Disclaimer: All characters depicted herein are the sole property of Charlaine Harris and HBO.

Chapter 10 - Glamoured

I don't know how long I stood there frozen, trying to figure out what to do. Bill was just next door, I could go to him. Eric would surely be involved at some point though, and if I went to Bill first Eric would be beyond livid. I was a friend of the Long Tooth pack, I could call Alcide and see if the Weres could help me, the good Lord knows how many times I had helped them out. Or maybe, just maybe, I could go to sleep, as weary as I was, and wake up in a world where Vampires hadn't come out of the coffin, my grandfather wasn't half Fae, Shifters and Weres didn't exist, and I couldn't read minds. As much as that might be nice, I knew there was absolutely no chance of that happening.

There was no way around it. I would have to go to Eric. As much as I was loath to admit it, even to myself, our blood bond would have come in handy right about now. Damn my impertinence. I really should have been more patient, and waiting until this mess with Victor was cleared up before breaking the bond. There was nothing to be done about it now though, so I called Bill. He picked up on the first ring.

"Sookie. Is something wrong he asked?" His voice was as smooth as ever, but it held a hint of concern.

"Hey Bill. Actually there is. Someone who wanted to meet me has taken Jenna. I think it's a vampire, because I think she's been glamoured. She called while I was at your house," I explained.

"I'm on my way," He responded.

"No," I told him, my voice panicked. "I have to go see Eric." I told him.

He snarled. "Absolutely not," he told me.

"Bill, he's the Sherriff of this area, there is no way to keep him out of it. And while we are no longer bonded, I can count how many people know that on my fingers. If Eric were not to know, it would be dead giveaway and would put me in greater danger. He is also still my husband by vampire law which makes it his concern." I explained, trying to reason with him.

Bill was silent. "Sookie, you are mine. You are my priority. I will stand idly by, and watch you go back to him."

"I have to see him Bill."

"I will go with you."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I will not let you go alone!" Bill stated, a note of finality in his voice. I wanted to protest, but it occurred to me, that if I went to Eric now, without him, that I might lose Bill forever. There was only so many times a man is willing to forgive you choosing someone over them.

"I need to change. I want to be on our way to Shreveport in 10 minutes, max." I told him.

We both hung up and I went to my room to change. I didn't want to be out all night in my Merlotte's outfit. I changed into a pair of blue jeans, a cream colored peasant top, and my home sneakers, a worn in pair of Adidas. I didn't know what all we were getting in to tonight, and I wanted to be comfortable. Bill was at my house in record time, and was standing in my bedroom as I finished dressing. I brushed through my hair and put it back up into an elastic so it would be out of the way and I wouldn't have to think about it.

We left the house without comment. Once in the car, I made some calls. First I called Sam to let him know what happened. Jenna and I both worked for him so he had a right to know, and his enhanced senses due to being a shifter could prove useful to pick up the scent. I explained where we were going and Sam didn't like the idea, but I wasn't willing to argue tonight. I needed to get my friend out of danger. He agreed to go check out the parking lot, and let me know if he found anything of note.

Next I called Alcide. The last time we had spoken was when I stood in for Shaman for his pack some weeks ago. The memory of the taste of the drink/drug he gave me nearly made me gag, so I pushed it back out of my mind.

The phone rang three times before Alcide answered. "Hello," Alcide said, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Hey Alcide, sorry for waking you," I told him.

"Sookie; Hey. I've been thinking about you," he said dreamily. I thought I could hear a smile in his voice. I wasn't the only one who could hear it, it seemed- a low growl came from the driver's seat. It seems Bill was going to be possessive all over the place tonight.

"It's the middle of the night, what's up?" Alcide asked, coming more alert. "What's wrong?"

"It's my friend Jenna!" I said trying not to become hysterical, having to recount the story again. I first had to explain who Jenna was, as I hadn't talked with Alcide since before she started working at Merlotte's. Then I explained the predicament that I was in with Victor and with Eric, though I left out the fact that I had broken our bond.

"Will you please go to Merlotte's and help Sam find anything on who might have taken her, and where she might have gone?" I asked. "I'm on my way to see Eric, but the sun will be up in a matter of hours, and there is only so much that he can do before then." I explained.

"Sookie, I wish your call had been more social." Alcide said with a touch of regret in his voice.

