Thanks to charhamblin! She caught my first uh-oh! I accidentally called Jason 'Sheriff'. My bad! Andy is Sheriff, and Jason is his Deputy. Thanks for the catch, I really appreciate it.

Chapter 2: Grace Kate Havnevik

Eric

Eric and Bill had both left after Jason arrived. Eric knew Sookie was strong, but her strength had surprised even him last night. In their bond he could feel her emotions spinning out of control. Her despair had almost made him double over in pain.

But suddenly it stopped. Her grief and despair were still palpable, but she seemed in control. She calmly got up and made her call after freezing Bill with a baleful stare when he tried to stop her. Eric knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind, so he let her.

Eric left when he knew she was safe and with someone who could help her. What Sookie had asked, not even an hour before was to be left alone by both of them. She had rejected him and Bill both and asked them to respect her wishes. He could feel her emotions tearing her apart, but his own heart broke in about as many pieces as his ancient age. His pain echoed in his soul, beginning to be eased.

He left her, respecting her wishes. Bill fought him on it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Sookie had said she needed space, time, and to be alone. He had left, because it was what she wanted. Bill had followed him shortly after he spoke briefly to Sheriff Andy Bellefleur.

Eric circled the house and woods surrounding her house, checking for any threats that might still be in the area and left when he found nothing. He flew to Fangtasia. When he entered his office, he saw the things on his desk had been flung everywhere. He growled low, inhaling in Pam's scent.

She had cried. Judging by the mess, she had also been pissed. She had also fed and fucked in here recently. He couldn't bring himself to even give a shit. He was still pissed at her for her attempts on Sookie's life. She was a selfish, disrespectful brat and he wouldn't tolerate her insolence.

Eric walked over the papers and called Bobby. He picked up on the first ring. "Master?" he asked in a trembling voice. Eric rolled his eyes. "Get a cleaning crew out to my Bon Temps residence. I want no evidence remaining of the events that occurred there. I also need you to go by the residence of Lafayette Reynolds and clean up any evidence of an earlier incident involving his male lover. Make sure it is done by morning."

While Sookie was strong, he knew Lafayette and Sookie would probably not stay there tonight for both of their sakes.

He clicked the phone off without saying goodbye and moved around his office picking up several pieces of paper he found on the floor. He had been absent in his sheriff duties, burning out fire after fire. There were so many problems for him to deal with he hadn't been consistent. One thing his child was good at was making sure he was caught up in this area as he got back on his feet.

Eric sat as his desk, leafing through residency requests, claims against other vampires, punishments needing to be issued. He looked over papers from his regent and his orders, some becoming more and more ridiculous as he looked them over. Eric wasn't interested in becoming a king, but he knew if he were in Bill's shoes, he wouldn't be running things the way Bill was.

Bill was getting quite a bad reputation amongst other vampires. The AVL had loved him, but with Nan Flanagan's death warrant it seemed not even they were big Bill fans either. Or Eric fans. Eric needed a plan for that now as well.

Eric began working, attempting to keep his mind occupied. He felt Pam in the bar and he silently prayed she wouldn't come to him. But she did. Without a knock, she entered his office, meeting his gaze. Her eyes were bored and she still looked pissed. However, he could feel her curiosity and concern for him in their bond. She had sensed his earlier turmoil over Sookie.

"Pam?" he asked, looking back down to his papers. She sighed in exaggeration and walked to his desk, leaning against it. "Are you still pissed, Eric? I knew it wouldn't hurt her-"

"Lie to me again Pamela and I will end you. You used to respect me enough to not lie to my face."

He had felt the lie in their bond. At the time, he had felt her extreme satisfaction at destroying the object that could, and probably would, destroy Eric. Eric had felt the hatred and contempt Pam had felt for Sookie.

Eric could understand Pam's actions to an extent. He himself would do anything to protect Godric. However, had Godric ever felt for someone like he had for Sookie, Eric wouldn't do it, especially if it would end up hurting Godric in the end.

"Eric," Pam stutters. He shakes his head, dismissing whatever she is about to say. "Leave, Pam." Pam begins to cry, but Eric can't feel anything but shame for his child. Pam lowers her head and turns to leave the office.

Eric growls low in frustration, and pinches the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm down. His phone rings and he answers, expecting Bobby. "Northman."

"Herveaux, we have a problem. A big problem."

Eric wonders what the hell might have happened to have the werewolf call him. He checks his bond with Sookie to make sure she is not hurt, but when he finds nothing he heaves a sigh of relief and asked, "What?"

