Disclaimer: I don't own True Blood (this is getting rather tedious…)

Here is chapter eight! ~

I hate this, I thought to myself wearily, as I hammered another black nail into the sturdy wood frame. It was the day before the lock-in, and me and Jason were creatingthe platform on which Godric was to die on. It sickened me, when Newlin had asked me to do this – as his most trusted soldier. (I hadn't actually accepted his ridiculous offer of being a Soldier of the Sun, yet he just assumed that I would have). He'd chosen to have a platform so everyone could seebetter as Godric "met the sun", as he put it. There was going to be a crucifix hammered onto the stage, too – which Godric was to be tied on. I felt disgusted just looking at it.

I stole a glance up at my brother, who was frowning deeply as he whacked the hammer down forcefully. He muttered darkly under his breath, as he wiped his sweaty brow. "Jase. You ok?" I called over, worried. I'd never seen Jason looked so…conflicted.

He sighed, his shoulders sagging. I couldn't see him properly, because of the platform blocking my view, but I heard his tool clatter to the church's stone floor. "No," Jason said lowly. "No. I'm not alright, sis. This…this feels wrong."

I knew exactly what he was talking about, of course – but I played the fool. "What do you mean, Jase?" I asked him.

He raised his arms in exasperation. "This is wrong! All of this! We're creating a death bed for an innocent vampire…" Jason ran a hand through his blonde locks. "…And this vampire's done nothin' wrong to me or you. It's completely crazy. What are we even doing here, Rose?" His southern accent sounded out more clearly in his distress.

I smiled sadly at Jase. "You're completely right, Jason," I agreed quietly.

He looked a little shocked. "Y-you're agreeing with me? You don't think what I'm saying is nonsense? You don't think –"

"Jason," I cut him off sharply, "I haven't believed in this anti-vampire shit since day one."

Jason walked around the platform, so he could see me better. I flopped down onto the freshly-cut grass, and watched as Jase stared down at me with his sky-blue eyes. "If you've never believed in any of it, why did you join with me?" He asked demandingly.

I rolled my eyes, and pointed at him lazily. "So I could keep an eye on you," I admitted truthfully. Jason looked rather miffed at this statement. He crossed his arms, and narrowed his oceanic orbs.

"You're kidding. I can take care of myself, Rose," Jason protested. "If I'd known this was your reason for joining, I would have made you stay home."

I sighed deeply. "Jason Stackhouse," I said warningly, "The day you can take care of yourself is the day vampires actually enjoy Tru Blood."

Jason's eyes narrowed further. "How do you know that vampires don't enjoy Tru Blood?" He asked suspiciously. I gulped, and mentally berated myself for being so stupid.

"W-well, it's synthetic, right? Meaning it's not real," I replied quickly. "The fakes never taste good. It's like having meat that isn't from a cow, which was made in a laboratory."

Jason looked slightly confused at this, and I cursed his dim-wittedness. "And also because Bill told me it doesn't taste good," I added hastily, letting out a mental sigh of relief when Jason nodded in understanding. Jase sighed out loud himself, and collapsed onto the ground next to me.

"I think we should leave before the lock-in tomorrow," He suggested, folding his arms behind his head, and glancing at me. I was unsure if I should tell Jason about Godric, and how he was going to get us out of here. And I was even more unsure whether I should tell him about me and Godric's…situation. I say situation, because I really had no idea what he was to me yet. I mean, I loved him – that much I could finally admit. But what was our relationship? Lover? Close friend? Boyfriend? Godric had told me I was "his" many times, and he'd told me once I was his mate. What did that mean? I had no idea how vampire laws and rules worked, it was all pretty much foreign to me. I could have asked Sookie – seeing as she had a vampire boyfriend – but something told me she was pretty low on information, too. I made sure to make a mental note to ask Godric my many questions.

"– alie?" Someone snapped me out of my jumbled thoughts. It was Jason, looking mighty pissed. Probably because I hadn't really been listening to him for a while. "Rose?" He called again.

"Mmm?" I said casually, flicking at some dirt on my fingernail.

Jason groaned in annoyance. "I said I'm going to take you home after we finish this platform."

My blood ran cold. Take me home? "I can't," I replied, alarmed. "I – I need to stay here."

