As promised here is another chapter that I had typed up. For the titles of the chapters, I am going to be using the Icelandic numbers to try to do something different. Truth be told, I probably wouldn't be able to come up with unique titles for every chapter. It looks like we have our first review for the story.
darkhunter11: Hello lovely. It's nice to hear from you and I appreciate you being my first reviewer. I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
So,without further ado, let's get one with the new chapter!
o0o0o0o0o0o0o Sweet Dreams o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"How are you folks t'night?" I greeted a nice family of four that sat in a booth in my section.
"I'd say we're right as rain," a jolly man of approximately thirty years of age with ginger hair answered in a relaxed Southern drawl.
"What brings ya here to Bon Temps?"
"We're takin' a cruise around Louisiana," the dark haired woman to the side of the man piped up in a pleasant voice. "This was the closest place for supper."
"Between you and me," I offered as I placed my hand over the side of my mouth. "The gumbo is the best."
"That's our favorite!" the twins across from their parents exclaimed happily in unison, their identical auburn hair in matching twin braids.
"Alright, two orders of gumbo," I smiled, writing it down in my notepad. "How about something to drink? We have juice, soda pop, lemonade, tea, milk, or water."
"Apple juice."
"I'll have the fish fry, fries, and a glass of Long Island iced tea," the mother told me.
"Make that two Long Islands, a cheeseburger, and onion rings," the father added.
"Not a problem. I'll have that ready for ya as fast as I can."
I stuffed my notepad in my pouch on my hip then made my way over to the bar.
"I need two Long Islands Sam," I told the shaggy haired blonde who was my was my boss and also managed the bar.
"Comin' right up petit," he replied.
My next stop was the order counter connected to the kitchen.
"Fey, Imma need two orders of gumbo, fish fry with a side of fries, and a cheeseburger with a side of onion rings," I called to the gorgeous black man manning the stove.
"You got it brown suga," Laufayette winked as he took my order ticket from me.
Seeing as though the kids wanted apple juice, I slid over to the soft drink station and filled up two cups.
"Rattrays in your section Dessy," one of my best friends and co-workers Sookie told me while dropped off an order.
"Gods help me," I muttered under my breath before I dropped off the girls' juice then briskly walked over to a booth in the way back of my section to the left of the order counter. When I stopped beside their booth, I could practically feel the ill intent leaking off their auras.
"What can I get'cha t'night?" I asked with a fake smile.
"Let's start off with a pitcher of Bud," Mack spoke up.
"And an order of onion rings with mustard," Denise added.
"Comin' right up."
I told Sam the new order before I dropped off the family's teas then went back up to the order counter.
"How about a little cocoa. Little Cocoa," Laufayette smirked to Sookie and Arlene.
"Don't chu forget about some brown suga," I joined in with a swish of my hips.
Everyone let out a chuckle at my words as I gathered up my food. All Sam could do when I came to pick up the pitcher of beer was shake his head at me. I gave him an innocent look and a shrug of my shoulders as I made my way back over to the family.
"Sorry it took so long," I apologized, placing the food in front of them carefully.
"Think nothing of it," the father assured me.
"Do ya need anything else," I questioned once everyone had their food. The twins were already gone with their gumbo that had me laughing softly. It always warmed my heart when I saw such sweet little children come in.
"We're fine," the mother chuckled.
"Alright. Holler if ya need anything."
Much to my displeasure, I had to go over to the Rattray's table and drop off their beer and onion rings.
"Anything else ya need?"
"Nah, I have everything I need Oreo," Mack said, giving my ass a smack. I could feel my aura about to spike in anger but I managed to keep my temper in check.
"I would appreciate it if you would keep your hands to yourself," I told him evenly.
"Why?" he sneered up at me. "What'cha gonna do ni-,"
"If you finish that sentence, you will be banned from this bar," Sam's authoritative voice sounded from behind me. Sam and the dick Rattray had a stare down that ended with the dick looking away and muttering under his breath.
"Merci Sammy," I sighed in relief as we walked away from the booth.
"No problem Dess," he smiled down at me. "I see you like a little sister. I just can't sit back and watch this."
With that he went back to the bar while I ventured over to the order counter.
