Petra's POV
"You okay Pet?" Dawn asks as Petra comes speeding past with a scowl etched onto her face.
"Fine, just fine." Petra huffs.
"You sure hookah?" Lafayette inquires, looking down at her.
Petra looks up, she always has to look up. She's tiny, stopped growing sometime in ninth grade and went from the tallest girl in the year to the shortest. She's five foot exactly, meaning if she want to be even close to anyone else's height she needs to wear heels that make her look like a stripper, according to her grandmother. Not to mention that in her small town, more like a village, of Bon-Temps nothing is paved properly so wearing heels is like asking for a broken ankle.
"I'm fine, it's just…next guy to grab my ass is going to walk away with a bloody nose." Petra says, turning to glare at the group she just served food too.
"I don't pay you to hit my costumers!" Sam, her boss, calls out.
"You barely pay me." Petra snaps back.
Sam sends her a smile and a wink that has her bad mood dissipating. She's had a small thing for Sam for a while, unfortunately he's focused on her older sister Sookie, who won't give Sam the time of day. Thankfully Petra is grown up enough to know it's just a crush on her end, Sam it seems ain't so lucky.
"Back to work." Sam reminds them.
She and Dawn share a look and an eye roll before moving back into the thick of it.
"Evening, what can I get for you?" Petra inquires.
"Hey Pet, how's college going for you?" Rene questions.
"Good, good. Makes me want to slam my head against the desk repeatedly." Petra jokes making the man laugh.
Petra doesn't really know Rene well. She knows what she's heard. Hes a good man, good boyfriend to Arlene and a great father to her kids. Everyone looks at him and sees something to respect and admire. Petra looks at him and feels uncomfortable, her brain constantly pinging that he's lying even when he's just standing doing nothing. She asked Sookie once to read the man's thoughts but her sister refused as she doesn't like having her gift let alone using it.
That is something Petra has never understood. Then again she's not the one hearing peoples thoughts. Petra is different than her sister, similar but oh so very different. It's like night and day with them. Where Sookie hears thoughts, Petra hears whispers. They tell her many different things, like when someone is lying to her, or where something is missing. Once they told her to move her car otherwise she'd get a ticket. Small things like that.
Everyone always just wrote it off as her having a good gut instinct. Or being good a reading people. Her sister isn't as lucky, with people calling her the town crazy because she blurts out things that don't make sense unless you can hear what she does.
"Anyway, I'll have a cheeseburger and some fries tonight." Rene informs.
"Yes sir." Petra nods at Rene with a smile on her face that hides how unsettled the man makes her.
She turns and walks back towards the kitchen.
"Cheeseburger and fries please black thunder." Petra flirts.
"Anything for you white lightning." Lafayette says sending her a wink.
"Onion rings. And if you drop a few of them on the floor…that's fine with me." Sookie instructs as she walks up besides her.
"Who pissed you off?" Petra inquires.
"Ratrays." Sookie states.
"Got it." Lafayette agrees before turning to look at Sookie. "Ooh! Sookie! Chicka-chicka-bow-wow! You look like a porn star with that tan and pink lipstick. You got a date?"
"No! When I wear makeup, I get bigger tips!" Sookie exclaims.
"Yes girl, thats it. These damn rednecks are sucker for packaging." Lafayette laughs.
"And I get bigger tips when I act like I don't have a brain in my head, but if I don't they're all scared of me." Sookie huffs.
"They ain't scared of you." Petra shakes her head.
"Their scared of what's between your legs." Lafayette states.
"Lafayette! That's nasty talk! I won't listen to that!" Sookie scolds.
"My sister, the blushing bride." Petra teases.
"Do you even know what's between a woman's legs, Lafayette?" Arlene inquires as she walks over to them.
"I know every man whether straight, gay or George-motherfucking-Bush is terrified of the pussy." Lafayette grins.
"Lafayette!" Sookie exclaims, shocked.
Petra laughs at her best friend.
"Ooh! What are we talking about?" Dawn asks.
"Pussy." Petra answers honestly causing Sookie to slap her arm.
Arlene laughs before leaning over the counter. "Hey! Listen, not everybody is gay! Not everybody wants to have sex with you."
"You would be surprised, Arlene." Petra informs whilst thinking of all the so called straight men that she's seen walking out of Lafayette's place.
The ginger haired woman looks at her with shock.
