"Do we really have to go back here?" Layla whined from the backseat as Jessica pulled into Fangtasia's parking lot. Sookie flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Eric is one of the only people I can think of who may have an answer for me. You don't have to be here. You can wait in the car." Sookie offered. Layla scoffed.

"And leave you alone? With him? Not a chance in hell. Besides, I promised to help, even if that means dealing with shit-heads like Eric Northman." she said, climbing out of the car.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"It stands for Operation Werewolf." Sookie explained as Eric looked at the drawing of the mark she and Sookie had found on one of the bodies beneath Bill's wrecked car.

"Some kind of secret Nazi Commando force from World War II." Layla added, staring off into the distance and refusing to meet Eric's eye even though she felt him glance up at her.

"And you found this branded on a dead man's neck." Eric confirmed boredly.

"Bill summoned Jessica there. I think he was trying to show us who kidnapped him." Sookie continued.

"Yeah, Nazi Werewolves." Jessica said, sounding excited. Both Pam and Layla rolled their eyes, while Eric just through the younger redhead a look.

"That dead guy was strong and fast enough to take Bill. He had to be something supernatural-"

"That, or Bill is a really wimpy Vampire." Layla muttered. Eric fought the muscles in his mouth that twitched ever so slightly upward.

"I was hoping you could tell us more." Sookie finished, either not hearing Layla or just ignoring her. Eric took one more quick look before tossing it down on a table.

"Never seen it before." he said. "Sorry."

'Lie'. Layla thought, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

"Why do I get the feeling you're blowing me off?" Sookie asked.

"Because he is, Sook." Layla said boredly, before turning to glare at Eric. "Seriously, were not asking for an army, just for you to point us in the right direction here. Please?" she asked, more for Sookie's sake than her own. Eric gave a quick word to Pam in swedish and the blonde moved Jessica into the bathroom. When the two were gone Eric shot an intense look at both of the women.

"Here's what I know about werewolves: There's a reason their existence has remained merely a myth to humans for thousands of years. They're territorial-"

"Like you." Layla piped in.

"Vicious." Eric continued.

"Like you."

"Pathologically secretive." he said, coming to stand even closer to Layla who raised an eyebrow.

"See, now I'm confused. Are you a Vampire or a Werewolf?" she said with a big smart-ass grin.

"Here's what I know about Sookie..." Eric continued. Layla stiffened herself, and Sookie frowned.

"Me?"

Eric didn't tear his eyes away from Layla. "She is so blinded by her obsession with Bill Compton she's likely to run through the streets screaming 'werewolf bait', alerting whoever has Bill that we're onto them or getting herself killed. And you, Miss Dahlin -"

"Yeah, I'll be the over-loyal idiot who winds up dead beside her. Whatever, Eric."

"Wrong. You will survive, because that is what you do and you will be forced to live with the pain of watching someone you care about die before your eyes and knowing that even though you fought your hardest it simply wasn't enough, and you will go through a long life, with that shame haunting you."

His eyes were so intensely focused on hers that she didn't want to blink and for a brief moment she saw something she felt as though she shouldn't have ever seen again. That brief flicker of vulnerability that so rarely crossed the Viking's dark gaze.

"Do you think we're that stupid?" Layla asked softly.

"No, I think you're human...mostly." he clarified.

"Don't underestimate me." Layla said, raising her chin a bit higher.

"Don't underestimate yourself." Eric growled, losing his patience as she failed to grasp the severity of the situation. He felt it then, the bond between he and Layla slowly rising from it's recent burial. He couldn't allow that to jeopardize her any more than she was already jeopardizing herself. "Sookie's life is too valuable to throw away, and you are already pathetic enough without adding 'friend of the martyr' onto your resume." Eric concluded coldly. Layla looked sharply away and then made a move to get behind the bar. Eric and Sookie both looked at her but she merely shrugged.

"I can't deal with him while I'm sober." she said. Eric again fought a smile. They both knew she wasn't going to get drunk, she just needed to occupy herself for a moment to keep herself together. He often took to pacing to keep his temper down, or sex, though most of the time he didn't bother to keep it in check at all. He applauded Layla for making the effort, knowing it was only for Sookie's benefit so she could pump him for more information. Taking one for the team, as it were. Sookie and Eric took a seat at on of the tables and continued talking as Layla wandered around, drink in hand.

