AN: Ugh! I love that you guys are enjoying this. Here's the newest chapter up much earlier than I'd planned. Not gonna lie, doin' it cause I love the comments. lol. I like this chapter a lot, too. Anyway, let me know what you guys think, and, as always, enjoy!

Chapter 6

Season 2, Ep. 3

Scratches

Maria had been "punished" for a week before she received a phone call from Northman telling her to return to Fangtasia. She hadn't seen or spoken to him since she cut open his face. Maria was still angry about that. She hadn't had a nightmare in years, seen that creature's face in so long that she thought he'd vanished, but no. She blamed the stress Northman put her under. Because of the vampire, she hadn't been able to keep him out of her head.

It was nearly midnight when Maria entered Fangtasia. The club was in full swing. There was loud music and people everywhere, but she saw neither Pam nor Northman. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, already annoyed that she'd been "summoned" only to find them gone.

After weaving through the crowd, she pushed open the Employees Only door and headed for the office. The smell hit her first, the smell of blood, sweat, and filth. It curled her nose. She didn't know what the source was until she opened the door and found Pam and Chow standing over a man, bloodied, laying on the couch.

"What are you doin' here?" Pam asked.

"I don't know." Maria replied. "He told me to come to Fangtasia, so, I'm here."

"How very loyal of you." She sneered. Pam always derived a strange sort of sick pleasure with Maria's circumstance. But she didn't care. Maria viewed Pam as a benign being, at least towards her. Pam wasn't interested in Maria beyond the taunts, so Maria remained uninterested in Pam.

Northman finally arrived roughly an hour and a half after Maria, casually strolling in while he flipped through his mail. Maria eyed him curiously. It'd only been a week, but apparently Northman went through a makeover. His ashen-blonde hair was cut much shorter. It suited his face and let it be on display. He was handsome with the long hair, but Maria thought the shorter style suited him better.

"Sorry you had to wait so long."

He spoke to the room, though Maria had the distinct impression he was speaking only to Pam and Chow. When he walked right by her, he didn't bother lifting his head to acknowledge her, but he did address her.

"Girl," he said as he stepped behind his desk. "I need you to grab whatever cleaning supplies you used in the club and go down to the basement." He finally met her gaze. "Clean it up. The smell is growing offensive, even up here. We have clientele to think of."

Maria said nothing, but offered him a small nod while containing the urge to protest. As she left, he spoke once again.

"Oh, and take the body to the nearest swamp. I'm sure the gators will make quick work of it."

She paused and turned on her heel. Maria arched a brow. "Body?"

"Well," A smirk twisted his lips, "Parts of one, at least." Then he added, playfully, "I know you're not squeamish."

Maria rolled her eyes as she exited the office in search of everything she used to clean up Anthony and his men the night she was released from her box.

It took nearly twenty minutes for her to find everything she could possibly need. Maria had no intentions of making multiple trips because she forgot something, so with a bucket, ammonia, bleach, a broom, and a number of trash bags, she trudged downstairs.

The smell was much worse than it'd been on the main floor. Blood, shit, piss, and vomit met her nose. It was overpowering and enough to make her physically gag. It nearly took Maria off her feet, to the point she had to double over just to steady her head. She hadn't even made it to the ground floor, either, still stuck halfway down the stairs.

When her head finally began to clear and she was no longer dizzy, Maria proceeded. Sure enough, the first thing that her eyes landed on was a litany of body parts.

"Shit," she sighed to herself.

Thankfully, in the far back corner was a water hose and drains that led to the sewers that were scattered throughout the floor plan. Maria assumed it made cleaning up blood much easier, and she was grateful for them. Hosing down the concrete would make things move faster than before. But, first things first. She had to pick up the body.

When Maria was halfway through the process of cleaning the basement, Chow appeared with the young man she'd seen before. Maria stopped scrubbing the soapy, chemically saturated floor with the broom and waited. Chow walked right through what she'd been doing as she expected he might, shackled the young man to the twisted wheel of spikes, and then retreated upstairs once again. When he was gone, she returned to cleaning.

"You a vampire, or a human?" His low, heavy voice asked.

Maria looked up to see him leaning against a pillar, his eyes half-mast and his heart beating softly. He looked terrible, beyond the gunshot wound in his leg.

"I'm not a vampire." She replied.

