All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 6: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Sookie woke up at a quarter to eleven that morning. Before going to bed she had removed her fairy gown and hung it up and slipped into her light blue pajamas. She didn't feel like changing clothes again until after she had something for breakfast.

As she had made her way down stairs she heard Tara and Lafayette talking to each other as well as a few sounds of silverware clinking against each other and bacon frying. She could smell the familiar aroma of the bacon as well as something that smelled like corn bread.

"Morning, Sook," Tara greeted as she placed a few strips of bacon down on a plate. She had also changed out of her gown and was wearing pajama bottoms and a large faded t-shirt that once belonged to Jason.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Sookie asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I took a few naps," Tara explained as she placed a few golden hoecakes onto the plate with bacon. "That regeneration thing rejuvenated me."

"I'll say." Sookie accepted the plate from her friend and sat down at the table where Lafayette was finishing up on his breakfast. "How are you feeling?"

"I still feel like a part of me is dead," Lafayette said before he took a sip from his cup. He looked up at her. "Will it ever get better?"

"You will never stop loving them and they will always be in your heart," Sookie said as she thought about Gran. "The pain does get less and less as time goes on. It does feel better knowing that they are watching over us." She spread on a little bit of butter and drizzled some honey on the corn bread cakes that either Tara or Lafayette had set in the middle of the table.

"Thank you again," Lafayette said.

"I didn't do much. All I did was agree to go with Claude to this other world." She took a bite. It was delicious and sweet. "These are great Tara; thank you for cooking this."

"Don't need to mention it," Tara said as she sat down with her own plate and cup. "What next?"

"We need to find where that tree is growing," Sookie said after she had swallowed another bite.

"What tree?" Lafayette asked.

"We promised to take care of a magic tree," Tara explained. "You know in exchange for saving my life."

"Oh," Lafayette said and whistled. "Them fairies got a funny way of payment."

"Then I'm going into town," Tara said and tapped her earlobes. "Everything got healed. I need to get them pierced again."

"Damn," Lafayette said. "Sook, you got any chores that I can help with?"

Sookie shrugged. "I need to do some laundry. I don't mind needing that done, but there are some weeds that need pulling." She never did like pulling weeds herself. Her first order of business after breakfast was going to go and call Jason, then look for the tree, then laundry, then probably vacuum.

"I can't believe you want to come with me," Sookie said as she and Tara entered Merlotte's that evening.

"I'm in the mood for a drink," Tara said as she followed in after Sookie. She wore a bright red shirt and a pair of jeans. Her ears were now sporting a pair of small studs with her birthstone in them.

"Want to start pickling your new liver?" Sookie asked as she dropped off her purse in Sam's office. He wasn't there and was probably mixing drinks at the bar.

"Hey I hear about how some people get a second chance and life and start with all that clean living," Tara said as she rolled her eyes. "Not me. I aint into that shit. Besides, I want to talk to Sam."

"Thinking of getting your old job back?" Sookie asked as she paused in a mirror. Not a strand of hair was out of place. She chose to put on a beige eye-shadow, mascara and red lipstick. A good shade of red lipstick seems to be a good tip magnet.

Tara shrugged. "Maybe, or I might just want to give him a hard time."

"How?"

Tara pressed her lips. "Hadn't thought of that yet. I might just tie up the main phone, maybe I can reach Jason."

Sookie never did reach Jason. She had tried calling him at his house and his cell phone. She tried the police station and was told he was off. She called Hoyt but the mention of Jason's name caused him to hang up for some reason and that baffled Sookie since Hoyt was one of the most polite men in Bon Temps.

After giving up on Jason that she and Tara looked around for the tree but found nothing. Tara went into town and Sookie did everyone's laundry and watched a little TV. There was not much on and even some of the new cartoon series were borderline annoying. She tried calling her brother a few more times and got nothing.

"I appreciate you doing that," Sookie said and walked out into the main area of the bar. It wasn't too crowded. Jane Bodehouse was just walking in as Sookie started her shift and parked at her usual place at the bar. Hoyt was also there.

"Hey Sookie," Sam greeted. He looked a little frazzled. "Tara."

"Hey, Sam," Tara said. "Mind if I keep you some company?"

