Thank you again to all of you who have stayed with my story and thank you to my new readers! I can't tell you how giddy I get when I see a new review or see someone's added me to their favorites/alerts. It makes my day!
….
When I walked down the stairs and into the living room the next morning, I saw Sookie sitting on Gran's antique sofa. I suppose she must have come home earlier in the morning after leaving with Bill last night. She didn't move to greet me at all. She just sat there, her two hands wrapped around the coffee cup resting on her lap. Her eyes were bloodshot from what I could only guess was a combination of lack of sleep and crying. She was staring ahead, sadly, at nothing in particular. I had hoped that Bill would be able to raise her spirits last night, but it didn't look like he did and in fact, they seemed worse. I didn't need to read her mind to know what was going through it. Our life was never easy, and Sookie always seemed to take our burdens so much harder. I knew I needed to get her spirits up.
So, I walked over to the sofa, sat down next to her, gently removed the cup from her hands and placed it on the coffee table. Then, I positioned myself to give her a warm hug; one that she looked like she needed, but one which she didn't reciprocate. After a brief moment I sighed and said, "Sookie, he's going to be okay. I know he is. You just have to have some faith."
Her voice was shaky from anger and sorrow as she replied, "Yeah, he's going to be okay, sure… like Gran, like Tina, oh wait, maybe like our parents. And don't even make me mention our drug addict cousin Hadley. We don't even know what happened to her. Pardon me if I don't believe that everything is just going to come up sunshine and roses."
Knowing she needed a pep talk, I took her hands in mine and said, "Sookie, look at me. Look at all the stuff I've seen lately and I'm still here. You are too, and I know there's been some stuff that you've been through… with Bill, before I got back from traveling. I've caught glimpses by accident when you've thought about it. What happened must have been horrible because the flashes came through like blasts. I'm sorry that I accidently saw them, really. And to be honest, you can talk to me about them if you want, or never if you don't want. That's totally your call. My point though is that we are survivors, you… me… Jason. We're like… like… we're like cockroaches; when the apocalypse comes, we'll be the last ones standing. Not to mention, Jason is as dumb as a stump. If anyone in this family has the gift of dumb luck, well, he's the one."
Sookie snorted a laugh as she thought about, well, us being cockroaches, and Jason and his dumb luck. It was true. He somehow always seemed to be able to come out ahead in life. With all the women he'd bedded, and left, not one ever seemed to hold it against him. In fact, they often came back for more. Even though he wasn't that educated, he made a decent living falling into one job or another that always came when he needed it. And then when Rene tried to frame Jason for the murders he had committed, Jason ended up exonerated, but in all honesty, it was by no doing of his own. It was just sheer dumb luck, at least on Jason's part. "Maybe you're right Arabella. It's just… I don't want to get my hopes up only to have them crushed."
"Me neither. But I have a real good feeling that he's going to be okay Sook. And remember, Gran used to say God looks out for fools and children. Well, Jason fits that bill, doesn't he?" I replied. I didn't know why, but I really felt like Jason was meant to come home, and not in a body bag. He had to.
Sookie smiled at me, grabbed her cup and took a sip of her coffee. Then she said, "You know, I sure hope you're right. I suppose this pity party isn't going to help anyone anyway."
"No, it isn't. We need to concentrate on being positive. Jason needs us, and he needs us to be sharp and focused. And besides, who likes to go to a pity party anyway, they're always such downers." I said lightheartedly. We needed to keep our spirits up and our heads about us.
After a short pause, Sookie simply said, "Thank you. I needed that. How did you get to be so smart?"
"I stole some smarts from Jason. He wasn't using them anyway." I said with a smirk, to which Sookie giggled and took a sip of her coffee.
Feeling the need to get my caffeine fix on, I went to the kitchen, got my own cup of morning bliss, and walked back into the living room to rejoin Sookie. After taking a sip of nectar from the gods, and sorely wanting to change the conversation, I said, "Hey, I've been thinking about what we could do now that we have an extra bedroom open. Why don't you take Gran's bedroom? And don't you even try to lie to me; I know you've always had your eye on it. It's cleared out now and ready to go. I'll stay in my own bedroom, because honestly I'm too lazy to want to move all my crap. But for your room, I was thinking we could ask Tara if she'd like to move in with us. I know you don't like that Maryann chick and I can't imagine that she's just going to let Tara stay at her house forever. What do you think?"
Grateful to have something she could focus on other than Jason's situation, Sookie said, "I think it's a perfect idea Arabella. Let's go to Merlotte's for lunch and ask her then. I know she's working the day shift today." She was truly worried about Tara, and about their friendship which had suffered so much with Maryann in the picture.
"Sounds like a plan. Oh, I didn't get a chance to tell you... Eric is sending Pam over tonight to help us pack for Dallas." I added nonchalantly.
"Pam? Pam's coming here? To help us? Wait, let me get the camera to take a picture of the pigs that must be flying?" Sookie said sarcastically.
"I don't get why you dislike her so much. She's blunt and sarcastic, I'll give you that, but she's not that bad once you get to know her a little bit. Really." I said honestly. I kind of liked her. She reminded me a little of Lafayette, in that they both were confident, irreverent, and could give a shit about what anyone else thought of them. They both would be good to have your back in a fight too. It was refreshing being around them because they called a spade a spade. There was no false flattery or nicety. They didn't bullshit you and they certainly didn't suffer any fools. If you were a moron, they didn't hold back. Granted, it wasn't fun for the moron, but….
