DH CH 16

One of my original posters for this story, it seemed fitting to put it up on the last chapter I'll posting for now.

Chapter 16

The lights of Jason’s truck made me squint, my eyes having gotten used to the moody forest I’d just trekked through. He barely parked the car before he barreled at me. Jason wasn’t the best of brothers,  but he was there when I needed him most, and that’s all that mattered.

“Sis, what happened? What did those vamps do to you?”

He was hugging hard enough it was hard to breathe, but I wasn’t about to give up the feeling of safety and normalcy even if it came with a little bit of pain so I stayed quiet.

There was so much concern in his voice; I couldn’t hold it together anymore. The tears became a flood and I hiccupped as I cried into his shoulder.

He tried asking me again, but I couldn’t answer.

Something had broken in me when I watched Eric drain that Were; something inexplicable had shifted. Reality had finally set in. I’d have a lifetime, several of them, which would be filled with blood, death, and everything in between. What if I could not deal with it, then what?

My life has become one long series of deaths, tortures and blood, so much blood. I am even drinking it just so I can stay alive. When I met Bill it had been such a novel feeling of having someone who I couldn’t read. Suddenly I could have what everyone else had: a normal relationship. There was no thinking about it, I was just plain happy.

But with Bill came violence, murder and pain.

I loved Godric and Eric, truly, I did. Could I learn how to be like them? Did I have a choice in this, was I going to become like them in a year, a decade, a century? Would I be just as brutally unflinching about killing others: I had no idea. I didn’t want to find out.

“I’m going to stake those bastards.” Jason rocked me from side to side.

The threat in Jason’s voice caught my attention and I tried to breathe enough to tell him that he didn’t need to. It wasn’t them; it was me. Me who didn’t see the reality in front of me until it was too late.

I was living with vampires; they killed people. I had known that, what I hadn’t realized was that their lifestyle would inevitably spill into my life.  I’d been playing ignorant about all the training. It was so that I could learn how to kill, how to do it quickly and efficiently.

All those hours of practise had not been about self-defense, no, it had been so I could learn to kill whoever was trying to kill me. It was exactly what I did in Jackson. Twice. Lexie would be proud, they would be proud.

The food I ate in the car threatened to come back out as I tried to breathe.

The breathing helped. “Jason, it’s okay. They didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me, all me. Can I stay with you tonight, please?”

I pushed away from my brother to see his face. Lines of worry made him look closer to his true age than usual, he had always looked younger. He seemed helpless in the face of such female emotions, emotions that Jason wasn’t used to, God bless my brother, but he wasn’t one who could handle emotional women well.

I felt calmer just from him trying to pat my back, in what he must have thought a comforting manner. The pats were a little too hard and a little too fast; he was nervous. Still, it was the thought that counted. That made me feel better.  I had someone sticking up for me, even if he didn’t know why. He put an arm around my shoulder and tugged me towards the car.

“If you don’t mind sleeping on the couch? I’ve been trying to renovate, and well, its slow work.”

In other words his place was a mess. I chuckled through the sobs. God, I loved my brother.

In no time at all I was curled up on Jason’s couch under a ratty old blanket. Jason didn’t ask too many questions; whether he actually noticed I wasn’t in the mood to talk or he just wanted to get back to sleep—which was more likely—either way I was grateful.

It wasn’t the best sleep I’d ever had; tossing and turning as vivid details of the last couple of days crawled into my dreams. The couch was lumpy, the house smelled like old food and yet, when I did wake up around noon it was to discover that my injuries healed during sleep.

I had a quick shower and used the only semi-clean towel I could find. It had been in the dryer and I prayed that meant it had been washed and not as yet used. After pulling on some comfy clothes I found stashed at the bottom of my suitcase I made my way to the kitchen.

The only clean thing in Jason’s house was his coffee machine and I made sure to wash out the cup twice before I actually put coffee in it.

My cell-phone was free of messages or calls when I bothered to check it, which did surprise me. Doubt rose as I thought about how easily they had let me go last night, I put them firmly aside as I thought that surely they felt me leave, probably spied to see if I got to Jason’s safe. In retrospect it hadn’t been my brightest plan to go off in the middle of the night while others fought against someone who wanted to kidnap me. A lecture on proper damsel in distress behavior was definitely on my future agenda, I was sure Godric would not miss giving me one. Then again, maybe not; I had no idea how my actions would be interpreted. In my haste to get away from the violence I did not consider those consequences. Now was not the time for that either.

With a steaming mug in one hand I made my way out onto the patio, resolving to put any vampire matters to rest for at least the length of time it took me to drink my coffee.

