A/N: I tired something new with this chapter I let some of the songs I was listening to while writing influence the story one song is Metallica's One for Sookie's tub scene (on YouTube - watch?v=EzgGTTtR0kc) and for Jason's section its Chavelle's The Red (watch?v=onqa6aRHDC4). Let me know what you think.

And I hate to do this but it's worth a shot. I wanted to let you all know that I am participating in a 4-hour cycle-a-thon to benefit cancer research. I'm doing it in honor of my grandmother who died of a really rare form of cancer 4 months ago. You can go to cycleforsurvival (dot) org if you want to learn more about the event, my teams name is The Gwen-Dolas. I hate to do the shameless plug thing but I want to help get the word out for the event.

Thanks and now back to the show…

I awoke the next day to a large and empty bed. Instantly I panic, where is Eric they could not have gotten him too? My mind races and I check the bond; relief fills me as I realize that Eric is safe and downstairs. But wait. What? How is he downstairs? I rush out of bed and go flying when I trip over the foot of the chair that is next to the bed, in the haze that was last night I hadn't notice that the room had no windows so I scramble to find a lamp to light my way as I try and flee from the bedroom.

Once I finally get my bearings I fly down the stairs to where I feel Eric, he is in the kitchen looking very perplexed while staring at his stove. "Eric!" I scream, "What are you doing, how are you up, what are you doing?" Completely frantic I look over at the time on the stove it read 8:00. By this point Eric is staring at me like I was sprouting another head while hopping on one foot saying the alphabet backwards, in Klingon.

"Lover, are you not feeling well, maybe you should go and lie back down."

I start shaking my head furiously this must be a dream, I shut my eyes tightly but when I open them again we were still in the same spot. It was then that I noticed Pam was sitting at the kitchen table looking more concerned than I have ever seen her. "Pam, you're up too. What the hell is going on?"

Pam's trade mark smirk returned "Sookie dear, did you hit your head when you fell a bit ago its been dark for quite some time now."

I can't believe it there is no way I slept through the entire day. I look out of the window above the stove and sure as shit it's black as pitch outside. I look up at Eric whose eyes are filled with such concern and I cannot hold back the tears that are threatening to fall. I feel like such an idiot, running around like that causing such a scene, they must think me to be daft.

Eric pulls me into his chest where I continue to cry as he smoothes out my hair.

"Well it was only a matter of time before her mind gave way." Pam says sharply, rising from her seat and moving towards the door.

"Pamela!" Eric chastises and warns all in one word but Pam holds fast. "All I'm saying master is that out dear little telepath here has been through a hell of a lot in the last few years and it seems the wear is finally taken its toll, some vampires have gone mad over less. I think after all of this is done our dear little Sookie may need a vacation, we all may." With that Pam leaves.

Eventually my tears subside and I look up at Eric who looks thoroughly pained. "I think she is right lover. When this is all over with I will take you on a nice long vacation." He kisses the top of my head before I can respond. My shock from earlier coupled with the stress from yesterday doesn't leave me with the mental capacity to argue with him over this just now.

"I put clothes out for you on the chair by the bed, go take a bath and change and I will make you something to eat." I was about to make a case against him cooking but he stops me before I ever get started. I'm exhausted all over again and make my back up the stairs. My day, well rather my night has just begun and it has already taken so much out of me I can barely think. I find the clothes on the floor next to the chair, they must have fallen off when I went head first over it, I pick them up and trudge to the bathroom.

I turn on the tap in the tub and wait for it to fill hoping that a hot bath with help to relax my frazzled nerves. I happen upon Eric's iPod dock and scroll through his music not recognizing most of it, so I put in on shuffle and hope for the best. As I strip down and climb into the tub I hear what sounds like gunfire and helicopters in the distance before a hauntingly beautiful guitar riff begins.

James Hetfield's voice enters my ears and his words bring me back to my time under the "care" Thing One and Thing Two. Everything that I have felt that night and every night since comes crashing down on me once again.

