We aren't in the air long when the flight attendant, Claire, informs the Vampires on board that the travel coffins are ready for them in the back compartment whenever they were ready. She smiles at all three of the women and then goes to busy herself in the kitchen area.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Willa says looking at me and then Tara. "What if something happens?"
"It will be fine," I say rubbing her arm. "Pam has traveled like this more times than she would like to count," I look up at said Vampire.
She smirks at me. "No lady likes to be reminded of her age. A Southern Belle as you should know discussing such things is bad form."
The little banter between us didn't seem to calm Willa's nerves. I am about to try to give her some words of encouragement when Tara takes her by the hand, whispers something in her ear and leads her to the back of the plane.
Willa takes one last look at me. I smile and she returns it before they both disappear into a room. I watch the hallway for a few moments while Pam goes to speak with Claire regarding our travel time and confirming with the woman her orders. Without thinking, I'd read the woman not soon after we boarded. I really couldn't help it. She is a rather loud broadcaster so it didn't take much effort to learn that she is indeed devoted to both Eric and Pam. Why she is so devoted is not quite clear but she feels she owes them a great deal for something and is very happy to assist with this journey as well as others she's been asked to participate in. I can tell just by her thought patterns that she hasn't been glamoured which I'm pleased to hear.
When Pam was finishes talking to Claire, she walks over to me.
"Everything is going as planned, Sookie," she says to me. "We will land in Nova Scotia to refuel and then we will be in the air again."
"They haven't suspected that we flew out of the area?" I ask her.
She gives me a smile that eerily reminds me of Eric. "The pilot put in a flight plan just before takeoff that will indicate our final destination to be a remote airfield in Wyoming. Even if Compton and the others get a clue and figure out how we departed Louisiana, they will be led on a wild goose chase clear across the country."
I nod and say nothing. I'm still in a little shock and reeling from all that I've learned tonight. The fact that they are logging fake flight plans to cover our tracks just goes to show how much planning went into this little extraction I am currently finding myself in the middle of. Yes, extraction is exactly the word to use. Thank you Arlene for your word of the day calendars that you always give me. I truly would be lost without it.
"Good," she says nodding her head once. "She," Pam points over to Claire. "Will tell you when you should prepare for the landing. There will be no need to get off the plane as we will not be on the ground for very long. Once the pilot has us in the air once more, we will be starting our final leg of our journey."
"What will I need to do about you all once we land?" Ask her remembering my last trip with Bill and all that went into transporting him.
"You will not have to worry about all of that," she waves her hand. "Before we arrive, the three of us will be up and with you. Everything has been accounted for, Sookie. We don't anticipate any surprises but please do what the pilot says if anything unexpected occurs." It takes a moment for what she says to sink in.
"Wait a minute," I say holding up my hand. "What do you mean you all will be up before we land? It's going to take us another day to reach our destination?" Where are we going, Outer Mongolia?
She smirks. "Well yes and no," she says and makes her way back to the travel coffins without giving me any further information.
"Damn vamps and their famous non-answers," I mumble to myself.
"I heard that," she says. "And it isn't a non-answer if you know what you are asking," I can almost hear the smirk on her face. "You know, it's fun to see you get all flustered. It's almost as much funs as it is to see you get all heated when you think Eric is being high-handed."
I huff and cross my arms.
"Oh, what's the matter, Sookie? Don't you like surprises?" she asks me.
"I think I've gotten enough surprises in the past few hours to last me a life time, thank you very much," I say to her.
"Come now," she smirks, "don't think of it like that. Every girl likes surprises," she blows me a kiss. "See you soon our southern flower."
With that, Pam heads down the hall toward the back of the plane and is gone.
"Miss Stackhouse," Claire says to me.
"Yes?" I turn to look at her and plaster a smile on my face. It isn't what I'd call my crazy Sookie smile but it's closer than I'd care to admit. I hope the smile is convincing enough to not make her worry or offend her in any way. The reality of it all is that I'm too worn out to put in much more effort.
"Would you like something to eat or drink," she motions to the small kitchenette, "Or would you prefer to rest? The couch is very comfortable. I'd offer you the back bedroom but that is where we setup the travel coffins."
"I would have thought they would be in the, well the baggage area?" I say as a question. I don't want to insult the girls or this lovely lady but that is where I thought they put the coffins when traveling. At least that is where they were put when I traveled to Dallas. The thought of Vampires being carted around like luggage didn't sit well with me then.
