Chapter Nine

"With pleasure." Eric took a step closer. "Well, are you going to let me do this or not?" He huffed.

"How do I know that you aren't just trying to fuck with me." Warlow kept his grip on her.

"Do I look like I give a shit anymore? You can have her. Let's just be done with this so I can get the fuck out of this goddamn city."

Sookie held back tears. "Let him do it." She finally spoke softly.

"If either of you tries anything stupid." He slowly released his grip and got next to her.

Eric closed in the distance. His face was devoid of all emotion. He got right in front of her. "Sookie." His eyes bore into hers and she gasped when she felt the power of their connection.

"Now." She mouthed to him as he turned and slammed Warlow into a nearby wall. Sookie took the opportunity to cast balls of light at him as he tried to get up from the ground. Eric watched her in shock. After a moment he jumped back onto Warlow and bit his throat, tearing it out. He viciously tore at his skin and bit him repeatedly. He hadn't even noticed as Sookie left the room and fetched the dagger that was used to kill him before. Thankfully the assholes who robbed her place didn't think to look under the floorboards. "Eric!" She yelled and then threw the dagger toward him. He grabbed it in the air and by the time he tried to stab Warlow, he was gone. "Where did he go?" Sookie was filled with fear as she looked around.

"He's not in this dimension. I would feel it." He got in front of her quickly. His hand came up and touched a piece of her blonde hair. "It's really you?"

Sookie answered him the only way she could, by kissing him. The moment was cut short though by the sun creeping in. It hit Eric's arm and he yanked it back as it sizzled.

"Your powers?" He was in shock.

"Yeah, it's um a delayed fairy thing." She felt awkward standing there. She had no idea how long she had been gone. "How long has it been?"

"Six months." He stepped back from the sun even more. "I can't stay up here. I need to get underground."

"The cubby." Sookie quickly walked to the dining room with him in tow. She opened the cabinet. The doors were all shattered. He quickly got into the underground room, and she followed.

"I never stopped looking." He turned and the emotion was all over his face.

"He is going to be back."

"I don't care. All I care about is this." He pulled her close and kissed her again. Soon clothes were flying as he pinned her up against the wall. He entered her deeply as she cried out in pleasure. Having their bodies joined once more was a feeling she couldn't explain. He buried his head into her neck as they both found their release quickly.

They stayed silent for a few moments. "How did you know I was lying?" She finally asked as he pulled his head up.

"I didn't. I hoped that you were and I knew that he was the one who needed to buy my story, not you."

"It was convincing." She swallowed hard.

"I would die before I renounce our ties." He let her down as her feet touched the ground. "By the way, the world has gone to shit." He smirked as he tried to lighten the mood.

"Everything is gone." She cast her eyes away and began to get dressed.

"That's not even half of it." He pulled his jeans on as she pulled her gown down. "Nice dress."

Sookie rolled her eyes playfully and then her voice got serious. "My brother?" She hated to even ask.

"Safe. They all are." He sat on the bed. "Or at least they all were the last time I saw them."

"How long ago was that?" Tears threatened to fall.

"Last month. It's best that we all stay far away from each other, especially now." He had a look of dread in his eyes. It scared her.

"And Bill? I mean Lilith." She corrected herself.

"He is with the Queen. Last I heard he has the makings of a vampire army."

"Fuck? Really?" She began to pace.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

"You may not have a choice, Eric. Warlow is dead set on marrying me. I won't let you die trying to save me."

"I would rather die than knowingly give you to him." He walked over to her.

"He's going to come back."

"Then we will be ready for him."

Sookie let her emotions wash over her as she hugged him tight. She cried against him.

She watched as Eric slept. Her nerves were on overdrive. She knew it was only a matter of time before Warlow came back. She was actually surprised that he hadn't come back yet and that made her anxious. She held the dagger in her hand as she paced the small underground room. Thankfully she had found a few of her old clothes still in her bedroom. She changed out of the god-awful dress. Her life was literally falling apart at the seams. She hated that she didn't even have her phone to try and call anyone. The sound of someone moving above her head put her on alert. Someone was in her house. She could hear the footsteps. Was Warlow back?

"Eric." She whispered as she shook him slightly but he didn't budge. "Shit." The footsteps got closer to the hidden doorway, and she backed up from the stairs as she held the dagger. The sound of the broken cabinet doors opening made her run over to him. "You have to get up, Eric. Someone is here." She shook him again, but he didn't move. "Eric." She began to panic and then the metal door opened.

"Hookah I know you are in here." Lafayette popped his head down as relief washed over her. "And that mother fucker too?!" He sighed dramatically.

"Lafayette. How did you find me?" She was in shock as he made his way down the stairs.

"You need to come with me."

"How do I know you are who you say you are?" She held the dagger still.

He rolled his eyes. "Girl if you don't get that knife out of my face."

"What was the name of the stray dog we found as kids?" She needed to know it was really him and not Warlow playing mind games.