The view of the lake was beautiful in the winter afternoon and I sat down on a chair, wrapping the blanket I’d slept under around me. I watched the sun play on the water and listened to the rustling of trees. It was such a peaceful contrast to what was happening in my life, I tried not to notice how painful breathing was and concentrated on soaking up some winter sun.

I didn’t stay that way for long. After my coffee ran out there were no more excuses to sit around and do nothing.

The next few hours were spent spring cleaning. Gran always cleaned when she had problems on her mind, a habit I embraced as well. There was something to be said about getting rid of cobwebs, dirty plates and dust bunnies. It not only cleared the house of unwanted grime, but it cleared your head of unwanted thoughts.

Luckily Jason’s house was perfect for this. His perpetual laziness left me with plenty of dust and dirty plates. The bookshelves my dad built in the living room still housed all the books I read as I child. They were now under a thick grey layer of dust I was sure had been left undisturbed since the last time I came to clean my brother’s house a year ago.

When I finally came out the front door, balancing three rubbish bags full of junk and a few pizza boxes, I nearly dropped everything when I spotted my car parked out the front. There was a note under the wiper on the driver’s side. Someone must have dropped it off at in the morning while I slept, I’d kept myself so busy that I hadn’t noticed it. There was no way of telling how I felt about it, my emotions were a tangled mess and I walked back into the house after taking care of the rubbish without looking at the note.

I was sure about who it was from, what I did not know was if I wanted to find out what was written in it.

It must have been around four when my phone rang. I looked at the display, it was Kyle.

“Hello?” The greeting came out scratchy; not talking for a whole day after a big cry made me sound like a frog, not the impression I had hoped for.

“Are you planning on staying here for a while?” No pleasantries, but then I didn’t expect them from Kyle. He wasn’t that kind of guy.

I thought about my answer before I said, “I’m not sure,” then coughed, hoping to clear my throat and get rid of the embarrassment.

That was the honest to God truth. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. A little voice in the back of my mind was telling me that I was lying, I ignored it.

“It is not the safest location you could have picked.”

“It is my brother’s house.” I pointed out, none too happy with him.

“There are no wards.”

I huffed. “He’s not on the Were hit list, now is he? I am!”

“Exactly.” He punctuated my statement making me blush at putting my foot in my mouth.

I looked out of the window, nothing changed. Only my car sat in the driveway and I wondered where Kyle’s was. Probably somewhere close, for sure I wasn’t alone. “Where are you?”

“Nearby.”

How extremely helpful…

My foot tapped on the wooden floor. “Well, in that case, I’ll let you know if I decide to leave.”

“Make sure you do.” He didn’t bother with a good bye either.

I didn’t expect one, but the lack of pleasantries that seemed to be a common trend in my supernatural acquaintances left me frustrated. There was nothing to do but return to my cleaning spree, which I did with vigor. I was not at all happy with the guards stationed somewhere on Jason’s property, but wasn’t foolish enough to make a fuss over them either.

It was a hard reality that I had to have my own guards and after Jackson I knew exactly why. The truth had been made clear to me over the last few days. Clear enough that goose bumps ran over my skin just thinking about it again, so the floor in the bathroom got an extra good scrub as I tried not to think about anything at all.

By the time Jason got back home, grocery bags in hand, the house was spotless. There was washing drying on the lines and fresh bed linen on both his and the guest beds. Both of which had been so dirty that it was a wonder Jason had managed to entice any women into them.

I was half way through the ironing when he opened the front door and called out a greeting.

“Bought the stuff you wanted, Sook, are you gonna cook for me?” His hopeful expression reminded me of the times he would come around to Gran’s when he knew she’d be making dinner. She always made extra just in case he dropped in.

For the first time all day my mouth curved up into a smile. “Sure, I am. What did you get?”

We spoke briefly when he got off work and I suggested he stop at the store so I could make us something for dinner. While I had given him a short list there was no way of knowing if he managed to get what I asked for. After the time he had delivered cucumbers when I asked for a carton of milk…well, I just didn’t get my hopes up too much.

Lack of homemade meals must have given him incentive to pay attention and he’d managed to buy almost everything I’d told him. It would be so nice to share a meal with someone who actually ate food. A normal home cooked family dinner.

Jason went to shower while I put away the ironing and started cooking in the now sparkling kitchen. By the time he had finished getting himself clean and appreciating the abundance of clean clothes in his closet—I had put a few loads through the dryer to save time—there were steaks sizzling on the pan, potatoes being fried and a salad I was half way through cutting.

“Smells great!” He rubbed his stomach.

I paused chopping. “How have things been?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

I went back to chopping the tomato without answering. He got the idea.

“Okay, I guess. Hoyt’s been trying to ask Tara out on a date. I’ve been seeing this girl from Hotshot. You know the place; about twenty minutes drive from here? She’s real nice, Sook. I think she’s the one.”

