Author's Note: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y'all! I might not be around for some days, the next chapter would be after Christmas...try to make it before New Year, but can't promise. Thanks for reading it!

Thirty-Seven

Just A Bad Obsession

Andy Bellefleur was the first face Sookie saw when she opened her eyes. She must have died already and went to hell, or was it heaven? They said heaven or hell for each person was different; it would be according what the person had imagined under it. As far as she could remember, she never imagined Andy Bellefleur would be in any part of it – heaven or hell.

"Hi, Sookie!" Andy drew a smile on his chubby face.

"Andy? Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital, Sook." Andy's face was closer. "I was with Terry and Arlene. But Terry left, and Arlene was ordered to take some break."

"What happened?"

"Sam found you in the woods, shot. He and Lafayette brought you here. Did you remember anything, Sook? Like: why you were in the woods? Arlene reported you as a missing person ten days ago, and we searched the woods more than three times. But we didn't find anything that indicated your present there. Then, out of the blue, you were lying on the road, shot. We also found a man there. He was found with a gun in his hand and a shot wound in his head."

Whose voice had she heard then? She couldn't tell, but it was a man, she's certain about it. But who? She had heard that voice before – smoky kind of voice, but where? "There was a man," she said.

"You saw him?"

"No, but I heard his voice."

"Eh-heh. Lafayette said there was another man with you…." He made his usual pause. "Hmh…his name is Eric…Eric…isn't he…?"

Eric…Eric was kidnapped, he was taken by those men in ski masks. Sookie tried to move. She had to get out of here and find Eric. "Eric…Eric…"

Beep…beep…beep…

"Nurse!" Andy yelled out. "Nurse!!"

Sookie heard somebody running. Then, something warm entered her body. "Easy, Sookie. Easy." She heard a soft voice. "Easy."

Then everything was dark again.

When she opened her eyes for one more time, she saw Sam's face. He looked not only ragged, but also old. His hair was uncombed and black ring surrounded his eyes.

"Sam…somebody kidnapped Eric." She said.

"I know." He said.

"You knew?"

"Yes. Alcide smelt your blood and he ran as quickly as possible to your place, but when he was there, he only saw you and that man. There were no traces of Eric anymore."

"Eric was gone?"

"Yes. He disappeared. He must have been taken with a vehicle. Whoever took him must have known that we exist. They must have covered their vehicle or their body with something that prevents us from catching their scents."

By 'we' he meant his and Alcide's kind: Shifters and Werewolves.

"I have to return to the woods." Sookie tried to move. "I have to talk to the faes, they have to help me."

Sam touched her hand. His skin was hot like fire. "You have been shot." He said. "It's a miracle that you are alive. The bullet was so close to your heart that the doctors joked that you must have some kind angel or faery godmother who protects you from any harm. You were unconscious for two days, unable to move any part of your muscles and if you can't stop thinking about Northman's safety or Northman per se, then I ask myself why I spend my time worrying and putting my ass on the line for a hopeless selfish girl like you!"

Sookie was shocked to hear such a harsh word from Sam, but she had to admit. Sam was correct. "Sorry." She said.

Sam smiled faintly. "I understand how you feel, Sook. It's just…" he sighed. "We can't afford to do something foolish anymore. Especially not with your condition now, or the situation, which to be honest, not on our favour."

"Do you have any idea who did this?"

Sam shook his head. "Alcide didn't recognize the man, neither did I. Now, try to have some rest. Don't make us worrier than we already are. I'll try the best I can to find any clue that leads us to Northman's whereabouts. Please, do what I say. If you can't get any better soon, all our efforts to find Northman would be useless."

Sookie tried to do what Sam said. She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleeps, but her mind seemed to have a will of her own. She couldn't stop thinking about how Eric, wondering where he was, and how to tell Aude. She had just woken up from coma and if she heard the news that Eric was kidnapped, Sookie believed that Aude wouldn't be able to handle the shock. If Aude died, then Eric would die too. If Eric died, she believed, she would be the one who wouldn't be able to handle the shock.

Oh, God! Why is everything becoming so complicated? Why can't I just get a normal job, like any other people, a normal man to love, just like any other people?

Tears ran down on her cheeks. She realized, she had cried too much lately, but it's necessary to cry now, otherwise her head would have exploded.

"Na, na, Sookie."

Suddenly she heard Claudine's sing song voice. She opened her eyes to see if Claudine was there in the room with her. But no, she wasn't. Even though, hearing her voice in her head made her calm.

How will I find a way to return to Eric?

Sookie remembered asking that question to Claudine, and she answered it with light-a-matter-of-fact voice. Oh, you will.

Suddenly, Sookie felt better. Maybe Claudine was her faery godmother who would come to her in times of trouble and ease her mind. Sooner than she expected drowsy feeling came to her, and finally she fell asleep.