"Normally, they would be but," she nods in agreement. "But, Mr. Northman wanted the three of them," she motions to the hallway, "to be as close to you as we could get them just in case we encountered an unforeseen problem along the way. He implied that both you and Miss Pam would know what to do if anything unsettling occurred in transit."
"Yeah, give them my blood so they could walk in the sun," I mumble thinking about the last time any of them needed my help. Then again, that isn't exactly true. They needed Warlow's help which means they needed his blood not mine. In the wake of all that was happening and the panic they were all in to go rescue everyone, no one had ever thought to ask me for my blood. But then again, I'm not a full Fae like Warlow was. My blood wouldn't pack nearly as big of a punch. But it did allow Eric and Russell to walk in the sun for a short time. That is saying something if I do say so myself.
Thinking of Warlow brought up some strange memories and feelings if I'm honest with myself. There is something that has been bothering me regarding that Faepire. Or more precisely, I'm bothered about the way he died. When I threw my light at him, nothing happened. But when Jason staked Warlow, he melted into some really weird goo. If truth be told, it was much different than a normal Vampire. Perhaps the Fae blood in him prevented Warlow from garnering the full effect of my little light ball. Maybe the Fae can't use their gifts on one another. That is something I'll need to speak to…who the hell am I going to speak to about Faerie crap? The only one around is Niall and he seems to be mute on the subject of my gifts. I don't even know what a Fae really can do and what they can't. Niall has been strangely absent for the past several months and hasn't brought up much about who I am or anything about my light the last few times he has come to visit. In fact, the last several times he's come to see me, we've talked about anything but my little quirks. It's almost as if he has been ignoring the situation. Like it is that easy. It took me a whole month to get the remnants of Warlow out of the tile grout. I did like that orange liquor drink he brought with him the last few times. It was thicker than anything I'd drank before and the sweetness was almost like tasting the sun itself. I'd wondered about it but he told me that he found it on his travels. Considering that Niall is almost as old as Warlow was, I couldn't even comprehend where it had come from. Yet another thing that Niall was vague about. I know I should have been more curious about the whole thing but it was really good stuff and afterwards I'd sleep like the dead. Something else I had a hard time doing after the whole incident in the cemetery. I was actually grateful for the sleep.
"What was that?" she asks me taking me out of my inner monologue.
"Nothing," I shake my head and getting back to the conversation at hand. Lordy, I'm being so flighty. "Um, could I get something to drink and then maybe I'll rest for a bit? How long will it be until we arrive in Nova Scotia?"
"Not long," she says and goes to the refrigerator in the kitchenette and returns with a bottle of water and a glass of ice. "We should be touching down in less than three hours. The tailwinds are in our favor so it won't be longer. Our time on the ground should be minimal," she continues. "I would suspect that it won't take more than thirty minutes to get everything done."
"I didn't know planes could be fueled so quickly," I open the bottle and pour it over the ice.
But then again, what do I know? The only frame of reference I have for such things is stuff I've seen on TV. But it always seems to take the airports a long time to get a plane ready for flight.
"Normally, it would take an hour or two," she responds. "However, from what I was told, we are meeting a friend of Mr. Northman's there. He owns a private airfield and he'll be assisting us on this portion of our journey. There won't be any wait and that speeds up the processes considerably."
"Will we be taking on any new passengers while we are on the ground?" I ask as I take a sip of the water.
"Not this trip," she smiles at me. "Mr. Northman was eager to get you to safety as quickly as he could. I'm sure that there we will be other trips in the upcoming months but this time you were our only concern and one that Mr. Northman emphasized is of the highest priority as well as the greatest caution."
Deciding to address the first part of her explanation I lean forward in my seat.
"Why would Eric be sending you on any other trips?" I ask.
I can't exactly be special if Eric was sending his staff to pick up other people. What would he need with all these people? Who could he be bringing to him? The thought of whom or what he is acquiring sends a little chill up my spine and does something strange low in my belly. Up until now, I've never given much thought to all the women that threw themselves at him, but now I can't help it. Okay, that's a lie. I have thought from time to time about all of those women at Fangtasia not to mention that woman I saw him with down in the basement but I'd quickly dismiss the thoughts. After all, I was with Bill at the time and I had no right to concern myself with his activities. But then came Mississippi and then his curse. After that it was hard to keep the thoughts away. Even when I walked out on him and Bill after we dealt with the witches, I'd think about him with others and it made me, well, sad I guess. I really had no right to be. I was with Alcide. I couldn't very well expect Eric to pine away for me especially when I thought I'd never see him again. That just wasn't right. I had been successful in hiding my thoughts and feelings regarding Eric for some time. That is, up until today.