That was surprising. Jason hardly ever said that about any of the girls he dated. He’s dated enough of them in the last decade for me to realize this one must be something. I hoped, for his sake, she wasn’t anything supernatural.

After a moment of stunned silence I realized he was waiting for me to comment. “That’s great. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

He looked surprised by how honest my answer had been. What I meant was that I was looking forward to meeting her and reading her mind to make sure she wasn’t just taking him for a ride. My brother might be a jerk most of the time, but he was all I had. “Hoyt and Tara? I can’t really see that happening,” I observed, changing the subject.

He grinned and swiped a piece of cucumber off the chopping board. “I think she’s just looking for something uncomplicated, but she’s not cut out for that kinda thing. You know? It’s fun to watch though.”

Well, it was certainly insightful of Jason to realize that. Jason was not an insightful type, unless the particular insights had something to do with prospective ladies. “I thought she was with JB?”

Jason nodded, his mouth too full to give me a comprehensive answer, and I waited somewhat impatiently until he chewed through the vegetable obstruction. Tara was not interested in being friends with me right now; I hoped that would change in the future. Of course, if I was going to be in trouble all the time, maybe it was a good thing. Suddenly, the idea of Tara finally coming back into my life didn’t sound as welcoming. She was my friend, someone who potentially could get hurt real bad.

“Sure, she was. But you know JB, he is just too nice. She’s not really cut out to be with someone that nice, but there’s no way of stopping her when she made up her mind. Besides anything that would piss of Hoyt’s mother is okay in my books.”

Jason’s glee at the prospect of Mrs Fortenberry’s reaction too her only son dating a black girl mirrored my own. She was the town’s gossip mill and I had little love for people like that. I had to agree with Jason though; I doubted Hoyt would have a better chance with Tara than JB.

The next hour was spent with me catching up on local gossip as Jason regaled me with the dirtiest, funniest stories. The way he told me about his own escapades—granted, leaving out the details—had my stomach hurting from laughter and running to the bathroom a few times. I had been so caught up with all the drama in my own life that it was a pleasant change to sit back and listen to Jason gossiping about people, normal people.

We watched movies after dinner and I felt more human then I had in a while. When Jason started to snore next to me I nudged him gently and told him to go to bed. He didn’t argue with me, after kissing my head and thanking me for cleaning went off to his bedroom.

I was alone again and this time there was no oblivion of sleep to save me from my own nightmares, no convenient cleaning to distract me from my thoughts. Making myself a cup of sweet tea I wandered onto the patio again. The chilly air made me shiver and I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders as I sat down. Moonlight spilled on the water, making it look serene and dangerous at the same time.

The darkness made me wonder what they were doing tonight. Were they in Fangtasia now? Were they thinking about me? I had been too busy to let myself think about anything all day, but now, without Jason to distract me the problems in my life came flooding back.

I tensed as a figure separated from the shadows near the pond. My hands searching for the knives that weren’t there. My boots sat next to the front door while I wore a pair of Jason’s slippers. With no way of defending myself, fear paralyzed my muscles as I watched the shadow advancing, my mind already cataloging any potential weapons near me. A mug: not exactly lethal. It wasn’t until she walked past the light streaming out of the kitchen that I breathed, irritation filling me at the same time as my limbs regained movement.

I glared at the water, trying to stay calm, for some reason unsurprised to see Lexie here and now. Feeling bitterness over her absence in Jackson, I realized just how much I had come to rely on my aunt’s presence. That and the disappointment over her coming now, no doubt straight after she had talked to either Phedre or the vampires made me bitter. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She sat down in the chair next to me and took her time in getting comfortable. “Figured you’d want to talk.”

I felt my lips twist into a sneer. “Thought you were out of here for the winter?”

“Sure, I am. I can however drop by sometimes. When the big bad fairies let me go.”

There was enough frustration laced through her words that I almost felt bad for being so harsh, almost. At any other time I would have tried to make conversation, maybe even asked her if I could help. Tonight, I had so much on my plate that I did not bother. Lexie was a big girl who could handle her own problems; if she needed my help then she’d ask for it.

I shifted, repositioning my body although it the chair was not the cause of my discomfort. What was there to say? I freaked out. Bailed.

When I didn’t give her an answer straight away she continued with the pointed questions. “It wasn’t always going to be rosy, kid. You knew that. Why now?”

Snorting I looked at her, really taking in the tension lines in her face, the haunted look in her eyes. The green in them swirled in an unnatural rhythm, making her look even more alien, less human than usual. “What’s going on? How did you even know about me?”

“I have my ways.”

