Chapter Twenty-One

Once we'd gotten into the car Sookie fell asleep. I thought she might be shaken by the battle but she wasn't. She was just tired. She woke when we got to a pit stop and had me buy her clothes from a random human woman. The white dress she'd worn was doused in blood, ash and dirt. It was a pity, it had been lovely.

"You are the second best lover I've ever had," I told her. "And I am the best you've ever had. I don't understand why you won't give into me."

I'd been watching her as she changed in the back seat and her curves had simply forced to me voice that point of frustration. My view also allowed me to see her disbelieving and infuriated expression. I sighed, knowing I had signed up for more silent treatment.

"How long are you going to remain angry this time?" We had spent the last hour and half in silence. I wondered if perhaps I should say something. It wouldn't be an apology because I'd done nothing wrong.

"I'm not angry," she said and she truly did not sound angry or smell of it.

"What are you?" I asked genuinely curious.

"Confused I think." I did not press her and she did not volunteer more than those three words. We had to stop for gas and she had human needs to see to.

"Do you want anything?" she asked. I knew she was asking more out of her polite ways than thinking I would want something.

There was nothing in that hovel for me. In response I rolled my eyes and she smiled as she walked away. I liked that she was easy like that. Nothing weighed her down for too long. The way she was walking was light instead of the stomping troll act. It told me that whatever her problem was she was over it. I was so absorbed in watching her walk away that I did not notice the mortals approaching me from behind.

The next thing I felt was splitting pain through my head and then darkness. I woke in the bed of a truck wrapped in silver chains. I was grateful that I had kept on a sweater. The chains across my body were only heating my skin through the fabric of my clothes but not burning me. It was painful but not as excruciating as the thick silver around my neck. I held very still; struggling would only force the silver deeper into my flesh, and then I risked poisoning my blood. Blood was soaking my shirt and I saw some of it on the weapon that caused my blackout. I had lost a lot of blood but it was not severe. The main thing to do was calm myself.

I heard a heavy steel door open and the Sookie's scent was in the air. It was unfortunate. She would have reported me missing but we were now in the same boat.

"Eric," she whispered. I cast my eyes down without moving my head. She was alone. Her face was a mirror of concern and anger but she was not afraid. Typical. She climbed nimbly into the truck bed and began removing the chains. When she reached for the one around my throat, she hesitated.

"Do it," I rasped. "Quickly." She closed her eyes and pulled. I ran my fangs into my lip to choke back the scream that I knew would have escaped. The pain was insufferable but it was short lived. I remained still while the worse of my burns healed. I was thinking of how I was going to kill those that did this and it was comforting.

"The cops are coming," she said. In the distance I heard sirens. It meant I wouldn't get to kill the people that had done this to me "We should go." She had brought a pack of bloods with her. This time she drove and I sat in passenger seat choking down, cold bottled blood and seething.

"Are you okay?" she asked after more miles of silence.

"Fine," I said coolly. "What happened?"

"Two Weres, they have been following us since Arkansas. Anyway, they were supposed to take me back with them." There was zero evidence to suggest such, but this had Threadgill written all over it. Only he would send Weres to do a vampire's job. Then again they presumed she was alone, not that having me with her did any good.

"How did you get away?" When I didn't even see it coming I added mentally.

"The clerk had a gun," she said, making it sound so very simple, which made me even angrier.

"You didn't have to come for me," I spat at her. I saw her surprise turn into indignation when she finally registered my anger.

"Was there something wrong with me saving you?"

"Yes" I said evenly. "I could have managed."

"Huh!" she said with voice laced with venom. "Okay just answer this: is it because I'm a woman or because I'm not a vampire?"

I was being unreasonable. When you wanted to live, it did not matter who saved your life but that logic did not silence my ire. "Both, but mostly because I didn't need you." I have gotten out of worse scrapes. I was overtaken by two mutts and had to be rescued by a human woman. It was a disgrace.