I think about these trips again. What if he's bringing all the women that he desires pleasure from to him. What if this has nothing to do with Bill, Alcide or their tie to a rather large government conspiracy? What if this was a way for Eric to bring me too him and nothing more? But that is so silly. Eric wouldn't go through all of this just to bring me to him. Eric could have any woman in the world. He didn't need to play games to get a companion.
Swallowing deeply I will away the fear and anxiety that these thoughts give me and hope upon hope that Claire has a good enough reason for why she or others in Eric's employ would be taking any other trips to acquire people for the rather large Vampire.
"Well, he sends us to help those he finds like my son," she moves to sit beside me. "Like you, my boy is considered a Halfling too." She smiles at me.
I examine her appearance a little closer now that she's so close to me. She can't be any older than Hadley was the last time I'd seen her. That should put her in her late twenties or maybe early thirties at most. Unless she had him very young, her son can't be any older than Hunter, I'd suspect. .
"Your son?" I ask sitting a little closer to the edge of my seat.
She nods. "Mr. Northman's associate came to visit us a little more than a month ago and explained everything to me," she smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. However, the emotion is genuine. I don't know how I know but I do. The woman may not be happy about the situation but she as grateful that Eric found her. .
"If you don't mind me asking," I pause. "Even after you learned what was going on, what would possess you to put yourself and your son in the hands of a Vampire?" I ask her.
Surely knowing what her son was, she would be terrified at the thought of having her Fae smelling son anywhere near Vampires. I mean, I saw what happened when Eric smelled Claudine. Though she was a full Fae, I know that even with the little Fae blood I have, I smell sweet to Vampires. I wouldn't even think of putting a child in danger of getting drained.
"I'll try to explain as best I can," she says and I wait for her to begin. "The story isn't really that exciting," she shrugs, "but it's important that you understand that I'm here because I want to be and that I believe that it's the safest place for my son."
I nod for her to continue.
"Mr. Northman's associate is a very nice man by the name of Mr. Barrack. One afternoon, he showed up at my home in a little town outside of Rochester, New York where my son and I were living. At first I was hesitant to even speak to him. I mean who shows up at your door these days without being either invited or needing something from you? Mr. Barrack is a very large man and I can tell you that I wasn't intending on letting him into my home and was about thirty seconds away from calling the police when he said something about my son's special characteristics and well, his gifts. Until then, I hadn't spoken about Spencer's uniqueness to anyone. I had worked very hard to keep it all a secret since before I even had Spencer. I didn't have anyone close to me to tell and I didn't really know who I could trust. We'd only arrived in the small town a few weeks before and since his birth, I'd moved around a lot in attempts to avoid any unnecessary questions or prying neighbors not to mention, being found by others."
"I paused when he mentioned Spencer's uniqueness; I thought I should at least hear him out. I didn't know what Mr. Barrack was but considering it was just after noon, I knew he wasn't a Vampire. Once he convinced me that he wasn't there to sell me anything, and that he indeed understood about my son, he pulled something out of his bag and presented me with a copy of a file that Mr. Northman and his staff had acquired regarding my son and his father."
"His father was, or rather is…" I trail off.
"He is Fae," she sighs. "Believe me, I didn't know who or what he was when I first met him."
"Then you didn't know when you had Spencer what he was?" I ask her.
"Oh, I knew what he'd be but I'm getting ahead of myself," she smiles at me.
I nod and take another sip of my water.
"I met Spencer's father at a bar when I was living in New York City just after my twentieth birthday. I know that sounds so bad. I was never one to meet let alone pick up anyone in a bar. But I had been in New York for some time already and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about living in a big city," she smiles softly and I nod my head.
I understand the pull of a big city when you have grown up without that that sort of excitement. I myself had wondered what it would be like to live in such a place. But I had Gran, the farmhouse and of course Jason to think about. I couldn't very well pack up and run off on a whim. I had responsibilities to those around me and just couldn't leave them. But then again, isn't that exactly what I did tonight?
I sigh as she continues; trying to focus on her story and not the guilt I'm now feeling.
