Everyone was racing around preparing for Bill's meeting with Antonia. Layla had on black jeans and combat boots. She wore a black, long sleeved t-shirt underneath her leather jacket. Her hair was in a high ponytail and she was utterly ready to kick someone's ass. As she walked out of the guest bedroom she ran into Bill who had the audacity to let out a little laugh.
"You are not going." he told her, heading down the stairs.
"What? Why not?" she asked, disappointed by his immediate dismissal.
"Do I really need to answer that?" he asked with a pointed glance at her abdomen. Layla was determine to argue her point and followed him inside the parlor where to her horror, Sookie and Eric were sitting.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting and I don't have much time so what can I do for you?" Bill asked as Layla stood just behind him.
"We're here to fight with you." Sookie told him.
"Fight with me?" Bill asked.
"Against the witches." Sookie clarified.
"Sookie this is not your battle." Bill said.
"It's yours and it's Eric's so it's mine." Sookie said firmly.
"She has a warrior's heart your majesty. She wants to fight for you. As do I." Eric said.
"If they get to go, so do I." Layla butted in. To hell if Sookie was going to fight but Layla wasn't.
"I want peace." Bill said.
"But you're prepared for war." Eric reminded him.
"Of course, but I'm not convinced we will win." Bill admitted.
"It's not about winning." Layla said flatly.
"Layla is right." Eric said, nodding at her with approval. "It is about being willing to die for something you believe is worth dying for."
"Forgive me if I'm a little less inclined to gamble with the ladies' lives than you are." Bill said firmly.
"Sire, that is not our decision." Eric said, with just as much firmness.
"Thank you, Eric. And maybe now you can both look at me and allow me to speak for myself?" Sookie said rudely. Layla rolled her eyes. "I can help. I have powers."
Layla laughed out loud which made all three turn and look at her. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the noise.
"Granted, I may not be in perfect control of those powers," Sookie continued. "But they've saved me and others from some pretty dire circumstances." she reminded them all.
"Well, aren't you just an angel?" Layla said sarcastically. "I hit harder than any of your guards on their best day. Do I need to explain why I'm an asset?" she asked boredly.
"You could die." Bill said to both of them.
"Oh, call me crazy, but I'm willing to die if it keeps a group of people I know and love from being eradicated in the name of hate." Sookie told him. Bill looked at Layla who simply shrugged.
"I'll be careful." she said lamely. Bill looked back at Eric and Sookie.
"Thank you." he said, accepting their offer. Eric ducked his head respectively.
"My liege." he said.
"My... Bill." Sookie added stupidly.
Layla didn't bother addressing him at all and just stalked out of the room.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Layla stood behind a tree in the graveyard, hiding herself from Marnie...or rather, Antonia's view. Her stomach hurt again and she rubbed at it gently in a vain attempt to assuage some of the pain. At Bill's signal she stepped out from behind the trees along with Eric, Sookie and Pam., who walked beside her.
Layla was surprised to see Holly and Tara standing on the other side. Well, maybe not Tara after everything she had been through with Vampires, but Holly was a shock.
"A sad testament to our inability to trust each other." Bill said. "But I still believe that we can achieve a peaceful resolution."
"Describe this peaceful resolution to me." Antonia demanded.
"We will never harm you again. Anyone who has done so has been commanded to desist." Bill assured her. "Or they will face the true death. In return, I only ask that you remove the spells from my two subjects here."
"You say you are willing to execute those who have harmed me, but you bring them to me and you ask me to remove spells I placed on them in self-defense. All for a promise that I'll never be harmed again." Antonia summed up boredly.
"Yes." Bill said. There was a silence as Antonia seemed to think it over.
"I have your word for this?" she asked.
"I swear it." Bill said.
"Bill, she's casting a spell!" Sookie hissed.
"Demoness!" Antonia said, waving her arms to reveal even more people, armed with silver.
"Now!" Bill said, as more Vampires came forward, along with some of his guards. "You may have dominion over us, but you do not over the living. Surrender now and no one will be hurt."
The guards' sniper rifles all had they're red lasers focused over Antonia's heart. She looked down and laughed, which Layla didn't find one bit reassuring. She gasped as Eric ran forward in one swift movement and ripped out someone's throat before holding it up and laughing.
