Title: Dead Lost

Summery: Eric left a year ago, but now Sookie's being pulled back into his life. The initial mystery Sookie is asked to solved is over come simply, but now Eric wants to start over with Sookie, will they be able to get it together, or will the year apart and the changes that came with it drive them apart for good?

Pam/Sookie Friendship, Eric/Sookie eventually-like you had to guess.

Rated: M.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the words I write. The characters, themes and products most likely belong to someone else, except for any names/persons not mentioned in True Blood or the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

Summer Vacation is here! I'm so happy, enjoy chapter 8!

Waking up was not a fun joy, I could hear voices buzzing in the background, they seemed far away. But one female voice with a British accent rang loud and clear in my mind, and the worry that mind was feeling startled me.

Why could I hear Pam loud and clear but not the others? And then it occurred to me, I could hear Pam's thought. I jerked up right in the bed, staring across the room, willing Pam to be sitting close. But she wasn't even in the bedroom, at least not when I was sitting.

She ran in, a concerned look on her face, "are you hurt?" I shook my head, staring at Pam, "what is it then?" I stared harder at her, trying to get into her head. Her mind seemed to be blank again, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Nothing, I had a bad dream. How long have I been asleep?"

"15 hours. It's just a little after 6. Eric is at a meeting, he asked me to stick around and wait for you to wake. Are you hungry?" I shook my head no and told her I wanted to get dressed. She brought my luggage and then told me that we were leaving tomorrow at 6, so I got dressed and a little while later Pam and I went to the Café so I could eat.

We didn't do much of anything the rest of the day, and then we repeated the same routine the next night until I had to leave for the airport. I was happy Pam was going with me, because I still had issues with flying.

When we touched down in Monroe Pam already had a car waiting, after she found my bags she tossed them, and me, into the car and tore down the road, "are you okay?" she nodded stiffly, but I could the worry coming off of her. Something was bothering her. I closed my eyes and sighed.

And then I one word, or should I say name, hit my mind, Vera. The mind that spoke it was slightly British and definitely female. I looked over at the tense blonde beside me, "where is Vera?"

"I don't have a clue. She disappeared after the incident. She just up and left." She admitted, still keeping up the calm, indifferent appearance.

"You don't have to act like you don't care Pam. We are friends. And I can tell your worried about her."

"You said you couldn't read vampires." She growled at me.

"I can't." I snapped, "I just know you're worried. I am not stupid Pam. You've been stuck in your own mind for the past two days. Bryant came to tell you about the store and you waved him off like you didn't care."

"Just drop it Sookie." She snarled at me, and I did for a little bit, but I couldn't just drop it. I wanted to know what was wrong; she was my friend after all.

"Pam, what was Vera to you?" she slammed her foot down on the break, I jerked forward, the seatbelt didn't have time to lock up so I smacked my head yet again, "Pam!" I yelped, turning to look at her.

She was gripping the steering wheel hard, her eyes wide staring in front of her at someone in front of our car. The headlights illuminated a curly white blonde head of a woman crouched in the middle of the road, scared.

We both got out of the car and walked over to her. Three things you'd think I'd have learned by now, 1) when strange things appear in front of your car do not go investigate. 2) When you ignore number 1 and go investigate, don't touch them, or it. 3) When it turns to look at you, don't scream.

Sadly, I did the opposite of everything I had just listed, I gently touched the woman's shoulder and when she turned her cold stare on me I scream and jumped back. Then slowly my brain registered that the crazed woman was Alexsandra and she was scared, dirty and crying.

It took us a few minutes to coax her into the car, and then another hour to get to my house, which was surprisingly empty. I guess they had gone to Claude's. I found no note, but why would I expect one when they weren't even aware I was coming home?

Pam took Alexsandra upstairs and cleaned her up while I made up the couch for Alexsandra to sleep on and looked to see if we had any food left, since Claude usually neglected to do so.

We had enough food that I wouldn't have to shop for awhile; I glanced at the answering machine. The number 6 blinked on it, I hit play. I had four messages from Sam and two from Amelia. Sam kept asking me to call him and Amelia just said 'it's me' and hung up.

I was 9 o'clock, Sam would be at the bar, but I hoped not to busy. The phone only rang twice before he picked up, "Hey Sam, its Sookie. I just wanted to let you know I was back, and safe."

"Oh hey Cher." He greeted happily, "I'm glad you're back and safe. Did all go well?"

"Well, I guess that would depend on whose view you were asking about. I'll fill you in next time I'm at work. But let's just say it went." I smirked, rolling my eyes at what ideas were probably rolling through his head.

"Did you see him?"