"You see, my family comes from a small town in Minnesota. I'd completed my associate's degree at the local college and was itching to go anywhere away from that small little town. The day after graduation, I took the first bus out east, found a job, friends, and a place to live. I thought I was living the dream," she pauses and I'm assuming she's remembering that time of her life. "I didn't go out all that much to bars. First I didn't have the means and later, I was really too busy and tired after working all day to stay out all night. It's funny, I'd gone out more in Minnesota then I did in the Big Apple," she laughs and I join her.
One night, two of my co-workers encouraged me to come with them for once. They were going to check out some new "IT place in the village and badgered me until I agreed to join them. So there I was in the middle of the club we just walked into. Drinks were ordered and we were just about to go look for a table when I saw him. He was so handsome. I'd never seen anyone that was more beautiful in my life. When I looked at him it was like no one else existed. It was magical and the air around him almost seemed to glow. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't move from the spot I was in, just struck by his beauty. He didn't even break stride when he walked up to me without looking at the other two women with me and asked me if I wanted to have a drink with him. Without saying a word, I nodded."
"He led me to a booth and somehow ordered us two drinks without it ever feeling like he took his eyes off me. We talked for what felt like forever and we were really getting along. It was as if we'd known each other our whole lives. I felt like he knew me inside and out and there was nothing that I'd hold back from him if he asked for it. I was enthralled and lost in him. So much so that when he asked me if I wanted to go somewhere less noisy I jumped at the chance to be alone with him. I didn't even tell my friends where I was going. Nothing existed but this man beside me. I don't remember how we left or when we decided whose place we'd go to but soon we found ourselves at my place and well," she shrugs and I nod my understanding of what happened with the rest of her evening. I didn't even need to peek into her head to get a very clear picture of the events.
She smiles softly once more and I can't help but notice how young it makes her look. She should smile a great deal more.
"Our relationship felt like it was on some sort of bullet train. It didn't take us long to move in with one another and we were together for over a year when I found out I was pregnant. Once I got up the nerve to tell him, he took me in his arms and told me about his family, his other life and most importantly, he instructed me on the skills and gifts of a Fae."
Well at least she got that. No one bothered to tell me until I was nose deep in Supernatural and Vampire shit.
"What is his name?" I ask her. I am hoping upon hope that her son's father and my Fae grandfather aren't the same. Her description of him sounds a great deal like Niall once described not only his son Fintan but my grandfather.
She smiles again. "His name is Killian Gill, she whispers his name as if it's sacred and it probably is to her.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I don't care what Pam says. I'm so not looking forward to any other surprises.
"I used to make fun of his name because of the beer, you know?" she gives me a teary smile. "He has a slight Irish accent and with the name Killian all he needed was red hair to make it that much more comical. But he would laugh it off and started calling me Red so together we were Killian Red."
She pauses then as if she's in a memory
I wait patiently as she has her moment. It is clear that she really loved or loves this Fae.
"Once he told me everything he offered to leave me then. I told him I didn't care about his family or what he was. I loved him and that was all that mattered. He told me the same but then said that he had to leave before the baby arrived. He knew that at some point Vampires in the city would figure out what he was and decide to come for him. Not to mention that the Fae are always battling with one another over something. He explained that another one of his kind from a rival sect could show up at any time and depending on what side of the battle lines they were on he, me and our child would be in danger. I told him that I would move, leave, go anywhere he wanted as long as we were together but he again told me it wouldn't be safe with the Vampires around. Then he told me that he had received word from his father and had been trying to figure out how to explain things to me. I didn't even know that he was in contact with his family. He never spoke about them and I never pried. I figured he had his own reason to be so far away from them and since I had my own reasons for leaving home, I'd allow him to tell me when he wanted to."
"Killian's father informed him that he was marked and had a price on his head. I didn't understand why this wonderful man could be in danger of being killed. I'd never known him to be anything but sweet, loving and kind. How could anyone want to hurt him?"
"He didn't tell you why?" I ask.
"No, he only told me that the mark was made and sealed in blood. Which, I'm coming to understand is a big deal in the Supernatural world," she sighs.
I nod in understanding. Blood, it would seem, is not only important to Vampires.
"Couldn't he speak to someone?" I ask her.
She shrugs. "Killian didn't believe anything could be done. The price was high and evidently there were very few that could resist such a bounty. He didn't tell me if the price was set by Vampire, Fae or someone else. He only said that in order to keep us all safe, he'd need to leave.
