Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Layla and a few of the plot twists.
The plan was ridiculous. Utterly and completely stupid. Unfortunately she Layla couldn't think of a better one. Layla did as she had been asked and began lighting flares and tossing them into the crowd of Zombies that held Sam. Then Jason in a gas mask and holding two flares announced himself as the God Who Comes.
"You're the God Who Comes?" one person asked. Andy shone the light over to see Sam who was gesturing to his head. Horns.
"The God has horns." Andy whispered. Layla sighed.
"I'll get some." she grumbled and began looking for branches to use.
"Sam Merlotte. You are my offering!" Jason ordered. "People, your work here is done. Go home."
"Really?" one woman asked.
"Oh yes, he is the best offering ever. You will all have great weather and, uh, good crops. Now leave." Jason told them.
"Bullshit. God has horns." Terry said flatly. Layla, who was stumbling back as quietly as she could groaned.
"Oh, I'll give you fuckin' horns." she said. "Here." Layla held them up against the back of Jason's head and heard the ooh's and aah's of the crowd.
"Lord. Lord, smite me." Sam said, hopping off the hood of the car and walking slowly towards Jason, arms outstretched.
"What's he saying? I can't hear inside this thing." Jason complained to Layla and Andy.
"Smite. Me. Lord." Sam repeated.
"I don't know what you're sayin' man." Jason groaned.
"Smite me, motherfucker!" Sam hissed over his shoulder.
"For fuck's sake, Jason, do anything!" Layla whispered.
"I smite thee, Sam Merlotte! AHHH!" Jason said, hamming up his roll as the God Who Comes. Sam shook for a moment and then disappeared, leaving only a pile of clothes behind. Layla almost threw up.
"Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. You really smited him. Oh my God, why did you do that? Jason, you can't just smite people!" Layla hissed, terrified.
"I didn't mean to!" Jason whispered back, just as thrown by what had happened. The crowd edged forward, poking at the empty clothes.
"The fuck just happened?" Andy asked.
"That's what I'm saying!" Layla said, near hysterical.
"I have no fuckin idea." Jason told them. As the people started looking up Layla put the branches back in place.
"Just keep going. Stay in character for fuck's sake." she growled.
"I am very pleased with my offering." Jason said.
"Thank you, God!" one woman called out.
"You are welcome. You're all blessed. Now go!" Jason commanded. After an order from Terry the enitre group rushed off which meant Layla could drop the branches and Jason could take off his mask. The brunette walked towards the place Sam had just stood.
"What the hell happened to Sam?" Andy asked. Layla rubbed a chill from her bare arms despite the warm summer's night.
"I don't know." she admitted. "Jason?"
"I don't know, man. I don't know." the handsome, currently shirtless blonde mumbled. Suddenly there was a noise and Sam cam walking forward with a fire extinguisher, with only an apron wrapped around his waist.
"I'll explain later." Sam called, turning and walking towards the shed, giving Layla a nice view of his backside. If she had known how many cute guys there were down South she may have moved to Bon Temps a long time ago. "Now help me put these flares out before they start a fire."
Andy took a sip from the bottle he was holding. "That's the last drink I'll ever take." he said firmly. Layla snatched the bottle out of his hand.
"I'll take over for you." she said, taking a long sip.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Seriously? You become any animal any time?" Jason asked the next morning as the four of them walked around the deserted restaurant cleaning up the mess that had been created.
"Yeah, as long as I've imprinted on it." Sam explained very matter-of-factly.
"That is so-"
"cute." Layla finished, smiling at Sam who gave her a sweet smile back. "So let me guess, you were the dog that stayed with me my first night in Bon Temps?"
Sam ducked his head, slightly embarrassed. "Sookie asked me to look after you." he told her. Layla laughed.
"I slept with a man and I didn't even realize it. Just my luck." she flirted. She hadn't flirted with a nice guy in a long...long time. It was nice.
"Yeah, well, as cute as that may be, we still got a Maynad to deal with 'fore it takes our whole town down." Andy reminded them.
"Listen, you can't 'deal' with it. Alright, your best bet is to leave, while you still can." Sam told them.
"Well, shouldn't we think about getting the law involved?" Jason optioned.
"I am involved!" Andy reminded him, telling him about how the Sheriff's station, along with the rest of the town, had basically gone to hell in a handbasket.
"Well, then, we're gonna have to be the law." Jason said. Layla frowned, not sure how she felt about the idea. "Guys, I read a book about this. This is Armageddon."
"This is not fucking Armageddon. It's a Zombie Apocalypse." Layla said gently.
"Either way. We need weapons. Lots of 'em." Jason said.
"Listen, I hate to break it to you but guns aren't going to do jack shit to Maryann and you can't shoot anybody else." Sam said.
"Why not?" Layla asked.
"These are our friends. This is our town." Sam said. Layla felt herself softening at his gentle and endearing tone.
"Sometimes you gotta destroy something to save it." Jason said. Layla frowned. She really didn't like the sound of that. "That's in the bible."
