AN: Hey guys! This one is pretty damn long because I wanted to wrap up season 6, and I almost did. Anyway, let me know what you think and please, enjoy!

Chapter 32

Maria abused her freedom. Besides, she didn't want to be near Sookie or whoever the hell her vampire date was. Jesus, the moment he stepped foot through the door, the scent of fay became overwhelming so Maria, who'd decided to soak in a bath, dumped almost the entire bottle of Sookie's apple shampoo into the bathwater –anything to drown out the stench.

There was a tablespoon, perhaps a little less, left in the bottle. That was plenty for the blond to wash her hair, as far as Maria was concerned. But, oh dear. There was too much conditioner left. Smiling to herself, Maria repeated the petty action with the conditioner, smiling as she did. It was childish, but she didn't care. Maria would take whatever small victories she could.

A fight broke out downstairs at some point, an argument that Maria paid passing attention to.

"All you vampires tell me you love me, but it's bullshit. All you wanna do is fuck me, own me, and use my blood."

She rolled her eyes and went back to lazily swishing the bubbles around in her water. The front door burst open.

"Oh great. Are you here to save me, too?"

"No, I'm here for him." King Bill said.

That was when Maria tuned out. She couldn't care less about vampire drama. A few minutes later, she heard Sookie charge upstairs, grumbling and muttering angry words as she did. They made Maria smile to herself.

Eventually, she'd get out of the bathtub and go to bed. She wished she had her phone, but what would be the point? She only knew two people. It wasn't as though she could ask either of them for help. Eric was useless when it came to his blonde little sweetheart. He'd probably take her side over Maria's, which sent a pang racing through her heart.

And Pam? Well, wonderfully violent Pam would happily kill Sookie just for the chance. It wouldn't even be a favor, really. It'd be almost like giving Pam permission to do something she already wanted to do, so she knew the giantess would. But the downside was Maria had been commanded to protect Sookie from vampires. Maria didn't know anyone else.

So, honestly, she was shit out of luck. For now, at least.

Eric sat on one of the cold, unforgiving benches within the vampire compound. He felt the sun had already risen, and a trickle of blood was attempting to make its way out of his ears, but he wasn't as willing as the others had been to slide into one of the morgue coolers –the drawers- that had been given to them as bunks. He couldn't tell if it was paranoia or not, but something told Eric that the governor and his men weren't above killing a vampire while they slept. Silver spikes? Wooden stakes? Perhaps filling the chamber with colloidal silver-laced air? Maybe there were even ultra violet lights hidden within, meant to turn on in random intervals?

Either way, he wasn't in the mood to leave himself so vulnerable.

As he sat on the bench, alone for the first time in a while, Eric again found himself thinking. It wasn't uncommon, really. His mind was never silent, always a mix of jumbled things that needed to be sorted. Part of him missed the days when his largest worry was something to do with Fangtasia.

Fangtasia… he wondered what had happened to it now that he and Pam were gone. Some undead vulture had probably swept in and claimed it for themselves. He wouldn't be surprised.

Eric could feel Pam was close. It was a nagging little feeling on the back of his neck, a sensation that he couldn't completely express. She was safe for the moment, but there was no way to know when that would change, and that frightened him. Despite being released, Pam was and forever would be his child. And he loved her. He always would.

The knowledge that she could take care of herself was comforting in a fleeting way. Just because he knew she was able didn't mean he didn't worry like every other parent in the world. It made him glad he only had one prog-

Oh, Willa… right, he thought to himself, but it passed relatively quickly. If anyone would be safe from the governor, surely it was his own daughter.

The trickle of blood that left his ears had made it to his long and slender neck. He could feel it inching its way down, further and further until it could join the collar of his shirt. His nose was bleeding as well. He felt the cold wetness on his upper lip. If he opened his mouth even a little he'd be able to taste it, too.

He needed rest. He needed sleep. He needed-

Maria.

Her name flashed in his head and bubbled in his throat without warning. One moment he'd been entirely free of the Russian monarch. The next he was milliseconds from speaking her name out loud for no other reason than she'd crossed his mind.