"Wasn't he afraid that you were already in danger?" I ask her.
She shakes her head. "He assured me that no one knew about me. You see, he never intended to stay in the city or outside the Fae realm after the night we met. In fact, he was due to leave this realm the following night. But when he met me he couldn't bring himself to leave. He told me that he knew the moment that he saw me that he loved me and that he had to be with me. He first promised himself a night, then a week, then a month. A month became two and two became six until we found ourselves facing the reality of our time with one another. Now with a child on its way and a price on his head, he knew that staying would only cause us pain and probably our death."
"But he fell in love with you?" I ask. How could he leave her if he loved her?
Well, Eric said he loved me and he left me. I won't even get into Bill. I doubt that Vampire knows the meaning of the word…
She nods. "He did. I know he loved me more than anything but it just wasn't safe for me with him around. He said the only place he could be safe would be in the Fae realm and in order to go there, he'd have to leave. I begged to go with him but Killian couldn't take me with him. He explained that the portals are designed to allow Fae and only the Fae to come and go. There was no way it would allow me through. It has to do with carrying the Fae blood and since I don't have any, I'd probably die attempting to do it."
"For weeks, I tried everything to convince him that the baby and I would be fine with him but something in his eyes told me that he knew better. It was like he'd seen things to make him believe otherwise. Finally, I realized that my begging and crying was falling on deaf ears. It was then that instead of begging him once more, I promised him that I would keep our son safe and hidden until he was able to return to us once more. He promised me that as soon as it was safe, he would come to us." She sighs.
"He spent the next few days cautioning me and warning me of what the Fae would do. Once he was satisfied with that, he continued to tell me about others that could potentially do us harm. My head was full of all this stuff that I never thought imaginable and part of me wanted to believe none of it. The other part knew that to dismiss his warnings would either get me captured by some unsavory creature or killed."
"He stayed as long as he could with me but he finally said he'd have to leave. I made him promise for the morning to come before he left. I wanted to see him one more time. We made love that night and when I awoke the next morning he was gone. I expect that was for both our benefits. If he stayed until morning, I'd probably convinced him to stay another day. Nothing was going to be enough and I knew that as well as he did."
She is quiet then. I allowed her the time. I can't imagine what it was like to hear that everything we were told was just fairytales. Not to mention that you then realize that your love will be leaving you because of all of it. But then again, isn't that what Eric did when he gave me back my house? Wasn't he leaving me to give me what I wanted? What he thought I needed? Hell, I practically demanded to be left out of the Supe world. He was doing what he thought would be best for me. To give me back my home, my life and my free-will. He'd always done that. Even when he told me about what Bill was actually sent to Bon Temps to do. Even when he asked me to be his when I returned from Fae, it was to give me what he thought I needed.
But in the end, it didn't matter. It didn't matter then and it certainly doesn't matter now. Why did I ever think that I could hide myself from this world? Yes, it is no longer a Vampire world. The moment I found out I was Fae, I became part of the whole thing. Why would I ever think that I could be safe ever again on my own? How could I ever go back to the life I had before Bill Compton ran into it? Why did I think I wanted to?
She sighs and looks up at me. "Once I got myself together, I knew what I had to do. After hearing about all the trouble the Fae can cause, I was fearful of what would happen to my son if we stayed in New York. Killian was certain that he hadn't been seen. He only knew that no Vampires had given him any notice. But it didn't mean that others didn't see or know of him. We had discussed what I'd need to do and he had told me that I had to leave as soon as I could and gave me the means to do so."
I didn't ask what those means were. If Killian was like other Supes I'd met along the way he had ample funds and networks to get and do what he wanted. I would hope that he'd arrange for both to be at the disposal of his family.
"We first moved us to Seattle. We didn't stay there for very long. I didn't want anyone to get suspicious or anything. Killian had planned out many avenues for us to take but it was up to me to decide when and where to move. Having our son with me, I knew that Killian would be able to find us when he was able. We then moved to Santa Fe, then Minnesota, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Vermont and finally in upstate New York where Mr. Northman's man tracked us down."
"How long were you moving around before Eric found you?" I ask her. It sounds like an awful lot of places to be in a very short period of time.
"It was almost three years. The only person who has found us in all that time was Mr. Northman, or should I say Mr. Barrack only one that approached us. I'm not sure if other Supes just gave us the courtesy of leaving us alone or if we in fact, never stumbled upon any but that seemed rather unlikely. Besides, from what Mr. Barrack said, we were not going to stay hidden for very much longer."
