Disclaimer: I own nothing related to True Blood.
Paige slowed to a stop, watching as Jason continued running, her breath coming in hard pants as she tried to calm her beating heart. For as much as she worked out to stay in shape and despite all of the rigorous training she went through back at C.A.V.D. headquarters, she had never been a very good long-distance runner. Short bursts and regular jogging she could handle, but running for an extended length of time without a break? Absolutely not. Jason, however, seemed to have the endurance of a wild Mustang, only having to stop every once in a while to catch his breath before taking off again. Meanwhile Paige was feeling like one of her lungs would pop at any moment if she didn't take a moment to rest and catch her breath, despite the fact that there was a very urgent situation at hand.
She braced a hand against the trunk of a tree while the other nursed a stitch in her side, tossing her head back to try to suck in as much air as she could. It wasn't long before she heard footsteps coming back towards her and she looked just in time to see Jason stop in front of her, his hands on his hips as he looked at her like she'd lost her mind.
"Whaddya think you're doin'?" He asked in his thick accent, motioning towards her and the tree with incredulous eyes. The bastard was barely even panting for air.
"I need…to rest." Paige managed to get out between gulps for air. "If I don't…I'll keel over…and then where will we be?" She asked him sarcastically, wincing as the stitch in her side worsened.
Jason rolled his eyes dramatically at her and pointed at her. "I'll tell ya where we'd be – you would be layin' here on the ground while I would take your gun an' bring down the house." Jason informed her, making her glare at him with unimpressed eyes. "My sister is in there suffering only God knows what at the hands of those lunatics, so pull your shit together, woman. We need to get a move on now." He urged before grabbing her arm and forcing her to continue on with him.
Paige groaned and pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Would you stop manhandling me?" She asked in annoyance. Then she stopped to lean over and brace her hands on her knees, waving him forward. "Just go, I'll catch up." She reassured him, knowing she'd catch her second wind once she had gotten some air back into her lungs.
"Paige, I'm not leavin' you out here by yourself." Jason insisted, ignoring her demand that he stop manhandling her and grabbing her arm yet again to pull her along with him for the second time. Paige finally gave in and walked with him quickly, trying to find a way to somehow catch her breath as they continued to move. Jason eyed her for a moment then smirked. "This would be easier for you if you let me carry the gun…"
"This would be easier if I let you carry me." She retorted with a huff. "What are you? Do you do steroids or something?" Paige then asked, looking at him as though he were some unknown species that she'd never seen before.
Jason scoffed before shooting her a very smug looking smile.
"Carry you, huh?" He asked before blatantly looking her up and down in a suggestive manner – she could practically see the wheels turning in his head and immediately felt the urge to smack him. Jason shook his head after a second though and turned his eyes forward again, tugging her along even faster. "Try'ta resist hitting on me for the time being if you can – we have a sister of mine that needs to be saved." He said cockily. "I'll be happy to serve you after we've kicked the hell outta Steve an' the gang." Jason finished with a wink.
"You're a cocky shithead, ya know that?" She shot at him moodily.
"Are you single?" Jason inquired, ignoring her remark and looking genuinely interested as they broke into a slow jog.
Paige rolled her eyes, not even able to believe he'd just asked her that. Then she started imagining how Eric would react to Jason's flirtations despite the rockiness and uncertainty of their relationship – Eric had been jealous and very possessive of her when they had been together, something that obviously still lingered to this day considering the way he'd been treating Gary for the past few days. Paige had the feeling that Eric wouldn't be happy about it and was suddenly presented with the mental image of Eric tossing Jason through a window, something that had her smirking with amusement considering the fact that the Stackhouse brother was getting on her nerves at this particular moment in time.
"Trust me, Stackhouse – you so don't want to go there." Paige warned him with a cheeky smirk.
Just then they heard the sound of an approaching car from behind them. They shared a worried look before they both turned in time to see headlights coming around the corner at a very high speed. Jason began cursing next to her while she tried to see just who was behind the wheel of the vehicle – the only glimpse she caught was of was appeared to be a golf cart being driven by a woman who's hair was flying every which way before she was suddenly on her back in the trees, hidden from view. For a moment Paige was confused, not sure what had happened, then she realized that Jason had pushed her off the road and out of sight.
"Stay there!" Jason instructed, holding a hand out as though mentally trying to hold her back as she scrambled up to her feet again. "Damnit, didn't ya hear me – stay there!" He said again when Paige made a move to rejoin him.
