Archive for April 2009

The sun was dipping over the horizon as we pulled into the driveway. Amelia was panicking because we’d gotten back later than planned, and she only had about ten minutes before Tray was supposed to pick her up. In the time it took me to check the answering machine messages (two telemarketers and Sam just checking up on me) she was already dressed and ready to go, sitting comfortably on the sofa as if she’d been waiting there all day. Why couldn’t I ever pull off something like that?

I kept her company until Tray arrived, looking as ruggedly handsome as ever, and then headed back to my room to change. I had the feeling I would be visited by at least one vampire tonight, and I had no intention of looking like I’d dressed up for them. I slipped on a pair of old denim shorts and a tank top, then curled up in the living room with a steamy romance novel. If I couldn’t have the perfect relationship in my life, at least I could escape into a fantasy one for a while.

I wasn’t two pages into the book when the phone rang. I thought about letting it go to the machine, but I knew the second I did it would just be something important, and I’d have to get up anyway. I set my book down on the coffee table and walked into the kitchen to answer.

“Hello?” I said.

“Sookie?”

“Alcide?” This was a surprise. Maybe it wasn’t so important after all.

Alcide and I had…well, we’d never really had a relationship, but there was a time when I thought we could have. That was until I realized he was hopelessly attached to his bitch of an ex, Debbie Pelt. Even after I killed her. And the friendship we had was tenuous at best, partly because of the whole killing his girlfriend thing, and partly because he dragged me into a bunch of pack politics that I wanted nothing to do with. The whole experience had been pretty awful.

“Get out of the house.”

“What? Why?” I asked, shock and a bit of panic creeping into my voice.

“You have to get out now!” he nearly shouted. “RUN!”

He didn’t have to tell me twice. The tone of his voice was enough to make me drop the phone and dash out the backdoor.

Once outside I realized I had no idea where I was running to, but I ran anyway, crossing into the cemetery toward Bill’s house. I could hear cars pull up and men yelling behind me, but I wasn’t stupid enough to look back over my shoulder. I’d seen enough horror movies to know that sort of thing led directly to falling, spraining your ankle, and getting yourself eaten by zombies. I hadn’t met any zombies yet, but after everything I’d seen, I wouldn’t have been surprised if one popped out from behind a tree.

The cemetery was dark, only a faint orange glow in the sky by the time I found myself in the heavily wooded section where the oldest graves were. I stumbled over a low headstone, banging up my shin in the process, but I managed to stay on my feet. After what felt like forever, I made it across Bill’s large overgrown lawn and leaped up the steps to his door.

Out of habit, I reached into my pocket for his spare key. He’d insisted I keep one, even after we broke up, saying it was so I could watch his place for him during his many trips out of town. I knew better than to believe that was the only reason. Bill had made no secret of wanting me back, and making sure I had a key was just one way of making sure I knew I had an option. Of course, his key wasn’t something I normally kept with me anymore, and I certainly hadn’t wasted any time stopping for it after Alcide’s call, so I silently prayed that this wasn’t one of those times that Bill was halfway around the world typing on a computer.

“Bill!” I yelled, pounding on the door. “Bill! It’s Sookie! Let me in!”

The house was completely dark, and the only sounds I heard were my own thundering heartbeat and the faint noise of my uninvited guests filtering through the cemetery. I held my breath for a second and listened intently. It sounded like they were getting closer.

“Bill!” I screamed louder, pounding on the door again. I didn’t know who or what I was running from, and I doubted Bill’s front door was going to be able to protect me from them, but I did know that if I was in danger, I wanted a vampire on my side.

I raised my fist to beat on the door again just as it flew open, and I fell forward, colliding with Bill’s hard chest. His arms were around me in an instant, the look of concern on his face turning to something far more dangerous as soon as he saw the fear in my eyes. He pulled me inside, kicking the door shut behind us and with a rush of air, we were upstairs.

“They’re at my house! Alcide called and I had to run and I didn’t know where to go and I didn’t have the key and they’re coming, Bill!” My words flew out in a panicked rush, and he pushed me into the nearest room, slammed the door, and then disappeared, I could only assume to face whatever threat was coming our way.