Eric reached out without hands and searched for her. His eyes drifted shut and his breathing stopped entirely. There, in the distance somewhere, he felt Maria. She was still boiling with anger, but it wasn't the regular sort. It was a deep anger, a roiling, churning, burning sort of anger that threatened to consume someone who was lesser than. It was the sort of anger that he had felt for so many years in his long life that they had become the deepest of friends. And when he saw that familiar face glinting in someone else's eye, he knew they were kindred.

He'd seen it in Maria when he opened the box. Saw it in her when she looked at him for months after. He'd seen it when she was near Sookie, or Russell Edgington, or anyone she considered lesser than.

Eric's mind flashed with images of Maria, brief snippets of the last couple of years. Had it really been that long? Or, had it been that short, rather. So many life-changing events had rocked Eric since Maria had joined his side that it felt as though they'd known one another for centuries. But that wasn't true, of course. He might have met her when she was just a little girl, but that hardly lent itself to anything more.

He remembered seeing her for the first time, those fiery-green eyes glaring at him from within the coffin. He remembered seeing her clean for the first time as well, gliding into Fangtasia as though she belonged. Eric remembered every glint of defiance, aggravation, disinterest, and pride that crossed her face. He remembered her fear, and the fear he felt when he thought she'd die –more than once.

Eric's eyes slowly opened and even though he was presented with the sterile common room of his cell block, he could still see Maria –every roll of the eyes, every passionate moment, and every detail of her disappointment with him at the Moon Goddess.

"Hey!"

Eric's gaze drifted upward, but his body remained motionless. One of the guards had called down to him, clad in black with an angry weapon clutched to his chest.

"Get in a bed, vamper." He said hatefully. "You're bleedin' all over the fuckin' floor."

Eric said nothing and after a brief stare-down, the guard walked on. The Viking's gaze lingered on him for only a moment longer before it fell once again to the floor.

He'd find Pam and anyone else he deemed even remotely worth saving, kill everyone inside, burn the building to the ground, and then return to Shreveport. He'd retrieve Maria, and everything would go back to the way it'd been before the witches, before the AVL and before the governor.

Everything would go back to the way it was before Sookie returned, back to when everything was better –happier.

Eric rose. His long legs carried him to the chamber that had been assigned to him. He jerked open the door and slid inside. Maybe they would kill him in his sleep. Maybe not.

Maria was at the Stackhouse… house.

What an awkward phrase…

She was sat on the couch in the living room waiting for Sookie to return from whatever it was she'd gone to do. The blonde commanded her to remain at the house and Maria was both relieved, and angry that it worked. While she was glad she didn't have to follow the fairy everywhere, at the moment, she was stuck sitting in the house unable to move a single muscle beyond breathing.

That had been an interesting moment.

"Just… stay here." Sookie said as she tugged her jacket into place.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," She snapped back in the same annoyed voice. "I don't really feel like tryin' to explain to people why yer followin' me. So, just…" Her eyes danced around briefly. "Just sit on the couch there."

Because she had no choice, Maria did as she was told and took her seat on the couch. In the foyer, Sookie grabbed her purse. She looked back at Maria and something seemed to cross her mind in that moment.

"And don't go through my stuff while I'm gone. And don't trash my house." She said before an even better thought came to her. "Matter of fact, don't even move, okay? Not a single muscle."

In an instant Maria's entire body went stiff and, to her horror, everything stopped. While her heart kept beating because she had no control over that, Maria genuinely stopped breathing. She consciously held her breath because she could, and Sookie had told her not to move a muscle.

Panic coursed through Maria when she realized what had happened. She couldn't call for help, she couldn't speak at all. Maria was entirely still, like a statue.

In her mind she screamed and cursed and repeated that she couldn't breathe. She cursed Sookie for telling her not to move a muscle and hated her even more for it.

It wasn't until Maria nearly passed out that Sookie poked her head back into the house and told her she could breathe. And with a rush of air and her choice to not die returned to her, Maria was left on the couch.

That was over an hour ago, and her patience was running thin.

But it didn't matter. What the hell was Maria going to do about it?