"Hey Fey, could I get two orders of vanilla ice cream with the works?"
"Are these for those adorable little things over there?"
"Yeah."
"You got de most biggest heart I've ever seen," he chuckled, moving about the kitchen to make the desert.
"I have a big heart for people who deserve it," I retorted as I took the offered ice cream. I made to say something else but a scent and aura stopped me from doing so. From my nose I could smell the scent of grave soil mixed with wood and spiced apples and could sense a slightly old soul that was a deep blue tinged with a dirty gray smudge. Vampire, I registered at once when I put the aura and scent together. I kept my eyes trained on the pale man with dark hair as he came to sit in my section. Oh hell no, I am not dealing with him. I maybe able to mask my scent but that only went so far. I sent a thought to Sookie to take the customer while I walked back over to the family's booth.
"Here ya are sweet peas," I said, setting the ice cream down in front of them.
"We didn't order dessert," the mother spoke up.
"I know. This is a little treat for the twins," I informed the parents. Both looked shocked at my words while the girls were giggling with joy.
"Thank you Miss.!" the twin closest to me squealed before they dug in.
"How old are you sweetie?" the mother asked me. "You look so young."
"Twenty-one."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"I have two, both older. I have an older sister named Janice and an older brother named Alcide. My boss Sam over there thought thinks off me as a little sister."
"Are you in school?"
"Nah. I'm taking the summer off then going back in August."
"What are you going for?"
"I'm majoring in Business Management with a minor in French."
"What year are you?"
"I'm going into my third year in August."
"Where do you go?"
"Lousiana State in Shreveport."
"That's wonderful," the mother commented with a large smile.
"Thank you. Are you ready for your check?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll be right back."
After a quick tally of their food minus the ice cream, I brought their receipt to the table.
"Here ya go. I hope ya'll have a good night."
"We hope you get home alright," the father told me.
"Don' worry about me," I smiled at the family. "I took some self defense classes. I can take care of myself."
I made to leave the table, but two weights on my legs stopped me. Slightly confused I looked down to see the twins hugging each of my legs.
"Thank you for the ice cream Miss. Dess," one of them beamed up at me.
"It was delicious," the other added.
"No problem girls," I returned with my own smile. "I'm glad you like it. Make sure to be good for your parents, okay?"
They both nodded vigorously before they let go of me and followed their parents out of the diner. A contented sigh left my lips at the sight of the family. It was nice to see a family like that. My happy mood slowly slipped while I checked the Rattrays who were the last people in my section. To my surprise, they weren't in their booth. Instead they were in the same booth as the vampire that had came in. Please don't tell me they're V harvesters, I groaned in my head. Almost robotically I began to clean up the booth the family had just vacated. All of the dishes were easy to stack up on a tray on one hand leaving my other hand free to pick up my tip. My eyes widened when I looked over the bill that I had picked up. A crisp fifty dollar bill was staring back up at me. Wow...now that was a tip. I shoved the bill into my pants pocket the quickly wiped down the table before I carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen. Once that was done, I came to idle beside my other friend Tara who was nursing a margarita at the bar counter.
"Hey girl," I greeted her as I came to sit on a bar stool.
"Hey D," she returned with a playful nudge. "How you been?"
"Good. I just got the biggest tip of the night."
"How much?"
"Fifty dollars."
"You go girl!" Tara laughed.
"Yeah, they were a nice family," I commented with a small smile.
"It's de kids."
"Pardon?"
"You always get like that over de kids."
"I can't help it," I smiled softly. Our conversation was cut short when Sookie joined us.
"Do you really think that she's gonna let him bite her?" Sookie asked referring to Denise Rattray. I couldn't help but scoff.
"She's probably a V harvester," I said, folding my arms and crossing my black and white striped stocking clad legs.
"What?" Sookie gasped in disbelief.
"It's not all that uncommon Sook," I explained as I watched Denise try to seduce the vampire.
"I think you're wrong," Sookie huffed before she stormed off towards the booth.
"Can I get ya'll something?"
For this part I zoned in on Denise's thoughts.