"Russell is out. My foreman brought me here to show me the torn up concrete and said he didn't know when it had happened."

"Fuck."

Sookie

Sookie woke up leaning up against Lafayette, who was leaning against the arms of the couch sound asleep. She slowly sat up so as not to wake Lafayette and gently stood, stretching her sore muscles from sleeping at an odd angle.

She went to the bathroom. When she finished she went to the living room to find Lafayette crying. Her eyes welled up at the sight of him, but she closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply. She needed to compose herself for Lafayette. In this scenario, Sookie would need to be the rock.

She walked over to Lafayette and embraced him as he cried. He rubbed his eyes and swore, "Somebody gots to tell her crazy ass momma, Lettie Mae."

Sookie closed her eyes. She hadn't even thought about that. Sookie nodded, "I can do that. My plan is to go by the Reverend and Lettie Mae's and break the news about Tara." Lafayette nodded, "I'm goin' wit you fo' that."

She nodded and continued, "Then I am goin' to my house to clean up the mess there. I understand if you don't wanna come, but it's my home and I can't run from it."

Lafayette looked Sookie over, but slowly nodded as he looked down at his hands. "I'mma come wit you. I just don' wanna be alone, Sook."

Sookie grabbed his hands in her own and squeezed them. "Okay, so we have our plan. Go get ready as much as you can in the bathroom and we will go." Lafayette got up and went to the bathroom. Sookie called Jason at the police department. Like she thought, he had been up all night and was heading home shortly to grab some sleep.

She told them they had stayed at his place and he yawned into the phone as he said she could stay as long as she needed to. Sookie thanked him, told him her plan for the day, and then hung up as Lafayette was coming out of the bathroom.

Sookie grabbed her keys again, locking Jason's house, climbing into her car with Lafayette in the passenger seat.

Lafayette's knees were scrunched against her dash and she giggles as he swore. His neck was at a slightly bent angle and he pursed his lips in her direction mumbling, "Shit, bitch, yo' ass needs a new ride and quick. How long you drive this piece?"

Sookie gasped in mock shock at his tone. "Hey! This is my baby. It gets me from A to B. Not all of us can have Corvette's."

Lafayette chuckled and Sookie saw in his mind something that chilled her to the bone. "What the hell? This is Eric's car? Why would he give it to you? Why the hell would you take it?" Lafayette looked guilty, but also pissed at her intrusion. "Sorry, I didn' mean to bark at ya, but what the hell?"

Lafayette shrugged, "We had a business arrangement and he included the car in it."

Sookie suddenly saw and heard everything that had played out in his mind between him and Eric since he had been released from the dungeon. Sookie barely was able to hold her tongue, but she nodded. "Okay."

Lafayette sighed in relief, clearly thinking she hadn't caught what he had thought. She needed to focus on the task at hand, anyway. She pulled into the house and slowly opened the door. She looked over the roof of the car at Lafayette, who looked at the Reverend's home rolling his eyes. They walked up the path and together knocked on the door.

Sookie held her breath as they waited for someone to answer the door, and when Lettie Mae did, she gasped out for breath. After the good Reverend's not-so-good wife let them in, Sookie and Lafayette sat on the couch, politely declining ice tea.

Sookie looked to Lafayette, who looked back at her and nodded. "We are comin' with some bad news. Tara was killed last night," she said bluntly, her voice shaking. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out before continuing, "I am so sorry."

Tara's mother looked confused at first and then her eyes narrowed at Sookie and then to Lafayette. "I don't believe you. Where is my Tara Mae?" Lafayette was trembling and Sookie tried to get through this as quickly as possible so he wouldn't lose it in front of her.

"Last night we were at my home and there was an intruder. Tara stepped in between me and the intruder, taking a bullet. She died upon impact and didn't suffer." While her voice was steady, she couldn't help tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes. Lafayette had calmed down and she now realized was holding her hand.

She squeezed it and he squeezed hers back, telling Sookie he was okay. She looked out of the corner of her eye at him, but his eyes were trained on Lettie Mae in an unsettling way to Sookie. It was as if he was cautious and wary of every move she made.

Suddenly Sookie was pushed back under Lafayette as Lettie Mae attempted to attack her. She was insane with her grief. Sookie tried to scramble away, but Lafayette held her in place and stood in front of her holding Lettie Mae by the shoulders.

