WARNING! There will be mention of torture in this chapter. If this idea offends you just remember that no one is making you read this. So continue at your own discretion. God forbid I offend anyone. ;P
See you below! Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or anything else here. I'm writing purely for shits and giggle purposes. Please don't sue.
One last thing, big shout out too my totally awesome Beta, slcurwin, for putting up with me. She laughs and all the right places and makes me feel so smart. Thanks!
Chapter 15
The energy coming from the basement of Fangtasia was stifling. In the four months she'd been working for Eric, she'd only been down these stairs a handful of times. It's important to point out that because of the high water table in the ground of Louisiana, true underground basements were very rare especially the further to the coast you went. Most people built up instead of down which was why many of the older homes in the area sported attics of varying sizes. Fangtasia's basement was actually the first floor. Eric had explained that when he found the location nestled at the end of a strip mall, one of the major selling points had been the 'faux' basement. The realtor had droned on and on about how the original construction plans had been for more of a split level appearance so there could be multiple entrances but an error in leveling the parking lot and the elevation of the rest of the complex had forced them to seal the bottom floor off and make it an extra storage area.
That's exactly what Eric and Pam did with it. They just didn't store what most people would expect. The floor plan was similar in size to the main floor upstairs but the layout was completely different. The main space just in front of the stairs was used to store most of the alcohol for the bar since it was much cooler down here, especially during the muggy summer months this part of the south was infamous for. There were several doors around the room, many hidden from view because of all the cases of beer and liquor. To the left, was a door that couldn't be seen unless you knew what to look for and it led to a hallway containing four small rooms that Eric and Pam would use to rest in during an emergency or if circumstances had them still at the bar close to dawn and they couldn't make it elsewhere. For punished vampires the rooms were used as a holding place and were the size of the average jail cell yet, obviously, without windows or any kind of 'human facilities'. The only fixture in the rooms was a coffin and a locked trunk. Sookie never asked but she had a feeling she knew what was in the trunks.
Eric led them through the 'hidden in plain sight' door and walked to the last room at the end of the short hallway. Opening the door, Eric walked over to the closed coffin and unlocked it. Before he could open it the lid flew open and Compton jumped out at vamp speed making a bee-line for the door. Eric had been prepared for this and managed to grab Bill and toss him into the far wall of the small room before he got more than arms length away from him.
"Now Billy boy, is that any way to treat your gracious hosts?" Eric smirked, positioning himself between Bill and the doorway where Sookie and Dr. Ludwig were both standing, staring in apparent boredom at the civil war vet.
"Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I here? Why did I rise in a locked coffin?" He stumbled a bit as he rose from the floor. Eric smirked; he supposed he used a little more force than was required. "I demand to know what has happened!"
"You are hardly in any position to demand anything Bill. Why don't you tell me what you remember from last night?"
"Why don't you tell me where my Maker and Judith are, Eric? I have sway with Sophie-Ann. She will be most displeased to learn one of her personal retinue has been held by one of her Sheriff's for no reason."
"Yes, my bonded mentioned you wanted to take her away to New Orleans to meet your 'powerful friend' that could save her from her 'villainous captor'. Of course that was before your Maker barged in on a peaceful town gathering and began to threaten to eat people beginning with my pet's young charge. You do know that is frowned upon as bad form since the Revelation. Humans tend to overreact when you feed from their young. Not that you or your psychopathic Maker ever cared about laws."
"Oh for crying out loud, you two are worse than five year olds! Why don't you both just drop your pants and get it over with?!" Sookie said from the door, clearly getting annoyed with all the male posturing.
Eric grinned and reached for the top button on his jeans, "I'm game."
Bill rolled his eyes at Eric and stepped to the side making eye contact with her, attempting to push his will onto her, "Sookeh, do you see what kind of man he is now. He is keeping me against my wishes."
"No, he is not, Mr. Compton. He's actually helping you. You passed out in the middle of a room full of unknown humans. He could have left you there at their mercy, but instead he brought you here to Fangtasia, to a secured location for your protection. You are so Hell bent on proving how evil and dangerous my bonded is you neglect to see what is staring you in the face. You could be back in the hands of your Maker, and from what I've seen of her mental stability, that didn't look like such a good thing for you. Or you could be finally dead right now after being left in a room full of unfamiliar people who could easily have taken advantage of you by draining, staking, or leaving your ungrateful hide to face the sun. So how about you quit with the inflated ego routine, swallow a little bit of pride and say 'Thank You' to your Sheriff for saving your insignificant existence! And by the way, my name is Sookie, like Cookie, only with an S. But since I never gave you permission to call me that, it's Miss Stackhouse to you. Another thing, before I forget, that over the top accent of yours is preposterous. We both know you've been around long enough to have lost that drawl many times over. The act is over, learn to read the cues."