Not big, but he's got 11 or 12 pints in him. Holy shit, that's almost 200 ounces! I bet we could get $500 an ounce in Dallas.
I'd like to see them try to take some blood in Dallas. One wrong move and they would be dead.
Fuck me, that's $16,000. Sweet Jesus.
"I'm gonna bring ya'll a free round of beer, okay?" Sokkie panicked. "Don't you go anywhere."
She was quick to speed walk back towards me.
"They're gonna drain him," she exclaimed in a whisper.
"Told you," I drawled.
"We have to stop them!"
"Sookie, he's a vampire who has been alive for hundreds of years," I interjected. "He doesn't need the help of two waitresses."
"Dess is right," Sam agreed.
It looked like she was starting to ignore the issue, but when she turned around and saw them gone, she bolted out the door.
"Gods damn it," I growled under my breath, tugging off my white apron from around my hips. "I'll go after her."
Thanks to my enhanced speed, I was able to catch up with her as she was leaving the inner part of the parking lot.
"Sookie! What the hell are you doing?!" I demanded while I kept pace with her.
"I can't just leave this alone."
I sighed to myself. Well, at least she has me. Sookie had only stopped for a brief second to pick up a heavy chain before she continued running. Smart girl. When we arrived at the little alcove that met the surrounding woods, I could see the vampire silvered down and hooked up to tubes that was pumping his blood out of his body. Holy shit, Sookie was right to worry about him. How in the hell has he lived this long if he was able to be subdued by humans this easily? Sookie wanted to just charge forward, but I physically held her back. She gave me a glare of it but I put my finger to my lips and sent her a thought.
Wait. If we just charge forward, we'll have a problem. You sneak up behind Mack and wrap the chain around his neck. Make sure to keep it tight or you're done for. I'll take care of Denise.
She gave me a firm nod and readied herself for my signal. As soon as I moved my hand, Sokkie lept forward with a silent war cry and doubled the chain when she held it up to Mack's neck. Before Denise could react, I jabbed a pressure point in her neck that laid her out on the ground unconscious. I could see Sookie having a hard time with Mack, so I used my magic to pull it tight enough to where Mack passed out within minutes. His body slumped to the ground then Sookie released the chain and draped it on a shoulder.
"Good job Sook," I congratulated her while I removed the silver from the vampire's wrists and neck. "I trust you can take care of yourself now?"
"Yes," he answered with an older Southern drawl.
"Good. I would have expected that a vampire your age should have been able to hold off two humans."
I could see his irritation at my words and I could feel Sookie try to rummage through the vampire's mind.
Sookie, don't you-
"I can't hear you," she breathed in relief that spiked the vampire's irritation.
"Yes," he repeated, this time louder. Just from his aura, I could tell that he was cursing Sookie out in his mind.
"If I were you, I'd be expressing some more gratitude. We did just save your life," I pointed out with a bored huff.
"Aren't you two afraid of being out here alone with a hungry vampire?" he challenged, hoping to scare us off. All Sookie did was wrap silver around her neck while I laughed my ass off.
"I'd like to see you try to hurt us," I cackled.
"Do you two wanna drink from the blood that they left behind?"
All of my good humor left me at the suggestion.
"You're joking, right?" I questioned with a disbelieving look.
"No," Sookie replied easily.
"Why would I want to be connected to you?" I grimaced.
Both Sookie and the vampire froze at my words and the vampire was in front of me before I could blink. His glare met my calm gray eyes.
"How do you know that?" he hissed in displeasure.
"Why should I tell you?"
A growl left his lips that had me smirking. Score 1 for me.
"What are you?" he demanded.
"Isn't the gallant Southern gentleman supposed to give their name before he tries to get any information from a lady?"
"It's Bill," he ground out.
"Oh Billy Boy, if I told you what I was, you'd have to face the true death. However, I will tell you my name. Desdemona Herveaux. It's been a pleasure."
"I'm Sookie Stackhouse," Sookie managed to get through her laughter.
"Now that you know the name of your saviors," I began while I pushed him away. "We've got to get back to work."
Luckily for me, the end of my shift ended shortly after that. By the time I came back outside, I saw that the Rattrays had vanished from where we had left them. I did not care whether Bill killed them or they left, but I was glad that they weren't there to bother us again. I just couldn't wait to get back home and soak in a nice bubble bath before I turned in for the night.
