chapter nine

                Bill pulled in to Rachel’s house. He was going to tell her he could not see her anymore. He did not want to put her in danger. He opened the gate and stepped up on her porch. He knocked on her door. The porch light went on and Rachel opened her door. “Come on in Bill,” she said.

                “Please Rachel, we need to talk,” he said right away.

                “Okay, is something wrong?” she asked.

                “Yes, please sit down,” he said. “Rachel, I don’t know how to say this to you.”

                “You went back to her,” she said.

                “What?” he said. “No, I am not back with anyone.”

                “Then what?” she asked.

                “Rachel, I am afraid I can’t see you anymore, not right now,” said Bill. “I am in some difficulty and I am afraid I will be endangering you if I keep seeing you. In fact, I really should not be here except I could not stand to do this over the phone.”

                “What sort of trouble?” she asked.

                “I can’t tell you only because we are not sure ourselves,” he said. “And I would rather greet the sun than put you in danger, as I did with Sookie.”

                “Can you tell me who is involved?” she asked. “Are they humans or vampires?”

                “Both,” said Bill. “And they would not hesitate to use you as leverage.”

                “Is this because of the thing with your king?” she asked. “Sky said Louisiana was a little unsettled because you guys got annexed by some other vampire.”

                “I can’t tell you, it would put you in danger,” he said. “I have said too much already. In fact, I may be the reason you had a window broken out of your business.”

                “That’s not good enough,” she said. “I don’t want you to turn away from me.”

                “Rachel, I don’t want to either, not really, but if I keep seeing you, you will be in danger,” said Bill.

                “Don’t I get a say in this?” she said.

                “No, you don’t, I am sorry,” he said.

                “Is that the way you did with Sookie, not give her a choice?” she asked.

                “Yes, but I didn’t give her a choice to stay out of trouble, I forced her into getting into trouble with me. I want you to stay out of trouble,” he said. He reached out and touched her face and she pressed her face into his hand.

                “I want you to give me the choice,” she said. Bill pulled her to him and he kissed her. This was a mistake on so many levels.

                “I could get you killed,” he said.

                “Then you will just have to protect me,” she said. “Give me the choice.”

                “The choice of what?” he said, his lips brushing her lips.

                “The choice to decide whether I want to take the risk,” she said.

                “Rachel, sweetheart, you don’t know what you are saying,” he said.

                “They already have me targeted Bill, you leaving me alone now is not going to change that,” she said. “I am already on someone’s shit list.”

                “Rachel,” he said.

                “I haven’t even had a chance to look inside your house,” she said. “And you haven’t seen my house yet.”

                “Damn it, don’t you understand, you could die,” he said.

                “Hey, I could get run over by a bus in the morning on my way to get my hair cut,” she said.  “We haven’t even gone to second base yet. If you are going to leave me, at least give me something to cry about.” Bill smiled despite himself. He pulled her to him and held her. She could smell his vampire self and the lighter scent of his cologne.

                “Fine, but if you get killed, don’t blame me,” he said. She laughed a little shaky. He tilted her face up to him. “I should not do this; I should glamour you so you forget about me. Please promise me if I tell you something, it is protect you, and you can’t question it. And sometimes, I won’t be able to be with you. Your request we date may not be very fruitful.”

                “I will take you when I can,” she said. “And if you have to be away, I will understand.”

                “Don’t ever trust a message from me unless you get it from Eric Northman face to face. Understand. No one else until I say otherwise,” he said.

                “Understood,” she said.

                “And the less you know, the better off you will be, so don’t be hurt if I don’t tell you anything much,” he said.

                “Understood,” she said. She leaned toward him and kissed him. He pulled her against him.

                “I have to go,” he said.

                “I understand,” she said.

                “Walk me to your door,” he said.

                “Okay,” she said. “Be careful, I really would like to get to second base with you.”

                He landed without a sound on the grassy patch in the back garden of the shop. Eric looked up and saw the porch light was on and he could hear light music and the sound of her heart beating. He walked toward the steps and began to climb silent as a ghost. Sky was on the long wicker couch, reading by a lamp. A lone moth was dancing above it. He pecked on the porch support. She looked up.

                “Sheriff Northman,” she said, sitting up.

                “I have been demoted, I was Eric last time,” he said.

                “And you were so charming,” she said.

                “I know, and I am sorry, I wanted to come here and apologize to you. I don’t know why I want to apologize to you, I don’t even know why I am here,” he said, that last part almost an aside.

                “Well, maybe you shouldn’t bother,” she said. “You don’t know me, I don’t know why you care.”

                “I lay awake this morning preparing to die for the day and my mind popped you up in my brain and all I could do was think about how your hair looked like burning embers even in the shadow of the car,” he said.

                “Wow,” she said. “I don’t know what to say.”

                “May I sit down?” he said.

                “Please, I am sorry I don’t have any TrueBlood to offer you,” she said.

                “I ate before I came,” he said, sitting down on one of the wicker chairs. He sat there for a long time and simply looked at her. Sky was not usually shy, but being under the gaze of this man was uncomfortable.

