Thanks for everyone's patience in waiting for this chapter. RL has been very busy of late, so I hope you think it was worth it. Andre will sort out his plans, and we'll see what he has in mind for Sookie.

Merick

Chapter 5

The journey back had been rapid, energized by all the plans he had begun to make for himself. Andre had noticed little fatigue, even though he had run practically the entire distance; he almost dared to identify the feeling as excitement. His arrival back in New Orleans, at Sophie Ann's palace, came without fanfare, (not that he had expected it), and with only a little time before the sunrise. Most of the Vampire floors of the building were quiet, while the human floors were just waking up. Andre keyed in his personal pass-code once in the elevator and ascended to his floor. Sophie Ann had never given up the idea that she could live above ground, while Andre knew well enough that it was much safer in underground quarters. But he followed her and her desires with little question. His room was an inner one without windows, and close to hers, so close that he had to pass by her door on his way to his own. He knew she was in there, he could feel her presence; that was part of her gift, as the sense of smell was his. Raw emotions might surface from time to time between them, but his love for her, and desire to be near her, in her good graces, never faded. He knew enough not to bother her, she was just as aware of him as he, her, and she had not come to greet him. Though that omission hurt, he swallowed the loneliness. She had her indulgences, and he gave her those as well, without question.

Safely behind the reinforced door of his own suite, Andre pushed all thoughts of Sophie Ann's pursuits from his mind. He walked past his desk, neatly organized with his papers and pens; he still favored proper correspondence, and had never given up wax seals, (a wax he mixed with his own blood to ensure his recipients knew of its complete authenticity) and into his bedchamber. He loosened the tie he was wearing, and shrugged out of his jacket, setting it over the mahogany valet so it didn't crease. He had a taste for fine things just as Sophie Ann did. Fine things like expensive suits, and real blood; a bottle of Royalty Blended was waiting for him, as it always was, but the taste of Fairy blood, however diluted from Jason Stackhouse was still on his palate, so he left the bottle corked. He turned to the wardrobe mirror and examined his reflection in it.

He had been young when Sophie Ann had found him, (at least young in body); his spirit had been aged far beyond those physical years. She had understood. His skin was pale, as was the skin of everyone his age; as a Vampire that was. Long fingers and thin hands undid the buttons on his shirt as he watched their progress in the mirror. His chest, as he revealed it, was smooth, with the definitions of the musculature across it in a way that had excited Sophie Ann, in a loving, comforting way when she had first laid eyes on him; those and his eyes, back then, wide eyed and frightened so often, not the hard gaze he had developed as his powers had developed. His shoulders and back were strong, they always had been. He slipped off the shirt. His master had used him for a great many labors, not just those of pleasures. He had no marks or scars, it was one thing his master had insisted on, perfect, pure skin, it brought more money, the virgin, night after night. He would never appreciate the man for that, he would always hate him, but the perfect skin was an asset.

He knew exactly what he was going to do to win Sookie Stackhouse over to him. He would befriend her, he would sway her, and he would be absolutely honest with her, about how much he desired her company. If she looked into his head she would see that purity, because it wasn't about sex, though he would offer that as well. He had seen enough men present themselves to Sophie Ann. He saw what pledges turned her head, and which did not. And he had seen the girl, seen that she returned to a quiet home, had seen that no man waited for her. Hadley's stories had described a lonely, misunderstood child, feared for the glimpses of power, shunned for the same. It would be an easy task. He would offer her friendship, from the kindred spirit of a lost childhood, from the pain he knew. He looked at himself in the mirror and let his hardened jaw sink, willing his eyes and brow to relax, imparting softness to his face, which painted him as the innocent youth once again. He had long since learned to clear his mind, to keep some things from Sophie Ann, that was how he knew that it would be no matter to hide the truth of the Stackhouse lineage, at least for a time. Sookie would find nothing amiss if she ventured into his thoughts.

She would find a shoulder to lean on, a kind ear to listen to her without judging her. She would find quiet in his mind. He would bring her flowers, and smile for her, and ask after her wellbeing. He would defend her against everyone who would threaten her. It was the best way. Hands on his waistband he let his trousers drop to the floor and kicked them to the side. He would be her hero before anything else, and she would come to him, his guidance to that end so subtle that she would never suspect it was anything but her own desires at work. He could satisfy her physically; his manhood was more than sufficient for that task, and not of a size that would frighten or harm her. He let himself feel the fairy blood again and the joy that came with the plans he was making. His body began to respond, which pleased him.

