Hey guys,

hope you're all well and happy. I am so sorry for taking so long to update. I was stuck in a terribly bad rut, which I didn't know how to break out of. Stuff has happened in real life, stuff that I've had trouble dealing with, so if this chapter is really bad, I'm sorry and that's why. I didn't know how else to get out of my funk, so I tried to write as well as I possibly could. I promise not to abandon this story and I will complete it. Thanks so much for going on this journey with me, you guys are amazing!


Chapter Twenty-Nine

It is only when I'm grabbing my purse, locking up the house, and we are rearing to go, that I recall a certain important furry member of my family. Tina. Usually, she wanders out of the house, but she always comes back inside faithfully for some of her cat kibble. Scary thing is, I haven't seen Tina in quite a while. In fact, I haven't seen her since Gran died, which seems rather ominous and foreboding.

"Oh, Tina," I gasp. "Do you mind if I feed her first, before we get going?"

Eric looks none the happier to let me wait around to get some kibble into Tina, thank goodness. I really hope she's alright. I know that Gran was about to feed her, before her death. I haven't seen hide nor hair of Tina since then.

I unlock the door and dash back inside, getting her bowl ready. When I come back out, taping the bowl loudly with a spoon, because I know it usually gets her attention, I'm flooded with a sense of dread when she doesn't come darting up the porch for some food. Tina likes to go outside, as cat's usually do, sure. But she never wanders far away from home. Usually she stays in the yard, and she scuttles straight up the instance she's called for her nightly catty dinner. I try to look out into the yard, hoping to spot her, but it is way too dark. Flicking on the porch light definitely helps some, but the terrible feeling in my gut won't leave me. I really hope she isn't dead or something awful like that.

"Where is she?" I ask out loud, voicing my frustrations to Eric. "She usually comes straight up to eat her dinner. Where could she be?"

Eric puts himself to good use, bless him, in stepping down the front steps of the porch and beginning to investigate the dark yard. He disappears around the back of the house for a few minutes, and when he returns, he is so quiet it startles me. He steps up the porch slowly, holding something long in his arms. Something ginger, and furry. Instantly, I know it's Tina.

"Is she okay?" I ask, worried. "Where was she?"

"She was out in the back of your yard, Perky," Eric says, slowly and gently. There is something in his voice that I don't like.

When he comes closer, I finally see her body through the porch lights spilling over her.

And she's... dead, I think. Well, her body looks stiff anyway. Her ginger hair is matted and sticking up at a funny angle on one side. That one side is completely flat and rigid, like she's been flattened to the grass or something.

"Tina?" I ask, hearing the quivering in my voice and not caring at all. "Is she dead?"

I feel silly asking, but I just need to be sure. Eric sighs heavily, and turns slightly with her in his arms so I can see more of her. Something long and silver is dangling, looped around her neck.

"Yeah, I think so," Eric says, slowly and reluctantly. "There is a small spark of life still in her. Her body is still reasonably warm. I'd say it happened some time tonight."

"How?"

"Strangled, I think. The chain is wrapped around her neck. I'm assuming somebody did this deliberately."

I can feel my face crumple, and tears gather in my eyes. It's really just what I needed. Now how was I meant to enjoy myself at this vampire party thing, while knowing in the back of my mind somebody killed Tina?

"Take the silver off her neck," Eric directs me, and I just do. It's wrapped up good and tight, and it takes me a moment to unwind it from her. My fingers are too shaky, so that makes it harder. Once I manage to get it off, I inspect the chain of silver nervously. I make a little noise of distress, because I recognize the chain instantly: It is the very same necklace I had let Eric use to tie the Vampire Bill up to the tree that night. Could Bill have done it out of his own sense of retaliation? Well, come on. Killing a beloved pet? That's just low!

"It's my necklace that we used to tie Bill up to that tree that night," I tell Eric slowly. "I think Bill might have done it."

Eric makes a deep, angry noise coming from the back of his throat. Then he eyes me speculatively. "Have you ever seen the movie Pet Cemetery, Perky?"

It's an odd question, one I'm not expecting from him. "Of course I have," I confess, a little shakily. "It's the one where they bury their animals in an Indian graveyard, and they come to life the next night all crazy and feral. What about it, though?"

"There is still a spark of life in her. I could always..." He trails off uncertainly. I get what he is suggesting, almost immediately. He could- what? Turn my cat into a vampire? Can cat's even turn into vampire's?

"Oh, that's real sweet," I tell him, forcing a smile. "But it's hardly necessary. I couldn't ask you to do that!"