                “Is there something I can do for you Sheriff?” she said.

                “Well, you can begin by calling me Eric,” he said quietly.

                “Okay, Eric, is there something I can do for you?” she asked.

                “I want to explain myself to you, why I was so…sullen with you last night. Again, I don’t know why, but I do want you to understand why I behaved so badly toward you,” he said.

                “Okay, go on,” she said.

                “Sky, I…” he stopped. He balled his hand into a fist and squeezed. “I was rude to you because I am attracted to you and I don’t want to be. I was involved with a human woman, I made a blood bond with her, and I am having trouble letting go.”  He looked down. A lock of his long golden hair fell from behind his ear.  “I have not cared for a human woman in a long time, and for reasons I can’t tell you right now, I don’t think I can stop caring for her, though I desperately wish I could. I suspect this unique quality about her is the reason for my intense feelings for her, but I don’t know how to find out.”

                “I don’t know what to say to you, Eric, if you can’t tell me, I can’t imagine what I might say to you that would help,” she said. “How old are you?”

                “I am over a thousand years old,” he said.

                “Oh,” she said. “And how long had it been for you to care about a human before you met Sookie?”

                “At least 600 years since I loved a human woman,” he said. “That was when I was a young vampire though and I had more human feelings. Do you know anything about blood bonds?”

                “Yes, you have the simple bond, and that is from one blood exchange. There is a moderate bond and that comes from irregular blood exchanges, but mostly this is where there is a simple bond made and then you make sure she has your blood at different intervals, and then there is the true blood bond, and that is where you and she have had three blood exchanges,” she said. “Did you have a true bond with her?”

                “Yes,” he said. “She has broken it, but I think I must still have a bond with her.”

                “How can that be?” she asked. He looked at her, a pained expression on his face. “Oh, it is something to do with her blood?”  He nodded. “Well, how much of what you are feeling is real and how much is this remaining bond?”

                “I don’t know,” he said.

                “Well, this sounds real human and touchy feely, but sort of make a list in your head, make a list of things you loved about her, and then make a list of the things you think was about this special thing in her blood. If the blood list is longer than the love list, then you may be able to let go of her. Of course, you might be able to reconcile,” she said. Eric thought about it for a moment, looking out past her. Finally he looked at her.

                “I have to go,” he said. “May I come and see you sometime?”

                “Well, I go back to Baton Rouge tomorrow, I have finals week and I have to pack up my apartment, but I will be back,” she said. “I hope I was able to help you. I don’t know if what I said made any sense.”

                “You have told me things that seem to make more sense to me than I have heard in a long time,” he said. He stood up. “Thank you.”

                “You are welcome, Eric,” she said. He stepped off the porch and disappeared.

                Sookie woke up the next day puzzled. Meeting another fae after her great grandfather had called all of the fae out of North America sort of scared her, but in a way, it was great to talk to another fae. She missed her great uncle Dermot and she could not really read faery minds, just get a sense of their energy. Preston was very nice, kind, and very attractive. He drank his beer and sat at the bar and chatted with her about nothing serious. When he left, he wrote his number on a napkin and gave it to her and she put it in her pocket.

                The morning called to her to come out and lay in the sun. She got up, got some breakfast and put her hair up and her bathing suit on and dragged her chaise lounge out and got greased up for the sun. She was totally relaxed when she felt the presence of a fuzzy brain. She sat up and looked around and there perched Diantha. “Hey Diantha,” she said. She was not all that happy to see Cataliades niece. Usually, her appearance meant trouble.

                “HeySookie,” she said.

                “Something you need? Or are you just visiting?” she asked, squinting at her.

                “Wasatameetinglastnight,” she said. Sookie took a second to unhook all the words.

                “Oh yeah?” she said.

                “AtFangatasia,” she said.

                “Don’t want to know anything about it, Diantha,” she said.

                “Thinkyou oughta,” said Diantha. “Billsaysyouneedtoknow.”

                “I don’t answer to Bill Compton or to Eric Northman, not anymore,” she said.

                “FelipeDeCastroisn’tfinishedyet,” said Diantha.

                “Great,” said Sookie.

                “YoushouldcallBill,” said Diantha.

                “No thanks,” she said.

                “UncleDesmondsaysyoushould,” she said.

                “Yeah, I’ll get right on that, after all, if he had not been so generous, I would not have to fight vampires at every turn,” she said.

                “Sorry…CallBill,” she said and quick as that, she was gone.

                Sookie laid there in the sun for about an hour and then got up. She slid on a long tee shirt and surveyed her grandmother’s flowerbeds. Maybe she could get someone to come and help her with the weeding. She was really bad at it. But then she was never home hardly anymore. She looked at the house. It needed a new coat of paint and some other work. She thought immediately of Alcide Herveaux. Maybe he would not be that interested in it but maybe he would know someone who would be able to give her house a coat of paint. She stepped up on the porch. She saw the swing, moving slightly in the wind. She remembered the night she and Eric made love on the swing, that night after she broke the blood bond. He was so desperate to make that connection again, as if sex would recreate the intimacy of the bond. Sookie closed her eyes to the memory and went into the house.

