AN: Here's an update - sooner than I expected. I hope you will enjoy yourself while reading it :)

Thank you all for wonderful reviews and alerts. Big thanks for my beta, keiman and kei for 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 15

Slap You Silly

SPOV

I was numb when I saw what had happened to my house. My first thought was that Bill had lost his mind and decided to ruin my home, the one that has been in my family for generations as some kind of a sick retribution. My heart almost exploded at the realization that Tara had been there and she could be hurt or worse. However, he came second. My childhood friend emerged from the house and I froze.

She was giggling and playing the fool with a man that I didn't recognize.

"Tara Mae…" I half whispered in shock. She wasn't injured or imprisoned; on the contrary, she was almost acting like there was nothing wrong with the fact that my home was falling apart! A horrible comprehension came over me and I shook with fury. "What the fuck did you do to my house?!" I demanded and my anger only increased when my childhood friend, instead of being at least ashamed, dared to point out that I had come back home too early!

"Yes, Tara!" I told her with venom. "I am and thank God for that, otherwise I would have nothing to come back to! What happened?"

Tara glanced at the man at her side but I gave him no mind. I could understand that Bobby freaking Burham is an ass that had treated me badly - he was a stranger after all. But Tara?!

"Well, we got to partying yesterday…" she mumbled, shrugging. Did she just shrug at me?!

My body jumped forward and I swear to God, I wanted to punch her. I was cut short though when Eric took hold of my arms and stopped me, yanking my body flat against his.

"Lover," he whispered into my ear and I felt a blush creeping across my cheeks. In my current position, when I was pushed into his body, I could feel that the Viking found something very arousing in this whole situation. "As much as watching you going to work Valkyrie-style on that bloodbag would be entertaining, I think you should be cautious. There is something strange in the air."

When Eric mentioned it I had to admit he was right. Something was vibrating in the air, something that was giving me the creeps. I scanned the area with my mind but I found no one else nearby. Whatever it was – voodoo magic, magnetic field or the damn leprechauns running around naked – it would not stop me from giving Tara a piece of my mind.

"That was quite a party," I hissed and she shrugged again. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I snapped. "I gave you a place to crash, Gran's house no less and you allowed people to make such a mess of the place?" Eric let go of me, walking right behind me like a silent guardian.

"Now ya gonna hang it on me, aren't cha?"

"You're damned right, Tara!" I was next to her now and walking past her with a venomous glare on my face. She made no move to stop me, only folded her arms. Her 'beau' was just standing there and sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Sookie?" I heard Eric's whisper. I turned to him and he nodded his head at the threshold. He was stuck there - I had never invited him inside after all.

"Right… Come on in." My heart was raging when I opened the door and took a tentative look inside. The inside wasn't any better than the outside. Things were shattered and dirty, cupboards and fridge were empty and these were just my hallway and my kitchen. I was afraid to check the living room and bedrooms.

I slowly walked into Gran's room, shaking like a leaf in the wind. I couldn't stop the tears that started to flow at the sight that welcomed me there. Many of the things of my beloved grandmother had been destroyed. Her bed was messy and I could only suspect what had been happening there. What saddened me the most though was the tangled ball of wool that used to be the last of Gran's work. She had had no chance to finish it and I had put it gently on her bed, promising myself that I would do it one day. Someone had ripped the remaining part of the tablecloth and had just thrown it into a corner of the room.

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm myself. I regretted it immediately when the stinky stench assaulted my nostrils. Again – what had happened in here?

Tara was standing in the hallway and her boyfriend was giving Eric scared glances. Maybe I am a bad Christian but I wanted the vampire to throw them both outside. I could not do that until I have had a word with Tara though.

"How could you allow it?" I asked again and she sighed.

"Christ fuck, Sook! We were having a good time, 'kay?" She even rolled her eyes. "I'll clean it up."

"You'll clean it up?! You'll clean it up!" I was right in her face this time but she didn't even move. Sookie Stackhouse never gets really angry after all, right? Well, this time I was. Not just angry but absolutely furious. "Get out!" I told her coldly.