I ran to the window to see what was going on, but there was nothing to see. The part of the yard that fell under the dim glow of the porch light was empty, and beyond that there was only darkness. I couldn’t just stand there waiting, not knowing who or what was at my house, wondering if Bill was okay. I would probably regret it, but I had to do something. Just as I reached for the doorknob, the bedroom door flew open, and Bill was standing in front of me, blood spotting his shirt and smeared across his lips.

“Weres,” he said, reaching out to wipe the tears from my cheeks.

I hadn’t even realized I’d been crying. Apparently all my previous close-calls were catching up with me…and turning me into a teary mess. I shook my head. “Are they dead?” I asked.

“Two are. The others got away,” he said. “I would have gone after them, but I didn’t want…you were unprotected. I was not able to question them.”

I slumped down on the edge of the bed. We were in the bedroom I had used when I’d been seeing him, and again when my house had been set afire. It used to be so warm and inviting, but now it just looked empty. Nothing had really changed, though. The furniture and drapes were the same. A bureau drawer was slightly open, probably from when I’d last stayed here. It felt like I was looking at what was left of our relationship… everything in its place on the surface, but nothing quite the same. I looked up at Bill and he was watching me with a puzzled expression.

“What?”

He reached for my hand and pulled me to him. Whether it was shock from having once again attracted some unknown danger into my life or just the need to feel like someone would protect me, I didn’t resist, leaning heavily against his cool chest.

“We must call Eric and tell him what has happened,” he said, his voice tight and flat.

“Walk me home?” I asked.

“You cannot go home,” he said.

“You do not get to tell me what to do,” I protested. “I am going home. They probably made a mess and…” What had they done to my house? I didn’t even know who they were; much less their purpose, but something told me they didn’t just leave a polite note for me at the door.

“Sookie,” Bill said, his eyes filled with sympathy, “There will have to be repairs. It is not fit for you to stay there.”

Not fit? “What did they do?” I asked, my voice coming out weak and strangled. Too much had already happened there. Gran was murdered in the kitchen, half of it had been destroyed in a fire, and the front door had been ripped off. Even a vampire territorial dispute had nearly erupted in my front yard. I was sure I was not going to like his answer.

“You have wards on the house?” he asked.

I nodded.

“They cause a lot of damage trying to get past the wards. It is not safe for you to stay there tonight. And they may return”

I slumped back against him. “I want to see it,” I said.
 

It didn’t look so bad. As we emerged from our path through the cemetery, I could make out the shape of my house ahead. And it was still the same shape, meaning the roof hadn’t been ripped off, the porches were still there, and nothing had gone up in flames. But as we got closer, the damage was more apparent. The front door was gone, pieces of it scattered in the yard. Every window I could see was busted out, the curtains flapping in the warm breeze. There were large holes torn in the front and on the east side, the old wood siding peeled back like wrapping paper.

Bill was silent as we walked up the front steps and I prepared myself to see what lay inside. I flipped on the light switch and looked around. It was fine. Nothing out of place, nothing overturned. They had certainly done some damage trying to get through the wards, and the outside of my home was a testament to their persistence, but Amelia’s wards had held strong.

I jumped at the sharp trill of the phone ringing. Before I could move to answer it, Bill was standing in my kitchen, speaking quietly to the caller.

“She is safe…yes…no…of course.”

I didn’t have to ask who it was. Bill’s clipped answers and narrowed eyes made it clear that it was Eric. But before I could take the phone from Bill and demand that Eric tell me what kind of danger had sought me out this time, he was already off the phone.

“Sookie,” he said, looking at me apologetically. “You cannot stay here tonight.”

He paused, like he was waiting for me to argue with him. Of course, that was my first instinct, but I knew it was pointless. Whether Bill or Eric or both of them together dragged me out of the house kicking and screaming, one way or another I was not going to be sleeping in my own bed tonight.

“Let me just get some things,” I sighed.

Ten minutes later I was sitting in Bill’s kitchen drinking coffee in preparation for what was sure to be a long night. I was surprised to find that he had anything suitable for human consumption, but I shouldn’t have been. I knew Selah had been in town, and I supposed he had stocked up for her. That realization made the coffee all the more bitter, no matter how much cream and sugar I added.
 

