Disclaimer: See the previous 26 chapters.
A/N: Sorry for any typos in the last chapter, I don't have a beta.
Review-crack makes Mondays bearable!
Chapter 27
I woke up a few short hours later with a terrible feeling of anxiety in my stomach. Something's wrong I thought, and knew with certainty it was true. Looking at the clock and seeing it was only 9am, I realized that it must have been fear that woke me up.
I've only had four hours sleep… I can't be rested yet.
Rolling over on my side to see Eric in his daytime rest with no signs of anything unusual, I let out a small sigh of relief.
If Eric went to rest without leaving me a note, or without waking me up to warn me of anything, than things must be fine for the time being. He would certainly know if something's going on, right? I asked myself.
Having gone to sleep immediately after my late night snack with Eric, I had given him another hour or two to make any arrangements he could before dawn.
"Sleep, dear one," he had said "and I will lie here with you."
"Eric, what are you going to do tomorrow night? Are you going to go after Felipe, or stay with Preston? Are we safe? Will we be able to go home in a few days? What does all this mean?" I asked him sleepily, while pulling a blanket in closer to my body.
"I don't know yet" he said while stroking my hair soothingly "but I will think on these questions before I rest. I will not leave you." He said, and I drifted off in his arms.
Closing my eyes and trying to soothe the anxiety I was feeling, I absently ran my hand over Eric's smooth chest. We are together everything's okay. I said to myself, and then repeated it a few times out loud. As soon as my breathing slowed and I started to feel better, a single thought popped into my head.
Sam.
Jumping out of bed, I began rummaging around for my cell phone. Maybe he didn't answer last night because Eric's number came up. He'll answer for me. I thought nervously, and then dialled his number. After a few rings, his machine picked up again. Okay, that's really weird. Maybe he's at the bar early this morning, getting everything ready for Terry so he can leave for the day. Didn't Eric say it was going to be a full moon tonight?
Pacing around the hotel room, I dialled the number to the bar. One ring, then two, then three, and then finally I heard Sam's voice: "Thanks for callin' Merlotte's Bar & Grill. Our hours of operation are…"
I hung up, knowing the rest of the message by heart and having no need to hear it. Sam wasn't answering his cell, or the phone at the bar. That left only one option, to call Amelia and have her drive over the Sam's trailer and knock on the door. Maybe I was being a little silly, maybe he was just really busy or something, but it didn't matter. I had to know where he was and if everything was okay.
I called the house, and after two rings Amelia picked up.
"Sookie, is that you?" Her usual chipper morning voice was clipped somehow, strained.
"Yes, Amelia, is everything okay?" I asked.
"Actually Sookie, I was going to call you in another hour or so. I'm a little worried; Sam hasn't been to Merlotte's for the last two days. I spoke to Terry about it, but he said that sometimes Sam takes off for a little while here and there and that I shouldn't be too concerned about it. I didn't think much of it at first, but we were really busy at the bar last night and I called Sam to ask if we could bring in an extra server. He didn't answer his cell. It's not like him to leave the bar unattended without letting you know first, is it?" Amelia had delivered this entire monologue in a few seconds at most. She was clearly a lot more stressed than she was letting on.
"You've been working at Merlotte's this week?" I asked her, surprised.
"A few hours after you left, Sam called and asked me to fill in. I guess Arlene was so ticked that you took vacation without giving everyone notice first, that she told him he better give her some time off too or she'd quit." Amelia said with distaste in her voice. "It's just been me, Holly, Tanya and Terry all week. We're pretty beat." She said, and I believed it.
There have only been four people on staff for almost an entire week? It hardly seemed possible. I decided to leave a message on Pam's cell and ask her to call Fangtasia and send someone to Merlotte's from the bar as soon as she rose. Eric would understand, I was sure. Even if they had more important things to deal with, I was not leaving all my friends this short-handed any longer. Especially since I wouldn't be coming back tonight and working tomorrow as planned.
"Arlene did what?" I asked, outraged.
"Yeah, it was pretty bad. I think the only reason Sam hasn't fired her is because he feels bad for her kids." Amelia said, frustrated. "Anyway, do you think I should be worried about Sam?" She asked again.
"Honestly Amelia I'm pretty worried myself. This is not like Sam. He never leaves the bar for this long without planning well in advance. He always has extra staff on call as well, in case we get busy." I said thoughtfully. "You should go knock on his door. See if you can find anything out. Do you know any spells that might be able to help find him, or give us some more information?" I asked her hopefully.
