AN: Here's the next chapter. Not much to say but thank you for all your kind words!
Forgot to mention. This is me channeling TRUE BLOOD SOOKIE. Hopefully, I can veer from the travesty of a main character they've got going and hopefully they will too in season three, but for now. This is her. Sorry.
thanks to seastarr08 for beta'ing.
Chapter 5: When You Call My Name
I watched Eric's stupid car tear through my driveway. My lover. That's what he said in my dream...Well, it wasn't true. As I turned back to the house, I quickly decided to check out Bill's. I walked through the cemetery. At the very least, Jessica may be able to help me. When I reached it I saw flowers on the front porch. I bent over to read the note and saw it was addressed to Jessica. I hoped her and Hoyt worked it out. They were really sweet together.
The house was vacant. I used my key to get in, but there was no Bill, or no sign that he had come back. I found myself running back home, not wanting to be anywhere near some place Bill wasn't. What was I going to do? Would Eric really help? Did I trust him? My brain reminded me of that morning in Dallas. I ran harder. How could I think about one man, when the other that I planned on marrying was missing? I opened the door, hating the sight before me. This house, truly, was a mess.
"Hey, girl," I said, slipping off my shoes, noticing Tara sitting on the couch. "Bill's missing." I said to her back. "He...proposed and...are you alright?" I rounded to find Tara in a ratty old sweatshirt, looking like a zombie.
"This is his," she muttered, gripping her sweater.
"Who's is it, sweetie?" I asked, sitting next to her.
"Eggs," she said and burst into tears. I held her close to me wondering what was going on. Where could Bill be? Was it really Lorena? She was pretty mad after Godric humiliated her and banished her – was this revenge? What was it that made her keep going back to Bill? I realized Tara was talking. "He's dead."
"Who's dead?" I asked, not understanding her at all.
"Eggs!" she cried again. I didn't believe it. She cried into my shoulder and I stroked her back comfortingly. What was she talking about? Was Eggs dead?
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Andy killed Eggs!"
"Why would he do that?" I flummoxed.
Tara turned to me and gave me an awful look. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Of course I am," I gasped, looking affronted. She got to her feet and stormed out of the living room. If she knew the kind of night I had as well. No, that was wrong. Eggs died. But she had only known him for three weeks. That thought stilled me for a second before I followed her into the kitchen. It smelled disgusting in here. Honestly, this gave me the creeps. This whole house. I didn't know how I could spend another minute in here. It turned my stomach and I was sure my Gran in her grave.
"Tara," I said, feeling a bit frustrated and confused. She was picking things off the ground trying to clean up. It was useless. This whole house felt hopeless. "I'm sorry. But, I'm just a little frazzled tonight – Bill --"
"God, Sookie!" Tara snapped, her eyes wide as she stared at me. "I don't care about Bill. I don't care about your relationship with him. My boyfriend just –" she cut herself off, her voice cracking.
"How is that fair?" I asked before I could stop myself. I was surprised when Tara let out a scream and lunged at me. I jumped away and ran into the living room. She caught my arm and whirled me around, a crazy look in her eyes and slapped me across the face, I stumbled back slightly. "What are you doing? Have you gone mad?" I snapped and she hit me again. I gasped and pulled her hair.
Before I knew what was really going on, Tara and I were scratching and slapping in any way we could. She grabbed my shoulders and threw me down to the ground. I yelped and our hands clasped as she straddled me and we fought for an upper hand. I could not believe this was happening between her and I, after all we'd been through together.
"Tara, stop!" I shouted just as I scratched her face. I shoved her off and she hit the floor. We breathed heavily calming down, our original gusto dissipating. And just like that she broke down into tears. I held her close to my chest and didn't utter a word. She cried and I did too.
The next day, I set about the task of starting to clean up the house. I got into some old clothes and pulled out a bunch of cleaning products, but when it came time to start, I didn't know where. I looked around helplessly feeling more discouraged than ever. I hoped Eric would contact me tonight about Bill. There was not much else I could do during the day. I went into the kitchen first, this is where we cooked, it should be the cleanest firstly. I went to the sink and remembered the man with the intestines. I took a step back, closing my eyes. The frying pan that I had hit Mike over the head with was still tossed under the sink. I picked it up and put it on the counter. I couldn't do this. I shook my head and whipped off my rubber gloves. I couldn't even live in here. I went upstairs and knocked on Tara's door. I peeked in.
"Tara, honey," she was on the bed, this room was disgusting, we couldn't live here. "How about we leave. Okay?"
"Where?" Was her muffled question.
"We could go to Bill's. It's empty right now. Except Jessica," I shrugged. "It's just too disgusting here." I waited and surprisingly she got up. "Grab what you need, okay?"
