8

You Need Protection

Surprise! This truly will be the last chapter until maybe the end of next week. I want to thank each of you for your favorites, reviews, reads, and follows. Y'all are the best. I hope that y'all enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

And as always, the story idea belongs to me but these wonderfully, wonderful characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

After showering at the bar, I headed home. It was a nice ride home too. I sang. I smiled. I thought about the night's events. I'd half expected to have been scared of almost being attacked by an untrustworthy vampire but I wasn't. I wasn't scared at all. And I was going to remain fearless just as long as Eric doesn't know that I read his mind. I'm going to keep that bit of information to myself. And even though it was my first night, it almost felt normal. It felt like an everyday day to me … an exciting everyday day.

It almost scared me … almost but not quite … that I was into this life so quickly. I'm going to remain cautious and fully aware of my surroundings. I've always planned on doing that but it does seem a little strange that I'm taking to this life like a duck to water. There's only one way to find out why. I'm going to talk it over with grandpa. He's always willing to listen and tell me what the best thing is to do. I will take him out to breakfast and we could talk about things then. A good night's sleep and a great breakfast would be just what we need to get our day started.

But when I got home, I was in for a surprise. I didn't expect to find anyone awake and waiting on me but my grandpa was. He was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of tea and reading one of his many motorcycle magazines. He's vowed to get one so that he and Gran can travel across the country on one. Gran's not too keen on the idea. She'd rather have an RV with a trailer hitch on the back pulling the motorcycle that they'll never ride across the country. It'll just be for show. It's argument that I've heard every night since I've moved in with them. And as I've mentioned before, the arguments don't seem to last very long because they're always having relations. Every single night. Grandpa must have a life time supply of Viagra because the things that take place in my grandparents' bedroom, is the stuff that nightmares are made of.

Literally. There have been times when I'm too embarrassed to look at them the next morning. As I've said, I have to hurry up and get my own place.

"Hey, Sookie," he said as I walked through the door. He removed his reading glasses and placed his magazine on the table. He studied me long and hard before speaking again. "I see that you have changed clothes and your hair is a bit damp. Do you want to fill me in on what's happened tonight?"

I kissed his forehead just as I took the seat next to his. I placed the contract on the table in front of him. "I can't wait to tell you what happened."

And just like that I was off and running. I told my grandpa what I'd learned and what we'd done. I told him how I'd discovered that someone wanted to take Pam. I told him that we worked together to try and find out what the man wanted from her. We were supposed to find out what vampire employed him. Sadly, I also had to tell him that I never got the chance to find out. I told him about Long Shadow trying to attack me because I could tell that the man had been glamored. I told him how Eric stopped him before he was even able to touch me. "There was just a huge glop of blood on the front of my dress but other than that, I was safe." I smiled.

Grandpa didn't.

Needless to say, Grandpa tensed at that part of the story. His eyes were no longer the beautiful pools of dark chocolate that have always made me feel loved and welcomed. This time, they were dark pools of death. "You weren't hurt," he said and it wasn't a question. His voice sounded nothing like my grandpa's voice. His was a deep grumble. It was quite menacing to be honest. I'm sure that if I'd heard that sound coming from anyone else, I would have been frightened. I would have been terribly frightened. "Tell me that his blood didn't get into you."

I shook my head no. "It didn't," I assured him. "It was only on the front of my dress. A little got on my arms but other than that, I am fine."

He still appeared to be a bit skeptical. "None got on your face ... near your eyes or mouth."

"Not one drop." I crossed my heart and said, "I give you my word."

His eyes began to clear as he patted my hand. "That's good. That's wonderful. Now," he said rather abruptly. He released my hand as he pointed at the contract. "This is it? This is the contract?"

"Yes, sir," I said.

He put on his reading glasses as he opened the contract and began to read over it. He nodded as he read.

I talked. "I read over some it and it seemed to be fair but there are some things in there that I think you need to read over. One part in particular," I began. "It says that I will have to work with kings and queens in the vampire world if called upon. What does that mean, Grandpa? I didn't know that they have kings and queens. You never told me that."

Grandpa grunted; completely ignoring my question. "Get me a pen, Sookie."

I did as my grandpa said. As soon as I handed it to him, he began marking through and adding to some of the lines in the contract. 'That will not do' or 'Excellent' were sentences that he'd mumbled quite a few times. When he'd gotten to the last page, he took off his glasses and placed them back onto the table. He placed his thumb and forefinger on the bridge of his nose as he sighed. My heart began to pound loudly in my chest. I was suddenly afraid that he was going to take the side of my parents. I was afraid that he was going to tell me that I was making a huge mistake by working with the vampires. I didn't want to hear that because I didn't want to do to my grandparents what I've had to do to my parents and my brother.