"I could say the same for you when you call me." I reminded him. As more often than not it was to as a favor for the pack. "Will you help?" I asked.

"Of course," he told me sounding almost injured that I doubted him. "You're a friend of the pack, and of mine. I'll call Jannalynn, and we'll head out as soon as we can." He told me.

"Thank you." I told him.

"It's what friends are for." He told me simply. "I'll call you when we know something," he said, and we said our goodbyes.

The last phone call I made was to Eric, so he would be expecting us. I gave him the Reader's Digest version of what I thought had happened, and what I was doing about it. Eric sounded politely concerned, but not overly. I couldn't tell what he was feeling, thanks to the lack of the blood bond, and I was beginning to remember how difficult dealing with him had been before we had been bonded. Even without the bond I could tell Eric was upset that I was in the car with Bill. I wasn't dealing with their obnoxious jealousy this evening though, there were more important matters at hand. I let him know we would be there shortly, and hung up.

After I got off the phone with Eric, Bill spoke. "Sookie, it would be safer if we were bonded. If something were to happen, I would immediately know if something were wrong, and I would be able to find you in an emergency," He explained. "Eric will tell you as much, and try to compel you to bond with him again." Bill's face was blank, but I knew there was anger in his eyes at the thought.

"I will not bond with Eric again." I told him resolutely. "At this point I would rather die than have my life bound to Eric. I will not again bind myself to anyone. Excepting if I one day get married."

"Sookie, Eric may try to force you, though I will never let him." He told me, then his voice softened. "I would like to be bound to you again for other reasons too, I miss feeling you. I was going to bring it up eventually, but this would be a situation where it could be very useful."

"Bill, I love you. I can understand your view, but please consider mine. Since I met you I have felt someone else within me, and most recently it has been a very strong feeling, and it has been Eric. I really just want to feel like me for now. I understand that logistically it might be beneficial, but I still would really like to just be me." I told him. I just barely smiled to myself, I knew this wasn't really the appropriate time, but logistically had been on my word a day calendar a few weeks ago, and this was the first time I had a chance to use it.

"I love you too Sookie. I see your side, and respect your decision. Maybe you might consider changing your mind later; it feels like I'm missing a part of me without you there." He said.

I put my hand on his shoulder and slid it down his arm. He removed his hand from the steering wheel, and opened it to mine. Holding his hand, "I will think about it, later," I promised him.

It was well past closing time at Fangtasia so instead of going there, we met Eric at his home. We stopped at the security gate for the neighborhood. The security guard greeted me by name and waved us through. Bill was none too pleased, but I reminded him that like it or not Eric and I had been together for awhile, and there was nothing that could be done about it now. We pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. I still had a key- I hadn't even thought about it when I dropped off the box with his things in it, but I felt awkward at the idea of using it.

I didn't have to. As Bill and I walked towards Eric's front door, it opened to reveal Eric's figure in the doorway.

"Compton, thank you for accompanying my wife." Eric said inclining his head in greeting. He wasted no time staking his territory. "Sookie." He greeted me, offering me his hand. I remained beside Bill; I couldn't deny his claim upon me in regard to our 'marriage' but I would not let him claim me physically.

"I am sorry that Sookie's friend may be in danger, but I am glad I am able to be there for her." Bill responded, making it clear that his assistance had nothing to do with Eric.

Eric dropped his hand when it was clear I would not take it, he lead us into his living room. He stopped abruptly, turned around and was standing not inches in front of me, facing me, in less time than it would have taken me to blink.

"My love." He said. Then his eyes flashed. "You smell of him!" He growled. I took a step back. Glad that I had so many years practice in controlling my facial expressions, I refused to let me guilt show. Bill was a few steps ahead of me as Eric had stopped our progress, but I could see his body tense.

I took a step back from Eric. "I just spent a half an hour in his car. And I had been by his house this evening to talk." I explained, not lying. I knew Eric well enough to know what he was thinking without any blood bond, or my telepathy that didn't work on vampires anyhow. He was torn between me, and attacking Bill.

Luckily this response gave him pause, at least for the moment. "What would you have to talk to him about, that you couldn't discuss with me?" He spat. "He is my subordinate, you are my wife, it is not done!"

I was angry, "I am a person Eric! A woman grown! I am not a child to be ordered around, or a doll to be put on a shelf. I am not something to be claimed, as you have tried to do. I can talk to whoever I want about whatever I want, and it's none of your business! I can do as I please!" I yelled at him.