"What the fuck?" Layla groaned to herself as Antonia began chanting. A thick fog settled over them, so thick Layla could barely see her own hand in front of her face. Chaos broke out. Layla ran blindly. As she encountered people from the circle she began to fight them. She didn't want to kill them, but she certainly didn't want them hurting anybody else either.
Someone wrapped a silver chain around her neck, and though silver didn't bother her it certainly made it difficult to breathe. She braced her feet against a gravestone and pushed back, causing her attacker to fall over. She stall the back of her head into their face and heard the satisfying crunch of their nose breaking before pushing her way up and kicking them a couple of times in the ribs. She didn't recognize who is was, nor did she care. Bullets were flying everywhere. Something stung her sharply in the side and she gasped aloud from the shocking pain. Lifting the hem of her t-shirt she saw that a bullet had grazed hr pretty deeply along her side. Any farther over and it would have gone right through her middle. Even if she'd survived the baby wouldn't have.
Layla did something she never thought she would do. She glanced around and then took off like a shot to Sookie's house.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Layla was pressing a dishtowel against her side to stem the bleeding. It stung like a bitch. So much for her idea of being a badass and helping everyone. She was a brawler, not a sharpshooter. She couldn't very well start wearing kevlar every time she walked out the door. She wasn't willing to risk this baby. Ever since she had learned she was a halfling she had guessed she wasn't really able to have kids. Beyond that, there were a few times where she and Alcide hadn't been too careful and if Alcide Herveaux wasn't the definition of a strong, virile man then she didn't know what was. This baby was a miracle. If she didn't think about the fact that it's father had lost his memory and fallen in love with the same woman he had attempted to cheat on her with before he lost his memory, then it was a pretty great thing.
Suddenly Bill was bursting through the door with Sookie in his arms. Her white shirt was covered in blood and she was unconscious. Layla rushed over as he was whispering her name.
"What the fuck happened?" she demanded. Bill ignored her, biting his wrist and putting it against her mouth. Layla then saw the bullet hole in the shirt. Those fucking guns. Vampires and Witches she could handle, but guns were just fucking retarded.
"I'm so sorry, I should never have let you come tonight." he told the unconscious blonde.
"Then why did you?" Alcide asked, appearing in the doorway. His eyes fell on Layla. "Were you there too?"
"Werewolf, I'm gonna need you to shut the fuck up!" Bill snapped, urging Sookie to drink. Layla backed away and stood by Alcide.
"Are you hurt?" he asked quietly.
"No." Layla lied before looking over to Sookie and Bill. "Does she have a pulse?"
"Barely." Bill admitted.
"Well, what else can we do?" Alcide asked.
"Pray." Bill said. Alcide gave a small, derisive snort.
"Vampire and a Werewolf. Who's gonna listen?" Alcide asked. Layla was not happy with what she did next. She went and knelt down behind Bill, gritting her teeth as the wound on her side rubbed against fabric. She took Sookie's hand and held it, before bowing her head and praying.
'Dear God, she does not deserve to die. She may be a dumb part fairy skank who can't keep her pants on, but she at least tries to help other people sometimes. In her lifetime she has done more good than bad, and even if she is a danger magnet that's no reason for her to die. I don't know if you think hanging out with Vampires is a sin, but you know you raised Lazarus back to life and still hung out with him, so I'm going to assume you'd be okay with it. Please don't let her die. Please don't make this dumb slut a martyr. Godric, if you're there, help me out here.' she prayed silently.
It wasn't the most reverent of prayers, but it was the best she could do.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
"Sookie." Bill said as she opened her eyes. Layla raised her head.
"You made it." Alcide noted with a smile. Layla dropped the girl's hand and walked gingerly to the doorway, keeping her distance. Now that Sookie was alive and well she could go back to hating her indiscriminately.
"Where's Eric?" Sookie asked. Layla closed her eyes and looked away. She had already asked that question, and therefore, already knew the answer.
"Sookie, you were shot." Alcide tried to explain. "You-"
"Where is he?" she asked again, sitting up.
