Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.
Eric couldn't help the anger that had been building as he drove back from New Orleans... it was only made worse by Bill Compton and his logic... forcing Eric to give up the house he had worked so very hard to acquire. That meant he would now have to come up with a new way to make Sookie his. And although that problem irked him, his bigger concern was Russell Edgington. Bringing him in, alive, to the Authority was going to be quite the challenge, and his life was once again in grave danger.
That combined with his frustration at how Russell could have gotten free put him in a very poor mood. He knew he hadn't set Russell free, and there was no way Compton would have done it. Not that he trusted Bill Compton, but he would have far too much to lose if Russell was free. That left Pam...
A part of him couldn't believe that Pam would ever do such a thing. But he knew she could be impulsive, and after what happened outside of that stupid witch shop, she had been hurt and angry at him. He had a hard time believing she could be so stupid, but he also couldn't fathom anyone else having done such a thing. And the events of the last few days made him unwilling to trust anyone, he knew that even Nora had to be keeping things from him. That werewolf was the only other person who knew where Russell was buried, and his hatred of vampires should have kept him far away from there. It had to have been Pam. He was angry, so angry, but it was also as if his heart was breaking, to have been betrayed in that way by his own progeny.
He made his way into Fangtasia, it was far past closing and the place seemed empty. After a quick check to make sure it was empty, he changed clothes, in serious need of unburned clothing. He topped off his dark shirt with another black jacket and made his way to his throne where he waited.
It didn't take long, his Pam was always a prompt one. His simple text of "Fangtasia, now" was all it took. She rushed in, a smile on her face that faded as she saw him sitting there, his face more somber than usual. She must have felt the tension or the anger coming from him, because she stopped dead in her tracks, her face falling. Her exuberance at his return somehow managed to make him even more angry. She had put them all at risk over some hurt feelings.
"Eric? What's going on?" She said from where she stood by the door. Her black outfit so fitting of her typical stylish yet vampire look.
"I am very disappointed in you, Pam." His voice was stone cold. He didn't move a muscle as he spoke. The confusion was clear on her face as she stepped closer to him.
"Eric, what happened? What are you talking about?" she asked, perplexed.
"Russell Edgington happened. Where is he, Pam?"
"What? I thought he was buried in cement for the next 100 years..."
"Where is he?" He asked again, his voice getting quieter.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know where he is," She told him, shaking her head. Eric was not pleased with her denial, her 'playing dumb,' not after everything he had been through in the past 24 hours. He had her by the throat and slammed her against the bar top.
"Stop f*cking lying!" His fangs were out and in her face. Fear was clear in her eyes as he held her down.
"I... I'm not lying, I swear I don't know where Russell is," she managed to eek out as his hand closed around her throat.
"Someone dug him up, and I know it wasn't me," He growled at her as the tears pooled in her eyes. His anger surged, but not just at Pam, he was angry with himself, too. He released her and turned away. He retracted his fangs as he paced away from her, frustrated, angry, confused.
"What's happened to you? How could you think I would go and dig up Russell Edgington?" She had stood up from where he had thrown her on the bar. Her fire was back, her voice also laced with anger.
"I trust no one... you shouldn't either," He looked back at her, she was angry and hurt.
"Does this have something to do with the Authority? What did they do to you?" She took a step towards him, still cautious.
"It has NOTHING to do with the Authority. You have disobeyed me again, and I will not stand for it. No one else knew where he was buried, it had to be you," he couldn't control the anger, which made him even more angry. He had spent decades learning to control his emotions, this should not be happening.
"We've spent a century together, and never once have I done anything to hurt you... to hurt us. If you can't trust me more than Bill Compton or a werewolf for Christ sake," Her anger was growing, he could hear it, and he could also feel it as she spoke, "Then release me and get it over with."
Eric was stunned, that was definitely not what he had expected from Pam. Although they had fought outside the witch shop, she had been fine before he left with Bill. Perhaps she had not been as fine as he thought. He was angry with her, but releasing her hadn't ever crossed his mind. She was his.
