CELIA ROBITAILLE'S DIARY-
I thought about running away when Papa told me of my impending marriage. But I have decided not to. Daniel Robitaille lives in New Orleans and my beloved mother lived there once. That is the place where her own father's fortune was stolen, thus robbing her of any choice other than to marry my father if she wanted to live as she once had.
My maternal grandfather had actually been freed under a very little known law, that allowed a slave to get three white persons to testify in court that that said slave was a 'worthwhile person'. My grandfather's name had been Louis and he had his slavemaster's last name, which was Rothy. Louis Rothy not only found his way out of slavery through the courts, but he had somehow managed to get his dying master to leave him his plantation!
The particulars of how and why my grandfather managed to achieve such a rare feat, are of little importance to me. What does matter is that once Grandfather Louis died, the plantation was left to my mother and then stolen right from under her by a man only known to me as 'Sullivan'. I believe that to be his last name.
I will marry this Daniel Robitaille and do whatever I can, to get back what was stolen from my mother. It was not easy for Grandfather Louis to run that plantation while still practicing slavery. Mother said that her father had to ask someone white to pretend to be the owner and run everything, as to not rile any of the neighboring plantation owners. I now believe that this 'Sullivan', was the one Grandfather Louis was familiar with.
If that plantation had stayed in the Rothy family, I probably would not have been born. Mother could have had her pick of men and not had to settle. But even if it had still been ours, I could have inherited and not had to settle as well. Papa claims that it is time for me to be married and that is why he has arranged this marriage, but I know better. This is about Mother, Constable Hood and my beloved Dermot. Papa does not like him nor does he understand why he is always around. If he knew the truth, Papa would probably accuse Dermot of practicing some sort of devil worship and I would be charged as his accomplice.
Dermot told me he will find me and I do believe him. After all, we are both Fae. We can do anything…
Tara stopped reading suddenly, pausing to take in all that she had learned. Could this 'Constable Hood' be related to the real Lucas Hood, the one that died the first day he arrived in Banshee, when he stopped at The Forge for a drink?
There had been so many coincidences in this story that had started out as Candyman's, but were now about his wife. A wife that was never mentioned in the Candyman lore. It also made Tara think about the man that was now Sheriff Hood. What was his real name anyway?
Tara closed the book. She felt guilty taking any time out of the day to read it. Hood had just told her he wanted to kill stake Chayton while he slept and Sam had come around here, claiming he was concerned about her. Maybe he was. Sam was not fake. He didn't run around pretending to care about people when he didn't.
Ginger came out of the store room and set a clipboard she had been carrying, down on the bar. She walked over to Tara's table.
"Your friend seems nice. The one from Pennsylvania." she noted.
"Yeah. Sheriff Hood is nice." Tara admitted.
"Nice to look at as well." Ginger said and Tara grinned up at her.
"Yeah, that too." Tara agreed.
"So…what do you think he wants with Sam?" Ginger asked. Tara eyed her with confusion.
"Sam? What do you mean?"
"I mean when you had your nose in that book, I looked outside. Your Sheriff and Sam left in Hood's car together. And I couldn't help but overhear what the Sheriff and you were talking about out here." Ginger said, not sounding as dingy as she usually did. Now Tara stood up.
"You think Hood asked for Sam's help with staking Chayton?" Tara asked, appalled.
Ginger nodded. Tara hurled over to a window and looked out! Yep! Sure as shit, Sam's truck was still in the lot but Hood's car was gone!
"Goddamnit!" Tara snapped. "There are vamp laws now! You can't just stake a vamp while he sleeps without proof!"
Ginger joined her at the window.
"Maybe you can stop them? Eric won't be happy about all of this trouble, Tara."
Tara turned to look at her.
"No, I don't suppose he would be." she said more to herself. And that was when Ginger said something else…
"I know you don't want to be here. I know you never liked working here either. I would love Pam's job now that she's gone."
Tara turned her full attention to Ginger.
"You want to help Eric run Fangtasia?" Tara asked. She was not unaware of Ginger's massive crush on Eric, and Tara now wondered how much she knew about what had been happening between Eric and herself?
"What is it that you want from me, Ginger?" Tara asked.
"Talk to Eric for me. He doesn't take me seriously. I know he doesn't think I'm that bright but I just love this job and him to death! I would be twice as good at managing this place than Pam ever was!"
"Uh, okay, Ginger. I'll talk to him when he wakes up." Tara said, her mind now shifting back to Hood and Sam. She realized she was at a loss on what to tell Hood about Chayton. Yes, he probably should die for what he did but that didn't mean he should…
It then hit her that maybe she wouldn't have to necessarily stop Hood and Sam!
Maybe she needed to warn Chayton instead.