As Bill gaped at this human woman's audacity and ability to not just resist but completely ignore his attempt at glamor, Eric chuckled, put an arm around Sookie's shoulders and a kiss on top of her head. He might as well have blown a raspberry at Compton and said she's mine! Nanny-nanny boo-boo! It got the same reaction.
"Sookie is correct Bill. You are free to go, give the queen my regards when you return to her empty handed. I'm sure she'll understand about your inability to complete simple tasks."
As they turned to walk out of the room they heard a defeated, "Wait. Please, I-I just wanted some peace and quiet. Since my turning I've been beholden to one crazy woman after another. I almost wish I was ended. What do you want from me, Eric?"
"I want nothing from you. You need to return to the queen," he paused as he looked meaningfully at Sookie, "however I may be able to help you…. placate her by offering a consolation prize, so to speak."
Twenty minutes later, Bill had gone, and with no concern for his Maker or vampire sister. Eric took Sookie and the doctor, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet during the entire exchange with Bill, to the other side of the main storage area. This area was a large space that contained a metal table against one wall that was on wheels so it could be moved. There were chains attached to the walls at varying levels, and several of them were occupied. Even Sookie could feel the fear in the room like an ever present fog choking the sense and humanity right out of you. She and Ludwig were given chairs near the entrance to the room and told to wait as he retrieved their first guest. With Thalia fulfilling Eric's task and Pam upstairs manning the bar, Eric didn't trust anyone else in this situation.
He returned moments later with a gagged Lorena, who was defiantly looking worse for wear. Eric dropped her roughly on the table and secured her to it with silver chains, which were wrapped around each wrist, elbow, knee, and ankle while a very thick, heavy, iron collar adorning her neck. She'd been stripped bare and it was obvious she'd already been questioned by Pam or Thalia. Eric stepped back and removed his shirt, baring his toned and well-muscled chest to the room. Answering Sookie's unspoken question, "This could get messy and I wouldn't want to ruin the sweater you gave me. I usually work in the nude but considering present company," he nodded slightly toward Ludwig, "I'll refrain and keep my pants on." He then bent to remove his boots while giving Sookie and Ludwig a full view of his ass, perfectly outlined by his tight jeans.
"Oh good, and I was worried about being able to sleep tonight with visions of 'Viking bums' dancing in my head. Can we begin?" Dr. Ludwig snarked, while Sookie snickered and Eric preened as Lorena had the gall to roll her eyes. She couldn't speak due to the leather wrapped, silver gag in her mouth.
"What should I try first? Oh and Eric, I hate to be picky, but could you at least cover her bits please. It's not like she's got anything I haven't seen before but it's not that pleasant to look at." Sookie asked.
Ignoring Lorena's insulted growl, Eric looked thoughtful for a moment then zipped upstairs. He was back less than a minute later with a few items from Pam's new wardrobe. He tied two scarves, a red checked and a tie-dyed one, around each offensive area. "Better Lover?"
"Much. So what's first?"
For the next hour Lorena's body shuddered in pain, shock and unbelievable agony without one finger being laid on her. She confessed to anything asked of her and many thing that were not, apparently she was blackmailing a number of powerful people human, vampire, and were. Information she gave was filed away by Eric for investigation and possible use at a later time. The silence in the room was absolute. The few people in chains holding witness around the room knew without a shadow of a doubt there was NO possible way any of them were living to speak about what they were witnessing.
After toying with the red-headed psychopath for a while then re-gagging her, they moved on to the Were who had attacked them during their shopping trip. She'd been down there the longest and had been severely enervated by the silver chains holding her in place, not to mention suffering from withdraws and hunger. Ginger had been left in charge of feeding her the past week and since all she ate was bland tasteless foods like lettuce, rice cakes and tofu, she assumed that's what everyone else ate also. For a meat eating Were strung out on V, this was torture enough by itself.
