All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 16: Everybody Hurts

Shreveport

Pam had a lot on her plate that evening and she couldn't really do much until the witch she hired showed up. In the mean time she was trying to keep the youngest vampire on the premises calm. The previous evening he had encountered his Maker who tried to take him back and the Authority arrived a couple hours after opening with the order that Steve go on the air the next night and show his fangs. The last thing she was looking forward to was a phone call from Sookie.

"Pam, I need to ask you something," the fairy girl said.

"Why Sookie it is so nice to speak with you," Pam said. She didn't even bother to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"Do you know Ismene?" Sookie asked. Pam couldn't tell if she was annoyed or not. If the girl was then she was hiding it.

"Ismene is an ancient vampire," Pam answered. She remembered Eric mentioning her name several times before. "She turned a Roman warrior who turned Godric."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I have never met her. I have no idea where she is."

"It's important that we find her."

"Who told you that?" Pam asked and felt herself growing tense. She could not believe Eric would pass on information to Sookie and not herself.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that we have to find her."

"Try Isabel," Pam suggested in a sharp tone of voice. "She took over Godric's role as Sheriff."

"Thank you so much." The waitress hung up.

"Thank you so much," Pam said in a high tone and mimicked Sookie's accent. She closed her phone with a loud snap. "Fucking Sookie."

She was still seething when she was alerted by Ginger that the wizard, or witch, or whatever title he went by had arrived.

The man in question was standing in the office. He was dressed a black suit and a blue tie. Dark hair was slicked back and he wore tinted sunglasses. He had a cane in one hand and lying down by his feet was a German Shepard with a harness.

"Are you the witch?" Pam asked.

"Witch?" The man asked and chuckled. "I'm more of a spell doctor."

"Witch Doctor?" Pam asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I have been called that before, but I prefer Danny." He waved his hand about, taking in the entire room with a gesture. "Is this where you want to do it?"

"This will work."

"Now I just need three main components," Danny said and held up the first finger. "The first is the vampire in question, the second is either the Maker or the blood of the Maker and the third is the one we make the transference to."

"I am here and I have this," Pam said as she held up the vial of blood. It was waiting for her, on top of her coffin with a note saying it was blood from Nicolette. She had a small suspicion on where it came from. "Steve come in here now."

Steve entered the office with his hands in his pockets. He looked like a lost puppy. This transference of blood spell should help relieve him and he would no longer have to obey Nicolette's commands.

"I'm sorry they are making you do this tomorrow," Pam said as she grabbed his hand. "We will do the transference now."

"Are you sure this will work?" Steve asked.

"I have heard this done before. The only way this won't work is this isn't her blood." She pointed at the vial on the table.

"I need you both to cut yourselves," Danny said as he cleaned his hand with a special bottle of water and then rubbed oil on his fingertips.

Pam extracted her fangs and bit into her wrist. She heard Steve's fangs click out and watched as also bit his wrist as well.

Danny inhaled deeply and began to chant in Latin. As he continued in his chant he opened the cap of the vial and touched the blood. There was a spark and he resealed it and placed his other hand on Steve's wrist. There was another spark and when Pam blinked she though she saw a small glowing chain. While still holding Steve, Danny grabbed Pam. His thumb came in contact with her blood and there was another spark.

Pam's eyes widened. She felt a tingling sensation run through her veins and a new feeling. She felt a new connection, one that was similar to the one she felt with Eric but now with Steve. She could taste his blood, his human blood back in her throat and felt her blood course through him, changing him.

"Done," Danny gasped and had to brace himself on the side of the table. His dog who had been watching with a curious expression on his face had jumped to his feet and ran to his aide. "Easy, Pavlov. I'm fine." Danny gave his dog a gentle scratch around the ears.

"I felt something," Steve said and stared at Pam. "I feel this odd bond with you. I only felt this with Nicolette."

"Steve as your Maker I command you to bring me a bottle of water," Pam ordered.

Steve smiled as he ran off and returned a few minutes later with a bottle of Aquafina. He handed it over to Pam.

"It seems to have worked," Pam said as she handed the bottle to Danny. "Ginger will pay you."

"Thank you," Danny said and took a long drink from the bottle.

"We need to go over what you are going to say tomorrow," Pam said as she guided her Progeny out of the room.

Bon Temps

It wasn't a busy night and it wasn't a slow night but it did seem like it was a long night for Sookie. She had a difficult group of out of town folks and there were a few rowdy high school students who kept trying to either smack her or Arlene's butt. After one of the more faster boys managed to leave prints on Arlene's posterior he was treated to Terry's wrath and Sookie had to give Terry plenty of credit since he did not raise his voice but spoke to the boy calmly before throwing them out.

Sam wasn't working that night. He had his shifter meeting and Tara was working the bar. She took over on nights when Sam or the other bartender, Ricky Farmer were not available. She was lucky that she didn't have to endure the teens antics, or maybe it was the teens who were lucky since they did not have to worry about facing Tara's wrath.

