Chapter 5
I
Blackburn sat in his study and twirled a pen in circles. Eric had arrived to collect the girl and he stood before him.
"Witches and Wiccans are usually a joke. I keep my eye on this coven because it is old and established. Having someone on the inside would be beneficial to me," said Blackburn.
"The girl is not from your area, you don't have any jurisdiction over her," replied Eric.
"According to her, neither do you," replied Blackburn.
"Did you interrogate her?" asked Eric.
"Relax, I glamoured her. She won't remember it," replied Blackburn.
Eric stared coldly at Blackburn, "Are you trying to interfere in my affairs?"
"I am just asking to borrow her if I have a need," replied Blackburn.
"She's not very cooperative," replied Eric.
"She may see you in a different light," said Blackburn with a tiny smile. "I'll do my best to make you look good."
He got up and led the way to the basement and added, "I'll just add this performance onto that list of favors that you owe me."
Blackburn flipped on the lights and they walked downstairs. They found Payton sitting with her knees drawn up on the floor. She lifted her head and stared at them with eyes that showed the signs of recent tears.
"I believe that you know Sheriff Northman," said Blackburn to Payton.
Payton's eyes flickered to Eric, but she didn't reply. Blackburn frowned and said, "If you belonged to me, the first thing that I would teach you is some manners. When you are addressed, you are to respond."
Payton bit her lips and looked between Eric and Blackburn. "Maybe, you should make sure to phrase your questions so that there is not any ambiguity, since it appeared to me that you were making a statement."
"When you were apprehended, I called the sheriff of your area. Sheriff Northman insists that this is all some sort of mistake and that you are not anyone that I should be concerned about. He personally vouches for your character and asks for me to release you into his custody," said Blackburn.
Payton didn't reply and Blackburn asked, "You do want to go home, don't you?"
"Yes, I just want out of here," said Payton.
As Blackburn tossed the key to Eric, Payton stood up. As he drew nearer, she flinched as he took hold of the collar. Eric unlocked it and Payton's hands came up and touched her neck where the metal had chaffed it. When Eric reached for her, she shied away from his touch.
"Please, don't touch me."
Eric motioned for the steps and Payton headed towards them, but her eyes passed over Blackburn on her way out. Once she was passed, he shrugged to Eric. Payton moved quickly out of Blackburn's residence and as they made their way into his driveway, Eric saw her scanning the surroundings.
"Your car is not here," he said. "It was taken to your home earlier today. You will need to ride with me, unless you are planning on riding your broom home."
As Eric walked to his waiting car, Payton finally decided to accept the ride since she didn't have any other choice. As Eric opened the door, she slid across the backseat and Eric followed her. His driver took off and Payton stared out the window and did her best to ignore Eric.
"What were you even doing here?" asked Eric.
Payton stared out the window and said, "Does it matter?"
"What matters to me is that you are lucky that Blackburn decided to call me before having a little fun with you," said Eric.
Payton hugged herself and Eric saw a fresh tear escape. He leaned in close and trailed a hand in her hair.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," he said.
Arriving at Payton's house, Eric got out and walked her to her front door as the car drove away. As Payton stepped inside, she turned around to gaze at Eric. Eric expected to be invited in and raised an eyebrow when Payton kept her silence.
"Invite me in," said Eric.
"Why would I do that?" asked Payton.
She gave Eric a tiny smile and said, "Oh, are you expecting me to invite you in and show you how grateful I am for your help in getting me out of that dungeon?"
"Exactly," replied Eric.
"And knowing you, that would probably involve a more personal display of gratitude, like being invited into my bedroom?" asked Payton.
"Straight to the point. I always did admire directness in my women," replied Eric.
"How's this for directness?" said Payton. "I'm quite sure that you had something to do with my little stay in Sheriff Blackburn's jail."
"An unfounded belief," replied Eric. "Sheriff Blackburn watches that coven and he was curious about who you were."
