can understand that, it's me." They shared a brave smile and clinked their coffee cups together in a sarcastic toast. "Is that why you spend so much time alone?"

He seemed surprised. "No. I think that's just 'cos I don't like people."

She laughed. "You opened a bar; no-one opens a bar when they don't like people."

"Well maybe I just wanted to meet some pretty waitresses." He teased her with a wink.

She blushed. "Too bad you got yourself a few crazy ones instead."

"Ana," He started as he gently took hold of her hand, "There's nothing wrong with you." She smiled at him sceptically, but let him continue. "I don't understand why you'd want to change or hide anything. I wouldn't want you any other way."

Almost overcome by the genuine affection behind his words, she joked, "You're just trying to get on my good side."

"How am I doing?" He winked.

She beamed. "Not too bad, boss."

He smirked back, leaning back in his chair and drinking his coffee. "Finish it." He nodded his head to the last piece of pie on the plate between them. Kind of liking his authoritative tone, she obeyed and ate the pie, smiling nervously around a mouth full of whipped cream. They talked for another half an hour or so, before Sam paid the bill, insisting that Anamaria put away her purse and let him treat her, 'as a gentleman should to a lady'. Touched by his chivalry – which a quick dip into his head proved was sincere – Anamaria conceded and let him pay the full bill. He opened the door for her – another gesture she was unused to on dates – and let her step out first. When they were in the open air, he clicked his fingers nervously from behind her. "Well right now I'm glad you can't hear all my thoughts."

"Why?" She asked a little nervously.

As she turned around, he swooped down and captured her lips in a kiss. He held her hips gently, and she rested her hands on his muscled upper arms. It was a good kiss, a very good kiss. They were definitely compatible, Anamaria pondered as she let Sam walk her backwards a little until she leant back against the side of his car. He kissed her until they were both out of breath, and Anamaria quickly found herself missing his lips and tongue.

"You okay? We going too fast?"

She immediately shook her head. "No." She wanted him; she wanted more. "Your place or mine?"

The sound of a car door slamming shut startled Anamaria from her memory. A tall and very well-built man walked past her car, obviously not knowing she was still sitting in the vehicle, walked up to the house and knocked on her front door. Anamaria looked behind her via the rear-view mirror. A dark blue van was parked behind her car. He was a contractor. From the clipboard in his hand, he meant business. Had Adele scheduled some renovations for the house before she died and forgotten to tell her?

She climbed out of the car and called out to the man. "Hello?" She shouted gently across the front yard. "Can I help?"

He turned around and Anamaria almost lost her breath. Talk about handsome…Dark shaggy hair fell around his ears, stubble to match, and a perfectly carved face. She forcefully reminded herself that she had two boyfriends/Mates – even if she was seriously pissed off at one of them – giving her head a little shake to clear the few lustful thoughts that were creeping in.

'Northman said coloured hair and Latina. No wonder the girl's such a magnet for trouble.' From his accent, he wasn't from the local area. He was still Southern, that much was clear from his thick accent, but he definitely wasn't from Bon Temps or Shreveport. "Eric Northman sent me. I'm Alcide Herveaux." They walked towards each other, and he held out his large hand for her to shake, and she took it. He was so hot! Was he ill?

"Nice to meet you, Alcide Herveaux. What can I do with you-For you…" She blushed furiously as her slip of the tongue made him chuckle. She tried again, "What brings you to Bon Temps?"

"Northman said there's a problem with the washing machine."

Anamaria blinked slowly for several seconds, earning her a strange look from the beautiful stranger in front of her. "Eric sent you…For my washing machine?"

"Yeah. I've got a new one in my van, I'm supposed to put it in for you."

She blinked again, somewhere between confusion, embarrassment, gratitude and outrage. "That's your van?" She jerked her thumb to the blue van parked in front of the house.

He frowned a little, no doubt thinking she was incredibly stupid. "Yeah, it is. You okay?"

"Apart from a washing machine, you got anything else in that magical van of yours?" She asked tiredly, having a feeling where this was going.

He looked down at the clipboard in his hand. "Uh, yeah. I got a new washing machine, microwave, water heater, TV, and I'm taking a look at your stove too."

Anamaria groaned loudly, rubbing her temples to fight against the headache forming between her eyes. "Oh god…Mr Herveaux, I am so sorry Eric made you come here-"

"Northman said you wouldn't like it, and I'm supposed to tell you that the bill's already taken care of. I'm also not supposed to take 'no' for an answer, despite how stubborn you might be."

"Is there anything else you're 'supposed' to do?" She grumbled as she glared at him.

"I've got a list." He smirked as he gestured towards the house with his clipboard. "You gonna let me in, like a good girl?"

Anamaria flushed, cursing her arousal. Why couldn't she just control herself around this poor man! She swallowed thickly and mumbled, "I've got groceries in the car…"

"Come on then." He was already heading towards her old yellow car before she could object.