"If you haven't noticed the world is fucked because of those mother fuckers." He looked at Eric sleeping.

"Lafayette, please."

"Fuck me!" Lafayette huffed. "Yous asking a mother fucker about a dog from like twenty years ago."

"What was its name?" She asked again as she stayed on the defense.

"Roscoe P Coltrane. You happy now?" He huffed. "Only you, Sookie Stackhouse would name a dog the most country-ass name."

"Oh, thank god, Lafayette." She ran over to him and hugged him as he stood there shaking his head.

"Look, Sook. We need to go, now."

"I'm not leaving without Eric." She pulled back. "Warlow." She began to say, and he cut her off.

"I know." He shook his head.

"He's after me."

"He's not the only one Sook. Word is out about the new fairy vampire princess." He rolled his eyes.

"You know? How?"

"Let's just say I have some help from the other side." He rolled his eyes. "You just couldn't keep yourself out of trouble."

"Bill tried to kill me."

"And he did."

"It's Lilith, she is back."

"I know Hookah. Why do you think I am here? Have you seen this fucking town lately? Or the world for that matter?"

"Lafayette!" A familiar voice called out from above them. Sookie's eyes got wide.

"Tara?" She gasped.

"Like I said, shit be fucked up, Sook. People coming back from the dead."

"Tara!" Sookie called out and ran over to the stairs.

Tara looked down at her through the hole. "I leave for a few years, and you manage to get yourself killed." She rolled her eyes and then she came down the stairs. Sookie couldn't help herself as she ran over and hugged her tight.

"Oh my god, you are really here!"

"Oh, so you believe her right away. This is bullshit." He huffed and then walked toward the stairs. "Listen as much as I would love to have this reunion, we gots to go."

Tara pulled back and smiled softly. "It's good to see you, Sook."

"I don't understand. The sun, how are you?" Her words trailed. It was still hours before sundown.

"Can we please hurry this the fuck up? We gots places to be bitches." Lafayette huffed with annoyance.

"I can explain everything," Tara spoke softly and then she looked at Eric and sighed. "I would say I am surprised but I'm not." She then looked at Lafayette. "Tell the others that we are going to need help with him."

"You ain't my boss, bitch. I don't care if you just came back from the dead." He rolled his eyes but he went up the stairs anyways. He called out. "We got another one here. Hurry the fuck up!"

"Listen Sook, it wasn't just me that came back. We all did."

"Everyone?" Her eyes got wide as she thought of her Gram, was she back too?

Tara noticed the look on her face "Only those supernaturally inclined." She added and Sookie tried not to seem disappointed. "We have a place in the mountains. There are a bunch of us. Vampires, witches, and now you. A vampire fairy." Tara shook her head, still in disbelief over how the last few months had been.

"You can tell?" Sookie was shocked that now her fairy powers could be sensed when before Eric sensed nothing. She remembered what Warlow said about her transition needing time to acclimate.

"Anyone in a half-mile radius knows." Tara smiled softly.

"Should I be worried?" She suddenly felt very nervous to be different than the rest. It could be a very good thing or super dangerous.

"Not with us but with others." Tara's voice got serious. "Let's not worry about that. We need to get this big lug up and out of here." Tara looked down at his large frame. "You had to pick the biggest of ancient Viking vampires."

"Would it help if I told you that he has changed?" Sookie swallowed hard. She had missed these conversations with her best friend.

"For the worse you mean, right? I've seen how he has been living the last few months and it's nothing to brag about." Tara rolled her eyes with disgust.

"You've seen him already?" Sookie hated to think of what he had gone through over the last few months. She knew he wasn't always thinking rationally but thrown into a fucking apocalypse she could only imagine what he resorted to.

"That was the first place I went. I think it had to do with Pam being my maker or it was just my shit luck." Tara smirked and then she turned to look at Sookie. "You had been gone for nearly a month at that time. I thought that it had to be some kind of cruel joke to bring me back only to find out you were gone."

Sookie's eyes welled up with tears and then the girls shared a heartfelt hug.

"The only thing I can say on Eric's behalf is that he never stopped trying to find you." Tara pulled back. "But I still don't like his bitch ass." She smiled and so did Sookie. "Oh, and um, he has been ruthlessly trying to track down Lafayette so he will be taken into custody." She turned for the stairs.

"Wait? What? Taken into custody?"

"Sorry Sook but it has to be done. He has killed a shit load of witches and they aren't happy about it."

"Why was he looking for Lafayette?"

"To find you. He was convinced that Lafayette could do a spell or something." Tara sighed. "I don't consider myself an expert on witches but living around them for five months you sort of become one." She looked back at Eric. "Witches don't use the same power as fairies. Lafayette would have never been able to help but you know Eric. He would have beat it out of him or worse." She began to have that disgusted look on her face again.

"But now that I am back, he won't go after him. I know he won't."

"Sook, he killed witches and a lot of them. They are not just going to let him walk away."

