Layla sat at the kitchen table across from Sookie who was reading a book quietly. Layla sipped on a warm cup of tea that she hoped would settle her stomach and jotted down notes for her newest novel idea. It was about a woman torn between two very different lovers. One who was kind and endearing while the other was rude, and sinister and ungodly sexy.
The sun had been down for a while and Eric was safely tucked away in his cubby. Both Layla and Sookie looked up when a bright light shone through the windows.
"Was that headlights?" Layla asked, pushing back from her chair.
"Too bright." Sookie said. They both walked towards the front door. On the front lawn there was a beautiful woman in a long dress.
"I've come for you." the woman said to Sookie.
"I'm not going back there." Sookie said. Layla's brain suddenly clicked.
"Is this a Faery thing? Is that where you were all this time?" she asked, but she was ignored.
"Sookie, I understand it must have been frightening what you saw in Faery, but please-"
"Frightening? You're stealing people." Sookie accused. Layla doubled over gripping her stomach and took a seat on the porch steps. This wasn't really her business. She should have gone inside. But, she didn't really want to.
"We are your true family. You belong with us." the Faery said.
"No thanks."
"Sookie, we can keep you safe." the woman said, her eyes resting for a moment on Layla.
"Safe? When have you ever kept me safe?" Sookie asked.
"Well, the night you met Bill Compton for one. When that horrible little man came at you with his knife and you wrapped that chain around his neck. I sent the energy that you sent to the chain, awakening the light inside you. I was there, helping you." the woman explained.
"How come you've never saved me from any Vampires?" Sookie asked.
"I can't risk it, being what I am." she said, glancing nervously at Layla.
"I'm not interested in your fairy-crack-blood." Layla said defensively.
"Vampires would kill me and trust me they'll kill you. Now come with me while you still can." the Faery instructed.
"I thought the Queen closed all the portals." Sookie said.
"Sookie, come with me." the woman said holding out her hand. "This is not a request."
"Stay away from me." Sookie said. In a moment there was a blur as something ran forward and snatched the Faery from where she stood. Layla jumped to her feet.
"Eric! No!" she snapped, as if calling a dog to heel.
"Eric!" Sookie hissed. The blonde Vampire was already draining the Faery completely.
"Eric, please listen to us. Stop!" Layla insisted, trying to get in a bit closer to him. By the time she got to him the Faery in his arms dissolved into dust. He had drained her dry. Layla sighed and stared at him. "What did you do?" she asked.
"You just killed my Faery Godmother." Sookie said, stunned.
"S-sorry." Eric said, with the smile of a small child. Layla sighed. Having amnesia Eric was like having a tiny vampire baby. It sucked.
"We're sitting ducks out here if any of Claudine's friends show up. Hurry. In the house." Sookie told them. Layla didn't need to be told twice. She had seen what Sookie could do and she wasn't even a full-blooded Faery. The idea of a whole mess of people light blasting her did not sound fun at all. Eric fell forward onto his face.
"Eric!" Layla gasped. Pulling him up to his knees she grabbed either side of his face. "Open your eyes, Eric. We need to get you inside." she told him. Layla glanced back at Sookie as Eric moaned and stood up. Layla held her arms out, ready to attempt to catch him since he was swaying dangerously.
"Hey." Eric said leerily, his eyes half open as he looked at Layla. Her arms immediately dropped to her sides.
"Oh my god, you're drunk!" she hissed.
"I want more." he slurred to Layla.
"No. You're cut off." she snapped.
"I want more." he said, walking towards Sookie.
"You can't have any more. There isn't any more. You drank the whole Faery." Sookie explained. Layla saw all too well where this was going and quickly walked forward, placing herself between Eric and Sookie.
"Eric, you have to go to your room." Layla said firmly.
"I'll drink her." he said, sounding like a zombie. Layla slapped him across the face to bring him to full attention.
"You will kill her." Layla explained.
"I would never harm her." Eric said, taking a step back, looking offended. His fangs disappeared as Sookie took another step back.