Perhaps another thirty minutes later, maybe more, Sookie returned with a man Maria knew was familiar, but she couldn't place. She wasn't allowed to move a muscle beyond breathing, that meant she had to rely on her periphery, and it told her very little. It wasn't until he spoke that she realized she'd met him in the basement of Fangtasia.

"Maria?" He said as he approached. She wished she could even glance in his direction, but she couldn't. That would have meant moving her eyes. "The fuck you's doin' here?"

He came into view, eying her with uncertainty, but he wasn't given the chance to linger.

"Don't worry about her." Sookie said when she swept in and grabbed him by the arm. "Ignore her."

"The fuck you doin' with Eric Northman's woman in your house, Sook?" He asked with a stern edge to his voice as he was guided toward the kitchen.

"She's not his woman." Sookie sounded a little offended, which Maria actually enjoyed.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I know for a damn fact she don't belong here."

"It's fine."

"The hell is it."

She heard Sookie grumbled incoherently under her breath before she charged into the living room.

"Go into the cubby." She told Maria. "You can leave the door cracked, but stay down there, okay? Don't make a sound."

Maria rose to her feet and shot Sookie a glare that caused the young woman to fidget. Good. That meant she'd put enough rage into it.

As she'd been commanded, yet again, Maria stepped into the cubby and descended the ladder, making sure the door was partially cracked as she did so she'd continue to be able to breathe.

Three days ago, Maria heard Sookie taken by Lafayette. Three days ago, Maria had been ordered to remain in the cubby. Three days ago was the last time Maria had food or water.

Eric fled Bill's mansion that night, wearing his sister on his body. Her blood had seeped through his prison blues –soaked through it more like- and had touched his skin. He could feel it hardening, crusting as it dried on him.

He was a flurry of emotion and all of them negative. Without something to steady him, without something to anchor the vampire while he was tossed around within the tempest, he would lose control. Eric would seek out his revenge, and faster than most.

And he knew who to run to. He knew who would help him stay even remotely calm. It wasn't Pam. No, Pam was good at a great many things, she excelled really, but kind and comforting weren't on that list. They were four letter words to Pamela Swynford de Beaufort and he loved her for it, but right now he needed someone who wouldn't judge him for the tears on his face. He needed someone who knew how to calm him.

Eric skidded to a stop on the partially dirt driveway. The house loomed in front of him, a stark white building with few adornments. He hadn't seen it in the weeks since Sookie had returned, not after his memories came back at least and he turned away from Maria. Not a lot had changed, but the jasmine Maria had planted and guided up the trellises she'd installed around her porch was in bloom.

He found their smell offensive. Maria liked it.

He searched the dark windows and saw not a single sign of life, but that didn't stop him from walking onto the porch. Eric reached forward to knock and nearly made contact with the door itself. There was no need to knock, however. The door was already opened.

The tip of his finger pressed gently against the worn wood and guided it open. The hinges squeaked, and the sound echoed in the house, as did the small clack of the door hitting the wall. Eric peered inside.

Nothing.

He took a step forward and was immediately barred entrance. He scowled, tried once more, and then remembered. Maria had rescinded her invitation after Moon Goddess.

The muscles in his jaw tightened as he bit down. Without an invitation, he couldn't pass through the door, no matter how hard he tried.

Even though he heard nothing inside, Eric walked around the exterior. Her porch was so long that it stretched from one end of the house to the other, and with the many windows, he could see inside. What he saw genuinely caused his heart to crack ever-so-slightly. Boxes. There were boxes everywhere, and packing tape, and packing paper, bubble wrap, and even more boxes that hadn't been unfolded and packed.

She was moving. She was leaving Shreveport, probably Louisiana, and most importantly, she was leaving him.

Eric backed away from the house. This was unacceptable. No matter what had happened between them, she didn't have the right to simply leave.

Another fresh wave of anger swept through him. Fucking Bill. The Fucking Governor. Fucking concentration camps and vampire testing. Fucking Hep-V.

It all had to go, and he knew exactly what he had to do.

Eric leapt into the air and immediately flew toward Bon Temp.

