Thank you all for the follows and favorites! I wanted to get this chapter out - well, honestly I had a bit of the writing bug.

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Chapter Two: Resurrections

"Where's my goddamn burger and fries?!" I screamed through the window, leaning over the dirty counter to lock eyes with the big, African American man chopping carrots. Like a doe, his eyes met mine, wide and bewildered. "I see you, Dale. You slow motherfucker. The table's been waiting for twenty minutes-"

"My name isn't Dale," he whispered and my eyes narrowed dangerously as I felt a dribble of sweat roll down my neck.

"Does it look like I give a flying fuck what your goddamn name is-"

"WHO'S YELLING IN MY GODDAMN KITCHEN?!" My eyes zipped to Lafayette as he came out of the cooler with arms filled with potatoes and milk. Immediately, his eyes narrowed as he saw me, his lips quirking up like a cat that had just found cream. "Well if it isn't the sexiest, little hussy this side of Bon Temp. You know, many a man would like to fuck a woman when she looks as sexy as you do angry?"

"Too bad you're not on that list," I said acidically and he gave a hoot of laughter before I shoved the ticket with my order into the window, letting it slam into the wall just beneath the window. "And if you think for one goddamn second I'm going to deal with your nonsense when I have a table that's riding my ass for something to stuff their fat fucking mouths with than you are sadly mistaken."

His hands came down to lean over the counter into my space. It was really a shame that he was only into guys. He had more muscles and charm in his nose than most of these sorry sacks had in their entire bodies. "What you need, sugar?"

"A burger and some fries. No mayo. No pickles." The rest of their food was sitting on my tray just a few feet away with flies nipping at it.

"Mm." His eyes sparkled as he tipped his head to the side. "What's the magic phrase?"

"God-fucking-dammit, Lafayette Reynolds-"

"Sorry. Try again, honeybuns," he cooed, batting his lashes with a patient stare.

My mouth twisted around the bitter words, my eyes darting to the skinny redhead as she zipped past in a flurry of motion. Without Dawn, the former waitress who had been found a few days ago strangled, we were drowning. I wasn't even supposed to be serving. My official job title was a bartender to all the drunkards that wandered in here and stayed for the view. Sam was doing double-duty by manning the alcohol and checking his books.

"You look really nice in that top, Lafayette," I finally forced out, the words bland and painful. He kept staring at me. "If you were straight, I would be on your dick more hours of the day than we could have. You're a fucking God. Can I please have my burger and fries?"

He gave another hoot of laughter and flipped a dry burger patty onto a toasted bun. "I am so glad that one of you Stackhouse's is fun enough to play with little ol' Lafayette. Jason's dumber than cow shit and Sookie's got her pigtails too tight to -"

"Give you an ego boost, you narcissistic bastard?" I grumbled, watching intently as he shoveled some fries on the plate and then flounced lazily toward me. When he finally got to me, I yanked it so hard from the counter that some of the fries flew into the fish sandwich. My eyes flicked back up to meet his and I gave him a slow smile as I hefted my tray up. "And I saw Tara in that top last week. Shame you couldn't fit the curves like she did."

Before he could let out more than a astonished yelp, I was scampering away and back into the crowded throng of Merlotte's. Smoke hung over the bar like a shroud, the diner lights above barely cutting through it to reach the guests that filled the ratty, busted booths and tables. Country seemed to be the main theme in the joint, the walls hung thick with deer heads and entire fish bodies that would sing and talk like we were in a damn musical.

"Fried catfish with onion rings, hamburger with french fries - hold the mayo and pickles, and clam chowder," I rapped off smartly, setting each plate down with certainty in front of the small family of three, their daughter looking down at her catfish like it might start kicking any minute. "Want some more sweet tea or-"

"I wanted onion rings," the mother piped up with a tip of her lips, her nose twitching like a rats as she eyed the burger and then slid it daintily to the edge of the table. Of course it would be her, I thought acidically. If it were possible, I would have burned the whole goddamn place down at that moment. Not only had I had to endure all their whispers and looks but now I had to deal with a shitty tip too from a woman that looked like she had just been changing a babies diaper.