"I mean there has got to be another way. I mean he was just overreacting and acting out." The realization of what he had actually done began to sink in as she tried to plead her useless case. He had killed innocent people.

"Listen I get it Sook, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks." She began to climb the stairs. "Come on, there are some other people you would like to see."

"Others?" Sookie followed her up the stairs. She would have to deal with Eric and his supposed war crimes later. She was shocked to see a bunch of familiar Bon Temp faces, most of them were part of the police force. Andy Bellefleur was one of them. He had lost a bunch of weight and the darkness of the world was weighing heavy on him.

"Sookie." He walked over and put his hands on his hips. "Vampire fairy. Hmm." He was at a loss for words.

"Nice to see you too Andy." She swallowed hard.

"Oh, come here. It's going to be alright." He softened his stance and then he reached out for her. She walked over and hugged him tight.

She was overwhelmed with emotion. It's not that her and Andy were close, but they shared a fairy bloodline with Adilyn. "How is Addy?"

"She is doing good. More than half the town made it out ok." He had sadness in his voice.

"This is all my fault."

"Darling it's not your fault. It's Lilith. We all know that."

"Listen I hate to break up this reunion, but we do have a homicidal vampire fairy that wants to kill us all." Tara interrupted. Sookie looked back at the doors to the underground room. Two large men were heading down with loads of silver and black blankets. "It's just precautions." She tried to reassure Sookie.

They made their way outside and to the two pickup trucks that were parked there.

"How did you know I would be here?" Sookie couldn't help but ask as Tara walked next to her.

"Totally coincidental. We were on our normal food haul. Do you remember that Walmart on Wilshire? Well, it still has a lot of supplies so once a week we head out here. Needless to say, the closer we got the more I could sense you. Lafayette felt it too. And now we're here." They both walked towards the trucks. "I will be honest Sook. I sent Lafayette down to get you because I was scared of what we would find." She began with a nervous look on her face. "There's a lot of rumors about you and Warlow."

"He abducted me and held me against my will!" Sookie began to raise her voice as her hands began to glow brightly.

Tara began to back up. "Sookie just relax." Everyone else began to back up slowly.

She looked down at her hands and gasped. She could see the fear in everyone's eyes. "Shit. I'm sorry. I'm still new to all of this."

"Um, we're gonna ride with Mark." Andy said quickly as all the other guys piled into the truck. They brought Eric's body with them.

Tara rolled her eyes. "They are scared of you."

"Scared of me, why?" Sookie couldn't believe that people were actually scared of her.

"Because we all know how Warlow turned out." Tara got into the truck and Sookie followed suit.

"You aren't scared of me, are you?"

"Bitch, please. I would never be scared of Sookie Stackhouse." Tara laughed and Sookie did too. "I had to convince them to let me, and Lafayette see you first. You know how trigger-happy humans are."

"They would have tried to kill me?"

"They might try again to be honest." Tara glanced at her.

"That's great, so now my neighbors are trying to kill me. Perfect."

"They are not going to really try and kill you because let's be honest, I don't think you can die."

"Everyone can die from blood loss." Sookie rolled her eyes.

"Things are different now. We came back differently. I can walk in the sunlight. I can eat actual food if I want to." Tara looked over at her. "I mean look at Lafayette. He is an actual spell-casting witch now and don't get me started on the drama happening between the thriple."

"Thriple?" Sookie asked with confusion. Her mind was literally on overdrive with all this new information.

"The Lafayette, James, and Jesus triangle." Tara laughed.

"Jesus is back?"

"Yep, and more powerful than before."

"Should I be worried about seeing them?"

"Sook, you are family. You are always welcome and those that have a problem with it will answer to me." She smiled darkly. Sookie could see the difference in Tara. She was darker and more intense. She had a danger about her.

"So, this place is up in the mountains?"

"Yeah, it's a place you will remember hearing about. One of the eastern compounds of The light of day camp. They are spread out all over the country. We took it over and now it houses all of us." Tara continued as Sookie just listened in shock. "The witches are constantly putting a barrier spell up to keep the place hidden." She looked straight forward as she drove. "Oh yeah and Jason is there with Jessica and Keith. Arlene's kids too." Tara shifted uncomfortably.

"Just Arlene's kids?" Sookie didn't even want to ask.

"We lost a lot of people right in the beginning. Between the thirst and the bombings."

"Hoyt and Bridgette?" Sookie's eyes teared up.

"No." She shook her head slowly.

"My god." Sookie felt the emotion wash over her as tears began to fall. Tara watched her cautiously in case she was about to turn into a raging ball of light. "Eric said the government was trying to make them all leave?"

"That was weeks ago, Sook. There is no government anymore. It's all gone. It's every man for himself out here."

Author's Note: Let me know what you think about the new apocalyptic True Blood! I may also do a bunch of one-shots with the returning characters. Like how the reunion has been going with Layfayette, James, and Jesus. As well as Jason, Jessica, Keith, and baby Adele. Let me know if you all want a quick one-shot of how it all went down.