Sam watched Anne Marie pace the length of Santiago's living room as they waited for the vampires to return from the cemetery. She had lost her clothes on the street somewhere when she became a cat, but the closets in Santiago's apartment were stuffed with both male and female clothing in a variety of sizes and she hadn't had any trouble finding something to fit.
Sookie and Lafayette sat across from Sam on one of the antique sofas. Lafayette had helped himself to the bar and Sam was tempted to follow suit. The vampire Roberto had let them in before heading out for his own pursuits, and none of Santiago's usual complement of young men and vampires were around tonight, so it was just the four of them. Sam wasn't sure whether he felt safer or not with them gone.
"I'm sure they'll find your brother," Sookie said in a kind tone to Anne Marie. Sam's wife stopped pacing and looked at her.
"Hope so," she said.
"Hooker, you need to sit yo' ass down and have a drink," said Lafayette. He stood up and almost pushed Anne Marie onto the sofa next to Sookie, then poured everyone a shot of tequila. Sam and Anne Marie accepted the glasses without protest. Sookie looked at hers for a long moment, but then took it as well.
Sam knocked back the tequila and felt the welcome burn in his throat. He heard Sookie sputtering, but then she held up her glass to Lafayette.
"One more," she said.
The four of them killed the bottle over the next three hours. Possibly a second bottle, but Sam wasn't really sure. He just drank whatever Lafayette poured them and let Sookie and Anne Marie talk.
"I knew it wasn't going to be easy to be married to Bill," Sookie said. "But I didn't think he'd be out in a graveyard with a bunch of other vampires watching a drug dealer get killed on our honeymoon." She hiccupped and then looked over at Lafayette, who had pursed his lips.
"Dis why I give up dealin' V," the black man said. "I learned the hard way that vampires ain't to be fucked with."
"I still can't believe Simone a vampire, him," said Anne Marie. She looked slightly weepy.
"At least they found him," said Sookie.
"We hope," said Sam.
"Oh, he's there," Sookie insisted.
"Two months he been missin', him," said Anne Marie.
"I don't want to know what a vampire that been starvin' for two months look like," said Lafayette.
"Dey help him, won't dey?" Anne Marie asked plaintively.
"Of course they will," said Sookie, putting her arms around the Cajun red-head.
"Dat Queen Sophie ain't so nice," Anne Marie whispered. Sam knew she was fighting back tears. He wanted to hold her in his arms but he knew he wouldn't fit on the little sofa with the two of them.
"Bill will look after him, even if none of the rest of them do," said Sookie with certainty.
"So will Peggy," Sam added.
Before they could debate further, the door to the apartment swung open and Santiago swooshed in, his cape flowing behind him. He cradled an emaciated figure in his arms, and Sam knew at once that it was the once-beautiful and vivacious Simone. Without stopping, Santiago passed them and headed for one of the back bedrooms.
Anne Marie leapt to her feet, clearly meaning to follow, but swayed dangerously. Sam got up to catch her and only managed to trip over Lafayette. Somehow Bill Compton managed to right all three of them and gather Sookie to him in seconds.
"Have you been drinking tequila?" Bill asked his wife.
"Just a little," said Sookie. "Can we go back to the hotel?"
"Yes. If you all will forgive us, I bid you a good night." Bill steered Sookie out without another word or personal salutation to anyone else, including Pam, Peggy, and Eric who had followed Santiago, Simone, and Bill silently into the apartment.
"I need to see my brother," said Anne Marie. She turned and stumbled in the direction that Santiago had taken Simone.
"What happened in the cemetery?" Sam asked, looking at Peggy, then Eric.
"You are better off not knowing the details," Eric said bluntly.
"How is Simone?" Sam needed to know, so he could prepare himself to help his wife.
"Hungry," said Eric, smiling wickedly.
"I'm going to bed," said Lafayette. He quickly disappeared down the hall into one of the bedrooms and Sam heard the lock click behind him.
"They think Simone will recover in a few months," said Peggy, "But until he does, he needs to be…looked after."