"Poor Stackhouse girl," I heard someone whisper behind me and my nails bit into my palms. "Born and bred into a nutty family."

I took the plate, my fingers going white around the edges. "I'll get you those drinks and rings, ma'am."

Sam's eyes caught mine, worry dotting their murky blue depths. For a moment, I thought he was going to come around the bar and ask me what was wrong. He was sweet as a kitten and about as fond of the Stackhouse family as anyone.

"Whiskey!" Came a slurred voice from down the bar and Sam turned quickly to it.

"Now you know that you've had enough, Mr. Delment!" And he was turning away, his attentions diverted. He would have come out for Sookie. Only Sookie.

The plate slammed into the garbage as I gave an angry yell, bowing my head as I clasped the rim. Talking, talking, talking - that's all these people seemed able to do. Rotten food filled my nostrils, clogging my throat and forcing a cough from me. They talked about the possibilities of Bill being in one of those coffins and the possibilities that Sookie would follow him into whatever hell vamps took. The days. The months. The hours. All of it was up for grabs.

Giving another yell, my foot went slamming into the garbage can, sending it crashing into the wall and then to the ground. Wilted lettuce and rotting food spilled onto the tile.

"Woah." Panting, I turned to see Arlene, clutching her tray to her chest and staring at me with wide eyes. "Darlin', are you okay?"

No. "Yes." I blinked, turning to stare at the destruction I'd caused. "Shit. Sorry. I'll go-"

Clutching a hand to my mouth, I hurried around the bend to the storage closet for a broom.

"How long do you think it'll take until the third Stackhouse goes over the edge?" Two men sat in the booth just around the bend, their voices loud over the noise of the place.

"Isn't she already?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes until a spark of pain flamed up.

Sometimes you didn't need to be telepathic to know what all these assholes were thinking. I grabbed the broom, stopping by Lafayette to give him my order.

"Onion rings and put some saliva on the goddamn burger," I muttered and Lafayette laughed, flicking a spatula at me.

"You one naughty hooker, Runa." He winked. "Anything else on the queen's happy meal?"

"Anything you want, baby," I crooned, walking away to the sound of his laughter and back to the tipped garbage can.

Sometimes people just came out and said it.


I stared across the table at the sleekly dressed man, his black hair combed back from his forehead to let strays dip out and whisper along to his eyes. He looked unkept in the way that my sister liked in her men.

"You're alive," I stated blandly, leaning back more fully into my chair. Sookie grinned across the table at me, her fingers winding through his as she leaned forward like a toddler trying to keep a glorious secret.

Bill gave a small smile. "Well, in a way, yes."

My lips thinned. Personally, I would rather fuck a horse than Compton. That was something innately...slimy about him. Not to mention that he was buttoned up to his adam's apple.

"In the way that we're talking about," I finished, taking a slow sip of my coffee as Sookie sent me daggers over the rim. Pressing my tongue to the inside of my cheek, I put my cup down. "So you're just gonna - poof - appear and disappear like our fucking fairy Godmother anytime you want?"

"RUNA!" Sookie hissed, her eyes plainly murderous. But I had questions. And they ended and began with the vamp sitting across from me.

"I just find it odd that you literally chose three undead eyesores over my sister in the middle of a bar filled with her friends and family. And then you just...disappear like some pixie bitch in a Disney film to come back brand spanking new." My eyes narrowed on the man, an anger bubbling beneath the surface of my calm mask. "While three vamps and a fangbanger lay in milk crates in the morgue."

"You have every right to be suspicious-" Bill started in his customary stiff manner. Were all vampires as boring as he was?

"No she doesn't," Sookie snapped and I met her angry gaze with a cool one of my own.

Bill smiled patiently, petting her hand. "But I simply thought it would be best if I went to ground before anything transpired between myself and those three vampires."

"And Sookie?" My fingers tapped against the table as Bill's eyes widened in surprise. "What about her? Or were you just dandy with the idea that those fuckers could come back any second and make our whole entire family into shish kebabs?"

