A/N: Exciting news, I now have a beta =) You guys can thank kleannhouse for a slightly easier reading experience!
So I had a couple comments asking HOW BIG IS SOOKIE REALLY? In this story Sookie has really let herself go. She is probably about 50-70 Lbs overweight (depending on where you want to stop). I picture her at about the mid point between curvy and a biggest loser disaster. I myself have probably about 70Lbs to lose. However my large 6' frame hides it well ;)
To the person that had to look up her password just to reviewmy story, that was such a sweet comment! I am so happy you liked my story. I always love getting reviews, so thank you.
If you don't know by now...I own nothing but a leftover bag of Halloween candy...enjoy
EPOV
I took to the sky with the telepath in my arms.
A telepath. A tel-a-path!
My mind reeled how I could be so lucky that a telepath would practically fall into my lap, with no effort on my part to acquire one. On top of that her timing is most fortuitous, getting there just in time to potentially save my child.
By gods I was certainly blessed.
Through my bond with my child I could feel her irritation and determination. My little warrior hated to play weak. One reason she had been so pleased with the Revelation was that she no longer had to pretend to be a weak human woman. I loved to feel her in battle mode. It made me such a proud maker to know the competency of my progeny.
My mind drifted to the woman currently in my arms. What would it be like to be able to feel her emotions through some type of bond?
I could count the number of times I had given blood to a human on both hands, and two of those times it had been in the capacity of a turning. The other five times had been due to precarious situations, when my needing to know the loyalty of the human in question was of the utmost importance. I had not given blood since I had turned Pam, and it had never been for the sake of a bonding experience, but I could see potential in this human.
Potential for what I wasn't sure yet but she had already captured my interest.
She captured my interest with her spirit, in the way that she didn't back down from my child at the door to our club. She captured my attention with her humor; she had already made me laugh out loud more than once. She captured my attention with her compassion, her desire to not see my child harmed outweighed the risks of exposing her gift to a stranger that has the ability to use her for it. She captured my interest with her ability to discern herself worth, she was willing to offer me her blood, but was not willing to sell out her body, even for what she wanted most. She captured my interest with her scent, by gods that alone would have me strategizing how to get my fangs and other things into her.
Once she was at her 'healthy weight' she was truly going to be a stunning creature.
I was thankful when she said that she didn't want to be a stick figure and didn't want to simply starve herself. There is nothing more appealing to me than a woman with slightly generous curves. Here too Sookie had potential. I could see hints of the curves that were hiding behind the excess fat. I was excited to see how those curves would come out of hiding as she restored her body to the temple that it could be. I knew there would be plenty willing to worship at that temple when her remodel was complete.
I hoped that my position as first in line would curry some favor with the deity.
While we were flying over a grocery store it reminded me that where we were going was not stocked for humans. So I floated us down and reluctantly let go of Sookie. She was certainly a welcome addition to my flight with her body heat warming my body and her sweet smell filling my lungs.
"Why are we stopping here?" She questioned me once she regained her land legs.
"My house does not have human products, min larv, I am not sure how long it will take Pam to get back from her mission, and I want you to be comfortable. You may need toilet paper at the very least, but you may want to pick up some food and drink too."
Sookie's pretty blush was back again with the mention of toilet paper. However, by any god or deity, humans didn't know how lucky they were to have that available to them.
SPOV
I was happy that he thought about what I might need at his house. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be there, but I thought it was better safe than sorry and decided to get anything I might want if I had to stay the night since it was already 2 am and I was getting tired.
"What does 'min larv' mean?" I asked as a means of changing the subject. I recognized it as probably Swedish since I think that is what he and Pam were speaking in before.
"It means 'my caterpillar.'"
I am sure my face fell. That was certainly not a sexy nickname. Although I didn't really expect a term of endearment out of this god of a man, he had called me pretty earlier, and I was selfishly hoping for a little more of the same. Lord knows my ego could use any boosts it could get.
I think he picked up on my disappointment as he added quickly. "Many caterpillars are beautiful in their own right, and they are undeniably more interesting than their butterfly counterparts. However, out in the world they often go unnoticed or are seen as a nuisance to those not willing to really look at them. Remember this when you have transformed yourself into the butterfly: although you may garner more attention from those around you, you have in no way changed your worth, for you were always worthy to those that knew how to look."
I can't help but start to cry. No one has ever said anything so beautiful to me. Here is this man that has known me for less than two hours, knew about my disability, knew about my failings to lose weight, probably figured out I was a virgin by how I reacted to him kissing on my neck. Still he gives me these words. These words that I will hold on to. I can already feel his words starting to heal my soul from some of the scratches made by the thoughts of people I had known all my life.
The look on his face is one of pure terror.
"Why are you crying?" He asks. "I meant it as a compliment." With slight desperation in his voice, it is clear that he does not handle weeping woman well.