"You'd better not." Sookie warned.
"Come on." Layla said. "I'll tuck you in."
Sookie led the way into the house and Layla was right on her she jumped when she felt something unexpected and screeched a little. Eric was circling her, laughing.
"Did you really just pinch my butt?" she asked, staring at him.
"Beautiful butt." he said, practically giggling.
"How sweet of you. Knock it off." Layla told him, heading back to the house. A moment later she felt a tiny slap on both sides of her ass. "Hey!"
Eric laughed. Layla just stared at him, and so did Sookie.
"Oh my god, he really is drunk." Sookie said, stunned.
"Oh for the love of god." Layla said as Eric bent to look her in the eye.
"Catch me." he said. Layla didn't even get the chance to scream 'no' before he was off like a shot into the night.
"Eric, get back here!" Layla shouted frantically. In a moment he was standing before her, laughing with exhilaration.
"Eric, we're trying to help you. You can't do this. Get back in the house, right now." Sookie told him, coming down off the porch to stand beside Layla. Eric zipped around a bit more before appearing behind the pair of them.
"Never." he said.
"It'll be dawn soon!" Layla reminded him.
"I don't care." he said laughing and then zipped off again.
"Eric!" Layla screamed and began sprinting after him with Sookie on her heels.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Layla and Sookie paused for a moment to catch their breath. The sun was coming up over the horizon and they still hadn't found Eric.
"Alright, Sook, I need your phone and then you need to run back to the house and grab a blanket for when we find him." Layla told her. For once Sookie didn't argue and handed over her phone before racing back towards the house.
Layla scrolled through the phone until she came across the person she knew she needed and dialed. A part of her hoped he wouldn't pick up, but he did.
"Sookie, what's wrong?" Alcide's voice came through the phone.
"Alcide, it's me." Layla said sheepishly. "I need your help."
"I'll be right there." he said quickly. No explanation or apology necessary. Layla smiled a little and remember what had made her fall so hard for Alcide in the first place.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Sookie was waiting back at the house in case Eric returned while Layla jogged behind Alcide who was in his wolf-form to better sniff out Eric. She was attempting to explain the situation.
"So, Eric can day-walk for a while with Faery blood, but it makes him act like he's hammered. I don't know how long he has before he starts to fry." she said as they came to stand by a small, swampy looking body of water.
"Alcide we don't have time to waste. We need to keep looking." Layla pressed, but Alcide didn't move. Layla just rolled her eyes. Suddenly Eric emerged from the water, popping up like a cork.
"Hey Layla! Where've you been?" Eric asked, smiling wide.
"I've been looking for you!" she shouted at him.
"Come, come play with me. It's wonderful here!" he said, gesturing for her to come into the water. "I am Aegir, God of the Sea. And you are Ran, my Sea Goddess."
Layla blushed something fierce to hear him say that in front of Alcide.
"Eric, don't make me come in there and drag you out. It's not safe. Come here!" Layla said, stomping her foot out of sheer frustration. "There's probably gators in there! This is Louisiana!"
"Leave the sun and the water? Nope." he said, floating and splashing around. "I'll just kill all the seas monsters. Gators?" he called. "Krokodile!" he yelled in swedish. "Show yourselves! Cowards!"
Alcide suddenly morphed back into human and Layla tried, with much difficulty, not to admire his hot, naked body.
"He really is different." Alcide noted.
"Get away from her!" Eric threatened.
"Fuck you. She want's me here." Alcide countered. Layla wouldn't have minded covering them both in oil and watching them wrestle it out, but there really wasn't time.
"Eric, Alcide is my friend. Yours too. He's here to help us. You don't really want to fight him." Layla said as calmly as she could.
"Yes I do. Now prepare to die you stinking dog." Eric said, fangs bared.
"Take a shot, you dumb shit fanger." Alcide said.
"Oh my god, enough!" Layla yelled. "Alcide, quit growling. Eric, retract your fangs and get the fuck out of the water!"