A sour taste coated my tongue at her words. “Sure, your dryad spy. You talk to her but not to me.”

Electricity danced in the air as Lexie’s temper spiked. “I’ll pay for this visit, don’t you worry. Now, why don’t you tell me why you ran off last night?”

“Why do you care?”

“I care because you’re my family. I care because I love you. Call me stupid, that’s what families were all about last time I checked.” Then she softened a little, leaning back in her chair as she looked at me with understanding. “It freaked you out didn’t it? The violence.”

Nodding I turned away, my eyes trained on the lake, the view getting more watery by the second and not because I was actually staring at water. When I was sure my voice would not betray me I spoke. “Why didn’t you do the same for Jason? I mean, unlock his powers, or whatever it was you did. How come I’m special?” I was tired of being special, different, all by myself.

“Do you think it would have helped? You think he can handle it? Handle the power, the responsibility?”

I was about to answer sure, shouldn’t he get his chance at least, but her next words stopped me short.

“Do you think it would be fair on him? He’s got a chance at a normal life. Something you never would have been able to have, thanks to the telepathy. Would you want him not to at least try? Wouldn’t you have wanted one if you could have it?”

Yes. I would have done anything to have a normal life. There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d wish my life on another human being, let alone my brother. The small amount of composure I had grasped crumbled and my cheeks became moist. “Why me?”

I couldn’t help but look at her as I asked and the bittersweet look she gave me broke down more of my walls.

“Would you really give it all up if you could? Would you really give them up?”

I knew she meant Godric and Eric. I knew that. Deep down I’ve been afraid to ask myself that question and come up with the wrong answer. “I don’t know.”

Lexie nodded, warmth draining from her face. “Then you have some thinking to do.”

Yeah, I did. I watched as she got up and closed my eyes as she placed a kiss on my forehead, just as Jason had done a little while ago. The caring gesture somehow made her words less harsh, since there weren’t that many people who could give me this kind of affection left alive.

When I opened my eyes again she was still in front of me, staring at me intently, like I was some sort of puzzle she wanted to solve.

“We love you, dear, but if you want it, we will see it done.” She walked away into the trees and disappeared.

One thing I couldn’t fault; Lexie knew how to make an exit.

The silence of the night was suddenly oppressive and I shifted uncomfortable wondering how many creatures of the night might have been privy to our conversation. Had the Were guarding me heard anything? Lexie would not leave something like that to chance, but she was not infallible.

Then again maybe she would want them to hear, just so they could take the information back to their bosses. And then my mind caught up with what Lexie had been offering and I stopped worrying about eavesdroppers.

There was a real chance I could be normal, an ordinary human, or maybe a human with telepathy. Lexie had not specified which gifts she would be able to take away. But was that what Lexie had meant? Or was it more along the lines that she’d make me the way I used to be? Maybe she would take away whatever it was she’d opened up in me, but leave my telepathy. I had no idea if she could take it away. The only truth I was sure about was her word that should I want it, she would do whatever it took in order to make me happy; even if it meant she left my life completely.

And that would mean I would lose an aunt, and a best friend I had come to depend on.

I thought about Godric and Eric as well. The politics of their world frankly scared the living daylights out of me. My life had been a quiet one up until the time I met my first vampire. Now, I was having plenty of the action I bemoaned missing out on before. Could I give it all up and go back to the same mundane existence I had been living; the idea held little appeal. But I wasn’t sure I could survive living this one for much longer either, not with all the trouble that I kept getting into.

That wasn’t the question though, and I knew it. Would I be happier having an ordinary life? Flashes of a future I had long given up invaded my brain: children, large family gatherings, happy quiet times…there were so many possibilities. Yes, there was a good chance I could find myself someone who I could be happy with, if I didn’t need to worry about my telepathy.

Would that encompass the same love, understanding and closeness I had now?

I wiped at my face again, my sleeve already damp from tears as I realized I did not need to answer that question.

Gran had raised me to be a fighter, to fight for what I wanted. If that meant I would have to re-invent myself to fit in better with the world I now lived in, well, I would need to do just that. Lexie had provided me with an alternative, but it was not something I was willing to take her up on.

Despite everything that had happened, the thought of not being with Godric and Eric left me empty. They were mine, a part of me that I could never give up.

What would happen to Godric if I did? The idea of him being alone again, I had seen what would be the inevitable outcome. He needed me as much as I needed him. I felt horrible for leaving last night, yet I knew he understood. He would know it wasn’t because of him that I had left; I just needed time…space to sort through the myriad of emotions.

For some reason I wasn’t so worried about Eric. He was always so confident, so self sufficient. Looking back though I knew that should I decide to leave he would just revert back to the cold bastard he had been on our first meeting. If Godric had died on that rooftop… I didn’t want to know what kind of vampire Eric would become without his maker next to him.