I get myself under control, wiping my eyes with my palms to get rid of the tears that seem to be bugging him so much.
"It was the best compliment of my life. Thank you." I tell him fervently. I stand on my tippy toes and give him a gentle kiss on the cheek to further show my gratitude, and then I walk past him in the store to pick out the things a human would need to stay the night at a vampires house.
Waiting for Pam is arduous (thank you word of the day calendar), although Eric denies being worried about how she will fare with the drainer cell (as he calls them), it is clear that he will not fully relax until she is once again in front of him and he can see for himself no harm has been done to her.
I hear the front door slam and before I can even track the movement she is bowed on one knee before Eric. She simply says "Master," as a form of greeting. I feel the need to laugh at this cliché way of greeting your maker, it feels like it could come right out of an Ann Rice novel; but I know that emotions are high right now (even if the vampires are doing their best to pretend like they aren't), and laughing at them would not be taken in a good light.
Eric reaches out and lightly touches her hair and then face for all of one second. Even through his stoic visage I can see the love he has for her as he stares down at her. The moment is broken just as quickly as it has began and they start to speak Swedish to one another, presumably giving a status report on how the mission went.
I try not to think about what all that mission entailed. I know none of the humans got out alive. On some level that bothers me deeply. I don't like being responsible for anybody getting killed; but if I had stayed silent than it might very well have been Pam that was killed. I saw from the woman at the bar's memories of previous draining missions she had been on, her cell had already managed to take down more than a couple vampires.
I also saw from her thoughts that she was trying to keep an eye out for undercover cops. In her thoughts someone named Emily had got caught and was currently serving 4 months in jail…4 months? For being caught planning and killing another cognizant being? Why shouldn't the vampires take matters into their own hands if those were the consequence that the US government was handing out for hunting their kind? It's not like the government is giving vampires a say in the criminal justice system.
So it may not be right, and I am sure it will weigh on my conscience for a while, but the alternative would have plagued me worse, therefore I will have to make my peace with it.
I am pulled out of my musings when Pam plops down what looks to be a gym bag in front of me for my pursual. My curiosity piqued I bend over and take a peek inside the bag only to be shocked at the sight of what must be several thousands of dollars.
"What is this?" I enquire.
"It's for you." She says; cool as a cucumber, as if she hasn't just shown me more money than I probably make in three months as a waitress.
"What is it for? I don't want a reward." I exclaim.
"It was the cash the drainers had in their car. We think that it is rightfully yours since you are the one that found them, and brought them to our attention."
"I can't take this. That would be profiting off someone's death. That would make me like a grave robber or something." I can feel my anxiety rising. I know I will have a hard enough time with the part I played in those peoples death; I do not need to be haunted by the guilt of this money too.
"Ok." Eric says. He quickly takes the money off the table in front of me and is out of the room before I can say boo. I am grateful to see it gone, and I am able to breathe normally again.
Pam tilts her head at me slightly and I can see she is trying to make me out.
"I have done that before." She states.
"Killed drainers?" I ask in response.
"No, I have robbed the dead. Grave robber, the thing you didn't want to become, I have done that." She continues to look at me, waiting for my reaction.
I swallow hard, but try to keep my face impassive. But really what do you say to something like that.
"Oh." Is the brilliant response I finally manage to get out of my mouth.
Fortunately Eric comes back and breaks up our highly awkward tête-à-tête. "Pam stop scaring the poor girl." He mildly chastises her. "She did you a favor tonight remember."
Pam gives me a slight nod, in acknowledgement of what I did for her.
"I would like to do your glamour, as a way of saying thank you." She tells me earnestly. I can tell this is important to her.
"I didn't warn you so you would owe me, I just couldn't see you get hurt if I could prevent it." I try to explain. "But I would be grateful for that glamour now."
I hand her the list that Eric made me write out. It details exactly what I want changed about my body and habits. Me and Eric actually argued for quite some time on what my goal weight should be. Apparently in his day woman with a little more meat on their bones were the height of attractiveness. I was going for a more 'athletic' look; not a stick figure, but not cubby either. After going back and forth, looking online at body types, and him polling other vampires whose numbers he had in his phone, I begrudgingly gave him back 10 pounds, with the promise that if I wanted to keep on going after I got to that weight he would change the glamor himself.
After glancing at the list, Pam looks directly in my eyes. "Sookie." She says when she knows she has my full attention. "Who do you work for?"
What the hell? Maybe that was like a test question, like they do for lie detector or something. I don't think I was under yet. I don't feel like I have to tell her anything. "I work for Sam Merlotte at Merlotte's Bar and Grille." I answer anyways.
"Do you know anyone else that wants to harm vampires?" She asks.