*

---

The next few hours flew by. We started out watching Forrest Gump, but we both kept talking so much that Sam finally muted it. He told me all about his family, more than I’d ever expected to hear, and he had all kinds of stories about when he first started shifting. Most of them probably hadn’t been funny at the time, but they were certainly laughable now. In turn, I told him stories from my own childhood…the ones that weren’t sad, at least. We talked about my Gran and her cooking, and how even though I had all her old recipes I never could get things to taste quite as good as when she had made them. We even talked about my exes for a little while.

I told him the real reason why Bill and I had broken up. Not the whole story, of course, and I really wasn’t sure how much Sam already knew, but I did explain that Bill was called away by his maker. Sam knew just enough about vampire hierarchy to understand what that meant, and I was glad that he didn’t ask where Lorena was now. He asked about Eric, the Eric that had stayed with me, and I told him about how easy and simple it had been. Sam had laughed at that part and asked me if I ever really thought my life would be simple. When the conversation turned to Quinn, I could tell Sam was a little upset, and he admitted that he’d initially had trouble with the fact that I’d finally stopped dating vampires, only to go out with another troubled supe. As it turns out, the real reason Sam now had a problem with Quinn was simply that Quinn had placed me in the line of fire, inadvertently or not, during the takeover, and he’d been cowed into standing against me. While Sam had never been fond of Bill or Eric, he at least knew that they tried to protect me. I tried to explain that Quinn had tried to protect me, too, by just leaving me out of the whole mess, but Sam wasn’t buying it. Since Quinn had stood in the enemy line that surrounded by house that night, Sam had no use for him.

In the end, we turned to lighter topics. I offered to set him up with half the girls in Bon Temps, but he kept laughing and telling me what was wrong with each of them. He had me in stitches when, with the most serious of expressions, he started insisting that Arlene was the only woman for him. It was going on four in the morning when he finally caught me yawning and insisted I get some rest. I hated to leave, but I had taken up more than enough of his time, and I was just grateful that he’d given me a temporary out. I could tell that Eric was still waiting outside, but with any luck, Bill would have given up and gone back home.

I grabbed my purse again and stood to leave when Sam’s expression suddenly changed.

“He still out there?” he asked.

I nodded. Not only could I detect a void that could only be a vamp still lurking outside, but I’d been pushing down feelings of extreme irritation, even rage coming through the bond for the last few hours.

“There’s the shower, there’s the bed,” Sam said, pointing down the narrow hallway behind the kitchen. “Help yourself to a t-shirt or something.”

“But, Sam—" I protested.

“No arguments,” he said, throwing back at me my own words from earlier.

Then he stretched out on the sofa, closed his eyes, and started making the most God-awful snoring noises I’d ever heard. He opened one eye and smirked when he heard me giggle.

I awoke to the smell of bacon and homemade biscuits, and for one joyous moment I was in my small bed, in my old room, while Gran puttered around in the kitchen. But when I opened my eyes, I was greeted with reality and an unfamiliar room. I’d been so tired when I finally went to bed that I hadn’t paid much attention to my surroundings. But the moment I remembered where I was, it all made sense. I was lying in a big bed in a tidy masculine room. Not only was he the cleanest man I’d ever met, but it smelled like Sam could cook.

After a quick run to the restroom, I made the bed and headed for the kitchen.

“Good morning,” Sam said when I rounded the corner. “Thought you might be hungry.”

He’d just pulled the biscuits out of the oven and was removing the last of the bacon from the skillet. And good lord, he’d even made gravy. For a second, I was a tiny bit jealous of the lucky girl who would someday win his heart. He was going to make a great husband.

“Wow, Sam. I feel like I’ve just spent the night at a bed and breakfast!”

“Collie Cottage, I like to call it,” he said with a grin.

“In that case, I might just have to make a reservation for my next day off,” I said as I hopped up on one of the stools by the counter.

His expression became serious, and he turned to look at me. I immediately regretted my words, thinking that my jesting had probably just hurt him deeply. So his next words surprised me.

“Sookie, you know you’re always welcome here, right? I know your feelings for me are just friendship, and I don’t have a problem with that. I just want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, or a place to hide out and not watch movies…whatever you need, I’m here, okay?”