Lettie Mae was now sobbing and shaking. She turned to Lafayette, "I knew the devil would take my baby girl! She had offended Baby Jesus too much."

Lafayette pursed his lips, attempting to hold back venom he wanted so desperately to spew out. Sookie stood and patted his shoulder. She whispered, "She is upset, Lafayette, she doesn't even know-"

"Yeah, this crazy bitch do, Sook! She known her whole damn life what she did to Tara. She don' care!"

Sookie finally got between the two, sensing an impending explosion between the aunt and nephew. Sookie grabbed Lettie Mae and sat her down, kneeling in front of her.

"Lettie Mae, the person responsible for Tara's death was a deranged woman. The fault was hers and only hers. There is no blame, but to the person who pulled the trigger."

"Shut up, you devil chil'," Lettie Mae hollered at her. Her eyes were wild with anger, grief, terror, and madness. Lettie's hand shot out and she slapped Sookie so hard, Sookie's head snapped to the side. Sookie looked back at her in shock, giving Lettie Mae enough time to recover and suddenly she was punched in the temple. Sookie gasped and cowered away from Lettie Mae, covering her head with her arms in case she tried to land another blow.

Lafayette was swearing his head off and restraining Lettie Mae, who hands had been grasping for Sookie, now attempting, futilely to attack Lafayette. Sookie's eyes welled as she felt her temple begin to swell and a scrape mark where Lettie's nails had scratched her. She got up and pushed Lettie Mae off of Lafayette.

"We are done here," Sookie said, rubbing her temple tenderly.

Lafayette looked down at a sobbing Lettie Mae, nodding, and they left.

Lafayette took her keys and they headed to Sookie's house. Sookie walked in the front door and up to the bathroom, with Lafayette following her. She went to her bathroom, grabbing some Tylenol. She popped a few of them for the swelling and bruises for her temple and washed the scratched area with a washcloth gently.

She insisted that Lafayette take a hot shower and take a nap. He cocked an eyebrow at her, asking her why and she shrugged. "Go, Lafayette. Please?"

He nods and shoos her out of the bathroom. She goes into her bedroom and grabs some junky clothes to clean up the mess she is sure will be hard on her emotions and her clothes.

Sookie slowly makes her way down to the lower level and braces herself before walking into the kitchen. She enters and gasps in shock as she sees that the mess she has been dreading is already gone. Her kitchen is spotless. Sookie inhales deeply and smells none of the trauma she had been reliving over the past few months. The smoke from the gun, the stench of blood and death were gone. Her eyes water as she realizes that it must have been Eric that has arranged this for her.

Only he has spare keys to her home.

She leans against the counter and exhaled and wiped at her cheeks. Sookie looked to the places where three dead bodies have now laid in her kitchen. Her home has seen almost as many dead bodies as the damn cemetery just outside her front door.

Sookie considered calling Eric's cell phone to thank him for what he had done, but hesitated. She had told both of them she needed to be alone and that she couldn't choose either of them. Sookie didn't want to be a hypocrite where she said one thing one minute, and the next literally call out for help and expect it whenever it suited her. And that's just what she had done. Damn, she thought to herself.

She thinks about what her Gran would do. She thinks and practically hears her Gran screaming at her to say 'thank you'. It was a kindness that she hadn't expected from someone who she had rejected and treated poorly. She owes him a thank you.

She picked up the phone and decided to leave a voicemail for Eric. "Hi Eric, just wanted to call and say thank you for arranging the clean-up. You didn't have to and it was thoughtful. Um, okay, bye."

Sookie finished her message and she clicked the phone off. She has a momentary thought of Shit, I shouldn't have done that, before shrugging her shoulders, realizing she couldn't change it now. Sookie walks up to her old bedroom and peaks in to see Lafayette sleeping in her bed.

She then decides to follow suit and decides that she needs some rest. She sheds her grungy clothing and hops in the hot shower. She lets the shower pound her sore muscles and wash away everything bad that has happened. She becomes so relaxed she almost falls asleep standing.

She finishes up in the shower and throws a towel on, drying off quickly. She grabs her angel t-shirt nightie and throws it on with only a pair of panties. The only person here is Lafayette and he is gay, so she wasn't going to worry about it.

I know some of you are upset with me for killing off Tara. I loved Tara the first couple of seasons, but I feel like her character has become a real pain in the ass these past two seasons. Anyone else?

Review please! It will take me a few more chapters and more reviews to see if I want to continue investing my time in this story line. But if you all like it, I want to do it!