Layla sat a table over from Eric and his lawyer while Pam paced behind him. Eric was leaving everything to Pam if he met the true death. Layla was really hoping it wouldn't come to that, but as of the present moment, Eric didn't have a plan. The lawyer was asking for a second witness to sign the documents.
"Layla are you mentally competent and under no duress at this time?" Eric asked.
"Just give me the pen." she said, ignoring the sound of the door opening, until she saw Yvetta standing behind Eric, asking him something Layla didn't understand.
"Congratulations, according to the state of Louisiana, should Mr. Northman meet the true death, you will become a very wealthy Vampire. I'll show myself out." the lawyer said
The slut began yelling and Eric yelled back, slipping out of the language.
"You gold-digging whore!" he said. Layla smiled to herself as Yvetta stormed off.
"You can be a cold-hearted bastard." Pam said, stalking off. Eric was stone and Layla shrugged.
"I actually like you a bit more right now." she said with a shrug. "I'm going to go check on Sookie."
"I'll join you." Eric said, standing. Layla rolled her eyes and scowled.
"Of course you will."
When Sookie wasn't at her own house Layla suggested they try Jason's place. Bill opened the door to see Eric, in his red shirt and leather jacket and Layla standing just behind him, still in clothes she had borrowed from Pam.
"How did you find us?" Bill asked, opening the door wider.
"Well, it was really not that hard." Eric said. Layla scoffed.
"Yeah, after I suggested it." she added, sounding like a brat and not giving a damn.
"I know what Sookie is." Eric said. Layla's eyes popped wide and Bill stepped outside with them. The trio began walking and Eric continued to speak.
"So is it true? Sookie's blood let you walk in the sunlight." Eric asked. Bill stared, shocked that Eric seemed to know this.
"Holy crap, really?" Layla asked.
"Oh, so Sophie-Anne never even told you why she sent you for Sookie." Eric continued.
Bill's feathers ruffled a bit at that. "I returned to Bon Temps because it is my ancestral home."
"Ugh, spare me your lies." Eric said. "I'll just find out on my own."
"Sookie is mine." Bill said possessively.
"She won't be if you're dead." Eric added. Layla froze for a moment. She hadn't realized not only would she be heartbroken if Eric were to meet the true death, she would also be alone and completely without protection in a world she was all too quickly becoming a part of.
"Is it true?" Eric asked again.
"No. The blood works for a few minutes, if that. Then you burn a bit slower than you would do without it, but you still burn." Bill told them.
"Well, that's going to disappoint Sophie-Anne." Eric said, in a tone more solemn than Layla would have expected.
"I would die the true death before I let her get her hands on Sookie." Bill said resolutely. "Or anyone else for that matter."
"Russell will come for her. And you." he said looking now at Layla.
"Me? I'm nothing!" Layla argued.
"You are mine." Eric growled. "And therefore, not nothing."
"Well you should know, since you're now his butt boy." Bill said snottily.
"Whoa, uncalled for!" Layla snapped.
"No longer. I killed Talbot." Eric said calmly.
"That's why he went medieval on tv. Well, thanks, Eric. You just put our cause back a thousand years." Bill said.
"Hey! Blame Russell! He's the maniac who's doing this not Eric!" Layla told him.
"He wouldn't have done it if it weren't for Eric's actions!" Bill snapped. "He must be after you for that. Why are you even here?" Bill asked, turning back to Eric.
"I'm trying to save Sookie." Eric said. Layla closed her eyes in hurt as Bill scoffed.
"Oh, give me a break. You don't care about Sookie o Layla. You left us in Russell's house to die. What is the fucking truth for once?!"
"The truth? Well, why don't you tell Sookie the fucking truth, if you really love her." Eric said.
"What truth?" she asked.
"Hey, Sookie, you found out what you are?" Layla asked, choosing happy ignorance to the conversation between the men.
"I'm a Fairy."
"Lame." Layla said, disappointed.
"Yeah, what truth?" Sookie asked again.
"The truth about what you are. Which I've already told you." Bill said.
"Why are you here?" Sookie asked Eric. "To pretend you care about me so you can sell me out to Russell again? Or is it the Queen this time?"
"You really believe he is trustworthy?" Eric asked.
"More than you." Layla mumbled to herself.
"All I know is I sure as hell can't trust you. And know that I know what I am and what you want from me, I can promise you, you will never get it." Sookie said.
"Well, do what you want. I won't be around much longer anyway." Eric said walking away from them. "I wish you the best Sookie Stackhouse." he said, before disappearing at vampire speed off into the night. Layla stared, furious.
"I don't even get a fucking goodbye when you're here?" she said, looking at Sookie. "Asshole."
