Tara stared at 'Bill' as if he'd lost his damned mind!

They were now parked at Fangtasia.

"What is this shit, Bill? We're at Fangtasia."

Alcide got out of the car on his side. He had convinced the guards that he would be fine out with Tara alone. He moved to her side of the car and opened the door.

"Did you hear me? There's no food at Fangtasia."

"No. But Northman is here."

Tara eyed him.

"Bill, let's not get into a round two with Eric, okay? Just get back in the car and let's go home."

"A round two?" Alcide asked.

"I know you stayed behind at Merlotte's to take Eric on. You don't have to. I'm going to believe you didn't own my family during slavery, okay?"

What the fuck? Had Northman told her that Bill Compton owned Tara's family during...shit, of course he had! That's what the vamp fucker did! Just started shit and caused trouble, Alcide thought.

"Let's go in and show him that he didn't get to us. It's important to me, Tara." Alcide said quietly, reaching for her hand to pull her out of the car. Tara gave him a quizzical look, put her hand in his and then got out of the car. Fine! But if Bill started any shit with Eric, they were leaving!

Eric saw the 'couple' from his throne, the minute they stepped inside. His eyes stayed on Tara. She was wearing a spaghetti strapped, red dress that he supposed was a maternity style of some sort. Not that it mattered. It didn't keep him from wanting her, even at this distance. He told himself that he just had to be patient. That once his children were born and Tara returned to being a full vampire, he would call her to him as her maker, and then she would be with him. Whether she liked it or not. And Eric knew that she would like it. Or grow to.

Eric then looked at Bill and his eyes narrowed a bit. He pulled out a chair for Tara, then sat down. That in itself was not unusual. But he had seen Bill and Tara before together. They were friendly, almost as friends would be. But something was different now...

"Your Majesty," Eric overheard one of his waiter's insist, "we do not serve food here."

"Then get in the kitchen and make something!" Alcide snapped. Tara put a hand on 'Bill's' arm.

"What is the matter with you? I told you there was no food here, something you damned well know!"

Alcide leaned back in his chair and tore his eyes off of Tara. He then locked eyes with Eric.

"I want Northman to make sure we get dinner. NOW!"

Eric stood up and left his throne, something he would not ordinarily do for anyone. But unfortunately, Bill's rank demanded it! He walked over to the table and excused the waiter.

"Your Majesty. My Queen. As you know, there is NO Food here."

Tara touched Eric's wrist, something that griped Alcide, but he refrained from commenting on it.

"We know, Eric. Bill was just playing."

"No I was not," Alcide said, "and if your King commands food at a moment's notice, then you will damned well get in that kitchen and cook it yourself!"

"Okay," Tara said standing up, "we're leaving. I'm sorry, Eric for all of the trouble."

Eric pulled Tara forcefully away from the table, something that caused Alcide to now stand up. He struggled to listen in on what was being said between the two.

"I don't care why he's doing what he's doing, Tara. I want you to come by and see for yourself that Bill owned your ancestors. I don't know how you can sit in public with him."

"Bill said he has proof that you're lying. I HAVE to believe him if this marriage is going to work."

"It's not going to. No one believes that it will." Eric said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Your place is here by my side."

Alcide walked over and pulled Tara away.

"Her place is with her husband and father of her babies. That's me. I'll forgive the snub about the food-this time. But anymore disrespect like that, and you will be pulled into Authority Headquarters."

"Bill!" Tara yelled. What the hell was the matter with him?

Eric's phone rang and he answered it.

It was Sookie.

"Eric, I tried to call Bill but we got cut off! I'm in jail! They know about Debbie! Her body was dug up! Alcide told the Pelts everything! I don't know what do do!"

"I'll be there shortly." Eric said and hung up. He then looked at Bill.

"That was Sookie. She is in jail. Alcide, bastard child of mine that he is, told the Pelts that Sookie killed their daughter. She's been dug up. I am the owner of that property and therefore the authorities had no right to come onto it. She said she tried to call you earlier."

Alcide gave Eric a hard look, then spoke.

"We were not cut off. I just didn't have time to be bothered with Sookie's problems."

Tara now looked from Eric to Bill.

"You just hung up on Sookie?" she asked. Bill reached for her hand.

"You are my wife now, Tara. You and the twins are my life. I can't be dragged back into Sookie's problems. If you would like to go to the police station to see her..."

Eric rolled his eyes!

"I will take care of Sookie. Have a pleasant evening." Eric said snidely and left Fangtasia. Tara was still staring at Bill.

"Bill, you just...I mean I think Sookie needs our help but for you to just not go..."

"Running to her? I want to go home, Tara. I want to go home and show you how committed I am to you and our family." Bill said...no...growled as he his lips almost smothered hers in a hard kiss.

Tara put her hands against his chest to push him away as their lips parted. But she nodded her assent at his request. He slipped a tight arm around her waist as they left the establishment and headed back to the mansion.

Jason and Sookie were alone in an interrogation room. And Jason was giving Sookie hell!