Yes, I could have a different life, a life without trouble, without killing and definitely without any blood, but then I wouldn’t know that Godric, despite his long life of loneliness and pain, was the most loving, giving person I knew, there would be no genuine humor and affection in Eric’s life, there would be no Lexie in mine. It would be a nice, safe life. It wouldn’t be my life.

Before I knew it my phone was in my hands and I was dialing Pam’s number. A shiver let me know that it was getting towards morning while I had sat there analyzing my life, and I hoped the club was still open.

I almost smiled when I heard the bass music playing through the speaker.

“Why did you leave?” Pam was never one for small talk but that was forward, even for her.

“I needed to think,” I told her. There was a pause when I could almost picture the look of impatience on her face.

“And?”

“I did.”

“Well, please enlighten me to your thoughts.” Sarcasm from Pam. Nothing new there, but the underlying animosity was.

I deserved it too. “Pam, don’t you think I should talk to them first?”

“Sure, but that wouldn’t be much fun for me. They won’t talk to me and I want to know.”

A dry laugh bubbled up. “Not everybody is willing to discuss their private thoughts, despite what you read in Dear Abby,” I told her gently.

Pam sighed, her tone softening just a little. “You’re so much trouble. They’re here, come down and make sure you dress appropriately. I expect you to make things right.”

Then she hung up. Pam wasn’t happy with me, no surprise there.

I trudged back inside after a few more minutes.

It was time to go home.

I left Jason a note before I left, he had been snoring and I didn’t have the heart to wake him up. One midnight wakeup call was enough, two would be more than our relationship could handle and I didn’t want to leave his house on a sour note.

After my shower I called Kyle to find out which one of my bodyguards was on duty. I had been right that there was still a Were here, Jeremy was on patrol.

He didn’t say anything about my sleepover when I met up with him, and stayed uncharacteristically quiet as he drove me to Shreveport.

Neither had he commented when I had picked up the unread note off the glass and read it.

Sookie, the car is yours to use as you wish.

We miss you.

No signature, but then I didn’t need one to know who the ‘we’ stood for.

I tugged at my dress, nervous enough about my reception and questioning my choice of outfit. The blue figure hugging jumper dress was beautiful and before last night would surely lead to me being whisked away from the club early. Tonight I had no such assurances. My imagination ran wild and the scenarios floating in my head went from bad to worse.

“What happened?” There was no usual cheerful smile on his face.

It had taken Jeremy fifteen minutes to ask. Fifteen long minutes of torturous thoughts and when his voice did break the strained silence I didn’t know what to say.

When swallowing to try and bring some moisture to my dry mouth didn’t help, I gave up trying to come up with something good and settled for the truth. “I freaked.”

“You finally realized how hard it is to please two vampires?”

“What? No, that’s not it, at all.” I squeaked out, unable to believe we were having that conversation or that he would bring it up of all times right now. “I freaked because of all the other shit that’s happened.”

He cast a glance my way. “After all the crap that you’ve been through?”

He was right of course; there had been a lot of things that happened before last night. None of them made me walk away. “I guess it all built up. I just never really thought about how much killing was going to be in my life until recently. I don’t know why.” Finally admitting the truth soothed my frayed nerves. “Naïve of me, I guess.”

He snorted. “No shit.”

My grip on the dress tightened. “Thanks.”

“Sorry, luv, but you’re dating two vampires, have an extra-terrestrial aunt who just happens to be the daughter of Hades and a twenty four hour watch to escort you to the grocery store. What the hell did you think would happen? You’ll be living in a pink dream where everyone played nice?”

“No.” My pout gave me away though.

“Well?” He flourished the question with sarcasm.

“I didn’t, okay. I didn’t think about it, I was too happy to think about all the crap that could possibly happen. Is that what you want me to say? I didn’t think! Stupid Sookie for thinking she could be happy for just a little while without someone beating the shit out of her, or chasing her, or trying to kill her.” Even to me the speech sounded like someone groping for excuses and desperate. The tight dress pressing on my ribcage was not helping to get oxygen inside and I wondered if he was right and I had been playing fairytale all this time, thinking that nothing bad could possibly happen.

It was true: all of it. I was sorry I didn’t realize any of it before, but it was too late now, sorry was all I had. I hoped it would be enough.

His hand reached towards mine and he gave me an awkward squeeze. “Hey, I’m sorry. It’s just, they’re not so bad for bloodsuckers, you know? I thought maybe you were having some sort of girl freak out about dating both of them.”