It didn't take Sookie very long to find out the reason for the attack by probing her thoughts. "Unbelievable! What are the odds I'd get attacked by two jealous loony birds in the same week? Debbie here, is the girlfriend of that wolf we hired to renovate Gran's house. Last month she followed him to the house and saw him talking to me. She assumed, of course, that he must have been fuckin' me, cause why the hell else would he go to a house in the middle of bum fuck nowhere in the middle of the afternoon. Her imagination went completely whack when she saw Sarah. Apparently, the poor idiot, Alcide was his name right? Anyway, he's told her he doesn't want children because he doesn't want to pass on 'the cursed were genes'." Sookie looked the crazed bitch right in the eye and said, "Ever think it's because he doesn't want to pass on the crazy stalker gene you seem to be rockin'?" She turned back to Eric, "She thinks since I already have a kid, that's why he wants me. She had already decided to kill us both and thought she'd show up at the house with a gun when…that's weird."
"What's that, Lover?"
"Her memories are… distorted."
Eric tensed, "Was she glamored?" Were's and Shifters were harder to glamor than human's but it could be done with enough experience.
"Ummm…..not by a vampire. I've never felt this before. This doesn't feel like a vampire mind manipulation, it feels different, heavier. I can also tell that she was influenced during the day. I can't see who did it because they approached her from behind, but they changed her mind from attacking us at home with a gun to at the mall with the bow and arrows." She inhaled sharply, "Fuckers! She was border line stalker/crazy before but they made it worse by getting her high on V. Who would do that, Eric?" Sookie turned toward him and he could see the tears building.
"Fairies. What you're describing is a type of Fae magic. The use of vampire blood has me concerned though. That sounds like the work of two very nasty water fae that, trust me, you'd never want to meet." Ludwig explained as she reached in her bag for yet another note pad, she'd already gone through two others during the 'interrogation'.
"Neave and Lochlan?" Eric said with a look of horror briefly passing across his face.
"I see you've heard of them. Trust me when I say what you've heard is not even a fraction of the mayhem they're credited with creating. If they are after your bonded Vampire, you will need better protection than Weres."
Sookie didn't understand half of what they had said but she knew Eric would fill her in later on what they meant. While they continued, Sookie tried to dig deeper into the woman's head.
"Get out of my head!" She snarled.
"You can feel that?" Sookie was startled, most people had no clue when she was 'listening in'. "He told me what you did, whore! He told me how you intend to steal my man! Luring him in with those big fake tits of yours! It won't work! Alcide loves me!" She continued to ramble on, snarling curses and tossing about profanities that would make a sailor blush in shame.
Sookie ignored her. "What if it's a diversion?" She said it more to herself than the others.
"Pardon?" Eric and Ludwig said as one.
Sookie suppressed a giggle. She was tempted to call Jinx but it wasn't the time for that. Focus Stackhouse. "What if whoever fed her the V wanted us to think it was these two Fae baddies, you know to throw us off the trail or as a misdirection tactic. Isn't that what happens in mystery novels?" Sookie might have read one too many.
"Perhaps but to what end? In those books the main character is usually following a lead or a trail to some mystery needing to be solved. This is not the case here. We aren't crime sleuths, Sookie."
She gave Eric an annoyed look, "I know that but perhaps whomever….redirected her to us at the mall did so for a reason as well as getting her pumped up on drugs. Maybe he wanted us to believe we were in bigger danger than we actually are or were or whatever. I just don't think we're getting the whole picture here and she's got nothing else." Sookie pointed her thumb over her shoulder to the half-starved were who had clearly become unhinged. "Should we call Mr. Herveaux and let him know about his girlfriend?"
"No. She'll be reported as a missing person if she hasn't already, and since I wiped Bobby's memories of that night at the mall, there is no one that can link her to us. We need only to…dispose of her discretely. Pam can handle that later. Let's finish up here, Lover. I can tell you are getting tired."
Eric spent the next half hour questioning the rest of their 'guests' the old-fashioned way with Sookie confirming what they confessed with a nod or shake of the head. She only needed to go upstairs for 'air' once. Finally all that was left (still animated that is) was Lorena. Eric could tell Sookie was weary but she mentioned having something special up her sleeves for ancient whore.
"What do you have in mind for her before she's ended?"
"Well, I was giving this some thought earlier today by the pool. Doctor didn't you say that when I did my whammy the other night, it was like I short circuited the magic that animates Vampires which was why it took most of them a day for it to wear off?"
"Yes."