I can't remember anything


Can't tell if this is true or dream


Deep down inside I feel to scream


This terrible silence stops me


Now that the war is through with me


I'm waking up I can not see


That there is not much left of me


Nothing is real but pain now

I've heard this song many times but the word have never registered with me until now. I wait for the familiar feelings of fear, disgust, and hate to descend upon me as they have in the past and suffocate me but they do not. The pain is still there but I am somehow beyond it now. No longer concerned with the how and the why of it all, or the where were you's because none of that matters now its not going to help me get Jason back or to put my life back together.

Now the world is gone I'm just one

Oh, God help me

Hold my breath as I wish for death

Oh, please God wake me

I let the words of the song drift in and out of consciousness as I sort through my feelings. Examining each feeling in turn I notice that something is missing. There isn't this overarching false sense of calm mixed into the malaise that is my emotions. Eric is not using the bond to calm me, I know he could feel my inner turmoil but he does nothing to alleviate it. I realize that he hasn't done that at all since I've been awake even though my emotions have been of the charts even for me.

As grateful as I have been to him for trying to calm me through the bond over the last month I must admit that I am quite relieved that he is not doing it now. I take a few more moments dealing with the last of the nastiness in my head, knowing that it will never be gone but it is more manageable than ever now. I have stopped trying to rid myself of it all at once but rather resolving to deal with one small piece at a time if for no other reason but the preservation of few remaining bits of my sanity.

When I walk in to the kitchen again sometime later the scene before me is straight out of the Twilight Zone. The place is a complete mess. Eric is still standing there in the same jeans and t-shirt that I left him in but he has added an apron to his ensemble now. He is holding a cookbook (probably entitled To Serve Man) in one hand, and in the other there is a frying pan. I tippy-toe up to him in an attempt to not break his concentration although I know he feels me approach.

Whatever he is cooking smells great and my stomach rumbles in response. Eric turns to face me and laughs a bit when he hears my stomach, but it is me who ends up in hysterics when I get a frontal view of him. He has flour streaking his forehead and cheeks, and his apron says, "Kiss the Vamp" and it is smeared with all kinds of things that I am afraid to try and identify. There also seems to be something stuck in his hair, I regain my composure a bit before reaching up to retrieve it. Apparently a blueberry found its way into his hair, when I see this I lose it again and double over with laughter.

Clearly not seeing the humor in all of this Eric puts on his Sheriff voice and says, "Sit, I'll bring you over a plate soon."

Thoroughly ashamed for laughing at the aftermath of his kind gesture I take up the seat that Pam had previously occupied and wait. I couldn't help but appreciate the view that I had of Eric's butt from here; the jeans along with the ties from the apron really did something to enhance it. Eric must have felt my thoughts wandering because he cleared his throat before turning around with my food. My mouth watered and I was eager to see all that he has made. I was completely astonished at what I saw; there were blueberry pancakes, crepes, sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs.

"Oh. My. God. Eric, I can't believe you did all of this you really shouldn't have, this is way too much. I don't know how it all fits on one plate let alone how it's all going to fit in my stomach." I was floored; of all of the things that Eric has done for me this might be the sweetest.

Eric rewards me with a triumphant smile. "I know it is important for humans to eat breakfast and since you obviously missed it this morning I thought you should have it now. We have a long night ahead of us and you will need your strength."

Eric's last statement drags me back to reality and I focus once again on the food. I must admit that I was a little hesitant at first to try it since Eric has not eaten in over one thousand years and I think it would be safe to say that he has probably never cooked before tonight in his entire existence but I could not be so rude as to refuse his food. I take a bite of the pancake and it is heavenly, I try a little bit of everything and it all tastes amazing.