"Well, I don't want to have sex with you." Dawn chimes in.
"Uh huh, me neither." Arlene adds.
"Shit! Y'all bitches don't know what you're missing. I got six gears on these hips." Lafayette says as he starts thrusting to prove a point.
Petra cackles.
"No baby. You don't know what you're missing. You can watch her walk away, make you want to slap it? You wanna slap it?" Dawn says turning away and slapping her ass.
"Everybody knows that. Everybody been there. Ain't that right? John's been there!" Lafayette calls out.
"I've been there." Petra nods.
"Petra!" Sookie gasps.
Petra takes the cheeseburger and fries given to her and walks away laughing.
"My life sucks." Tara, Sookie's best friend and Lafayette's cousin grumbles.
"Tara, don't you be feeling sorry for yourself. That's just lazy." Sookie points out.
"Why can't I keep a job?" Tara asks.
"Because you can't keep your mouth shut." Petra states.
"Bitch who asked you?!" Tara snaps before sending the blond a wink.
"I'm not paying you to sit on your ass Pet." Sam tells Petra.
"My section is happy, eating and drinking. I'll get off my fine ass when they need me and not a moment sooner." Petra informs with a smirk.
"Cheeky." Sam rolls his eyes before turning to look at Sookie.
Petra's heart hurts a little seeing the emotions change on Sam's face as he stares at her sister. She looks away, knowing she just needs a little more time and maybe a one night stand to help her stop with this ridiculous crush.
"How you doing Sookie?" Sam inquires.
"I've had better nights." Sookie admits.
"Anything I can do to improve this one for you?" Sam flirts.
Things go quiet in awkwardness for a couple of seconds before the door opens and then everything goes quiet. Petra looks over at the door and freezes. There is a man standing in the doorway, dark, broody and most definitely a vampire if the chill running down her spine and voices in her head whispering, means anything. Petra and most people in the bar watch as the vampire walks into the building and towards an empty booth in Sookie's section, right next to the Ratrays.
"Oh my god! I think Merlotte's just got it's first vampire!" Sookie exclaims happily.
"I think you're right." Sam agrees uncomfortably.
"Can you believe it?! Right here in Bon-Temps? I've been waiting for this to happen since they came out the coffin two years ago!" Sookie says before hurrying off towards the booth.
"Sookie." Petra sighs.
"She'll be fine." Sam assures.
The whispers become louder at Sam's words. Whispering all sorts of things that she can't quite hear. Petra closes her eyes and tilts her head, listening in. What she hears unsettles her.
"No…no she won't."
Soon enough Sookie goes stomping back to the bar as Petra gets called away to deal with one of her costumers. Petra keeps her ears open as she listens to the gossip about the vampire. The fear, the curiosity. Some want to sleep with the vampire, most just want him to leave or die. Petra wants him to stop staring at her and her sister. To stop taking deep breaths.
When Vampires came out about their existence, lots of information came out. Lots false but some true. And Petra being the girl she is, went digging through it, to learn everything she could. One of the things she learnt was that vampires didn't need to breathe and that they only did when they were scenting prey. Petra doesn't want either of them to be considered prey.
"Petra! Petra, we have to stop them!" Sookie says suddenly coming up to her, looking angry.
"Stop who?" Petra inquires.
"The Ratrays! They're gonna drain him and sell his blood! We have to stop them!" Sookie explains.
"Oh tough call. Save the vampire that gives me bad feelings and piss off the Ratrays or stay here in safety." Petra says sarcastically.
"Petra Eleonora Stackhouse! I'm very disappointed in you. That man has done nothing to you he does not deserve to die." Sookie scolds as she grabs her arm.
"Sookie, let her go. The vampire can take care of himself. I promise you." Sam says making his presence known.
Sookie goes to say something before noticing that the vampire and the Ratrays have disappeared.
"Shit!" She scowls before taking off her apron and running out the door.
"Sookie!" Petra tries go after her sister but Sam grabs her arm.
"Stay here. I'll make sure she's okay. Tara behind the bar." Sam instructs.
"I don't work for you." Tara scoffs.
"Fake it." Sam orders before racing out the back.
"Hey Gran, can you tell Sookie that she's a moron." Petra asks as she walk in through the front door.
"Petra, be nice to your sister." Gran scolds before raising an eyebrow, "What'd she do?"
"I didn't do nothing." Sookie huffs.