Paige rolled her eyes but did as she was told, mentally lecturing him all the while – after all, Jason was out there by himself without protection and she had the gun. It was only when she reached for said gun so she could at least cover him from the darkness of the trees that she realized it had fallen off of her when Jason had pushed her down. Paige cursed and dropped to the forest floor again, searching in vain for the gun as the car came closer – it was useless, there was too much foliage and it was too dark to see. The sound of Jason cursing made Paige look up just in time to see that he had started running again. Making the executive decision to forgo her larger gun, Paige instead grabbed one of the handguns from the holster on her thigh and trailed after him, using the trees for cover and making sure he never got too far away from her.
When the golf cart on the road came to a halt, Paige ducked behind a tree. She peeked around to see that a woman had just jumped out and was calling for Jason. Jason stopped at the sound of the voice and turned to see who it was. "Sarah?" He asked, before his expression immediately turned to that of relief. "Thank God it's you. I've been running for hours." Jason began to explain, taking a moment to glance toward the trees and make sure that Paige was still hidden from view. "Steve and Gabe? They've gone crazy! They tried'ta kill me!" He said.
Judging by her fancy attire and perfectly done up hair, Paige deduced that this Sarah woman had to be Sarah Newlin, Reverend Newlin's wife. Unsure whether this woman was trustworthy or not, Paige contemplated whether she should go up behind her and try to overpower her, just in case. But Jason seemed to know her well and trust her, so Paige rethought the decision and stayed where she was.
That ended up being a mistake. Suddenly Sarah produced a gun and aimed it right at Jason's chest. Paige gasped, her heart leaping into her throat as Jason's eyes widened. "Oh Sarah, no!" Jason cried.
And before Paige could react, Sarah pulled the trigger.
Paige was so stunned she couldn't move even a muscle, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. She'd seen people get shot before while on other missions, but watching Jason get shot was made her feel sick to her stomach. He'd been her companion for the past hours or so, she'd promised him that everything was going to be okay, he was Sookie's brother, for God's sake! He might be a little slow on the uptake, but he was a nice guy that she'd felt she could be friends with…and now he was shot and Paige felt like she'd failed both him and Sookie in so many ways.
Paige saw red. The woman was breathing hard and looking like she might cry, but Paige didn't care – she was going to rip the bitch's hair out.
She was just starting to push her way through the trees, eyes blazing with angry determination, when a strong arm suddenly locked around her waist. Paige started to scream with surprise but found that she couldn't as an icy cold hand clamped over her mouth to muffle the sound. She dropped her handgun in surprise and started flailing and kicking, struggling against what surely had to be one of the guards for the Fellowship with all of her might, but he was too strong. She couldn't fight him off, couldn't get him to budge even an inch.
"Calm down." A very familiar voice said in her ear, making her instantly still. "It's me."
Paige relaxed at once, turning to face Eric when he finally released her before punching him in the shoulder. He seemed surprised that she'd lashed out at him. "What the hell? Where did you come from?" Paige demanded of him, unhappy with the way he continued to sneak up on her. "You scared the ever living shit out of me!"
Eric merely quirked an eyebrow at her. "I'm here because Godric needs to be rescued tonight, Collins." He said in a serious tone. "There was another telepath in the hotel. Sookie must have met him by chance – she was able to send him a message to give to Bill Compton telling him that she and Hugo are in trouble, which leads me to believe that the situation with Godric has become more dire."
Some of Paige's anger faded at hearing that. "Oh…" She said. "Well, I'd be happy to help but Jason Stackhouse was just shot right before my very eyes." She informed him, turning to point toward the scene of the crime out on the road. She was shocked out of her mind, however, to not only see Jason alive and well, but also arguing with the woman that had just shot him. When she raised the gun and shot again and Jason hollered in pain, Paige cursed. "Damnit, Eric, we have to stop her!" She said, trying to move forward only to be restrained by Eric yet again.
"It's only a paintball gun. He will be fine." Eric reassured her. Paige sighed in relief and turned her attention away as Jason stood and began advancing on the woman – Eric, on the other hand, eyed Jason for a moment before turning an odd look on Paige. Before she had the chance to decipher what it meant, though, the look was gone. "Paige, Godric's rescue cannot be delayed any further. I want you and your team to leave the grounds. I can collect Godric myself." He instructed.
Paige's jaw dropped, but as he turned to leave she grabbed his wrist firmly. He dragged her a few steps before stopping and looking down at her, waiting for an explanation for behavior. "Have you lost your mind?" She asked incredulously. "No! You can't go in there! You'll be killed on sight!" Paige tried to argue with him, not paying attention to the argument taking place out on the road anymore. What the hell was Eric thinking, trying to go into the Fellowship? They'd string him up with silver and throw him out into the sun the first chance they got!
"I can blend in easily enough." Eric shot back confidently.