"Well, I did that on accident. What if I tried doing that on purpose? Could I cut off that magic permanently? Make the walking dead just dead."
"I'm not sure dear," Ludwig said with that wicked gleam back in her eye. "Why don't you give it a shot and see what happens. Oh, let me get my camera. Do you mind if I record this for posterity? I swear to full confidentiality, I've already signed the Vampire's contract and I promise not to record your face." The look of hope on her face reminded Sookie of Sarah when she wants just one more story before bedtime.
"Ummmm, sure." Sookie turned to Eric, "Would you please stand as far away as possible. I don't want to accidentally whammy you." He was about to protest, he didn't like the idea of Sookie that close to Lorena's claws. Since they were tightly secured in many restraints however, Eric nodded his acquiescence and stood back, confident he could make it to Sookie with his speed should the need arise.
Once Ludwig got settled with the camera, Sookie closed her eyes and concentrated on how she felt that night with Cataliades. Now that she had a little more experience she could feel the power building in her mind. It reminded her of a battery that was overheating. She walked slowly over to the redhead, whose eyes were bouncing back and forth, madly looking for an out. When she was close enough, she calmly touched the temples of her head, creating another soundless boom. No lights went out this time, unless you count those in the gagged woman's eyes. Her body was stiff with what was apparently rigor mortis. Sookie slumped a bit before Eric's firm arms surrounded her in support.
After another twenty minutes of Ludwig running every conceivable test known to her, she finally declared her finally dead. One positive note of fact seemed to be the sudden absence of her fangs. Eric had her canine's pulled anyway, just to be a sure or just being a vengeful ass, Sookie wasn't sure. Yet, it was as if the magic needed to reanimate her corpse had been completely removed. Lorena was no longer the walking dead, now she was just dead. Ludwig thought there was just no way to know for sure if she would ever reanimate. She suggested burying her and checking every ten years or so to see if she begins to decompose. Eric agreed but had another idea to try beforehand. After he sat Sookie back in her chair, he zipped out and returned with a very frightened, slightly rumpled, and blind folded Judith. Sookie had almost forgotten about her.
"Can you feel your Maker?" Eric asked bluntly.
"N-n-no. I-I-I felt a wrenching in my stomach a few moments ago, though. What's happened?"
"Your Maker has been ended, Bill has returned to the Queen, and I suggest you return from whence you came if you wish to remain among the undead."
Judith swallowed unnecessarily, "Y-y-you're letting me go?"
"Yes, you caused no damage while in my Area and you were here not of your own volition. I see no reason to keep you longer. I do suggest, however that you keep your blindfold on until you reach the top of the stairs and remain silent on what you've experienced here, for your own good."
Judith nodded like a bobble head and left the basement in a vampire blur of movement, using her hearing to guide her to freedom. Eric then scooped Sookie up and bid good evening to the diminutive doctor as she packed up to leave, sped upstairs to give Pam clean up directions and then depart towards home. They'd learned enough for that evening and Eric still had to face the wrath of a frightened toddler. Would his night ever end?
That same night along a dark deserted highway…
Bill was half way between Shreveport and Alexandria driving at a slower than normal speed for two reasons. Firstly because he was not in a hurry to get back to New Orleans. In fact, at this pace, he would most likely have to stop in Baton Rouge for his day rest before reaching his destination and that was just fine with him. Secondly, the condition of the road was murdering his car.
He was still pissed about waking inside a locked coffin and utterly confused as to how he had gotten there in the first place. He remembered nothing of the night before after Lorena's altercation with Sookie began and he'd never heard of a vampire 'passing out' the way she had described he had. Something had happened, possibly a spell by a witch, possibly Sookie was a witch, though he didn't think so because she just didn't have the same type of magical presence most witches had. One thing was for sure, magic had to have been involved.
He was also very confused about the mysterious phone call Eric received just before his suggestion that Bill take Highway 1 between Shreveport and Natchitoches instead of the faster I-49. The caller was female and he didn't recognize the voice but she'd only said, 'Highway 1, twenty minutes out'. Normally, taking one of the 'back roads' in Louisiana wouldn't even cross his mind, the main interstate was in poor enough condition. The call had piqued his interest enough for him to take Eric's hint at least for the first few miles. He cringed as his car hit yet another pot hole.