"You know what else is in the bible? After a woman gives birth to a daughter she can't leave a tent for two weeks. We don't need to follow the bible word for fucking word." Layla said harshly.
"Well, maybe it was the constitution or something." Jason said. There was a sudden whispering noise and all four turned their heads to see where it had come from. Layla followed Sam as he rushed outside, intent on following whoever had just been peeking in the window.
"Who's out there?" he called.
"Hello?" Layla called out from his side.
"You don't need to be afraid." Sam said.
"I'm not." she replied defensively.
"Not you, Layla." he said.
"Oh."
"Just come on out so we can see each other." Sam said softly. Layla kept a step or two behind him.
"Coby?" he asked, as a little boy with blonde hair and a tiny girl with red hair came out of the woods and went right into Sam's arms.
"Is our momma here?" the boy asked, sounding nervous.
"No. No, not right now." Sam told them.
"Good. Will you help us hide?" the little girl asked.
"Yeah." Sam said.
"And will you make us lunch?" The little boy asked. Layla smiled and took a step forward.
"Hi, I'm Layla." she said, holding out her hand to the kids. "What are your names?"
"I'm Coby." the little boy said. "and this is Lisa."
"They're Arlene's kids." Sam told her.
"Well, I don't know about you two, but I would love a grilled cheese right about now. So why don't we go inside and I'll cook a few up for us." she said with a warm side. Her maternal instincts were not something she flaunted, nor did they often make an appearance, but they were there.
"Sam!" Jason called, coming through the woods. "Andy and I are takin' off."
"What?" Layla asked.
"Where are you going?" Sam asked.
"Sheriff's office." Andy said, hopping into the truck.
"We're gonna arm ourselves. Hey Coby, Lisa." Jason said, nodding towards the kids. "Layla, you in?"
"I'm actually gonna stay with the kids and Sam. You'll have guns. They'll have a watchdog. They need me." she said simply. Sam frowned and shot her a look which she ignored.
"No, you're walking into something bigger and more dangerous than you could even imagine." Sam warned the men.
"Sam, I gotta do this." Jason said, leaving no room for argument.
"Well, you're gonna get yourself killed." Sam told them. Jason nodded. "And probabaly a lot of other people as well, just think this through." he pleaded.
"Time for thinking is over. It's time for action." Jason said. Layla groaned.
"Jason, that's just dumb." she complained.
"Maybe Sam's right." Andy said. Jason snorted.
"Has he been to a leadership conference? Has he had paramilitary training?" Jason asked with an annoying air of superiority.
"You're a damn fool, Jason." Sam said.
"Funny, the word I would use is raging jackass." Layla seconded before following Sam and the kids inside. As she walked by Jason he stopped her. "What?"
"Did you put make-up on your neck since last night?" he asked.
"Yeah, I stopped and picked up some foundation. I hope you don't mind. No, I didn't put any make-up on. Why?" she asked roughly.
"Those marks on your neck are gone. That was...fast." Jason noted, looking skeptical. Layla rolled her eyes.
"I'm a fast healer. You better hope you are too." she told him and then walked back inside.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The kids sat at the bar eating their lunch while Layla finished off her own sandwich and sipped on the rum and coke Sam had so obligingly made her.
"And there's more where that came from." Sam said, nodding to the plates the kids were digging into. Apparently they hadn't eaten since lunchtime yesterday.
"What's wrong with our Momma?" Lisa asked. Sam sighed and leaned on the counter.
"I'm not sure, but I think she's sick."
"Is she blind?" the girl asked.
"Well, she might be sometimes, but not always." Sam said.
"Is she gonna die?" the girl asked.
"Of course not, sweetheart." Layla piped up, smiling. "She's gonna get better, I promise. We just don't know when, so you've got to be patient. In the meantime you can stick with Sam and me. We'll take care of you. Right, Sam?" Layla said, looking to the scruffy bartender for backup. Sam gave Layla a smile before turning back to the kids.
"That's right. You don't have to worry. Listen, has your momma been sick, in front of you, alot?" Sam asked.
"She doesn't seem sick." the girl noted.
"She seems crazy." Coby said.
"Is she crazy?" Lisa asked. Sam shrugged.
"Everyone gets a little crazy now and then." Sam deflected. Layla smiled.
"I know I do." she said.
"She's always kissing Terry and doing other gross stuff when her eyes get weird." Lisa told them. Layla sighed and looked at Sam.
"Can we get her a doctor?" Coby asked.
"Uhm-" Sam tried.
"Or someone to make her like she used to be?" Lisa asked.
"Well-"
"Like a Vampire! I bet a Vampire would know what to do!" Coby proposed.
"Yeah!" Layla agreed. Sam looked at her surprised. "I think they're right. Sam, we should go talk to Eric."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Sam said gently. Layla raised a skeptic eyebrow.
"Really? Do you have a better one?" she asked coolly. Sam sighed and frowned. He didn't.