A/N: BAS18 is almost done! Hopefully my brain will keep up the good work. Stalls are a bummer.

I have another story on deck. Chapter one is done, and has been for months. My current plan is to get rolling on that after SE is all wrapped up (still quite a bit of story left. I will guesstimate that we'll be close to 40 chapters, in one direction or another). And then, after BAS is complete, I am considering writing something original. 😬 Eek. Scary shit.

Chapter 32

Sookie's rest wasn't very restful and she rose three hours before sunset the next afternoon. She was alone in the room and didn't want to be, so she got up and got dressed and found her sunglasses before opening the door.

Tray had gotten back from Bossier City and was in the living room, watching tv. The others were gone; the full moon was only two days away and they were all restless.

Tray smiled at her and then got up to close the curtains. "Hey, Sunshine. I didn't expect to see you so soon."

She sat in the middle of the couch and he sat back down next to her. She wrapped her arms around his bicep and put her head on his shoulder and just cuddled with him for a little while.

Several minutes later, she said, "You're the only one who really gets it, I think. They're upset because I'm hurting and they love me, but they all resented Eric, at least a little, for taking me away from them. But you liked Eric. Respected him. You saw us together."

He sighed. "Yeah. I really thought he was different. He looked at you like the moon rose and set on you. He fooled the hell out of me."

Neither of them spoke for a while longer. There was an LSU game on and they watched that, or at least pretended to.

"Tray?"

"Yeah, Sunshine?"

"What if he dies tonight? What if she tricked him and he fights them all and dies?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I really don't know."

They watched a little more of the game. LSU kicked a field goal and widened their lead to ten.

"I think Maria-Star was right. About Oklahoma having everything all prepared, I mean. Sophie-Anne… I don't think she'd be this sloppy. I really think that Oklahoma tricked Eric into marrying her."

Tray looked at her. "So, what? You're ready to just go back to him because he might have been tricked?"

"God, no. He hurt me way too bad to ever take him back. I couldn't even stand to look at him right now. But there will be a lot of people and vampires and maybe even Weres at this ball tonight. There's going to be a war, Tray, and Eric may very well be fighting for the wrong team. Committing treason and helping Pam's killer take the throne. People are going to die."

Tray raked his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, that all really sucks, but what in the hell are we supposed to do about that?"

She shrugged and kept her eyes on the game. She was too chicken to look at him.

"Nothing. We can't do a damn thing about it. But I can."

He started shaking his head. "Uh uh, Sunshine. Not going to happen."

She hugged his arm a little tighter.

"I have an invitation, and maybe I might hear something if I got the chance. I've only been to the palace once on this trip, and only for a little while. I didn't even really get a chance to try to find Pam's killer."

"No. There is no fucking way that we're going to let you go to that monastery tonight. Especially if there's going to be a battle."

She looked up at him. "Tray, I could outrun you with my eyes closed. I could overpower you without even trying, too. Or you could stay nearby, close enough that we can communicate in our heads, and support me as best you can from there."

"Or I could silver you and make you stay here until tomorrow night."

"And then I would glamour you to let me go."

"Fuck."

They were both quiet again for a while. The LSU game ended and another game began. Finally, he sighed.

"There's not a goddamn thing I can do to stop you, is there?"

"No."

"Not Alcide or Jake or Maria-Star, either?"

She shook her head.

He turned to look at her. "You really are a pain in my ass sometimes, do you know that?"

She shrugged one shoulder and the corner of her mouth turned up a little. "I've heard that once or twice before."

He snorted, but it was as much in frustration as amusement.

She sighed. "I guess I'll have to wear the blue dress. It isn't right, but it's all I've got."

She squeezed his arm and then let it go and stood up.

"I guess I'm going to go get ready. Are you going to come with me to the ball?"

"Do I have a choice?"

She shrugged. "Sure? I mean, you could stay here. I can just catch a cab downstairs and go alone."

He rolled his eyes. "Go on and get to it, Sunshine. I'll call the others for backup. We'll spread out and keep close by."

She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah, and I love you, too." Way more than he should, but that was alright.

Sookie got a shower and dressed in her new lingerie and was just finishing up with the hair dryer when Maria-Star walked in and boosted herself up onto the bathroom counter. She reached out and touched Sookie's hair.

"You've always had beautiful hair, but it's even prettier now. It's so thick, and such a gorgeous colour. And those highlights are just to die for."

Sookie winced. "Ouch. That was in really poor taste, Cooper."

Maria-Star giggled. "Well, I was really gunning for a laugh, but a little bit of fake indignation is about as good as I could have hoped for, I guess. Do you want me to do your hair for you? I would love to."

She reached over and swept some away from Sookie's face.

"Please."

Maria-Star had four little sisters back home in Shreveport and had had lots of practice. She'd done Sookie's hair at least a hundred times before, too. Maria-Star took Sookie back into the bedroom and sat her down in a chair and went to work. She chatted the whole time, telling Sookie about all of the things she and the guys had done and the people they'd seen and the things that had happened since Sookie had left.