"My instincts are telling me that you are lying," said Payton.
"Would I lie to you?" asked Eric.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" replied Payton.
Before Payton could react, Eric moved forward and kissed her. His feet stayed on the outside of Payton's doorway, but his lips traveled over her threshold. His lips moved to her ear and whispered, "It only gets better. Let me in."
Payton moved back and said, "I'm not susceptible to your charm."
Eric smiled. "Yes, you are. Who's the liar, now?"
"You don't have any idea of how much you have hurt me by leaving me in that dungeon," said Payton. "Even if I might find you attractive, I'm not ready to forgive you for that."
"You're still operating under the assumption that I'm responsible for you being there," said Eric. "Do you have any proof to back up that suspicion? Especially, since Sheriff Blackburn gave you a different story."
"I don't have any doubts that vampires stick together," replied Payton. "Sheriff Blackburn's word means just about at much as yours does."
"Ouch," said Eric. "The claws are coming out."
"I've had more than enough of vampires and the misery that they have caused for one night," said Payton. She attempted to close the door and Eric placed his hand against it.
"Let me in and we can reasonably discuss this matter," said Eric. "I'll even promise to keep my hands to myself, as long as you want me, too, that is."
"No," said Payton.
Eric smirked, "Don't trust yourself?"
Payton frowned, "You are full of yourself, aren't you?"
"Invite me in and put me in my place," said Eric. "You look like the type who enjoys that sort of thing."
"Goodbye, Sheriff Northman," said Payton.
Eric held the door open and gazed into Payton's eyes. He began to glamour her, "Invite me in."
Payton froze and stared back. Slowly, she blinked a few times and shook off his influence. Eric's eyes widened in surprise as Payton's clouded with anger and pain.
"How did you do that?" asked Eric.
"Did you actually just try to glamour me into letting you inside?" she asked.
"Rather unsuccessfully," replied Eric.
"Just how far would you have used that power on me?" she asked.
"We'll never know, now, will we?" replied Eric.
"You have gone too far," said Payton. "You deserve a taste of your own medicine and a little lesson in humility."
"I thought that you said you weren't a witch," replied Eric.
"I lied," said Payton.
"Well, aren't we a pair?" said Eric. "Can you deny that we aren't alike?"
Payton thought a moment and said, "If that is so, then you wouldn't respect me if I didn't make good on my threats. Don't worry, I wouldn't do anything to harm that pretty face."
"You could just make things easy on the both of us and let me in," said Eric. "You know as well as me that the end result will be the same."
"We'll see about that," said Payton as she slammed the door.
Payton stood a moment and stared at the door. She turned and walked to her chair before the fireplace and sank into it. Now, she had done it, she thought. Making threats against vampires, now that was just plain crazy. Oh, but he really has it coming. He's a total arrogant spoiled brat. He does deserve a taste of his own medicine, doesn't he? Payton stared at the cold fireplace and snapped her fingers. A fire ignited and blazed forth. She allowed herself a little smile. Fire, was there anything better than having power over that elemental force? But, she needed to craft a little spell for Sheriff Northman. Something fitting, she thought.
Payton took ahold of her necklace. It was really a talisman, imbued with magical power. Passed down through the family. She took a moment to examine it. It was gold and the design of a Celtic dragon was on one side. It was eating it's tail in the universal symbol of infinity. On the other side was a Celtic triskele with dragon's heads. In Irish across the back was the inscription, Cumhacht. Draíochta. Eolais,which meant power, magic and knowledge. Payton moved to a table and grabbed a pen. On a piece of paper she wrote Eric Northman three times. She then folded the paper three times. Lighting a candle, she caught one edge of the paper on fire. She carried it to the fire and knelt before it. She placed the paper into the flames and watched as it burned into ashes. As the smoke rose up the chimney, Payton took off her talisman and held it into the flames.
