"That's it!" Layla said, dropping her suitcase by the front door. "Family fucking meeting. Everyone in the kitchen. Right now!"
Layla stomped into the kitchen where none of them sat down and all stood with arms folded.
"Sookie, where the hell have you been?" Layla asked. "Does Jason know you're back? Everyone was so worried about you!"
"You look real worried." Sookie said. "You let Eric buy my house."
"I thought you'd run away, left town to try and start a new life for yourself. I figured you'd abandoned this house. I didn't LET Eric do anything." Layla explained. "So where were you?"
"I was doing business for Bill-"
"Bullshit." Layla called. "If you don't even have the decency to tell me the truth, don't bother opening your mouth." she snapped. Sookie looked hurt by Layla's harsh words. Eric, who stood silently in the corner finally spoke.
"Sookie isn't safe now that she's back and no longer tied to Bill." Eric explained.
"Sookie's a big girl, don't you worry about her." Layla said. "Besides, now her watchdog lives with her. Was that your plan?"
"Of course not-" Eric tried.
"Get out." Layla snapped. Eric sighed.
"I hope to hear from you girls soon." he said as he left through the back door. He paused to assess the squeaking Layla had mentioned. "I'll see to it that gets repaired."
Once he was gone Layla slumped down into a chair and stared at the table top.
"So...you live here now? In my house?" Sookie asked, sitting down at the table.
"Yeah, Eric bought it and I live in it. I had my eye on it for a few months and Jason couldn't afford it. I love this house. It broke my heart to see it empty." Layla said softly.
"Well, it looks really nice the way you fixed it up." Sookie said quietly. It was an olive branch.
"It's good to see you, Sookie." Layla said, even though it was a lie.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxx
Layla woke up early, as usual, and meditated in the cemetery. Her stomach was still in knots from everything that had happened last night and she was upset and furious on a whole lot of levels, so many it was hard to clear her mind at all, so her meditation was more like sitting and fuming amongst the dead.
Layla quit trying when she heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway and walked over to the house. Sookie was talking to Tara. Layla walked over quietly.
"Hey, Tara. You look good." Layla said, trying to sound less miserable than she was. "I leave you girls be, I just need to go lie down."
Layla ignored the note on the new screen door that said 'out with the old'. She also ignored the one that said 'in with the new' that rested against the microwave she had been drooling over in a magazine last week. Instead she walked right upstairs to lay down.
Her stomach was raging terribly and she fell into a fitful sleep.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxx
When she woke up it was dark out and she was starving. Layla crept downstairs to pour herself some blood only to find out that Sookie had poured it down the sink.
"Motherfucker." Layla groaned. Almost instantly Eric was inside the kitchen, looking furious.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"Me? I think the question is what the fuck did you do? Did you send me to that spa just so I'd be out of the way while you try and seduce Sookie...again?" Layla accused.
"This isn't about Sookie this is about the group of fucking witches you've been hanging out with!" Eric snapped. Layla straightened her spine.
"It's none of your business what I do-" she began but Eric reached out and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly.
"They were practicing fucking necromancy! Do you realize how fucking dangerous that is for us?" he hissed. Layla couldn't help but feel the tiniest twinge of guilt.
"Look, up until last night it was nothing but positive thinking, and feeling energy and reading vibrations. It was harmless. I had no idea what was going to happen with that bird. When I realized what had happened I got out of there." Layla explained.
"Why should I believe you?" he asked.
"Well, am I fucking there tonight?" she snapped. "Why didn't you tell me Sookie was back?"
"Because I knew you would be like this." Eric said defensively.
"Like what?"
"Like a suspicious, jealous wife!" he snapped. "I have no interest in Sookie, other than protecting her."
"Why should I believe you?" Layla asked, echoing him. all of a sudden she doubled over in pain. Eric was instantly by her side.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I don't know. I think I drank bad blood or something. My stomach has been killing me since last night." Layla told him.
"Go lay down. I'll be back soon." he told her. "We're not done talking about this."
"Yeah, you bet we're not." Layla said stubbornly, making her way to the couch.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Layla woke up just in time to hear Sookie going up the stairs. She sat up on the ouch and looked at Eric. His hair was mussed and his eyes wide. He was only wearing his jeans, shirt and shoes gone. There was a blanket around his shoulders and his feet were muddy.
"Eric!" Layla said, jumping up. He backed away from her sharply. Layla stopped and stared at him.
"Why does your nose look crooked? Are you hurt? What's happened to you?"