Before I realize what I have done I have finished everything on my plate. I let out a contented sigh and sit back in my chair before I remember I had an audience for the Sookie Gorge-fest. I cannot even begin to describe the look on Eric's it's a mixture of pleasure, victory, smugness, and something strictly Eric. Looking at him I know I will never be able to live it down.

"If those noises you were just making were any indication I would say that you enjoyed my cooking." Eric leered at me somehow it didn't lose its effect even though he was covered in flour and looked a complete mess.

"My God Eric, that was amazing when and where did you learn to cook?"

"Well my dear," he said leaning over to kiss the top of my head " I asked Pam to buy some cook books when I saw that you were going to be sleeping for a while and all of the stuff was already here from Bobby's shopping excursion so just gave it a shot. I'm happy to see that I have done well."

Eric's smile disappeared soon after and I knew that our light-hearted moment was over. "Mr. Cataliades called me, he has found some information that he thinks may be of use to us, but he was not willing to share on the phone so he has agreed to send Daintha with the information. She is meet us at Fangtasia in an hour."

As relieved as I was that there is information available I was scared to find out the nature of it since it cannot be shared over the phone. I sigh in an attempt to gather my thoughts before heading to Fangtasia to await Daintha's arrival.

The ride to Fangtasia is a quite one. I am silently praying that the news from Mr. Cataliades is good. Of all of the supernatural beings that I have dealt with I have never had a bad experience with a demon so I'm hoping that this does not set the precedent.

We arrive at Fangtasia a short while later. This is the last thing I want to be doing right now because sitting on my butt in a bar. I need to be out looking for Jason but unlike the last time I have no information to go off of except some lingering scents in his house. To say that I'm not feeling optimistic would be the understatement oft the century.

Pam greets us at the staff entrance looking positively giddy.

"Oh, Sookie. I've been looking into places we can go for our vacation, I know you like the sun and there are some great new places in the Caribbean that are vampire friendly. Carnival even has a line of vamp friendly cruise ships they have activities that I think even the master will like, and maybe we can bring that delicious brother of yours too to keep me company when he gets back." Pam was practically bouncing up and down on the walk to Eric's office. I had never seen her this excited and I wished I could join her.

"Pam, that sounds like great idea, its like one big happy family vacation. Lets talk about it after I get Jason back okay."

Thankfully Pam heard the sarcasm in my statement and she toned her excitement down a notch.

"Yeah we'll do that but in the meantime I'll keep looking and then we can go bikini shopping."

Before she could get herself worked up again Eric cut in.

"Pamela, aren't you supposed to be watching the door?" Eric said glaring at his child, who simply glared back at him before marching out to the front of the bar.

I sat on the couch and played with the pendant on my chain. Eric tells me that Daintha should be here in a half hour and my stomach seizes with nervousness and I almost forget how to breathe. In an effort to distract myself I take out my cell phone, I haven't looked at it since yesterday so I'm not surprised to see that I have messages.

The first message was from Alcide I forgot I called him in the haze that was yesterday. He tells me that he sent trackers out to Jason's property and they are working with some of the werepanther trackers. He promises to call me as soon as he hears from them. The next message from Calvin and was practically identical to Alcide's.

I heard Amelia's voice next and as soon as I did I felt terrible, that incredible sadness that was finally lifting from her voice had returned and she sounded sadder than ever. She told me that Bubba was sent over to watch my property and help her keep an eye on Bill. She surprised me when she said that she decided to stay at Bill's until I came back so Bubba had less ground he needed to cover, I found it to be weird but I guess it did make sense. When she promised to fill in as many of my shifts as she could at Merlotte's I felt extremely guilty for her having to take on so much.

The next four messages were all from Sam, the first two were him apologizing for the things he said yesterday and how he only said them because he doesn't want to see me get hurt. Having heard all of this before I delete the messages before I have to listen to him ramble on for too long. I know I will forgive Sam but I don't have space in my world to think about him and his feelings right now.