Layla sank herself down into Eric's onstage throne and listened to their conversation.

"You have no connections in the Were community." Eric was saying. "They're not going to answer your questions because they don't want you to even know they exist."

"Bill's out there somewhere. In danger. I can't just go on with life like that's not happening. You know that. Maybe better than anyone. When Godric went mis-"

"Bill Compton is no Godric." Eric stated flatly. Sookie's face grew red and her eyes filled.

"Eric!" Layla snapped, and the blonde Vampire turned to face her, looking utterly relaxed on his chair. "Maybe to you he's no Godric, but to Sookie he is. Just because you can't understand love like she does, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Stop shooting her down for trying to make you understand something she doesn't realize you're incapable of ever truly understanding."

Sookie was now sniffling in earnest and Layla's unfortunate mothering instincts swooped down on her and in a minute she was at Sookie's side, the blonde burying her head in her friend's shoulder with Layla patting her hair and muttering comforting things in Swedish to her friend, things her grandmother had said to her when she had been little. Eric's face tightened and he caught Layla's eye.

"Please don't do that." he said, watching as she comforted the girl, whispering phrases that brought back clips of his own childhood. "It makes me feel... disturbingly human."

"Suck it up." Layla said, holding Sookie close. "She risked her life to help you find Godric. No one is expecting you to do the same for Bill, but at the very least help her if you can."

Sookie pulled away and began wiping away the tears just as they heard the rattle of the beaded curtain, signaling the return of Jessica and Pam.

"Sookie? You have to get me home before dawn." Jessica said. Sookie stood and began walking out, escorted by Pam but Layla stayed behind for a minute. Eric had a faraway look in his eye and she grabbed his hand to bring him back to reality.

"Sookie isn't an idiot, but you're right, she does tend to put herself in less that brilliant situation where her safety in concerned." Layla admitted. Eric regarded her coolly.

"So?"

"So, I know you know something. I guess you think being a Vampire makes you impossible to read but it doesn't. Unfortunately for both of us Mr. Northman, I see right through you."

"Miss Dahlin, I suggest you make your point, and quickly."

"You can trust me." she spat out. "You don't have to like me, or trust me with your own personal history or even things like telling me where you keep the good liquor, but with things that have to do with helping Sookie, things that you don't tell her because you're worried she'll give it away, those things you can tell me. I don't even have to tell her I know, but I can use it to guide her in the right direction. You both get what you want. You get to keep your secrets and keep Sookie alive, and Sookie gets Bill back and feels all accomplished like Bon Temps own Joan of Arc or something."

Eric sat in silence for a moment just staring at her. Layla sighed.

"Just, think about it, okay?" she said standing and walking towards the door.

"For the record, you still hate me, right?" Eric called after her. Layla turned and smiled wide.

"For as long as you live, asshole."

Eric laughed quietly and couldn't hep but watch her hips as she walked out the door.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Layla, after finding herself with the inability to sleep, drove back to Sookie's, hoping the blonde was facing a similar case of insomnia.

"...which is apparently what I'm supposed to do-" she heard from inside as she walked up onto the porch.

"Knock, knock. anybody home?" she called as she walked in. Sookie and Jason both glanced up from the kitchen which they were scouring. It was about time this house was cleaned. Sookie finished what she was saying to Jason before acknowledging Layla.

"I see you couldn't sleep either." the blonde said. Layla wrinkled her nose in agitation.

"Not a bit. Hand me that mop." she said, extending her hand towards Jason. She let the brother and sister continue their conversation unhindered by commentary as she mopped up the floor. Jason was finally persuading the girl to sleep, something Layla doubted she had done since Bill had gone missing,

"Go get some sleep Sookie. I'll keep cleaning." Layla assured her with a smile.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

True to her word Layla had spent most of the day cleaning up Sookie's house before eventually collapsing on her friend's sofa. Sookie came home later after work and sat down on the couch by Layla's feet.

"Sook, why do you have a gun?" Layla asked, cracking her eyes open just enough to make out the deadly weapon in her friend's hand.