"She went chasing after a vampire in the middle of the night." Petra states.
"A vampire? Did he have fangs?" Their Gran asks, excitedly.
"Yeah but he kept them in most of the time." Sookie informs.
"What do you mean most of the time? Did he bite you?" Petra inquires.
"No, of course not. He was the perfect gentleman. Nothing wrong about him and I couldn't hear him." Sookie says.
"So you have no idea what the vampire, that gives me a bad feeling, was thinking? How comforting." Petra snipes.
"He give you a bad feeling?" Gran questions.
"Yes, the voices don't like him. They say he's up to something." Petra explains.
"He ain't. He's just lonely." Sookie defends.
"You just met him, how would you know?" Petra points out.
"I want to meet him." Gran decides, stopping their argument.
"Gran!" Petra exclaims.
"I want to see which of you is right about him myself." Gran decides.
Sookie and Petra are out on the lawn on this mighty fine morning. The suns up and out and Sookie is sun bathing in a white bikini with little cherries on it. Meanwhile Petra is doing yoga in shorts and a sports bra.
"Can you explain to me what your doing again?" Sookie inquires.
"It's called yoga and it's all about strength, balance and flexibility." Petra informs.
"And why do you need strength, balance and flexibility?" Sookie questions.
"Strength, so I'm strong enough to fight back against those assholes that keep grabbing our behinds. Balance, so I can run in heels if needed and flexibility, for…other activities." Petra explains, sending a wink her sisters way.
Sookie scowls at her and goes to say something when they hear the sound of Jason's pick up truck. Both sisters watch as their older brother slams his door closed and makes his way towards them angrily.
"Hey! How come you didn't tell me you beat up the Ratrays last night?" Jason demands.
"I haven't seen you since then." Sookie states.
"You beat up the Ratrays?" Petra questions.
She knew her sister saved the vampire from them, but she wasn't aware she did so using violence.
"Would you both keep your voices down. I don't want Gran to know about this. How did you know?" Sookie inquires.
"Fortenberry couldn't wait till I got to work this morning to tell me all about it!" Jason exclaims.
"Hoyt? How on earth does he know?" Petra asks.
"He went over to the Ratrays last night to buy some weed. And Denise drove up like she wanted to kill somebody. She was so mad. The only way she would sell him any weed was if he could drive Mack to the hospital in Monroe." Jason explains.
"Uh huh! Well, did Hoyt tell you that Mack came after me with a knife?" Sookie says.
"Oh my god!" Petra sighs, moving out of her position so she can rest her face in her hands.
"You want me to kick his ass?" Jason offers.
"I already took care of that, thank you." Sookie informs, looking proud of herself.
"You know they'll come back right? They aren't just gonna leave it alone." Petra points out. "Should of just let them drain that vampire."
"Vampire! Sookie, you do not want to get mixed up with vampires. Trust me." Jason pleads.
"Oh shut up both of you. Even if you hate em and you don't trust em, doesn't mean you can let trash like the Ratrays go around draining them. It's not like siphoning gas out of a car. It would have killed him." Sookie scolds them.
"Who fucking cares. He's already dead." Jason snaps.
"That's not his fault." Sookie huffs.
"What did he look like?" Jason asks.
"Tall, dark and broody." Petra answers.
"Everyones tall compared to you." Jason states.
"Oi, you little shit. I may be small but I will kick your ass up and down the driveway." Petra warns.
Jason and Sookie share a look before bursting out giggling.
"I hate you both." Petra decides.
"Jason!" Gran's voice bring all three siblings to a stop as they look over at the wonderful woman who raised them.
"Gran!" Jason greets.
"Sakes alive boy, where have you been keeping yourself? You get over here and hug my neck." Gran says smiling.
They all ended up going into the house for the lunch Gran made them. Gran was unfortunately called away by the phone ringing.
"You want the rest of that?" Jason asks as he steals food from Sookie's plate.
"Yes!" Sookie laughs.
"Thank you." Jason says as he steals her plate.
The boy has learnt not to get between Petra and her food because she will stab a bitch with her fork. Gran hadn't been happy with Petra after that incident.
"If you're gonna wear that suit, you might want to start watching what you eat." Jason teases.
Gran comes back into the room with a look on her face that has Petra sitting up.
"That was Evalee Mason. Guess you was found strangled to death in her apartment. Maudette Pickens!" Gran exclaims.