Jason sat up, and stared me down very suspiciously. "Why? What's keeping you here, Rosalie?" He asked, all serious-like. "What are you keeping from me?"

I gulped nervously. I'd never been a good liar in front of my brother – there was something about him that just made me feel guilty if I lied. Great, now look what you've gotten yourself into, Rose. "W – Well, there are some things I need to –"

"Hey, Rose!" Someone called, interrupting our tense chat-session. Phew. Saved by the bell. Although, not a good bell, if I might add, I thought glumly, seeing a familiar dark haired, green-eyed boy waltz across the grass. Luke strided over to us, a big grin on his face. "What are ya doin' on such a beautiful late afternoon like this?" He asked cheerfully. I sat up, and crossed my legs Indian-style.

Suddenly, there was a sharp tug at my chest. It almost sent me reeling, but I managed to catch myself before falling flat on my face. Obviously, Godric was keeping a closer eye on me than I previously thought. I subtly glanced around at the trees, but didn't see the white-clothed vampire anywhere. I shrugged – vampires did have superhuman senses, after all. Godric could probably smell Luke near me, even when he was still in the basement.

"Oh, did you almost fall from my sheer handsomeness?" Luke asked, winking at me suggestively. Oh god. I winced at that comment. This guy…was way too full of himself.

I laughed like a good little girl. "A-ha, guess I did," I replied, giggling, even though I felt like hiding behind the platform and cringing for all its worth.

I didn't need to look to know that Jason was glaring at Luke. I cleared my throat, attempting and failing to remove the awkward atmosphere. "What are you doing here?" Jason asked rather rudely.

I sighed, feeling like curling up and taking a nice, long cat nap. But apparently, I wasn't going to get my wish, because Luke grabbed my arm, hauling me off the warm grass. At that contact, I felt the pull rip so fiercely, that all I felt like doing was screaming in pain and agony. Jeez! Godric could have backed off a bit – it wasn't my fault this crazy jerk was touching me!

Not only did I have an outraged vampire to deal with – but also a furious over-protective brother, who had jumped up to shake a fist in Luke's face. I would have laughed at the comedy of it, if I wasn't nearly keeling over in pain.

"I'm taking her out for a walk," Luke demanded angrily. "You've kept her working on the platform all day. She needs a break."

"I'll be dead before you take her out anywhere," Jason bit back.

"Ha. You think threats are gonna stop me, Stackhouse?" He laughed mockingly.

"You know it, Mcdonald," Jase yelled. "You're fucking dick. My sister would never go out with you, so back off."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. I really couldn't be bothered dealing with this, so I walked off. The guys were so lost in their argument, that they didn't even see me go.

I walked around the church grounds, bored as hell. I knew I shouldn't have been bored – I should have been panicking. What if they took Godric before he could escape? Would they burn him? I didn't know if I could live with myself if Godric died.

I mentally scolded myself. Godric was a two-thousand year old vampire, for crying out loud. He only needed to flick his wrist on someone's neck, and they were dead. He could handle himself. But, could I handle my own safety?

As I mulled over these thoughts, walking leisurely in the oranges and reds of the sunset, I almost missed a very familiar face. I thought at first I was seeing things, but when I looked back, my fears were more than correct.

"Sookie…?" I managed to choke out. What the hell was she doing here? She was supposed to be in Bon Temps, not Dallas! I watched in despair as she walked into the church, a sullen-looking man trailing beside her in a brown suit. Sarah was beside them, chatting and laughing.

I had to know why she was here. Had she found out me and Jason were here? If so, why did she bring that man? To say I was confused was an understatement.

And so I found myself sprinting around the church, to where I knew Sarah would take them: Steve's office. I just wanted to peek in the window, and find out what the hell Sook was doing.

The gravel pavement crunched under my tennis shoes, and grit flew in the air behind me. I cursed how un-subtle I was being. I probably should have tiptoed, but panic was running through my veins like wildfire. I probably could have won a marathon with all the adrenalin.

When I came to his office window, I slowed my steps, walking cautiously. I crouched beneath the window sill just in time, as I heard Steve's office door creak open, and a chorus of "hello" and "good afternoons," sounded. Steve and Sarah started to talk to them, asking them causal day-to-day questions, like how they were feeling.