Ignoring me, he takes matters into his own hands. Literally. Crouching down carefully, he lays Tina's body down onto the porch. And then he bites his wrist real viciously, until all this blood starts dribbling out. He lifts Tina's squashed head, very carefully, and holds his wrist against her mouth, getting his blood in through her sharp teeth. It's spooky, seeing what he is doing to the cat. I hardly think it is going to help her one bit; She looks far too long gone. She was strangled with silver, for goodness sake.

"Do you have a shovel so that we can bury her in your yard?"

"Um, okay." I go and fetch the shovel and then we find a spot in the yard to do a make-shift grave. I dig, because I need to work off this depression somehow.

Once the hole is big enough, Eric kneels down near it and places Tina's body carefully inside it. Seeing her flattened fur gets to me the most; Then we cover it back up again with soil. I try to do the honours myself, but the first shovel load of dirt I toss onto Tina sends me off into an emotional whirlwind. My legs start shaking, from my heels upwards, to the point where I can't even stand straight. Eric, taking pity on me, I suppose, takes the shovel out of my hands gently and resumes the job dutifully without a word.

Once we're all done and our work in burying Tina has finished, Eric pats the dirt loudly with his hand before getting to his feet again. He dusts off his hands real loudly, looking satisfied with the job. "Can cat's turn into vampires?" I ask, a little scared. What if she comes back to life, all feral and bloodthirsty? How creepy would that be?

Eric thinks that through for a silent minute. "I don't know, Perky. I've never actually tried this on an animal before. But we'll see, won't we?"

Oh, we'll definitely see very shortly.

I'm hardly in the mood to go to the vampire party now, Tina's death has really put a huge damper on my spirits, but I force myself into perking up a bit. We get into my car, and Eric offers to drive, since I don't think I'm able to manage it myself. My body won't quit shaking and I have to clasp my hands tightly over my purse to stop them trembling. I risk a quick glance at Eric, wondering if he is just as unsettled as I am over Tina's death. His expression is quite unreadable, but I notice his lips are pressed into a tight thin line, and he looks distracted.

Just to make myself feel better, I lift my purse and slap him on his kneecap closest to me. "Hey," I say quietly, effectively getting his attention. He throws a quick glance my way before focusing ahead on the road again. "Why would somebody dare to do something so cruel like that? Tina's just a harmless little animal. She didn't do anything to nobody."

"There are a lot of fucked-up people in this world, Perky," he says, his voice very gentle. "What did you expect?"

"You think it was Bill who did it?" I just have this dreadful feeling that it was the Vampire Bill who did it. The necklace wrapping around Tina's neck was evidence enough.

"I don't know, Perky. It could have been anyone."

"Even you?" I ask, without thinking beforehand. I know Eric would never do something so mean like that. At least, I trusted he would never do something so mean as to kill my pet to hurt me.

He makes a strange noise; Half a scoff, half an incredulous chuckle. "Perky, I haven't even left your house. While you were in the bath, shaving your legs and shit, I was busy rearranging the rug out in your living room."

"Yes, that rug," I say tartly, thankful for the unintentional subject change. "That rugs bringing in a whole lot of issues."

"You really don't like the rug?" he asks, surprised. "It really bothers you that much?"

"Yeah, I don't." I make a disgusted face and shudder. "It's... gross."

"Then I'll remove it from your house. Problem solved."

I can't even believe we had an argument about this in the house a few ten or fifteen minutes ago. I mean, really? Of all the things to argue about... How petty of me.

"Are you nervous?" I ask, because I sure as hell am.

"No, I don't get nervous," he says, then adds, arching a brow, "You know that."

"Hmmm, I don't know," I tease, feeling in the mood for some light-heartedness. "You look pretty nervous to me about this party thing. You sure you're not nervous?"

"Well, I'm not," he grumbles defensively, just like I'm expecting him to. "I do not get nervous."

"Well, what was it you call it anyway?" I ask, purposefully blasé. "Oh, that's right. Fluttering. Are you all fluttery?"

"Oh, fuck you," he mumbles quietly, but he's trying to hide a smile, so I know he is only playing with me.

"I'm nervous," I confess, feeling strangely proud to admit to it. "I feel no shame or need to hide it, unlike some people do..."

"Why would I get nervous? I've attended this thing every fucking year. There is no need to get nervous. It's always the same ass-kissing, pompous shit that happens every year."

"Well, I've never been to something like this before, so pardon me if I'm a little jittery," I snap. "I never even knew you guy's had kings, and all that. Mostly, I'm so nervous because I don't know what to expect. Plus I've never been stuck in a place with heaps of vamps before. I'm a little scared I mightn't even make it back home in-tact."

"Perky, everyone thinks I'm crazy. They wouldn't dare risk trying something on my human while thinking that, which is pretty fucking smart, if you ask me. You'll be fine."

"I know you're not crazy," I tell him sympathetically. "Hell, if you're crazy, then I guess I am, too."