Sookie rolled her eyes at me and said, "There's a fine line between being sarcastic and being a bitch and she crosses that line… constantly. Anyway, not that I won't miss her lesbian weirdness, but I told Bill I'd have a girls night with Jessica tonight. He's made strides with her, but their relationship is still strained a bit. He's hoping I can get through to her, at least a little and especially before leaving for Dallas."
"And what's Bill going to do while you guys are bonding?" I asked curiously.
"Honestly, I don't know. He mentioned he had some work to do, but not what it was." Sookie replied quickly. I wondered if this was a sore spot with them. To be honest, I knew Bill had some money, but had no clue where it came from. It seemed like Sookie didn't know either.
….
We decided to make our way over to Merlotte's a little before noon so we could talk to Tara without being interrupted by the lunch rush. The place was just as quiet as we knew it would be when we walked in. Tara was wiping down the bar when Sookie called over to her. "Tara, hey girl. What's up?"
Tara looked up and smiled. She was happy to see both of us. "Oh you know, rewriting history, saving the world, nothing much. How 'bout you two? Hey Bella, you look like you've healed up good."
I had noticed in the mirror while getting ready that my bruises were gone. I was relieved because I didn't really want to go to Dallas looking like I spent a lot of time at the wrong end of a fist. "Yeah I have Tara, thanks. Listen, do you have a moment? We want to talk to you."
Tara looked suspiciously at both of us and said, "Umm Hmmm, and what do you two girls have up your sleeves. I can see the wheels turning, and that ain't usually good with ya'll."
Sookie quickly went behind the bar, grabbed Tara's hand and said, "Come on, let's go in the back before anyone misses you. We need to catch up a bit. And, Arabella and I have something we want to ask you."
"You know, Sam isn't gonna like me leaving the bar unattended." Tara replied, not really worrying so much about what Sam was going to think, but more about what her friends wanted.
"Oh come on Tara, we know you don't give a rat's ass what Sam thinks. Let's go!" Sookie said as she started to lead a now defeated Tara to the back room.
"Fine, but if he gives me any lip, I'm blaming ya'll." Tara said futilely.
"Whatever Tara." Sookie said smiling. She knew her friend was all hot air.
…
Sitting in the back room, we quickly caught up on each other's lives. We didn't tell Tara about Jason though. It didn't seem right to get her worried when we ourselves didn't really know what was going on. She used to crush on Jason… hard. She didn't think we knew about that, but it was written all over her face whenever she saw him; plus she would trip over her words whenever speaking with him. Thankfully she knew what a slut he was and never pursued him. She would've never recovered if he broke her heart, which he no doubt would have. So after Sookie and I told her about some other stuff going on, it was Tara's turn. Strangely enough, she had some things to get off her chest that we were honestly a little shocked to hear her admit.
Tara started by saying, "I know you two have heard me go on and on about how great Maryann is and how great living with her has been, but I gotta tell you, I've been getting a little scared lately."
"What do you mean Tara? Why are you scared?" Sookie asked her friend anxiously.
"Well, when I'm at Maryann's, I feel as though I never want to leave. Sometimes I feel like I have to find the will to make myself go to work, and not in my normal 'I hate my job' kind of way. My bed gets made, clothes laundered, food cooked; I basically have every need and desire fulfilled, sometimes before I even knew I was gonna want it. But the strangest part, at least to me, is that Maryann never asks to be paid for any of it. She doesn't ask for any money for rent, or for the food I eat, or for the clothes she's given me… nothing. I keep thinking, 'Why me?' 'Why is she taking such a special interest in me?' But I also have to wonder is there gonna come day when she's gonna want something in return, and what's that gonna be? Maybe I'm so suspicious because I'm used to giving instead of getting, but something inside of me is screaming, 'this ain't right'. What do you guys think? Do you think that Maryann is too good to be true?"
Instead of blurting out the first words that came to my mind, 'Uhhh… Hell yeah I think there's something weird going on with Maryann!' I said, "You know Tara, Sookie and I came here today to ask you if you wanted to move in with us. It seems like it might be a good thing seeing as you're having some serious concerns about Maryann."
"Really? You guys want me to move in with ya'll?" Tara said with a smile.
"Yeah Tara. You've been as close as family since we were little and Lord knows you've probably slept at our house more than anywhere else in the world anyway. What do you say?" Sookie replied hopeful Tara would say yes.
"Wow. Well, I have to think about it for a minute." Tara said as she was weighing her options. Moving in with them would definitely get her out of the situation with Maryann. But, she wasn't sure she was ready to give that all up just yet. As she started to feel physically ill at the idea of leaving Maryann's, the thought then occurred to her, 'My God, I feel like an addict about to go through withdrawal.' Once that thought entered her mind, it scared her, so she said, "You know what, fuck that. I'm going to move in with ya'll."
"Great!" Sookie and I said simultaneously as we both gave Tara a big hug.
"So when ya'll want me to move in?" Tara asked, hoping it'd be sooner than later because she was now really weirded out at the thought of spending any more time at Maryann's.
"Well, Sookie and I are going out of town for a few days. You already have a set of keys to the house, so you can get your stuff in while we're gone. In fact, that'd probably be better anyway because then we won't be tripping all over each other." I said.