"Then why you workin' for 'em?"

"I don't." She said as she used the broom's bristles to work some dried blood out of the porous concrete. "Work implies I'm being paid. I'm here because I don't have a choice."

"You make it sound like you's a slave or somethin'." He said dismissively.

"I am." Maria replied. When the last bit of blood was loose, she set the broom aside and retrieved the hose. As she did, she caught a glimpse of him eying it. It suddenly donned on her that he probably wasn't being given water. While Maria didn't like many people and any part of her heart that once did had withered, she approached him. "Here,"

He snatched the hose away and sprayed the nozzle, letting loose a torrent of water which he greedily drank. Maria stood back and let him get his fill. She hoped he wouldn't make himself sick, but she wasn't going to stop him, either. A few minutes later, panting heavily and soaked in water, he gave it back.

"Thanks," He mumbled.

"You're welcome." Maria opened the nozzle again and began to rinse off the floor.

"So, whatch you mean you's a slave?" He asked a few minutes later.

"What I said." She answered him absently. Maria just wanted to finish cleaning so she could do anything else. The longer she was forced to be around the captive, the more she knew she'd care that he was there, and there was nothing she could do about it. "I was sold to Northman to settle someone's debt."

"And you ain't never thought of escapin'?"

She heard the disbelief in his voice and understood it. It still made her a little touchy, though.

"To what point?" She asked a little meanly as she turned to face him again. "He made me drink his blood. He can find me anywhere now, and if I do run, he'll either kill me, or toss me back in that thing." She pointed to the steel box which was still pushed in the corner near the stairs, waiting for her. "I just want to do my time and get the hell out of this backwater state."

"So, which is it then? You a prisoner, or a slave?"

"Doesn't matter what name you put on it. I'm not going anywhere for a while."

He didn't speak again after that, allowing Maria to finish cleaning the floor.

When she was done, Maria piled her things back into the bucket and set it on the landing of the stairs before retrieving the trash bags with the body parts in them. As she put her shoe on the bottom step, she paused. Maria turned around to look back at the young man, who was looking at her, too.

"I'm sorry you're here." She told him with all sincerity.

"Yeah, me too." He replied. "Lafayette."

A small, little smile tugged at the corner of her lips briefly. "Maria."

He gave her a nod, and that was the end. Maria ascended the stairs again, grabbing her supplies on the way leaving Lafayette in the basement alone.

Maria returned perhaps an hour before the sun was set to rise. She didn't have a car of her own, Pam and Northman most likely didn't have one either, at least not one they offered, so it took longer than she would have liked. Thankfully, though, Northman did glamour the cab driver to do everything Maria asked and not to notice the bags she threw into the trunk, or where they were going.

After paying the cabby, Maria made her way toward the front door, but before she could reach the handle, she heard an ear-piercing scream come from the other side. Maria wondered briefly if the vampires were torturing someone inside given Fangtasia was closed and they'd have the privacy. She wanted to turn around and just leave, but part of her knew there was no point. Why bother?

She headed inside and was immediately presented with a strange scene. A very tiny woman in scrubs was digging her fingers into the back of a blonde young woman, who some dark-haired man was holding down on a leather-covered bench. She screamed and whimpered and trembled as the three massive wounds on her back were cleaned. It made Maria queasy, as did the acrid stench in the air.

Maria needed to excuse herself from the room, but since she knew none of the people standing before her, she simply walked past them and into the back. She found Northman in his office still sitting behind his desk as though the strangeness wasn't happening a few yards away.

"Yes?" he asked when he saw her.

"It's done." She replied. "Every piece, gone."

He grinned. "Good. Glad to see you can still follow orders."

"Hm," She mumbled. "Do you need me for anything else, or can I go to bed for the day?"

His gaze raked over her as it usually did when he was hungry. She'd grown accustomed to the way his demeanor changed just before he fed, so she knew what he planned without having to ask.

She waited for him to reply, to confirm her suspicions and stand, but what he did actually turned her stomach. Northman pushed himself back in his chair, away from his desk, and still wearing his smirk, patted his knee. Maria's brows furrowed in mild disgust as she looked at the Viking.

"Are you serious?" she asked plainly.

He chuckled. "You still don't like me, do you?"

"I'm confused as to why you think I would."