"You haven't heard from Killian?" I ask her.
She shakes her head. "No, Killian hasn't returned and I've not seen him or any others like him until we agreed to go with Mr. Northman's people."
"How did Eric, or Mr. Barrack find you?" I ask.
"He showed me a file with proof that we'd already been discovered but not by other Supes but by our own government. It indicated that not only did these military and scientists know what my son was but that they would be coming to take him," she sniffles. "He's just a little boy, Miss Stackhouse and they were coming to take him away. They were intending on using him to possibly find a cure for this Hep-V ugliness. When I heard what they were doing to others like Spencer, I knew that I had to do anything and everything to see that they didn't find us. I was all ready to move again. But Mr. Barrack assured me that they would find us if we ran on our own. He told me that they didn't have much time but he promised that if we came with him, he'd protect Spencer and keep him safe. That he'd make sure no one could find him or us and that we would have a choice in everything that we did from that point forward. With him we could have a life, without him I'm terrified to think where we would be right now."
"What did Mr. Northman ask for in return?" I ask her.
"Not much," she looks down. "Spencer and I live with others like him in a remote area of the compound. We have a home, food and clothing: everything we need to keep us comfortable. Mr. Northman has doctors working there as well. In exchange for keeping us out of captivity, they asked for a few vials of Spencer's blood from time to time."
"So they are getting the blood they need?" I ask her. Not sure if I'm in full agreement on how wonderful this little arrangement is. If there is one thing I've learned over the years is that Vampires don't do anything unless there is something in it for them.
She nods again. "It really is a small price to pay for keeping us safe. Once the cure is found and we have nothing to fear from the governments, Mr. Northman has promised to send us anywhere we wanted and swears we will be safe. We could have new identities and everything," she pauses. "He isn't keeping us captive, Miss Stackhouse. Any one of us is free to come and go as we please. He made that clear upon meeting us and there is nothing that says we can't get on a plane and leave anytime we want."
"Has anyone done that?" I ask.
"No," she pauses. "There are two with us that managed to escape from a government compound in the Midwest," she shakes her head as if to clear her mind or her vision of something she doesn't want to see. "Believe me, Miss Stackhouse, if what half they have told us is true, Mr. Northman is a godsend to us. What they went through…" she chokes up,
Part of me wants to know what happened to these people. The other part, yeah the other part is winning right now.
"Does Eric ask anything else of you all?" I ask her. Surely Eric can't be the saint this woman is making him out to be. After all, I think I know Eric Northman very well. Generosity and good will are not in his vocabulary.
Yeah, that's why he stormed the Fellowship church to rescue her and Godric. Why he went to the Queen to figure out a way to get rid of the Maenad and why he bought and fixed up her home only to give it back to her once she returned. My inner voice chastises me.
"I help out on these flights when he finds others like Spencer. Mr. Northman believes that having me along helps passengers be less fearful of what's to come."
"Are you sure this is better than what the government would do to you and your son?" I ask.
"Even if we didn't have those two brother's accounts of what happened to them, I'd be certain I make the right choice. Did they show you the videos?" she asks.
"What videos?" I ask her.
"The videos of what the government and their scientists have done to the ones they've found so far?" she says softly.
I shake my head.
"It's horrible, Ms. Stackhouse," she whispers. "The people look like those pictures from the prison camps. You know the ones in world war two? The adults, the kids, they look like they're dying. The Vampires they have look even worse. All of the Vampires have the virus. The children are the worst. Several of the Halflings have come down with something but none of those scientists know what it is."
"Do you know what they are doing about that?" I ask her.
"I don't think so. From what the brothers have told us, the doctors there don't care because they don't consider the Halflings human. Hell, they don't consider the Vampires humans either but they think that if they can cure them, they will have a way to control them. But the Halflings are treated worse. I swear they are using them like lab rats. They said that they are getting worried. They need healthy and strong Halflings and they aren't very easy to find. They did say they have someone helping them find them around the states but no one would talk about it around the test subjects. Anytime they asked questions they were ignored. It's terrible, Ms. Stackhouse. Human beings shouldn't be subjected to any of that."
"You really think that the government is doing all this to control the Vampires?" I ask her.
"I do and so does Mr. Northman. Plus, they are fearful that this virus has the potential to mutate and spread," she says waving her arm about.