Most of my own stuff had been destroyed or used since Maryann took over the house. I remembered my bag was still at Bill's from when we arrived a few days ago from Dallas. So Tara and I headed over to Bill's. I used my key and showed Tara upstairs to Bill's room. I figured her and I could sleep in his bed or something. She was really uncomfortable, not that I could blame her. I called in Sam and told him Tara wouldn't be in today, but I still would and he understood, mentioning he wasn't exactly in town at the moment. He wouldn't give any more details but that he would talk to me soon.
I headed out to work that night.
Everyone was rather shaken up as heard from several different accounts about how Andy Bellefleur shot an hysterical Eggs. I was shocked by this but if I was quite honest, my mind kept switching to Bill until Arlene stopped me.
"Sookie, is that a ring on your finger?" she asked in shock. I smiled slightly. She gasped. "Did Bill propose to you?" I wasn't sure how to respond, since he didn't know I said yes.
"Well, sort of," I said looking down.
"Oh, honey," Arlene sighed, giving me a sympathetic look.
I straightened my shoulders and judged her right back. "What Arlene?" I asked stiffly.
Arlene tossed her hair over her shoulder and reached out to grab my hand, the one without the ring. "You can't marry a dead man. You know, he's dead," she whispered the end. "What kind of life will you have with him?" I ripped my hand from hers.
"For your information, Arlene, Bill is the kindest man, dead or alive, I have ever met. I love him and I will marry who ever I want – I don't need your permission!" I picked up my tray and went over to pick up the next order. Arlene shot me looks for the rest of the night but I was in no mood to deal with her small-mindedness. I held my head high as I finished my shift, grabbed my purse.
I checked my phone to see if Eric had contacted me about any news on Bill. Still nothing. I groaned. This is what I get for trusting a vampire. I thought about last night, seeing him in the basement, outside his car, dropping me off...
I waited until Terry and Arlene left together and I shook my head and headed outside. I locked up the bar and was about to turn to my car when I felt hands on me. I didn't have enough time to suck in air and scream before my back was against the brick wall and two hands were under my arm pits, holding me off the ground. I was too stunned to move as I opened my eyes and saw clear blue ones staring back.
"Eric!" I gasped. He looked strained. "What the hell are you doing?"
"There have been reports of weres in the area."
"So?" I struggled against him.
"Weres took Bill last night." I froze.
I let that sink in. "When were you going to tell me?" I demanded, how predictable. He was keeping things from me.
He gave me a sharp look. "I'm telling you now," his voice lowered and I felt a shiver run through me. I hated that he had that affect on me. "Next time I'll call you at three in the morning." He set me down slowly, but we didn't move, my back was still pressed against the brick.
"What does this mean? Why would Weres take Bill?"
He gave me a side glance, a small smirk. "We shouldn't discuss this here," he said. "I'll meet you at your house." And then to my surprise he shot through the air. I let out a scream and stood there stunned. Vampires could fly? Eric could fly? I put a hand over my racing heart. I thought Bill said they couldn't?
I managed to get into my car and drive home. I spent the short drive, nervous, glancing up at the sky every few seconds. When I pulled up, he silently landed next to my car, pulling the door open for me. I got out and he closed it behind me, before pushing me against it and his mouth slanting over mine. I breathed in sharply under the pressure of his cool lips and gripped his arms uselessly. I don't know what he thought he was doing in some ways, but he certainly knew how to kiss. My nails dug into his arms as I found myself up against a car two nights in a row getting a big one laid on me by a Viking pressed up against me. I pulled away with a gasp, my heart hammering in my ears. I tore away from him, avoiding his eye as I ran up the stairs opening the door.
"Sookie, wait!" he zipped toward me but in a blink of an eye I was pulled into my house. He stood at the doorway unable to enter as a hand was clasped over my mouth and something hard and cold, pushing into my temple. I whimpered and tried to grab a hold of the person holding me, but he was strong, and really warm. Eric had his fangs down and his eyes were gleaming as his chest heaved in anger.
"You're dead," Eric rumbled, his eyes cold.
"If you weren't too busy, sucking her, you wouldn't be in this situation," the man behind me growled. I flailed against him, but it was no use. He wasn't human. God! I should have been able to tell, but I was so flustered from Eric, so channelled into his blank, vampire brain, I didn't sense out the strange presence in my home.
There was a moment when I heard the Were cocked the gun at my head. I closed my eyes tight, and felt his grip on me tighten and when I opened my eyes to see Eric gone from the doorway. My heart dropped and the Were pulled me in further into the house, finally into the living room. I struggled against his hold but his supernatural strength was overpowering.
"If you do anything funny," he called out. I could hear the panic in his tone and see the flashes of mania in his mind. "I'll kill her," he pressed the gun pointedly into my head. Oh God. Did Eric leave me? It wouldn't surprise me. He was so selfish and only out for himself. I thought back at him sheltering me from the explosion in Dallas, just to get some blood in me. I gasped when I heard a smash and the gun fell from my head and onto the floor, my mouth free.
