"I believe we'll leave it up to good Mr. Compton here to sniff us out something special." gleamed Russell, looking sickly sweet in Bill's direction. "You are after all…. A procurer."

The ride back to Russell's was an interesting and uncomfortable affair. Aurea didn't say a word…really neither did anyone. Her eyes occasionally glanced over to Bill, seeing his own remorseful and guilt-ridden irises looking back at her. It wasn't the procurement he was used to.

Russell had his own merriment due to the evening's festivities. He had to leave for a short time to conduct business and for once he didn't take her with him, trusting her to stay put. Again, part of her probationary period of loyalty. The limo had been quiet and uncomfortable when it was just her and Lorena. Lorena had tried to rile her up, get information about who she was, her connection to Eric, threats to confess to Russell, but with one glare from Aurea, Lorena quieted her attempts at conversation. Once Bill made it back with the meal, all attentions were diverted elsewhere.

She had never been so happy to see the mansion as the limo pulled to a stop. She ripped the door open and climbed out, the other three following close behind. She allowed Lorena and Russell to take lead as her and Bill pulled up the rear. The humor was evident between the leaders as they stepped into the mansion, but her and Bill's veins seemed to freeze as their eyes fell upon an unlikely guest.

"Rea? Bill?"

Both stood frozen with their eyes wide, feet frozen, and blood from dinner still stained to their face. She could smell the fear radiating from Tara as their eyes connected. Desperation and pleading flowed from her as Aurea could only shake her head in defeat. She couldn't help her. Neither of them could.

"You know them?" asked Lorena.

"I thought I did." muttered Tara, causing Aurea's heart to break as Tara stared hard into her eyes.

"Why is she here?" asked Aurea.

"Yes, why is she here?" asked Russell, his own confusion evident to his face.

Aurea watched Tara's face as the unknown vampire that Aurea would come to learn as Franklin dominated his ownership over her. Tara was in deep shit, and Aurea was at a loss at how she could help her. She caught eyes with Bill who silently shook his head no and whatever possible escape plan she could come up with. Tara was on her own…. For now.

Aurea went to turn to go back to her room to wash up when Tara's trembling words caught her deep. Russell and Franklin retired to the study leaving everyone to do what they wanted.

"What is wrong with you!" cried Tara. "Help me!"

Aurea and Bill could feel the eyes of everyone look to them, judging, calculating, observing what they would do. Bill replied with a simple 'No' before turning and walking upstairs, followed longingly by Lorena. Aurea paused a moment longer before quietly turning and ascending the stairs, Tara's whimpers breaking down her barriers one at a time.

She was half way up the stairs, the hem of her dress in hand as soft words floated into her ear. She wasn't focused, wasn't working to keep her barriers up, especially now with Tara sitting as a dinner ensemble.

"Bill Compton is lying to me."

She froze midway on the stairs; the drawl being recognized as Russell. Her eyes quickly did a once over of the foyer to see if anyone was loitering around. Noticing silence everywhere else, save for the terrified girl in the dining room, Aurea crouched down on the stairs, opening her mind and her ears to see if she could find anything else.

"She's already escaped us once, this barmaid."

The next words making her blood run colder once more.

"Maybe I should send you back to Bon Temps, to acquire Sookie Stackhouse."

Then even worse….

"I don't have to go anywhere…. She's in Jackson."

Aurea grabbed the hem of her dress and helped herself up by grabbing the railing. She cleared the top of the landing as she heard the doors to the study open, Russell still chuckling to himself at his luck. She walked quickly through the hall, glancing behind her to make sure the hall was still clear. She saddled up to Bill's door and slipped in quietly, her eyes ghosting the hall one last time before closing the door with a soft click.

"This is now twice I've found you in my rooms." stated Bill. "To what do I owe the pleasure this time?"

She turned to see Bill lounging against his headboard, his face clean of their dinner consumed earlier this evening. She suddenly felt herself less than at that moment, only imagining what her own face looked like. She cleared her throat and licked her lips, the spicy tang of the stripper's blood still present.

"I didn't mean to barge in, but I felt it necessary." she said, stepping closer to the end of his bed, her hands wringing together in anxiousness. "Russell's found information on Sookie."

"No doubt the information I've fed to him."

"No Bill, he…. Franklin, that psycho downstairs, he found whatever you had been hiding about Sookie." she whispered. "They know."

"Know what!"

During her muddled speech, Bill had become ridged, paler than he was naturally. He stood slowly and meandered his way to her before grabbing her by the arms, his grip threatening to break her bones.

"I don't know!" she cried, her bones creaking with the force of his grip. "Something…. something about a dossier. I heard him mention Sophie-Anne, too. Please…. Bill- "

Bill focused his gaze back to her face, her eyes welling with blood as he became aware of the force he was gripping her with. He quickly let go and stepped back, his gaze looking to his hands in distain as he took another step back.

"'I am sorry," he whispered, pain in his voice at hurting her. "It was not my intention to hurt you."

"I know." she whispered, her own hands attempting to rub the pain away. "I wish I knew more, Bill. I'm sorry."

"You've done me a great service, tonight." whispered Bill, taking a calculated step towards her. "Thank you, again."

"I just wanted you prepared. I don't know everything that's going on, especially with you and Russell, but Sookie is innocent in this. And considering what we both know about her…. Well- "

"I fully understand."

Aurea met his eyes as they both slowly nodded in understanding. They both understood Russell was the enemy, and with whatever Franklin had found on Sookie, no one and nothing could be trusted. They would have to be careful in order to service both of their agendas.

"You should go and get cleaned up." mentioned Bill, gesturing to her face.

All she could do was laugh as she nodded her head in agreement before turning towards the door. Bill reached around her and opened the door for her, his hand sizzling as the silver met skin. She smiled thankfully to him as she stepped out of his room.

Bill closed the door behind her, leaving the hallway silent as she trudged her way to her own room. She sighed a deep relief as she stepped into her own private solace, the silence of the upstairs deafening. She tasted the blood still dried to her lips and figured a nice hot shower would do her and her mind well.


A quick short filler and a new chapter to make up for time!