Paige snorted. "Oh yeah, a six foot five Viking vampire will totally fit in amongst the regular church goers." She shot at him sarcastically. Eric didn't look amused with her remark. "The plan was to let us handle it, so let us do our job!" She pleaded with him, trying a different approach. "Jason and I will meet up with the rest of the team and then we'll go in and get Godric. You going in there is suicide!"
"I can say the same for you, Paige. Should you get caught, they will show no mercy." Eric argued back swiftly, looking unhappy with her for putting up such a fuss and refusing to do what he'd asked. "I can take care of myself far more adequately than you can take care of yourself. I will get Godric and be quick about it – you will leave and meet me back at the hotel."
"No, I won't. If anything, I'm going in with you." Paige protested, latching onto him again when he turned to leave a second time. "Damnit, Eric, stop being so damn stubborn and let me help you!" She said irritably. "Why did you even come and find me out here if all you wanted to do was boss me around and treat me like I'm a child?" She demanded to know.
Eric growled low in his throat and turned quickly, grabbing her by the upper arms and pulling her in close. Paige gulped as they stood nearly nose to nose – it was the closest they had been to one another since they had broken up, but even after all this time she still felt herself reacting to him much like she had in the past. Her heart started hammering in her chest while her limbs were quickly turning into the consistency of jelly, her body immediately melting into his.
"Because I worry for your safety. Your scent led into the same direction that I heard what I presumed was a gunshot and I feared you had been harmed – I had to make sure that you were unhurt." He admitted, his intense gaze making her gulp. "I am only trying to make sure that you remain safe, Paige. Will you not ease my concern and do as I request?" He asked her in a low and gravelly voice, his eyes boring into hers.
Paige blinked a few times and took a deep breath, trying to find some grip on reality and on herself again. He'd been concerned enough to make sure she hadn't been hurt. He'd come specifically to find her and make sure she was safe. That had to mean something. "If you try to glamour me into doing what you say, I will rip your hair out." She found herself saying in a meek voice.
Eric immediately smirked, the gleam in his eyes momentarily shifting to what seemed like amusement as his face came even closer for just a second before he then straightened up and glared out towards the road. It was only then, as the spell between them broke and Paige was able to focus on the world around her again, that she realized Jason had been calling her name and was loudly blaring on the horn some ways down the road, while Sarah Newlin was whimpering on the ground not far from them. Paige almost started to wonder what she had missed when Eric's hold on her tightened and she suddenly felt the air rapidly whipping around them as carried her towards the golf cart at vampire speed.
Jason's eyes widened the second he caught sight of the large vampire she was with and he shifted uncomfortably as Eric pushed Paige into the passenger seat. "Uh…" Was all Jason managed out as he watched Eric make quick work of strapping Paige into the seat with a seatbelt.
"Get her off the grounds, Stackhouse." Eric instructed sternly, obviously recognizing him to be Sookie's brother. Paige began to protest but Eric silenced her with a hard look. Then he turned back to Jason and glared at him in a way that would have made even the toughest man wet his pants. "Get her to safety or you will regret not doing so."
Then, after staring at Paige for one last second, he was gone, leaving the two humans to stare at the spot he'd been in with stunned expressions.
"Uh…" Jason said again, looking at a loss for words as he studied her annoyed expression. "Was he your boyfriend?" He asked dumbly, trying to grasp the situation at hand.
"It's a long, complicated story." Paige said with a heave. She couldn't believe the nerve of Eric, though she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised that he had demanded she leave the grounds. Even though she'd made it clear to him several times in the past that she hated it when he bossed her around as though she were one of his minions, that had never stopped him from being overbearingly pushy whenever he was trying to protect her. Still, she wasn't about to let him go into that church by himself, even if he had told her to leave. "Get me to the church." Paige demanded, retrieving the only gun she had left from the holster on her other thigh and making sure it was ready to go. Jason just stared at her with wide eyes, not moving the vehicle an inch. "Now, Jason." She said impatiently.
"But he said –"
"I don't care what he said." Paige snapped, raising the gun and pointing it at him. Jason flinched and held his hands up in surrender at once. "Get me to the church right now."
Jason gulped. "What about your team?" He asked cautiously.
Paige shook her head, not lowering her gun even an inch. "There's no time for them now. Someone important to you and now someone important to me are in that church and they're both in danger. We can't afford to waste any time." She said quickly. That seemed to do the trick, since Jason finally nodded and immediately pressed his foot on the gas, sending the golf cart forward as fast as it would go. Paige lowered her gun then and looked forward, her heart beginning to pound with the impending rescue mission. "Sorry for pointing a gun at you." She said, tossing an apologetic look his direction.
Jason just smirked at her. "Don't worry." He said. "It was actually kinda sexy."
Paige just rolled her eyes and turned her attention forward again.
