AN/ Heres a little update. Thanks again for all the reviews. They help keep my ass motivated thats for sure...lol. Still more twist and turns ahead in this story. I was hoping to have it almost ready to wrap up by now but I keep adding crap to it. Frigging muse...I guess I will just see where the evil biotch takes us all. Thanks for sticking with me.
Disclaimer: The characters from SVM do not belong to me. Never have Never will. Its sad but true.
Sookie made the ten minute drive to Fangtasia with no problem. Sheer will was driving her now. This wasn't good. Eric changing his number and his house being lock up tight was like a cold slap in her face. She refused to believe they were over.
There had to be an explanation and she would be damned if she would leave Fangtasia without one.
She whipped up in the space besides Eric's. His car wasn't here but that really didn't surprise her. It was still an hour or so until sundown. She pulled down her review mirror and tried to fix her appearance. She looked terrible. There were dark circles under her eyes and her face was devoid of color.
Her hair was hanging down in a tattered mess. She reached into the glove department and grabbed a ponytail holder and a comb. Thankfully she always kept some supplies in the car in case of emergencies. With time to waste, she swept the comb through her hair and pulled it back into a braid. That's perfect she thought, make sure he can see what a mess you are without him. With her hair pulled back, her recent weight loss was more apparent. She looked washed out.
There was nothing for it now. She grabbed her keys and some cash before exiting the car. Ginger would be here, so she would just go inside and wait. Sookie gave no thought to how she was dressed. It didn't really matter that she was wearing nothing more then a tank top and pair of shorts that she had thrown on this morning. What needed to be done tonight was more important then the way she was shabbily dressed.
She walked to the employees entrance and knocked. She regretted now more then ever turning Eric down when he offered to give her a key to Fangtasia. She had thought she would never need it. Funny how things come around just to show you how fucking wrong you really are. She should have taken the key and everything else he was willing to give her. No she wasn't becoming one of those woman that did what ever her man wanted but she did want to be one of those woman that could compromise. Why couldn't she have just met him a little bit half way.
Eric wasn't unreasonable. Unless it came to her safety then honey watch out. He would fight fang and nail to get his way and he generally won. Just as she did when it came to standing up to what she thought was right and fair.
Sookie knocked again. She heard metal slide back and was startled to see that Eric had a peep hole installed. " Hi Ginger. Can you let me in please?"
"Oh heya Sookie." Ginger let out a nervous giggle. 'don't think, don't think, she'll know...nothingnothingnothing. "Sorry sugar but I ain't allowed to let anyone in until Pam or Eric gets here."
"Oh honey they won't care if you let me in." What in the hell was Ginger trying to keep from her? Reading her was easy at times, if she was thinking hard but she had been glamoured so much, it was like hitting a void if she tried to dig deep. "Open up Ginger."
"No can do Sookie. Pam will be here soon." Ginger started to close the gate. Sookie slammed her hand up blocking it from shutting all the way.
"What are you hiding Ginger?" Sookie had to put a lot of force into holding the door open. For such a cracked out looking thing, Ginger was strong. "Don't ya lie to me either or I'll know."
'Goddamn vamps are gonna get me killed one day.' ..."I wouldn't lie to you Sookie. I was just told not to let anyone in."
"You are lying Ginger." Sookie slammed her hand against the metal door. "I am sick to fucking death of people lying to me. Open the fucking door."
"I'm sorry Sookie." Ginger whimpered. Sookie could hear the tears building up. "I just can't honey. I'm sorry. We can leave the little door open if ya want too but I ain't opening this door no matter what you say."
"Eric will be pissed when he finds out that you wouldn't let me in Ginger." Sookie didn't know if that was true or not anymore but she had to try. She couldn't be stuck out here like one of the begging fang bangers. She needed to get inside where you could hopefully be on more solid ground with him. "Or did he tell you not to let me in?"
'I wasn't thinking that...not thinking anything. I am a blank space with nothing can't know that they said not to let her in...oh shit..."You know what I have to finish setting up for the night. See ya Sookie." Ginger shot out of there like her pants were on fire.
"Son of a bitch!" Sookie punched the door then slid down to sit beside it. If they, who she could only assume was Eric and Pam, didn't want her here then they would have to step over her to get in. She wasn't moving.
Sookie wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them in close to her chest. Everything in her world was crashing down around her. There was nothing else to do but fight or surrender and she would not give them up without a fight. If Eric was through with her, he could be a man about it and look her in the face and say it. She wanted to look him in the eyes...she wanted to know if it hurt him as much as it was hurting her.
Darkness fell around her as sat waiting for his arrival. She could hear a crowd up front and knew any minute, he would be here. It was Friday and Eric always made an appearance. He was the main attraction. No way would he miss enthralling the vermin.
"Now I may be mistaken but I am pretty sure I told you to keep your sorry ass away from here." Sookie pushed herself up and spotted Pam standing a few feet in front of her. She was barely visible in the meager light provided by the back door entrance. She hadn't heard her car pull up but with such a boisterous group up front and people pulling up left and right, she would have been easy to miss. "So why are you chancing it Sookie?"
"Well first Pam, I don't answer to you." Sookie brushed her hands off against her shorts. "Second I don't scare easily and I won't allow you to keep me away from him."
"Oh goody. Someone got her balls back I see." Pam stepped further into the light. She was in full Fangtasia mode tonight. Black leather pants encased her legs, six inch stiletto heels and a black leather bustier completed her ensemble. She looked bad ass. If Sookie was seeing reason she might even be a bit scared but after the last few days she had she really didn't care anymore. If she had to fight Pam and tote an ass whipping so be it. She had been up against worse and survived. "Prey tell just how do you think you can stop me."
