AN: Thanks so much for your feedback! I can't believe how many reviews and alerts this story has gotten after just four chapters. Big thanks to keiman and kei and treewitch703 for beta-reading and fixing my mistakes.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN TRUE BLOOD OR SVM. MOST CHARACTERS WON'T BE MINE. THEY BELONG TO HBO AND CHARLAINE HARRIS.


Chapter 5

Upcoming Changes

EPOV

I was surprised that Ervin Collins had flown under the radar for so long. Even without Sookie's insight, detecting a treacherous gardener should have been easy for my maker. Right now, said human was sitting in front of Godric, sweating profusely and his heartbeat was so fast and loud that it actually would have given me a headache; if I hadn't been dead, of course.

We were sitting in Godric's underground room, one of the few places in his house where bugs hadn't been planted. The human took his place on one of the chairs with Sookie sitting right next to him while Godric and I stayed on the other side of the desk.

"Ervin," started my maker quietly. "You have to know that I am aware that you sought help from the Fellowship."

Sought help? It was a very mild way to imply that he betrayed both my maker and his nest. Choosing such words in his interaction with a human only proved what I saw earlier - changes in my Master; somehow he was more gentle and forgiving than ever before. I could understand if he had decided not to act brutally but surely he wouldn't let it slip! Lack of a firm hand in such a situation would characterize Godric as weak. He cannot jeopardize his authority.

"Please calm down. I can hear what you are afraid of." Sookie moved and took the gardener's hand in her own. Ervin gasped and tried to pull his hand from her grasp but Sookie was stronger than she looked. She gave a sidelong glance to Godric and he nodded shortly.

"I know the reason behind your betrayal..." At least Sookie named things the way they were. "... and you had good reason to doubt."

I decided to sit. That conversation would be long and clearly annoying to me.

"How do you know?" he asked, watching Sookie carefully. She only smiled at him enigmatically , showing all of us that it was not the first time that she had been asked this question.

"Doesn't matter..." murmured a human not waiting for any answer. "I will die, right?"

I felt a pang of distress from my maker. He leaned on his desk and looked at his servant with sadness.

"Do you really see me as such a monster, Ervin?"

Gardener lowered his head and I saw his lips starting to tremble.

"You were always good, but what happened to my girl..." He started to weep quietly and I shifted uncomfortably. There was something very unsettling at the sight of a crying elder. Children cried all the time. Humans of his age should be stronger.

"I'm so sorry." My maker looked uncomfortable as well. "There's no way to undo it but hopefully my friend from that area will investigate it further. You have my word for that."

"I told Godric everything, but please, could you tell us more about Fellowship actions?" Sookie once again reached for Ervin's hand, partially to assure him that he was safe and also to give herself a better access to his mind. At least, that's what I assumed. The gardener once more looked at Godric with worry but my maker only encouraged him with a short nod.

"Well, I was worried some people here are glamoured, so I thought if there were some devices, in case something happens, there would be evidence..."

"I understand your reasoning, Ervin. Did the Newlins find anything?"

"Nah, there was one vampire who was trying to glamour a girl… You see Mr. Godric, she already had a boyfriend, but he still wanted her to come to his apartment later, but Mr. Stan heard and got really mad at him."

That was a shock for me. Stan would be my number one suspect on a list of vampires taking advantage of humans. During my musing, the gardener become slightly more confident and started talking more freely.

"After two weeks I said that there is no reason to have bugs in your home, Mr. Godric, that you are a good fella, but that big bald guy told me that a vampire would surely kill me if I told anyone." He stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. "I told him that's just not right, but..." He looked around us, gulping loudly.

Sookie gasped suddenly and turned to me and my maker with a burning anger in her eyes.

"They said they will hurt his grandson! And they call themselves Christians! Assholes!" When I chuckled at her outrage, she blushed and mumbled an apology for her language.

"How are you doing it?" asked Ervin once again and Sookie only waved her hand, in a dismissive way.

"Ervin, listen…" My maker leaned closer to him. "I would not allow such a thing to happen in my area."

Old man gulped again and lowered his gaze. Sookie watched him for a moment and sighed sadly. It was obvious that he was thinking about something he wasn't willing to share with us.

"What is it, Sookie?" I asked, worried about her distress. She turned to Godric and bit her lower lip.

"Godric, he thinks that you couldn't… put two and two together."

"Why?" My maker sat up straighter, clearly he felt offended by this statement.

"You've gone as far as my granddaughter…" whispered Ervin and I wanted to growl when both humans looked at my Master with sympathy and a little bit of pity in their eyes.

GPOV

I felt Eric's gaze on the back of my head. He'd been doing it for a while now and I found it to be disturbing.

"Eric," I warned him quietly and instantly felt annoyance in our bond.

"Old man didn't know what he's talking about."