I lifted my head a little and peeked through the window, watching in curiosity as Sookie and the suit man sat comfortably in Steve's plush chairs. Steve sat at his desk, with Sarah standing behind him, her hands resting on the top of his chair. Of course, I knew that Sookie knew I was crouching there. She could read minds, so she probably heard my thoughts and recognised them. However, if she was surprised at all with me being there, Sook managed to mask it pretty skilfully.

I said in my head so she could hear me, don't draw attention to me – just act casually. I've no idea what you're doing here, but just know, Steve isn't the nice, bubbly guy he seems.

I thought I saw her nod her head a little, but she kept her eyes trained on Steve. Good. Sook always was a fast learner.

Unfortunately, Sookie was panicking. I could tell, because she wouldn't stop talking. She tended to babble in awkward or panicky situations. "…Well, the funny thing is, Rufus and I actually met in church," Sookie said to Steve and Sarah. "But, we both left like, a month later when we realised our pastor was…a little iffy."

"He was a homosexual?" Steve asked, tutting.

"We don't know that. He might've been that too, but what became all too clear, was that…he was a sympathiser," Sookie sighed sadly, and Sarah gave her a sympathetic look. Steve shook his head.

"See, that really ticks me off," Steve said angrily. "How can you claim to be a God-loving person and then love something that God detests?"

"It's upsetting," Sookie agreed.

"It is. It is upsetting," The suit man said, looking kind of miffed with Sook's babbling. He took Sookie's hand. "But that's why me and my fiancé are here. We wanna make this our new home," He finished.

Sarah looked ecstatic. "We are thrilled that you've chosen us," She beamed happily. Sarah continued to talk, but I watched Sookie carefully, who was looking at Steve. She'd obviously heard something not so nice in his thoughts.

Sookie smiled nervously. "It'll be amazing to finally be amongst like-minded people," She sighed. "I don't care what anyone says about vampires being able to control themselves. I know better. I know that every, single one of 'em is a vicious, bloodthirsty killer."

I frowned at this. Sookie's boyfriend was a vampire – whom she was very much in love with, might I add. Why was she saying all this stuff? I had kind of assumed that she was acting – but why? What purpose did she have coming to the Fellowship of the Sun?

Steve talked a little more, before he stood up and walked to the door. Sarah followed, and gestured for the suit man and Sookie to follow. Where was he taking them? If I could have guessed, it was probably to show them around the church.

I immediately jumped to my feet, and followed them, by watching where they were going in the windows. I watched as Steve picked up his phone as they walked, answering a call. Sarah continued to chat happily to the both of them, as Steve talked on his cell.

They eventually stopped at a set of big, brown doors. Steve put his phone away after finishing his call, and him and his wife turned to face Sookie and the suit-man, beaming. Steve held out his hands, and I had to strain to hear what they were saying. "Careful now," Steve warned, eyeing them.

"Careful?" Suit man asked, alarmed. Him and Sookie exchanged glances. "About what?"

Steve looked at them evenly. "…Sometimes, when we open these doors…" He started, "So much love comes flowing out, that it'll knock you down if you're not ready for it!" He finished, grinning fakely.

Sookie smiled at suit man, before turning to speak to Steve. "We'll be sure to brace ourselves!" She said cheerfully.

Steve and Sarah exchanged excited glances, before the two of them grabbed a handle each, and yanked the big doors open. What greeted them was the church's main room: rows and rows of seats were lined up neatly, and the altar sat high at the end of the large room. But what shocked them the most, was the bright, afternoon sun, which filtered in through the stained-glass windows, lighting up the room. It was so bright, that the room almost sparkled.

"Oh my gosh," Sookie breathed in amazement, as she and suit-man walked in. I quickly walked inside the church, and ran up to hide behind the brown doors, so I could hear what was going on.

"I know," Sarah gushed, as she and her husband walked in behind them, "I just love it in here. The way it glows like it does…particularly in the late afternoon…"

"It's inspiring, isn't?" Steve sighed, walking in front of them.

"It really is," Sookie agreed, somewhat less enthusiastic. She could probably hear my thoughts, and was probably wondering what on earth I was doing.

"Yes siree, this is where we're getting married," Suit-man sighed, turning to Sookie. "I can't wait to see you walk down this aisle."

"Me either," Sookie said nervously. Yup – she was definitely acting. I could tell, because Sook was the worst actress I'd ever seen.

