Chapter 2

Misplaced Souls

"Sookie!" she stared at the backs of her eyelids. She never wanted to open them again. She couldn't take any more horrors. If oblivion could just take her now she'd be just fine with that.

"Sookie! Sookie! Wake up sweetie!" Amelia's voice.

Sookie slowly let her eyelids open to a slit. Light flooded in and a blurry figure was looming over her.

"Amelia?"

"Yeah, it's me honey."

Sookie relaxed her face more and opened her eyes fully. Amelia looked down at her with furrowed brow and worried eyes. Sookie reached up to touch her friend's face.

"Please tell me I was dreaming. Please."

"I think that was more of an uber-night terror, Sook. You sounded like a banshee being burned at the stake! What the hell was goin' on up there?" she gestured to Sookie's head.

She gulped down a big breath and began describing to Amelia what she had just experienced. The lovely lustful part she abbreviated and when she got to the horrific moment of seeing Eric's face bound in silver Amelia had to take a seat. Sookie could 'hear' Amelia's shock and disgust while she tried to picture what was being described to her. It was making her friend associate the words with different horror movies she had seen in the past. Amelia loved the adrenaline rush she got from watching scary movies. The sampling of images and movie scenes from the worst horrors Amelia had stored up in her memory were assaulting Sookie now and the bile came up for real this time. She shot out of bed and ran to her bathroom.

After cleaning herself and brushing her teeth she came back into her bedroom. Amelia was still sitting quietly on her bedside chair. She was deep in thought and staring into space. Sookie sat on the edge of her bed and stared blankly at the floor. She knew she shouldn't but she lowered her shields to let Amelia's thoughts rush in again. Sookie could only hope that she wasn't still channeling more horror movie images. Almost as bad, Amelia was thinking of all the horrifically dreadful things she had seen and experienced since meeting Sookie.

Being attacked by newborn vampires, pregnant girls being crucified, sadistic fairies torturing my best friend…and Tray…

Sookie wasn't as pained by the images and impressions of the events so much as Amelia associating their meeting with the onslaught of all this madness. She couldn't blame her though. If allowing the undead into Sookie's life had corrupted her attempts at a 'normal' existence then she certainly was responsible for ruining Amelia's chance for that as well.

Sookie pushed up off the bed, flung herself at Amelia and wrapped her arms around her friend's frail shoulders. She squeezed tighter, willing Amelia to break the silence. Only tears came. Sookie knelt down and released her embrace to bring her hands up to Amelia's face. Amelia opened her eyes to meet her friend's wounded gaze. She immediately closed them again and began shaking her head. Sookie did not let go of her cheeks.

"It's okay, Meals'." Sookie waited but Amelia's head just kept shaking slowly back and forth. "I know what you don't wanna say." Amelia's eyes shot open. They were red, wet and trying to bury the sorrow. "It's alright, sweetie…it's alright."

"Sookie. I don't want you to think…" she was battling the lump in her throat and losing miserably.

"Shhh. Sugar you don't have to explain yourself to me. Of all the people you know you don't need to do that for me. I know what's in your heart."

Sookie's hands slid down to Amelia's elbows and she could feel her friend's bones protruding from the sides of her arm. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Amelia eat. Though she couldn't say her eating habits had been much better as of late. After chewing and swallowing food, it would lay heavy on her stomach like an unwelcome tumor. Not the heady smell of roasting pork chops or the sweet indulgence of chocolate had been able liven her lifeless taste buds. Cooking and eating was now a chore to the two girls and it was a chore they both tried to avoid. The feeling of Amelia's thin frame made the reality of what they were doing to themselves hit home and Sookie went into mothering mode.

"Come on lets go out to the kitchen. I think coffee and a few slices of toast is what we both need right about now." Sookie lifted Amelia gently and let her arm lay across her shoulder to guide her dear friend, still quietly sobbing, into the kitchen.

They ate the toast in silence after Amelia had been able to compose herself. Gran's raspberry preserve, which was dwindling dangerously low, wasn't releasing the endorphins it usually did for her. Though, Sookie did find some dull enjoyment as the liquid java hit the tip of her tongue. The taste and the warmth of the coffee woke her slightly from her numbness and she knew the silence had lasted long enough.