Sookie and Ervin went upstairs for dinner, my older servant still in shock that there would be no repercussions for his actions, while my child and I decided to discuss the Fellowship situation.

"I'm afraid you are wrong - I was lost. Truly Eric, I have spent the last few months in my chamber, reviewing reports that Isabel filed in my name, I don't even remember paying attention to them. I did no investigations, no interrogations, I did nothing. I lost many nights just sitting here and looking into space. And mourning." I closed a file about the Newlins with anger. Today I feel anger and it's a nice change from my previous numbness. "I mourned lives I took centuries ago and didn't think about the lives being taken during my mental absence. I think I have become pretty pathetic, my son."

Eric growled loudly at my statement and vamped in front of me.

"Master, don't make me punch you in the face. I did it only once and I would not like to do it again."

My lips quirked at the memory. Stink. The reason my child attacked me was my lack of personal hygiene.

"I remember… I left you horribly frustrated when I declined a bath after our hunt."

"Godric… Flies were buzzing around your head. You reeked of rotten meat. Which, by the way, was tangled in your hair!"

"True…"

I ponder the Newlin's situation again.

"We have to deal with them." I pointed at the files. "Sookie's ability will surely help us to find spies but we have to keep in mind that some of them may be just like Ervin – threatened and worried for their families." My child nodded shortly to that.

"We cannot just attack the religious organizationeither," I continued. "They are two-faced and corrupted, that's true, but not in public. They speak about God's love while being filled with nothing but hate and spreading this hatred in the world. When I spent a few nights there the average member… seemed just that - ordinary. The Newlins, the leaders, are the biggest problem. They are calling us monsters, but they are only looking for an excuse to relieve their own… vile needs. The man who assaulted Sookie, for example. She said that Gabe raped many women before her."

I felt bloodlust coming from Eric and I had to take hold of our bond to calm him.

"They aren't openly targeting vampires, they are targeting fangbangers and other people associating with our kind. Cowards," my child growled and I saw him clenching his jaw hard. "I guess it's easier to assault a human woman than a vampire, right?"

"Yes, my son, they are easier targets. If we can find such humans, maybe persuade them to testify…"

"That won't be so easy." I was interrupted by Sookie, who had just entered my chamber. I smiled gently and I felt amusement coming from Eric. "What?" she asked looking at us. I only shook my head.

"Please Sookie, explain."

"First, any of these women that Gabe attacked will not want to go public. Honestly, I think they don't need any more humiliation and as for justice… their attacker is pushing up daisies already. Next, if you show someone on national television saying that the Newlins and the Fellowship are monsters, you will get a very fast reaction from their lawyers and Newlins themselves. They will surely claim that you simply glamoured someone to make false accusations."

Sookie was beautiful, intelligent and quite a good strategist. She would surely be a magnificent companion for me and for Eric. Both my child and I had always admired strong willed women.

"I would suggest we ruin their reputation then," offered Eric with a smirk.

"Wow, I actually agree with Eric," murmured Sookie and my child's smile only broadened.

"That will take some time. We will have to infiltrate the Fellowship, plant some fake evidence…" I pointed out.

"Well," Sookie sat in front of me and Eric took the place next to her. I noticed he hitched a chair slightly closer to our (soon to be) telepath. "If your reading tonight of the humans will reveal who is a Fellowship spy, all we have to do is to glamor them to spy back to us. I mean, to you…"

"I very much like that idea. I will discuss further details with Isabel."

Sookie approved with a short nod of her head. Eric leaned more comfortably in his chair and raised his eyebrows. I sensed his approval and curiosity.

"I understand that mongrel… your boss I mean, gave you more time off?"

Sookie glared at him and gritted her teeth. "His name is Sam and I would appreciate it if you didn't speak about him so disrespectfully." I also scolded Eric through our bond but he only shrugged. My son, unfortunately, has never had much respect for two natured creatures. "But," Sookie moved in her chair uncomfortably. "I haven't spoken with him yet."

"Why not?" I asked. She was clearly hiding something.

"Well, there was no time really and I still have two days in banked…"

"Here you go." Eric simply handed her my phone with a smile. "Now, you are free and Godric and I will gladly act as your moral support." He looked at her with a sarcastic smirk. "Sookie, we won't be able to take down the Fellowship in two days." She looked at me, clearly seeking some help, but her strange behavior was very puzzling. The telepath seemed to be afraid to call her boss.

"Sookie, I hope you are not afraid of a shifter?" Could it be that he was… abusive towards her? What's the phrase for being harassed at work? Mobbing?

"What? No, well…" She sighed and closed her eyes. "He is not a fan of the fang but I still have my vacation days to use so I guess he will not make any problems…"

"I understand." Eric was watching her and in our bond some murderous feelings started bubbling to the surface. "We can stay here with you or leave if you need some space. Nevertheless, you should still make that call."