Layla frowned as she saw steam rising from Eric's skin. He was dipping dangerously.
"I-I don't feel so good." he said. Layla ignored the possibility of gators and began to wade into the water with the blanket.
"Come here to me, honey." Layla said, going into full mother-hen mode.
"Layla, I hurt." Eric said. "My blood is burning."
"I know, baby." Layla said, wrapping the blanket around him. "You need to run, quick as you can, back home."
"I don't want to go back to the dark." he complained.
"I'll be right behind you." Layla assured him.
"Keep that blanket on and the sun at your back." Alcide advised. Eric looked to Layla one more time.
"I'm right here. I'm gonna follow you." she said, touching his face briefly, trying to reassure him. Eric was off in an instant, Alcide shifted back to being a wolf and followed right behind, leaving Layla to bring up the rear.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Layla followed Eric down into his cubby as she soon as she got home. She adjusted the blanket over his shoulders.
"You need to go to sleep." she told him gently.
"I don't want to go to sleep." he said, even though he sounded tired.
"When we hurt ourselves we need to rest and let the body repair itself. I know you heal fast, Eric, but that doesn't mean your body doesn't need a break. Let me check your back." she said, sitting him down on his bed and pushing the blanket back. "That's all healed up." she said. "Just lay back and shut your eyes." she said, gently pushing on his shoulder but he knocked her hands away.
"Nope." he said.
"Fine, but if you stay up you'll start bleeding-"
"I know what the bleeds are." he said, cutting her a look that for a moment reminded her of the old Eric.
"Well, alright, sasspants. It's hard to keep up with what you know and what you don't." Layla said quietly before turning to go back up the ladder.
"Stay with me?" Eric asked, looking at her with big, round eyes. "Please."
Layla wanted nothing more than to curl up beside him, but she still had things to deal with.
"I'll come back. I promise." she said with a small smile. Eric just watched sadly as she climbed back upstairs.
Layla climbed out of the cabinet and made sure it was locked tight. Alcide was waiting for her when she re-emerged.
"This is nuts!" he said gruffly. Layla shushed him and led him out onto the front porch. Alcide took no time in continuing to talk. "He can't stay here. What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking he needs my help." Layla said. "You saw him. He doesn't remember anything. He would be a sitting duck."
"He's a killer." Alcide said flatly. "He doesn't even know who you are. This is it. This is your real chance to get away from him. For good."
"Cause you'd know so much about staying away from people who are bad for you." Layla shot back. "I can't believe you're living with her. You are just asking for another broken heart."
"That's what I'm saying about Eric." Alcide argued.
"Fine. Message received, loud and clear." Layla said stubbornly, arms crossed against her chest. Alcide sighed and shook his head before opening his arms.
"Come here." he said. Layla stared at him for a moment before stepping forward into his embrace.
"Never meant to hurt you, Layla." he said quietly.
"Yeah, well, I did mean to hurt you. I was pretty pissed." Layla admitted which made Alcide laugh a little. "But I'm sorry too."
"Friends?" Alcide asked after a moment. Layla made a show about thinking it over for a minute.
"What the hell?" she asked with a smile. "Friends."
Alcide laughed and ruffled her hair. "Keep in touch."
"You too." she called as he walked away to get into his truck.
XXxxXXxxXXxx
After showering and washing the smell of swamp water off of herself, Layla went back downstairs to see Eric. He was laying on the bed quietly and didn't say a word even as she walked over to him.
"It's strange for you to be so quiet." she said, looking down at him.
"I don't think so." he replied. Layla smiled.
"Well, the real Eric-"
"I AM real!" he said, looking up at her angrily. Layla frowned.
"I know." she said, sinking down to sit beside him. "I know you're real. I meant the Eric I'm used to seeing. The one with all his memories. The one I can never get to shut up. He doesn't mope around like this." she said, brushing his hair back. Eric just stared beyond her.
"I'll never swim in the sun again." he said sadly. "Never feel the heat on my skin. Never see the daylight in your hair."