"How could they think that?" I ask her. "Isn't Hep-V something that humans can fight?"
"I don't know but the doctors even some of the scientists and such that are working with Mr. Northman believe that if they don't figure out a cure soon, then the virus will mutate into something that will harm the natural born humans."
"Did Eric or Pam tell you that?" I ask her.
She shakes her head. "No but I've heard others talking about it on the compound. They say that Mr. Northman gets footage from the government facilities in Atlanta and Wyoming. They are both reporting the same thing. They believe that the virus has mutated to a strand that is harmful to the Halflings. They don't know how this could be happening since they always keep them in different areas but there must have been a cross contamination because what else could explain it? According to what I've heard, the government is demanding more Halflings. They need those with higher concentration of Fae blood or that are strong. I don't think they really understand what makes up a Fae so they really don't know what they are looking for. But kids like Spencer haven't come into their light yet and haven't come to their full potential yet. They are looking for stronger Halflings and have intensified their searches from the states to Europe."
"You said Spencer is six?" I ask her.
"Yes, but he grew up almost within a week. He looks about twenty two now," she smiles and takes a picture out of her pocket and hands it to me.
I smile at the young man. "He's handsome," I say and give it back to her.
"He is a whiz at computers. He's been helping Mr. Northman with the data and intelligence that's coming in."
"That's nice of him," I say to her.
"He may look like a man but he's still very young in many ways. There is a lot he doesn't understand yet. He is still learning and the others like him are showing him the way."
"And in return you and Spencer help Eric," I say almost to myself.
"It's the least we can do, Miss Stackhouse. He saved my boy from a terrible fate. I don't get it," she pauses and looks at me. "The government is supposed to protect us not harm us."
I shrug. "I don't know what to tell you," I shake my head. "I've only found out about all of this tonight. I'm still trying to make heads or tails out of it."
"Well, you may have only heard about this tonight, Miss Stackhouse. But I know that Mr. Northman has been keeping tabs on you since he first found out that they were looking for Halflings."
"You do?" I ask her.
She smiles and nods. "Spencer said that he's been making sure you were safe. He would have him check for mentions of your name, your town, anything connected to you since before we arrived. He would have your area swept for intel to make sure that you were not under investigation. As soon as he got word that they were coming after you, he made plans to extract you as fast as he could. He wasn't about to let what happen to others happen to you."
I nod. "Mr. Northman helped you too, Claire," I smile at her. Suddenly I don't feel very special any longer.
"Not like you, Miss Stackhouse. You must be real special to him. He was ready to head to Louisiana to get you himself. Miss Pam had to nearly shackle him in order to keep him at the compound. I've not been privy to much time with him in the short time we've been there but I've never seen him so worked up. Usually he sends me and Mr. Barrack to get Halflings but he was prepared to come get you himself. Miss Pam had to promise him that she'd get you and bring you back before the government or some others close to you could do you any harm."
"Pam doesn't come with you on these extractions?" I ask her.
She shakes her head. "Not that I've experienced, no. Miss Pam is busy helping Mr. Northman. She rarely has time for anything else. But in this case, she really didn't have any choice. Mr. Northman was determined that no one was going to get you but him. If it wasn't for…" she trails off.
"If it wasn't for what?" I ask her.
"I think you need to wait to see him to understand, Miss Stackhouse," she says with sadness in her eyes.
I try to look into her mind, but something tells me that they warned her about my gift. I'm hearing her singing songs from Mary Poppins and not thinking about anything. A rather neat trick if you ask me. No one I know has been able to do it before. .
"Sookie, please, call me Sookie," I say trying to smile but knowing that the worry and uncertainty of my current predicament is reflecting in my eyes.
She smiles again. "Sookie it is," she smiles and goes to stand. "I'll get you a blanket and pillow. You should get some rest. The second half of the trip will be longer than the first but the others will be up soon after we leave Canadian air space."