Jason slowed the golf cart down once the church finally came into view, a calculating look on both his and Paige's faces as they surveyed the seemingly quiet grounds. He sighed and glanced over at her before looking back towards the church with furrowed brows. "The church is on lockdown already, which means probably every L.O.D.I. shithead is in there right now." Then he heaved. "Hate'ta say it, but there ain't a snowball's chance in hell you're gettin' in that church without puttin' everyone on alert." He said, motioning to her attire.
"Do you think you can get in?" Paige asked, craning her next to get a better look at the church, searching for any other entrances. When Jason nodded slowly, she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Then you go in, knock out anyone standing on guard, and let me in. There's gotta be a side entrance somewhere, right?"
"Yeah, there is." Then he pointed to the left side of the church. "Go around the side there but keep quiet an' keep low. There will probably be some guards hangin' around so make sure ya stay outta sight 'til I come'ta get ya, alright?" Jason told her in a serious tone. Paige nodded and then undid her seatbelt, already sliding out of the seat – she paused, however, when Jason put a hand on her forearm and quirked an eyebrow at her. "If that vamp kills me for bringin' you here, I'm gonna be seriously pissed off at you." He shot at her.
Paige nodded with a small smirk and then, with gun at the ready, began to sneak her way through the parking lot toward the church, using the cars littering the area for cover. Jason immediately took off toward the entrance, leaving her on her own as she took a long winding path out towards the trees, heart pounding anxiously the entire way. Once she was hidden amongst the foliage she began making her way towards the side entrance Jason had pointed out. She was positive that Gary and the rest of the team would be angry at her for not stopping to reconvene with them so that they could all go in together, but the situation had become too complicated – she needed to make sure Eric and the others got out of there alive as quickly as possible, which meant she didn't have the time to wait for her team. Plus Jason had proved to be a worthy fighting companion. Her comrades would simply have to understand.
As she moved through the trees her thoughts turned back to Eric. He would be absolutely furious with her for disobeying his command, that she knew for a fact. But even though she was more than aware that he was indeed perfectly capable of taking care of himself, Paige also knew how loyal he was to Godric – there was no doubt in her mind that he would do whatever it took to get his maker out alive, even if it meant sacrificing himself to do so. There was no way in hell she was going to stand back and let Eric do something rash, like putting his own life on the line. She would see him out of that church come hell or high water, even if she had to wrap the stubborn Viking up in silver chains herself and drag him out.
It didn't take very long before the side entrance Jason had told her about came into view, and sure enough there were two men standing guard in front of a single door entrance, the both of them wielding weapons and looking alert. She started to move a bit closer, positive that with the dark of night and her camouflage attire that the guards couldn't see her, but froze and winced when a branch cracked under her boot. One of the guard's head whipped in her direction before he frowned and said a few quiet words to his partner. She cursed under her breath when it looked as though both were going to come and investigate the noise that had just caught their attention, but just as they started to step in her direction the door behind them suddenly swung open to reveal a familiar face.
"Whoa!" One of the guys said in surprise, whirling around alertly before relaxing when he saw who it was. "Oh, Stackhouse…it's you." He then said with relief. "What's going on?"
Paige took advantage of their distraction and began to creep closer as Jason spit out some excuse about Newlin needing them to go around the front to check out a disturbance, claiming that he would cover the door until they returned. One of the guards didn't find this odd in the slightest and agreed to do as he'd been told, but the other immediately grew suspicious and began to question Jason. Paige had just snuck up behind them when Jason decided to just knock them out instead, hitting the guard questioning him over the head with the paintball gun he'd taken off of Sarah Newlin. The other guard instantly moved to take action but Paige reached him in time to knock him out in similar form, watching as he too crumpled to the ground.
"You sure you ain't G.I. Jane or somethin'?" Jason asked, looking impressed.
Paige just shot him a look as she brushed past him and entered the church, Jason shutting and locking the door once she was inside. Though she could already hear muffled voices in the nearby chapel, what caught her attention first was the sight of another guard lying unconscious on the floor. Paige looked at Jason approvingly, equally as impressed with him for his ability to overpower the man with what seemed like little effort. He smirked smugly at her and offered an innocent shrug. "Gotta do what I gotta do, right?" He asked before jerking his head in the direction of the unconscious man. "Help me hide this guy."
Paige and Jason worked as a team to hide the unconscious man so as not to rouse suspicion in case anyone loitering around outside the chapel happened the pass by. Then, once they were satisfied the guard wouldn't be found, Jason led her toward a side entrance to the chapel. When they reached the door Jason looked back at her and held a finger over his lips, motioning for her to keep quiet before he slowly opened the door. She held her breath in anticipation, hoping and praying that the door wouldn't creak as it opened and give them away to their enemies, then waited with bated breath as Jason peeked around the door make sure the coast was clear – once he deemed it safe he looked back and nodded before slipping into the chapel. Paige followed him, making sure the door shut quietly behind them, before she turned to follow Jason as they tiptoed in the shadows of the chapel, her eyes darting around alertly as she tried to get a glimpse of what was happening in between the pillars shielding them from view.