Bill had had enough of this abuse to his car, not that it was as fancy as the Sheriff's ostentatious red Corvette, but his Lincoln Town car was only a few months old and he didn't want to have to replace it already. He was about to turn onto a road that led back to the interstate when his tire suddenly blew. "Fuck!" This was just what he fucking needed. What annoyed him even more was he had no idea how to change a flat tire. In all the years since the invention of the automobile, he'd never bothered to learn basic car maintenance. That's what he employed humans for anyway. Why lower himself to such a menial task. He took out his phone to call for a peon to change the tire when he realized cell service in this area was sketchy at best. It took half an hour, while standing on the car's roof for optimum cell reception, just to make the call because the connection kept getting dropped before he was able to connect. Unfortunately for him, trying to get someone to come out to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night was a next to impossible task.
He was frustrated and annoyed with the thought of possibly having to spend the day in his trunk or worse in the ground, when he heard a rustling of footsteps coming down the road. He vaguely remembered passing the young woman as she thumbed for a lift earlier but didn't even consider giving her a ride. Why should he, he was vampire and it was obvious from her appearance she was not. She did not have the slight luminescence to her skin that made others of his kind easy to spot. The closer she got however the more apparent her scent became. His eyes wanted to roll back in his head. She smelled heavenly, even better than the alluring Miss Stackhouse, almost virginal. Yes! He was already patting himself on the back for his amazing discovery; this would most definitely get him out of hot water with the queen. Granted the girl wasn't much to look at, at first. She had limp, lifeless, mousey brown hair and dark brown eyes that were just as dull and listless as the rest of her, but he could get her cleaned up a bit and fed (she was far too thin) before he presented her to the queen. In fact, as far as she was concerned this girl could be the real prize instead of the blond bombshell he'd been forced to leave behind. He knew he could spin it so that she'd fall for the ruse. Hell one sniff and the queen would be hooked. He would have been too if he'd seen her first. Unfortunately, for all involved, the charming and perplexing Miss Stackhouse permanently had his fascination.
He then heard a small timid voice say, "Looks like a flat, if you're calling for a tow you're gonna be waiting till morning, but if ya got a spare I can help change it."
That got Bill's attention. He turned on as much of his charm that he thought was warranted in order to get his flat fixed quickly and both of them on their way to New Orleans. "I'm not entirely sure; I've never had cause to use it before. However, if you could help me change it I would love to offer you a ride in exchange. Where are you headed?" Not that it mattered.
"Anywhere you're willing to take me. Pop the trunk and I'll get started." Bill nodded as he moved to do just that and smiled at himself. This had to be fate. Any thoughts that this was 'arranged' by the Sherriff didn't even cross his mind.
Same location and time… different point of view….
That Compton was as arrogant as he was foolish. If she hadn't thrown that rock and taken out his tire, he would have never stopped for the pathetic blood bag. Who knew she was competent enough to change a flat and Compton wasn't. All Thalia was interested in was slowing him down long enough for the court jester to get a whiff of the girls scent. If it hadn't been for the direct order from her Sheriff not to engage, she would have already had her fill of the girl.
She flipped her phone open and dialed. "Does he have her?" Was how Eric answered the call.
"I had to flatten one of his tires to get him to stop after he blatantly passed and ignored her as she tried to hitch for a ride, but she's got his attention now. She's changing his tire." She scoffed when she noticed from her position in the trees, that he didn't even bother holding up the car for her, instead making her use the jack. Dick.
"I see. Looks like I'm putting in a curtsy call to the queen. I wouldn't want her thinking Billy boy found her new pet all by himself now do I? Continue to observe him until they both drive off. You are dismissed from your duties for the next two weeks for your assistance this evening and last. And Thalia, I don't need to remind you not to speak of my bonded's uniqueness to anyone do I?"
"No, Sheriff. I know where my loyalties lie, my Maker chooses her allies well." They both ended the connection without the human custom of bidding farewell. Like most vampires aged past a few centuries, the vampire equivalent to childhood, they saved farewell's for when it was most likely needed. She sighed unnecessarily. At her age, and what a considerable one it was, she'd met surprisingly few 'honorable' men, even during the time in history when it was so fashionable. The Viking however was an exception. She knew this about him when she asked permission to move to his area after her incident in Illinois, before she'd been contacted by her Maker. Even if she wasn't tasked with assuring the Stackhouse woman's safety for her Maker to claim at the appropriate time, she'd have done it anyway because of the Vikings obvious affection for her. She wasn't sure if he knew of her Maker's intentions but it really didn't matter. He'd learn soon enough, but then again at her age 'soon' was a relative term.