"Spirit of the Dragon, hear my plea
My protector and guardian, come to me
Giver of magic, knowledge and power,
I call upon you in my needing hour
Send this vampire a little taste
To show him that he acts in haste
Give him the lure of carnal desire
But, remove the means to quench his fire
Let him see the error of his action
Make sure he receives no satisfaction
By the Dragon's blood, I make my plea,
Keep your covenant with me
And my faith, I will show to thee."
Payton eyed the talisman glowing in the red hot flames. She reached and took the talisman and closed it within the palm of her hand. In wonder, she opened her hand. Her flesh was unharmed and Payton gave a little smile. She pulled the necklace back over her head and kissed the still hot metal. The magic had been wrought and not even a vampire who was used to getting his way was above it's power.
II
The next day, Payton received a visit from someone just as unwelcome as Eric. Calvin Norris stood on her front doorstep. Payton debated slamming the door closed and locking it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I only want to speak to you," he said. "Can I come inside?"
"No, you can't," replied Payton. "We didn't exactly part on such good terms."
"I apologize for that," he said. "A misunderstanding on both our parts. I had hoped that you would want to stay with us once you got to know us. You are family."
Payton eyed Calvin and decided to just put all the cards on the table. "You know that's not true. Charlie wasn't my father, was he?"
"No," admitted Calvin after a pause. "Not by blood."
Payton felt tears in her eyes and even though she had suspected that truth all along, it still stung. Calvin stared at her and said, "In every way that mattered, he was your daddy. He also protected you."
"Protected me?" asked Payton. "From what?"
"You have always been...special," replied Calvin. "Charlie watched over you."
Payton wiped at her face and asked, "Were you planning on trying to turn me or something?"
"No," said Calvin. "I won't deny that I would have no problem with you joining your blood with ours, but no one could do that against your will."
"Then, what do you want?" asked Payton.
"Your mother would sometimes tend to our clan," said Calvin. "I ask you to come and use your skills to help my kinfolk. We can't go to the doctor with what we are."
"I don't know," said Payton dubiously.
"We have kids that need your healing touch," said Calvin. "Can you turn your back on Charlie's kin?"
He was smarter than he looked, thought Payton. He knew just how to play the guilt card. Payton remembered those dirty ragamuffins running ragged at Hotshot.
"Do you promise to send anyone that I deem above my abilities to the doctor?" asked Payton. "And that you won't try anything funny?"
"Of course," said Calvin. "We can help you with your vampire problem. Hotshot would be the last place he would look for you."
At Payton's surprised look, he said, "I heard that he was sniffing around you."
"I need to get some supplies," said Payton. "But, I'll be there in a couple of hours. I would like to see the children first."
"Sure, Payton," replied Calvin.
He turned to go and Payton asked, "Did...did Charlie ever mention who my real father was?"
"No," said Calvin. "I don't think your mother ever told him."
"Makes two of us," said Payton.
Payton stood looking at a nasty skin infection. She was inside Charlie's old shack which she was using as an examination room. Her supplies that she had brought with her were laid out along the various tables and a line of people waiting to be seen stretched out the door. The owner of said skin infection was an little boy who would be in better shape if he had been given regular baths, she thought. Did everyone here sample that product that they cooked? She felt like calling the child protection services except that would do more harm than good. These kids could not cope with so-called normal people. Maybe, this had been her mother's dilemma. Wasn't her kindness and care better than nothing at all?
"First of all, you need to make sure that he gets a bath every day," said Payton to his mother.
She scowled and Payton added, "Do you want him to get better or not?"
"I hate baths," whined the boy.
"I don't care, young man," said Payton. "You will do it or suffer my wrath."
The little boy squirmed in his seat and said, "Yes, ma'am."
Payton reached into the supplies and pulled out an ointment with antibiotic properties and handed it to the mother. "Now, twice a day rub this into his infection. If it doesn't clear up by five days, he needs to be taken to the free public health clinic in Bon Temps. If he gets a fever and feels sick, he needs to be taken to the emergency room immediately. Got it?"