"Just say the words, As... your... maker... I... release... you. Say it, and we're done. SAY IT!" her voice wavered, she was trying to be strong... his cold and heartless Pam, but a part of her didn't mean it. Just as a part of him couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was someone else... the Authority had known, or at least Roman had known where he was. According to Nora he was the only one aware of Russell's location.
He had taken Nora's word over Pam's, his own progeny. What had he said once, the only vampire you can trust is the vampire you made? He wasn't doing a very good job at following his own advice.
"No," he said quietly, not ready to face her. He had put his hands on one of the upturned chairs as he thought... he didn't realize until the wood crumbled in his hands how much tension he was carrying. He needed to remember what Godric had taught him so long ago... what he had tried to teach Pam. We are not a slave to our emotions, we dominate them.
He could feel Pam behind him, she was fighting her tears, a few drops of red had made their way down her cheek before he had turned away from her. He found himself wanting to trust her, to believe her. She had always been his loyal companion, even when she questioned his decisions it was out of loyalty and for his benefit.
"The Authority is ready to put me to death. They know about Russell, and now he's escaped. We've been given 48 hours to bring him in, or else." He said softly, without emotion, walking towards the stage where his chair sat. But he didn't sit in it. Instead he sat on the edge of his stage. She hesitated just a moment before walking towards him and sitting down next to him. She sat close enough to him that he could reach for her hand should he choose.
"We?" she asked tentatively.
"Bill Compton and I have been given the task in exchange for our lives," he still couldn't bring himself to look at her, but he did reach for her hand. The Viking Vampire God, holding hands with his weeping progeny in his empty bar. He did not like how far he had fallen. This was not the vampire he was made to be.
"Bill Compton? And you trust him?" She asked, he could here the incredulity in her voice.
"No, and he doesn't trust me either. But he'll do what it takes, his desire to live and his desire to keep Sookie safe serve as very strong motivation. We will work together because it's necessary."
"What are you going to do? You got lucky last time, but he'll be out for blood." She interlaced his fingers with his as they sat.
"I don't know. The first thing we need to do is find him, which requires finding the person who set him free," He finally looked at her then, his eyes sharp, searching hers, could he trust her?
"I did not set him free, his first thought would be to come after you, I couldn't live with that," she met his gaze, staring back at him just as intently.
"Who else could have done it?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. If it wasn't one of them, it could have been anybody.
"The Authority will have my head... or Russell will," he told her, not overly optimistic that he would survive this. "I need a lawyer."
"What? Please, do not tell me you are going to try and leave me all your stupid property again," she said with her usual fire. This was good, her attitude grounded him, reminded him of who he was.
"No, but I do need to give up the Stackhouse property," he still was not pleased with that decision, but supposed he should stand by it. Sookie could prove useful, and he had slowly been learning that she was much more cooperative if you played nice.
"Sookie's house? But you worked so hard to get it, so you could use it. Why would you give it back now?" She questioned, shaking her head at him.
"She is in danger from Russell, he will come after her. If her house is not her own she will not be safe. As I told you, she is far too important to risk her safety. I will have to find another way once this is over," He stood then, heading back towards his office so he could call his lawyer and get the paperwork taken care of. There was not much time before sunrise and he and Pam needed to find a safe place to go to ground.
Once the sun rose, he would only have forty eight hours.
x
x
Bill recognized the man behind the bars immediately. He couldn't help the surge of frustration and anger at Jessica. He thought he had taught her better than this. She had been so impressive in helping while he had his amnesia. He thought his little girl had grown up and really gotten on board with the mainstreaming movement and that humans were more than just a meal ticket. These cells had been built for Bill to do his job, not for Jessica to toy with people.
"Oh thank god, you've got to help me. That red-headed devil put me in here, and she won't let me go. I've been stuck here for days, and I'm starving." Reverend Steve Newlin, dressed in khaki slacks and a light colored button down shirt with oddly enough, a sweater of some kind tied around his shoulders, whined at Bill. Bill grimaced at his tone. He remembered his last run in with Steve Newlin. In Dallas, where he had been threatening Sookie and everyone else in that church. In Dallas, where Steve Newlin had sent a young boy to kill the vampires in the Dallas nest, where those actions had led to Sookie's ingestion of Eric Northman's blood. Bill tamped down the anger rising in him, this was not the time or place to pay back Newlin.