She stood back and looked at Sookie from a couple of different angles and then made an adjustment or two.

"There. I guess you don't need any make-up; your skin is absolutely flawless. If I didn't love you so damn much, Sunshine, I would be bitterly jealous."

She pulled Sookie to her feet and led her back into the ensuite and stood her in front of the mirror. Maria-Star had done a complicated braid that gently swept her hair away from her face while leaving the back loose and wavy and full.

"You're beautiful."

Sookie was almost able to smile at her. "Thank you."

"Now, why don't you tell me why in the fuck you're doing this."

Sookie sighed. "Because I have to."

"No, Sookie. You absolutely don't. You got caught in the middle of this mess. It isn't yours to fix."

Sookie boosted herself onto the counter this time. Maria-Star was facing her and Sookie took her hands.

"I wish that I didn't have to do this. I wish that I could go away and leave this whole part of my life behind and never think about it again, but people are going to die tonight. And partly, it's because of me."

"No, Sunshine, it isn't."

"Yes, it is. Hadley was only able to stake Pam because she'd just turned me and was freaking out, I'm sure. And even if it isn't, I can't just look the other way. Especially if this is all a lie. If Sophie-Anne is innocent and loses the war, Oklahoma will be Pam's killer, my queen, and Eric's wife. If Sophie-Anne wins, then Eric is a traitor, whether she killed Pam or not. There is a very good chance that I'm not going to be able to find out a damn thing, but I have to try. I have to try to stop it."

Maria-Star squeezed Sookie's hands. "I wish I had kept my damn mouth shut about Oklahoma."

Sookie pulled Maria-Star closer and put her arms around her. Maria-Star stood between her legs and hugged her back. They just held each other for a couple of minutes. Sookie took a shaky breath.

"I don't want to see him, Maria-Star. I hate that I have to see him. I hate that he's going to want to talk to me. I hate that I'll have to see them together. The thought of it makes me sick."

Maria-Star kissed Sookie's forehead and then gave her a wry grin. "Just think about how dangerous it is, Sunshine, and maybe seeing him won't feel so scary."

Tray cleared his throat from the doorway.

"I went back to grab this out of the upstairs bedroom at the safehouse just before sunset. I missed it the first time around. I know that it still doesn't meet the dress code — it sure as hell ain't Victorian — but this is a dress that you wear to a ball."

He held the red silk Versace gown that she'd bought at the vintage store. She took it from him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Tray. This is just perfect."

He went back into the living room and Sookie stepped into the dress and pulled it up. Maria-Star zipped up the back and then stood next to Sookie, looking at them both in the mirror. Maria-Star smiled.

"You're beautiful and I love you and I'm proud of you, even though I think this is a really stupid idea."

Sookie managed an almost-smile. "I love you, too. And thank you."

Sookie found her strappy black heels and looked one more time in the full-length mirror in the bedroom when she was all put together. The bodice of her dress hugged her like a second skin and showed off every asset. She looked damn good, and sexy as hell, but somehow she still seemed sweet and innocent at the same time. And the ball was starting. It was almost time to leave.

She walked into the living room hand-in-hand with Maria-Starr. Tray and Jake were on the couch talking about college football. Alcide was standing back against the wall of windows with his arms crossed. And he was mad. He wouldn't even look at her. Sookie's stomach knotted up.

Jake and Tray both stood up. Maria-Star giggled.

"Jake, you look like a wolf from an old Bugs Bunny cartoon with his eyes on springs and his tongue hanging out, drooling over a sexy lady."

Jake let out a wolf whistle. "Other than the Bugs Bunny part, I think you got that just about right. Come here, Sunshine. I want to spend the rest of my life with my face between your boobs."

Sookie did her best to smile and accept the compliments, but she really needed to talk to Alcide. Part of her wanted to be angry back at him. It would have been so much easier than sorry.

He went outside onto the balcony and a minute later, she followed, just like he'd known she would. She stood next to him and took in the view. The moon looked enormous and, when she turned and looked up at him, it was reflected in his eyes. She went to put her hand on his chest but then hesitated. That almost broke her heart all over again. She was never like that. Not with her wolves. Not with Alcide. And he was never like this with her. She touched him but he was still stiff.

"I'm sorry. I really am, Alcide, but I have to. If I don't and something bad happens I'll never forgive myself."

"Yeah, and if you do and something bad happens, I'll never forgive myself, either. Or you."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. He hesitated, but then hugged her back. He kissed the top of her head.

"You look absolutely stunning, Sunshine. Go and find out the truth and save the day and make him eat his cold dead heart out. And then come back to us. You're ours now."

"I always was, Alcide. And I always will be. No matter what happens."

He looked down at her and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. She pulled away after only a moment.

He gave her a bit of a grin and shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying. Of course, I'm just going to keep on doing it until you give in. I'll wear you down eventually, Sunshine. I mean, how long are you going to be able to keep passing this up?"

She made a noise that was almost a laugh and he smiled, satisfied. He gave her a quick squeeze and let her go.

"Come on. Let's get you to the ball, Cinderella, before your coachmen turn into a pack of wolves."