The discarded pants were hung carefully for the servants to attend to and Andre closed off the lights in the room and slipped into his bed, the soft linens brushing against most sensitive places, he held the feeling in his thoughts as the day took him.

ooOOoo

The sun was warm spilling in Sookie's drapes, despite her having drawn the shades the previous night. Everything was a little threadbare and thin in her Gran's house, everything but the feeling of being home. For the first few glorious moments of being pulled from sleep, the memories of the previous night were still banished. But as her brain woke up, they came back, the feelings of disquiet and discomfort and of being watched as she had sat on the porch. She shuddered, listening to her own breathing for a few moments in the quiet bedroom, until she heard the sound of her Gran, puttering in the kitchen. The scent of coffee perking on the stove was the next familiar thing that helped to put the feelings of the night before in their place. Her robe, (also a little threadbare) felt good over her shoulders, and she checked her hair and face over as she quickly brushed her teeth and went to join her Gran.

"Well Sookie darling, good morning."

"Morning Gran." She sat herself down at the table as her grandmother set a mug in front of her.

"Bacon and eggs?"

"Umm, sure, that would be nice." Sookie's Gran seemed very bright and chipper by her estimation, and Sookie began to wonder if she had watched the news the night previous or not. The question was quickly answered.

"So, what do you think of this whole Vampire thing Sookie?" It seemed that Gran had been holding it back, but her voice was very excited.

"It was quite the shock around Merlotte's last night I can you. But Sam was so cool about it all. People were really nervous, so he stayed open extra late so folks could talk, and calm their nerves and all."

"That Sam Merlotte certainly is a nice man." Gran turned her back to Sookie as she plated the fried eggs and sizzling bacon. With a happy thud it was set before her. "Did folks seem very frightened Sookie?"

"Well some did, the older ones, and the ones who hadn't drunk so much." Sookie giggled as she forked up a crispy bit of egg white; perfect as always, but that came from frying with real lard, as her Gran always did.

"I suppose the young ones weren't nearly so sensible?" Gran sat down across from Sookie, and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, lacing her fingers together.

"Not nearly. Some got all high and mighty and started mumbling about going hunting, others seemed a little more intrigued by the idea than they rightly should have been." Of course Sookie was referring to the ladies who got notions in their heads about having sex with a Vampire, but she wasn't about to say that out loud to her Gran. "What do you think about it Gran?"

"Well, when you've lived as long as I have Sookie, there aren't many things that surprise you anymore. But this one was pretty close. I wonder if I'll ever get to meet one?"

"I can't imagine that a Vampire would ever come to Bon Temps, what do we have out here that would interest them?"

"Well we do have a lot of history out here." Gran was a member of the Descendants of the Glorious Dead, they got together monthly and talked about the history of Bon Temps in the Civil War. "We had a number of boys who went out to fight and never came home, who knows Sookie. Maybe?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess anything is possible Gran."

"So it would seem."

"I wonder what other creatures from the Fairytales might be real too?" Sookie mused as she continued to eat. She thought she might have seen her Gran start just a bit at that question, but just as quickly she was up, grabbing at the frying pan.

"You never know Sookie. Here, you need more bacon." Another generous forkful was added to Sookie's already full plate. "Are you working today?"

"Another dinner shift."

"You know, Jason didn't stop by this morning for breakfast," (as he almost always did), "So I bet he's on an early shift. I'll call him later and make sure he comes to follow you home, just in case."

"Thanks Gran." Sookie actually did feel a little better about that idea, considering the uneasy feeling she'd had being alone on the porch the previous evening. She looked out the kitchen windows to see the sunlight streaming in. It was warm, and bright, and it made some of the darkness start to fade finally. Sookie thought, as she finished her coffee, that maybe she'd go to the library and exchange some of her books (romance novels all of them), and maybe spend a little time in the sun, working on the tan like Sam liked so much (when she chanced to accidentally hear things from him). It could be a completely normal day. She didn't have to think about Vampires and the heebie jeebies that she could talk herself into. There was never going to be a Vampire in Bon Temps anyways, despite what her Gran seemed to think.

As she was clearing her dishes the phone rang, and when her Gran answered it Sookie knew that she was going to be busy for quite some time. The conversation began with Vampires, and Sookie knew it was going to circle around them for as long as the ladies could manage. It seemed like a good opportunity to tidy up her plate, have a shower, and do some completely normal Bon Temps kind of things. She smiled at her Gran, who smiled back, and headed off.