"Remember when we went to the grocery store and how I got shot defending you?"

"Um, yeah," I breathe slowly. It isn't really something I enjoy reflecting on. I've tried to block it out ever since it happened, that night. It was the scariest thing ever, seeing Eric lying there on the floor in intense pain. I had so thought he was going to die, but thanks to me saving him- which wasn't the most pleasant thing to do, in sucking out bullets- here he was, still moving and living on. "I thought you were going to die on me," I confess, my voice barely audible. "It was the most horrible thing in the world. Why're you bringing it up again?"

"It was a little falsehood on my part," he says, turning to look at me quickly. He has that I-got-you-good smile going on. I stare at him blankly. I can't say I understand where he is going with this. He clears his throat gently. "I wouldn't have died. A shot to a vampire can't hold us down, unless... maybe if the bullets were actually wooden, like stakes. The silver burned for a moment there, and that side of it was pretty fucking painful. But I wouldn't have died. Had you given me a couple of minutes... those bullets would have flown right out of me. My skin would have rejected them, but thank you. I wanted to see what you would do for me, and you didn't disappoint. You worked incredibly fast..."

Okay. So he wouldn't have died, after all? That makes me feel incredibly relieved for a few seconds. Until it settles in slowly that he lied to me, made me work myself up into a panic for basically no reason. Also, I sucked five bullets out of him! It was disgusting! I put my mouth near his balls, and for what?

"So you were putting on a big phony show?" I ask, having trouble keeping my voice level and under control. "You made me go to all that trouble, thinking I was saving you, when... really, your body would have done it for you itself?"

He chuckles quietly, like he is finding my outrage so frigging hilarious.

"That is why you would make a very excellent vampire progeny one day, Perky. Progeny's are extremely loyal to their Makers. They would do anything for them, die for them. You would do anything for those you care about." And he says that like its meant to be a compliment! "You're not afraid to get a little dirty, in order to save the life of someone you care about, or to at least... lessen their pain."

"Well, next time you get yourself shot, don't think I'll ever be falling for it again," I hiss indignantly. He chuckles again, all at my expense, really riling me up. I slap him in the knee with my purse again, really putting all my effort into it. "I never would have done it if I knew that it was possible for you to survive it, trust me. Sucking bullets out of you isn't something I would particularly like to do again in a heartbeat."

"Oh, but you would," Eric murmurs quietly, sounding so convinced on that. "You are a lot like me. I have come to realize that. We are not much different from each other, after all."

"How am I a lot like you?" I ask dubiously. "Do I have a filthy potty-mouth? I'm not undead either, am I?"

"Personality-wise, I mean," he says, and his eyes soften as he peers over at me. "You can be ruthless, altruistic, and loyal when it comes to certain people you care about."

"How am I ruthless? I've not ever killed anyone?"

"I don't mean that in the murdering sense, Perky. But you would do anything for those that mean a lot to you. We are one and the same, in that aspect."

"Right," I say flatly. "So if I even wind up getting shot, you'd be doing the same thing for me, in helping suck the bullets out? You'd do that?"

"I would," he says vehemently, without skipping a beat. "Not once did I ever believe the day would come where I would be openly admitting that I would be willing to die for a human, to sacrifice my life for the sake of theirs. But you've changed me, obviously."

It's a sweet but somewhat scary thing for him to say. I know it is taking him a lot of pride to admit to it, too. I feel my mouth settle into a deep frown, as I think his words through. He was right, in the sense that I would do anything to keep those I loved alive. Jason. Eric. Tara. Lafayette, and Sam. And, if I could, I would have gone back to that night my Grandmother died in a heartbeat, and I would have rather instead stayed with her, and hopefully, I would have tried to prevent her death. It has certainly opened my eyes up a lot, this conversation, into just the type of person that I am. I'm still miffed that he lied to me and had me suck out the bullets in his chest and near his balls, though. It had been an excruciatingly gross process.

"I guess you're right on that." It takes me a lot of pride to admit to that myself. "I know if anybody I cared about was in trouble that I'd want to help them. I don't like seeing those I care about in pain. I guess that's why I didn't hesitate to suck the bullets out for you. You looked on the verge of dying, which was something I didn't want for you. It scared the crap out of me; the possibility of losing you exactly like I have only just lost Gran! I wouldn't be able to stand losing somebody else!"

"And all that is why I believe you would make an excellent vampire one day. You have the right temperament."

"Too bad, because I don't think I'd ever like to be one," I point out firmly. "I'm perfectly content with being a somewhat normal human. Sure, I may get annoyed, because of my telepathy issues, but there isn't a lot I would want to change. Being a vampire, well, that changes everything. I would miss out on most things that I enjoy."