Sookie emerged from the shower, wrapped in the warmth of her robe, and went downstairs. The bottle of whiskey she had in the kitchen never looked so sweet.

The first shot burned a little, but the second less so. She knew that the more she drank, the better she would feel.

When did life become so fucking complicated? Her biggest worry used to be bills, keeping Jason in line, and making sure she got to work on time. Now she had Warlow pledging his undying love for her, King Billith demanding everything from her, a thrope that wanted to kill her, and a thousand other life threatening issues.

She never thought she'd long for the day when the gas bill was her biggest worry.

Sookie took her third shot and directed her gaze through the entryway of the kitchen and into the living room. I forgot about Maria she thought to herself. It'd been three days since Lafayette had kidnapped her while he was possessed by her father, and all that time Maria had been tucked away in the cubby.

I wonder if she finally died? She thought.

Sookie casually rose to her feet and moved through the house until she made it to the cubby door. It was still barely cracked. She opened it and went down the ladder.

Maria was lying on the bed where Eric once slept. What's Eric's woman doin' here? Sookie arched an annoyed, angry brow at the thrope. Lafayette was wrong. Maria wasn't Eric's woman. She was, or at least, she knew she could be. All she had to do was look up at the Viking, flash her blue eyes, and tell him everything he wanted to hear.

Maybe she still would? After all, it'd be kind of nice to see the look on Maria's face when Eric came back to Sookie's side. It was already a pleasant memory for her whenever Eric didn't have his memories. The way he treated Sookie in front of Maria made the blonde smile, especially after the bitch left her to die.

Sookie's head tilted marginally to the side as she looked over the woman on the bed. Maria was on her back, her eyes were closed, but it was clear she wasn't doing very well. Her skin was pale, sickly almost. Her cheeks were a little sunken, her hair not as shiny, and it actually looked like she'd lost a couple of pounds over three days. Maybe she had? Maybe thropes had super high metabolisms? She didn't know, but it wouldn't really surprise her. Either way, Sookie knew she needed to eat and that she was probably dangerously dehydrated.

Maria finally stirred at least a minute or two after Sookie arrived. The blonde was surprised it took her so long to realize she wasn't alone, especially if she stunk as bad as Maria said. Maybe that was just further proof that she was ill.

Maria's eyes opened and the green wasn't nearly as vibrant as before. Sookie stared back blankly. She could hear the thrope's angry thoughts, the things she wanted to do to the fairy, and a whole bunch more said in a language Sookie didn't know. It sounded like Russian. That made sense.

"You probably need food, huh?" She asked without a single note of caring. "And water? Probably the bathroom, too."

Sookie's mind filled with Maria's sarcastic reply. The blonde cocked a single brow again. She had the power in this situation. No matter how angry Maria was, no matter how viciously she wanted to rip Sookie apart, she couldn't. She couldn't lay a single finger on the fairy, and that brought a smile to Sookie's face.

She wanted to test it, or maybe just flex her power a bit.

"Go upstairs." She said. "You can have a piece of bread, one glass of water, and you get ten minutes in the bathroom. I suggest you take a shower."

And with that, Sookie crawled back up the ladder. She felt Maria behind her, but had no fear of what the thrope would do.

It was wrong to treat Maria like she was, she knew it, but Sookie didn't care. Finally, for once in her life, she felt strong. She felt like she had all the cards, and she intended to enjoy it as long as possible.

Time meant nothing. It passed without much notice from the young woman in the cubby. Maria was so tired. She drifted in and out of sleep more often than not because her body simply didn't have the energy to remain awake. It didn't much matter, either. What was she supposed to do? Sookie kept her locked away.

It might have been the size of the room, but Maria had traded one steel box for another. She missed Eric, and thought about him frequently now that she had the time.

He was a self-centered, egotistical prick, but he treated her better than most had in a long time. He was good to her, and even Maria was aware of how ridiculous that sounded given how they'd met.