Before I could glare he winked at me, the mischievous smile back playing on his face, confirming my suspicions that the female wolves all went gaga over the boy. One look and I could not stay mad at him; it just wasn’t fair.  “So you think I should beg and plead forgiveness?”

He nodded solemnly. “For sure, lots of begging and plenty of pleading is definitely called for.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” I said just as seriously, holding out long enough for a dramatic pause before laughing with him, making the rest of the trip pass much faster.

In the end I had no plan of action. Begging and pleading was all nice and easy to joke about, what it would involve remained a mystery.

Jeremy dropped me off at the front of the club and I slid out of the car, tugging at my dress again. There was a line of the gothic humans waiting behind the strategically placed rope.

Pam was at the head of the line.

“Well, well, well. Look what the wolf dragged in,” she said showing her fangs as I walked past the covetous crowd. No doubt her show was to impress the gaping audience. From the appreciative murmurs behind me, it was a sure success.

“For the record I dragged myself,” I told her as she let me through.

“Good luck,” Pam said and then in a whispery whine that went unheard by our attentive audience added, “I never get to see anything fun anymore.”

Stopping before I went inside I turned, leaning towards her ear close enough to draw a gasp from behind us at my boldness. “How about I buy you a return ticket to New York from Santa?”

Enjoying her struggle as she tried to suppress the smile that was fighting to break through her vampire façade I stayed put, waiting for her answer.

“Bribing already? You must feel guilty.” Yet her words lacked their usual edge, I knew she’d go for it.

I moved away from her.

“Done!” Her eyes twinkled with pleasure at the prospect of spending a weekend shopping.

One down, two to go.

As I joined the mortal crowd inside I tried to put some extra sway into my hips while making my way to the bar, well aware that my entrance had been noticed.

Chow was working the bar. He was wearing his usual leather vest that revealed more than it covered, but then that was the point. Women—and men—loved his tattoos, they had become one of the most fantasized things in here after Eric’s…well…just Eric.

“Sookie, what a pleasant surprise.” Fangs flashed through a predatory look, as a gin and tonic slid towards me.

I took the drink giving him a polite smile in return. “Thanks, it’s good to see you as well.”

“Heard you had an interesting time during your brief vacation.” Clearly there was nothing wrong with the vampire gossip mill. Chow was entirely too delighted by whatever rumors he had heard. “Heard your count went up.”

My fingers squeezed the sweaty glass. “Yes.”

That subject was still raw, no matter that both of the kills had been in self defense.

He looked at me appraisingly. I started back trying to stay unfazed by the close scrutiny. After a moment of mutual understanding he nodded and silently moved to fill another order. Whatever he had read in my face, one thing I hadn’t expected from the reserved bartender was to gain his respect. It left me wondering if it had been my reluctance to gloat or that I’d actually managed to kill someone that made an impression.

When I finally worked up the courage to turn around and scan the bar my drink was half way gone. I noticed Eric straight away. He was never hard to spot while lounged on his throne. I had felt his heavy stare on me for some time now; meeting his eyes had been the challenge – not finding him.

The intensity of that familiar blue gaze spread heat through me. And as I let myself feel him again, opening the bond I had closed between us more than the heat of his stare warmed me.

My feet started moving towards him on their own and it was the pressure of cool hands on my hips that had stopped me mid-step, just in front of the podium Eric lounged on.

“Ma petite,” Godric whispered in my ear.

I leaned back into him, swaying lightly to the music to make our bodies touch.

“You are here.” There was so much feeling hidden in those three words, so many emotions playing through our bond that my body swayed out of beat as I turned to face him, my arms wrapping securely around his neck.

“I’m sorry.” The words felt small and lacking all the things I had wanted to actually tell him. They were the only thing I could say as my throat closed up.

He leaned in, our foreheads touching. “I am aware.”

My lower lip trembled. “I—”

He didn’t wait for me to finish before he kissed me. His lips on mine making me forget about all the doubts and worries as I let myself sink into his familiar embrace.

I heard a few muffled gasps as the crowd watched us in jealous fascination. We generally stayed away from public displays of affection. Tonight I did not care about them, or anything else, apart from the vampire in my arms and his companion a few feet away.

I had little doubt that the fangbangers would get their money’s worth tonight; lust rode high in the air as every vampire in the room became excited by our little display.

Godric’s arms tightened as my embarrassment started to put distance between us. His fingers spread possessively on my lower back when I meowed into his mouth. I may not like the bloodier side of being with vampires, but for this – for them – I could learn how to deal with it. My fingers tried to find a hold in his short hair as I pulled him to me, our kiss suddenly not enough even for me.

Maybe we would have stayed there longer, but a pointed cough made Godric stop. I saw stars.

“Maybe we should go home?” Eric asked.