"Runa, that is enough," Sookie snarled, rising from the table to take away our cups of coffee to the table, her shoulders tense. I had gotten to her. My lips thinned, my eyes drifting to the scratches in the table. "I don't know why you have to go on and on about something that is none of your concern-"

"But I am." My sister went quiet, her shoulders dipping slightly. Across from me, I felt the interested and awkward stare of Bill. I swallowed thickly. "Concerned."

Her eyes met mine and I felt the gentle press of her mind against mine. Like a locked door, my mind unhinged and creaked as I let her inside. I just want to protect you. Couldn't protect Gran. Guilty. So fucking guilty. Please. Please. Jason won't - I want him here. He always hugged me. Fuck! So much-

I shut the doors, yanking my gaze away from hers and back to the table as I heard her draw in a shuddering breath.

"Runa-"

I ignored her, meeting Bill's gaze again. "Promise me that you won't do this again."

For a moment, Bill didn't say anything, his brows dipping. But then he was nodding. "I give you my word that I shall protect your sister with my life - whatever bit of it there is left."

That was all I could ask. I wouldn't pry anymore than I had into my sister's life.

"On that note…" My eyes whipped up at the almost bashful tone that Bill's voice had taken, his eyes downcast. Aw hell no. "Eric Northman requires a favor from me."

"Favors can be declined," I snapped before my sister could say anything. I had heard about the man. Dawn had said he was a good fuck but violent and the news said that he was a greedy, cold-hearted bastard that liked to make money. He had been the first human-vampire bar that Louisiana had ever seen. Only a very powerful, persuasive man could get away with that.

"Not with Eric Northman," Bill said evenly, his eyes giving away the utter truth of this. Sookie had gone blanched at the name, her mouth thinning with irritation. "He has asked for your...talents… in settling a matter at his bar."

"Well, I guess if he's that desperate than he can come and ask me himself," my sister snapped primly, sitting down beside Bill as he winced. I watched the whole thing through a haze of calculation.

"I'm not sure that we have that right, Sookie."

"I have every right."

"Not if we want to keep your gifts within our circle." Bill saw the weakness in my sister as her lips tightened, her eyes going to the ceiling. Slowly, he took her hands in his. "If we remain useful than he'll have no reason to divulge any of our transgressions or business to our Queen."

"Queen?" Sookie scoffed and my brows tipped up.

"Even the undead and damned have a hierarchy," Bill said with a bit of humor. "And at the top is the Queen."

For a moment, Sookie stewed. But in the end, her need for secrecy overpowered everything else.

"Fine," she snapped, yanking her hands away. "But I'm not happy about this."

"I would be remiss if you were," Bill said with a smile and I rolled my eyes, getting up from the table to get my jacket and bag.

"Where are you going?" I turned to my sister with quirked brows.

"With you all," I said flippantly, heading for the door and out into the muggy air. Fireflies sparkled through the air. It was too bad that we weren't going to a picnic. Or anywhere else but to a vamp bar. I sighed, pulling my hair back into a ponytail as I heard the shuffling steps of my sister and her undead lover. "Would Gran have like this Northman as much as she liked Bill?"

"She would have liked molasses being dribbled onto her carpet more," Sookie said blandly as she came to stand beside me. Her eyes turned up to meet mine. "You don't have to come. I'll be fine with Bill-"

"Please." I waved her words away, stepping down to make my way to the sleek car parked in the drive. "I wouldn't trust him to take you to a baby shower."

"It's nice to see that you are warming up to me, Miss Stackhouse," Bill said with a charmed smile and I snapped my tongue at him, getting into the backseat.

I knew very little about the vampire. I didn't particularly make it my business to find a lot out about my sister's love interests. Not only did I find that it was none of my business but I also didn't particularly think that I would need to know a passing recognition of them. They rarely lasted. But this one - I rubbed a hand over my eyes. This one was going to be lasting longer than I had first assumed.

Yippee.


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