And yet, even then, he wasn't that bad. To someone on the outside, sure, he would have seemed like an utter bastard, and he was, but honestly, what had he really done? He hadn't hurt her like others had. He hadn't starved her, or beaten her, or abused her in any way. He'd tried to frighten her, to gain her compliance through fear. Even when he had laid his hands on her, it was nothing she couldn't handle, nor was it even remotely close to his full strength. Maria knew the first moment he threw her through the air that he knew what she could withstand, and acted accordingly.

Then again, maybe she didn't see how he'd treated her as anything bad because she'd already met true evil. Nothing Northman could have done to her could have caused actual pain. At least… not physically.

The way he looked at Sookie hurt.

The way he clung to her side hurt.

The way he was willing to die for her hurt.

If the woman had been worth even an iota of that level of devotion, Maria knew it would be different. If Eric had been like that with Pam, for example, that would be one thing. But why the vapid, self-indulgent, whiny, manipulative fairy whore? Why did it have to be her?

The doors to the cubby opened and without warning, Maria was no longer alone. The smell of fairy was strong, so much stronger than it had been with Sookie, and it was coming closer. Maria leapt to her feet and backed away, her hand clamped firmly over her nose to keep it from burning. A second later, a young girl came into view. When she turned, she was stunned to see she wasn't alone.

"Oh, hi!" She chimed in an innocent voice.

Maria didn't know her, but there was no denying she was fay.

"Um, I'm Adilyn," She stepped forward with her hand extended toward Maria.

Maria stepped back and pressed herself further into the corner. This girl was stronger than Sookie, purer, and that was a bad thing.

"Fairy," Her voice was muffled through her hand.

Adilyn flinched and stepped back. "Yeah, how'd you know?" And then fear struck her and she recoiled, too. "Are you a vampire?"

"No," Maria dropped her hand and struggled to breathe through her mouth. She was beginning to shake. "Christ, you stink."

Adilyn flinched again, but this time her brows furrowed and she looked hurt. "I'm… I'm sorry."

Maria felt a surprising twinge of guilt at what she'd said. She'd hurt Adilyn's feelings and it shouldn't have mattered to her, but it did –at least in some small way. Still, it wasn't enough to make her relax.

"Sorry," Maria mumbled. She didn't entirely sound sympathetic. "It's just that my kind and fairies really don't get along."

Adilyn tried to nod strongly, but her shoulders slumped. Maria had the feeling that she was attempting to keep an adult face.

There was sudden ruckus upstairs, a fight of some kind that was going on. Maria felt phantom hackles rise. Her feet guided her to the entrance and Adilyn backed away. She thanked the fairy child internally for giving her a wide berth.

"What's happening up there?" Maria asked.

"Oh, um, that Warlow guy is here to take Sookie, or something." She replied. There was a small tremble in her voice. She was afraid and the scent of it was almost as sour as her fairy blood.

Maria had been told to keep out of sight, but her primary order had always been to protect Sookie from Warlow. So, she would. Quietly.

Before the fairy girl could say a word, Maria was up the ladder and in the house. She ducked into the shadows and away from the main fight that was happening in the foyer. Safely hidden behind the corner of a door, she heard the struggle and then everything went silent. Another rustle… the sound of a dragging body… a door opening… and someone falling down a shaft.

Maria looked around the corner and saw a man who reeked of vampire and fay slamming the door to the hutch closed. There was a flash of light and he turned to walk away.

Light on her feet, she followed him. She attempted to remove her jewelry out of habit until she realized that she'd left it at her house. She was a bit grateful it never made it to the Stackhouse place with her. Still, she did remove her gloves. They were the only pair she had.

The stranger stalked toward the stairs and no sooner than he had planted his foot on the bottom step did Maria act. She grabbed his shoulders, digging her fingernails into them until she felt bone, and then pulled. Warlow cried out in pain and before he could gather his bearings, Maria threw him through the front door. She followed.

The vampire hit the ground and rolled, but rebounded to his feet quickly. Maria was slower to approach. His fangs were bared as he hissed. She opened her mouth and let loose a vicious roar.

"Get out of my way." He told her threateningly.

"Trust me, I'd be more than happy to let you take her, but the bitch branded me." She said as she slowly descended the front steps. "I'm her pet now, and she told me to protect her. I have no choice."