Close to dawn at the state line with Texas…..
He watched the shifter cross out of the Viking Vampire's territory and groaned to himself. He'd gone to great lengths and risk to insure he got hired on as part of the new security detail for the Stackhouse women and so far his cover was intact. Redirecting that disturbed Were to attack at the mall and filling her up with V had been a necessary evil. He needed a way to ingratiate himself into that family without causing the Vampire to look at him twice. Posing as a Were and working mainly during the day, combined with a very small amount of confusion and memory glamor, had helped so far. Now he needed to work on step two, gaining Sookie's trust. That was imperative if he was to complete his mission for the Prince. It was to be a gesture of peace. A gift of love to show Sookie how high in regards her great-grandfather held her. He said he'd made a mess of gaining her trust himself with his impetuousness and it didn't matter how long he had to be in the Vampire's employ.
As he turned back toward Bon Temp and called to report his progress with the shifter, he hoped this task helped him get closer to the reluctant Fae princess. Besides how often does one get the chance he'd been given. It was an honor and he just hoped she would feel the same. However, from what he'd observed of her interactions with others at the shifter's bar and at the town meeting, told him she probably wouldn't. From what little he'd observed of the humans strange culture so far he might even have to 'help convince her' of the authenticity of the gift with a little Fae magic, only time would tell and for now he had plenty of it.
Bubba's point of view…
Bubba had returned Adele and the new human child back to Eric's house with little difficulty. He'd just taken Adele in to her bed, leaving the child with a bleary eyed Lafayette, and was about to exit the room when he saw the other small human staring at him from the door in what looked like footie pj's.
"Is Ewik mada me?" She asked the old rock 'n roller in a soft sad voice that instantly reminded him of his own little human he'd been forced to leave behind.
Quickly brushing that bad memory away he responded with an eloquent, "I dunno," as he shut Adele's bedroom door. "Why'd he be mad? Mr. Eric likes you a lot, even if you are short."
She playfully scoffed at him, "I's no shot! Ima widdle giwl. An Ewik mad 'caus I see him eain' an Soogie sweam wen he bite hewa wit his poiny teef. I no wan Ewik mada me. You tew him I sowwy an he fogib me?"
Bubba wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about, though he had no trouble actually understanding her, but he knew how to cheer her up. She looked so sad. He bent down and picked up the little one moving at a human pace to the kitchen. "How 'bout I warm you some milk and see if there are any cookies around. My mamma always said nothin' worked better to cheer ya up when something bothered ya like milk 'n cookies and a song. I'll even teach you one of my favorites.
And that's how Eric and Sookie found them a few hours later, sitting next to a roaring fire in Eric's living room, with a plate of cookie crumbs and an empty glass of milk, singing 'Blue Christmas'. Well, Bubba was singing, Sarah was humming along with her eyes closed. When he finished she said "Agin peese." Just as she had the last twenty times, not that Bubba minded in the least because it provided comfort to both of them.
Sensing her parents arrival and without opening her eyes she said, "You bedda dan my musik boks." Then she opened her tired eyes, sat up, kissed the cat lovin' vamp on the cheek and whispered, "Dankyou fo' da son' an da cookies and da miwk. I feel bedda." She climbed out of his lap and toddled over to Eric and sleepily raised her arms for him to pick her up.
Startled by her desire for his attentions after the events earlier in the evening, he paused a moment until the child swayed a little waiting for him to move. In a flash she was in his arms. Before he could say anything, she put a small hand on his mouth and lifted his upper lip. He, in turn, lifted an eyebrow at this odd behavior. Yet, what she said next really floored him. "You mada me? No mo' poiny teef. I sowwy I made you mad 'cause I no nok on da doowa wika good giwl. You fogib me?"
"I told you so," Sookie said softly.
Bubba watched as Eric took Sarah up the stairs, speaking soft, reassuring words of comfort, as Sookie gathered the dirty dishes and motioned Bubba to follow her.
"Thank you for sitting with her Bubba. It was very kind. It's getting close to dawn, so if you would like it, there is a light tight and secure resting place in the spare bedroom down stairs that you're welcome to. I hope you have a good rest. Goodnight." With that she left the dishes drying in the dishwasher rack and patted a stunned Bubba on the shoulder as she passed him to go upstairs to bed.