"Yep." I replied, popping the 'p', I heard a yell upstairs, "sorry Sam, I have a guest I gotta go. Bye!" I hung up before he could say anything else and sprinted into the bathroom, Pam was being pinned to the wall by an unseen force and Alexsandra was sitting in my bathtub with completely white eyes, "what the heck I going on in here?"

Her head turned toward me and Pam dropped to the ground gracefully, "that witch bitch." Pam growled, rubbing her neck, "Look, I just wanted to get you cleaned up! There is no need for you to attack me."

"Pam, she's just freaked out. It's going to happen." I snapped, "You can't hold that against her. Why don't you go wait downstairs. I'll see if I can help her." Pam shrugged and walk out of the room.

"Alexsandra, are you okay?" I whispered. She looked up at me; her dirt covered face and matted white blonde hair mixed with her wide scared white eyes made her look like a child. What have I gotten myself into this time?

"Alexsandra, I'm going to turn the water on, but I need you to get out of the tub? Okay?" she nods and I offer her my hand, carefully pulling her out of the tub. I directed her to the toilet and had her sit on it while I let the tub fill up.

When it was done filling up I helped her out of her shirt and jeans, she said she'd rather be in her bra and panties, which I was honestly just fine with, and I helped her in the tub to clean up.

She began to calm down, her hair went from white blonde back to brown and so did her eyes. She said she was okay to finish cleaning up by herself so I went to find Pam. She was sitting in the living room on her phone talking to Eric.

"Look, you cannot blame her. She was confused, hurt and delirious. Maybe she didn't want to be connected to you because she hates you or maybe it's because she wants a second chance with you without blood being shared. Or hell maybe she's a lesbian now. Regardless of what it is, give her space." She growled into the phone. She made an annoyed noise and pulled the phone away from her ear.

A beep signaled that she had hung up, "How is she?"

"Cleaning up. She's back to normal. I'm not a lesbian Pam." I took a seat next to her on the couch, "to be honest I don't know why I didn't want his blood. I just didn't want to do it. Ya know?"

"I don't, actually. But I understand that you have you own pesky beliefs and reasons behind everything." Pam stretched out, her feet resting on my table, "anyways, Eric asked me to clarify what happened last night and the plan, to make sure you knew exactly what happened. Are you confused about anything?"

"Vera staked the Queen, right?" I had assumed she had, but I'd been so dizzy and out of it that I wasn't really sure.

"Yes." Pam blinked a few times, "and you are clear Eric had nothing to do with you being there helping? The Queen called me after she had gone missing and demanded I retrieve you. She claimed that it was because I knew you."

Pam waved her hand dismissively in the air like she didn't care, "Why are you sad?"

I blinked at Pam in surprise, "what? I'm not sad. If anyone is sad it's you." Pam glared at me out of the corner of her eye and turned to the TV, it was off, but I could see that the screen was crackling, flickers of white danced across it.

"What the hell." We whispered together, leaning forward. The TV crackled louder, and before I knew it Pam was pulling me over the back of the couch pressing against me as the TV exploded, I squeezed my eyes shut and clung to Pam.

Then I was outside in my car and Pam was dashing back in the house, and then throwing a towel clad Alexsandra in the backseat before tearing down the road, "call Claude, find out where he is. I'm sure he can handle a witch. I can find a place to sleep." She tosses her cell phone at me and I quickly dialed the number.

It rang twice and Dermot answered the phone, "Dermot, its Sookie. Where are you guys? I get home and you're gone and then my TV blows up!"

"We're at Hooligans. Is Pam with you? Stupid question of course she is. Come down now. We're closed." I nodded and hung up, not bothering to tell Pam what he said. I knew she could hear him.

We drove in silence, until about half way there when we stopped to find my bags in the trunk to give something to Alexsandra so she wasn't naked when we arrived. When we finally pulled up I was confused to see Genie standing outside.

I jumped out of the car and ran over to her, she squealed when she saw me and I picked her up spinning her around in the air before setting her down. Max came running out behind her and I picked him up and spun him as well.

Pam and Alexsandra walked behind me slowly into the building, Pam gave the kids an odd look as she passed by them into the building. When I walked in Claude was holding her against the wall.

"You know if she really wanted to she could break your hand and rip your throat out." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder, he let her go and back around the bar. I rolled my eyes at his antics, "what happened that you guys are here? Why did my TV blow up?"

"Something was stalking the property. Did you not find our note?" Dermot asked, a perplexed look crossing his face, "I think it was just a vampire, nothing to worry about. But we didn't want a vampire to catch us, or the kids, in the middle of the night or morning on their way to school."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain the TV exploding." Pam said from her spot leaning against the wall, "unless that was you Alexsandra."

"I have better things to do in the shower than blow up Miss Stackhouse's TV." She answered; Pam smiled at her, and the way she did it made Alexsandra blush.