When Sookie opened her eyes again, she knew it was night already. In her room were Godric, Bill, Pam and Chow around her bed. Alcide and Sam were there too, but they were more on the background. Pam was sitting on her right side; meanwhile Godric was standing behind her. Bill was at her feet looking at her with thoughtful glare, and Chow was pacing around.

"Godric…" Sookie tried to reach his hand. "I am sorry…"

"It's not your fault, Sookie." His pale face looked dead serious. He took her hand and gave her a smile – a little movement on the corner of his lips.

Chow stopped pacing. "It was mine. I should have stayed there at the wood."

"Don't be foolish, Chow." Sookie said. "It happened in the day light. If you had been there, you would have done nothing but endangered yourself."

That big vampire was nervous and looked like he didn't sleep much. Like Eric for some time ago, there were big dark red rings around his eyes. "Boss would be angry with me if he knew that you're being shot, Miss Sookie."

Sookie believed that Chow was more worried about his boss' safety than his boss' wrath. Maybe that's the way Chow told himself to be calm down by thinking that his boss was still alive and possessing the same power like before, somewhere. "It's okay, Chow."

"I asked Bill, Sam and Alcide to guard you, Sookie." Godric said. "At least until Eric is found. I hope you don't mind."

"Thank you."

"I want to ask you some questions." Godric said. Like some kind of code, Bill and Chow moved backward and left the room. Even Pam stood up and left the room. Sam and Alcide stayed, but when Godric looked at them, reluctantly they also left.

"Good night, Sookie." Alcide said.

"Good night."

"Where were you?" Godric asked as soon as the room was empty. He sounded worried, not only that, he looked worried. Was it that bad, that it could make a two thousand years vampire worried?

"We were at Claudine's, Niall's grand daughter."

"That explained." He said.

"Of what?"

"That I couldn't find him." He looked a bit more relieved. "How is Niall?"

"He's fine." Sookie answered. "Godric, now that we are not in fae's realm anymore, do you think you can trace him?"

"I should have."

"What do you mean you should have? He is your son!" It was weird to call Eric Godric's son because in appearance, it should be the other way around. Eric looked twice older than Godric.

"There is something around him that prevents me from feeling or sensing him. I don't know what, something stronger than me."

"What could it be stronger than you? You are the oldest among your kind!"

"That you know of." He said. "There are many beings out there that have been living since the beginning of time, long time before the existence of our kind. I can't tell you what or how many of them. The Faes, for example, they live forever, unless they were sick or killed. Mostly, those, who live peacefully and rarely leave their realm, live until the end of time, or maybe beyond because time doesn't matter to them. Time doesn't matter to me." His voice was low when he said that. It sounded like he wasn't sure anymore. "What happened when you were there, Sookie? What did they do to Eric?"

"Eric was poisoned by Dušana-Aurora's knife. I didn't want to call you because I thought you were still weak and …occupied." Godric's eyebrows were lifted when he heard that. "I called Claudine, and she took me to her grandfather. They removed the poison that came from the knife but not the one from the potion that he took.

Godric, what's going on? What did Davydov say?"

"Davydov and his daughter didn't contact us since they left. I made Dušana-Aurora promised to return…" he smiled. "But I've never been good with making my women keeping their promises."

His woman, now he called her ' his woman'. It will break Jason's heart if he hears it, if Jason has a heart, anyway.

"Do you think that they will return?"

"I can't say." Godric said.

"Didn't Dušana-Aurora drink your blood, meanwhile…?"

"No. I don't easily give my blood away." He said. "Even if I gave it to her, it wouldn't do any good, knowing they are in Russia, and I am here." He sighed (Sookie wondered why he had to do that, not that he breathed anyway!). "So Niall cured Eric. It would take some times for his protection to wear off. It would be difficult for me to trace him because he will be some kind of invisible for the rest of us. The problem is, I don't know how long it stays that way. It can be days, or weeks. And by then, it could be too late." He stood up. "I must speak to Niall."

"How will we find him, Godric?" Tears ran down her eyes. "What happens if it is too late?" Sookie heard her own voice pressed and choked, as if she didn't want to hear it.

"He has your blood, Sookie. It will be enough. It has to be. Especially when you gave it to him freely and with love."

That's the point, Godric. I don't know if at that time, I loved him or not. Freely, yes. But love? I don't know.

"Don't worry, Sookie. He is a strong boy. He'll manage. He always does." Godric tried to calm her down with his smile, but somehow Sookie had a feeling, even Godric himself was not sure this time.

After Godric was gone, Sookie lay on the bed restlessly. She couldn't move so much because of the liquid food tube that hung over her head. Every time she moved a bit too strong, the tube would somehow stop her.

"You should try to get some sleeps, Sukeh." Sookie heard Bill's twang, but she couldn't see where he was standing. "The more you sleep, the faster you will get well."

