CHAPTER TWELVE

"You know why Bill was at Fangtasia don't you?" Eric asked and I pulled the blanket tighter around me as Jason handed me a glass of hot chocolate. I smiled at the sight of the marshmallows slowly melting on the top of the drink. I looked back at Eric.

"Because he's a deluded psychopath?" I ventured and Tara chuckled. Jason twisted the top off a beer and handed it to Tara before getting his own. Eric looked at me and placed a hand on my leg.

"That's probably a part of it, yes. The real reason is to do with what Claude told you."

"I don't even understand that. How can a person change their blood into something else?"

"I think... what Claude meant was that if you were to say... drain your blood and replace it with another's..."

"Is that possible?" Jason asked in awe and I turned to glare at him over my shoulder.

"No, Jason it's not." I said.

"Actually, Sookie, It is." Eric said.

"Oh, hell no." Tara snapped. Eric looked at her steadily.

"This is not up to you Tara." He replied.

"Wait, what are y'all talkin' about?" I asked.

Eric looked back at me and said "Sookie, if someone... say a vampire, were to drain your blood and then replace it with his, then your blood would be new. It would be mainly... well... vampire."

He paused and let me digest this. "You mean... make me a vampire?" Eric nodded. "God fucking dammit." I breathed. "That's why Bill was there? He wanted to make me a vampire?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because whoever turns you will be your maker and you would be compelled to follow their every command until the time your maker decided to release you. You've seen Pam at my orders, Jessica at Bill's. If your maker ordered you to do something you would have to follow that order."

"What, like get them true blood or kill someone?" I asked. Eric sighed and took my hand in his.

"Well... if that's what was demanded of you then yes. However, I am not so sure Bill would demand that." Eric roamed his gaze over my body. "I suspect the commands would be more sexual."

"Ew, wouldn't that be like having sex with your child?" I asked and Eric chuckled.

"No, it's nothing like that at all. Most vampire's turn lovers or turn people to be lovers... it's what Lorena did to Bill. A lot of the time maker and protege' become lovers, it's a common thing."

"Pam told Jessica vampire's aren't monogamous. Is it true?" I asked and Eric remained emotionless.

"Pam was half right. When vampire's turn they tend to try all kinds of new things, feeding, sex... nothing is forbidden. However if one's maker was well educated in these things I think they would find they would have no trouble being with the one person. The older the vampire gets the less likely they are to have random sex with unknown people... especially when they find someone they love."

"Are you sayin' you want to turn me?" I asked with a gulp.

"NO! No fucking way." Both Tara and Jason spat unanimously.

"You have three options Sookie, I turn you, Bill turns you, or we let the fairy come for you. With the changed blood it could take decades or even centuries to find you. You would smell more vampire than fairy."

"I need some air." I said and I stood on shaky legs. I walked out of Jason's house and stood in the dark, staring up at the stars. I weighed up my options. I had to keep Mab from getting to me, at least until I knew how better to defend myself. In order to buy the time I needed I had to make sure Mab couldn't track me. The only way to do that was to change my blood and the only way to change my blood was to make me a vampire. The idea scared the hell out of me but it needed to be done. Having made that decision it was easy to make the next one.

I would never let Bill be the one to turn me. I would not give him the satisfaction of having him as my maker. I went back into the house. "What do I need to do?"

"Pardon me?" Tara snapped and Jason grabbed hold of my arms.

"No, Sook. I ain't gonna let ya do this."

"This is my life Jason. It's the only way I can think of to make sure I'm not killed by a crazy fairy."

"We lost ev'rythin' Sook, we are all we have left an' you're gonna take that away from me?"

"It's not like I'm dyin' and never gonna see you again." I said. "I'll still be the same. Just, less tanned." Jason was not amused. Eric stood and came over to me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and gazed down into my eyes.

"There is a lot that needs to be done before you become a vampire. I need to make arrangements, you'll need to tell Sam you quit... and before you open your mouth I will need to take you away from here..." I shut my mouth. "I will change you tomorrow night, after Fangtasia closes. I will be at your place at around three in the morning." Eric kissed the top of my head.

"Tomorrow? We're going to do this tomorrow?" I asked and Eric nodded.

"The sooner we do this the safer you will be." Eric turned to Jason. "I need a word." He motioned to the front door and Jason glared at him.

"I ain't got nothin' to say to you." Eric growled at Jason.

"That may be the case but I have some things I need to say to you." The two boys went out the front and I sat on the armchair with a sigh. Tara had been silent the whole time (aside from the 'no fucking way' thing) and I smiled at her. Tara took a long sip of the beer and turned her back on me.

"Tara, I..." she held up her hand to cut me off.

"Not now Sook. Just... no." I shut my mouth and the room was plunged into an awkward silence. It took a few minutes but eventually the front door opened and Jason came in followed by Eric.

"Sookie, I need to go. I have some things to sort out at Fangtasia and it'll be morning soon so I have to go to ground. Before I go there is something I need to tell you... something I should have said a long time ago... something that maybe you needed to hear." Eric bent down and whispered in my ear. "I love you." Then he kissed me. I kissed him back and wrapped my arm around his shoulders.

He pulled away and smiled at me. "Tomorrow will be the last day you have in the sun, enjoy it." He smelt my neck and I closed my eyes. "Soak up some sun while you can." Then he was gone, faster than I could blink. I heard a sniff and turned to see Tara crying. I sighed and went over to her.

"Tara, come on, it's not like you'll never see me again."

"You were gone for a whole year with no word, we were worried sick you'd died. No message, no note, not even a text. Now you been back, what... two weeks? And you're gonna disappear again?"

"It isn't like that."

"Yes it is like that." I clamped my mouth shut. I had nothing left to say to that. I had made up my mind. It wasn't as though I relished the thought of being a vampire but it seemed to be the only way to solve my problems. I would be able to hide from Mab and the Fae. I would not have to worry about Bill trying to hurt me or worse... turn me. I would be able to fight back on the werewolves who wanted to kill me... you couldn't rip out the neck of a vampire and watch them bleed to death, my wound would heal. I would be able to fight off witches... it all seemed to add up. Besides wasn't this what Claude himself had suggested?

"I'm goin' to bed." Jason mumbled and he started down the hallway.

"'Night, Jason." I called. His bedroom door slamming was his only response. Tara threw her empty beer bottle in the recycling and grabbed her keys.

"You're a fucking idiot." She hissed as she opened Jason's front door. She stared at me a moment and then she walked out the house, slamming the door. I was alone in Jason's living room. For the first time in two years I was too numb to cry.