He sneered. "Little Sookie Stackhouse found herself a thrope, did she? Hm. Well, this'll be fun."

Warlow threw himself at her, and Maria reacted.

The fight that broke out between the two was shades beyond violent. Warlow was desperate to get inside the house, and Maria had no choice but to meet that desperation just to keep him out.

He swung and slashed at her. She wove and ducked away. Her claws tore through his skin. Balls of energy sailed by her, missing her by centimeters at best. Blood filled the air, it caked beneath Maria's fingernails, and it stained his clothing, but still they fought.

"Enough!" He bellowed.

Warlow swung and managed to finally connect with her face. Maria was taken to the ground, hard. Her world spun and she knew the bones in her face were fractured. She was dazed.

"Goddamn animals." He growled.

Maria listened as his footsteps took him further and further from her. She heard the bottom step creak. There was a gunshot. A human yelled. Maria had to move.

Her dwindling focus landed on her hands. Covered in blood, vampire blood, she knew she had no choice. Maria sucked bits of Warlow from her digits. The side effects kicked in immediately.

Her eyes found focus on the vampire fay in an instant. Her body moved on its own, guided by instinct and rage. Somehow, she was on her feet. The distance between them was nothing. There was a flash of something –people, perhaps- and her teeth piercing into flesh. He screamed. She jerked her head and took him to the ground. His blood glided down her throat giving her even more strength.

Hands grabbed her shoulders. They gathered lumps of fur and skin and pulled. Maria was thrown through the air, but she landed on all fours. The vampire was bleeding heavily, favoring his side. Maria spat out the chunks of flesh she'd torn from his shoulder. Blue light gathered in his hands again.

Maria dug into the ground and threw herself at him. Her shoulder slammed into Warlow's chest. She felt bones shatter and crack from the force, heard his head hit the ground with a sickening thwack. Before he could rise again, her teeth found his throat.

It fit easily in her wide maw, engulfed with little effort. She clamped down hard. More blood. He screamed, but it was gurgled, and choked.

Maria bit and bit, chewed and chewed, until he burst. Suddenly, there was no vampire beneath her, only a patch of luminescent blood staining the dirt driveway.

She was breathing heavily as she backed away from the mass. She felt every nerve in her body vibrate, every cell come to life for the first time in days. Not even Eric's blood had this effect.

Maria threw her head back and let out a loud, triumphant roar that echoed through the trees, and over the hills. Half of Bon Temp probably heard her.

She shook and felt some of the blood still saturating the fur around her mouth whip up and spread across her face. Gradually, Maria noticed movement in the house. She looked up and saw a handful of people, most of whom she didn't recognize, standing just within the door or on the front porch. Maria made her way toward the house.

The two men, one she recognized as Jason, aimed their guns at her. They intended to shoot, she could tell. She felt her body shrink and her line of sight rise as she finished the journey on two feet, no longer on four legs. Jason instantly dropped his weapon.

"Holy shit… I know you." He said, but her focus was on Sookie only.

"Release me." She said as she drew even nearer.

"No," Sookie replied sternly. Her voice shook a little, but Maria couldn't tell if it was her or the situation that caused it.

"Release me." She growled.

"No," Sookie repeated.

Maria moved faster than the others could comprehend and soon had Sookie pinned to the house just to the right of the door. She was sure she didn't touch the fairy's skin with her bare hands. She never wanted to know the blonde that well.

"I said release me, now. I killed your Warlow, now given me back my life."

"No," Sookie said again.

"Hey! Let my fuckin' sister go, alright!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Maria could see Jason pointing his gun at her.

"Not until she releases me." Maria replied. "This bitch enslaved me."

She heard a small chorus of what, but it was Jason's response that surprised her the most.

"You branded her with your Light, Sook?"

Maria turned her attention on him and her glared deepened. It must have been frightening because he jumped. Her eye drifted back to Sookie.

"Re-"

"Stop talking." Sookie said with a level of cold calm. Maria complied. "Go clean yourself up, then get back in the cubby."

And as she had so many times before, Maria did as she was told.