"Out of town? Now Bella, I wouldn't think it strange for you to up and go somewhere, but you Sookie, you never go anywhere. What gives?" Tara said eyeing Sookie and me up.
Sookie looked dumbfounded. Well, I guess we didn't talk about what we would tell Tara, so I took control and said, "Oh Tara, you and your conspiracy theories… Bill was nice enough to send Sookie and me on a mini vacation to Dallas. He said that with all that's happened, he wanted to do something nice for us."
"Really? And is Bill going with ya'll? Won't you be a third wheel Bella?" Tara continued to question.
"Well, Bill is going, but he's got something his has to do there for work. So we won't really see him much while we're there." I replied.
Tara still looked at us with a little bit of skepticism, but decided to drop it. She was just happy that she had somewhere to go. "Alright. You two have fun then. Take lots of pictures." Tara said, knowing if they came back without pictures, she'd catch their lie, that is, if they were lying.
"Sure. Will do." I said, figuring I'd take a snapshot or two while in Dallas.
Sam walked in unexpectedly and said, "So this is where my bartender is hiding. Listen Tara, I don't pay you to hide out in back and dilly-dally around. We've got customers coming in."
Tara, putting her hands on her hips as she cocked her head back, snidely said to Sam, "You barely pay me enough to deal with those stupid-ass customers."
"Yeah, well those stupid-ass customers pay your lazy ass. So just get out there, okay." Sam said, looking a little worse for wear. He was definitely antsier than normal and looked like he hadn't shaved or got any sleep for a little while. I could've used the bags under his eyes to pack for my trip. Not to mention, he didn't even acknowledge Sookie or me. Before we could ask him if he was okay, he walked out the door and straight into Daphne, who dropped her tray full of food right on Sam's feet.
"Shit Daphne!" He yelled at her.
"Ohhhhhh. I'm sorry Sam." Daphne said as she bent down to try to get the food off of his feet.
"Don't. Just don't Daphne. I'll clean it up myself." Sam said and he shook the food off of his shoes and stormed off. Daphne looked like she was going to cry and ran off.
"What was that?" I asked Sookie and Tara.
"I don't know, but he's been real jumpy lately. Listen, I better get up there before he really loses his shit. I'll see you guys later… roomies." Tara said with a smile before walking out of the room.
When she was finally gone, Sookie said to me, "Why did you lie about our trip? You know I hate lying, especially to my friends."
"What was I supposed to say Sookie? The truth? Yeah, that'd go over well. Hey Tara, you want to know why we're going to Dallas, for real? Well, let me tell you. Our dumb ass brother is missing in Dallas. Why's he in Dallas you ask… Well let me tell you about that too. He got caught up with a girl that liked to get her V on and decided she wanted her very own vampire vending machine, but things got out of hand and she staked him. So, Jason had to pay for his part in that vampire's true death by going to Dallas to infiltrate that crazy ass church the Fellowship of the Sun to appease his vampire probation officer. How'd he go missing you ask, well, we don't really know that, but in order to have the Dallas vamps help us figure that out, we're not only going to have to look for Jason, but for their two missing vampires as well. Dangerous, oh no, it'll just be a typical Tuesday for us now."
Sookie rolled her eyes at me and said, "Point taken."
"Good. Let's go. I still need to go through my closet before Pam comes tonight. Aren't you worried at all about what you're going to pack?" I asked.
Sookie replied, "No. I'm not going to a fashion show. I'm going to look for Jason. And besides, the only one I dress to impress is Bill. And as far as I know, he's been just fine with the way I look."
I thought about Sookie's words. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to make a good impression, for Eric that is. I knew that since I was "his" the way I looked would be a reflection on him. Not to mention, I wanted him to think I looked good as well. "Well, I could use some help in the dressing-up department." I knew I usually looked okay, but did I look sophisticated or sexy, probably not so much.
"Well, all I have to say is good luck dealing with Pam." Sookie said as we walked out of the backroom.
As we entered the dining room, I saw Tara talking to someone. I could only assume that someone was Maryann, based on the description that Sookie had given me earlier: A good looking woman with long, dark, wavy hair – check, who looked to be in her late 30's, early 40's – check, who dressed like she had a couple bucks in her pocket – check, who's mind was chanting some strange Latin crap, check. Yup, it had to be Maryann.
Sookie mentally said to me, "That's her."
I responded in kind, "Yeah, gathered that already. What's up with the Latin? Isn't that a dead language?"
Sookie just shrugged her shoulders.
Tara called us over saying, "Sookie, Arabella, come here ya'll. Maryann came by to invite us to a party."
I couldn't help but think to myself, 'What happened to distancing herself from Maryann?' This was a strange scene.
Once we reached the two of them, Maryann said, "Sookie, always a pleasure to see you. You are looking lovely as ever. And Arabella, it is truly an honor to finally meet you. Tara's told me so much about you that I feel like I know you already. It must have been so awful to have been through what you have. But I must say you appear no worse for wear, which is amazing and no doubt attributable to your outstanding courage and resolve. I celebrate in your tenacity and spirit. You are truly an inspiration. You and your sister are very special people. You don't see many like you around anymore." She said the last part of her monolog with a look in her eyes that made me think that she knew we were a little more than the average bear (so to speak). She was giving me the creeps, that's for sure. I completely understood where Sookie was coming from when she said that Maryann was strange.