I am about to delete his third message before he starts talking but when he does his voice is hushed and urgent. He tells me before opening this morning he went over by Jason's in his usual collie form and that he sees my brother but he seems a bit off. He says Jason smells like a fairy and that he is looking around like doesn't know what happened to his house.

Fear instantly grabs me and Eric is up from his paperwork and in front of me before I have the chance to blink. I mouth the name "Dermot" as I listen intently to the last of Sam's messages before I lose the wonderful breakfast Eric made for me from the stress of it all. Sam's next message is not as frantic as he tells me that he doesn't think the person he saw was Jason and that he told Calvin what he saw and that they are going to keep a look out and try to talk to the person if he comes back. Neither Sam nor Calvin knows of Dermot's relationship to Jason and me and I have the strange desire to keep it that way.

When the message was finally over I had calmed down a bit but Eric hadn't he was pacing back and forth practically wearing a ridge into the floor.

"Sam said he saw a guy that looked like Jason came around the property this morning but that something was off about him. He said he looked like he was confused. He and Calvin plan to try and corner him and talk to him if he comes back." I practically vomited the words they came out so fast, my mind was racing and I didn't know what to make of this.

Apparently Eric did. "Stupid animals, why would they try to do such a thing? If the fairy is involved they should be trying to kill him not talk to him."

"I don't think Dermot has anything to do with Jason disappearing, he had the opportunity to hurt Jason before and he used it to warn him about the man that contributed to the death of Jason's wife instead. I don't know what he would do to me given the chance but I do know that he wouldn't hurt Jason."

"I cannot believe that you are sticking up for a fucking fairy after what they have done to you, if they all didn't runaway and hide in their realm I would kill every last one of them starting with your great grandfather." Eric practically roars at me.

I can't rein in my temper as I yell back, "I'm not defending a fairy I'm just saying that in this particular instance it is unlikely that Dermot has anything to do with it. This has nothing to do with fairies have done to me. If I decided to hate every member of a race based on what some of the individuals in that race have done to me then I would hate practically every being on this planet, dimension, realm, or whatever else including humans and especially vampires. I don't have the time for that much hate in my lifetime, you may but I don't."

"It is not about hate Sookie its about self preservation, never in my existence have I ever come a being that attracts as much trouble as you. It is absolutely beyond me how you have survived even for this long."

At this point we are glaring at each other standing as close to nose to nose as we can. Pam barges in asking how I feel about the Mediterranean but takes in the scene before rolling her eyes and leaving again. But the interruption is enough to diffuse some of the tension in the room.

Feeling exhausted again I plop back down onto the couch. Neither of us sees any point in continuing our previous discussion so we both return to our previous activities and await Daintha in a tense silence. I know that Eric's concern for me coupled with my emotions flowing through the bond caused that little spat so I will try not to use it against him. I once again notice that he doesn't try and use the bond to calm me, I want to ask why but I can't bring myself to care at the moment.

I look back at my phone and set about sending text messages to everyone in response to the voicemails they left me, I simply can't bring myself to talk to so many people right now they have to understand and if they don't I can't care about it at the moment. It takes me forever because I hate using the number keys to type. Eventually I finish sending my messages; I send the same message to Alcide and Calvin thanking them for their help since they told me practically the same thing in their voicemails. I tell Amelia to take care and be safe, while telling Sam to tread lightly when dealing with Dermot and that he's half fae. Especially given the last conversation I had with Sam I am not comfortable telling him that I am related to Dermot but I beg him to arm himself with lemons and iron if he does decide to approach him.

When I close my phone I see that it is five minutes after 10pm, Daintha was supposed to have been here by now. Maybe she got her brightly colored leggings stuck on a bush on the way or something and she's delayed.

I take my shoes off and put my feet up on the couch needing a chance to rest my head before I hear what Daintha has to say. Eric comes over and puts a cover over me gently kissing my temple and I am out like a light.