"I'm not sure, Sook. I'll go over to his place right now, and call you back. I could always try and round up some more witches for an ectoplasmic reconstruction, but it'll be really hard to come up with enough people out here in Bon Temps on such short notice. Also, we wouldn't be able to do it until after the bar closed tonight. If someone saw us…" she said nervously, and then stopped.
"I understand. Call me back as soon as you can." I said.
"I will. Oh and Sookie, how is your vacation going?" She asked, a playful lilt in her voice. "Is the Viking doing his job and pillaging you senseless? Because you really need it." She said, and laughed.
"It's been action packed." I said seriously, and then we both said our goodbyes and hung up.
Knowing I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, and that I couldn't simply wait for her to call me back, I decided I would call a few more people for information. First on my list was Alcide.
"Sookie? What's going on? Is something wrong?" Alcide's sleepy and surprised voice came through the phone after the first ring.
"Actually yes. Have you seen Sam lately, or heard anything about him?" I asked immediately.
"No I haven't" he said, concerned "but why call me about it? Sam and I are on fine terms and all, but we're not exactly buddies. I wouldn't know where he is or where to look even." He said sounding slightly irritated.
"I was just thinking, maybe you or someone in the pack knew what was going on. He's missing." I said quickly, a slight tone of exasperation in my voice.
"Missing, for how long? You know he's probably just on a trip through the woods? Sometimes we need to spend more than one night…" he said and trailed off.
"It's possible, but it wouldn't be like him to leave the bar like this. Especially with me out of town." I said.
"Yeah, I heard about you running off to Hawaii with Eric." Alcide said with clear judgment in his voice.
"Oh stop it Alcide," I snapped, "if I am really a friend of the pack, you will try to find out what's going on. I have a lot to deal with here already and I could use some help. Will you look into it for me? If not, I'll find someone who will." I said angrily, and waited for his response.
After a long pause, he spoke up.
"Of course I'll help Sookie. But it's a full moon tonight. I can't guarantee all my pack mates will be willing." He said, and I could feel his weariness.
"I'll even call Calvin over in Hot Shot and see if he's heard anything. I'll call you back as soon as I find anything out." He said, and then hung up.
My next call was to Jason. After two rings, I heard the phone being shuffled around and heard him grunt as he apparently knocked into something.
"Hello?" He practically growled into the phone.
"Jason, it's me. Have you seen-
"Listen Sook, this really isn't a good time." He interrupted.
"Have you seen Sam?" I asked, figuring I ought to ignore him and get to the point.
"Why would I know where Sam is if you don't?" He said, and then I heard a woman's voice mumbling in the background.
"Look, I really have to go." He said, and then hung up.
Typical Jason. Only concerned about his self. Well at least if Calvin gets involved Jason will have to help them look.
My next call would be to Niall. I didn't know what kind of assistance he could be, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Fishing the number out of my purse, I dialled it and waited for the mysterious operator/secretary to answer.
"Sookie Stackhouse for Niall Brigeant" I said almost professionally, knowing I would be asked anyway.
"Hold the line please" came the same, deadpan female voice as always. After a few minutes, someone picked up.
"Child" Niall said gently "it brings me endless happiness to hear you are well," he said grandly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.
Fairies and their dramatics I thought to myself.
"Actually, grandfather, I am calling because I can't reach Sam." I said, and then added "my boss. No one knows where he is." I said.
"Ah yes, the shifter. He seems a good fellow. What can I do to help, my dear?" He asked me, anticipation evident in his voice.
"I was wondering if you knew how to find people easily. I thought maybe fairies could sort of, just, pop to where Sam is." I said, realizing I sounded silly.
"I could, as you say, pop there if I knew where he was. Would you like me to ask Claude or Claudine to look into it? I am leaving for faerie in a few moments and I'm afraid I will not be able to return for a few days. There have been some developments." He said cryptically, and I assumed those developments had to do with last night's vampire war. Supes were usually instantly in the know about these things, I was surprised Alcide hadn't mentioned anything when I called.
Unless Felipe had been trying to keep his plans a secret until he had taken over Louisiana.
"If you wouldn't mind asking them to just check around a bit, it would be a big help." I said gratefully.