I had a hard time not laughing at her speech though. She sounded like her day job was writing those motivational posters you might find at one of those kiosks you see at the mall. Who talks like that for real? But, knowing I needed to reply, I said, "Well, thank you Maryann. I appreciate your kind words. It's nice to be able to finally put a name with a face. I can't place your accent though, and I'm usually pretty good at that."
"Oh aren't you just precious. I'm originally from Cape Cod, but I'm not as salty as the potato chips." Maryann said like this was the funniest joke ever. Tara laughed heartily while Sookie and I just gave a polite smile.
Wanting to get out of there, Sookie said, "Tara, we need to head on out, but feel free to come by whenever to get your stuff settled."
Tara looked absolutely murderous. If looks could kill, you'd be getting the chalk to draw the outline around Sookie's body on the floor. I guess Tara hadn't told Maryann yet about her moving in with us.
Maryann turned to Tara and asked almost too sweetly, "Tara… what's Sookie talking about?"
"Oh shoot Maryann, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't appreciate all you've done for me. I really do; you have no idea how much. But, I think it's time I try to walk on my own. I can't have you taking care of me forever." Tara said nervously.
If Maryann was pissed off, you'd never know it. Her face and voice remained just as obnoxiously pleasant as she pulled Tara in for a hug, stroked her hair, and said, "Oh Tara, my little bird, spreading your wings to find a new nest. I always suspected that this day would come, maybe not this soon, but that doesn't matter. I'm proud of you honey. You are a strong woman about to move in with some equally resilient women. I'm sure that you will not only fly strong there, but you will soar."
I thought over to Sookie telepathically, "Well, that went better than we expected."
Sookie thought in return, "Yeah, a little too well, don't you think?"
"Maybe." I responded silently.
"Well, you girls probably have a lot to do, as do I. Oh, but before I go, I wanted to extend an invitation to the party I'm throwing in two weeks. It will be the greatest Bacchanalian gala the South has seen in ages; truly one not to be missed." Maryann said with a wink.
"What's a Baccha… Baccha… I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that word, gala?" I asked curious.
"Ohhhh, well now, that is a good question my dear. A Bacchanalian gala is a celebration like no other. There'll be lots of music, dancing, food, drink… it'll be revelry like you've never seen. You both should really come. I never disappoint." Maryann responded smiling like the Cheshire cat.
"Well, if we're around, I guess we'll be there." Sookie responded slightly non-committal.
"Oh, I truly hope so. Goodbye girls." Maryann said as she sauntered out the door.
Once Maryann was gone, Sookie turned to Tara and said, "Tara, get your stuff out of her house as soon as you can. Something is not right with that woman."
Tara responded as though she didn't hear a word that Sookie had just said. "She's been working on that party for weeks. It's going to be the bomb. You know, I think I'm going to stay at her place until the party's over. She probably could use help with setting it up."
Sookie and I looked at each other. We both tried to look into Tara's mind, which usually is pretty easy to read if we try, but right now it almost seemed like she wasn't there.
"Tara! Get your butt back behind this bar." Sam yelled breaking Tara out of her trance finally.
"Yeah, yeah Sam. Okay, well you guys better leave before Sam starts yelling at you too. Go on now, go. It's just pathetic to come into work on your day off anyway. Go have some fun." Tara said while walking back to the bar to sling some drinks to the now bustling restaurant.
"What do we do?" I asked Sookie. This situation was getting weirder by the moment.
"I don't know. Hopefully this can wait until we get back from Dallas with Jason." Sookie replied dejectedly. She hated to leave her friend in this situation, but Jason needed us more right now.
"I don't think we have a choice right now anyway." I said sullenly. I was having some serious issues about leaving Tara like this, when she so obviously was not in her right mind around Maryann, but this situation didn't seem as urgent as Jason's. When did life get this complicated?
"Let's go then." Sookie said as we then walked out of the restaurant and into the rest of our day.
…
I was sitting on my front porch flipping through a Vogue magazine, glad to vacate my mind of anything heavy, when Pam showed up about an hour after the sun went down.
"Arabella. You're looking absolutely delicious tonight." Pam said a sly smile. She noted that the bruising Eric said she had from her attack was all gone.
"Oh, hey Pam. What's up?" I said casually. But once I really took in her outfit, I felt like I had seen it somewhere. So, I flipped hurriedly through my magazine. Once I found what I was looking for I said, "Wait a minute. Oh my God, are you wearing the St. John knit suit that Angelina Jolie is wearing here." I then turned the magazine around to show her the page, pointing to the outfit in question.
"Oh honey, I don't need to look at the picture. I know exactly the outfit you're referring to. And yes, it is the same. You like?" Pam replied proudly as she turned in a circle to give me the full effect. It was an absolute bitch to get, but so worth it. Of course she was going to show it off.
"Yeah, I do. It's gorgeous. But… wow! I don't even know where you'd buy anything like that around here." I said in awe. That outfit probably cost a pretty penny.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't. The shopping in this backass town is dismal on a good day and downright shitty on a bad. Now, why don't you get your pretty little ass into my car and let's go shopping at a real store. Eric's treat." Pam said, already walking back to her car.
"Wait. Don't you want to see what I was thinking of bringing?" I asked confused. I had spent the better part of my afternoon going through my closet trying to find the best stuff I could. My room was beyond trashed with clothes all over the place, but I thought I had found some good options.
"There's no need. I can tell you right now that you don't own anything that would be appropriate. Now get in the car. We're wasting precious shopping time and mama needs to get her shop on." Pam said as she got into her silver Porsche.