"You have more freedoms now than you did with Anthony, don't you?" Either he didn't bother removing the condescension from his tone, or it was simply the natural way he spoke. Maria couldn't be sure.

"I do," She nodded. "Which is great, until, for some reason, you think you have to reestablish that you're the one in charge whether it's violence, threats, grounding me, or humiliating me. I'm aware of the situation. I know what's going on and why I'm here. You don't have to be a prick just for the sake of reminding me. Jesus, I wish you'd just pick a lane. Either be a dick, or decent, because you bouncing between the two is driving me insane."

Northman didn't speak for a moment. Maria wondered briefly if he was absorbing what she'd said to him, but when he finally opened his mouth, she realized how little he actually heard.

"You didn't answer my question."

She sighed in exasperation. "No. I don't like you."

He didn't seem surprised. She didn't expect him to be.

"Mr. Northman," The frail female voice caused both of them to turn toward the sound.

"Come with me." Northman said as he stood. Maria followed him out of the office and back into the club.

"Who is this?" The dark-haired vampire asked with a heavy southern drawl.

"Girl, Bill Compton. Bill, Girl." Northman replied briskly.

Bill gave Maria an uneasy nod.

"You can give her blood now." The little woman said. "Her body should accept it."

For a brief moment, Northman and Bill squabbled over who should give the blonde girl their blood. It caused Maria to roll her eyes.

"I'll be expecting payment by the end of the week." The little woman said as she walked by.

"A pleasure as always, Dr. Ludwig." Northman said.

"Fuck off!" She shouted back over her shoulder.

Maria smirked to herself, something Northman noticed. He cocked a brow, but she only shrugged.

Pam and Chow emerged a moment later. Pam's wardrobe was torn, there were leaves in her hair, and her feet were covered with mud. Together, they relayed information back to their boss before being dismissed with further instructions.

"I'm not leaving her alone." Bill told Northman.

"Longshadow kept a coffin in back. He used to feed before sleeping, so it might be messy, but you're welcomed to it." Northman replied. Bill gave him a nod of thanks before the blonde turned to Maria. "Dress her in something and keep an eye on her until Ginger gets here. When Ginger's here, I need you to reorganize the stock room. Then you can go home and get some sleep."

"Fine," She replied.

He flashed her a small smile, one that, for some reason, said to her, see, I'm a nice guy. She wondered if he thought he accomplished something by giving her the option to sleep when she was finished working.

Northman led Bill into the back where the coffins rested. When they were gone, Maria retrieved one of the Fantasia shirts they sold. She moved to the blonde's side and began to help the unconscious young woman into it, but something felt wrong.

Maria stopped immediately and took a step back. She eyed the unconscious blonde. She wasn't right. There was something off about the stranger, something Maria couldn't pinpoint.

She slowly approached the sleeping woman and knelt by her side. Maria leaned forward and, rather awkwardly she would admit, sniffed her. Maria immediately shot away, hissing like a feral animal while she crouched low on all fours. Phantom hackles raised on the back of her neck as she stared angrily at the woman on the bench. The smell of her sent every nerve in Maria's body on end, triggering some deep need to defend herself, and she didn't know why. It wasn't completely human, that was all she could discern, and whatever was mixed in there was something Maria definitely didn't like.

Maria remained low to the ground, ready to pounce if the need arose, but it never did. The blonde never did anything but breathe.

Apprehensively, Maria stood once again. She returned to the stranger's side and quickly dressed her in the shirt she'd initially meant to. The moment she was finished, however, she put as much distance between them as she could. Maria didn't feel even remotely safe until she was on the other side of the bar.

And there she remained, sitting in one of the chairs by a table, staring at the stranger.

By nine AM Ginger arrived, which gave Maria the chance to rearrange the stock room. The job was easy and took little more than an hour. It had gone to shit since the last time she'd organized it. For some reason, True Blood and beer were randomly thrown around the cooler portion, and the kegs had yet to be put in it. She assumed it was Ginger's doing. Maria didn't blame her, especially since the vampires had her doing just about everything, but it did annoy her. Ginger, while nice, was scatter-brained as hell.

As Maria lifted the final keg with every intention of putting it in the cooler, she heard Ginger scream. The woman had a very distinct scream.

