A/N: For those of you anxious for an SE chapter, it is in progress.

Chapter 22

Sookie felt a thousand times better. She had finally gotten a call back from the Olive Garden in Clarice and started training the following night on the evening shift. It wouldn't be as homey as Merlotte's had been, but maybe that was for the best. Nobody knew her there and maybe it would take a while for them to decide that she was crazy.

She changed into tight jeans that she hoped would accentuate her butt and a blue cashmere sweater that hugged her curves and brought out her eyes. And pretty underwear, even though there was a zero percent chance that he was going to see them.

She went to grab the coat that he'd sent to her. She admired the tortoiseshell buttons, like she always did, and slipped it on. She checked her calendar for today's word — agathokakological — and sighed. It was a hell of a mouthful. Worse, it meant a mixture of good and evil. Of course it did. She sighed again and got on her way.

She almost didn't mind the drive to Shreveport, although she couldn't really afford the gas. She started getting more anxious the closer she got to the bar. When she saw the neon Fangtasia sign out front, anxiety turned to irritation. She so didn't want to be there, mostly because she kind of did.

There had been a message on her machine when she'd gotten back from Clarice advising her to come in the main door. It was cold and she didn't want to wait so she went right to the front of the line.

There was a bored-looking man in a ridiculous black Dracula cape working the door. He barely glanced at Sookie and then looked down at a driver's license in his hand.

"Get to the back of the line."

Sookie narrowed her eyes. "I am only here because Eric asked me to be here. I'm not going to wait in line to do him a favour. And if you think I'm going to pay the cover charge, you're crazy."

The bouncer waved the next three girls in line inside. He glanced up at Sookie again. A couple of frat boys from LSU yelled at her for trying to cut in line.

"If I listened to every piece of ass claiming to be Eric's special date, they'd be running a train on him all night long. Yeah, you're hot, but so are a bunch of other chicks in line. Go to the back or leave."

Sookie crossed her arms. "Last chance. You'd better go and get him or I'm leaving and that will be on you."

He snorted and didn't even bother looking up.

"Oh, well. If he asks, let him know that Sookie was here but you sent her away."

She turned on her heel and walked back to her car. By the time she got there, Pam was standing beside it, grinning.

"Oh, you are just too much fun! But we'd better go inside."

Eric smiled when he saw her. It was big and authentic and the charm didn't seem put on or quite so… machiavellian. She couldn't help smiling back.

Her heart seemed to skip a beat and then did again when he took her hand and led her to a table back in the farthest corner. He pulled out the chair for her and took her hand again across the table when she sat down.

She should have yanked her hand away, but she didn't. It felt too right, no matter how wrong it was. She had her back to the crowd but she could easily hear the jealousy and vitriol of the patrons behind her in her head.

He leaned forward to speak to her over the din of the crowd and the music, and she leaned forward to listen. Their heads nearly touched and it was hard to tell where her hair ended and his began. He closed his eyes for a moment, just to enjoy her scent. She did the same.

"We believe that The Fellowship of the Sun is planning an attack soon in my area. I need you to listen and see if you hear anything incriminating."

His lips moved against the shell of her ear as he spoke. Having her ears played with was one of her biggest turn ons. She got goosebumps and had to swallow twice before she could reply.

"I'll try, but mostly it's just a whole lot of noise when I'm in a crowded place like this. It's hard to pick out one thought from another when there are so many people around. I can some, but the telepathy isn't something I can turn off and on. I have to hold up a kind of mental shield to keep the thoughts out, and it is really hard work that sometimes just doesn't work at all. It's why I held Bruce and Belinda's hands, because touch makes the thoughts much louder. Shielding everybody except one person across the room is a big ask, but I'll do my best and give it a try."

She found that the cool nothingness of his brain while she touched his hand made it easier for her to control her shields a little. They talked a bit but mostly they just sat. She nursed a gin and tonic and then a coke. Occasionally, he ran his thumb back and forth across the palm of her hand and she couldn't help the throbbing as the blood rushed to between her legs each time. There was no teasing or taunting or pretense, at least as far as she could tell. She thought that maybe something between them had healed a little.

By midnight, she was done. And completely grossed out by the fangbangers' thoughts. And intimidated a little by how many people wanted her dead. She reluctantly pulled her hand away and shook her head.

"I didn't hear one thing that sounded suspicious, at least about that." She shuddered a little at a few of the fantasies she'd unfortunately witnessed. "I'm sorry, but there is no way that I can do any more tonight. I'm beat."

He could tell that she was exhausted. He nodded and took her hand again and led her through the crowd. He didn't let go until he got to his desk and they sat across from each other in his office. He steepled his fingers.

"I will need you here tomorrow at the same time, and going forward until we discover the threat."

"I can't tomorrow. I got a new job in Clarice and won't get off until eleven."

"You can and you will. End of discussion."

He sounded dismissive but she would not be dismissed.

"Excuse the fuck out of me? You can't just order me around like one of your minions out there with their master this and their master that. I will let you know my work schedule and then I might be able to accommodate you if you stop being such an asshole."

She got up and stormed over to the door and opened it. He was suddenly behind her and reached over her head and pushed it closed. She turned around and glared up at him. His eyes burned down at her. His voice was nearly a hiss.

"You told me that you would help me when I needed you. Willingly."

"Yeah, I did. But I didn't say that I was going to be at your beck and call."

He pushed her against the door and kissed her hard. It took her by surprise again and she kissed him back for entirely too long before pushing him away. He resisted at first, but eventually let her. Their eyes locked and he leaned forward to do it again. She lifted her arm to slap his face and he grabbed her wrist. She was still pressed up against the door. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Sometimes I think that you are more trouble than you're worth, but I can't seem to stay away. Maybe I should just put myself out of my misery and get rid of you for good."

She yanked her wrist out of his hand and pushed him away again.

"And I should have turned you in for the fifty grand. I'm broke and unemployed and out hundreds of dollars that I spent to keep you safe and alive. And then you treat me like shit over and over again while I pay for gas I can't afford to drive here and take it. Go on, then. Kill me, if that's what you want to do. But I will not drop everything and come running every fucking time you need a favour when I can't even afford to eat."

She opened the door again and he let her. He followed her into the hallway. She opened the employee entrance door and stood with her hip against the push bar again, looking at him.

"I'll call later this week and let someone know what days I'm available. I don't want that someone to be you."

The door closed behind her and he turned and put his fist through the drywall in the hallway and into Pam's office. He could see her through the hole when he pulled his arm out. She raised an eyebrow.

"It was a really good show, but I hated the ending."