"You really don't have to-!"

"It's no trouble." He insisted casually, opening the trunk of her car and picking up all six plastic bags full of food. Anamaria wasn't a weak girl, but there was no way she could get that many bags at once. But being a contractor was obviously good for the body, judging by his muscled forearms and tall frame.

Anamaria quickly unlocked the front door and held it open for him. "Just put them in the kitchen, thanks." He walked on ahead of her into the kitchen, putting the bags down on the kitchen table. "I'm sorry about the state of the house…It's a long story…And I'm sorry it's so hot in here; I'm not leaving my windows open right now…That's another long story."

He shrugged. "It's fine. Where's the washing machine?"

He was obviously a man of few words, so she showed him the broken machine. As he got to work disconnecting the machine, she put the groceries away, trying to make idle chatter with him as they both worked. He answered some of her questions, but seemed intent on getting on with his job. It didn't really bother her; she just carried on with her chores.

After Alcide removed the washing machine from the house and brought the new one in, Anamaria offered him a drink. They sat down at the table – at her insistence – and snacked on lemonade and cookies.

"So how do you know Eric?" She asked, desperately curious about this man.

He didn't seem happy though. "My dad's contracting business hit a rough spot a few years ago; he went to Northman for a loan."

Even though he was her boyfriend/Mate, Anamaria winced and adjusted her legs under the table. "Wouldn't have been my first choice."

"You take what you can get in this world." Alcide said simply. "Northman said that he'll take what I'm charging off my dad's bill, at twice the price."

"That was nice of him…" Anamaria felt a little awkward, since it was so obvious that Alcide didn't like Eric.

"I suppose." He twiddled a cookie between his long fingers, looking down at the table. The atmosphere suddenly became a little tense. 'I hear you read minds. That true?'

Anamaria chuckled and he raised his head. Lifting her glass to her mouth, she took a slow drink and directed her thoughts at him, 'Yes it is.'

Alcide reared back. 'Holy shit!' Anamaria smiled again. She liked him. 'So we could have a conversation with us both sitting here, clam shut?'

She shrugged. 'Well it might be a little odd, but yes we could.'

He said out loud, "I'll keep that in mind." Clearing his throat, he stood up. "I best put that new machine in for ya." He pushed his chair back under the table and headed into the laundry room, just next to the kitchen.

"I must say," Anamaria called out slightly louder than usual so he could hear her, "You got here quick."

"How'd you mean?" He called back.

"After our fight, I assumed Eric called you last night."

Alcide popped his head through the doorway between the two rooms. "No, he called a couple days ago; today was the soonest I could get here from Jackson with all the new stuff Northman wanted."

"Oh, right…" Feeling suddenly awkward, Anamaria changed the subject as she examined the new microwave's box. "You're from Jackson?"

They talked for another half an hour before Alcide said that he'd finished with the new washer. After that, he moved onto the water heater. He took out the old one, which was far rustier than Anamaria had thought possible, considering that the water wasn't that bad, and installed the new tank-less device. Anamaria followed his instructions and turned the kitchen taps on, to 'flush the system' and get the new heater working, then put in a load of laundry in the new and high-tech washing machine. All the while, Alcide was wiring in and tuning the new flat screen television. All in all, not a bad day.

!"!

The house was just starting to return to normal after a mad few hours cleaning after Alcide left just after five. There were still a few jobs she couldn't do herself, so she'd put Godric or Eric to use then. She was still furious with Eric about the events of the previous night, but she still tried not to feel like she would be taking advantage of them by remembering Eric's own words that she and her home were a reflexion on Godric and him; to have a Sheriff's human living in a house covered in mud made him look bad to other vampires.

A knock on the front door disturbed Anamaria's sweeping. Broom still in hand, Anamaria headed to the front door, pulling back the voile over the window in the door. To her surprise, it was Pam. She opened the door and looked at the vampiress. She wore a cream twinset and matching pencil skirt, with gentle make-up, looking nothing like she does at Fangtasia. Anamaria supposed that the Gothic appearance was for the customers and 'fangbangers'.

"May I come in?" Pam drawled in her rolling accent. It was predominantly Southern, but there was something – or several somethings – underneath it that Anamaria couldn't place. Rolling her eyes at the other woman's sarcastic tone, she opened the front door and extended an invitation. Pam eyed her broom. "Humans still use brooms?" She hummed. "I thought they would have gone away with the old wind-up telephone and three-wheeled cars. Why don't you get one of those Roomba devices?"

Anamaria just blinked as she closed the front door. "I'm a student who, up until recently, was living with a pensioner; we couldn't afford a Roomba. We don't all have rich vampire Makers to look after us and spoil us with clothes and shoes." She smiled to let Pam know she wasn't being too serious.

Pam hummed again. "Well speaking of clothes and shoes; get your shit together, we're going shopping."