"Oh my lord." Sookie gasps.
"She didn't show up for work…wasn't answering her phone and so her boss called Bud Dearborne. He rode over, got the manager to let him in, and they found her." Gran informs.
"I went to school with Maudette." Sookie states.
"Can you believe it? A murder in Bon-Temps." Gran sounds astonished.
"Well, why are you surprised? Now that we got ourselves a vampire?" Jason asks.
Petra gets the feeling of wrong, wrong, wrong, blaring in the back of her mind.
"Can't believe I'm saying this. But it wasn't him." Petra informs.
"Ha, see! Just because he's a vampire doesn't mean he's a murderer." Sookie says.
Another larger feeling of wrongness spreads over her at that.
"No he's definitely killed some people. He just…didn't kill Maudette." Petra adds.
"Ha, see! Fang-bangers go missing all the time in Shreveport, New Orleans! They never find them, but everybody knows the vampires are killing them and disposing of the bodies. I bet that vampire does the same." Jason says and then looks at Petra to either confirm or deny.
"Don't know. They've stopped whispering." Petra shrugs.
"What's a fang-banger?" Gran asks.
"A vampire groupie. Men and women who like to get bitten." Sookie informs.
"My stars!" Gran exclaims.
"There's also hookers who specialize in vampires. They drink Tru blood to keep their supply up, and they keep a bodyguard there in case the vamp gets a little too frisky." Jason says, unprompted.
Petra smiles at her brother with a raised eyebrow, wanting to hear where exactly he got that information from.
"I read it in a magazine." Jason defends himself.
"Wonder how much one would charge for something like that?" Gran says in a tone that makes Petra chuckle.
"A thousand bucks." Jason answers a little too quickly.
"Been looking that up have you?" Petra teases.
Jason just scowls at her for a second before making sure Gran isn't looking, then sending her a wink.
"See now that just makes me sick." Sookie huffs.
"I know. What kind of cheap woman could ever do something like that?" Gran shakes her head.
And only for a thousand dollars, Petra thinks. They'd have to pay her at least 5 thousand for her to be willing to put her hair up around a vampire let alone have sex with one. A slap breaks her out of her thoughts and shes sees Sookie glaring at her before she turns back to Gran.
"No, it makes me sick that they're getting a thousand bucks to lay there and do nothing while I bust my ass for 10 bucks an hour plus tips." Sookie scowls.
"Oh I don't think they just lay there." Jason starts, sending Petra a look.
"Yeah, I think there supposed to…you know, participate." Petra adds, running her hand up Sookie's leg.
Sookie moves quickly away from the table and Petra's hand with a loud, "Ewwww!"
Petra and Jason break out into laughter before he looks down at his watch.
"Well, um, thanks for lunch Gran." Jason kiss her on the cheek before heading out towards the front door.
Sookie gets up to follow him but Petra stays to help Gran clean up.
Petra is sat in the kitchen with her clunky laptop open and sheets of paper spread around her. There isn't a college close enough for her to both work at Merlotte's and learn, so she worked out a deal with the college in Shreveport. She does her schooling online and then once every semester she has to come in to have her work checked and have meetings with her professors and the dean. And sure she could have gotten a job at Shreveport but that would have required her to drive there everyday and they only have enough money for the car that she and Sookie share.
She's dealing with a particularly annoying maths equation because for reasons unknown to her she went into science and chemistry is a bitch, when Sookie comes waltzing in wearing Merlotte's uniform. Gran looks up from where she's watching Petra's laptop from over her shoulder. Petra loves her Gran and she loves that even if she doesn't understand she still tries to take an interest in what her grandchildren are doing.
"Sookie?" Gran greets.
"What's up Gran?" Sookie asks.
"Oh, I was just wondering how old you think the vampire is, the one you met last night." Gran inquires.
"173" Petra answers automatically before straightening. "I hate when I do that."
"Oh, so he probably remembers the war." Gran says sounding excited.
"Probably." Sookie nods.
"Do you think he'd want to come speak to the Descendants of the Glorious Dead?" Gran inquires.
"I think he might have a hard time showing up at the public library at noon on a Thursday." Sookie points out.
"Oh! We could have a special meeting at night, or he could just come talk to me and I could tape his recollections. I'm sure other members would find it so interesting." Gran gushes.