Bill wasn't too sure he wanted to help him, but he knew that keeping a human prisoner was only going to make things worse for him with the Authority. Especially one as vocal and anti-vampire as this one. What the hell was she thinking?
"How did you get here?" Bill asked, his voice a low growl as he searched for leather gloves and the key to the silver barred cells.
"I don't know. I was minding my own business when that redhead grabbed me, and I woke up down here. You are all creatures of the devil, if there was ever any doubt, this will only strengthen my cause," He said, his most righteous tone echoing through the room.
"I will let you go, on the condition that you leave this town, and you never... ever... come back," Bill said, unlocking the door.
Bill stepped back from the bars, and turned to indicate the way out. He wanted this man out of his house so he could get some rest. He and Jessica would be having quite the discussion when she got up.
"Oh... but I like it here," Something in Steven Newlin's voice was different, before Bill could turn back to face him, Newlin had his arms around Bill's neck. "I think it'd be nice to be the king."
Bill knew instantly what had happened, and with a twist of his body and a well placed punch, Newlin was slammed up against the silver bars. Bill's fangs clicked into place as he put his hand on Newlin's face, touching his cheek to the bars. He got what even Bill would consider a girly scream out of him as his face burned. With essentially a flick of the wrist, he threw Steve Newlin back into the cell, slamming it shut as the lock clicked back into place.
Bill berated himself for not picking up on it sooner. For how vigilant he had been in exploring the house, it hadn't even crossed his mind to think that there was more going on than Jessica misbehaving. He felt guilty for not trusting her, after everything she had done for him.
"It's not so easy being King, you know. And while I may have fallen for your act for a moment, you can be guaranteed that it won't happen again," Bill said to him coldly.
"But you can't just leave me here, I'm so hungry. We're supposed to be on the same side, come on, I was just making a joke before," He had reverted back to that whining tone that had initially been so convincing. Now it was just annoying.
Bill simply ignored him, tucking the keys into his pocket as he headed back upstairs. Now that was quite the twist. Missing vampire hating preacher turned vampire... somebody out there was a big fan of irony. He would deal with Steve Newlin, vampire, later. After another quick check of the house, Bill punched in the code to his resting place and got ready to settle in for the day. He had forty eight hours left.
x
x
Sookie had not slept well. The werewolf attack followed by what had happened with Alcide had her all in knots. She felt bad, she hadn't tried to lead him on or anything, and although the attraction had always been there, it just couldn't work. It was that whole... maybe in another life time thing. But oddly enough, it hadn't been him that had haunted her dreams. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could see where Bill's blue ones. They way he had looked at her, with so much love. She finally had figured out why he was plaguing her so, it was simple, she missed him. Although they had been apart when he had been kidnapped, her life had been so busy that she hadn't had much time to miss him. Despite the danger hanging over her head, this was the most time she had to herself in a very long while, and it felt empty.
She still couldn't forget, though, and she feared that what had happened that night with the Rattray's would forever be an obstacle. To have let her be nearly beaten to death when he could have so easily stopped it, she didn't think there was any excuse in the world that could make that okay. She did have to admit that she'd be willing to hear one though, and test out that theory. Ugh, why am I thinking about this? she asked herself as she got out of bed. She didn't smell the coffee brewing like yesterday. Maybe Alcide had slept in.
She made her way towards the kitchen, trying to be quiet, she was surprised he wasn't up and heading to work by now. She was even more surprised by his note on the table... he had already left, and had ended the very short note with 'call ya later' and that was it. No 'be carefuls' or 'we should talk' or anything. She made a face at the note, annoyed. Was he really that upset? She guessed he had a few reasons to be upset with her, but she didn't think he would take her turning down his kiss so hard. Sookie sat at the table with a sigh and just for a few minutes, put her head down on her hands. This was one of those times when she wished for more experience with dating and men. Especially when they weren't around for her to just take a peek inside their heads.
Sookie looked at the kitchen clock, it was earlier than she thought. Which was good, she had a lot to do today. She needed to get home and then get in touch with Holly and Lafayette. She knew Lafayette wasn't too keen on anything supernatural at the moment, but she knew when it came to magic, he had a gift... she only hoped they'd agree to help her. She had to find a way to make her house safe, and if she was going to believe in witches now, she sure as hell could try and see if there was some magic that could help her.