Eric turned his anger another direction, and in a flash was in front of Bill. Before I knew it Bill was pinned against the wall behind him. "Being in your presence may account for your scent on MY WIFE, but that does not account for her scent so abundantly ON YOU!" Eric exploded. Bill was strong, very strong, but Eric was over a thousand years old and much stronger than Bill it seemed.

Bill's face was nearly as dark as Eric's, "Sookie and I were once lovers, we are neighbors, and have found our way back to being friends. I love her. If she is in need of the physical comfort of a hug, I could no more turn her away, than I could hurt her." Bill told him, his voice cold.

"You know the law! She is my WIFE!" Eric growled.

"And your 'wife' came here because her friend may be in grave danger! Which your jealousy is doing nothing to help!" I yelled at him, terrified of what might happen if this went on any longer. It did not make Eric let Bill go, but it did bring them back to the situation at hand.

"This is not finished, Compton. We will come back to it another time. Sooner rather than later," Eric told him, using Bill's body to shove away from the wall towards me. "Yes Sookie, you are right. You are here for Jenna. I called Victor, to check on things. He says that he is in New Orleans for the moment on a vacation. This may or may not be true. I didn't mention Jenna, for I didn't want to tip our hands if he has her. As it happens Pam, after having left Bon Temps, was on her way to New Orleans on some business for me, so she will see what she can find and report back." Eric said.

I sank down onto a couch, I was really worried about Jenna. Eric took a seat next to me, and Bill took a chair. I couldn't tell how Bill felt about the seating arrangements, and at that moment I really couldn't care. My focus had returned to my friend, who was with someone who was looking for me. My phone rang. It was Alcide. He was to the point and the conversation was short. There was no sign of a struggle and Jenna's car was still in the parking lot. The scent that was with her was Vampire, but they couldn't tell who, as the scent of Pam, Bill, and Eric was heavy at Merlotte's, and there were scents of other vampires they didn't know also there. The pack tracked them as far as they could without running where they might be seen, or hit by cars, and it seems that they were headed for New Orleans.

I relayed this information to Eric and Bill, neither of whom seemed surprised. It was only logical, especially give that Victor was in New Orleans. We would have to go.

"I don't know how we will be received in New Orleans, Sookie." Eric told my, his voice soothing, or at least trying to be. "I am truly sorry that your friend has been taken, and that you are again put in a situation to rescue someone you care about," He went on. "You are so fragile. I know we are quarreling, but I couldn't bear to lose you," He told me. He was being so timid it was throwing me off guard. That must have been what he was going for because after I pause he continued, in the same pleading voice, "It would assuage some of my concern if you would bond with me again. I would know how you are feeling, if you were in danger, I could find you if need be, and my blood would make you stronger." Eric said. It was almost like déjà vu, the conversation so closely mirrored the one I had with Bill not two hours earlier.

Bill didn't react, we knew Eric would want to do this. "No, Eric. I can see how it might be useful, but I broke our bond on purpose." I told him as gently as I could while still sounding resolute.

Eric's anger flared. "I will not abide your dismissal of me and my concern. We must be rebound!"

"I won't." I responded simply

"If any vampire besides Pam were to find out we are no longer bonded, I can't even contemplate what the consequences might be for you. You are my wife, I love you, we must! I do not want to have to force you. I will not take you near Victor without being bonded." He said. I wanted to point out Bill was a vampire who also knew, but I was smart enough to realize now was not the time. The thought of Victor scared me, especially after his veiled threat at our last meeting. I did not want to be blood bound to anyone right now, least of all Eric, but the thought was a teeny tiny bit tempting.

My breath caught, as I thought on what Eric had just said. Pam. Pam was in New Orleans. Pam, Eric's second in command, who rarely if ever left his side. Pam, Eric's child who he could trust above any other, who had been at Merlotte's tonight, was on her way to New Orleans.

"You!" I accused. "You did this! You had Pam take Jenna, to try to make me bond with you again!" I yelled. If blood were to drain from a vampires pale face, I think that is exactly what Eric's face looked like in that moment.

A/N: Everyone thanks for the comments, and double thanks for letting me know that I had written Amelia instead of Jenna in the conversation with Bill. I had her on the brain when I was writing this chapter, and had written it an other time as well, and had to fix it. Thank you!