She was watching me like I had lost my mind. I risked a glimpse into her thoughts and I was surprised when I felt something amiss there. She did not regret a thing, what's even worse – she truly saw nothing inappropriate in her behavior. What was wrong with her?

"Me and Eggs needed a place to crash," she said, folding her arms. I had to have heard something wrong. "Mary Ann told us to get out of her place and he.." She nodded at the man, whose name was clearly 'Eggs'."… needed a place to stay. We were gonna clean it all up." Her tone was completely dismissive. I had no idea whom this Mary Ann was but if her house had been treated the same way as mine had been, I could not blame the woman for throwing them out. "Jeez, almost everyone was here, I called up a few of 'em."

I stumbled while taking a look inside of her head. That had not been a simple party – it had been a fucking Romanic orgy! Tara's mind had a few holes in it but I could tell that the party that had taken place here yesterday hadhosted quite a few guests- guests who had been having sex on every surface of my house. I felt literally violated.

Before I thought what I was doing, I slapped Tara across her face- hard. Godric's blood gave me almost unnatural strength and my slap sent Tara to the floor. I looked at my hand in astonishment and then back at her. Instead of being shocked or angry, my friend – or maybe my former friend now – giggled and the man called Eggs, followed suit. I turned to glance at Eric and he was watching them with raised eyebrows.

"Something is wrong with them," he concluded and I barely stopped myself from calling him Sherlock. That was pretty much obvious.

"Ya know what?" Tara stood up and smiled at me. "Fine!" she raised her arms in the air, somehow challenging me to do something more. I was not planning to but I felt myself taking a step back, closer to Eric. "Ya make me sick either way! Always so perfect and innocent. Fucking prude." Tara's eyes stopped at Eric for a moment and she whistled. "But liking cold cocks, huh?"

She slapped me back nicely with her remark.

"Be careful," I warned her. I had no doubt that whatever furious Eric would do to Tara might be worse than a bitch slap.

We were standing there for a moment in strained silence and eventually Tara and Eggs walked away, still laughing out loud. I exhaled, not even realizing that I had been holding my breath.

"That was interesting," summed up Eric.

"That was my best friend," I told him sadly. The tears were stinging my eyes. I was seriously conflicted. Something was wrong with Tara but that wasn't the explanation of why she was acting like a bitch.

"Sorry, Lover." I sighed when he leaned closer and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry, I'll help you out."

I only nodded. Somehow, that proposition was a very tempting one at that particular moment.

EPOV

This human idea of friendship was definitely very peculiar. When that human girl spoke to Sookie in such a vulgar manner and then showed no remorse for destroying her house, I was planning on breaking her neck quickly and swiftly. Something was telling me though, that was not the kind of support that Sookie was expecting.

My little telepath was crying softly and only cried harder when I asked her if she wants to stay with me for a couple of days.

"I…I have to clean up," she mumbled into my chest and I awkwardly patted her back.

"Don't worry about this, Sookie. I have a cleaning crew."

"But I…"

"They owe me," I told her softly, reaching to wipe away tears from her cheeks. That bitch will pay for this. "Do you need to take anything with you?" She lowered her gaze and watched the floor stubbornly.

"They were having sex here…" she whispered. Yes, I could tell. "But maybe they didn't go upstairs?" she asked me hopefully. Judging by the smell, I could tell they had gone upstairs but there was no point in depressing Sookie any further.

"There's a chance," I whispered with a small smile. I was about to ask her to sit down but every surface was dirty... "Stay here and I'll take a look. Don't go outside." She nodded and I smirked. I quite liked a co-operative Sookie.

Upstairs was a disaster as well. I was shaking with anger when I walked into the room that was being used by Sookie. The stench of sex and bodily fluids defiled her space. My fangs ran down when I saw a piece of flowery material laying in a corner of the room. It was the white-red dress that Sookie had been wearing when we had met for the very first time. It was some strange sign of sentiment but I felt like this horde of stupid humans had taken something from me. Carefully, I raised the dress with my pen and checked the label. Pam will have some shopping to do later.