"A werewolf was watching me this morning, from the woods by the parking lot at work. Terry gave me the gun." she explained quickly her eyes darting around. Layla didn't question Sookie's palpable anxiety because she could feel it too. The tremor of foreboding hanging in the air around them. There was a creak from the front porch and both girls stood to investigate. Sookie stood on one side of the door with the gun while Layla took a deep breath and stepped into view.

"Hello, Layla." came Eric's voice from the other side of the door. Layla let out the breath had been holding and flung the door open, resisting the urge to hug him in relief. Sookie stepped into view as well.

"They came for you." he stated simply, looking at the blonde.

"Just one. This morning. He took off before I could get anything out of him." Sookie explained. "That why you're here? Or do you know something about Bill?"

"I lied to you." Eric admitted. Layla's jaw dropped but wisely she kept quiet, biting her lip and paying attention to Eric as he spoke.

He told them about the time he and Godric spent in the SS.

"We posed as whatever would help us in our search." Eric explained.

"But you were hunting the Nazi werewolves." Sookie pressed.

"The symbol is runic. This...pack, dates back a lot farther than the Nazi party." Eric said.

"So they aren't Nazis?" Layla clarified. Eric locked eyes with her.

"No, they're much more than that. These are not ordinary werewolves. They're organized, well-funded, highly trained, and fueled by Vampire blood."

"Why didn't you tell us this last night?" Sookie asked, annoyed. Eric frowned.

"The bigger question is why am I risking everything to tell you now." he replied with only the briefest of glances at Layla. "My loyalty is not to Bill. In fact it would be advantageous of me in numerous ways if he were never found. But..."

"But?" Layla asked softly.

"But now they're surrounding Sookie, and I owe you both." Eric said, looking out towards the front yard. Layla took a seat beside him, no longer even seeing Sookie.

"When you said you were risking everything to tell me...what did that mean?"

"The goal tonight was to keep you out of danger not put you in more of it." he said, standing and walking towards the stairs. Layla followed and grabbed his arm.

"Eric, you can't just say something like that and leave." 'me.' Layla added silently. You can't just say that and leave me again.

"Oh, I'm not leaving. Sookie is going to invite me in." he said, looking down at Layla instead of Sookie. "So I can protect you...or have passionate, primal sex with you again. How about both?" he said, backing Layla up towards the door even with Sookie behind her being forced into the house herself. "Beside, if you're not game for it Sookie might be. So," he said glancing between both women. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"I'm still Bill's." Sookie clarified.

"So you are. However Layla, is still mine." he said, smiling with teeth.

"Sookie, do not invite him in." Layla growled.

"To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, blah blah blah, as long as we both shall live, till death do us part, doesn't it bother you that you'll be the only one doing the dying?" Eric asked Sookie, eyeing her engagement ring.

"I'm not going to talk about this with you." Sookie replied.

"Good, maybe now he'll shut up." Layla said from her seat on the rocking chair where she was holding her head up with her fist, feeling like she might pass out at any minute.

"So you would really rather stay out here all night than invite me in? Look at your friend. She's falling asleep." Eric said gently, trying to persuade Sookie as he took a seat beside Layla, looking behind him into the house.

"Yes, she would, because he is a good friend." Layla replied stubbornly.

"One minute you lie, the next you're asking us to trust you." Sookie said. "You do something generous and selfless-"

"-or romantic." Layla interjected sleepily. "Only to follow it up with something nasty or downright cruel." Eric gave a dark smile and then looked at Layla then back to Sookie.

"You're only telling me no because of your friend's wounded pride." Eric assessed, earning him a glare from Layla. His head suddenly whipped towards the house and he grabbed Layla up from her seat and pressed her up against the wall.

"Tell her to invite me in." he demanded.

"You can't just bully me into-"

Eric's fangs popped out. "Tell her to do it. Now."

"Sookie." Layla said a little breathlessly.

"Won't you please come in Mr. Northman?" Sookie asked quietly from her side of the porch. Eric strode into the house and Layla entered behind him peering over his shoulder as the glowing eyes of a wolf appeared from the kitchen.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Layla asked, adrenaline getting her ready to kick this things ass. Eric gave some kind of war cry as the thing made to pounce on him and Layla heard Sookie fire the gun.