She froze when a sound that she had never wanted to hear reached her ears – it was the sound of someone in pain, and she simply knew that voice too well to not know exactly who it was that was producing those pained noises. "Eric…" She whispered, her instinctual need to protect him making her immediately forget that she needed to be stealthy and having her make a move to go to him. Jason saw what she was about to do, however, and wrapped his arms around her waist and chest to keep her from darting out and giving them away. Paige immediately began to struggle against his hold as the voice of Reverend Newlin suddenly rang out loud and clear.
"You see," Newlin said, obviously addressing his followers, "just as our Lord, our Savior, was betrayed with thirty pieces of silver, a few ounces of silver can betray a child of Satan to the world!" He exclaimed to the congregation. Paige fought harder against Jason, who underestimated her strength and was starting to lose his grip on her.
"That doesn't make any sense!" Sookie's voice suddenly cried out from somewhere in the chapel. The sound of his sister's voice surprised Jason so much that, for just a second, his arms slackened just enough for Paige to break free – Jason quickly recovered and caught her again just as she was about to go dashing past the pillars, the desperate need to help Eric making adrenaline pump through her veins and driving her forward. Paige started to curse at him but Jason fixed a hand over her mouth to silence her. "How can you people listen to him?" They heard Sookie demand next as their quiet, unseen struggle ensued again.
"I…" Eric spoke up in a pained voice, making Paige freeze. "I offer myself in exchange for Godric's freedom…and the girl's as well."
It felt as though someone had stabbed her in the heart and viciously twisted the blade – Paige had just known that he would do something like this.
Suddenly it felt as though she had the strength of ten men. No way was she about to stand by and let Eric be killed by these bible-thumping psychos. Paige then bit down on the hand covering her mouth, making Jason hiss and yank his hand away – while he was distracted by the pain she rammed her elbow into his side, making him release his hold altogether. Then, with her gun at the ready, she ran forward and burst through the pillars.
"Stop!" She cried loudly as she reached the center aisle, making everyone in the chapel turn to her in complete and utter surprise.
With her gun pointed directly at Steve Newlin, Paige took a moment to survey the scene – the reverend himself was standing up on stage, looking bewildered with her sudden appearance, while several Fellowship members stood off to the side – Sookie, who was being held hostage by one of Newlin's men, stared at her with wide, frightened eyes. But it was the sight of the vampire laid out on the large table behind Newlin that made her heart leap into her throat and her hands start to shake. Eric was being restrained by a long silver chain, looking as though he was in a considerable amount of pain. He had managed to turn his head toward her though, and as he realized that she was in the church and hadn't left the grounds like he'd ask her to, a look of horror crossed his features.
"Paige…" He said around heavy pants for air. "No…"
"Release him. Now." Paige ordered in her most authoritative voice. "Or I swear on the God that you love so much that I will shoot you right between your eyes, you murderous piece of shit." She threatened, a hard expression on her face.
Newlin stared at her for a moment before suddenly smirking and looking down at Eric, realization taking residence on his features. "Ah, I see…another vampire lover. Another traitor to her race." He said condescendingly before clicking his tongue and making his way down from the raised stage so he could begin slowly walking towards her.
Paige raised her gun a little higher to point it at his head as he neared, but he didn't seem intimidated. "Stop right there or I'll shoot." She warned him, feeling her heart begin to pound against her ribs. She was not going to let Eric die. She didn't care if she had to fight off everyone in the room to save him – if she had anything to say about it, he was going to walk out of that church in one piece.
"Please…not involved…with this." Eric said pleadingly from where he was being restrained by chains of silver. "Please…"
"Oh, she's a part of this too, vampire." Newlin spat nastily. "And it seems your little pet will have to suffer the same fate as her friend over here." He continued, stopping only a few feet away and taking a moment to look her over appraisingly. "You even got all dressed up." Newlin said with a condescending smirk. "How adorable."
Paige was about to release another threat when a pair of double doors on the side of the chapel suddenly burst open surprising everyone in the church, Paige included. Now caught off guard for just a moment in time, she foolishly took her eyes off Newlin for one second to see who had arrived – that proved to be a mistake when the reverend took advantage of her distraction and made a grab for her. Paige let out a sound of surprise and then immediately began trying to struggle her way free again, but two other men jumped in to help and quickly overpowered her. Before she knew it, the men had taken her gun and Newlin had an arm locked around her neck, suddenly producing his own gun and pressing it to her temple. She ceased her struggling then, gulping audibly as she realized that she was now in a very bad position.