She also wanted to see if she could find some time to herself to try and work on her... skills. She knew she could get that light to shoot out of her hands sometimes, and especially when she was angry or upset... but what else could it do? Could it protect her from Russell? She sure as heck hoped so, since she liked her independence, and had far too many run ins lately that required somebody else to come to her rescue. How exactly she was going to practice, she wasn't sure. But she knew she had to try.
She got cleaned up and her things together. She left Alcide a short note in return, that she was heading home, and if he wanted, she would either stay there or find somewhere else to stay if her house wasn't safe. She truly appreciated his help, but she didn't want him to think she was just taking advantage of him... or using him.
On her way home, she decided it would be easier if she just stopped by Lafayette's house instead of calling. That way she could visit with Tara. She really missed Tara, even if they had talked on the phone just the day before. She made the turn towards Lafayette's instead of her house and hummed along with the radio.
She knocked on the door, and after a moment, she was beaming when it was Tara who opened it. She looked fantastic. Her color was back, and her eyes were clear and bright.
"Hi, Sookie!" She said, a smile on her face as she pulled the door open so Sookie could step inside.
"Tara, you look wonderful, how are you feeling?" She asked as she walked farther into the house. She didn't see Lafayette, although he could certainly still be sleeping even though it was getting much later in the morning.
"Better, no headache at all today, and I don't feel like sleeping all the time," Tara dropped down onto the couch as she spoke. Sookie took a seat next to her.
"That's great, Tara. I'm so glad you're okay. You never should have done that, risking your life like that. I would lose my sh!t if something happened to you... you know that right?" Sookie told her as she took her hand.
"I know," Tara smiled back at her and at her use of the familiar phrase, "The same still holds true for me. You're like my sister, Sookie."
"I am your sister, blood doesn't matter none."
"So what brings you out here? Weren't you stayin' in Shreveport with that hot guy?" Tara asked her with a waggle of the eyebrows.
"It's not like that, Tara. He's just a friend."
"Mm hmm... he can be my friend any time," she giggled, and Sookie couldn't help but join in.
"You are feelin' better."
"Thanks to you and those magic fingers... what the hell is that anyways?" Tara's face turned serious.
"I... I don't really know. Bill told me that I was some sort of fairy, which, what does that even mean? Ya know?"
"Fairy? Now that's one I never expected, even after werewolves and damn vampires, and witches... Fairies huh?" Tara just looked at her, giving her that look.
"I guess so... I'm still kinda trying to figure it out," Sookie shrugged.
"Well, whatever it is, I'm glad you used it to save me," Tara leaned into her as they sat next each other on the couch.
"Me too," Sookie said. They just sat there for a few minutes in silence, just being with each other. Sookie, thinking about what she would do without Tara and how many times she had come close to losing her lately.
"I thought I heard voices, what brings you 'round here?" Lafayette asked as he stepped into the living room, wrapping a colorful robe around himself.
"Um... actually I wanted to ask for your help," Sookie said tentatively, she knew Lafayette wanted nothing to do with anything supernatural, but she hoped he'd at least be willing to help.
"My help? Sook, you know I don't want to get involved in any of this sh!t, I've got enough to deal with," Lafayette's face was stony, this was going to be a tough sell.
"Well, I'm hoping it will help protect us from all this sh!t," she told him, still sitting next to Tara.
"What exactly are you thinking?" He asked, taking a seat in the chair next to the couch.
"I was going to talk to Holly too, but I was thinking maybe there's some kinda spell or somethin' that we could use to keep vampires out of my house. I just hate being chased out of it," She scooted to the edge of the couch as she talked, excited about the idea of making her house safe again.
"Sookie, I don't want to get involved in any more magic or witches or none of that, I am f*ckin' done with that stuff," Lafayette was shaking his head, she could hear the agitation in his voice.
"Lafayette, I don't want to you have to get involved, but you've got more magic in you than anybody I know," She told him, hoping she could convince him.
