All Hell Breaks Loose
Chapter 11: Hot in Here
It was a wonderful dream for Eric. Sookie was hand feeding him grapes that have been injected with blood and they were sitting in front of the sunset. She was wearing a bikini and sitting in his lap. He was drinking in the indulgence of it when he heard loud knocking and the dream shattered, broken into pieces of glass that fell to the ground.
"What the hell?" Bill asked as Eric opened his eyes. The knocking continued.
"Hey are you two still in there?" Miss Amelia Broadway asked as she continued to knock. "You guys need to wake up."
Bill rushed to the door and nearly tore it of it's hinges when he threw it open and sent Amelia back.
"What are you doing?" Eric asked as he stepped past his former king and helped Amelia to her feet. "You knocked over our host."
"Tell her she shouldn't wake us up like that," Bill said.
"Forgive him," Eric said. "He's cranky when he hasn't had his Tru Blood first thing in the evening."
"Sorry about that," Amelia said as she brushed her bangs aside. "I waited until sundown and couldn't wait anymore."
"Is it the Authority?"
"Oh no. I've got wards set up so no one can really breach them," Amelia explained in a proud tone. "And I got signal spell set up so that if any vampire besides the two of you reach my neighborhood I am alerted."
"You're a witch?" Bill asked in slightly alarmed tone.
"Yeah I am. Still a beginner but I'm getting better. Why?"
"We are not quite fond of witches."
"I'm like Glenda and Hermione. Not on their level of magic but I am a good witch."
"What is the message you have for us?" Eric asked.
"Alcide wanted me to tell you that someone named Sookie had their house catch on fire."
Eric tensed up at the mention of Sookie and felt something inside drop down to his feet when he heard about the fire. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Bill raced out at vampire speed.
"Bill," Eric called after him before he bolted and tackled the younger vampire before he even hit the road. "We need to get back inside."
"Sookie."
"Might be all right," Eric said trying to keep calm himself. "We need more information." He led Bill back to the apartment as Amelia stepped outside. "Is she hurt?"
"No one was hurt," Amelia said. "He told me only her kitchen and back porch got burned. The rest of the house is fine and Sookie and Tara are safe and living with relatives."
Eric nodded. "Thank you."
"Was it an accident?" Bill asked.
"No way." Amelia shook her head. "Some werewolf pack had set it up."
"Werewolf pack?" Bill asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Any mention of the specific pack?" Eric asked.
Their landlady shook her head. "You guys are welcome to borrow my computer and send an e-mail."
"We will do that," Eric said. "Bill, go fetch some bottles of Tru Blood."
"Why am I the errand boy?"
"Now is not the time to be a child." Eric just gave him a look and Bill entered the apartment. "Now Amelia, about that computer."
Sookie was silent while Lafaytte drove her and Tara to Monroe. Lafayette had identified the number as the address of a strip club that featured male exotic dancers. While Lafayette and Tara talked She was busy adding all the numbers of those she wanted to call. She had her friends and co-workers, Jason's, the doctor's, Andy's number, Bill's place, Fangtasia and even a few of the employees at the vampire bar's numbers.
"You saying they make better cocktails than me?" Tara asked as they pulled up in the Hooligans club parking lot
"No, bitch, I'm saying they are fantastic," Lafayette answered. "And if you are saying yours aint fantastic then yeah they are better than yours."
"Screw you, bitch," Tara said as she slapped her cousin on the arm. "I'll be the boss of that." She jumped out of the car before Lafayette could retaliate.
"You going to be focused on the drinks? Fine, you drink while I indulge on what is truly delicious."
"Oh fuck off."
"No I'll be getting my fuck on," Lafayette said and smiled. "At least I remember how."
"Don't you start that shit with me."
"Like a virgin. Touched for the very first time."
"Told you to shut up about that." She punched her cousin in his arm.
"What are you two on about?" Sookie asked.
"Tara got cloned right?" Lafayette asked. "That fairy gave her a new body that is all perfect and unharmed right?"
"Sookie, no," Tara said before she glared at her cousin. "Don't you tell her."
"Tell me what?"
"Tara got rehymenated," Lafayette said and ducked when Tara tried to hit him.
"Oh," Sookie said.
"I told you to keep your mouth shut about it."
"Relax hookah," Lafyette said while he swung his hips from side to side.
"I still don't know why I got this address," Sookie said as she stepped out of the car.
"Maybe Claude gave it to you," Tara suggested.