It had been Bill that had just come bursting through the doors, and when he saw the predicament that Paige was now in, he rushed forward as though he was going to intervene. "That's far enough." Newlin warned, tightening his hold around her neck.
Bill immediately froze and watched in silence, fangs bared, as Newlin backed up with her in his grasp. It was only when they were almost to the stage that Paige realized that one of the men that had taken her gun had now gone to point it at Sookie, who was shaking like a leaf. Paige closed her eyes and mentally berated herself for being so stupid and irrational. She knew she shouldn't have reacted the way she had – she shouldn't have gone running out into the open by herself or tried to play the part of the hero, she should have waited until she had backup. Because of her poor judgment, everything had taken a turn for the worst.
"Paige…" Eric moaned in a pained voice. "No…"
Bill glanced back and forth between her and Sookie as though trying to decide what he should do now, before slowly advancing further. Newlin cocked back the trigger of his gun and practically dragged her up the steps of the stage until they were standing just in front of where Eric was laying. Paige couldn't see him, but she could hear his increasing struggle with the silver now that she was closer. "One more step, vampire, and both of them die."
Bill glowered at the reverend, eyes dark and dangerous. "If you shoot either one of them, everyone here will die." He counter-threatened. "Let them go, now."
Newlin sighed heavily as though he were bored with the conversation and then leaned in closer to speak directly in her ear. "Honestly, what do they see in you two?" He asked, sounding genuinely baffled by the fact that the two vampires were so protective over his two human captives. "Soldier," Newlin then said, lifting his head to address one of his men, "how about you gift our new friend here with some silver chains."
"Don't! He's done nothing to you!" Sookie immediately yelled as a few men dressed in grey sweat suits broke away from the crowd standing around her and moved toward Bill with chains in their hands.
Paige watched all this happen, listening to the pained sounds Eric continued to make behind her all the while – what could she do to help? How could she get away from Newlin to put an end to this without getting shot in the process? Paige couldn't stand to let Eric suffer any longer, nor did she want Bill suffering the same fate, but the cool, metal barrel of the gun pressed to her temple reminded her of the fact that she was completely helpless at the moment. She suddenly wished she had waited for her team. Then maybe things wouldn't have turned into such a shit-show.
"NEWLIN!" A voice suddenly yelled, making everyone freeze.
It was Jason. In the chaos of the past few minutes, she'd nearly forgotten that he was still lurking in the shadows. Newlin whipped around to face him, using Paige as a shield, but only a nanosecond later Jason pulled the trigger of the paintball gun in his hand. The shot connected with Newlin's hand, the same one holding the gun to her temple – it caused the reverend's hand to jerk, which in turn made the gun slam into her head just before he dropped it. Jason then quickly fired at the other man holding a gun on Sookie, using impeccable aim to make him drop his gun as well.
While Bill swooped in to save Sookie, Paige used the fact that Newlin was now unarmed to her advantage and resumed her struggle to break free, throwing an elbow into his solar plexus and making him release her with a grunt. As soon as she was free she turned to punch him in the face, but Jason beat her to the punch by firing yet another shot and hitting him right in the middle of his forehead with another paintball. Newlin cried out, too in pain now to realize what was going on, so Paige dashed past him to finally go to Eric, only vaguely aware of the sound of Jason being wrestled to the ground behind her.
Eric was looking at her with wide eyes when she finally leaned over him and carefully removed the chains they had draped over his skin to keep him from moving. Anger burned hot in her belly when she saw the ugly wounds left behind as the chains were lifted off, but she somehow found it in her to refrain from giving into temptation and going after Newlin to beat the ever-living shit out of him for what he'd done. Eric let out a sound of relief as she pulled the chains away, his eyes closing as the pain finally came to an end, and once they were gone completely he slowly sat up.
"Are you alright?" Paige asked worriedly, tossing the chains aside without caring in the slightest where they landed.
He merely stared back at her for a long moment before his eyes suddenly turned to Newlin, his gaze filling with hatred and anger. Then he was off the table and dashing toward the reverend in the blink of an eye.
Eric had Newlin on the ground with his hand around his throat in an instant. Paige knew what the look on his face meant and quickly moved toward them. "Eric, don't!" She said with a pleading voice, knowing nothing good could come from Eric killing the reverend. Even if she wanted to see Newlin pay for what he'd done to Eric and Godric, she didn't want the lunatic's death to start a war between the humans and the vampires. "He isn't worth the trouble." She continued. "Let's just go."