Jason POV from earlier that day…

Being kidnapped once was more than enough for me. The first night I was down here some weird looking guy kept coming in and giving me a needle with something that kept putting me to sleep. The first few times I tried to fight him and the sleep off but it was no use. I would struggle and the guy would just backhand me sending my head bouncing off the concrete wall behind me, he didn't look like a big guy but he sure could pack a wallop. Whatever he was giving me stopped me from changing last night so they didn't chain me up.

As soon as I woke up today though they put the chains on me while I was still swimming from the drugs. When they come in to bring me my "food" as they called it I was mad as hell and I tried to get this thing that has me down here to answer me. I can't get close to him to grab him though, and he refuses to answer my questions.

I have never been as mad as I am right now in my entire life. My vision goes red and I want to tear this guy apart. I want to get back to my home and to my sister. I refuse to be caged up again. The strangest sensation comes over me. It feels like the change is coming but I can see through my small window that it is still daylight out. I have never changed before sunset before but hear I stand more panther than man.

This time is so different, I feel more powerful than I ever have in panther form. My head is clear and I can think normal people thoughts as opposed to the pull to action I am used to. I can hear so much better now too, I hear the voices of other people and the growls of animals. Not every voice is speaking in English or any language I have every heard before but they all sound distressed as do the animals. I'm not the only person being held down here, I vow to myself that when I get out I'm taking them with me.

The look on the face of the guy keeping me here is priceless, he is so scared he looks like he is about to crap his pants. He shouts, "You're just a bitten, you should be able to change now," as he drops the tray.

I lunge after him but the chains keep me in place. He runs from the room tail firmly between his legs and I can't help but thank God for small victories. I look down at myself to see that I am not the panther-man that I usually turn into but something closer to what Calvin turns into but still not the same.

As I begin to calm down I start to change back into the human me. My clothes that were in pretty bad shape when they first threw me down here are now rags and I am left standing panting in the middle of the room naked as the day I was born. I resume my seat huddled in the corner and pray that I find some way out of this.

Sookie POV

I awake to the sound of Eric on the phone.

"I do not care if you have to walk here, you will be here today and you will tell my bonded what you know. You will meet her at her house and then you will wait for me to rise and then tell us again what it is that you know. Do we understand each other?"

I can only guess the person's response because Eric slaps his phone close right after he has stopped speaking. He sees the look of utter confusion on my face and explains.

"There is an hour left before dawn and Daintha has yet to arrive. The demon lawyer still refuses to share information over the phone so he will be coming himself later today to tell you everything he knows. He will meet you at your house in Bon Temps. You and I will be resting here this morning and the Were will picking you up at 10 to drive you back to your house where he will stay with you until I get there. If for whatever reason you need to leave your house you will take him and the witch with you."

It is clear that Sheriff Eric has come out to play so there is no trying to convince him that my day will be going anyway other than how he said it was.

"Amelia is staying at Bill's so I'll have Alcide drive over there to pick her up." I don't know why I felt it necessary to share that bit of information but it just came out.

Eric raises an eyebrow but the look on his face says that he doesn't care enough to actually voice his question.

"Pam has brought you over a change of clothes if you should be wanting to take a shower before you leave for the day."

"Okay, what do you think happened to Daintha, do you think she is alright?"

Sheriff Eric was quickly replaced with my Eric as he sits on the couch next to me and pulled me into him. Placing his chin on my head he says, "I don't know lover, there seems to be a whole lot of questions to be asked but very few answers to be given. We will see to it that, that changes." He kissed me on the top of my head.

"Rest now lover, the sun will be up soon and hopefully with it will come answers."

I rest my head in his lap and try to go back to sleep as he pets my hair. My mind starts to slow down as I drift to sleep and I can not help but hope that dawn does in fact bring with it answers.

A/N2: Finally I got that done that was one of the most difficult chapters I've done so far, I knew what I wanted to happen but not exactly how to get there, let me know what you think of it. Also see if you spotted the little nod to season one of True Blood that I snuck in there.