It was hard to not be a little hurt by her comments, or by the way she said them. Nobody wants to hear their wardrobe doesn't cut the mustard. But being blunt was her way, and I guess the saying is, 'don't kill the messenger'. She just happened to voice the opinion that I had secretly suspected myself anyway. So I grabbed my purse off of the porch and joined her in the car.
….
When we arrived at Wilhelmina's Wardrobe in Shreveport, I had to peel my whitened knuckled fingers from the door arm rest. To say that Pam drove fast would be like saying the Pope wears a funny hat.
"Have you ever thought of race car driving as a career choice?" I asked Pam as we walked up to the door of the exclusive women's clothing boutique. I had heard about it once from a customer at Merlotte's. It was supposed to serve the crème de la crème of Shreveport. It wasn't the type of place you just walk into on a whim. Suddenly I felt severely underdressed in my white tank top, white cardigan, and jeans all from Walmart and sneakers ala Sketchers. I naively thought we were going to the mall.
"I couldn't do it even if I were so inclined. Vampires are banned from racing. The powers that be within Nascar felt that if we were allowed to race, no human could ever win again. They were right in their thinking, of course." Pam said, waiting for me to open the door.
I rolled my eyes at her as I grabbed the door handle and motioned my arm in an obnoxious royal wave indicating for her to walk through. She gave me a smirk as she walked into the store like she owned it.
"Pamela, darling, you look simply ravishing tonight. Is that new St. John you're wearing? It does you justice. And I see you brought… an assistant (said with a wink) to help you bring your purchases home. Would you like a private dressing room, in back?" The saleslady said with a fangy grin as she assessed my outfit with obvious disdain. You would have thought I just walked in wearing pig shit the way her nose was crinkled up. Guess who felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman? I bet you'll only need one guess.
"Why thank you Helena. I had to pull a few strings to get this outfit as it is runway only right now, but I had to have it. You know how it is." Pam replied but then added, "And as for this one here (pointing at me), this one is Eric's pet, not mine, and you will treat her with the respect due to her as his pet." Pam said with authority to the snotty vampire saleslady.
I couldn't contain the smile that crept to my lips as Pam told that snotty saleslady vampire what's what. It was nice to have Pam speak up for me, granted it would have been nicer if I wasn't referred to as a 'pet', but it was better than having that stuck-up saleslady be a bitch to me all night. My good mood was doused rather quickly though…
"Oh, why of course, Pamela. Eric's been a great patron of our store. Anything for one of his, and there's been a few hasn't there? Would you like to see the new lingerie from Paris? I just received a shipment of items that I know Eric has liked on his girls in the past. Unfortunately, we don't have any bondage stuff in right now, well, maybe a few handcuffs, but I'd really have to look around for them." Helena said to Pam while looking me over. "I think she'd have the perfect body for one of the corset and thong options."
Pam looked over at me to see my mouth was wide open in shock. Bringing her hand to my chin, she gently pushed it up to shut my mouth and said, "Honey, you're going to let the flies in."
"She looks a little rough around the edges now, but I do see the potential in her. Yes… I can see why Eric would have her: beautiful, thick blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, thin waist, and generous chest." Helena said while walking a circle around me. I sorta felt like a gazelle in the savanna being circled by the cheetah, ready to pounce.
Pam must have sensed my unease as she then pulled me to her side and said, "Helena, while I would love to see the new lingerie, especially on this creature here, we actually need to get her some dresses, pantsuits, well, basically a new wardrobe. I know this store inside and out. Why don't you see to that human over in the corner that looks like she could definitely use some help and I'll call you over as needed."
Helena knew she was being dismissed, but didn't care as long as Pam spent tons of money tonight, like she usually did. The more Pam spent, the bigger the commission for her. So she said, "As you wish. Just holler if you need me."
Once Helena was with the other customer, I couldn't stop myself from asking Pam, "So, Eric's bought a lot of stuff here for his other girls. Would they be past or present girls? And… bondage?"
Pam rolled her eyes and said, "Let's just say he hasn't bought anything in this store since you showed up. And don't worry about the bondage thing. He only does that with the willing, which I'm guessing would be a 'no' for you." It all was the true. He hadn't bought anything here since she came into the picture, but that didn't mean that Eric had been monogamous either. He had fucked and sucked on several fangbangers at Fangtasia. Pam knew that they meant nothing to him, other than dinner and distraction, however explaining that to a human, with their emotions, could be messy, as it was hard for humans to understand certain vampire… needs. As for the bondage thing, Eric only did that sometimes, and truthfully the girls had all been willing. But then again, they would probably have robbed a bank if he asked just so they could be with him. Pam had a feeling that Eric wouldn't be interested in doing that with Arabella anyway, at least not initially.
I didn't know if her answer should make me feel relieved or not; it was kind of vague actually. But I could tell by the way she said it that it was the only answer I was going to get on the subject. Eric and I never really had a sit down about what we were doing. I guess I'd have to ask him sometime soon.
Deciding to let the topic drop, I said, "Okay, well, we're here. Where do we start?"
Pam was grateful that Arabella didn't press the issue like most humans would. She'd lost count of how many women Eric had used up and dumped that harassed her, begged to know if Eric would take them back, if Eric was with someone else, if Eric cared about them, blah, blah, blah. They were all pathetic. Wasn't it obvious that if he wasn't with you, he wasn't into you? Breaking out of her thoughts, she said, "Yes, well, you are going to need several days and nights worth of clothes and shoes. Why don't we start with some separates? Those you can mix and match in case your stay is longer than anticipated."