Eric didn't spare her a glance, simply growled down at Steve threateningly – several Fellowship members took a wary step backward. "He threatened to kill me, threatened to kill Godric, and he threatened to kill you." He reminded her in a tone that made a chill run down her spine. She thought she saw his hand tighten around Newlin's throat. "Why should I not kill him?" He asked in a growl.
"Do it!" Jason urged from where he was being restrained. "Kill the motherfucker!"
"Go ahead! Murder us! Murder us before God! We are willing to die!" Newlin urged him.
Paige was about to move forward and grab Eric as he bared his fangs with a hiss, seeing that his control was about to snap, when the same doors that Bill had entered through burst open yet again. This time it was Stan that had arrived, and he looked like a vampire on a mission as he led a group of his kind into the church. At the same time, more vampires began to pour into the chapel, surrounding the now terrified looking Fellowship members. The vampires weren't alone though – Gary was directly behind Stan and she could see their comrades mixed in with the vampires, their guns drawn and aimed, ready to take action if need be.
"Steve Newlin!" Stan called out loudly. "You've pushed us too far." He said as the vampires and C.A.V.D. agents surrounded everyone in the church. Paige looked down at Eric, who still had yet to release Newlin, with wide eyes – he took a moment to assess the situation before looking up at her with an expression that was hard to decipher. "You expect us to sit on our thumbs while you round up your men to come lynch us?" He asked incredulously. Then he smirked. "We'll kill you first – same way we did your father."
Newlin let out a sound of rage and struggled against Eric, trying to break free – it was no use. Eric wouldn't let him budge even an inch. Paige looked around, noticing how uneasy her comrades looked and knowing that the situation was about to get out of hand. "Stan, this isn't the way!" She called to him, trying to make him see reason. Every set of eyes in the room immediately turned to her. "Nobody has to die here tonight – please, let us handle the Fellowship."
Stan glowered at her. "The time for mercy has passed." He said resolutely. And before she could argue any further, he smirked and then gave the order to his fellow vampires. "Destroy them. All of them."
As the vampires surged forward and grabbed any Fellowship member they could get their hands on, fangs bared and ready to destroy, Eric finally released Newlin and was by her side at once, throwing a protective arm in front of her. Paige felt her heart pound against her ribs and pressed closer to Eric, terror gripping her when she realized that every human besides her, Sookie, Jason, and the C.A.V.D. agents were about to be killed right before her very eyes. Her comrades were watching on with similar looks of horror, all standing rooted to the spot and watching the scene unfold, hesitant to intervene out of fear that the vampires would turn on them instead. It was then that she realized Bill was calling for she and Eric to come to him, to flee with he and Sookie while they still had the chance - just as Eric wrapped an arm around her and moved to do so, another voice rose above the pandemonium.
"Enough!" Everything and everyone came to standstill. Paige, as well as everyone else in the room, glanced up to see another vampire standing up by the massive organ at the back of the chapel. She could only assume the vampire was Godric and she gulped, heart pounding as she waited to see what would happen next. "You came for me I assume." Godric said, looking down at Stan. "Underling?"
Stan, who'd been ready to tear into a man's throat, finally answered. "Yes, Sheriff?" He asked, looking highly displeased that their attack had been interrupted.
"These people have not harmed me." Godric informed him. "You see? We can coexist." Then he directed his attention to the reverend. "Mr. Newlin, I do not wish to create bloodshed when none is called for. Help me set an example." He implored. "If we leave you in peace, will you do the same?"
Newlin, who was still on the ground near Paige and Eric, growled at him in response. "I will not negotiate with subhumans." He spat nastily. Then he rose until he was on his knees in front of she and Eric and moved the collar of his shirt. "Kill me." He asked of Eric. "Do it. Jesus will protect me."
Paige looked at the reverend in disgust, moving as far as Eric's protective hold would allow so she could place her booted foot against the man's chest and shove him away. It was a childish move, but seeing him sprawl on the ground sent a feeling of satisfaction through her. "Get away from him, dirt bag." She spat out.
"No more." Godric instructed her, making her immediately blush in embarrassment. "And I am actually older than your Jesus." He continued, addressing Newlin now. Then he added with a note of regret, "I wish I could have known him, but I missed it." Eric pulled her back towards him as Godric then disappeared, moving quickly throughout the church until he was suddenly directly behind Newlin and grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. "Good people," he said, talking to Newlin's followers, "who of you is willing to die for this man's madness?" When no one spoke up in Newlin's defense, Godric nodded. "That's what I thought." With that settled, he then looked to his fellow vampires. "Stand down everyone." He instructed – the vampires reluctantly released the humans before backing off as they had been told. "People, go home. It's over now."