"Who are you?" he asked. Layla felt her temper shoot through the roof.
"SOOKIE!" she screamed, so loud that Eric covered his ears. "Eric sit down, I'm going to get you something to clean warm water to clean you up."
Sookie came downstairs. "I forgot you lived here too now."
"What the hell is wrong with my- him." Layla asked. She had almost called him 'my Eric'. God, that would have been embarrassing.
"I don't know. I found him walking out on the road. He doesn't remember anything." Sookie explained. Layla took a deep, cleansing breath in through her nose.
"Alright. You call Pam. I'm going to get him cleaned up." Layla said, walking into the kitchen to fill a basin with warm water. She may not have been as fast as a Vampire, but she could move when she wanted to. Once the basin was filled she knelt in front of Eric's feet and placed them in the water. She had grabbed a washcloth from the hall closet and began to wipe away the dirt and mud.
"Is this water warm enough?" she asked quietly.
"It's fine." Eric said. As she ran the washcloth over his feet he jerked his foot back. Layla glanced up, worried she'd hurt him but he was smiling. "It tickled." he explained.
Layla smiled a little and continued to wash his feet for him. Eric leaned forward and stared at Layla for a moment.
"You are very beautiful." he told her. Layla wasn't sure how to respond to the utter sincerity in his voice.
"Thank you." she mumbled, feeling embarrassed. The door flew open making Sookie and Eric jump to attention. Eric screamed something too fast for Layla to even catch it.
"Fuck!" Pam snapped.
"Sorry." Eric said. "Sorry. That was rude. I'm sorry." Eric apologized. Layla's jaw dropped and she scrambled to her feet and stared at Pam.
"Uhm...yeah." She said, pointing at Eric. If Pam needed any proof that something was wrong with Eric she had just gotten it.
"What do you know about what happened to you?" Pam asked. Eric said nothing.
"You have to hide him!" Pam said.
"No way!" Sookie protested. Layla fought the primal urge to punch her in her pretty jaw.
"He's in danger." Pam argued.
"And I'm sure you'll be able to protect him much better than I could." Sookie argued.
"Sookie, I wasn't talking to you!" Pam snapped. Sookie turned to look at the brunette still crouched on the floor.
"Of course I will, but Pam, Sookie has a point. You're more powerful than I am. He would be safer with you." Layla told her.
"I'll be the first place they'll look!" Pam told her.
"They who?" Sookie asked.
"The witches who did this!" Pam explained.
"Witches? Now I have to deal with witches? No! No. Not my problem." Sookie argued.
"You think the coven did this?" Layla asked.
"Well, who the fuck else?" Pam asked.
"He's not staying in my house." Sookie said flatly.
"It's his house!" Pam and Layla snapped in unison.
"It's my house?" Eric asked, finally speaking up. Sookie rolled her eyes.
"What if we just go to Bill?" Layla suggested. It made sense to her, what with Bill being the Vampire King of Louisiana and all. Pam was suddenly in front of her.
"Tell Bill and I will rip you to pieces." she threatened. Eric, in one swift motion, shoved Pam almost all the way back to the front door. They all waited for Pam to straighten herself up and return to the living room.
"Be nice to her." Eric told her. Pam forced a smile.
"Layla, Sookie. I believe Bill set Eric up and sent him into that coven in Shreveport, knowing it was a trap. It wouldn't be the first time he tried to get rid of Eric." Pam explained.
"Yeah, because Eric tasted me." Sookie elaborated.
"I did?" Eric asked, sounding far to pleased with himself.
"It was against her will. You basically fang-raped her." Layla said, hoping to burst his bubble.
"Oh. I'm sorry." he said. Layla couldn't help but enjoy amnesia Eric.
"Promise me you won't go to Bill." Pam pleaded. "I'm sure he would use this as an excuse to get the AVL to sign off on assassinating Eric. I know he wants to. Eric has to stay here with you and no one can know." she said, her eyes locking with Layla's. Layla, trying to keep everything in the house at a peaceful calm looked at Sookie. She didn't need to blonde's approval, but Sookie needed to feel like it was her idea or she would do something extra stupid.
"Sook, can I keep him here?" she asked. Sookie sighed and stepped towards Pam.
"Okay, but you are gonna have to pay us for babysitting him. If ya'll are gonna keep messing with my life I oughtta at least get something out of it, goddamnit." Sookie said. Layla rolled her eyes and looked at Eric, who was looking and wriggling his toes in the water sheepishly.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Layla finally convinced Eric to come down into his room. It took her climbing into it first to show him it was safe before he did it.