"So, how long were Tara and you together?" Hood asked as he followed the GPS coordinates Sam had told him to put in.
"A lot longer than the two of you." was Sam's reply.
"Meaning?" Hood asked, glancing over at him.
"I'm not stupid, okay? When you said what you said about Tara and you, Tara looked shocked shitless. I should be asking if there's anything between the two of you at all." Sam said coolly.
Hood didn't answer because the coordinates took them to an old looking building that apparently used to be a barber shop! Hood stopped his car and looked over at Sam.
"What's this bullshit?" he asked.
"I'm not a fan of Bill Compton's, but since you lied about Tara and you, I have to believe that you aren't killing this vamp because he's a threat to her."
"I told you he killed a Deputy Sheriff." Hood replied just as coolly.
"A woman?" Sam asked.
"Yes, she was a woman…"
"And one that you were in love with. I can see it all over your face, Sheriff and I'm sorry for your loss. But my concern IS Tara. Vamp politics can get messy around here. You want to drag Tara into even more trouble than she already is in with this Candyman business." Sam said, just as the door to the supposedly empty building opened, and a large man with dark hair and wearing a vest and jeans, walked out.
Hood saw Chayton when Sam did, and got out of the car with his gun. Sam got out as well. He had lured Hood to an empty building, or so he thought! It was also clear that this was the man Hood had been looking for.
"Well," Hood said, looking Chayton over with pure hatred, "I was told you were a vampire now. I guess Tara lied to me."
"Tara did not lie." Chayton said in a tone one would use with a child. "I am a vampire and more."
Hood pointed his gun at him and shot him in the face! Chayton lurched backwards, against the brick of the building, before straightening back up and looked unwounded and unbothered. Hood began to back back a bit.
"Look," Sam jumped in, "we don't want any trouble. But you should turn yourself in peacefully. Bill Compton would want that. He's your grand maker, isn't he?"
Clayton's head lowered, as if he were praying and he began to chant! Hood rolled his eyes and fired at Chayton twice more, to no avail! And that was when Lucas Hood and Sam Merlotte, literally watched Candyman himself, step out of Chayton's body! Chayton dropped to the ground, in a state of unconsciousness or sleep!
"You will be dealing with me now." Candyman said, fingering his hook. Hood could not believe this sonofabitch was actually real! He pointed his gun at him.
"You killed Sugar for no reason, you piece of flea bitten looking shit!" Hood snapped and shot at him twice! Candyman began to advance on him, when Sam suddenly transformed into a large elephant and charged Candyman!
To say that neither Candyman nor Hood were expecting this, would be an understatement! Candyman went flying up into the air when Sam charged him. and then disappeared, while Hood jumped into his car, backed out of the parking lot and sped off! After a moment's time, Sam morphed back into himself and knelt beside the now damaged body of Chayton. Sam had accidentally stepped on him while he was in elephant form and the Kinaho warrior looked hurt. Sam took out his cellphone and called Sookie for help.
It was evening and Bill and Jessica were up. They wanted explanations from Sam and Sookie about what happened to Chayton, who was healing in a room upstairs. His ribs were broken but would probably mend by morning. Tara was upstairs with him…
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Tara snapped. "You let Candyman possess you?!"
"I am stronger when he is within me. I can walk around during the day." Chayton rumbled. He winced slightly as he shifted in bed. Tara sat down on the edge of it.
"Don't move around, okay? Now where did this elephant come from?"
"You know where he came from. I did not know there were any shapeshifters in this part of Louisiana. Sam Merlotte could be a powerful ally or enemy. I would rather have him as an ally." Chayton said, more to himself than Tara.
"You need to own up to what you did and not worry about making friends around here. Chayton, Hood is not going to forget what you did to Siobhan. Bill is going to make you answer for this." Tara warned him.
Chayton regarded her for a moment, before saying something quite unexpected.
"I will surrender myself to the laws of man, if you marry me. Marry me and return to Banshee with me." Chayton proposed.
Tara's response to Clayton's proposal was to lift a brow!
"You want to marry me?"
"Yes." Chayton said simply.
"Why? I'm serious, Chayton. We've been together a couple of times in a jail cell and that's it."
Chayton now raised a brow.
"That is not ALL there is, Tara Thornton, Goddess of the Night, between us! Our descendants were in love with one another but were unable to be together as they should have."
"Where did you hear that?" Tara asked skeptically.
"Daniel Robitaille has told me the truth about our pasts, Tara. You should not fear him." Chayton said solemnly. Tara raised a brow again.
"Okay, Chayton…I think an exorcism or something needs to be performed here. You can't just run around being possessed by Candyman!"
Chayton ignored her words and brought up something else…
"I spoke to your mother."