"Bill…"

"Yes?"

"Can you come closer, please? I don't like talking to somebody without seeing his face."

Slowly Bill emerged from the corner. His broad, but pale figure looked like filling the whole space of the room. Sookie saw nothing else but him. He took the chair and sat beside her bed.

"I sensed that you were in danger," he said. "But it was daylight. Forgive me that I couldn't run to you when you needed assistance."

"Don't say that." Sookie said. "It's impossible for you to walk in day light."

But it seemed her words didn't make him feel better. "This thing is a bit complicated now."

"What thing?"

"Eric and his wish. I should have not refused it when he asked me to look for the mushrooms in the first place. Every shaman I talked to in States said that they never heard such a thing, that the whole things with the mushrooms were phoney. But Eric insisted. He seemed to trust his friend beyond any doubt."

"Who is this friend anyway?"

"Except Aude and Godric, nobody knew this man."

"What about Pam? Did she know him?"

"No, I am afraid not. Eric told me, his friend suddenly appeared in New York. He said he had travelled in Europe and met this Shaman who has the ancient and almost gone knowledge about turning us into human again. Eric asked me to look for the mushrooms. If I found them, I had to go to Siberia to meet this shaman, which I had done. I wish, things turned differently."

"It's not your fault. You just did what you were asked to."

"You're possibly right."

The room was quiet. Sookie could only hear the silent sound of a machine somewhere in the room. It made a 'brumm' noise that seemed like representing her own thought. She had to get out of the hospital and she could only do it if she got well soon. She believed that she would stay on the bed for days, maybe even weeks. There was one solution: she had to drink vampire's blood. That's the only way. Bill would do it. Yes, he would.

"Bill…"

"Yes, Sukeh?"

"I would like to ask you a favour." Sookie said. "I want to drink your blood."

Bill looked at her for a moment, and then, "No."

"Why not? You gave it to me, once."

"That's different." He said.

"What was so different about it? As far as I remember, you even offered it to me."

Bill gave her a frosty stare, and then he stood up. "I have to go, now. Chow is standing beside the door. He will assist you further." He walked away, but then he stopped. "Don't even think to ask for his blood."

Sookie sighed. It looked like, there would be no other way, but to wait until she got cured, humanly.

In the morning, as Dr. Wilson checked her up, Sookie took a chance to ask if it's possible for her to be treated at home and not at the hospital.

Dr. Wilson asked the nurse to leave the room. "Sookie," he said. "You know that it's impossible for me to give you permission to leave the hospital within a week. I would say, you should stay here in ten days."

"It's not possible, Doc. I have to leave the hospital as soon as possible. My friend's life is in danger. Nobody knows what happens to him or where he is. And I am the only one who can lead them in the right direction."

"Sookie, you can consider yourself lucky. You just got shot. The bullet went through, didn't touch your vital organ, not even leave significant wound, thank God for that, but maybe you should start considering not to push your luck. After heart attack, and then got shot, I am really afraid to imagine what would happen to you next.

Think about your own safety, Sookie. If you continue 'hanging around' with the same person, you would keep on putting yourself in danger. Don't you think it's about the time that you move on and take other directions in your life?"

Could she do that, simply left Eric in his unknown faith and pretend that nothing had happened?

Dr. Wilson sat down. "Your brother and Arlene are worried about you, Sook. Arlene feels guilty because she thinks that she is the one who drags you into this mess, and Jason feels guilty because he wasn't there when you needed him. Where were you in those ten days, and who are those people who guard you day and night? What are you getting yourself into?"

Sookie looked into those big brown eyes, and without being able to stop it, she told Dr. Wilson the whole story, from the beginning until the end. How she met Eric, what he was for real, how she got dragged deeper and deeper into his world, about what he did to his own body, Aude's, her and then what happened to him and the reason they couldn't be tracked down by anybody. She also told him about her ability and that now it's gone, she couldn't make up her mind if she liked it or not. Many times, she just wished that she still had it, so that she could somehow be useful.

"It sounds like a bad obsession. But I really can't make up my mind, to have it or to let it go."

"Which one, your telepathic ability or your vampire?"

Good question.

"What happened to me, Doc? I mean, how could my telepathic ability just disappear? Can it return? I mean it's just like headache, or? It comes and it goes?"

Dr. Wilson took a deep breath. His face looked thoughtful. "You see, Sookie, our body has a strange way to survive. Especially after heavy trauma like what you have been through. Some people suffered from amnesia – couldn't remember anything because if they couldn't forget what they have been through, they could go mad. Your body tries to protect yourself by burying your ability of reading other's mind. Maybe it would be like a burden for your brain to digest all information that comes in after that trauma. You know, it simply switched it off. Of course this is a simplified theory of mine. But as there is no explanation how somebody is in the possession of this ability, there isn't any explanation either on how it can disappear or if it can disappear. What I know, telepathy involves a great deal of levels of emotion that the sender and the receiver have. You as a receiver are at the moment in a very confusing level of emotion. Your body suffered from heavy trauma – remember, you were almost declared dead, and now this, being shot. At the same time, somebody kidnap your boyfriend, whose wife is sick.