I smiled and nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak. Part of me wanted to burst into grateful tears and hug him, and part of me was wondering where I’d gone so wrong. Sam was exactly the kind of man I wanted, the kind who was selfless and kind, honest and generous. Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with him instead of chasing after lying, cheating, self-important jerks?

Sam cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the stove. An uncomfortable silence lingered for a minute, but it was swept out of the air when he turned to me with a plate of the most delicious looking breakfast I’d had in quite some time.

We sat across from each other at the little table, stuffing our faces, talking about the weather and gossiping about most of the people in Bon Temps. It felt so much like the breakfasts that I used to have with Gran that I just wanted to put the moment in a box and keep it forever. But all too soon Sam’s phone rang, and I was jolted back into the real world.

“No, she’s right here…I don’t know…Yeah, she’s fine,” I heard him say. “Sookie, it’s Amelia,” he said, handing me the phone.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. We were just having breakfast.”

“Did it ever occur to you to call and let me know you weren’t dead? Or eloping with a vampire?” she asked, irritation ringing in her voice.

“Oh, gosh, Amelia, I’m so sorry. We were just up late talking and everything, and I completely forgot. Bill and Eric didn’t give you any trouble, did they?”

“Actually, no. Bill was still out there when I went to bed, but I never saw Eric. Why? Was he supposed to come by?”

“No, neither of them were, actually, but good luck convincing them of that. So is everything else okay?”

“Well, Tray just left,” she giggled, her annoyance with me disappearing the moment she thought of her beau. “I was hoping to go into Shreveport and get a mani-pedi. Wanna come?”

“Can we make it Monroe instead?” I knew better than to think I’d run into Eric in a nail salon during daylight hours, but better safe than sorry.

“What? You don’t have any vamp stalkers in Monroe?” she teased.

“Not yet,” I laughed. “Okay, give me a few minutes to clean up here and I’ll be home.”

We said our goodbyes and I got up, intent on at least doing the dishes after all Sam had done for me. But the table had been cleared, the counters wiped down, and the dishes loaded in the washer, all while I’d been on the phone.

“Okay, Superman, I get it. You’re domestic. Couldn’t you at least have left something for me to do?”

“And be a rude host?” Sam asked. “Never.”

As much as I didn’t want to leave, the thought of being pampered in a salon was just tempting enough to send me home. I was still wearing the t-shirt I’d slept in, along with my work pants from the night before, and Sam insisted I wear the shirt home. When I protested, he reminded me that my Merlotte’s shirt probably smelled like burgers and cigarettes, and I couldn’t very well argue with that. I promised I’d return it, washed and good as new, and headed outside to my car.

“Sooooo? Quit holding out on me Sookie,” Amelia pleaded. “You have to give me something.”

“If there was something to tell you, I promise I would,” I said. But you know as much as I do right now.”

“I didn’t know Eric came by,” she said.

“Well, now you do. He brought Pam, too, but I think she had more sense than to wait around all night for me.”

“What did you and Sam do?” she asked, wagging her eyebrows suggestively.

“Amelia!” I chided her, unable to keep from laughing. “We talked and watched a movie. And he made me breakfast.”

“That man’s got it bad for you, girl!”

“It wasn’t like that. I mean, I know he’s got feelings for me and all, but I swear the whole night was just about friendship. It was really nice actually,” I admitted. And it had been nice. Sure, Amelia was my friend, and I could always talk to her, depend on her, confide in her. But Sam just knew me. He’d known about my ‘ability’ before I’d ever discovered what a coveted commodity it was. He’d known Gran, too, and it was nice to be able to talk about her with someone who just knew what I meant when I mentioned her cooking or her old-fashioned and always good advice. Even though Sam was a supe, he was more human to me than the rest, and what he knew about me, what he liked about me was human, too.

“Think Tray will like it?” Amelia asked, waving her dark red nails in my face.

“Do men actually notice these things?” I asked her.

“Tray does,” she said proudly.

“Then he’ll love it,” I told her, instantly envious for the umpteenth time. Eric had noticed my nails once, too. I quickly pushed the thought away. What did it matter if Eric noticed my nails when he he’d just ignored me for months?

To be continued…

A couple of hours ago, I thought I’d leave work, go home, take a nice, long shower, and crawl into bed. But my simple plans had been waylaid by two persistent vampires. If I stayed at work, I’d have to deal with Eric. If I went home, I’d have to deal with Bill. Either way, I was screwed…and not in the good way.