"Invite me in!" Eric growled.
"Eric, I invite you in!" I shouted and justlikethat he was inside and when I turned around the gun and the Were were gone. Eric gripped my arm and whirled me around.
"Stay here," his voice left behind while he vanished from my sight. I braced myself listening hard with my head. I heard a snarl and then a smash from upstairs. All at once two things happened. The were was in front of me with a gun and he shot, I'm sure, but then Eric jumped in front and fell, dead, at my feet, blood oozing out of the gunshot wound in the centre of his chest. I gaped. I looked up at the Were who's teeth shone in the moonlight.
"You're coming with me," he growled and advanced forward, past the still vampire looked finally-dead, the gun straight at me. All of a sudden, Eric jumped up and held the Were against the wall, and turned into a wolf right before my eyes. The vampire and werewolf snarled at each other. I jumped to the pistol on the ground and held it in my shaky hands trying to pin it on the wolf. He attacked Eric and slammed him to the ground. There was a violent, fast struggle that knocked into my side table and the lamp fell and crashed to the ground and for an awful moment I thought Eric would lose. I was terrified at what that would mean for me.
The werewolf was looming over the vampire and I thought the bleeding wound was becoming too much for Eric when Eric's eyes flashed and his hand reached out and close around the Were's neck. The Were struggled and I watched him return to human form, naked. They struggled for a moment, but the Were couldn't do much with Eric's hand still closed around his throat.
"Who do you work for?" he snarled.
This Were had balls, "Gimme a taste fucker! C'mon!"
Eric was not having any of that. "Who sent you!?" he roared and I felt a shiver go down my spine, Eric's aggression overwhelming. I shook my head and walked over putting the gun to the Were's head, pulling the safety. There was a pause, and then the Were started laughing. I tried to catch Eric's eye but he was focused on the wolf. Suddenly Eric was standing and the Were was in his grasp, his feet almost off the ground. There was a chilly laugh.
"Where's Bill?" I spoke up. Eric finally looked at me, irritated.
"He's gone," the Were said.
"What do you mean 'gone'?" I asked. The Were's face was distorted as he tried to keep his sanity in check. I was surprised that Eric was letting me ask the questions. He kept still, making sure the Were didn't lash out at me or anything.
"He's not here."
"Well, obviously," I said, impatiently. "Where is he? Did you take him?"
"I'm here to take you," the Were said.
I should be finding out about Bill, but obviously my connection to him was relevant. "Why do you want me?"
"To use against the bloodsucker," the Were said. I think Eric's grip around his neck tightened because he made a strangled noise.
"What do you need him for?" I asked coolly. I had to take this slow or else it might turn out unfavourably.
"Not us. Him," the Were wheezed.
"Him? Who's him?" I asked quickly, we were getting really close to something. I looked at Eric for help but he just nodded at me, urging me to ask more. I didn't know what that was about, but I returned my attention to the Were. "Who is it? Who is behind Bill's kidnapping?"
"Mississippi," he coughed.
"What? What does that mean? Is Bill in Mississippi?" At this point, the Were refused to talk anymore. Eric tried to get a few more words out of him but then he turned to me and said he'd be right back. In a flash, Eric was gone with the Were and I could only assume he was killing him. I gulped, looking around at my living room. What did it matter anymore? It was a mess and it made me want to give up on it altogether.
Eric came back a moment later, his shirt still drenched in his blood. When I caught his eye, I saw the hunger. He must have lost a lot. After him taking the bullet for me...he pulled off his jacket and then his shirt and I was about to protest when I saw the bullet pop out onto the floor. I gave him a harsh look.
"You were going to offer your wrist," he spoke slowly.
"Not anymore. You just reminded me that you tricked me," I said, my voice shaking. I closed my eyes at the effect over me at the moment.
"I need blood, Sookie. I could go find some random woman and return to you shortly..."
"No!" I found myself shouting. "No, just...here!" I held out my arm, turning my head away.
"I won't just bite into it," I heard him mumbled and suddenly my fist was in his large hand and he was leading me to the couch. I was surprised and curious as to what he was going to do. I sat down and he was next to me, his hand loosening my fist and his other at my elbow. "It hurts if you are not aroused."
"I know," I said indignantly. His eyes flickered and I didn't get a chance to decipher that emotion.
"Do you allow it?" his eyes never left mine as he lowered his head and kissed the inside of my wrist. I gritted my teeth, refusing to make a sigh as his lips were cool and soft and I remembered them against mine. Why did I keep finding myself kissing Eric? I caught a hint of fang and felt it drag across, the veins popping out in relief. I swallowed nervously, feeling the throb between my legs, I pushed my knees together tight. Heat, spread through my body and my heart beat increased. What was worse, is Eric knew exactly how I felt and playing cool was no use in this situation, with a vampire who had extra sense and could make a woman melt with just a look.