"Gran we don't even know if he can be trusted yet." Petra sighs.
"Hush you. I'll make that decision myself." Gran admonishes.
"I'll ask him the next time he comes in to Merlotte's. If he comes in." Sookie informs.
"Thank you darling." Gran says.
Petra wakes gasping for air, her dream was awful and felt so real. So real to the point that Petra gets out of her bed and quietly makes her way over to Sookie's bedroom. She finds it empty and the whispers in her head magnify. All she can hear are the words 'set up' and 'Sookie' over and over again. Which along with her dream of the Ratrays beating the ever loving snot out of her sister has her alarmed. She decides she's gonna go out looking for her sister.
'Merlotte's' is whispered into her head.
She doesn't bother putting on anything, leaving herself in her pyjamas, but she does grab a coat to cover herself. Sookie has the car, so Petra knows she's gonna have to walk her ass down there but if her sister is in trouble then she has no issues doing it. Petra makes it to the door when it suddenly opens and she's left staring at her sister covered in blood.
"Please tell me that ain't yours." Petra pleads.
"I'm fine." Sookie assures.
"Oh dear lord. Get inside." Petra instructs.
She removes her coat and hangs it back up.
"Where were you going?" Sookie questions.
"Out to find you. I had a dream…" Petra sighs.
"I'm fine." Sookie promises.
"You're covered in blood." Petra points out sternly.
"I'm healed. Bill healed me. Told you he wasn't a bad guy." Sookie smiles dopily before walking up the stairs and into her bedroom.
Petra just stands still, mouth agape.
'Set up' her mind whispers again.
Petra's jaw clenches.
Bill, you better watch your back because I'm gonna be watching every step you take.
"I don't think Jesus would mind somebody being a vampire." Sookie sighs after turning off the TV where a vampire representative and a reverend were arguing.
"I don't either, honey." Gran soothes.
Petra keeps her atheist mouth shut, not wanting to get into another religious argument with her family.
"Is this sausage different from what you usually make?" Sookie inquires.
"No." Gran denies.
"Huh…it tastes so much more complex than it usually does." Sookie informs.
The comment reminds Petra of some of the things she'd found online about vampire blood's possible side effects. She'd written it off as nothing but hearsay, but watching her sister makes her think differently.
"Oh, dear, you think it's gone bad?" Gran worries.
"It's fine Gran. Sookie's just having a really good morning." Petra huffs a laugh but doesn't voice the, 'because she's high.'
"What does that mean?" Sookie whispers.
Petra smirks at her sister before remembering another side effect of drinking vampire blood, Sookie is now connected to Bill. That can't be real? Can it?
"Hey, Miss Stackhouse." Tara says as she just walks her way into their home.
"Good morning Tara." Gran greets.
Tara goes to make herself a cup of coffee but Gran shoo's her away.
"No, you sit down. I'll make a new pot." Gran insists.
"All right." Tara agrees easily.
Petra worries for her Gran, constantly taking care of everyone else and not letting anyone take care of her. Petra has found sneaky ways of caring for her Gran, which she's sure the woman knows about, but neither say anything.
"You look awful." Sookie tells Tara.
"Yeah…and I feel even worse." Tara huffs.
She's about to continue when Sookie stops her.
"Yes, you can take a shower here." Sookie smiles at her best friend. "And you can borrow some of my clothes."
"Thanks. Any news about Jason?" Tara questions.
"Got released last night." Petra says.
She still can't believe that the police think her idiot of a brother could kill someone.
"I knew they would." Tara nods.
"I didn't." Sookie huffs.
Petra kicks Sookie under the table.
"Well, I'm glad to see you're still alive. You obviously didn't hook up with that vampire last night." Tara states.
"No, she did worse. She drank his blood." Petra mutters.
"Sookie!" Tara exclaims.
"Shut up! Lucky Gran was already in bed when I got in last night." Sookie sighs.
"Did he bite you?" Tara asks.
"No." Sookie denies.
"Are you sure? 'Cause you know they can hypnotize you." Tara reminds.
"It's called glamouring." Petra informs. "And I have no idea if that's a real thing or not."
Gran comes walking back into the kitchen and all three girls turn to smile at here like nothing was wrong. The synchronization of it had her Gran looking at them with suspicion.
"You must be glad they let Jason go, huh Miss Stackhouse?" Tara says quickly.