"I already sent my men out looking for him. Now that I know you are alright, I will go and join the search myself." Bill explained, also looking to Layla.
"Am I the only one here who thinks this is bat shit crazy? Sookie you just came this close to dying." Alcide said, holding his thumb and forefinger apart, barely before wheeling to look at Layla. "And I know you're hurt, but you're too stubborn to say so! Cause of fucking fangers! Again!"
Layla didn't respond, mostly because it hurt too much to shrug.
"Every minute that we spend not looking for him-" Sookie began.
"Fine! I'm done here. I'm done." Alcide said, walking away from Sookie. Layla followed him outside.
"Alcide." she called softly. Alcide turned and they stood together on the front porch. "I'm sorry." she said. Alcide sighed and stepped closer to her.
"You gonna show me where you're hurt or what?" he asked gruffly. Layla sighed and lifted her shirt up to expose the wound.
"It's just a scratch." she said, shaking her head.
"The fuck it is!" Alcide snapped, bending over and using gentle movements to examine it. "You need fucking stitches. Why didn't you mention that you got shot? You just thought you'd walk around like this for a little while longer?"
"You need to go to the hospital." Alcide said.
"I need blood, is what I need." Layla said.
"Well, when you find Eric maybe he'll-" Alcide began but Layla stopped him.
"Alcide. Did you miss Sookie's concern in there?" Layla asked. Alcide's jaw went slack.
"Are you shitting me?" he asked. "What the fuck, Layla? I told you this was going to happen!"
"I know." she said quietly.
"He's going to keep breaking your heart until there ain't nothin' left!" Alcide continued. Layla nodded.
"I know." she said, sounding small. "I'm staying at Bill's-"
"What?!" Alcide snapped. Layla actually laughed.
"Oh my god, please! It's not like that. He's just...looking out for me. Being a friend." Layla explained. "So, if you come looking for me, that's where I'll be."
"You could always come stay at my place. We have an extra bedroom and I'm sure Debbie wouldn't mind-"
"Alcide. I really and truly appreciate the offer, but I can't handle seeing Eric and Sookie together only to deal with you and Debbie right after. If I see one more happy couple, I'm going to lose it." she told him. Alcide sighed and pulled her forward gently by her shoulders before placing a chaste kiss on the top of her head.
"You better look after yourself." he said, turning to leave. Layla gave a little salute.
"Yes, sir."
XXxxXXxxXXxxXX
Layla had spent most of the day confined to her bed in the guest room. She had ruined one of Bill's belts, using it to bite down on as a private doctor had given her stitches. Painkillers had been offered but she hadn't felt comfortable taking them. Now she was lying in bed with a constant supply of blood by her side. Bill had offered to send in a donor to her, but the only blood she'd ever had straight from the vein had been Eric's. She didn't feel comfortable biting a human.
By nightfall the wound was much better. She may not heal a fast as a Vampire but she was still a medical miracle by any standard. Her middle was bandaged up and she was able to walk. Bill had tried to keep her at home, but Layla refused, insisting she accompany him to the Tolerance Festival thing Nan had flown in for. That woman had been none too pleased to hear about the witch problem and spending the day chained in silver had only soured her further.
Layla had dug out her loosest blouse, a flowy, cream colored one that wouldn't irritate the bandages. Her jeans were low enough that they didn't bother the stitches and with the shirt tucked in she was the picture of casual elegance. She even opted against the combat boots in favor of cream colored flats she had bought in Mississippi. Her hair was down and she had done, casual, down-south sunday school princess makeup. She was the picture of political innocence. When she arrived with Bill and Nan at the Dorchester in Shreveport she took a seat in the front of the audience while they sat onstage. Looking around she saw that for a tolerance festival, there really weren't too many Vampires. The only ones she counted were on stage. Some kind of tolerance.
Just as Bill was beginning his speech, Layla felt Eric. Her face drained of color. She could feel his empty compliance. He was Antonia's puppet. She knew it. Quietly, she made her way from the front, scanning the balconies and dark corners, looking for him.
"Bill!" Sookie's voice shouted from the back. There was screaming and everyone turned to see three vampires holding three eviscerated guards off of a balcony.
"Aw shit." Layla groaned as panic erupted around her.