Ch. 21: The End of the Beginning

Franklin was swooning knowing that Talbot had taken more than enough blood but the vampire continued to drain him. His thoughts shifted from his mother and sister to Tara and back continously but he couldn't really feel his own body any longer. At least it didn't hurt, he thought just as Talbot pressed him closer to the wall and his body started to grow cold.

Franklin didn't realize anyone else was in the room with them until Talbot's bloody mouth was forced off of his throat and Tara was there before his eyes. She looked beautiful despite the obvious feeding she had done and the bits of thicker things than blood hanging from her shirt. He drifted his glazed over eyes to the bite mark on her shoulder and attempted to lift his head and ask her about it but she kissed his forehead quieting him.

"Rest now Franklin, you're free." Her voice sounded further and further away but it was comforting and he let it take him away...

Tara waited until she knew Franklin was completely out of it before she turned to see Pam still holding Talbot. Although he was older than Tara and Pam, two against one was always a stronger odd. He struggled of course but he was too far gone in bloodlust to be a threat in Pam's arms.

"You have no idea how fucked you will be if you harm me! Russell will-"

"Oh please shut up Talbot. I'm not impressed by your husband he's an idiot in his own class."

Pam said sounding bored and letting her fangs extend as she started feeding off of Talbot. He tried to get away but Tara joined in causing him to whimper and writhe on the ground. Just then the door burst open and Russell stormed in with fire in his eyes, but not much else since Bill was standing there beside him with a silver spike in his shoulder.

Tara and Pam looked up forgetting that Bill had gone missing. Bill kept his eyes on Russell as he backed him into the room and made him kneel beside Talbot but not close enough for them to touch.

"Bill what the hell are you doing here! How did you catch Russell?" Tara asked confused and not liking it even if Bill was helping them. She was more pissed off than anything at the fact that Bill hadn't been home to help Sookie.

"I was captured by Russell's wolves and forced to give them information so that Franklin could go and kill Sookie. Russell here knew about Sookie's powers but I couldn't stop him until now."

"You're a trader to your kind Bill Compton. That little barmaid is a danger to all vampires...she must be stopped!"

"Enough!" Bill said and Tara had to agree. She stepped away from Talbot's squirming body in Pam's arms and walked over to Russell. She kicked him enough to cause something to break but of course it healed almost immediately.

"He's not a trader Sookie has never used her powers to harm a vampire, even if she could control them. You're a crazy bastard who makes people kill for you. Franklin is mine and he is free of you, and you and Talbot won't get to see another night."

Russell still looked arrogant and nonbeliving as he continued to struggle. Tara snarled at him and he snarled back before she took the stake away from Bill and drove it out and back in burning her hand and hitting his heart. Talbot screamed and Russell's body exploded into a pile of jelly, red, stringy mess that covered both Tara and Bill who were the closest to him. Pam pulled off Talbot's head to stop the screams and they watched his body become the same.

Tara looked away watching her hand heal instead before she unhooked Franklin and let silent bloody tears fall because it was evident that there was only one choice left for Franklin and her. She looked to Pam as if asking permission before she gently woke Franklin up...

"Franklin can you hear me? Franklin?"

He slowly opened his eyes and locked eyes with Tara who was now the only other person in the room. He went to speak but his throat still hurt too much and the bite marks were starting to sting like a million bees. Tara had been crying.

"Not to worry Franklin, Russell and Talbot are dead and the werewolves are going to realize that soon and probably won't continue to attack. Talbot took a lot of blood, can you feel it?" She asked and he could only respond by shaking his head. She looked down at the floor whimpering before picking her head back up and he saw those bloody tears falling.

"What's the matter Tara? Russell is dead I'm free now."

"I know, but Talbot...he's drained you Franklin. Do you know what that means I must do to keep you alive?"

Franklin felt his own tears falling now because he had spent enough time around vampires to know he would have to be turned. A vampire bite this severe had only two outcomes one being death...the other immortality. Franklin watched Tara wipe some of the blood off of her face and arms and chest. Then he watched silently as she undid his chains, breaking them in half since she couldn't bare to search the bloody pile that was Talbot for the keys.

"Don't worry Franklin, we'll travel back to Eric's and get you properly cared for. I'll make your last night not so painful."

"What about my family? How will you tell them what's happened to me...and can I see them again?"

Tara smile grew a bit and she told him that eventually they could go to see them. After all if Tara's messed up family could accept her for what she was, why wouldn't Franklin's?

"Tara we gotta go, now. Eric's just called me." Pam said coming back in the room with Bill trailing behind her. Tara picked Franklin up as if he weighted nothing and she knew that was a combination of his blood lost and her supernatural abilities. They all headed back to the car and drove away back to Bon Temps. The sound of Russell's werewolves mourning with howls could be heard on the way but they didn't follow. Why should they when their master was no longer with them?

Tara said a silent prayer that Eric would allow her to keep Franklin and that he would last until they got back home. She only wished what she was about to do wouldn't make him hate her in the centuries to come.