Layla and Sookie sat on the couch as Layla filled her in, only slightly, on what had transpired while she'd been gone.
"I was just a little upset and you were talking to Hadley. I thought I'd be gone two hours at the most. I was stupid. I'm sorry I left you." Layla said.
"You don't need to apologize! You didn't know you were going to be under house arrest." Sookie said, squeezing her friend's hand. Layla tried not to recoil.
"Sook, you have no idea how badly I wish I could hate you sometimes." Layla said with a sad grin. "Why do you have to be so fucking nice? It would make life a lot simpler for me if I didn't think of you as my closest friend."
Sookie frowned. "Why do you keep going back to Eric when he makes you feel this way?"
"He doesn't. I mean..." Layla struggled to make sense of it herself. "It's like there's another side of him that only I see, a side he rarely lets me see, but every once in a while he'll touch me, or smile at me in a way that I know he's touched or smiled nobody else ever. In a way that makes me feel like he's just mine. In that moment I forgive him everything and just want to hold him, be near him. Then the moment's gone and he's tearing my heart out and offering it up to anyone who can bring him closer to you."
Layla knew Bill was listening but she didn't care anymore.
"He might die. He thinks he's going to die and he didn't even say goodbye to me." Layla said. She was too stunned to cry and instead gave a bitter laugh. "If he lives, I'm gonna kill him."
They all turned their heads as the door opened and Jason and Tara walked in, both covered in blood. Sookie jumped up from the couch.
"Jesus! What-" Jason began, but Sookie cut him off.
"What happened?" she asked.
"There was a fight at Merlotte's." Jason said.
"Jason." Sookie said, not buying it.
"Look, I don't wanna talk about it. How the hell did you guys get in here?" he asked.
"The key on the sill. Is it okay if I stay here a couple days?" Sookie asked.
"You in some kinda trouble again?" Jason asked.
"What'd you do to her now?" Tara asked, staring directly at Bill. Layla stayed silent on the couch.
"Tara." Sookie admonished.
"It's alright." Bill said.
"No, it's not alright." Sookie said, before turning back to Jason. "I have a few werewolves after me and a vampire."
"Jesus." Jason said wandering off towards the kitchen.
"Now they're coming here?" Tara asked, terrified. "Great. Thanks. Why is it wherever he goes trouble follows?"
"It's almost dawn." Bill said.
"Nice segue." Layla nodded sarcastically.
"I'll go to ground nearby, just in case you need me." he said, giving Sookie a kiss goodbye. Layla watched as he nodded for Jason to join him outside.
In no way, shape or form was Layla up for anymore emotional female bonding. Spilling her guts about Eric was enough for one night, so she stood and followed the guys outside, leaving Tara and Sookie to their own devices. Besides, clearly Tara was traumatized by what had happened to her in Mississippi, and she deserved privacy if she wanted to talk about it.
Neither man seemed to care about Layla's presence. Bill had his back to Jason who stood with a beer in hand.
"You have a gun in the house?" Bill asked.
"I got a shotgun in my truck."
"Werewolves are quicker, stronger than you can imagine. You shoot 'em fast and right between the eyes." Bill instructed. Jason looked sick as he nodded.
"Okay, I got this." he said.
"Are you sure? Cause I'm counting on you."
"Yeah, I'm good." Jason said. "I'm good. I'll take care of her. I promise."
"It'll just be for a few hours, Bill. I don't plan on running off again."
"Alright." Bill said, before going off.
Layla took a sip a Jason's beer and then handed it back to him.
"I'll take first watch if you wanna get some shut eye." she offered.
It was mid afternoon the next day. Layla should have been napping but too many dreams about Eric had kept her from sleeping more than an hour or so at a time, so now she was out back of the house, smoking. Here ears perked up when she heard the front door click shut and crept around to see who, or possibly what was entering or leaving the house.
Of course, it was Sookie. The girl simply didn't know how to lay low.
Layla followed behind Sookie discreetly in her own car, and her jaw tightened as she realized Sookie was heading for Fangtasia. She watched the blonde pull into the parking lot and waited, watched her argue with Pam at the door before going in herself.
"She insisted." Layla heard Pam say as Sookie stormed into Eric's office.
"She always does." Eric replied. Pam backed away and shut the door. As she turned she met Layla's eyes.
"Why did she come here?" Layla asked. Pam sighed.
"Women are vipers, sweetheart. You know Sookie, she sees something hurtin' and she's got to kiss it and make it better."
Layla fought down bile at that statement and Pam walked off. Layla leaned her head against the office door, listening to the conversation.
"Don't pretend you care about me." Eric was saying. "This is about Bill."
'Good.' Layla thought to herself.