It’s not that I thought I could avoid them forever. Trust me, if a vampire wants to find you, he will. I just didn’t want to face them right now. Maybe if I’d had the day off and had some time to relax and collect my thoughts, I’d feel differently. For the moment, I was looking for any excuse I could to just deal with them another time. And definitely not both on the same night. But I really didn’t have much choice, did I?

"Sookie?" Sam prodded, holding a hand out to me. I knew he only meant it to be polite, to be a gentleman and help me up from the chair I’d sunk into, but I grabbed onto his hand as if it was a lifeline.

What was I so scared of anyway? I was Sookie Stackhouse, survivor. I’d fought weres and witches, even vampires. Sure, I’d gotten my butt kicked just about every time, and someone always had to save me one way or another, but here I was, afraid of facing Bill and Eric. Why? Love, that’s why. Bill still loved me, and maybe Eric never did. But I had loved them both, and a still-suffering part of me still did. It was the one thing they’d both taken from me and never quite returned, and it was the one thing that had scarred me in a way no vampire blood could heal. Sam gave me a curious look when I didn’t let go of his hand, and I responded the only way I could: my Crazy Sookie smile.

"You gonna be okay getting home?" he asked as we stepped outside.

I was nodding my head yes when I stopped in my tracks, pulling at Sam in the process. There was Eric, leaning against my car. His arms were folded, and his ankles crossed. He looked every bit like the sex god he knew he was. And wouldn’t you know it? A wave of lust came crashing at me through the bond, too. If I hadn’t been hanging on to Sam, I’m sure my knees would have given out and I’d have just crumbled to the ground right there. The smirk on Eric’s face told me my little reaction hadn’t escaped his attention either. Then Eric noticed our intertwined fingers, and the lust was replaced by something much, much darker.

Sam had been looking at me, but he glanced up to see what I was staring at, and I could tell the instant his eyes landed on Eric. He gave my hand a gently squeeze, and I just held on tighter. My gaze was darting around the parking lot, desperately seeking an escape route. I knew Eric was watching me, his curiosity wrestling with the annoyance that was pulsing at me through the bond. I must have looked like an idiot, just standing there, unsure what to do next. Sam was still watching me, too, as if he was as uncertain as I was. I had to hand it to him, though. Even for a shifter, he was some kind of brave to still be holding my hand with the way Eric was staring him down.

"You okay, Sook?" Sam asked.

"No," I managed to whisper.

Sam squeezed my hand again and led me straight to his trailer. I didn’t hesitate to follow him, trying to ignore the piercing cobalt gaze that bore into me with each step I took. The agonizing seconds ticked by as Sam fumbled with his keys, and I could feel a growing anger pulsing through the bond. I breathed a sigh of relief the moment we were inside.

Eric had made me wait for months while he did God knows what with God knows who. Except for that one night with Siegbert, and that time he told me about Felipe’s protection, he hadn’t bothered to call or come by or even let me know he was still alive. Hell, I’d have been happy with smoke signals. So as far as I was concerned, he could just stand outside and wait.

"Make yourself at home," Sam said, gesturing toward the small living room.

I’d don’t think I’d ever been inside his trailer before. I’d glimpsed it through the open door a time or two, but in all the years I’d known him, I’d never set foot inside. Of course, I hadn’t known Sam was a shifter for those first few years, but I had always thought of myself as an observant person. I wondered why I’d never noticed just how private and secluded he had been all that time. And I have to admit I was shocked now that I finally got to see how he lived. I guess I was just used to Jason’s housekeeping skills and decor—or lack thereof. I should have given Sam more credit.

There was no giant plasma TV or leather couch. No neon beer signs, though I guess if anyone had a good excuse to own those, it would have been Sam. No sea of beer cans and empty cigarette packs. No laundry scattered about the floor and furniture. In fact, if I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn a woman lived here. The carpet was a beautiful off white that complimented the cream and green striped sofa and matching curtains. The walls were devoid of personal photos, but several nice paintings, all of peaceful country scenes, were hung about the room. The coffee table, end tables, and TV stand (holding a nice, regular sized TV) actually matched, and most impressively, everything was spotlessly clean. Even the kitchen was neat and orderly, at least from where I stood. Now that I thought about it, I wouldn’t have even attributed this to a woman, except maybe my Gran. It actually looked more like he had a regular maid. Still taking in my surprisingly clean and comfortable surroundings, I lowered myself onto the sofa.