And, so it began, the deluge of clothes that Pam brought me to try on. Of course, she had to stay in the dressing room with me, watching me change. She claimed that she was there in case I needed help into things. Yeah, I knew she just wanted to watch, but it didn't bother me. She knew I was Eric's. She wouldn't do anything to piss him off, right?
Eventually Helena came back to the dressing area and asked what my measurements were for the lingerie. I had just taken off a shirt I was trying on when Pam quickly wrapped her arms around me from behind and cupped my breasts with her hands.
"Ummm Pam, what are you doing?" I asked uncomfortably. It's not every day you have a female vampire grabbing you like this.
"Sizing you up. I'm sure you want those undergarments to do you justice, don't you." Pam said seductively into my ear.
"Well, yes, I'd like them to fit, but I'm pretty sure most people use tape measures to measure for bra size, not their arms and hands." I replied, trying not to let my annoyance show.
"Honey, when you've touched as many breasts as I have, you become an expert. And believe me when I say that I can guarantee I'm more accurate than any tape measure. Oh Helena, she's a 34D." Pam said, while still holding my breasts.
"Thank you Pamela. I'll be back shortly with some options." Helena said, chuckling at the exchange between the human and Pam.
"Great. Now that we've settled that, I guess you can let go now." I said to Pam hoping she'd do just that.
Pam let go with a pout and said, "You know, we could have a lot of fun, you and me."
"Pam, I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm pretty much strickly dickly. But, if I ever were to flip sides, you'd be the first to know." I said with a wink while trying to find something to cover up with. While it's always flattering to have someone find you attractive, I wasn't into her, or women for that matter, but I didn't want to make her feel bad for her preference. And besides, is it ever a good idea to insult a vampire who could kill me in less than a split second; probably not.
Pam's respect for this human in front of her went up several notches. She was able to diffuse what Pam knew was probably an uncomfortable situation with grace, dignity and a bit of humor. "I know, but it was worth a shot. Although, your nipples were pretty erect. You sure you didn't' enjoy it a little?" Pam said smiling.
"Pam, what do you think happens when you put an ice cube to a nipple; they get hard. And you should know your hands are pretty darn cold." I replied rolling my eyes.
"You're a lot more fun than your sister. She would've been looking for a stake if I even mentioned touching her breasts." Pam said while looking over another outfit for me to try on.
"Yeah, Sookie's always been a little prudish. But she's a good person, really, and normally very friendly. I just don't get it; whenever your name or Eric's name comes up, she just gets crazy pissy. What happened between ya'll?" I asked Pam, hoping she'd give me some insight.
"What, your sister hasn't explained her frostiness to us? Can't you just read her mind anyway for all the answers?" Pam said curiously.
"When I talk to Sookie about it, she usually just says something about Eric being an asshole and you being a bitch. I don't read my sister's mind though. It's private." I replied truthfully.
"Well, let me put it to you this way. Sometimes I think your sister doth protest too much, if you catch my drift. Before you came along, Eric had tried to take Sookie away from Bill, on more than a few occasions. Now, I'll give you that your sister and Bill do seem pretty wrapped up in each other, but if Bill wasn't in the picture, well, I don't think you sister would turn down any advances from Eric if he were so inclined to throw some her way. I don't need to remind you of how handsome he is, powerful, rich, envied…"
I was thrown off a bit by Pam's revelation. I didn't know that Eric was interested in Sookie before meeting me. "Yes Pam, Eric's a great catch (outside of the being dead thing, I thought to myself) but Sookie loves Bill. I know that."
"Yes, well… maybe, but I'm just giving you fair warning Arabella, I'd watch your back when it comes to your sister." Pam said as she grabbed one of the lacy baby doll numbers that Helena just brought in. "Now, if you wear something like this for Eric, I don't think he'd remember you have a sister at all."
I looked at Pam for a moment. She was having this conversation with me so matter of factly, like she was discussing a new recipe. 'Oh yes, just add a pinch of illicit longing, a dash of forbidden sex and a bit of backstabbing, mix and put in the oven for a brand new loaf of betrayal.' But I knew in my heart that Sookie would never betray Bill or me like that. She was my sister and we looked out for each other. And while I didn't necessarily believe that Pam was lying; I think she thought she was right and she thought that Eric was the end all be all; but I knew she was mistaken, at least about Sookie's state of mind. I knew my sister. Now, as for Eric, I didn't know what to think. Did he still want my sister? It didn't look like he had pursued her at all while with me, but it was still disconcerting to know he had in the past.
Pam said, breaking the small silence, "By the way, I'm curious, why aren't you and Eric fucking yet?"
The bluntness of Pam's question threw me off for a bit, but after I thought about it for a moment I finally came up with the only answer that seemed right, "Timing." I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to sleep with him, but now, knowing so much more than I wanted to, I didn't know if that was the case anymore, at least not without clearing up some things.
"Yes, I think that would explain it. You have been involved in some extraordinary events as of late. Well, it's too bad, because you've been missing out. He never leaves the ladies unsatisfied." Pam said as she returned to looking at the piles of clothes in the dressing room. She then handed me a light blue jersey wrap dress and said, "You really need to try this on. I have a feeling this shade of blue would look wonderful on you, especially with your eyes, and it will pack nicely."