She hadn't flinched at my words though they were dripping with venom and I knew lesser men would have squealed. Once I'd spoken I realized I was lashing out unjustly. I wanted to take them back but it was too late and I was too angry to pursue it in any case.

"I'll remember that." There was nothing in her voice that indicated any emotion.

The remainder of the drive was made in poised silence. When we finally arrived at her house she got out of the car without a word or backward glance. I exited after her feeling like an ass. My pride had been wounded but she still saved me. In thanks I'd lashed out.

"Lover, I—" I began. A deafening crack rent the air. It was accompanied by a piercing pain tearing through my head for the second time in less than three hours. The exception was that this occurrence did not come with the luxury of unconsciousness. I crumpled to the ground with the knowledge that I had been shot. There were fragments of skull and brain tissue on the driver's side window. My blood was splattered over the car and pouring from both the entry and exit wounds. I think I could say unequivocally and conclusively that tonight sucked silver stakes.

Sookie came to me and horror was plain on her face. I regretted my harsh words now and wished I had done something to make amends. Behind her the assailants approached. I tried to speak but that function along with almost all others was damaged. I looked past her in an attempt to warn her. It was unnecessary. Her telepathy provided warning enough.

Working quickly Sookie shrugged off her jacket and rolled me onto my side. The side of my head with the bullet wound was no longer lying in the cold dirt though it did nothing for the pain. Then she pulled off her heavy sweater and threw it over me. If I still had control over any of my facial muscles I would have smiled at the touching but unnecessary gesture.

Now the only thing between my impending final death at the hands of four large Weres was Sookie, empty-handed, wearing nothing but jeans and flimsy t-shirt. In other words I was doomed.

"Howdy boys," Her tone was very friendly and familiar as she addressed the would-be assassins. She was walking casually towards them as if they were invited guests to her tea party. "I'm sure he's done something to deserve that but I'm gonna have to ask that there be no more violence here, please."

Two of them laughed, one of whom was the person who fired the shot. He still had the rifle thrown casually over his shoulder. Nothing would save him if I survived this. I would rip his fucking heart out and use his arteries as a straw.

"Well, why don't you come with us sugar and your dead friend can remain just dead and not finally dead."

"He's like what?" She turned to look at me over her shoulder to shoot me questioning glance. "A thousand and some change, I'm only twenty-four. Doesn't sound like a fair trade to me."

The Weres laughed at her wit. There was honesty in her tone that made me want to laugh too, but it also made me nervous. I had told her in the not too distant past that I didn't need her. That had come to bite me the ass pretty fucking quickly.

There was nothing for me to do but watch intently. It gave me a chance to see what Sookie was intending to do. She was stupid, so very stupid, and suicidal by the looks of things. As the Weres laughed she was inching closer to the one with the rifle. Her eyes were clear and calculating. I wouldn't meet the true death for her. I hated that she was thinking of doing that exact thing for me. Not enough that I wished she would abandon me but enough to pray that she wouldn't suffer much before she met her end, before we both did.

"Quit fucking around, Miles. Grab the bitch and let's get the hell out," one of them called.

"There's just no need for that kind of language," Sookie muttered under her breath. Then she attacked.

They never saw it coming. They had not been paying attention to body positioning. She had drawn them into a small circle around her. Their size and numbers would not be to their advantage in that small space. The one that called her a bitch was the first to meet her wrath. She struck him twice with exceptionally fast and well-targeted blows that had been accompanied by the unmistakable crunch of bone. He went down with no plans to get up in the immediate future, if ever.

The swiftness of her attack caused a delayed reaction from the other Weres. After all, how often was it that a human woman did that? Their delay gave her time to grab for the rifle. It had already been primed by its owner and it went off, but it was one of his companions who hit the ground. There was a bullet lodged in his throat and he gurgled as he choked on his own blood. Sookie kicked the other one that was still standing. The force knocked him back and she used the momentum to literally climb up the arm of the one with the gun. The gunman could not maintain his grip as she pulled the gun upward.