"Do you want a ride home Dess?" Sookie offered when she joined me outside Merlotte's.
"Nah, I'll be fine Sook," I assured her. "You get home to Amma."
She gave me a nod before she took off in the direction of her old yellow 1981 Honda Civic. I watched her car pull safely out of the parking lot before I ventured into the safety of the treeline and teleported myself home. Thanks to the runes and wards I had set up around the perimeter of my home, no one but the people I gave permission to would be able to get through them or teleport onto my property. My great grandparents on my mother's mother's side had taught me how to do this when I was thirteen. Since then I have been renewing and strengthening my magic boundaries whenever I felt my magic getting stronger and stronger. As soon as I came home and felt the familiar and comforting feel of my magic cloaking me, all the tenseness I could have had melted away until I was completely relaxed. It was something akin to walking into a giant warm hug from your grandparents, parents, and siblings all at the same time. I didn't have a shift at Merlotte's tomorrow until the evening so I could sleep in a bit. Thank the gods. I quickly entered my house and locked all the doors behind me, all it was was a peace of mind since my mind liked to play tricks on me, then ventured into the kitchen for a grilled chicken berry salad that I whipped up real quick for a light dinner. Once I was finished eating and had put my dishes in the sink, I climbed the stairs to my bedroom where I could relax in my tub with some ocean mist scented bubble bath. A sigh of contentment left my lips as I eased myself into my sunken pool like tub. My hair was piled up into a bun so I didn't have to worry about the long strands getting wet. After a whole shift at work, I always looked forward to a hot soak in the tub. The only thing missing for me was if Storm could have been by my side here or if I could have gone to Dallas to be by his side. Now that I could actually sit down and just think, I reflected on the way that the two of us had parted from the astral plane the both of us had created together. The weekly visits we had had wasn't all that different than usual. We had showed up in our little haven and talked with each other while we snuggled a bit. Just the thought was enough to make a warm glow settle in my chest. However, I had never been suddenly taken from the plane like I had been. Could something have happened to our plane? Did something happen to Storm? As soon as the thought surfaced, I batted it down. Storm was an old vampire, one of the oldest, and I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to attempt to cross him. Another sigh left me at my train of thought while I sank down in the water until everything from my nose up was the only thing above the water. Look at me doubting my mate, I thought glumly. What kind of mate was I to do this? I pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind then stood to exit the bath. Since I didn't have any pressing matters early tomorrow, I'm taking advantage of all the sleeping time I had now. With that in mind, I let the water out of the tub and got out to dry myself off. My thoughts were all on Storm as I chucked the dirty towel in the laundry hamper then padded into my room. You see, I didn't like sleeping in any type of clothing. I find them to be too constricting and hot to sleep in. By not wearing any clothes to bed, I find that I kept a fairly even core temperature during the night. Not to mention I loved the way the crisp, cool sheets and my soft, downy blanket felt against my bare skin felt incredible. Once I settled under my covers and my hair was free to splay over my pillow, I found myself drifting back to my earlier thoughts. I couldn't wait to actually see Storm face to face. What would his scent smell like? Would his eyes be the same shade of blue or did his astral form not do him justice? Most of all, I wanted to simply hold him in my arms. What face did he show his underlings? How did he act around others? What face did he make when he was sad? What face did he make when he was mad? Thoughts like these flew around in my mind when I felt myself start to drift off. When Storm and I would have our weekly visits, he was always so relaxed, calm, and happy. Don't get me wrong, I love that he is able to feel so relaxed around me. I absolutely love it, but as his hugr, I wanted to see all of his faces and memorize every detail he possessed. I knew it would take some years, but with the both of us being immortal, we had forever.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o Sweet Dreams o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
There we are lovelies, a new chapter. I love how everyone in Merlotte's is like a big family and I especially love how Desdemona has her quips with Bill. If any of you would like to leave comments, have any questions about what is going on or what will happen, or if you just have concerns feel free to leave a review or shoot me a pm. Remember, reviews are magic!
-White Wolf