"Deep down, you know you shouldn't trust him." Eric continued.
"Okay. Tell me why." Sookie demanded.
"Well, here's the truth, there a forces beyond even my control. If I meet the true death without having at least kissed you Sookie Stackhouse, that would be my biggest regret."
The silence that followed made tears well up in Layla's eyes and slide down her cheeks. Silent sobs choked her and she went to the bar, Pam, seeing her distress rolled her eyes and stalked back towards the office. Layla sat at the far end of the bar after grabbing a bottle from behind the counter. She knew she couldn't drive, and unlike Sookie, Layla was a woman of her word and was going to protect her.
"This better be good." Eric was saying as he walked from the office, led by Pam. If he noticed Layla, he didn't let on.
"You're too busy signing wills and making out with the solution instead of using her." Pam said.
"There isn't any way to use her."
"We know Russell wants her. Give her to him to save your own skin."
"No." Eric and Layla said in unison. Eric looked and finally noticed Layla. Their eyes met and he had the good grace to look slightly guilty.
"He's gonna get her anyway. Sooner or later."
"No." Eric said again.
"I promised I would help keep her alive, so that's what I'm gonna do." Layla said flatly.
"You're choosing a human? Over yourself, Eric? Over me?" Pam asked.
"Your lack of sentiment has always been your most valuable quality. Do not disappoint me now." he growled.
"Apparently you only give a shit about Sookie, and every other woman who ever cared about you can go to hell. Good to know." Layla grumbled, not caring whether or not he heard.
"You would have said and done anything to save Godric." Pam said. "I have no interest in inheriting your farm on Erland. That place is a windy shithole. If you're not gonna give him Sookie, at least figure out how to use her. And fast." Pam said, walking away.
Eric walked over to where Layla sat with her pilfered bottle. She held up her hand before he reached her.
"Please, don't." she said, her voice squeaking a bit as her throat constricted.
Eric paused. "So how much did you hear?"
"Oh, fuck you, you narcissistic son of a bitch." she snapped.
"That much." he said, taking a seat beside her. He raised a hand to brush her hair back but she moved like a cobra, cracking him hard across the face. This was no slap. She punched him hard, with everything she had. Every ounce of human, vampire and scorned woman in her body rocked into his jaw and he staggered, granted as much from surprise as from the force.
"Don't you fucking touch me." she growled, tears still rolling. "You could have left me alone. You didn't need to toy with me. I would have helped her anyway. She is my only friend. The only friend who never cared about what I was. The only one who never accused or judged or gossiped about me. Why did you put me in a position where now I hate her? I thought I wanted to, you know? I thought it would be so much better if I hated her but it's not, it's worse, because it shows me how fucking pathetic I am. I put my life on the line for you all and you can't even be straight with me. You don't a fuck about me, Eric Northman, so stop pretending you do. It's killing me!" She snapped.
Eric and Layla sat quietly for a long moment.
"You are mine-" he began.
"I am my own you self-righteous son of a bitch." Layla said, taking a long sip from the bottle.
"You are a child of Godric-"
"My parents were Joe and Emma Dahlin. Godric was nothing to me except a flicker of hope that maybe, somewhere inside of you he had left a mark of his goodness and not just arrogance. I don't think he did."
There was another moment of silence.
"Why did you do it?" Layla asked softly.
"I wanted to." Eric said. "I met Sookie-"
"Not Sookie!" Layla hissed. "Not fucking Sookie. Me! Why did you make me fall in love with you?! What was the point?"
"You shouldn't love me."
"Yeah, well I wish I didn't. You would move mountains for her and all you do is use me. I am nothing more to you than Yvetta, or any other woman who falls into your bed-"
"No!" Eric snapped. "You are a child of Godric. You are mine. You are more precious to me than anything-"
"Save it." Layla said, her voice tinged with acid and her eyes finally dry. She looked at him directly in the eyes. "You are a liar, and a manipulator, and I wish Godric had let me mother die in an alley, so then I would never have existed and never have met you. I hate you, Eric. You go tell Sookie that she is welcome to you. You may call me yours but you are no longer mine. I renounce any ties I may have thought I had on you. I am nothing more than her bodyguard until this mess is over, and it isn't for your sake or hers. It's for Jason, and Tara and Bill and all the others who don't deserve to be hurt by her death. So I am going to sit here, and drink your liquor with no intention of paying until she leaves. Now kindly, fuck off."
Layla turned back to her bottle. Eric, for once, complied with her wishes and left.
After a few moments she heard screaming and then nothing. Layla ran into the hallway where Eric had just shut the basement door. The office was empty.
"Where's Sookie?" she asked, concerned even though she wished she wasn't.
"Chained up in the basement. You're next."