It had to be hand to hand combat. If they took the time to shift she would have time to take the gun and shoot them both before they finished their transformation. She fought to maintain her hold of the gun and it ended up breaking from the strap taking away both their chance to take hold of it.

Sookie wasted no time in shifting her methods. All she had in her hands was the broken strap of the gun that was already tangled around the Were's neck. She leapt off his shoulders with both ends of the strap in her hand. He flailed wildly; trying to connect a blow and throw her off as he fought for breath. Given the difference in their height she was safely behind him, choking the life from his body.

I was sure she would have killed him but the last accomplice who was still mobile grabbed Sookie off his friend. He threw her so forcefully that she bounced off the ground and landed several feet away. He kicked her as she was down and I heard at least one of her ribs give way. He tried to kick her again and she grabbed him at the ankle and used her foot to snap his leg at the shin. There was a howl as he went down because of the break. She twisted his ankle for good measure. He threw several punches before he hit the ground. He landed two. She broke something in his hands but I could not say what. They fell out of my view as they rolled on the ground.

I watched the half strangled were who had caught his breath and finally untangled the strap of rifle from his neck. He began running for the gun.

Sookie saw him despite her preoccupation. She was closer and pulled out from under her current opponent. She began running for it as well. She was moving slower because of her injuries. She wasn't going to make it, even I knew that much. She realized this too because she slid on the grass like she was running to home base and tripped him. Down he went like a log. He let out a shout of pain; pure frustration and outrage.

They faced off because the gun was now out of both their reach. Her poise and strategy under fire was more than impressive. Despite her odds she had kept the fight on her terms; hand to hand. Sookie was not a foot from me. I could feel the heat from her body. I could see the damage she had taken. She was cradling her right side with her left hand. Her opponent was limping and I knew something in his right foot was damaged.

"What'd you say? Huh?" She wheezed wiping at the heavy flow of blood from her nose "Truce." She coughed and spit out a mouth full of blood. His response was to pull out a large hunting knife from his boot. She sighed, "Figures."

She ran closer to me with him at her heels. Quickly she removed the sweater she had draped over me. She pulled her hands through the sleeves, using the garment in its half on half off position to deflect her assailant's wild stabs. With her ability she knew where he would strike the instant he thought it. Every time he lunged at her she dodged and made him pay with a well-placed kick, all of which were targeted at his injured leg.

The fight ended when he stumbled under a particularly vicious knee to his side. Wasting no time Sookie kicked the knife from his hand. A kick to his ribs brought him to his knees. Then she leapt off the ground with force and agility. Her knee connected with his head and it snapped back with a satisfying snap as his neck broke. Yes, Weres could heal quickly, but when they died they were gone for good. And that sack of filth was no more. Score four for the telepath. I simply couldn't believe it. She'd overcome the odds.

When the fight was over Sookie staggered and limped to the gun. By the time she reached it she'd dropped onto her hands and knees, gasping for breath. Every time she coughed and wheezed she cried out in pain. She was coughing up blood by the mouthful. I knew the pain from her ribs must have been incredible. I knew she had to be freezing now that the adrenaline was wearing off. I wanted to go to her but the hole in my skull had not yet closed. She crawled back to me with gun in hand. Even with all the blood and dirt on her face she was smiling. Of all the absurd things, she snuggled with me. Her head rested on my chest. She moved my arm to drape over her while she wrapped her arms around herself. I was staring at her trying to understand the conundrum. I was coming to the realization that this woman was completely other. She couldn't be human.

"You know Eric, I'm getting tired of saving that pretty ass of yours." The pain was so intense her words were a pant but I could still hear the humor in it.

So, she finally admitted my ass was pretty. I'd known all along of course.

I know a lot of you are excited for the return of Godric but he'll get here when the time's right.