"And it's brought me nothin' but trouble. I'm sorry, Sook, but I just can't... I can't do it." Behind his anger, Sookie could see the tears in his eyes.
"It's okay... it was just an idea. I'll find another way." Sookie did her best to hide her disappointment. After everything Lafayette had been through, she couldn't really blame him. She'd have to come up with another way to make her house safe, or at least focus on the other part of her plan. She needed to check in with Jason too, maybe his house was again safe if Steve Newlin managed to go on his way and leave Jason alone.
"Sookie, you need to find a way just get away from those vampires all together. It's brought you nothin' but trouble," Tara said, squeezing her friend's hand.
"If only it were that easy, Tara..." Sookie gave Tara a smile, but it wasn't a real one. Her life certainly hadn't been dull since vampires became a part of it... but she had almost been killed more times than she could count, not to mention the people around her. To an extent, she agreed with Tara, but she was too selfish to give up the wonderful moments she had with Bill in between all of the crazy and the danger. But what did she want for her future?
"I suppose I should be going, I've got lots to do, and daylight's a-waistin' " she told Tara as she stood from the couch. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Sounds good, Sook. But be careful," Tara warned, a look of concern on her face.
"I always am. I'm glad you're feeling better. When are you comin' back to work, Lafayette?" She asked him before she reached his door.
"Soon, I think. I can't just sit around here all day," He said, shaking his head.
"I'm sure Sam would be glad to have you back. 'Bye," she said with a small smile before heading out the door.
As she drove, she re-thought her plans. She could still talk to Holly and see if she'd be willing to do something about the house, she had pulled off a major miracle that night with the fire. Would she be able to do something like that again?
In addition to making her house safe, Sookie also wanted to find away to protect herself. To do that, she thought it was about time she tried out some experimenting with her 'powers.' She didn't know exactly how that was going to go, but now seemed like a good time to find out. She was glad it was another warm and sunny day and that her property was a good distance away from anybody else's. Well, except for Bill's house... but he wasn't home and even if he was, he certainly wouldn't be bothered by anything she was doing during the day.
As she pulled up to her house, she was overcome with that sense of peace, that sense of home as she took in the little house shining in the sunlight. All that was missing was her Gran. She did a quick check of the house, not sure what she was looking for. Not finding anything out of place, she made her way to the kitchen. She gathered up everything she thought she'd need and made her way out into the backyard.
Just over an hour later, Sookie flopped down on the blanket she had laid out, seriously frustrated. She had set up some old buckets and pots from the shed, and had been trying to blast them with her microwave fingers, but she couldn't even get a single spark. She turned on the radio, deciding that she had earned a little break and a snack. As she munched on the cheese and crackers she had found, she thought about what she knew about her 'gift.'
The first time it had happened, was during that whole thing with Maryanne, she had definitely been emotional then. Afraid and angry. Later, in Mississippi it had happened again when she was attacked by Russell and his werewolves. That was another time when in addition to angry and afraid for her life, she had been filled with emotional turmoil. One of the few times when she had seemed use her 'power' of her own volition was outside of Fangtasia, but it had taken Russell's prodding and inflammatory talk to get her angry. Sookie was sensing a bit of a pattern. She knew it happened when she was upset and afraid, but it also seemed that her anger helped fuel her power. She had tried that though. Standing in her backyard, trying to conjure up those kinds of feelings and emotions, but it just wasn't working.
She would rest for a little while, and then she'd try some more. It had sort of worked on command that night in the cemetery, but still she couldn't just turn it on, which was what she needed if she was going to protect herself. She almost wished for Claudine, or maybe one of the other fairy people that helped her get away, to teach her how to really use her powers. Although after her last encounter with Claudine, and how she was about to drag her off to that fairy place again... she wasn't sure if she wanted to see another fairy ever again.
She laid back, closing her eyes in the sun. It wasn't quite warm enough for sun bathing, but in her jeans and t-shirt, the sun was quite warm. She just listened to the radio and thought about what to do... letting her mind drift as the music flowed over her.