She glanced at Eric and back at me. "Even if you go upstairs you will still hear my conversation, right?"

There was no point in lying. "Our advanced age has given us this ability, yes."

"Fine," she murmured and dialed the shifter. "Just please, stay quiet, OK?" Both Eric and I nodded. Inside I was almost jumping to hear her interacting with her boss.

"Merlotte's, Bar and Grill. How can I help you?"

"Uh, hello Arlene, it's Sookie."

"Oh, hi sweetie!" Well, that was a very friendly greeting, I was of good cheer. "I was worried that these nasty fangers ate ya and now ya are dead somewhere in an alley." And my hopes went to hell.

"Arlene, I'm fine," said Sookie politely but I noticed her hand gripped the phone harder. "Give me Sam, please."

"OK." We heard a woman yelling for a shifter and few moments later he was on the phone.

"Hello, Cher."

"Hi, Sam."

"When are you back?"

"That's why I'm calling. You see…" Sookie bit down on her lower lip, but Merlotte didn't allow her to finish. He actually growled into the phone.

"Damn Sook, you are staying there longer."

"Well, yes, but a situation…"started Sookie but she was once again rudely interrupted.

"I told you, Sookie, that fangers are no good. They will just use you and then dump you! I thought you were smarter than that." She bit down on her lower lip again and I saw she lowered her gaze in an ashamed manner. "What would your Gran say seeing you turning into some common fangban…"

Before he ended his tirade, Eric had the cell in his hand. I looked at Sookie and I saw she felt… humiliated. That shifter will pay for this.

"Dog," started my son quietly. "I suggest you choose your words more carefully. I will not tolerate you speaking to Sookie in such a manner."

"Northman?" There was silence on the line while Merlotte was trying to put two and two together. "Where's Compton? What did you do to Sookie?"

The telepath turned to Eric and opened her mouth, no doubt to ask for her phone back, but I took hold of her hand and shook my head. She had to've seen something dangerous in my eyes because when our eyes locked, her mouth instantly shut.

"Miss Stackhouse is working for me for the time being. That's all you have to know."

"You…"

"Don't interrupt me." This time Eric's voice got slightly louder, clearly a sign that he's furious. "As far I'm concerned Sookie called you to inform you that she is using her outstanding free days, not to ask for your personal opinion. I'll send someone from my bar to cover her shifts."

"I don't need any…"

"When I get back from Dallas, we will discuss your bad manners, Merlotte. By then I suggest that you think of a nice way to apologize to Sookie for your crude words. You had no right to humiliate her and unquestionably, no right to compare her to some pathetic fangbanger. Insult her once more and I will have your mangy dog skin in front of my fireplace."

With that he hung up and set the phone on the desk more forcefully than necessary. Sookie was watching him with absolute shock and I sent him a wave of appreciation. She might be mad about Eric's highhanded manner and normally I would not tolerate it either but that dog deserved it. Sookie won't die if someone took her side from time to time.

"You… you had no right to threaten him on my behalf!" she told him after a good minute of silence.

"I apologize, lover." Eric sat back in his chair. There wasn't even a hint of regret in his voice. "I admit I lost my cool a little. I can't explain my anger… Maybe the fact that he disrespects you without a good reason? Maybe because he was talking to you like you were some kind of trash while you are one of the most honorable and worthy humans I ever encountered?" His voice was dripping with venom and sarcasm.

"Eric…" She was flabbergasted by his outburst.

"You are standing up to me, even though I could kill you in a flash but when this dog disrespects you, you can't even speak back. I don't understand this," he finished with a sad shake of his head.

"Eric," I warned him gently

"It's true," he bites back. "Excuse me." Eric stood up and looked at Sookie with anger. "I have some work to do."

I didn't stop him when he marched out of my room, fuming with anger. I gave Sookie a few minutes to compose herself, while musing over my child's behavior.

"I don't understand why he's so angry…" whispered Sookie, looking to me for an answer. I was considering my options for a minute, deciding that choosing the right words would be crucial for finding a way to make a peace between the two of them.

"My son is a very composed person, apparently cold and emotionless, but if he decides someone is worthy of his respect and friendship, Eric becomes fiercely protective of him… or her."

"So? Me?"

"I believe so."

"He just wants to have sex with me," she said, folding her arms. I allowed myself to sigh quietly.

"Eric could have ordered Bill to hand you over the second you two met." Sookie opened her lips, visibly outraged, but I stopped her with a firm look.

"That's true, he could but Eric respects you far too much to treat you that way, like some possession . Consider the facts then, my child can be a wonderful friend and companion, if you allow him to do so. You aren't very polite to him, Sookie." She became literally purple at my comment, embarrassed that I had pointed out her bad manners. "Give yourself a chance to spend some time in each other's company and actually talk… That's my advice."