Paige let out the breath she'd been holding as the other humans began to file out of the room, thankful that the night hadn't ended in bloodshed. She then realized that Eric still had an arm around her and immediately felt her breath catch in her throat again – it was the first time he'd touched her in a non-malicious way in a year and a half. When she raised her eyes to meet his, however, dread instantly filled her limbs and she knew she was in serious trouble.
He looked beyond angry with her.
"I told you to leave the grounds." Eric said in an eerily steady voice, finally releasing her so he could cross his arms and stare at her sternly. "You disobeyed me."
"I knew you were gonna do something rash like offering yourself up in Godric's place." Paige countered, defending her actions. "I couldn't let you do that."
Eric's eyes narrowed but she refused to back down, meeting his challenging gaze with one of her own. "You could have been killed, Paige." Eric reminded her, disapproval written plain as day on his handsome face. "That fool had a gun to your head and if he had decided to pull the trigger, there would have been nothing I could have done to stop it from happening."
Paige just jutted her chin up defiantly. "It was a risk I was willing to take if it meant getting you out alive." She told him firmly.
Eric blinked in surprise, apparently stunned that she was willing to go to such lengths for him, before the expression on his face finally softened some. Paige felt her heart kick into overdrive when she thought she spied a familiar gleam in his blue eyes and found herself unconsciously leaning into him, waiting eagerly to hear whatever it was he had to say next when he opened his mouth to speak again. Before the words could get out, however, Eric stopped himself and took a glance around as though finally remembering just where they were and what had just transpired. With the spell broken, Paige also glanced around only to see that Bill and Sookie were standing only a few feet away and that Godric was watching them with interest. Though his scrutiny immediately made her feel uncomfortable, she offered a small smile and a nod before turning to leave, intending to speak with Gary, whom was staring at her in a way that let her know he expected her to come to him. Before she could make it even a step, however, Eric grasped her gently by the wrist and pulled her back to him, his eyes trained on her temple.
"Is your head alright?" Eric asked, reaching up to touch the spot with gentle fingertips.
The touch made her knees feel dangerously weak but she still winced at the pressure a bit, only just now remembering that Newlin had accidently whacked her with his gun. "I'm fine." She reassured him.
Again, they stared at one another in silence. It felt as though there were a million unspoken things that needed to be said, that there was so much they had
to talk about, but she was also aware of the fact that they were very much not alone. Now simply wasn't the time.
"Sookie! Paige!" The sound of Jason running over to them had Paige finally pulling her gaze from Eric's. "Are you two alright?" The blonde asked, looking over his sister first, then Paige.
While Sookie nodded, Paige offered a smile. "We're fine, thanks to you – good shootin' with that paintball gun." Paige complimented. Jason grinned in return, but only a nanosecond later a look of fright passed over his features as he realized that Eric was not only glaring at him, but also advancing on him – clearly he was unhappy that Jason had brought her to the church rather than taking her away, as he had instructed him to do. Paige had seen the move as well and quickly stepped in front of the tall vampire, firmly placing her hands on his chest. "Not now, Eric." She pleaded, thinking there had been enough drama for one night already. "Go with Godric and I'll meet with you later, alright?" She suggested, using the voice and look that had always calmed him down in the past whenever he got into a mood.
Eric glowered at Jason for a moment longer before turning his eyes down to her and then nodding once. Paige's breath caught in her throat when he brushed past her, his body just barely grazing hers, but she quickly hampered down the feeling that formed in her stomach when she remembered that she was in a public setting and shouldn't be losing her head like some love-struck idiot.
Jason watched as the tall vampire sauntered away with the rest of the vampires before gulping and turning a wary expression on Paige. "He's gonna kill me, isn't 'e?" Jason asked, eyes wide with fright.
Paige stared at Eric's retreating back until he disappeared through the double doors at the end of the aisle, then shrugged at Jason. "It's hard to say." She told him with a cringe.
Jason paled a bit before frowning and letting out a huff. "Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better." He said sarcastically.
Paige smirked and patted his shoulder reassuringly, to which his response was to grumble under his breath and shake his head. "C'mon, we should go." She said to Sookie, Bill, and Jason, chancing a glance in the direction of the awaiting C.A.V.D. agents – Gary was starting to look impatient.
"Hold on." Jason said, eyes trained on Steve Newlin – Paige had forgotten the jilted man was even still present. "I got some loose ends to tie up first."
Paige nodded, told the trio she'd meet them outside, then finally started in the direction of her comrades. Not a single one of them – Gary especially – looked very happy with her for going into the church without them, so she sucked in a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for the berating she was surely about to get. Paige knew she had a lot of explaining to do, and something told her this wouldn't be the only time she'd be doing so that night.
Thoughts?