"What? No. Well not seriously. My town is not the most open minded, so I have heard some general vampire hate in some peoples thoughts. But nothing specific." Again I answer, but I am sure I am not under her spell yet.
She smirks at Eric before looking back at me and asking, "Do you want to have sex with my maker?"
My face instantly flames with blush.
"Pam, cut it out." I grumble. "Can you just get to the part where you glamour me already?"
The two vampires in the room freeze as only vampires can. I look between the two of them, something is clearly wrong.
"What? What is going on? Why do you two look so shocked?"
Suddenly Eric is right in front of me trying to bore a hole through my eyes with his stare.
"Sookie you will jump up on this couch right now, like that actor did on Opera." He states in a very commanding voice.
"You mean Tom Cruise?" I ask.
Eric turns to Pam and they start speaking in super-fast Swedish again.
"Sookie do you wear contacts or anything?" Is the next question from Eric.
"No, I have 20/20 vision. What is going on, you guys are making me nervous."
Eric sighs. "It seems you cannot be glamoured."
"What? No try again!" This can't be happening. I was so sure this was my ticket. "I thought it was supposed to work on everyone!"
"It does work on everyone." Eric states, matter-of-factly. "But apparently it doesn't work on telepaths. What are you?"
"What do you mean? I told you I am a waitress." I am totally confused as to what is going on.
"No, what are you? What is your lineage?"
"Oh…Well general European mutt, but we have a strong English ancestry."
"No Sookie. I am asking what your Supernatural make up is? Why are you a telepath? Why do you smell different than other humans?"
"I smell different?" WTF.
"Faintly, but yes. You smell better, sweeter."
Oh how embarrassing. "Eric, that's probably because I eat a lot of sugar." I tell him. "That one of the big things I want to change. In fact I had half a bag of candy before I came here tonight."
"That doesn't matter. If people who ate too many sweets all smelled like you there would be vampires waiting outside of bakeries everywhere."
"So you think I'm…what do you think I am? What do you mean 'supernatural?' What else is there?" My anxiety is picking up for what feels like the 100th time tonight. What could I be? I don't remember my parents and grandpa too well, but I think everyone was just a normal old human. Gran and Jason sure were.
"Sookie you are a telepath talking to a vampire, did you really think that is all there is?" His tone is not condescending but I still feel like such a child. I should have known there was more out there.
"I don't know…I don't know what I am…I thought I was a human…how could I not be a human." I think I am starting to have a panic attack.
"Shh my min larv," Eric says as he closes the small distance between us and takes me in his arms. "You are most likely almost all human. It is of no consequence."
We are all quiet for a while as I try to process this new information. Eric moves me so we are both sitting on the couch, and I am on his lap. He strokes my hair like he is comforting a frightened pet instead of a full grown woman. It feels nice anyways so I don't tell him to stop.
I am sure he his monitoring my heart rate with his acute hearing because when I finally calm down he starts talking again.
"You will stay here tonight. There is still much to discuss, but I think you are too tired tonight to start."
He is right. I am practically falling asleep in his lap. I am just glad I had the foresight to buy a toothbrush while at the store.
EPOV
After getting Sookie settled into one of the guest room I go to meet Pam in my resting spot.
What a twist in the plot. Sookie was already so interesting, and now add to it that she can't be glamoured. Such a rare creature. It is too bad she does not know her heritage. If her Supe relatives have not told her what she is, then it is more than likely the origin of her smell and ability are pretty far down the line. I just wish I had more answers for her.
"What are we going to do about Sookie?" Pam asks me as soon as I enter the room.
"There is not much we can do for her. We could maybe take her to the Ancient Pythoness at the next council meeting. She could help solve the mystery if she so chooses."
"Not about that. Eric we owe her." Pam says.
"I know, but she wouldn't take the money. I am going to offer her a job tomorrow. But it's her choice. With what she did for you tonight I will not force her to be my telepath if she does not want that life."
"Eric, we owe her." Through our bond I can feel she is exasperated with me. I am missing her point. "She came to us with a specific purpose and we promised her success. We need to follow through."
"But she can't be glamoured. I suppose we could try a witch, but their weight loss potions have been highly volatile in the past. I don't think it is worth the risk."
"Then we do it the hard way. We find an expert to teach us about modern human nutrition. We make sure she gets exercise. You could even train her in combat since that is what you are comfortable doing. I remember wanting to kill you when you were training me. She would get in shape in no time. She said she was willing to do the work she just couldn't get started. We will get her started and make sure she follows through with it too. If you don't want to then I will do it myself." She states emphatically.
Pam rarely feels the need to stand up to me but her determination is coming through the bond loud and clear. Fortunately I have no problem with the 'get Sookie in shape' plan. The more contact with the telepath the better as far as I'm concerned. In fact it may be just what I need to convince Sookie to relocate to Shreveport.