'Coming up next, a new release from Jason Mraz' the voice on the radio said, catching Sookie by surprise. She had always liked his music. He had a song called "I'm Yours" that had been popular just after she had starting seeing Bill... she had teased him about it, since he had been so fond saying "Sookie is mine." Well, she had been okay with teasing him about it, once she figured out that he only said it to keep her safe, and he didn't actually think of her as a possession.
She reached for the volume knob and turned up the radio a bit as the soft guitar began playing. She relaxed back onto the blanket, closing her eyes. One more song, and then she'd get back to work.
'When I look into your eyes, it's like watching the night sky..." his soft voice crooned. Sookie liked this one already. Someday, she'd have to find the time to get some new CDs. Although Sookie couldn't sing to save her life, she always had a fondness for music. She paid close attention to his words as she listened.
"And when you're needing your space, to do some navigating... I'll be here patiently waiting... to see what you've found," that phrase sounded somehow familiar... she had heard it before, although she couldn't pinpoint where.
"'Cause even the stars, they burn... some even fall to the earth... we've got a lot to learn, God knows we're worth it."
"I won't give up... on... us... even if the skies get rough. I'm giving you all... my... love, I'm still looking up..." the chorus repeated, bringing tears to Sookie's eyes. She didn't know if it was because of everything that happened, or all of the stress... but she was an emotional wreck, and a sappy love song was probably not what she needed.
As she listened, she couldn't help but think of Bill, and what he had said to her the night they had cleared the air, and pretty much ended whatever had started up again when he had lost his memories. What he had told her had been oddly mirrored in this new song, that's what was familiar. She knew he wouldn't give up on her... on them... but he would give her whatever space she needed. At moments like this, she couldn't help but love him, despite everything that stood between them.
She wiped her eyes, sitting up... it was time to get back to work. She was sick of this, sick of worrying, sick of being afraid... sick of feeling like she couldn't take care of herself. She stood with a new determination and aimed her hands at one of the old ugly pots she had found in the shed. She was sick of that ugly pot, too! Before she could even think about it, light shot out of her fingers, turning the clay pot into shards and dust. Sookie stood their dumbfounded. How did I do that? she wondered, turning to the next pot and trying again, this time without any success. Damnit! she had done it, but how?
She focused again, thinking about the things she had been thinking as she stood up, how she was going to take charge of her life, no more fear... it worked... well sort of. She could feel the energy in her hand, and the sparks came out of her fingers. It wasn't quite as powerful as that first blast, but it was better than nothing. She just had to keep working. Sookie smiled, it was really going to work. Before she could try again, she heard what sounded like a truck bouncing up her driveway.
She walked around to the front of the house to see who could possibly be visiting her, Alcide should still be working... but she hadn't heard from Jason in awhile. She was surprised to see a fed-ex truck, what would she be getting in the mail? She was curious, but also a bit apprehensive. What if it was some sort of trick... someone mailing her a severed head or something... she shuddered at the thought and pushed it aside. She smiled at the driver as the truck pulled to a stop. She recognize him from Merlotte's.
"Hi there, Sookie," he said as he stepped down from his truck.
"Hi, Tim. What brings you all the way out here?" She asked him as he smiled at her.
"I've got a package for you, or well, I guess it's more of an envelope," He laughed, holding up the large packaging envelope.
"Who's it from?" She asked, even more curious. At least it wasn't a head.
"Not rightly sure, some company it looks like. Just a P.O. Box for a return address. I guess you'll have to open it to find out," He winked at her as he handed her the envelope and pulled out the electronic signing thing and offered it to her to sign.
"You have a nice day now," he said as he turned to get back in his truck. Sookie almost forgot her manners in her curiosity about the envelope she held in her hands.
"You, too! Thank you!" She said quickly, smiling after him. She watched him turn around and make his way back down the driveway before she turned away. She carried the envelope back into the house, not recognizing the company on the return address. She sat down at the kitchen table and ripped open the tab on the envelope.
It was a stack of papers, like some sort of contract and another smaller envelope that had her name written on it. She looked closer at the paperwork, it was some sort of legal document... she flipped through the pages trying to make sense of what she saw. She read and re-read not believing what she was seeing. It couldn't be...
She stared at the paperwork in shock, completely forgetting the other envelope. It was her house. It was the deed and the paperwork to her house... it was hers again.