"Yes," she said. She pulled him out of the chair and Payton pulled out a fresh apple from one of her boxes of supplies and handed it to the boy. He smiled and skipped out the door.
The next was a little girl with pigtails and a clean but torn dress. She was cradling one of her hands in her other one. Her mother sat in the chair and pulled the little girl on her lap. Payton knelt down in order to look the little girl in the eyes.
"Well, aren't you a pretty girl," she said.
The girl smiled wanly and her mother said, "The boys were rough-housing around her and she got knocked down. Her finger hurts and is swollen."
"May I take a look at your finger?" asked Payton.
"No, Mommy, she'll make it hurt," cried the little girl, turning into her mother.
Payton took her chin and looked into the girl's eyes, "Look into my eyes and you will see that I'm as painless as can be."
The little girl smiled and said, "You talk pretty."
Still staring into the little girl's eyes, Payton gently reached for her hand. Payton examined it and saw that it was bruised and swollen. She touched it and attempted to move it, but the girl frowned and little tears appeared in the corner of her eyes. Payton gently replaced her hand back into the girl's lap and turned to her mother.
"She needs to get that x-rayed because I think that it's broken," said Payton.
"We ain't got no car or insurance," said her mother.
"The public clinic will see her," said Payton. "Wait here."
Payton walked outside and saw that the line had finally dwindled down. She quickly tracked down Calvin and said, "You have a little girl that needs to get her hand x-rayed for a possible fracture."
"Can't you just set it?" asked Calvin.
"I am not a doctor," said Payton. "She needs a doctor's care. Now."
Calvin sighed and asked, "Is there anyone else that needs to go to the clinic?"
Payton had scanned the few others waiting and nothing had looked too serious, "No, just her."
After Payton had loaded up the little girl and her mother and watched them drive away, she went through the last of her patients. She sat down a minute and rested. She had been on her feet for several hours and had dispensed a variety of folk remedies for insect bites, cut's and bruises, headaches and stomach aches. She hoped that she had instilled the need for hygiene on everyone that she had seen and especially had drilled it into the children's mothers. Even though she didn't approve of how some of these people were living, she still liked seeing the children. But, no matter what kind of understanding she had reached with Calvin, she was not going to stay here for the night. No thank you, she thought. She piled everything into the car and got ready to leave when Felton happened by.
"I see that you managed to get on Calvin's good side," he said.
"He asked me to come here," replied Payton.
"Calvin won't be in charge around here forever," said Felton.
"I'll know when I'm not welcome, you won't be seeing me around then," replied Payton.
"I want my watch back," hissed Felton.
"Nope," said Payton. "I've grown quite attached to it."
"You watch your back," said Felton.
"You'd better watch yours, too," replied Payton.
Felton stalked off and Payton watched him and wondered if he was foolish enough to try something.
III
Payton drove to Merlott's from Hotshot because she hadn't eaten since early that morning and she was starving. Sam saw her and waved and Payton took a seat at the bar.
"Well, this is a surprise," he said.
"I was in the neighborhood," said Payton. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she added, "I think that I could eat a horse."
"We don't serve that on the menu, but I think that you'll find a substitute," said Sam handing her a menu.
After downing a cheeseburger with all the trimmings and french fries, Payton contentedly sighed. Sam smiled and said, "So, what are you doing around here?"
"I paid a visit to Hotshot," she replied.
"Is that such a good idea?" asked Sam with concern.
"I had a talk with Calvin and I'm not in any danger from him," said Payton. "Felton is another story."
"Are you heading back to Shreveport?" asked Sam.
Payton hesitated and said, "Maybe, that's not such a good idea. I have a feeling that trouble might be waiting for me there."
"Are you in trouble?" asked Sam.
"When am I not?" replied Payton with a little smile.
"You can stay with me," said Sam.