Sookie was waiting for me in the hallway and wasn't very surprised when I came back empty handed.

"Eric, what do you think is wrong with them? Because something is definitely wrong!"she asked me when we were walking back to the car. Despite everything that had happened, it was very hard for me not to be excited by the fact that I would have Sookie for myself for a couple of days. Yes, the working crew will be taking their time with fixing everything and giving the place a thorough cleaning and delousing.

"I have some suspicions. Unfortunately, they can be connected with the creature that had attacked you before in Dallas..." I said slowly.

"Oh my God!" Sookie turned to me with wide, scared eyes. "What was that?"

"When I described your injuries to Godric, he pointed out that it could have been a Maenad." They were nasty creatures known to make all your bad traits visible. Maenads were always holding crazy parties, infecting humans with madness and lust. When we were in Dallas, Pam had been sent to check it out and in fact, there had been a creature like that in Bon Temps. She was calling herself Mary Ann Forester and thankfully, she haddeparted two days ago. Clearly, judging by what had happened with Sookie's house and how her friend was acting, Maenad's madness was still in the air. I will be damned if I will allow Sookie to stay in this town.

When I had explained everything to her, my little telepath was getting more and more worried.

"But what about the others? I mean, what if that Maenad creature has 'infected' them too?"

"I don't know," I told her honestly. "They will probably want to fuck and maybe commit some minor crimes. If there is something dark in them though, then who knows?"

Sookie was deep in thought for a moment and eventually she sighed. "That's sad but I just realized that when Jason is out of town, the only person I wanna check at this moment is Lafayette. Would you mind if we stopped by his place?"

I smirked at her. I had absolutely nothing against that guy. Lafayette Reynolds was quite a funny breather. Also, I hoped that he would show Sookie that he no longer holds any grudge against me. Yes, that would be another thing working to my advantage.

Merlotte's cook was alone at the house and his smile faded a little at the sight of me. He collected himself very fast though. Good, I was pleased with him.

"Sook, hookah! Show me ya fine skinny ass!" He embraced Sookie with a tight hug and my little telepath giggled.

"Hello, Lafayette. Nice to see ya too."

He glanced at me and at her and sighed. "Gurl, tell me ya haven't been at your place…"

"I was…"

"Damn, I was about to take Sam and clean that shit up."

I could tell he was being honest and it gave him some good points in my book. "Hm, You know Eric…" whispered Sookie slowly. "He offered to help me."

Lafayette turned to me and gulped.

"Hello, there," I said with a wink. "I am very pleased that you were planning to help Sookie."

At my praise, he exhaled with relief. "Yeah… Damn, the things that happen in this shit town…" He waved us inside and I walked right behind Sookie. If she was surprised that I didn't need an invitation, she didn't show it. "People were sexing on the fucking street, hookah. Fuckin' madness!" He gesticulated dramatically with a manicured hand, ringing bracelets in the process.

"I saw a glimpse inside Tara's head, Lala…" murmured Sookie.

"And the shit from the morning…" he added, shaking his head. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"What shit?" I asked and he raised his eyebrows back at me.

"Don't cha know? Jane Bodehouse has been found dead. Fuckin' shit, hookah, who did things like that?"

Me and Sookie looked at each other worriedly.

"Things like what, Lala?"

"I won't tell ya hookah, but it pretty well fucked up things, I can tell ya."

"Lafayette?" I leaned on the table looking at him seriously. "Was this woman participating in parties – slash – orgies, that were taking place over here?"

"Yeah… She was the first to get here. Why do ya ask, deadly gorgeous?" Lafayette even fluttered his eyelashes at me.

I didn't answer him but I gave Sookie a somber look.

It looked like some of the citizens of Bon Temps had a dark side and someone will have to make damned sure that it won't escalate.


AN: I decided to change a maenad story a little bit. Tell me what you think - please leave a review!

Till next time!