"Yes," I whispered. His blue-gray eyes looked triumphant as he furrowed his brow, the eye contact never wavering, even when he bit down. I gasped and he moved closer to me, pulling at the wound, the sensation making me squeeze my legs tighter together. I was quivering, with each sip of my blood he took, his eyes intent on mine as he carefully licked the wounds, my mind sighed in relief while my body was hyper-aware begging for more.
He pulled away and murmured, "Perfect." I shook my head when he let go of my arm and I brought it back to my lap. "Now," he said, returning to business, cool, his lower, sexy voice disappearing and moved to his strict tone. "From that little situation, I've gathered that the King of Mississippi has Bill." There was a pause.
"Wait...King?" I asked slowly. "Why would the King of Mississippi want Bill?"
Eric cocked a brow. "Bill lived there before he moved back to Louisiana."
I felt a sharp warning light off in my head. "I didn't know that."
Eric rolled his eyes, slightly. "From what I can tell, Sookie, you don't know anything about Bill."
What? I had nothing to say to that, I glanced down at my ring and realized I had just let Eric drink from the arm that held my promise to Bill.
"Also, from the last I heard, Lorena is in Mississippi."
"She took him?" I exploded. "I knew it! Well let's go!"
"And do what Sookie?" he cut through my rescue cry.
"Get Bill."
"He is under siege of the King. I have no power, no voice there," Eric said sharply.
"Well, then, tell the Queen!" I snapped, remembering vaguely hearing about her.
"No!" Eric said sharply, his eyes blazing. "The Queen cannot know about Bill's disappearance."
"Why not?" I snapped.
He moved closer and I angled myself away from him. "It could mean severe punishment for me."
I was surprised by this. "Why? It's not your fault," I said, eyeing him slightly. Had he lied to me?
"No. I have not lied Sookie. As sheriff I have certain responsibilities and protecting what is mine is part of my job. Bill was in my area and he was taken without my knowledge. He seems to be very...close with the Queen," he looked away, his eyes out of focus, deep in thought. "Regardless, my job now is to go to Mississippi and retrieve Bill."
"And me," I blurted.
"Of course," he bowed his head slightly. "I have arranged a werewolf to come to your house tomorrow morning and you will set off to Jackson right away."
I was surprised. "So soon? Wait. A werewolf? Like the one you just killed?"
"This one owes me a favour and he will not refuse. He has some businesses in Jackson so it'll be a good cover." Eric stood up and I found myself jumping to my feet as well. He walked off to the front door and opened it. He turned to me before leaving. "I assume this won't be a problem."
"No," I said. "I need to find Bill."
I saw his eyes glance to my ring once again. "Yes you do. I hope you find what you're looking for." And before I could ask what the hell he meant by that, he shot off into the night sky. Stupid, irritating, selfish vampire. I slammed the door shut, exhausted from tonight.
I found myself sleeping in my own bed after calling Tara yesterday to tell her where I was. I woke with a start to a loud banging. I jumped to my feet knowing the sound came from outside, I looked out the window. I saw a bunch of trucks and sweaty men working around outside my house. What the –?
I pulled on my housecoat and hurried down the stairs opening my front door. I looked at all the supplies, the wood and the paint in the back of the truck.
"Excuse me?" I called out. "I think you have the wrong house."
A few guys looked at one another at my presence. One of them whistled. The other men ignored me. "Alcide!" I heard a call. From behind a truck, a man came forward. He was super tall, like, Eric height and had brown, thick curly hair and a beard, broad shoulders and a dark tan, his walk, powerful, commanding. From his mind I knew this must be the werewolf Eric told me about – he was gorgeous. I felt my knees go weak slightly, not expecting to see such an attractive man so early in the morning.
"Sookie Stackhouse?" he had a gruff voice.
"Uh, yeah," I said. He held out his hand and I took it.
"Alcide Herveaux, Eric sent me to take you to Jackson," he said. I nodded weakly.
"Right. Okay. What's with all of this?" I motioned to the men working around my house. I saw a couple head inside. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" I snapped.
"Mr. Northman has hired my company to fix up your house," Alcide said.
"What?" I gasped, turning back to him. "Why would he do that?" Alcide shrugged.
"How soon will you be ready to go?" he asked.
"Give me an hour," I eyed him. He nodded and turned back to his men. I felt a bit hot and it wasn't just from the heat. I got a glass of water and then headed to my room trying to see what I could salvage to bring with me to Jackson. I idly remembered I'd have to inform Sam of my departure and stop by Bill's on the way to speak to Tara.
I was one more step closer to finding Bill and in that moment, I wasn't so sure how I felt about that.