I went into robot mode at that point, trying on a few more things before Pam felt that we had tried on enough things to come up with a good wardrobe for the trip. If I thought the four hours we spent at the store were emotionally draining, the night was about to get even worse.
….
While Arabella and Pam were at Wilhelmina's Wardrobe…
"Hey Jessica." Sookie said as Jessica opened the door.
"Oh, hey Sookie." Jessica said dejectedly, as she absentmindedly sulked back into the living room and plopped herself on the sofa.
"What's wrong?" Sookie asked as she followed Jessica into the old house, eventually sitting next to her.
"I just saw my parents on TV. It was horrible. They looked so sad and were so worried about me. I didn't realize how much I missed my mom and my little sister Eden until I saw them there." Jessica said, as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.
"Oh honey, I know this has to be hard on you." Sookie said as she gave Jessica a hug. She didn't know what else to say. What could she say?
Backing out of the hug, Jessica looked at Sookie wide-eyed as she saw Sookie's shoulder was bright red with blood and said, "Oh my God Sookie, you're bleeding. I swear you were fine when you got here… What happened?"
"Oh honey, that's not my blood, it's yours." Sookie said in a motherly tone as she took off her plaid button down shirt revealing a blue tank top underneath. She'd have to wash that shirt soon so that the blood stains didn't set. She'd learnt that from previous experience with Bill.
"Mine?" Jessica said as she wiped some tears from her eyes and then finally saw her blood on her hands.
"What the hell? Why am I bleeding? What's wrong with me?" Jessica asked anxiously.
"Sweetie, when vampires cry, they cry blood tears. Didn't Bill tell you that?" Sookie asked.
"No. He didn't. He hasn't told me lots of things. Listen, I know he's your boyfriend and all, and he may be a good one at that. But, he sucks as a maker. I hate it here. He's gone so much and I'm stuck here in this old house by myself bored all the time. My life sucks." Jessica said, crying even more now.
Sookie looked at Jessica and sighed. She knew that part of the reason why Bill wasn't home a lot was her. She wanted to do something to give this girl some happiness, but didn't know what. "Jessica, what would make you happy right now?"
"Oh my gosh. If I could see my family, for just one moment, that would be heaven. I never got to say goodbye. Please Sookie. Please take me. I really want to see them. I could look through the windows. I wouldn't even get out of the car. Please! Please! Please!" Jessica begged hysterically.
"Oh honey, I don't think I can. Bill wouldn't be too happy about that. He said that you're still going through a lot of changes; some that could be hard to control. Maybe you should ask Bill to take you." Sookie said, feeling awful that she couldn't give this girl the solace she seemed to so desperately need. Sookie could definitely understand the need to have closure with a dead loved one. She wasn't able to say goodbye to Gran or her parents. She hoped they knew how much she loved and missed them.
Jessica got onto her knees in front of Sookie and replied desperately, "Sookie, Bill's not going to take me. I've already tried asking him. Before I could even state my case he said, 'Jessica, you are vampire. You have no human family anymore. You must never see them again.' He wouldn't even listen to me." Then, laying her head on the sofa next to Sookie's leg she continued, "Sookie, I want to make sure that my momma and sister are okay. My father… he wasn't the nicest of men. Sure, to everyone else he was this great guy; a church-going man, devoted husband, loving father, but to us, he was a monster. He used to hit me and my momma something fierce with his belt. Of course, not anywhere on our bodies that anyone could see; we were always supposed to hide the welts under our clothes. It was horrible. He hadn't started with Eden, my little sister, at least not yet. But, now that I'm not there to take the beatings, I'm scared he'll go after her too. She's only eleven Sookie."
Sookie sat in shock at the revelations Jessica just told her. She was caught between her feelings of pity for Jessica and her family and wanting to help them and loyalty to Bill's wishes. "Jessica, maybe if I tell Bill what you've told me, maybe I could get him to take you. You're still a new vampire. If you felt the urge to do something, you may not be able to control yourself and I don't know what I would be able to do to stop you."
"You could try talking to him, but I don't think it would do no good. He seemed to have his mind made up. But Sookie, did you wonder, if I was so uncontrollable, why would he leave you, his girlfriend that he supposedly loves, with me? He wants me to cut off all ties to my family. I think I could do that if I could just see them one more time. I need to see them. I need some closure with them, even if they don't see me. I need to make sure that things are okay. I'm begging you Sookie, please, give me this chance to say goodbye to my family." Jessica replied desperately.
Sookie internally cursed herself because she knew she was going to cave in. She still felt the overwhelming guilt about being somewhat responsible for Jessica's turning. And, how could she deny the girl the opportunity to say goodbye to her family; the family that she would no doubt never see again. Plus Jessica had a point about Bill thinking it was okay for her to be alone with Jessica with her urges and all. "Okay, but you will stay in the car Jessica and Bill can never know about this. He would kill us both."
"Oh Sookie, thank you!" Jessica said heading towards the door.
"Heaven help me. I hope this doesn't go badly." Sookie mumbled under her breath as she followed Jessica out the door.
…
After slowly creeping up the dark tree lined street, Sookie's little yellow car finally came to a stop just across the street from a little blue cottage-like house. The perfectly manicured lawn and impeccably well-kept house kept the truth of what lay behind the closed door well hidden.