"Anne Marie will want to look after him."
"By other vampires, she means," said Eric. "He is probably better off in Santiago's care, as much as it pains me to say it."
"Two other vampires were rescued," Peggy added. "The queen's people are going to rehabilitate them."
"They weren't nearly as lucky," said Pam, shuddering.
"Have you ever seen a starving vampire, shifter?" Eric asked Sam softly.
"No," said Sam shortly.
"Then consider yourself lucky. It might be the last thing you ever saw."
"Eric," Peggy put a hand on his arm to stop him from tormenting Sam, and Sam was grateful enough for that. "Go on after Anne Marie, Sam," she said more gently. "We're fine, and she's going to need you."
Sam nodded. "Okay. I'm glad you're safe, Peggy."
"Thank you, Sam," Peggy said.
"Aren't you glad I'm safe, Sam?" asked Eric in an injured tone. Sam ignored him as he turned and headed down the hallway. He heard Peggy admonishing her Viking lover and Eric laughing as he walked away. Whatever, Sam had more important things to worry about that Eric being an asshole, which was nothing unusual. He shook his head, trying to sober up.
The door to the furthest back bedroom was open and just outside it Sam could see Anne Marie and Santiago facing each other, and he had a bad feeling about it.
"He is too sick to talk to you," Santiago insisted, blocking the doorway. "It's too dangerous."
"Why you care if it dangerous for me?" Anne Marie demanded. "I'm his family!"
"I'm his Maker!"
"You lucky I don't stake you for dat reason alone! Let me past." Anne Marie shoved at him, but Santiago stood his ground.
"You're drunk and you need to go to bed, pussycat," said Santiago.
"She's drunk, but you're being cruel," Sam said, coming up behind his wife. "Let her see Simone, just for a minute, and then she will go lie down. Please, Christopher. Surely you can understand how she's feeling." He paused. "Is Simone really too dangerous for her to go to him?"
Santiago was silent for a long moment. "He wouldn't want you to see him this way," he said.
"Can you at least ask him if he will see Anne Marie?" Sam put his hands on her shoulders and found her trembling.
Santiago slipped into the room and shut the door behind them. Anne Marie turned around, her eyes wide. "Sam!"
"Shh, sweetheart, it's going to be okay."
Anne Marie flung her arms around him and he held her tightly, stroking her back and whispering soothingly. More than wanting to see his brother-in-law, he wanted his wife to be all right. That was all that mattered, her comfort, how she felt.
A moment later Santiago opened the door, and ushered them into the room, his expression utterly blank. Anne Marie rushed to the bed, falling to her knees beside it, and Sam saw her take a bone-like white hand into her own. He took a few steps towards the bed and had to force back his horror at the sight of Simone.
The once-handsome vampire was little more than too-white flesh stretched over a skeleton. His thick auburn hair still curled around his face, shiny and beautiful, but his sunken green eyes seemed almost alien, so big did they appear in his skull. Sam was glad that most of him was covered by a luxurious dark blue velvet blanket.
"Shouldn't you give him some… blood?" Sam asked Santiago.
"He's already had all he can handle for tonight," Christopher replied softly. "It will take time to build him back up. He won't be able to hunt on his own for several weeks."
Sam had begun to see why it was better for Simone to be looked after by vampires. He nodded. He remembered that Pam had said Simone was luckier than the other vampires who had been taken by the drainers, and he was glad that he hadn't seen them.
"Tell Eric I want to talk to him," Sam heard Simone say. His voice was raspy, a rattle in his throat.
"Why do you want to—" Santiago began, but he cut himself off. "As you wish, my love." He turned and left the room.
Sam took a deep breath and drew closer to his wife and the figure on the bed. "Hey, there, Simone," he said, forcing a cheerful note into his tone.
"Sam," Simone acknowledged. "You're very good to Anne Marie. I'm glad you're here."
Sam nodded. Anne Marie's face was streaked with tears. It was with a guilty sense of relief that he herded her out of the room and to the privacy and comfort of a warm bed once Santiago had reappeared with Eric in tow.