He smiled softly to himself and hummed 'Silent Night' as he descended the stairs to the light tight room. This was one of the most peculiar families he'd even known but for the first time since his mamma passed, he felt at home in another's house. It made him smile.
An hour before dawn in a small cemetery outside of Shreveport…..
She screamed again to no avail. She'd been screaming since that blonde bitch touched her. For the first hour or so they were screams of indignation, then screams of outrage that yet another bitch was carelessly moving her from this hellish basement to the back of a van. She couldn't move so she just kept screaming. Finally she began screaming of revenge when she realized the blonde vampiress was going to bury her. She couldn't see her because her eyes were closed and she couldn't, for all her trying, open them, but she could hear the shovel digging in the dirt. She could feel the sunrise coming and began to relax a bit thinking that she'd rise the next day and seek her revenge. She didn't know how they were doing this to her, keeping her from moving since she couldn't feel the presence of chains binding her, but there was no more pain. Then she heard someone approach and the Vampire quit digging to give orders, orders that sent Lorena screaming in panic.
"Good now I can go to rest. Eric's orders are to wait until an hour after sunrise. If she's not dust, toss her in the hole, cover it and put this on top." It sounded as if she handed him a cloth or possibly a tarp because it sounded more like plastic than just fabric. "Use those to keep it anchored. Dr. Ludwig will be upset if her experiment is ruined because you didn't follow directions to the letter. You can go home and sleep after your done here."
"Isn't that the vamp from last night's attack? Are you actually expecting her not to fry in the sun?" This was from an unknown male voice. She'd wait until the other was gone to beg for mercy. Men were simple creatures and easily manipulated, Lorena was sure she could persuade this one to help her.
"Well that would be part of the experiment, wouldn't it? Obviously if she burns, your job is done but you will stay until then, understand Wolf?" Shit! A werewolf?!
"Yes Ma'am!" Lorena heard the footsteps receding. When she was sure they were alone she tried anyway. First a simple plea, then a demand, then outright begging, they all seemed too fall on deaf ears. If he hadn't just held a conversation with the other woman, that's exactly what Lorena would think. That's when it finally dawned on her just as she felt the first rays of sun do just that. Nobody could hear her, she couldn't move, but somehow she was aware. She could feel her body warming in the sun's rays but that's all she was aware of. No pain, no burning or bursting into flame, she just wished her eyes were open so she could see it. She never missed the sun since she bargained for her idiot maker to turn her but now she was in awe. What the hell was going on? She tried calling for her children but stopped when she remembered the sun was up which meant they were not.
After what felt eternal to her, she experienced a shifting and knew she was being rolled and suddenly fell into a shallow hole. Though she had no need to breathe, she still felt suffocated by the dirt being tossed on her almost bare body; she was still wearing those hideous scarves. She'd had to rest in the dirt many times during the course of her existence and she had never, in all that time, experienced the immense sensation of terror about being buried that she was now feeling. She screamed in her head to no avail, nobody could hear her and nobody would care if they could. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She'd heard it from many before and never paid it any attention. Most of her victims that had the presence of mind to threaten her as she drained them dry, always said, 'You will pay for this,' and now she was. To her utter horror she was now paying for all her sins. All she could do at that realization was scream.
A/N: I hope the whole thing with Lorena make sense. I didn't have time to really go over it in depth with my Beta. And with her being tired while proofing it and my being tired while writing and editing it, I just hope the main idea of Lorena's fate gets across. If any of you are confused feel free to ask, comment, make rude gestures...
On another note, I hate Preston, just in case it wasn't obvious. I think his role in Cannon as a 'Christmas Present' for Niall's lonely great-granddaughter, would have been fine IF she had been aware of it AND allowed to remember the event after the fact. The fact that she only had a dim recollection of something occurring during the park scene in DITF makes me believe Niall had an ulterior motive. So I took that idea and ran with it. Don't hate me for what I came up with, her character needs the trauma of a major travesty to help build up strength. Next chapter will be rough, but since I'm a low drama kinda girl we come in during the resolution. Hopefully all will be clear next chapter, which might be a little late next week. I swear it's been like pulling teeth with that one! My muse actually complained when I started doing just that to get chapter 16 out and I'm still not done. Wish me luck!
Thanks for all the love in the form of reviews and favorites guys. It make the teeth pulling a little less painful.