"Oh, no, I'll be fine in a motel or something," replied Payton. She appreciated Sam's concern, but she still couldn't ignore that feeling about him that she had gotten the first time she had touched him. It was then that someone patted her on the back and she turned to see Jason Stackhouse smiling down at her.
"Didn't think that I'd see you again around here," he said.
"Hello," replied Payton. "I was in the area and stopped in to grab a bite."
"Hey, I'm here with my best friend, Hoyt," said Jason. "Do you want to play a game of pool or something with us?"
Why not, thought Payton. It might distract her from her problems. Smiling, Payton said, "I have to warn you that I'm lucky at games."
After playing several games and winning most of them, Payton decided to get ready to leave. Jason's friend was like a big kid and very sweet. He had just moved out of his mother's house and was bunking with Jason.
"It's kind of late to be driving back to Shreveport," said Jason. "Are you staying here, tonight?"
"I...I was going to get a hotel room," said Payton.
"Hey, you can bunk with us," said Jason. "Wait, that wasn't the way I meant it. I mean you are welcome to the couch. Ain't that right, Hoyt?"
"Yeah," said Hoyt.
"I don't know," began Payton.
"We'll treat you like one of the boys, except you're way prettier than most boys," said Jason.
"I think that's a compliment," said Payton.
"Sam told me about your problems and how you ended up on the side of the road," said Jason. "I wouldn't feel right about letting you stay by yourself. It ain't safe."
"I guess if it's alright with Hoyt?" asked Payton.
"Sure," said Hoyt.
"Don't mind him," said Jason. "He just broke up with his girlfriend and he's all mopey."
Jason gave a smile and said, "We can play some poker."
Payton returned the smile, "I can do poker. I did mention that I was lucky, didn't I?"
IV
Eric was in his office. He was leaning back in his chair and a girl was kneeling before him and giving him oral sex. Or, at least she was trying to. Nothing was happening on his end and it was only leading to Eric's frustration and a certain degree of embarrassment. There wasn't anything wrong with his desire to have sex, but his body refused to respond. This never happens to him. Finally, the girl stopped and looked up at him.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked.
"Maybe, it's your technique," retorted Eric.
"Nice try, but I can suck golfballs down a garden hose," she said sarcastically. "You know, you're hot and all. But, this is so underwhelming. Are you sure that you are a vampire?"
Eric dropped his fangs and yelled, "Get out."
Frightened, the girl ran from the office and nearly collided with Pam who watched her flee with a leer. Now, why did he let that one get away, she thought. It was then that a barrage of angry Swedish began to spew forth from the office and Pam wisely decided that retreat seemed like a good idea. Just when she was heading into back, Eric's voice rang out. He appeared at his office doorway and she actually took a step back from the angry gaze that blazed forth from his blue eyes.
"I want that little witch found," he said. "Sooner, not later."
"Why, what has she done?"
"That...that is not your concern," said Eric. "But, she is going to undo what she had done."
"Where would she go? She doesn't have any family," said Pam.
"I suggest that you stop wasting your time by whining and figure out where to look for her," hissed Eric. He stepped back into his office and slammed the door so hard that the door frame rattled. It had been a long time since Pam had seen a human get under Eric's skin like this. And the last time, it didn't work out so good for the human. To hell with worrying about that human, thought Pam. She was the one that was taking the brunt of Eric's fury right now. And if she didn't find that witch and soon, it might not work out so good for her, either. And when she found her, she would instruct her on proper behavior. But, wait a minute, thought Pam, wasn't that how Eric got into trouble in the first place?
A/N: Ouch, Payton struck a blow below the belt with that little spell. But, even so, she still didn't do anything to physically harm him.
It's interesting that Payton has the ability to manipulate fire and isn't harmed by it.
I liked the idea of Payton going against her better judgement and helping out with people of Hotshot. I know that most of them seem unredeemable, but the kids still have some innocence. And like Calvin said, perhaps, her mother also tended to them.