A trickle of shock moved up her spine and as a result, Maria ran to the main portion of the club. When she burst through the door, she was immediately presented with the once-unconscious blonde holding Ginger at gunpoint. Maria was instantly defensive.

"Who the hell are you?" The blonde demanded.

Maria didn't reply. Instead, she lowered her head, and positioned herself for a fight. She already didn't like the stranger, and the fact that she was now holding a gun made Maria even more desperate for a fight.

"Take me to the basement!" The blonde said.

Maria felt the animal inside her scratching to get out, viciously trying to lunge for the blonde, and it made her react instinctively. For whatever reason, Maria opened her mouth and let loose a terrible sound. A shrieking roar, not unlike a cougar, burst from her with sudden intensity. It echoed off the walls, and enveloped them all in the horrifying sound.

Ginger screamed again in response, and the blonde with the gun cried out. Her finger flexed against the trigger. The boom was deafening.

For a moment, no one moved. Maria felt the heat of it, the unrivaled burn of the lead that had passed through her body, before the warmth of the blood followed. Ginger and the blonde stared at her with wide eyes, drawing Maria's gaze down. The singed edges of a hole burned through the top of her left breast were slowly but surely being choked out by blood. Almost the same instant, Maria felt the liquid pouring into her lung.

"Oh my god," The blonde mumbled in shock.

Maria looked up at her. The shock of what happened gradually turned to anger.

"You shot me." Maria said.

"I'm… I'm sorry."

But her apology meant nothing. Maria scowled hatefully.

"You fucking shot me!"

She lunged for the stranger with every intention of killing her. The blonde screamed. Maria was ready to wrap her hands around the woman's neck and strangle the life out of her, but she was never given the chance. Just before she would have, Bill swooped in and snatched the blonde away, while a thick arm of pure muscle caught Maria by her midsection, pinning her against an even stronger chest.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Maria yelled as she struggled against her capture.

Bill stood protectively in front of the blonde, glaring angrily at Maria with his fangs bared, but she didn't care.

"Enough!" Northman's voice was loud and powerful. Maria felt it vibrate in her back, so she knew immediately that he was the one who'd caught her. "What's going on here?"

"This bitch shot me." Maria spat.

The tension around her loosened until she was allowed to stand on her own. She shoved Northman away as though it would accomplish anything, and stepped back from everyone, though her eyes never left the blonde.

"Sookie," Bill said to her, "Is this true?"

"I… I didn't mean to." She stammered.

"Didn't mean to?" Maria was furious. "Look at this!" She pointed to her chest. "It's almost dead center. I'm going to rip your throat out with my teeth!"

She leapt forward again, but as before, Northman stopped her. Like a vicious animal, she fought against him making noises similar to the roar that caused the initial shot. Bill, Ginger, and the one called Sookie all stared at her in shock, but she didn't care. She was beyond that.

"Stop it," Northman said. "Let me see."

He released her again, but Maria couldn't sit still. She was so filled with energy that she began to pace like a wild animal in a zoo. And her eyes never left Sookie, still brimming with hatred.

"Well," Northman said. "The bullet seems to have gone all the way through." She knew what he meant. She could feel the warmth of the blood on her back, too. "How are you still alive?"

The question was one everyone seemed to want to know the answer to, but Maria wasn't in the mood to explain. The truth was, she was too filled with adrenaline to bother.

"Fuck this." She snapped. "I'm going home."

And with that, she turned on her heel, spouting a number of choice words under her breath in Russian.

By the time she made it home, running the whole way, Maria was exhausted. More than once on the journey she'd coughed up the blood in her lung, but she didn't stop. Once at Northman's she immediately went into the bathroom.

The trail of blood had reached the hem of her shirt before it stopped, ruining it completely. She scowled. Maria didn't have much in the ways of a wardrobe, and the fact that a shirt was destined for the trash just made her even angrier.

She peeled off the garment and looked at her chest. The wound was still visible, but healing. She still had a circular puncture mark just above her left breast, but it looked like a week-old bullet wound -pink and enflamed, but no longer bleeding. In an hour, it'd be gone completely as though it never happened, but that didn't matter to her. Maria had been right about Sookie. From the moment she smelled her, Maria knew the blonde was trouble, that she was dangerous. The fact that Sookie shot her only confirmed it.

Fuck Sookie, and whatever she was, because she definitely wasn't human.