"I begged you to tell me the truth, Sookie! BEGGED you! And now look at this shit! Gordon and Barbara Pelt are raising much hell AND do you know they're suing this police department and the Vampire Authority for their wrongful imprisonment!"

"She killed Tara, Jason. She was going to kill me." Sookie said in a hoarse voice, just as Eric and his lawyer walked in. The lawyer asked to speak to Jason privately and they left the interrogation room.

Eric just stared at Sookie. Sookie sighed!

"I don't want to hear 'I told you so' about anything, okay?"

"You said Alcide had something to do with his. Explain. Why would he betray you?" Eric asked.

"I don't know! I found him in New Orleans and he had made plans by then."

"What kind of plans?" Eric asked.

"Plans to fuck with both Bill and you. He was meeting with warlocks. African witch doctors...you name it. The point is this: he managed to get one of them to repress his vampire side. He is now more wolf than vamp now." Sookie informed him. Eric nodded, then clenched his jaw.

"That would explain why he is not responding to my calls as his maker. I don't understand what that has to do with Bill?"

"Alcide wants Tara. More than ever. But he didn't say how he planned to get Bill away from her."

"I am not following this: what does any of that have to do with the Pelt's? Why did he turn you in? Are you sure it was Alcide?"

"I think, but I don't know for sure, that Alcide has made a deal with the Pelts concerning Tara and the babies. I think they have something to do with finding the witch doctors in New Orleans. There's a link I'm missing, but I know it's all connected." Sookie said.

"None of this would be happening if Tara would've just...just accepted what is." Eric said in a low voice. Sookie gave him a look of pity.

"I know that Pam's death has been hard on you."

"Hard? I feel as if we'd been together forever. I still look for her to seek solace...NO ONE is able to handle the running of Fangtasia like she did. Tara should've been of some comfort. But no. She runs and runs and runs...from me, from her responsibility to me...and she is forever throwing it up in my face, silently, that I am not her 'Beloved Eric' from that other reality!" Eric snapped, then ran a hand down his face.

"Eric?" Sookie asked, but Eric waved her off.

"I am fine. And things will be fine. Tara's illusions of a life with Bill Compton, are just that."

"I'd like to think that too, but they're married. I don't even know what to say to Tara. I just know that she doesn't love Bill."

"And Bill does not love her. He loves you, Sookie. Look, I can get you out of jail on a technicality. But we will have to put our heads together as to how to get you out of this for good. And for this, I want Bill and Tara to use their influence to make this go away. Tara and Bill love you. They will help us."

Sookie nodded and hugged him. Yes, Bill and Tara would help her, wouldn't they?

Meanwhile, the real Bill Compton awoke very confused. Confused by his surroundings. Why was he looking up at Nora Gainsborough?

"Uh...where are we?"

"Where the fuck do you think we are, Alcide? Imprisoned in the Authority! I am about to be executed no thanks to your utter carelessness! Did you ever care anything for me at all?"

Bill stood up slowly looking at her like she was crazy!

"What did you just call me?"

"What are you talking about?" Nora snapped.

"You just called me 'Alcide'? Why?"

Nora eyed him.

"Because that's your name, TRAITOR! So your plan was to fuck me, pretend to care and all the time you wanted Tara? Is that it? We are damned well going to come up with a story that spares both of our lives!"

Bill but his hands up in a surrendering motion!

"Nora, I don't know what is going on, but I am NOT Alcide Herveaux!"

"Oh. Right. You're just some man that happens to look like him and yet you know my name, right?"

"I am BILL COMPTON! Bill Compton, King of Louisiana! And the last thing I remember is Chancellor Kibwe and Alcide Herveaux being in my home! Kibwe had Lillith Blood in a powder form. He blew some in my face and the next thing I know, I'm here!"

Nora stared at him hard for a long moment. Something was off. It was the way Alcide spoke. He sounded cultured now, when he hadn't before. And Kibwe WAS suddenly in charge of everything. He had been given power, supposedly temporarily, while Bill Compton spent time with his wife and the unborn children of her brother, Eric.

Nora knew she had been careless, taking the ring when the cameras were on. But it was supposed to be temporary! When Alcide did not return the ring, that was when all of this trouble started-for her!

"Let's say I believe you, 'Your Majesty'. How do we get out of this? Bill Compton supposedly signed my execution orders."

"I signed them before I was switched into this body. And none of that would've been possible if you hadn't taken up with Herveaux. But now we both need to help each other. I will rescind the order once I am in my proper body."

"How is that going to happen?" Nora almost wailed.

"We need Eric and Sookie's help. Call Eric to you. He will be informed of your impending execution anyway, but get him to sense your distress now. Once he is here, we will explain what has happened and he will help us."

"Why do we need Sookie then?" Nora asked.

"Because I don't want my wife living with Herveaux one more second than need be. Sookie needs to get over to my house, read Herveaux's thoughts and convince Tara that he is not me."

"Sookie can't read vampire thoughts! At least that is what I was told. If he is you..."

Bill nodded curtly.

"Then we are going to have to depend on Eric to get through to Tara on that matter as well."