He was stuck somewhere between lust and amusement and I loved the warm expression on his face, conscious of the fact that had I made a different choice that side of him would have been lost. I wasn’t fool enough to think that he wouldn’t have fallen for another human at some point in the future, but I knew he would never be the same if Godric had not stayed.

I nodded, completely in agreement with his plan, grateful that we wouldn’t need to talk just now. As we headed towards the door I saw a smirking Pam, who rolled her eyes when she noticed me looking.

Vampires drive very fast, but Eric’s driving skill tonight outshone anything I’d ever witnessed. Since the car only had two seats I sat in Godric’s lap as Eric maneuvered the streets of Shreveport at a speed I would have called impossible if I hadn’t witnessed him do it.

There wasn’t much talking. Whatever needed to be said would wait. In the end it had been the fact that I came to them, the simple act had spoken enough for me. Other things held their attention now and I couldn’t say I minded.

I snuggled closer to Godric, breathing him in as he had always done to me and simply enjoying their company. The dry masculine scent that I missed encompassed me, having been away from them for the last twenty four hours made me aware of how much I had missed it, missed the steady humming presence of their emotions filling me.

The anticipation of what was to come had my body vibrating, so when the vampires breathed an unnecessarily deep breath and proceeded to almost purr as they tasted the air in the car I blushed. The knowledge how ready I was for them had Godric’s hands roaming over me possessively and I was pretty sure Eric managed to break the speed limit that the Corvette could drive at.

“Where are you going, lover?” Eric asked as I started heading downstairs.

Turning around to look at him in confusion I said, “Downstairs?” It came out more of a question though since I wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted me to say.

His already growing smile turned into a smirk as he motioned towards the lounge and I changed direction, following him into the dimly lit space that had become so familiar to me over the last few months.

Home. The feeling of comfort and familiarity seeped into my bones.

It was the small things that told me that: Gran’s skillet sitting in the corner of the kitchen bench, my shopping list hanging off the fridge, the soft notes of familiarity in the air. Everything smelled like us, warm, comforting, safe.

What was out of place was the huge tree that sat directly across from me, just on the other side of the fire place.

I looked at Eric with questions in my eyes.

He winked. “We thought it would be a nice surprise.”

My smile was surely beatific. “It is. Where did you get something so beautiful?” I walked closer to admire it. I never had a real tree at my house in Bon Temps, the real ones were all expensive and we hadn’t had that much money. Ours was a tree my Gran had bought on sale years ago, it had been beautiful, but it was getting old and this year I had wanted a new one but hadn’t gotten around to buying it yet.

This tree was more beautiful than anything I could have found. In my mind I was already decorating it with all the Stackhouse heirloom balls and angels. It was also a lot bigger than anything I’d have picked. Excitement at the prospect of buying more decorations warmed me; there was no way I had enough to cover a tree this size and now that I had money to spend, it would be wonderful to get all the pretty things I’ve always admired from afar but never bought.

Godric came up to stand next to me as he examined the tree along with me. “I believe it took Pam a while to locate it, but I remember her mention something about out of state delivery.”

Not bothering to hide my shock I checked to see if he was joking. They had gone and ordered a tree from out of state for me? If I hadn’t thought they spoiled me, I’d have known it right then and there.

“Thank you,” I whispered quietly, suddenly feeling oh-so-foolish for even doubting my decision to be with them.

Godric wrapped his arms around me as he brought me closer. “You are welcome, ma petite.” He kissed me softly on the lips. It was a gentle, questioning kiss.

When our lips broke apart mine burned with hunger.

“I’m sorry.” I couldn’t hold it back any longer. The need to say something was excruciating.

His fingers trailed over my cheek, made their way down my neck and he wrapped them around it all the while not saying a word. The intensity of his stare caught my breath.

“I know,” he whispered and let his hands continue down my shoulders. “We didn’t mean to scare you. It was why I had wanted for you to stay with Pam, but you did insist…”

I nodded tears springing to my eyes. “I know.”

Eric cleared his throat from behind me and I half turned to look at him, finally breaking Godric’s hold on me. He was squatting next to the fire, which was now cheerfully burning. I also noted a new fur rug on the floor that in my haste to look at the tree had gone unnoticed.

“Can we skip the drama and get to the fun stuff?” he asked in a bored drawl.

“Sometimes, my child, you are beyond irritating,” Godric told him, but from the squeeze of his hands on my arms I knew he wasn’t nearly as offended by the suggestion.

Struggling to hold in my own amusement I disentangled myself and bent down. I hadn’t needed to bend far; Eric’s current vantage point wasn’t exactly that low. “What do you have in mind, Viking?”