"Hey," Steve suddenly said, swivelling round. "Have either of you ever been to a lock-in?" He asked.

I couldn't really see what was happening, because I was hiding behind the doors – but I could tell Sookie was panicking by her tone of voice. "A – lock-in?" Sook asked.

"Ohh, yes, it's loads of fun," Steve encouraged. "Everyone brings their sleeping bags and –"

Steve continued on to explain what a lock-in was. I fidgeted behind the doors nervously. Something didn't feel right. It felt as if something bad was going to happen to my big sister. I was about to rush in and confront them, until Sookie spoke again, "That…lock-in does sound like fun," She said, laughing nervously. I had no doubt that Steve was now overly suspicious of Sookie.

"Rufus, we gotta go home and get our sleeping bags now," She said tightly, no doubt speaking to suit-man.

"But, honey, the tour's not even over yet," Suit-man argued.

"I know, honey, but I think we really ought to go, so we can come back for the lock-down," Sook finished, and I almost facepalmed at her stupidity. If Steve hadn't been suspicious of her before, he probably was now. I don't think she even realised her mistake – Sookie should have called it a lock-in, not a lock-down.

Steve chuckled darkly. "There'll be plenty time to get ready," He assured her, "The lock-in," He said, stressing the word "in", "Is not until tomorrow night."

There was an awkward silence, before I heard a familiar horrible voice. "You wanted to see me?" Someone asked. I peeked round the sturdy doors to see Gabe, in his black L.O.D.I jumper. He strided over to the reverend and his wife.

"Oh, good," Steve said, greeting Gabe. "Holly, Rufus, I'd like you to meet an aid of mine," He said, patting Gabe on the back. "This is Gabe."

"Pleased to meet you," Suit-man said, shaking Gabe's large hand.

"Hi," Sookie greeted anxiously.

Steve plastered on his famous fake smile. "Gabe here's gonna be joining us for the rest of the tour," He said cheerfully. I felt my stomach lurch. Why did it have to be Gabe? That disgusting old man was probably thinking dirty things about my sister already…

The tour around the church continued on, and I followed them around relentlessly, hiding behind objects or doors whenever I could. I had the nagging feeling that Steve was planning something for Sook, and it wasn't going to be good.

Soon, the sky started to turn dark, late afternoon melding into early evening. I hoped Jason wasn't looking for me, because I sure as hell wasn't going anywhere until I figured out what they wanted with Sookie and suit-man.

At the moment, I was hiding behind a corner, watching as Steve led them past the front doors. "Now I'd like to take y'all to see a very special part of the church," He said.

"There's more?" Sookie asked, sounding slightly exasperated. I missed the rest of their conversation, but I think they were heading towards the basement. I followed, trailing them like a ghost.

I heard Sarah shout after her husband, "Honey, are you sure?" She asked, sounding panicky.

"Absolutely, darlin'" He called back.

"Steve, I just don't see why we need to take them down there," Sarah said nervously, as all five of them stopped outside the basement door.

Steve continued to talk almost forcefully, before opening the door. I could practically hear Sookie gulping as she stared down the basement. "Rufus?" She called, scared.

"What's the matter?" Steve asked innocently.

"It's no big deal," Suit-man assured him, "She just has a tiny little case of claustrophobia. Well, we both do, actually," He said.

"Well," Steve said, sounding almost disappointed. "At least take a quick little look-see, and that way you can say you saw the whole church, and you'll be making informed decisions…"

"Steve!" Sarah warned.

"It's alright, Sarah," Steve said, still smiling that fake smile of his. "This is something they need to see."

Sookie exchanged glances with suit-man. "But we've already decided that we're getting married here," She protested. "So how 'bout we go back to our apartment, and we'll look at a calendar, and we'll call you on a phone to set a date."

"No," Steve said firmly, before yelling, "Gabe!" He rushed forward to grab Sookie, and Gabe grabbed suit-man. They dragged both of them down the basement stairs, Sookie screaming all the way. Sarah looked close to tears. I couldn't move – utter panic was rooting me to the spot. I could only watch as that bastard Newlin dragged my big sister down the stairs.

I almost yelled out her name, but stopped myself just in time. I couldn't give away my cover. So, instead, I just opted for calling Sookie in my mind. Sook, don't worry – I'll get both of you out of there. I promise.

I just hoped to god she'd be alright.