"And what is something that you enjoy, Perky, that being a vampire would make you miss out on?"

It's really a no-brainer, that one. "The sun, for one thing. I couldn't stand it if I wasn't able to go out during the day and bake in the sun. I like being tanned, and you-all are so pale. You look good pale, but I just don't think it would suit me." He laughs at that, so I pound him again with my purse real hard to make him shut up. "And then there's my brother." I sigh heavily. "Jason hasn't always been supportive of vampires. If I was one, I can tell it would bring out problems in our brother-sister dynamic. Not that we don't already have our problems understanding each other, but...it would just complicate things a lot more."

"Oh, yes. Am I going to meet this brother of yours?" he asks, sounding like he really wants to. I'm flabbergasted that he actually would.

"I don't know if it would be the right time for it," I confess hesitantly. "My brother's going through a rough-patch. I don't even know what's going on with him myself, personally. He's just been... different than usual. He's changed, and I'm not even sure if it is in a good way. I think he's getting himself into drugs. Something nasty, like drugs." Even talking about my brother out loud in the open, it makes me feel even more worried for him and what he's potentially going through. "Also, I think it would just only be messy, you meeting him. He's always been verbal on his dislike of vampires. He'd probably only end up fighting with you, and starting some trouble."

"All the more reason to look forward to meeting him," Eric mutters under his breath ominously. "If he is anything like you, he'll be a fucking blast."

"Hey, I'm not that bad, am I?"

"All the things that you are is what I love about you most."

Aw, I get a bad dose of the warm fuzzies. That was sweet, especially for Eric, who I know gets very self-conscious on saying such things he considers 'sappy'. A little romance never killed anyone, though.

"Now that's exactly how I feel about you," I say, because I have to be honest. "All the things that irritate me about you... your swearing and your... your touchiness, I would miss those qualities if they ever were gone. Because all of that about you is what I've come to know best, and I've grown to like and hate them all at the same time."

"Well, right back at you, Perky. You are still the very same pain in the ass you were when we first met that evening at my bar. Although, now, you're a more tolerable pain in my ass."

"Oh, I'll show you real pain in the ass!" And, I do, all right. I reach down behind him in his seat, really reaching down to find his backside, and then I shove my hand under the back of his trousers. I find his right butt cheek, he's all Mr. Commando which hardly surprises me, and then I pinch, real hard. His reaction to that humours me to no end.

He makes a little startled noise, his fangs extend, and he throws a silent look of naughty admiration my way; A look that makes me feel like basking. The car swerves violently on the opposite side of the road before he corrects it again hastily, and I burst into uncontrollable laughter at him. I cannot believe he didn't see that coming! It was so obvious!

He gazes at me for a long moment, that look transforming into something deviant that really gets me going, like he's almost undressing me with his eyes, and then he leans over to set his hand on my kneecap, startling me.

His fingers and palm slide deliciously up the side of my leg, sending goose-pimples all over my skin. It goes higher and higher, until it disappears up my dress. Really out of sight, but not out of mind. The only thing I can seem to pay any attention to is where his hand is wandering. I have to press my lips tightly together to stifle my shriek of surprise when he turns his palm around, moulding his fingers up into the apex of my thighs, and his fingers well and truly find their goal. It was really very lucky I wasn't the one behind the wheel, because my legs kind of lose control immediately, when his fingers rub around my pleasure centre through the light material of my underwear.

Eric has certainly opened my eyes up a lot- when it comes to sex and foreplay, etc., being something fun and spontaneous.

I lean my head back against the headrest and close my eyes, really shutting off everything else but sensation.

He takes it slow and steady, but I find myself wishing he would speed things up a bit. I pull up my dress, find his hand with my own, and make him press down a bit more firmly and quickly.

"You are a greedy and impatient one, my Sookie," Eric observes in mock-amused horror.

I would feel embarrassed by that, but I'm honestly not. I mean, what can I say? This man just makes me turn into a greedy, mad young woman, and he knows how to use his hand and fingers well.

I try to control my breathing, much as I'm able to. But after a few good seconds, it gets too hard, so there I sit, breathing loudly like I'm experiencing some type of asthmatic attack while the pleasure builds all around me, in Eric touching me down there. Turning to look at him through my lashes, I find him looking ahead at the road, while his fingers keep it up gloriously. He just looks simply like a vamp heading out on vacation, not one who's doing something naughty to his passenger. When it finally hits me, it hits me hard.

I grab hold of his hand, pull it out of my dress, and bring up his hand to bite with all my might into his palm, trembling with little aftershocks of pleasure, all the while.


I apologize if this one was real bad. :/

What did you think of the season finale of latest True Blood? I felt like somebody had kicked me in the stomach over what happened to Eric, but I do admit, the visuals were nice. Love you guys! xx