"Hey Sookie," Jason greeted when he and Andy came in for the evening and sat themselves in Sookie's section. "Two usuals please."

"Coming right up," Sookie said as she wrote them down, two cheeseburgers with fries and two beers. She handed the food order to Terry and went to the bar to fill a couple of mugs.

"Do you think we should name it?" Tara asked as she finished cleaning down a few glasses.

"The tree?" Sookie and Tara went over to the house earlier and while Sookie was talking with the contractors, Tara found the tree. It was between a sprout and a sapling in size and surrounded by a ring of shimmering white toadstools. The water had been cut off while the damaged parts were being gutted out but Sookie ran to the nearest pond with a bucket and gathered some water for the tree.

"Something that grows that fast and is that special deserves a name," Tara said.

"Turn up the TV," one of the customers called out. "They have an interview with that Reverend Newlin."

"Joy," Tara sighed as she turned up the volume.

"Tara," Sookie said in a stern tone.

"I'm glad they found him and he's all right but he is a grade A douche. Didn't he try to sacrifice you?"

"Yeah but I thought you shared similar views."

Tara shook her head. "I don't like vampires. I also don't like those who attack innocent people that do like vampires and I certainly do not like dipshits who attack my friends."

Sookie chose not to say anything and brought Jason's and Andy's beer over to them. Both her brother and the Sheriff had their eyes glued on the screen, as did everyone else.

"Steve you been through quite the ordeal," Barbara Walters said. "And you are ready to talk about what happened to you?"

"That I am Barbara," Steve said. He was wearing a white suit and his hair was gelled in way he used to wear it before he was brought to Fangtasia.

"He looks so pale," one of the women who sat at Maxine Fortenberry's table said.

"'Course he looks like that," Maxine said and waved at the screen. "Poor man was changed up in some cellar in God knows were for several months."

"Many people assume that you were abducted by vampires," Barbara continued. "Is this true?"

"That is true," Steve said and pressed his hands together. "One was lying by the road and I thought she was poor injured gal. What kind of Christian would I be if I just continued on my way? I got out of my car and checked on her. Her fangs came out and she knocked me out and when I came to I was in the basement of her nest."

"We are relieved that you managed to get away and are alive."

"I did get away, but I wouldn't say alive." His smile shrank.

"What do you mean?"

"That particular nest follows under the orders of a vampire known as the Golden One and this Golden One follows in the footsteps after that Russell Edginton. Who is without a doubt a complete monster."

"Amen to that," Arlene said as she brought refills to one of her tables.

Sookie kept her ears open as she made her rounds and brought the burgers back to Jason and Andy. Not a single person was paying any attention to her.

"What did they do to you?"

"The worse thing they could do to someone like me," Steve said. "Even worse than killing me." He closed his eyes and was silent for several seconds. "They turned me into one of them." He opened his mouth and let his fangs extract.

A glass fell to the ground and shattered while everyone had their mouths hanging open.

"Steve, you are a vampire," Barbara gasped.

"They wanted to hurt me. It wasn't bad enough they killed my family, including little Bethany and she was just a baby, just a baby, but they had to do this to me and since I'm now immortal they were able to inflict all forms of torture."

Sookie made her rounds asking if people were enjoying their food and if they needed refills. On screen Steve described some of the kinds of torture that was used on him. She felt her stomach tighten. No one deserved that, not even him. He was even crying and Mrs. Walters not only gave him some Kleenex to use but also hugged him.

"Abandoning me was the best thing that happened since my turning," Steve continued. "I came across one of my former Soldiers of the Sun and he helped me. He introduced me to a group of vampires that took me in, treated me kindly and I was wrong. I aint to proud to admit I was wrong but clearly I am wrong. I still love Jesus and praise his name. I pray to him before I rest. I wear a cross."

"Has the American Vampire League come in contact with you?" Barbara asked.

"They have and they were able to forgive some of the hurtful things I've said about them."

"How are you coping?"

"I take it one day at a time. I mean one night at a time. I think that is the hardest thing for me, not being able to be in the sun anymore."

Sookie was sure she had enough and headed back to the bar. Arlene was wiping away her own tears and Maxine and her friends were shaking their heads in pity.

"That poor man," Maxine said with a sigh.

"Its kind of unnerving when you think about it," one of her friends said. "That could of happen to any of us."

"Karma bit him hard in the ass," Tara said as Sookie dumped off a few empty glasses.

"I wonder how his followers are taking it," Sookie said. They did let a caller speak to them. It was from a vampire who also was turned against his will and brought up a support group and their website. "I should tell Jessica about that." She had no idea if Bill knew about it or not.

A/N:

The reason why I had Barbara Walters interview Steve is because it almost seems that no matter who she interviews(on her own, not on The View) the other person sheds some tears.

I thought Pavlov would make a great name for a dog. I knew someone who had a cat named Schrodinger.