"What’s going on Sookie?" Sam asked. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No," I replied. At least not the kind of trouble he was talking about.

"You’ve never been one to avoid vamps," he said with a wry smile, and I felt the corners of my mouth turn up a little.

"Oh, gosh! I’m sorry, Sam!" I’d just realized I was keeping him from the bar. "I know you should probably get back. Is it okay if I just wait here until he leaves?"

"No," Sam laughed. "Face the vamps or the shifter, cher. Besides, I don’t think he’s leaving."

I nodded mutely. I didn’t have to lower my shields to know he was right, but I did anyway. Sure enough, there was a still a nice quiet void moving slowly around right outside. But at least I could lower my shields down here. Sam thoughts were just a soothing hum in the background.

"Why are you avoiding him?" he asked.

"He wants to talk," I said sullenly.

Sam just looked at me, obviously needing more of an explanation.

"He got his memory back—his memory from when he was…not Eric. And he says we have to ‘come to an understanding,’" I said, my voice mocking at that last part.

"And that would be bad?" Sam asked.

"I don’t know. I just…I just don’t want to go back there, to that time. It wasn’t real, you know?"

"Sookie," Sam said, finally taking a seat beside me. "I hate to say it, but it was real enough to make you happy. At least that’s what it seemed like."

"I was, Sam. I was truly happy. But that man…vampire…whatever! That man does not exist."

"Bill exists," he said gently.

"Oh, Sam. Trust me. If I told you everything, you’d wish he didn’t."

Sam stiffened up a little at that, and I immediately regretted saying it. There was plenty that Sam, and all the rest of Bon Temps for that matter, didn’t know about what had transpired between Bill and me. All he really knew was that we were together, then Bill was gone, then he was back and we weren’t together anymore. He knew I’d been injured in Jackson. He’d have to be blind not to know it. But he had no idea as to the extent of those injuries. For that, I was glad.

"So I guess I should warn you that Bill’s waiting for you at your house," he said, his voice flat, probably still trying to process the cryptic comment I’d just made.

"How’d you know? Did Amelia call you, too?"

"No, Bill told me."

"Oh. Is that why y’all were in your office?"

"Yes. That, and he wanted me to tell him if Selah gives you any more trouble."

"Ughhh! Why can’t he just mind his own business? Why can’t they all just leave me alone?!"

Sam sat patiently beside me, alternately holding my hand and stroking my arm, as I ranted about wanting to live my own life, take care of myself, not have anyone spewing that ‘mine’ crap, and just about everything else that was bothering me. He didn’t even laugh when I started complaining about how all my new towels had shrunk when I put them in the dryer. He just nodded and ‘mmm’d’ at all the right places and handed me a box of Kleenex when the waterworks started.

"I’m so sorry, Sam," I sniffled. "I shouldn’t be burdening you with all this."

"It’s no burden, Sookie," he said. It saddened me even more to hear how genuine he sounded.

"But it’s my own fault. I got mixed up in all this supe stuff when you warned me to stay away from it. And I know how you feel about me, but here I am, keeping you from work and covering your coffee table with snotty Kleenex while I cry over other men. I don’t deserve you, Sam. You don’t deserve this."

I stood to leave, grabbing another handful of Kleenex for the road, and picked up my purse. Sam grabbed my arm and I turned to look at him.

"Sookie, listen to me. You’re not a burden. The bar is just fine without me. More than anything, I’m your friend, and from the looks of it, that’s exactly what you need. And I’m glad you got mixed up in this supe stuff a little because now I can be myself around you. Plus, I’ve got two more boxes of Kleenex under the bathroom sink."

I had to laugh at that last part. How many single men kept a stockpile of Kleenex at home?

"Sit down, cher. I’ll get you a drink, and we’ll watch a movie or something."

I plopped back down on the sofa and relaxed. I could still sense Eric outside, but he was just going to have to deal with being ignored. At least for the next couple of hours.