Tara frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I called her and told her we were getting married. She is helping with the plans." Chayton said in a matter-of-fact tone. Tara now slowly stood up.
"You called my mother? You called my mother and told her to help plan a wedding for us? When was this?" Tara demanded to know.
Chayton was slow to answer and Tara had never seen him hesitate to speak his mind about anything.
He finally answered.
"It was a month ago." he revealed. Tara's mouth dropped open!
"You called up my mother a month ago and told her we were getting married?! She never said anything…"
"No," Chayton said, interrupting her tirade, "I asked her not to. I told her you were shy about it, being a vampire and she agreed. I am sure it was hard for Mama Lettie Mae to be quiet when you asked her to help with the Sugar's funeral arrangements."
Tara was about to say something but Chayton had more to say.
"She has sent me packages of baked goods through the mail. Her lemon cake is very good."
"Well I wouldn't know that Chayton, because she was drunk all of my damned life! I don't remember eating any cake!"
"Now, now, Tara. Do not be hard on her. Mama Lettie Mae has turned her life around with the Reverend. He will be performing our marriage ceremony."
Tara turned and walked out of the room! She slammed the door behind her and pulled out her phone. She was about to call her mother, when she saw Jessica opening the door to none other than Eric!
Eric stepped inside, gave Tara a look she could not read, before walking past Jessica and over to Bill, Sookie and Sam, who were standing together in Bill's den.
"I understand that a lot of nonsense took place during the day. Why don't one of you tell me about it?" Eric asked.
Before anyone could say anything, the damnedest thing happened. Candyman, via Chayton, began yelling out from upstairs…
"NORTHMAN! YOU WATCHED THOSE PEOPLE MURDER ME AND DID NOTHING! NORTHMAAAAANNNNN!"
Tara watched as Sookie gave Eric a sympathetic look. Sam and Jessica looked at Tara on the staircase and Bill turned and walked into his den. Eric followed. He turned briefly to everyone else and told them that he and Bill needed to speak alone, before sliding the doors closed. Only then, did the two vampires speak.
"Candyman is possessing your grand progeny." Eric said.
"I know." was Bill's response.
"What does he want? He has murdered Pam and is forcing Tara and I to relive parts of the past during our lovemaking."
Bill tried not to react to those words, but he could not help it.
"Chayton wants to marry Tara. I don't think he would like knowing you have been intimate with his fiancee."
"Perceived fiancee." Eric said coolly. "And as his grandmaker and king, you are going to tell him that he will not be marrying Tara."
"If Daniel Robitaille was not exerting such strong influence over Chayton, I could do that. But I cannot. I spoke to Robitaille. He is under the impression that Tara can help him find his lost son."
"I think that is why he has forced those visions on Tara. And on me. Damn!" Eric hissed and Bill peered at him.
"What do you know about this? You were having an affair with Celia Robitaille."
Eric shook his head briefly before speaking.
"Heyward Sullivan practically ran Celia out of town. He made her take the child of Caroline's that LOOKED black and told her to leave and never come back. Tocho Littlestone intercepted the carriage that she left in with the baby and took the both of them…he killed the driver. I did find her living in the Kinaho village. She gave me the boy, who's name was Oscar. I then took the boy and gave him Kibwe Akinjide."
"My God, Eric! You gave a baby to an Authority Member!"
"I took the child to Africa and left him with someone that could care for him. I was never an 'Akinde' fan, but he had a certain level of decency. He knew what the situation was and he raised Oscar."
"Mr. Robitaille is under the impression that Oscar was turned by my maker, Lorena." Bill said quietly.
"It's possible."
"What the hell does that mean?" Bill asked sharply. "Did you care nothing for Celia? Surely she cared for the boy…"
"Bill," Eric said in a hard tone, "Kibwe raised the boy and protected him—for a price. He found out Celia was part fae and came to this country. He killed some of the Kinaho natives and took Celia to Africa to live with him. I don't know what happened to Tocho Littlestone. I stayed away after that. Kibwe was thousands of years older than me. I moved on with my life, as did Pam. It was over as far as we were concerned."
Bill folded his arms. Daniel had said that Tocho had summoned him after Celia left him. It doesn't sound as if she left willingly.
"Daniel seems to think that Tara can tell him where Oscar is now. He thinks Lorena turned him. Lorena never said anything about him but if there is any part of this that's true, then Oscar Robitaille is my vamp brother." Bill said.
Eric turned to leave the study.
"Where are you going?" Bill asked. Eric turned back to him.
"To face 'Candyman'. I want him to tell Tara and I what he wants from us."
Eric then opened the door, walked past Sam, Sookie and Jessica and walked up the stairs towards Tara. He then grabbed her hand and pulled up the rest of the way up the staircase. They would both face Daniel 'Candyman' Robitaille—together.