"But he is so… He just can't be in the same room with me without driving me mad! And all these… intimate innuendos! I would appreciate if he would just slow down."

"Then I suggest you tell him what makes you feel so uncomfortable."

We were sitting in silence for a moment, both deep in thought. When Sookie was analyzing things, she allowed her pretty good poker face to disappear. I watched, fascinated, while she was frowning, biting her lower lip and eventually seeming to be almost resigned.

"Dang, you may be right…" she admitted finally. I smiled at her broadly.

"Sookie, not to sound too… cocky but I have been able to gain some life experiences over these last two thousand years."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it – you are old like dirt and smart like Einstein." She folded her arms again.

"Sookie…" I started carefully, badly wanting to solve another issue. "Why did you allow shifter to speak to you in that manner? I mean, when you feel offended you instantly react; I saw it with Bill and Eric. Meanwhile, when Merlotte's said all these things, you weren't able to mutter a word. Why is this so?" The telepath visibly shrank in the chair and I noticed I'd crossed some boundaries. "I'm sorry, that's your personal…"

"No, it's… just…" She took a deep breath preparing herself. "It's not easy with my telepathy. I don't know if you can even imagine it – it's a constant noise. People are very eager to judge you and point out things that aren't your strong suites. Well, on the other hand, I had to deal with men's fantasies and sometimes it all was too much. I lost the sense of what was said out loud or only inside and when…"

I nodded briefly , trying to look as calm as possible but on the inside I was furious. Sookie was far too goodhearted to suffer in any way. Honestly, I cannot even imagine what uncomplimentary things someone could even have to say to her. So far, the only flaw I detected was her small sense of self-esteem.

"I once slapped a guy when I was working at the shop. Just lost my cool, I felt bad, my shields weren't working… I couldn't find any job and my Gran needed money. Sam was the only one who understood. He understood what I was going through; once or twice he even spoke to people who upset me."

"Well, I can understand that you feel beholden to him for that, but if he knows you, he must surely know that you are a proud and… dignified woman. If he's your friend, accusing you of such things is unforgivable."

I watched almost panicking as Sookie's lips started to tremble and her eyes became suspiciously watery. Oh, no…

"Sookie, I'm sorry…" I vamped next to her and took hold of her hands. "I meant not to upset you, dear one."

Just like in the cage, instead of feeling better, she started to sob out loud. I massaged her back slowly but it only caused her to cry more. I called Eric to my side and he was there a moment later.

"Wha…" he asked, looking from the weeping Sookie and tome while I clearly looked like a child lost in a fog. "Why is she crying so hard?"

"I guess I saddened her…"

"It's not you!" The telepath murmured, then she hiccuped and sniffed. I hurriedly handed her a handkerchief. At least she had the ability to speak. "It's them! I… am really nice to them all… I… never judge and they just left me or called me names… when I started to date Bill. That's not a worry, just…" She stopped for a moment when a particularly loud wave of sobs overwhelmed her. Eric knelt next to me with an expression that would have been hilarious if I hadn't looked the same. "They all think I'm stupid! And they're right! I was… because Bill was a jerk!"

"What now?" asked Eric quietly in Old Norse. He felt completely helpless and honestly so did I.

"No idea… Rubbing her back seems to be not helping this time."

"There, there…" said Eric suddenly and I almost fell when he embraced Sookie and patted her head. "Get if off your chest, lover."

Slowly, very slowly Sookie moved away from him and looked at my son. "What?" she murmured. Great advantage of her shock was, that she evidently forgot about her crying.

"I heard women like to cry to relieve their stress." He turned to me with a look of triumph. Well, the fact was that he was victorious – Sookie stopped sobbing.

"Oh my God, you will not let me forget about this, will you?" murmured Sookie and then she hid her face in Eric's neck. I closed our bond to allow my child to experience what he was feeling without any interruptions. He looked at me with a question, looking for some advice but I decided to stay closed. It was time for him to admit he WAS feeling something.

"Don't worry, lover… We won't let this moment of weakness leak outside this room," he whispered back into her hair.

"Thank you." Sookie moved away from him but I noticed that one of her hands was still resting on his arm. "If either of you has a moment of weakness… and I am be present, I won't let it slip either," she promised, looking at Eric and back at me. I smiled with gratitude. After all, she had already helped me with my emotional turmoil but my son was clearly surprised. I was worried that he would react with some sassy comment that will ruin their intimate moment but thankfully, he decided to stay quiet and only nodded.

"Sun has just set. Come, dear one," I held my hand out for her and Sookie took it without hesitation. "We have spies to find."


AN: I hope you will forgive Sookie her little breakdown.

Let me know what you think about the update. Till next time!