Pam smiled at her. It was an evil shit eating grin of a smile. And it was just the thing to make Sookie snap.
"Fuck you Pam." Sookie charged her. She actually was able to tackle Pam down. She didn't know if was from the fact she had Eric's blood recently, caught Pam by surprise or just realized she had nothing else to loose. She nailed Pam with a right hook to the face. "That's for slapping me you bitch."
Pam pushed her off and rolled on top of her. Before she could pin Sookie's arms down, Sookie grabbed her hair and snatched it for all she was worth. As Pam let out a yelp, Sookie sent another fist flying, catching Pam in the mouth. Flesh met fang, splitting Sookie's hand. Pam growled at the smell of Sookie's blood and licked her lips in delight when some of it crossed her tongue. "You are too much Sookie. If I would have known bitch slapping you would have gotten your ass in gear, I would have done it sooner." Pam stood up and brushed the pavement from her clothes. "Nice right hook by the way. Although you do realize I let you do that?" Pam reached out a hand to help Sookie up.
Sookie leaned in to take Pam's hand. She let Pam pull her up from the ground and punched her in the stomach as hard as she could. "Bet you didn't let me get that one in Pammykins."
Sookie waited for what felt like hours as Pam tried to control her fit of laughter. She actually stopped a time or two to wipe tears of bloody joy away. "Oh Sookie, its nice to see some of you returning. How I have missed you."
"Really Pam. I thought to you I was nothing more then a worthless blood bag that wasn't worth the air it takes to keep me alive?" Sookie inquired.
"Sookie I said a lot of things trying to get a rise out of you and your head out of your ass." Pam snorted and pulled out a key for the door. She unlocked it and waved Sookie in. "Some of which was very true."
Sookie rolled her eyes and lead the way in to Eric's office. "Well I really don't care what you were trying to do or what you think. I only want to know one thing." Sookie sat down at Eric's desk and propped her feet up on his desk. "Where is HE?"
"Who?" Pam winked at her then turned to repair her hair in the mirror. At an agitated look form Sookie, she smirked. "Oh you mean Eric? Why he's gone."
"No way in hell Eric just leaves without saying a word Pam." Sookie let her feet drop to the floor. She wasn't feeling so cocky now. "I know about the spell and why Eric did what he thought he had to do. I have to talk to him. Tell me where he is?"
"Seeing as how you were being your usual stubborn self and refused to say those three little words that would save you, he took off to free you of any danger." Pam fluffed her hair and freshened her lipstick.
"He did what Pam? Where did he go?" Sookie's heart began to pound. Eric wouldn't have. Please God tell me he didn't. If anything were to happen to him. She couldn't bare to think on it.
"He went to confront Victor and De Castro seeing as how they are the biggest danger to you. That is after he forbid me to come after him." Pam turned around and faced Sookie. She had a beautiful smile on her face. She was so radiant in that moment that Sookie had a hard time looking at her.
"Why are you so pleased Pam. He could die. We have to stop him." Sookie palmed her keys and grabbed Pam by the arm in an attempt to move her out of the room. They needed to get going and now.
"Eric isn't going to die. He is stronger then those two fools put together. He also has more political backing than they ever will." Pam pulled her arm from Sookie's grasp and gave her an indulgent pat on the head. "He will be fine Sookie. I am just pissed that he wouldn't allow me to go with him."
"But he changed his number and his house is empty. Why would he do that?"
"Well its like this. I changed his number. I didn't want you calling him and fucking this up. I am sick and tired of those imbeciles" Pam twirled around checking that her outfit wasn't marred in their little scuffle. "Its better this way Sookie. Let Eric rid the world of their presence, you gain some time to remove the stick lodged permanently up your ass. Better yet, it will give you both the time and opportunity to see if this is what you really want."
"Why do you two get to decide this Pam? What about what I want?" Sookie felt like her knees were going to give out beneath her. The hits just kept coming and coming. Eric was gone and there was a chance that he wouldn't make it back. "I love him Pam. I know we have a lot to work through. A lot of it is my fault and his. We need to try and work through it. We can't if he's not here or worse dead."
"He's already dead Sookie." Pam placed a finger over Sookie's mouth to prevent her from talking. "No listen. I know you think you have everything worked out in that little brain of yours but reality is, he is gone and he won't be back for a long time. Now what you do in that time is up to you but I would highly suggest you think long and hard about what it is you want. You can't have it all. To stay with him Sookie you will in essence be trading the light for the dark. There will always be battles to be fought and wars to be won. It will never be easy and your heart will be broken more then you think you can bare. Are you willing to give up children? A man that can walk with you in the sun? Grow old with you? How about are you willing to walk into an eternity with Eric? Have you really and truly thought about all of these things? Or have you just decided that Eric is what you want and you will just bide your time until you can't take anymore. I tell you now he is in this for it all. He wants you with him forever, yet he will never force you. He just wants you Sookie. The good, the bad and the not so loving. Can you say they same?"
Pam released her lips and left before Sookie could utter one word. Not that it mattered. What was there to say? Eric wasn't here and if she went after him, she might very well place him and her in more danger. She just prayed to God that he won against De Castro and Victor. For the first time she felt true fear for Eric. Those two were not to be trusted. Why would he choose them instead of staying here and being safe?
Only one answer came to her. Pam had told her a while back that Eric didn't think rationally when it came to her. That one day it would get him killed. She prayed with all of her might that Pam would be wrong. Her pride was not so great that she would let it cost her Eric's life.