"Pam, now is not the time!" I yelped, my face turning red as well, "that is nasty."

She raised an eyebrow at me, "I only smiled Sookie." She batted her eyelashes at me innocently, with a mischievous grin on her face, "anyways, now we have a TV exploding and a vampire lurking your property. You can never seem to get away from danger can you Sookie?"

"Not when you're around." I answered, she smiled at me and I had a feeling she was thinking once again how much I had changed in the last year, "where are you staying?"

"My house. You are welcome, Cousin. But not the vampire or the witch."

"Don't worry about us, Claude; I have a place for us to stay. Just make sure Sookie is safe at your home and we won't have a problem. I will investigate what happened. Have a good night Sookie." She grabbed Alexsandra and left.

"Pam?" she stopped in the door way and turned to me, "keep me in the loop on this, alright?"

"Of course." And just like that the two women were gone. I turn to Claude, and he sighs, "We'll be heading home soon."

"Good. I'll wait with the kids then." I told him heading for the table they were sitting at playing cards. They asked me a bunch of questions, wondering where I'd gone, who I'd met, who that witch was and if I had a boy friend now. I answered as vaguely as I could, I couldn't exactly tell them I'd helped kill someone.

"Were you there when the Queen was killed?"

My eyes must've bugged out of my head when Genie asked me that, "what? How do you know about that?"

"Some lady named Linda was here talking to my dad about it." Linda came here?

"Did you see Linda?"

"No. Why? Is she pretty?" Genie asked, staring at me intently.

"Yes, she's pretty. I was just wondering is all? Funny your dad didn't say anything about it."

"So, were you there when she was killed?"

"What do you mean by "there"?"

"Were you in the room? That Linda lady said some crazy telepath let the queen bite her so that someone else could stake her."

"Now Genie, you need to keep quiet about that okay? This conversation never leaves this room, okay? Vampires are very secretive about this stuff and Linda was an idiot for talking about it in public. Yes I was there, but I wasn't involved."

She shrugged and moved on from that discussion to asking me if I'd seen Eric, or met any Weres. By the time she was done questioning me she was getting tired and we were leaving.

She asked to ride with me and when we finally pulled up at Claude's house she was asleep. I scooped her out of the passenger seat and carried her up to her room, she woke up enough so that I could change her and then she curled up and went to sleep.

I found Max and said goodnight to him too before I slipped into the shower and changed into a pair of sweats and a tank top, then I went to find Claude. I had a few questions for him to answer.

He was in his study on the phone when I found him, "alright, bye Verandah." He said into the phone hanging up. He looked annoyed and I wasn't sure if it was because of me or whoever it was on the phone.

"What can I help you with Sookie?" he asked, turning his full attention to me.

"What is wrong with Linda? Why has everyone been so adamant that I am nothing like her? She seemed like a ditz to be honest, but you guys make her sound like she's Satan's spawn or something."

"She is." He answers dead serious, "she is the most evil, vindictive, manipulative bitch I've ever met. It is only coincidence she looks like you. Compared to her you're a saint or something."

"Do you mean she literally is the spawn of Satan or figuratively?"

"Literally."

"Satan's a fairy?" Claude rolled his eyes at me, "well?"

"No, he's not Satan either. He goes by the name Dion." Claude looked more annoyed then anything now, "he's a fairy but as bad as this 'Satan' you talk about. It's of no concern for you because you aren't a threat to them, and I suggest you keep it that way."

"I saw his name, in a book I found." The mention of the book made Claude looked at me like he was actually interested in something I had to say, "I have it with me, it's up in my room."

"Then lets go look at it, I want to see what this book is." On our way up the stairs Claude pulled Dermot up with us. When I showed them the book, Claude looked like he was ready to hug me, because he looked that happy.

He took the book and sat in the chair in the corner of my room, Dermot peering over his shoulder while I sat on the bed and watched them, they probably stared at the book, on whatever page they were, for 20 minutes before he looked up.

"Where the hell did you get this?"

"The Queen's library. Eric brought it to me after the building exploded, I guess he knew I had gotten it down somehow." I shrug, "anyways, is it just a vampire that you were concerned about or was it something else, at my house."

"Just the vampire." Dermot said, "he was getting far to close to the house. Compton said he'd try and find out what it was doing, but he didn't ever say anything to us after I had called him."

After another hour of Claude reading the book, he finally shut it and handed it back to me, "if you run across more of these books, well I suggest you find them, they would help you far more then I can. And if you find the monster that wrote them you'd be even better off. Goodnight Cousin."

I nodded as they left and locked the bedroom door behind them as I crawled up into my bed. Exhausted. I fell asleep a few minutes after I crawled under the covers. My dreams were peaceful, and I slept until noon the next day.