Layla mustered up a small smile. "You don't know that. Maybe someday there will be a way-"
"Don't." he said sitting up. "I'm not a child."
"I'm sorry. I don't know how to make you feel better." Layla admitted.
"You think I'm weak." he said quietly. Layla shook her head.
"Not at all."
"You want the Eric who doesn't feel." he said. Layla frowned.
"Who said he doesn't feel?" she asked. "All I want is for you to be happy."
"If you kiss me I promise to be happy." he said, looking at her with a small smile on his face. Layla couldn't help her own smile.
"No."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because you don't remember me. It's not right." she said. For all she knew that fight they had been having was going to be the end of their relationship. Eric, the old Eric, still may have been using her to protect Sookie. There were too many unanswered questions. To take advantage of him now would be wrong. Tempting, but wrong,
"It's only a kiss." he said, inclining his head. Layla bit her lip, unable to resist his sweetness. Suddenly he pulled away. "Someone's at your door."
Layla jumped up immediately. "Stay here and be silent." she told him firmly.
XXxxXXxxXXxx
Sookie was upstairs asleep and so Layla answered the door. It was Bill. She felt her heartbeat quicken.
"Bill, hey." she said, stepping out to join him on the porch. "Sookie's asleep."
"Oh, I see." he said, looking a bit disappointed. "You look well."
"Thank you. Anything I can help you with?" she asked, pitying him a little.
"Eric." he said. Layla took a breath, She had already thought this through and knew exactly how she was going to play it.
"He's not here." she told him. Bill frowned.
"Sookie came by just the other night asking me to get rid of him. Don't you two share this home?" he asked.
"Oh we did, until he neglected to mention Sookie had come home. You know how he treats me when she's around." Layla said. Bill frowned again and nodded.
"Unfortunately, I do." he said.
"Well, I don't know if he finally felt guilty or found something or someone else to do, but I threw him out, figuratively speaking, and he left, without a problem." Layla lied smoothly. Bill raised an eyebrow.
"That seems very unlike Eric." he noted. Layla gave a bitter laugh.
"Yeah, you're telling me. Sookie mentioned that she spoke to you. We just assumed you'd gotten him to stay away. I really appreciate it if you did." she said, laying on the damsel in distress. "I don't know if my heart could have taken much more."
"Yes, I heard about what happened between you and Alcide." Bill said gently. Layla shrugged.
"I really know how to pick them don't I?" she said.
"Did Eric mention going anywhere? At all?" Bill asked. "Because we checked his farm, in Erland. The apartment in Paris and his plantation in Barbados. I mean we've looked everywhere. This is the one place he owns that my guards haven't searched. So with your permission-"
"and if I don't permit it?" Layla cut in.
"Well, I'd rather you agreed." Bill said firmly.
"Letting big, gun-toting guards into the house I just scrubbed while my friend is trying to sleep upstairs?" Layla asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It'll only be me." he said, making his way towards the door.
"I don't care that Eric's money bought this place. I'm the one who's taking care of it and who's lived in it. I picked out the new paint and rearranged the furniture. Beyond me, the only person who has any say over this house is Sookie because, really it belongs to her. There's not going to be a search of our home like we're criminals." Layla said strongly.
"I'm sorry." Bill said, turning towards the door.
"No." Layla said, inserting herself between the Vampire and the door. Bill went to move her out of the way. "How can you-"
"I have to. It's my responsibility." he snapped.
"What reason do you have not to trust me?" Layla pleaded. "I watched over Sookie at the cost of my own heart, just so yours wouldn't be broken too. I the best I could to keep Eric away from her. I helped her find you in Mississippi, I helped save your life. I tried to make her see reason even when she felt you betrayed her. I have been a better friend to you than anyone else in this whole town."
Bill moved and opened the door and then stood frozen in the doorway, hand still on the knob.
"You're right." he said quietly. He turned and stared at Layla for a moment, thoughtfully studying her. "Goodnight."
Bill left without another word and Layla went back inside the house