He grabbed my arm in a movement I barely saw and pulled me down to him. I squealed as I dropped, but he expertly softened my fall and somehow managed to end up on top of me in the process. When my head finally caught up I saw his smirk widen. With his hair disheveled and an easy slant to his eyes he looked sinful.

“I have a list, remember?”

“You may have to jog my memory,” I told him in all seriousness.

He leaned into me, making it harder to breathe as his body settled on top of me, but I had no idea if that reaction was due to the extra weight or just his nearness. It didn’t matter I wiggled just a bit to make sure he knew I was enjoying the game.

One of his hands slipped up my thigh while he almost purred the words, “with pleasure.”

A sigh escaped me when his fingers edged my legs apart. I explored his back with my fingers, nails digging into the shirt that barred me access to his skin.

Eric slid down making sure to explore all of me as he traveled towards his destination and a moan escaped my lips when his fangs scraped my inner thigh. Hands cupped me from underneath as he lifted me up towards his face and my back arched when I felt him suck on me through the thin fabric. It felt like bliss as he nipped lightly. My eyes rolled back to where my other lover was.

Godric liked to watch us.

I had thought it would be uncomfortable at first, but learnt early on just how much of a turn-on it was to have an appreciative audience. A smile hovered on his lips, the tips of his fangs peeking through it as his attention was riveted on Eric’s movements. A blanket of lust covered his face and I knew as sure as I knew that he loved me there would be little time to do anything else tonight but enjoy being claimed by them.

Then Eric slipped a finger around the wet fabric and I lost track of time, and sight of Godric as pleasurable haze clouded my vision.

Hands on my skin blazed trails while the dress I had been wearing was carefully removed just before my bra disappeared. The heat from the fire licked at my skin making sure I wasn’t cold, Eric’s attentions helped in that department as well.

“It isn’t fair,” I panted.

Eric moved his attention away from licking my breast to look at me. “What?”

“I want my turn,” I told him.

He chuckled at the expression, which no doubt bordered on petulant. “You’ll have to wait your turn.”

It was hard to argue with a giant man perched on top of you, but I wiggled a little, making sure I brushed against certain…strained parts of his anatomy in the process. “I’m not so good at that.”

“Learn,” he whispered huskily and went back to licking and nipping my breast while his fingers slid in and out of me.

I panted, pleasure riding me to yet another high as he expertly turned the caress into something almost excruciatingly pleasurable. “I want to taste him” I managed to get out before a small scream erupted from me as I another wave of pleasure rolled contracted my muscles. That had been orgasm three or maybe four…

“Him?” Eric asked when he was sure I would actually hear him. From the way he looked I assumed it hadn’t been the first time he tried.

I nodded, unable to actually explain just then.

When the pleasurable aftershocks receded and I opened my eyes he moved off me just enough to give me room to wiggle out. Not waiting for him to change my mind I willed my body to move and watched the satisfied look appear on Eric’s face when it took me a while to get it to obey.

Godric hadn’t stirred from the armchair he had occupied. I crawled towards him; naked, flushed and surprisingly horny again.

“Ma petite.” His lips formed my nickname as he watched me as I closed the distance between us.

My fingers trailed up his legs, plucking his belt a little as a tease, before moving higher to wrap around his neck. I pulled him closed to me, closing the distance between our lips and giving him a kiss that was worth all the orgasms I just had.

“Yes,” he hissed into my mouth as I rubbed against him.

Another naked body leaned against me. I could felt hard muscles move against my bad as Eric’s hands slide around my waist as he opened the jeans in front of me. Godric stiffened and then sighed as the zipper slipped opened.

Then Eric caressed my breasts as I let my hands trail down Godric’s shirt taking over what Eric had started; breaking my kiss at the last moment to dip my head as well. And as I leaned down to take Godric in my mouth a purr escaped from above me, but whether it had been Godric who throbbed between my lips, or Eric who had finally pressed himself against me, parting me as he slid partially in, I had no idea. And at that moment the pleasure of tasting Godric wrapped me up and I lost myself in him for a while.

Eric stayed still, letting me adjust to him before starting to move, making me whimper as he sheathed himself, pressing all the way in me. His hands holding me firmly in place as he slid in and out. Slowly at first, matching me movement for movement, then picking up his pace making me suck harder and faster to catch up, and then Godric moved as well.

The pleasure built up so quickly I had little time to realize that it had been mutual as all of us rushed into oblivion at once. I felt Eric’s strong hand catching me when my body gave out and I almost sagged, gasped as Godric spilled himself into my mouth and I tried to swallow every drop he offered me. Maybe I screamed as well. I don’t know about the last part, my mind was too hazy with mutual pleasure to care at that point.

We didn’t stop there.

My lovers made sure that we christened the new rug thoroughly that night.