I dropped my head as I braced myself for what was about to happen.

"Look at me, Sookie," he said.

I slowly raised my head … my face cleared of any disappointment or sadness, as to look at my grandpa.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" he asked me.

"I am," I whispered. "This is who I am. I don't want to waste my life away serving fried pickles and chili cheese fries. I don't want to waste this wonderful gift that I've been given." I reached across the table and took my grandpa's hand in mine. "I want to be able to openly help people. Daddy can't let the other cops know for sure that I've helped him with cases. They would question everything that he's ever done. He would lose his position. I can't let that happen. You know that. And I can't help him anymore. I want to be able to do what I was born to do without being hidden away like some dirty family secret. I have this amazing gift that can be used to help so many others and in the supe world, I don't have to hide. I won't be viewed as a freak or an oddity. I want to be able to be me with everyone, Grandpa."

I then decided to tell Grandpa a secret that I'd never shared with another person. "Did you know that mom considers me a stain on this family? A stain. An embarrassment. She's ashamed of me. I've heard in her mind that there have been times that she wishes that I was not who I am or can do what I do. I take that to mean that she wishes that she didn't have me … the me that I am … the me that I'm meant to be ... the me that I am to become. She wants me to hide. I can't do that." I dropped my head just as a tear slid over my cheek.

"My dear girl," Grandpa said. He hugged me to him as he caressed my head. He kissed me before pulling away from me. He used his thumbs to wipe the tears from my face. "You are a gift to this sometimes ugly world. And that has nothing to do with your telepathy. When you first discovered that I am not human, you were but a child of three years old." He began to laugh. "Do you remember what you said to me?"

Oddly enough, I did. "Papa's head is different."

He nodded as he smiled. "And it is. But it never mattered to you. You embraced me even more. Your love for me grew. You have a beautiful heart and soul, Sookie, and don't ever let anyone take that away from you. In my opinion, you're too good for either world … human or supernatural. Your mother would do good to realize this. I've always believed that she was never good enough for my son. You've only strengthened my belief."

"Thank you, Grandpa," I said as I chuckled. It's never been a secret that my grandparents have never been a fan of my mother's. No one is really … except for daddy. "And I don't blame her. Not anymore. She doesn't understand." It suddenly hit me that she'll never understand and I'm okay with that. I have to be.

Right?

"Why did you ask me if I'm sure that I want to do this?"

Grandpa's hold on my hand tightened. "Because this is a life that's going to take you places that you've never been," he said. "You are going to have to do things that will make you question who you are. Once you're in, Sookie, there's no turning back. This is it. Are you sure that you want to do this?"

"Yes," I said. I didn't even have to think about it. "I want this. I know what I am. I know that I'm not quite human. I've always known that I'm different. I feel it. I want to embrace that part of me. I want to live this life. I know that it's going to be difficult at times and I know that I'm going to question everything that I've ever learned as a human but I want this. Please, don't try and take this from me." I looked him in his eyes and said, "Though I love you, you won't win."

Grandpa patted my hand as he laughed outright. "I've never doubted any of what you said. I've always known that you are made for this life … of this world … the supe world. When you were born, I could see it in your newly formed eyes. You weren't like the other babies at the hospital. You didn't cry. You didn't scream. You wondered and I could see it. I could sense your differences … your moods. I knew instantly that you had that spark. That essential spark that none of us, the fae, have ever had. You are of our world and if this is what you want, I am with you … every step of the way. You have me but I'm not enough, Sookie. You're going to need more. You're going to need a lot more protection."

Frowning, I asked, "What do you mean? How much more?"

Grandpa sat back in his seat and crossed his legs. "What do you know of the Northman?"

I shook my head and said, "Nothing, really. I know that he's over a thousand years old and that he owns a bar. He's Pam's maker and my new boss. That's it."

He smiled. "Do you have any plans for early in the morning?"

I shook my head no. "I wanted to take you out to breakfast so that we could talk but we've already done that. And I don't have to work at Merlotte's today. I have to go later this evening. I have to be there when the new girl that I met at Fangtasia starts. I have to be there at 3:00. I want to introduce her to Sam and be her reference. I wanted to be the one to train her. With Sam expanding the bar and all, I figured he'd need the extra help but Eric sent some of the Fangtasia waitresses to work for Sam until all of the new girls are trained. I guess they'll be training her too. I'm officially a Fangtasia employee."

Grandpa stood up from his seat and walked to the other side of the kitchen. He began making a pot of coffee. "I have a story to tell you. It's going to be a long night."

I had on only one thing to say.

Could this night get any better than this?!