"Why would he give me the address to this place?" Sookie asked as she put her phone away.
"Why are we asking these questions," Lafayette said. "There are going to be some tasty delights inside."
Sookie knew he wasn't referring to just the drinks and she wasn't surprised that he had been before. She was glad that he was willing to come with them. He needed to relax and have fun considering the ordeal he had been put through.
"Jerome my man," Lafayette said as they were greeted by the bouncer. He held up his fist.
"Been too long my friend," Jerome said as he bumped his fist down on Lafayette's. His smile grew when he caught sight of Tara and Sookie. "And who do we have here?"
"This is my cousin, Tara and her friend Sookie," Lafayette and handed Jerome a couple of twenties. "Can you put us next to the stage?"
"Anything for you," Jerome said and led them inside. It wasn't too full and there was a long stage that cut through the floor with a few brass poles. People were crowding around the stage while a few sat at the tables. Jerome lifted a few Reserved markers from the chairs.
"See," Lafayette said in a smug tone. "Pays to call in."
"This will be fun," Tara whispered and rolled her eyes while she pointed at her cousin.
"I'm looking forward to this," Sookie said as a waitress came by and took their orders. Sookie just wanted a water to start out with and Tara ordered a soda while Lafayette ordered a cosmo.
As soon as their drinks arrived the lights dimmed and the music started. Spotlights shone on the stage and a young man dressed as a cowboy walked out. He strutted around bow legged before he thrust his crotch out several times. He pulled of his had and tossed it aside.
"What I wouldn't give to be his horse," Lafayette said as the cowboy ripped off his shirt.
Sookie felt her self taking long pulls at her glass while the cowboy worked his magic. He didn't ride a horse but he did ride the poles. As he thrust up against Sookie she put a few ones in that tight G-string along with both Tara and Lafayette.
"I think I'm ready for something stronger," Sookie said as a waitress walked up to them with another person's order.
"These are for you," the waitress said as she handed them glasses of Brandy Alexander. "Already paid for by the boss."
"Lafayette, do you know the boss?" Tara asked before she took a sip from her glass.
"I've never come across him," Lafayette answered. "Now shut up cause I certainly aint paying attention to you." He pointed at the stage as stripper dressed as a fireman came out.
Sookie drank her drink slowly as she watched the different men walk out and literally shake their moneymakers at them. She tried not to listen to the music, most of it was techno dance style and she could clearly hear Lafayette and Tara make comments about each of the dancers. After the fireman there was a chef, police officer, pirate and a construction worker.
When the Viking stepped out Sookie had thought she was looking at Eric at first until the man tore of his helmet. She felt somewhat disappointed. No, she was not going to think about Eric. She was going to focus on this guy and his rippling muscles under nice tanned skin. When the Viking approached her she put several ones in his G-String.
"Don't bust your entire wallet," Tara whispered to her after the Viking danced his way off stage.
"Sorry but he was my favorite so far," Sookie apologized.
"Don't blame you girl," Lafayette said and turned to his opposite side. "I agree Boyfriend."
"Check out the candy bar," Tara said as another man strode out on stage dressed like a musketeer.
"You need two more for that," Sookie said as the man began his dance. His hips swiveled and gyrated in way that Sookie had once thought was humanly impossible. His fingers brushed at the buttons and deftly tore them away as he slipped out of his jacket and shirt.
"What a chest," Tara whistled.
"You looking at the chest?" Lafayette asked.
"I think I seen this guy before," Sookie said as the dancer moved around on stage with the fluid and graceful movements of a butterfly.
"In my dreams," Lafayette said as the dancer slid out of his pants and leaped at the poles with an acrobats grace and skill.
As he danced closer Sookie got a good look at his face. Her jaw dropped when the recognition hit and now she also knew how she got that paper in her pajamas.
"Uh Sookie?" Tara asked. Her eyes had doubled in size. "Is that-"
"Yeah," Sookie said as he danced closer to them. "Claude?"
Claude paused in his dance to smile at them and mouthed a hello to them before swaying to the other side of the stage.
"Who is this guy?" Lafayette asked.
"The guy that saved me twice," Tara explained.
"My fairy god uncle," Sookie said as the music stopped and the audience cheered.
A/N: I have to say Neil Hopkins is pretty damn hot when isn't wearing the fairy goblin make up.
Trish, more along the lines of Sookie spending time with Alcide as friends.
Anon, Thank you again for the wonderful review.