"Oh, I can't believe they even arrested him to begin with. I have a good mind to call Bud Dearborne and chew him out Jason's a good boy! Everybody knows that." Gran huff.
Petra has to hold back her snort at Jason being described as a good boy.
The phone ringing saves Petra as her Gran's attention moves to that.
"Hello?" Her Gran greets. "Oh! Hey Evalee!"
Her Gran heads back further into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you last night." Sookie apologises.
"Well, I'm sorry I been acting like I'm your mother. I just worry about you Sookie. You're basically my only friend." Tara says.
"Ouch, Tara. You know how to hurt a girl." Petra jokes.
"You too busy with my cousin to think about me." Tara retorts.
"Am I late for breakfast?" Jason's voice makes Petra turn to see her brother walking in. "Hey Tara."
"Hey…hey Jason." Tara stutters. "I'm so glad they didn't lock you up."
"Uh yeah. Me too. I don't even know why they suspected me." 'Lie' "I think somebody heard I'd been with Maudette." 'Lie'
"Had you?"Sookie inquires.
"No." Jason denies before sending Petra a look as she goes to open her mouth to call out the lies.
She closes her mouth again with a pout.
"Are you sure? She was a woman." Sookie mocks.
"That's funny. At least she was human." Jason snaps back.
Petra snickers causing Sookie to send her a glare.
"Oh come on, that was funny." Petra sulks.
Being the youngest sucks.
"You will never believe what happened!" Their Gran says as she walks back towards them. "Oh hey Jason."
"Hey Gran." Jason greets.
"Sit down. I'll fix you breakfast." Gran instructs.
"What happened?" Sookie asks, bringing their Gran back on task.
"Well apparently, a tornado touched down over at Four Tracks Corners. It turned over that rental trailer in the clearing. You know the one?" Gran asks.
"The Ratrays trailer." Petra states giving Sookie a look.
"Yeah, it apparently killed them. They were trapped under the trailer. Mike Spencer said they were crushed to a pulp." Gran informs.
Petra stares straight into her sisters eyes.
"Really? How awful." Petra says.
Petra and Sookie are helping Gran clean up the house before the vampire, Bill, comes round for dinner. Petra is not very comfortable with the fact that a vampire will be entering their home with the offer of dinner. It makes her feel like she and Sookie are up for offer and she does not like that. Especially with Bill. But she is hoping that this meeting will reveal some stuff about him, get her closer to figuring out why he's here and why he's so focused on her sister.
"You know, he sleeps in the ground all day. I don't think he's gonna even look at the rug." Sookie informs as Gran vacuums.
"I…I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing this for me, so I can be proud of my home." Gran states.
"And how do you know where he sleeps?" Petra inquires.
"I don't." Sookie shrugs before scrunching up her nose and sniffing. "What's that smell?"
"What smell?" Gran questions.
"It smells like rotten food or something. You can't smell that?" Sookie checks.
Increased sense of smell, Petra notes down in her head. The list of things vampire blood does to humans grows longer.
"Well, find it." Gran orders aghast at the idea of her home being anything less than perfect.
Sookie looks around before moving a bit of carpet. Petra watches as Sookie stands pack up with a small bit of food in her grasp.
"You can't smell this?" Sookie double checks.
Gran and Petra shake their heads.
"Well, I better just throw this out." Sookie states turning.
"Oh! Sookie?" Petra starts.
"Yeah?" Sookie asks.
"Jason and Tara are coming over this evening as well." Petra smirks at her sister.
Sookie sends her a glare before turning to look at their grandmother.
"Gran…" Sookie tries but Gran holds her hand up.
"They invited themselves. Jason said that he wants to meet the vampire for himself and Tara said she thought she ought to be here as well." Gran explains.
"I don't know why everyone's getting their panties in a wad about some stupid vampire?!" Sookie sulks.
"I don't think it's their panties we should be worried about." Petra states.
"Petra! I will not have that kind of talk in my house." Gran scolds.
"Sorry Gran." Petra apologises.
"Did you want to be alone with him honey?" Gran asks Sookie.
"I don't know…maybe. Aren't you gonna tell me to be careful?" Sookie inquires.
"You're always careful, Sookie, about what counts. And I can depend on that. Isn't that right?" Gran says and Petra disagrees big time but she's already been scolded once and doesn't feel like having it happen again.