If you ask me, Sookie. It is more than just a bad obsession. It's a complicated life that I would try to get out of it as soon as possible if I were you."

In the noon, Andy Bellefleur came again, but this time he was accompanied by Sheriff Bud Dearborne. Sheriff Dearborne was a small man, a head shorter than Andy who was around 6 feet. He was small built and at the first impression, he looked harmless and not intimidating. He had a square jaw; his hair was thin, but he had a very sharp pair of eyes. The lines on his forehead were like signs that he thought a lot. He also had a friendly and calm voice that made people feel comfortable to be around him, made them let their guards down and in return, made it easier for the Sheriff to do his job. He could get as much information as he needed it.

"How you're doing, Sook?" Sheriff Dearborne asked.

"I am fine, Sheriff. Still a bit painful on the chest, but the rest is okay. What's up?"

"Sookie, there's something that I want to ask you. Andy told me that you can't remember what you were doing in the woods."

I don't say that, but if it helps my position, so be it...

"And you said there was a man, besides the man who got killed."

"Yes."

"Do you recognize his voice, or remember his face?"

"I didn't see his face. His voice, I am not sure." His voice…I heard that voice before, but where?

"And who is Eric?"

"He's my boyfriend."

"That tall pale blond man, the one I saw…heh," Andy cleared his throat. "…in your house?"

"Yes."

"Does this Eric have a last name?"

That question made Sookie felt like a cheap hooker. Especially with that na-maybe-it-was-just-one-night-stand-look from the Sheriff. Now, she really wished that she got her telepathic ability back to hear what he said in his head. "Yes. Northman, Eric Northman."

"Is he somehow related to Mrs. Aude Northman?"

"Yes. He is her…grandson."

"Aha," Sheriff said.

Aha? What does he mean with aha? Why does it sound like he found something suspicious?

"Do you know if he has enemy, somebody who doesn't like him, or holds grudge against him?"

Easier questions will be who likes him? Many respects him, or maybe afraid of him, but like him, really like him? Maybe Aude, Pam, Godric…me?

"I don't know." Sookie said. "I work for Mrs. Aude Northman for around a month only. Maybe you should ask Ms. Tara Thornton, her secretary. She knows a lot about their business."

"One more question, Sook. Do you recognize this knife?" Sheriff Dearborne gave a sign to Andy to give him something. Andy opened his big black office bag and took out a plastic bag with the word "EVIDENCE" wrote on it. Inside that plastic bag was the silver knife.

"Yes." Sookie said. "How did you get that knife? It was in my bag."

"Is it yours?"

"No."

"Do you know to whom this knife belongs?"

That's a difficult question to answer. Should she say it belonged to a witch, who lived around two hundred years ago? A Faery king had given it to her as a gift? Yeah, right. It would be the same as if she registered herself to a mental institution, pronto. "No."

"Strange, because Jason told me that he saw a woman stabbed your boyfriend at your place."

"He said that?"

"Yes. So, if you could just give us her name…"

"I can assure you, Sheriff. She doesn't have anything to do with his kidnapping. Besides, Eric has already forgiven her." That' a lie, not a complete lie, but still…She didn't know if Eric had forgiven her, or if Eric remembered that incident at all, but she believed that Dušana-Aurora didn't do it. Her father's life depended on Eric's life. She knew better than to mess around with it. Besides, Godric had her in his hand…or hadn't he?

"Is that so? We found your fingerprint and another fingerprint, your DNA and an unknown female's DNA. We didn't find any other fingerprints or DNA-s, not even from your so-called boyfriend."

"What do you mean?"

"The black thing on the knife, it's not exactly blood. Well, it's blood, but it's like somebody cut a blood sausage or something. Because whatever or whoever run around with that kind of blood, he ain't live anymore. Or do you want to tell me that your boyfriend is a living corpse?"

The Sheriff's face was very serious, but Sookie could see that Andy tried to control himself not say anything. His face was all twisted and red.

"No, of course not."

"Unless you can give us her name, then…"

"You are under arrest for murders." Andy cut the Sheriff, which made the Sheriff rolled his eyes.

"Don't be such a dick, Andy!" Arlene's thunderous voice filled the room. "As I said before, your accusation toward Sookie is a bull!"

"Arlene, what's going on?"

Arlene came nearer. "Sookie, you remember about the murders of Northman's employees?"

"Yes."

"They found the murder weapon."

"What has it got to do with me?"

"The knife is the murder weapon, Sook, and they found it in your bag."

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