"Wow, this really is my house." he said, looking around.
"Yeah." Layla nodded. Eric looked at her more closely.
"You live here?" he asked. "In my house?"
"Yes I do." Layla said, pulling back the blankets for him.
"Are you mine?" he asked. The words sent a shiver up her spine. Eric hadn't asked her to be his since she had renounced his hold on her the day they almost killed Russell. Part of her wanted to be his again, and another part never wanted to go so deep down the rabbit hole.
"No, I'm not." she told him with a straight face.
"Do you belong to another Vampire?" he asked seriously.
"No." Layla said, crossing her arms.
"Oh. Would you like to be mine?" he asked. Layla smiled.
"Tell you what. I'll think about it." she said, making her way towards the ladder. Eric was suddenly in her face.
"Eric, don't even think about biting me." Layla warned.
"I just wanted to thank you." he said quietly.
"You're welcome."
"What are you?" he asked, looking confused.
"Tired." Layla said stiffly. "Can I leave now? We both need sleep."
"Of course." Eric said. Layla almost moved to kiss him goodbye but at the last second pulled back and thought better. Eric was staring hard at her and his fangs popped out. Layla raised an eyebrow and he covered his mouth with his hand. "Oh. Sorry." he said.
Layla shook her head and made her way back up the ladder. Eric leaned back and watched. She made sure the cabinet doors were locked tight before she walked into the kitchen.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxx
Layla was none too happy when Sookie came and woke her up in the morning telling her she had an idea that might help Eric. Never the less, she got dressed and let Sookie go. As they drove into a housing division Layla had a weird sense of deja vu. She sort of felt like she'd been here, but couldn't remember why she would have been. Not until Sookie pulled up and Layla saw the truck in the driveway.
"Can I just wait in the car?" Layla asked lamely, but Sookie was already heading to the front door.
"God damn." Alcide said. "You're a sight for sore eyes." he said, picking up Sookie for a hug the same way he'd used to pick up Layla.
"It's good to see you too." Sookie said.
"Layla." Alcide said with a nod. Layla did a little half nod in return. Alcide showed them both into the living room.
"Nice house." Sookie noted.
"Thanks." Alcide said, glancing to see Layla's reaction but she was examining her cuticles. Very carefully.
"So good to see you. We all thought you were-" Alcide began.
"Dead." Sookie finished. "I know."
"Well, we didn't ALL think that." Layla chimed in.
"When did you move to Shreveport?" Sookie asked.
"8 months ago." Layla and Alcide said together, both giving each other a look.
"Am I missing something?" Sookie asked, looking between them.
"You said on the phone you had a favor to ask me?" Alcide said. Layla dropped her head into her hand as she realized where this was going.
"I want you to take care of Eric Northman." Sookie said.
"What the hell happened to not telling anybody?" Layla hissed.
"Take care of him?" Alcide repeated. "You want me to kill him?"
"Fuck no!" Layla snapped. Alcide sighed.
"I was just asking."
"Well, no one wants you to kill Eric Northman, okay?" she said cooly.
"Hey there, Sookie. Hey, Layla." Debbie said, coming into the room. Sookie jumped up while Layla just leaned back and stared at the ceiling, wondering what she had done to deserve this.
"Sookie, just hear her out." Alcide asked. Layla stood up.
"I'll wait outside."
"No Layla. I owe you and Sookie both a big apology." Debbie said.
"You don't owe me anything except maybe a carpet cleaning bill." Layla said going towards the door.
"Why are you acting this way? You left me for Eric Northman." Alcide said rudely. Layla spun on her heel.
"Uhm, no. YOU left ME. For your v-addicted ex-fiancee who was secretly living in my house!" Layla snapped.
"I've been clean though. For almost a year now. I'm in a program and I got Jesus on my side. And Alcide." Debbie explained.
"Well, bully for you." Layla said sarcastically. "Sookie, I'll be outside."
Layla walked quickly out of the house. She wanted to talk to Eric. Complain to him about how stupid wolves were, but she couldn't talk to amnesia Eric. She wanted old Eric. She wanted to hear him threaten to eviscerate Alcide so she could tell him no but then feel better knowing it was an option.
Sookie came out a few moments later and got into the car.
"So...you and Alcide?" Sookie asked.
"We're not going to talk about it." Layla said flatly.
"And you and Eric? Again?" she pressed.
"We are not going to talk about it." Layla repeated. "Let's just go home." she instructed, rubbing her stomach as it twisted uncomfortably