"Meals, I understand why need to leave and I want you to know that it is absolutely okay. I am not going to let your concern for my feelings stop you from doing what's best for you right now. Please know that I WILL be alright and I will always be here for you no matter what." She had expected Amelia to interrupt her but had obviously underestimated the lump that was once again forming in her friend's throat. The floodgates opened again and Sookie closed the gap between them to wrap her arms around Amelia.

"Sook…" she sniffed, cleared her throat and started again. "Sookie, I'm so sorry."

"No, Meals don't!" the tears became contagious. Hearing Amelia apologizing was unbearable. How could there be anything for her to be repentant for.

"I know you'll be alright and that we'll always be friends." She began breaking apart and Sookie's arms were the only glue holding her together now. The pain Amelia had been trying to restrain for weeks was flooding the dam gates now. "I just have to find my way out of this darkness. I know I'll make it through but it's hard right now to see any hope when I keep getting dragged into…" she had gone too far and immediately knew it. The liquid pain that had been gushing through her chest had transformed into an ice cold knife laced with poison. It cleaved through Sookie's heart. She gasped and let her arms go limp at her sides.

This isn't so bad…I've felt worse. Besides I deserve it right? I brought all this into her life. She has ever right to blame me.

"Sook…"

"No." she put her hand up, rose to her feet and held on to the table to steady herself. "Nothing more needs to be said. This is for the best. We both know it."

Amelia's eyes closed shut and her head hung down in defeat. Sookie desperately wished she knew what to say or do to heal her wounds. But the revelation did not come. All she could do now was fortify her shields again and let Amelia slip out of her life for however long she needed. Hopefully time and distance between her and the 'hell-mouth' that was Bon Temps would be the key to her recovery.

Sookie chuckled lightly at the comparison of Bon Temps to Sunnydale. The dualities were starting to rush at her – all sorts of strange creatures and demons hovering around, causing mischief and mayhem; a feisty yet devastatingly sexy blonde bombshell unable to stay out of trouble; her best friend was indeed a witch; a witch possessing similar…hmmm…tendencies if you will; the unbearably tragic love triangle.

Grrrr Arrrrgh indeed!

Amelia stared up at Sookie waiting to be let in on the joke. Inappropriate as her timing may have been Amelia seemed to relax a bit at the change in atmosphere.

"It just occurred to me how similar our little corner of Louisiana is to Sunnydale. Though I seriously doubt I'd be able to manage a back hand spring while wearing a mini skirt and halter top. I just don't think I could pull it off quite like Buffy." She laughed and felt herself smile from inside out as Amelia joined in.

"Bill is definitely just as tortured as Angel is and Spike is almost as arrogant as Eric." Amelia added with a shaky but bright half grin.

Hmph, almost? Barely is more like it. And not at all considering Spike gets back his soul back…oh if only.

"I'm going to have to mention that the next time I see Mr. Tall Blonde and Full-of-himself." Sookie grinned knowing it would offend and irritate him exponentially to be compared to 'an imposter'.

Another similarity popped up and she was suddenly relieved to know that Amelia couldn't read minds.

Don't mention OZ. Time for a new subject before she thinks it too.

The pain of Tray's death was fresh for them both but Sookie knew how much deeper that pain had gouged Amelia. Another battle scar for her friend to live with for the rest of her days.

"So are you gonna help me pack or ya just gonna stand there daydreaming about Eric getting his soul back?"

Well, good lord! I'm PRETTY sure she's not a mind reader.

"Eric has a soul. He just chooses to pretend like he doesn't." Sookie could joke about it outwardly but thinking about Eric was like tonguing a cold sore. Painful, annoying, yet so hard to avoid.

"Come on, let's go upstairs. I think we could both use the distraction." She winked at Sookie who was so relieved to see her best friend's beautiful smile again. The storm had passed for the moment but she knew with a certainty that saddened her deeply…another rain cloud would be waiting for her friend right around the corner.

One day at a time.

It was a mantra Sookie had been using a lot over the past few weeks