"Better company than Jane," Sam answered. "Hoyt is in a bad mood."

"I guess he is still pissed," Sookie said. "Tried calling around to find Jason and he just hung up."

"That aint like him," Tara commented. "I might snap him out of it."

"Careful Tara," Sam warned. "This teddy bear has turned grizzly."

Tara rolled her eyes and shook her head before she plunked herself down next to Hoyt.

"You okay?" Sookie asked and held back to keep from reading his mind. "Rough day."

"Rough last night," Sam answered.

"Same." Boy was that an understatement. "Wanna talk about it."

"Not much," Sam said. "Got jumped by a wolf. I turned into a lion and swatted him. The wolf ran off with his tail between his legs, and you?"

"Tara nearly died last night," Sookie answered.

"Really?" He glanced back to Tara who seemed to manage to get Hoyt to at least acknowledge her presence.

"It is a bit of a long story," Sookie said and noticed some customers were heading to her section.

"Tell me when you're on your break," Sam said and gave her a pat on her shoulder.

Sookie smiled at the first group of customers. They were regulars who worked at the lumberyard and were always good tippers. They ordered their usual of one large plate of sliders, a large plate of onion rings, hot wings, fries, chicken strips and a pitcher of beer. The second group was two brothers; one worked at the nearest gas station and the other was an assistant manager at the nearest Wal-Mart. They both ordered burgers fries and drinks. The third group was a family that was passing through and requested menus. Sookie took down their drink orders and dropped them off at the bar and gave the food orders to Terry.

"Uh Sookie?" Hoyt spoke to her while Sam was making one of the bros a margarita. "Sorry about hanging up. You aint responsible for what Jason done."

"What did he do?" Sookie asked while trying to not to read from Hoyt.

"Slept with Jessica," Hoyt closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands.

"I'll speak with him," Sookie said and turned to get grab her first groups beer and mugs. When she turned around she saw Jason enter and head straight over to where Andy and Kevin were seated. They were in Arlene's section and Sookie wanted to keep her customers happy.

When her first food orders were prepared she went to retrieve hers the same time Arlene grabbed her plate.

"What got you pissed?" Arlene asked.

"Jason," Sookie answered as she balanced her orders.

Arlene nodded. "I'll send him your way."

"Thanks." She set the plates down in front of the first two groups and made small talk before she took another drink request and food order from a semi regular. Jason was ready for her.

"We have to talk," Jason said. He look scared and a few bruises on his face.

"No kidding. Where the hell have you been all day?"

"Mostly in Shreveport."

"Shreveport?" Sookie blinked. "Where you and Jessica sexing it up in a hotel there?" She nodded towards the direction of the bar. "I had to hear it from Hoyt."

"Ah shit," Jason groaned and scrunched his face up. "That aint what I want to talk about."

"Oh?" What else could her brother have done, or in Jason's case, who else?

"Russell Edgington in free from where they buried him," Jason said after dropping his voice.

Sookie nearly dropped her tray. "What?"

"That's why we went to Shreveport. I called your place looking for Eric and he told us to meet him at Fangtasia."

"Why would you be wanting Eric?"

"Cause of the vampire that showed up on my front porch." He held up a finger. "That isn't Jessica."

"Why would a random vampire show up on your porch?" Every time her brother spoke he made less and less sense.

"Because this vampire is Steve Newlin." He didn't even wait for the shock to settle in. "Yeah Reverend Steve Newlin got turned and the ones that turn him went to dig up Russell and tried to warn me and feed on me but in his defense he was hungry."

"In his defense?" Sookie asked. "I thought you both hated each other." She disliked the Reverend for mostly wanting to kill her, Godric and Eric. "Didn't you sleep with his wife?"

"Yeah." Jason scratched his head. "I think he was more upset that I slept with her instead of him."

"Order up," Terry called out before Sookie can ask further.

"I'm off at two, meet me here at that time." She grabbed the plates of food.

"Why?" Jason asked as he followed her.

"You are taking me to Shreveport."

A/N: I wanted to get a good setting and atmosphere with Merlotte's here. Now Sookie knows about well everything.

Next Chapter will have a Sookie and Eric confrontation. Thank's for all the new faves and alerts.