Petra does her best to not stare directly at Bill as he sits across from her. She also does her best not to make her abilities obvious, by tilting her head to listen in to the whispers. Gran is passing out sandwiches when she offers some to Bill who shakes his head.
"Oh my stars. Of…of course. You…you don't…I…I'm sorry." Her Gran stutters.
Petra rests her hand on her Gran's to calm her down. It was an accident, it could happen to anyone but she knows that her Gran is kicking herself because she always tries to be the best hostess there is.
"Your people, Mr Compton, they were from this area…I believe?" Gran inquires, having calmed herself down.
"Yeah, my father's people were the Compton's and my mother's people were the Loudermilks." Bill informs.
"Oh, there are a lot of Loudermilks left. But I'm afraid old Mr Jesse Compton died last year." Gran informs.
'Murdered' is whispered into her head causing Petra to momentarily freeze before continuing to eat her sandwich. She doesn't notice that her actions caused Bill to look over at her momentarily.
"Yes ma'am. That's why I came back to Bon-Temps." 'Lie' "There were no living Compton's so I've set up my home in the old Compton place. And as I expect the VRA to pass…" Bill gets cut off by Jason.
"Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure about that if I were you. A lot of Americans don't think you people deserves special rights." Jason scoffs.
"They're the same rights you have." Bill points out.
"No, I'm just saying there's a reason things are the way they are!" Jason says becoming more irate.
"It's called injustice, Jason." Petra starts. "As long as vampires don't have rights they can't be held accountable by our laws. I'd prefer knowing that a vampire would be appropriately punished should he attack me."
Petra holds eye contact with Bill, a soft smile on her face that causes her family to not see the warning behind her words.
Bill, however, hears it loud and clear.
"Did you know the Stackhouses, Mr Compton?" Gran inquires.
"Yes, uh…I remember Jonas Stackhouse. He and his wife moved here when Bon-Temps was just a hole in the road. I was a young man of 16. Isn't this the house he built? I mean, at least in part?" Bill questions and Petra knows she's losing the battle of convincing her Grandmother that Bill is bad news.
"Yes it was!" Their Gran says happily.
"Did you own slaves?" Tara jumps in.
Thank god for Tara, Petra smirks.
"Tara!" Sookie exclaims.
"I did not, but my father did. A house salve, a middle aged woman whose name I cannot recall and…and a yard slave, a young, strong man named Minus." Bill informs.
"Oh, this is just the sort of thing my club will be so interested in hearing about." Gran sounds so excited and Petra hates that Bill has managed to win over her grandmother so easily.
"About slaves?!" Tara demands.
"About the time period, Tara." Petra says with a slight warning in her tone.
She does not want Tara going off on her grandmother like she does everyone else.
"I look forward to speaking to your club, Mrs Stackhouse. Now, if it's alright with you, I thought that Sookie and I might take a walk. It's such a lovely night." Bill says, asking permission.
Petra wants to claw his eyes out.
"Well…it's all right with me if it's all right with Sookie." Gran says.
"Gran…" Petra starts, causing Bill to look over at her again, but she stops when Jason slams his beer down on the table.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Jason states.
"I don't think it's any of your business!"Sookie exclaims.
"She's right, Jason." Gran says.
"Look, Gran, I am the man in this family." Jason points out.
"You are a man in this family." Gran agrees, "But I am the oldest person here and this is my house. You better respect me, boy!"
"Actually…I'm the oldest person here." Bill says in a teasing manner, making their Gran laugh.
Jason and Petra share a look.
"Shall we?" Bill asks Sookie.
"We shall." Sookie smiles warmly at Bill before they both walk out of the house.
"Well, thanks for making me look like a fool in front of him, Gran." Jason scoffs.
"Oh Jason, you don't need any help looking like a fool." Gran says smiling.
Petra chuckles.
"What you laughing at? You don't like him either." Jason points out.
That sobers Petra.
"He's right Gran, Bill lied about the reason he came here and according to the whispers Jesse Compton was murdered." Petra informs.
"Are you suggesting that Bill killed the last of the Compton's? Because I won't stand for it Petra. That man has been nothing but a gentleman." Gran warns.
"When have the voices ever been wrong?" Petra questions.
"When they told you that Sam wasn't human." Tara reminds.
Petra turns to glare at the girl.
"See Petra, your voices ain't infallible." Gran says before taking herself off to bed.