I nod and take a sip of my water and think about what Claire has told me. It would seem that Eric has been trying to find Halflings before the government does. That really doesn't sound like him. Why would he be risking all of this? Eric has never been one to interfere with the human or other Supe affairs. He's always had way too much to do keeping himself and those closest to him safe. For a while there, that included me. So why would Eric risk everything to help Halflings? Unless he has some reason to believe that he can find a cure for this mess. That must be it. Claire said he has doctors with him. He must know what to look for. Perhaps he knows something that the government doesn't. Why else would he risk everything to try to save a race of Supes that he has nothing to do with? Sure we smell really good to Vampires and our blood is delicious but we aren't talking about full Fae here. We're talking about Halflings. The little pleasure he would receive from the blood wouldn't be worth the risk. Then again, there is that whole walking in the sun thing. But even my blood could only allow him access to the sun for a few moments before he started to burn. Bill almost drained me and he only got minutes before he started to burn. Warlow's blood was strong but he was a really, really old full Fae. Eric couldn't possibly think he could recreate that situation. Even if he had all the Halflings in the world, there would be no way to produce that much Fae blood. By the way Claire is talking you would think that Eric isn't drinking from any of them. He's only asking for small amounts of blood. Not nearly enough to satisfy the thirst of Vampire. So again, we are back to the theory that he's trying to find a cure. What could Eric possibly gain from all this?
I could be thinking about this all wrong. Maybe he's not gaining anything other than helping to find a cure without destroying another species. But what would he care? It's evident that both he and Pam were safe from the outbreak. Tara and Willa have been being extremely careful and I know that if Eric wanted to, he could have them called to his side if he felt that they were in some sort of danger. As far as I know, most of the Vampires in his old retinue were fine and the ones that were new, were keeping safe. Not that there were many Vampires still left in the area. It seemed once Eric left, they all left. Well, all except Bill and those that were working for him. Not that there were many of those left either. When Bill went all "Billith" on everyone, a lot of the guards and others around his estate up and left, leaving Jessica to fend for herself. Not exactly nice for Jessica but it's the truth all the same.
As far as I know, everyone that had any connection to Eric or Pam were doing as well as could be expected given the circumstances. So other than a cure, I see nothing that would compel Eric Northman to risk himself or his retinue.
Claire is back quickly with the blanket and pillow. Kicking off my shoes, I lay back and try to rest. But for some reason, when I close my eyes, all I can see is Eric and I in a big bed out in the forest watching the snow fall. I sigh and try to will the image away. I'll need some sleep and I'll need a clear head when I talk to Eric. He's up to something, I know he is. I just need to figure out what it is before I get there. I need to keep my wits about me as well and after the night I've had, I'm at my wits end.
I know that it isn't fair to Eric or Pam but I need to be at my best when I face him. I can't help it. I'm tired of letting my guard down and being deceived by those that I think love me. This thought brings images of Alcide to mind and I have to will the pain I'm feeling away. How many times did that Were tell me he loved me? How many times did he say that he wanted a life with me? How many times did he say that he was happy that we found each other?
Sure there were times that his mind said other things. There were the times he would think about all the time I've spent with Vampires and how reckless I'd been when trying to help them. He'd think about me sleeping with Eric and Bill and I knew it bothered him. Okay, it more than bothered him but there wasn't anything I could do about that. Nor, could I call him out on what he was thinking. Even when he would think about Debbie, or that woman (or should I say, women) from the pack, there was nothing I could say. After all, everyone is entitled to their own thoughts. I couldn't be angry with him for thinking things any more than he could be angry with me about my past.
So, I did what I could to please him. I'd quit my job at the bar and went to work for him. He thought that some of my clothes were too suggestive and he didn't like other men or Supes looking at me. So, I went out and got some more conservative albeit boring clothes to appease him. I knew that me killing Debbie was still a sore spot for both of us so I chose not to talk or ask questions about his past and life with his father. In turn, he didn't ask me questions about Eric or Bill. Though I knew he thought of both of them a lot. I'd allowed him to play Alpha male around other men to curb his jealousy and I did it all because I thought he loved me and deserved to get what he wanted.
How was I repaid for my efforts? I was going to be forced out of my home and life into what I can only assume would be hell.
Taking a deep breath, I will all of the anger and pain away to be dealt with at another time. I have enough to deal with right now.
Above anything, I'm determined to be smarter than I was. I am determined to make sure that I've got all the answers I need before I jump into another mess. Right now, I'm floating on the breeze and someone else is determining my direction. For as long as I've known about Vampires, it would seem that someone else was guiding my direction. But that is over now. I need to be in control. I need to be the one controlling the breeze or at least guiding my own sails. I need to depend on myself because if I've learned anything, there are very few others I can depend on.
Deciding I've had enough, I will myself into slumber, however, as I close my eyes and will myself to sleep all I can see are a pair of the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen and that damn big bed.