"Of course my dear, of course. I know Claudine has been particularly concerned about your happiness this past week. She has felt your distress. It really pains her not to be able to come to your aid, because of all the vampires in your presence. She will be pleased to have a way to help." He said sweetly, and then added, "I am truly glad to hear you are safe. I must go now, but I will be seeing you in Bon Temps when you get back from your trip. Are we still having dinner? There is much we need to discuss pertaining to your new attributes. Among other things." He said knowingly.
"I look forward to it. Thanks for your help." I said sincerely, and then clicked the phone shut.
I would call Pam later; it wasn't like she would be checking her messages any time soon.
I am starving I thought suddenly I wonder if room service is available today. Surely they would have backup staff, or contingency plans, for situations like this one? I thought to myself hopefully.
Picking up the hotel phone, I called the front desk. Someone answered immediately.
"Is room service available today?" I asked.
"For you, Miss Stackhouse, I believe it is. I will place the order myself, and guarantee you get it shortly. What would you like this morning?" A sweet, young sounding male voice asked.
"Bacon, eggs over easy, toast, hash browns, orange juice, fruit and coffee. And sausage." I said, feeling a little guilty for being so demanding. "Is that too much trouble? If it is, I can just have a muffin or something." I added sheepishly, and then continued, "It's just that I haven't eaten much lately." I said, and then waited.
"The kitchen is closed for the day, but I will order your food from a nearby restaurant and have it delivered. I was told to grant you whatever you desired during your stay." He said automatically.
Wow I thought to myself. Preston must really care about Eric to set something like that up for me. Vampires didn't normally consider human needs.
"Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help." I said.
"You're quite welcome, Miss Stackhouse. Expect your breakfast within the hour." He said, and then quickly said goodbye.
Looking over the clock, I realized it was now 10:30. I had been making calls for over an hour. Deciding I needn't bother going back to bed at this point, and knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep if I tried, I figured it was time to get a shower. Just as I turned on the taps, my cell phone rang.
"Sookie, it's Amelia" I heard the second I answered the phone.
"What is it? What did you find out?" I asked fearfully.
"Nothing at first. There was no answer when I knocked on the door, and no sign that he was home." She paused, took a deep breath, and the continued. "But Sookie, I decided to do a simple spell when I got there. The idea of the spell is to detect malicious intentions. It's normally used when you're trying to determine if you can trust someone with something important. Finances, a big secret…in this case I thought it would give me an idea whether Sam was, for lack of a better word, kidnapped. The spell would show me if someone went to Sam's place intending to do harm. In some cases, I would be able to find out who was involved. The magic is more complicated in that circumstance, but I think it worked." She said quietly.
"Oh no, oh no no no" I said suddenly, because Amelia had been broadcasting so loudly that I heard her thoughts through the phone.
Quinn has Sam.
"My God Amelia, what are we going to do?" I asked, knowing that I couldn't be of much help from Hawaii.
"I don't know. Are you coming back tonight? Is everything okay with you at least?" She asked hopefully.
"Actually, no. I can't really get into it now, but there was kind of a war here last night. We need to stay a little longer to take care of some vamp politics. I have no choice." I said regretfully.
"A WAR? Sookie, are you hurt? Are you okay? What the Hell happened? Do you need me? Should I fly to Hawaii too? What are you going to do?" She asked in one breath.
"I'll tell you about it when I get home. You stay there and keep in touch. I've called Alcide, Jason, and Niall. Alcide is going to get in touch with Calvin, Claude and Claudine and going to help out as well. Find out what you can but be careful." I said, and she agreed that she would.
"I'll be home as soon as I can. Reinforce the shields on the house; get Terry to walk you to your car tonight after work. I'll ask Pam to send someone over tonight from Fangtasia to help bartend. Tell Trey everything you told me, and ask him to stay with you tonight. We have a lot to take care of here, but I'll ask Eric if we can speed things up and come back tomorrow on a morning flight." I said, trying to cover everything.
"Wow Sookie. You just sounded so pragmatic, like Eric." She said, surprised.
"I'm worried about you. Promise me you'll do what I said?" I asked.
"I will, if you promise to make it back to me in one piece. I mean really Sookie, another war? Aren't you under the vamps' protection now? Wouldn't it be completely idiotic for someone to try and hurt you?" She asked.
"Apparently not" I said, and then there was a knock at the door. My room service had arrived and I wasn't even dressed yet. "I have to go Amelia, call me later okay?" I said, while pulling on jeans and a t-shirt.
As I hung up the phone, it occurred to me that even though my breakfast was here I had completely lost my appetite.
TBC