"That's it. That's my old home." Jessica said, longingly.
Sookie started to feel the tears she had tried so hard to keep in, pour out of her like a faucet.
Jessica, sensing Sookie's emotional state, turned to her and asked, "Sookie, why are you crying?"
"Because… I did this to you Jessica. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be a vampire. I wouldn't blame you if you never forgave me. It'd be too much to ask for anyway." Sookie started before Jessica cut her off.
"Sookie, I don't blame you. My being a vampire was definitely not your fault. And, to be honest, it's given me freedom from the shitty life I had before. I may miss my family and want to make sure they're okay, but I don't want to go back. You know why I was out the night I was caught by the Magister's people? I figured, if I was going to get beaten for being a bad person, like my daddy said I was, well, then dammit, I was going to do something bad. I thought that all I'd do was break curfew and go to a party. Now granted, I didn't know it'd end up like this..."
"See, it's still my fault." Sookie tried to blurt out, but Jessica continued, "No, it's not your fault. If Bill wasn't forced to turn me, one of the other vampires at that god-forsaken tribunal would have for sure. I remember the Magister saying something about needing to get the numbers up. They had plans for me already Sookie. They just worked Bill into them."
Jessica, sensing movement her old house, turned her head to see her daddy in the window. Jordan Hamby didn't realize he had an audience tonight as he undid his belt while yelling at his terrified wife and young daughter. To Jessica, it was an all too familiar scene, but to Sookie, it was shocking and she was appalled, to say the least. While Sookie was busy formulating ideas to try to help the Hamby women, Jessica bolted out of the car at vampire speed to the front door of the troubled house and rang the doorbell.
"Jessica! Stop!" Sookie screamed as she followed the young vampire. This was not one of the plans floating around in her mind.
Jessica couldn't help herself. And no, it wasn't because of her 'urges'; it was because she had to help her mother and sister if it was the last thing she ever did for them. They didn't deserve one ounce of the punishment her daddy inflicted upon them. She was going to stop him, one way or another. With her vampire strength and speed, she felt none of the fear that she once did at the thought of being at the receiving end of his belt. No, she intended on Jordan being the one to feel that fear.
"Jessica? Oh my God, Jessica. Is it really you?" Mrs. Hamby cried as she answered the door seeing her missing daughter for the first time in weeks.
"Momma." Jessica said as she and her mother entered a tight embrace; neither one wanting to let go for fear that the other would disappear, but for two completely different reasons.
Sookie, knowing that Jessica could start crying bloody tears at any moment, mouthed to her, "Don't cry."
Jessica nodded to Sookie as she said to her mother, "Aren't you going to invite us in Momma?"
Sookie nearly had a heart attack when Jessica suggested going into the house, but what could she say now? She was fucked.
"Oh, honey, you and, well, who's your friend honey?" Mrs. Hamby asked curious about who the girl with her daughter was.
"Oh, this is Sookie, Momma. She's my friend and has really helped me out." Jessica said with a smile to Sookie, who she really did consider a friend now.
"Oh, well, you'll have to tell us what happened, but let's go inside, you're freezing sweetie. Jordan, Eden, our baby's home. Jessica's home." Mrs. Hamby shouted as we all entered the house.
While Mrs. Hamby disappeared for a moment, Sookie whispered to Jessica while pulling at her sleeve, "Jessica, we need to leave now. You have so fucked me over here."
"I'm not done here Sookie." Jessica said to Sookie as she yanked her arm away. The three other Hamby's then entered the room.
"Jessica?" Jordan Hamby said to his daughter as he grabbed her into what started off as a warm embrace, but quickly turned into a menacing one. "Where have you been? You had us worried. Were you off whoring around? Taking drugs? Huh? What was it?"
"Mr. Hamby!" Sookie said loudly, disgusted by his behavior.
"Who the hell are you? Are you the one she's been with this whole time? Maybe I need to call the police and have them arrest you." Mr. Hamby sneered at Sookie.
Jessica had had enough of her daddy's fear mongering and bared her fangs at him. "You are not going to hurt my friend here and you most certainly are not going to hurt Momma and Eden ever again."
Mr. Hamby stared at his daughter with fear and disgust. "So, this is what you did to yourself, became one of the devils servants. I guess I didn't do the Lord's service enough with you. I should have beaten you more; beaten the devil right out of you."
"Oh no Daddy, I think you've gotten it all wrong. You're the devil here, not me. You were the one to bring evil into this house and the evil that I'm dealing with now. But, now that I think about it, maybe I can bring you closer to the God that you claim to serve." Jessica said as she threw her daddy across the room and into the wall. There, she undid the belt that he must have readjusted from earlier and wrapped it around his neck. "Don't worry Daddy, this will only hurt a little bit." She said with a smirk as she saw the fear in her Daddy's eyes; relished in it to be honest. She then turned to look at her mother and sister. They had fear in their eyes, but pride as well. Jessica was able to stand up to the bully that had for so long made their life a living hell, but was she going to go after them next? Jessica seemed to sense that was their concern and said, "Momma, Eden, I would never hurt you. I want to make sure you are safe from this monster here."
Mrs. Hamby then nodded to her daughter, understanding her daughter and what she was about to give them, freedom from their suffering. But, before Jessica was able to sink her fangs into her father's neck, Bill kicked the door to the house open, beyond angry.
…
Dun Dun Dun…. Had to cut this chapter here because it was getting so long… stay tuned…