                No sooner than she had stepped out of the shower, her house phone rang. She wrapped a towel around her and dashed for the phone by her bed. “Hello?” she said.

                “Hey chere, Kennedy called and said she could not do her shift. Could you cover half her shift? India said she would cover the second half,” said Sam

                “Yeah, let me get dressed and I will be out there in about 45 minutes,” she said.

                “Thanks Sookie,” he replied. “Hey, did you get a run on that Preston? I saw you talking to him yesterday.”

                “Yeah, I will explain it to you later,” she said.

                “I’ll see you when you get in then,” he said. She hung up and went and got dressed. She looked at herself in the mirror. Did she look a little better? A little brighter? Maybe, she had spent time with Preston after all. Then her heart sank a little. Could it be possible Preston was just coming around to maintain his fae-ness...That is why Claude and Dermot liked to be around her, recharging their battery with her fae essence?  Boy, another let down. Still, she did look a little brighter. Maybe she shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

                She finished getting ready and checked her doors and windows and grabbed a little pile of books she had to return to the library. Maybe she could stop by and drop off her books and see if Preston was working. Sookie had to admit she liked thinking someone was interested in her. Her self-esteem had taken a blow since everything happened with Eric and Bill.

                Luna ran out a basket of chicken strips to Sheriff Dearborn and a basket of deep fried pickles to Maxine Fortenberry and her friends at the booth by the window. She went back to the bar area where Sam was. Sam looked at her and smiled. Last night, they took their relationship to the next level. It had taken them a while because Sam had explained to her his lingering feelings for Sookie. Luna really liked Sookie but she knew Sookie brought trouble with her and as Luna came to know Sam better, she felt protective of him. She really liked it here in Bon Temps and she wanted to stay and see if she could make a home of it.

                “Hey,” said Sam, as she walked behind him. He could feel the warmth of her body as she moved close to him, nearly brushing up against him. “Do you have that meeting tonight?”

                “Yes, and you should go with me. The Two Natured Alliance really needs everyone to come together, especially with the laws coming up in congress,” said Luna.

                “I don’t know Luna, I am not sure I am very political,” said Sam.

                “I have called the Hot Shot people and Calvin and his clan are coming and Jason Stackhouse is coming. You should come too, I mean it affects all of us,” she chided.

                “I know, I know, maybe, okay, I will think about it,” he said. She pressed herself against him a little and smiled. “Are you bribing me Miss Garza?”

                “Yeah, I think I am,” she said, smiling.

                “We’ll see,” he said. She smooched his cheek and went to the window where D’Eriq had set a big salad and fries for Portia Bellefleur.

                Sookie came in a few minutes later and went to the office to grab her apron and lock her purse up in her locker. This was the best idea she ever had. Before, they just stowed their purses in Sam’s desk drawer, now they could just lock them up in their own lockers. Sam came in. “Hey,” he said.

                “Hey,” she said back, tying back her apron.

                “So you gonna clue me in on Preston?” asked Sam

                “He’s fae,” she said.

                “I thought they all went back to their world,” he said, looking troubled, suspicious.

                “Yeah, apparently those who chose to ignore Niall and those who had lived too long in this world just stayed,” she said. She checked her hair and her socks and the tuck of her tee shirt in the top of her shorts. “Have we been busy?”

                “Pretty busy,” said Sam.  “Ever since the Redneck Roadhouse was shut down, we have business back to par. I guess Fangtasia is doing better too since that Vampire’s Kiss was shut down.”

                “I guess,” she said. “I don’t really know how Fangtasia is doing.”

                “It will get better, wait and see. So, are you going to see Preston again?”

                “I don’t know Sam, I don’t know that I am looking for someone,” she said, heading out the office door.

                Sookie went out to look at the crowd. Holly came up to her. “I didn’t know you were working today?”

                “I’m subbing for Kennedy,” she said. “I am just doing a half shift. India is doing the second shift.”

                “Hey, did you know India is seeing a vampire?” asked Holly.

                “Yeah?” she said. “Well, Kenya will have something to say about that, I am sure.”

                “Kenya has something against vampires?” asked Holly. Sookie shrugged.

                “I think Kenya being law enforcement will have some reservations about India seeing a vampire,” she said.  About that time, Danny Prideaux came in. He didn’t look himself because he was wearing a pair of blue slacks and a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. “What are you doing all slicked up?”

                “I had some errands to run for Bill,” he said. Bill had finally gotten busy enough to have a day guy, at least part time. This closely guarded secret threatened their relationship, but he had finally ‘fessed up. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

                “Let me go see if anyone needs anything and I will come to the bar,” she said. He nodded and turned to the bar where Sam was. Luna was drawing a pitcher of beer for a table of construction workers and Sam was washing glasses.

                “How’s it going Danny?” asked Sam.

                “Not bad,” he said. “Abita light.”

                “You got it,” said Sam, grabbing one of the newly cleaned glasses and drawing him a beer. He sat in front of him. “Working hard?”

                “Just dropping off some papers for Mr. Compton.”

                “How do you like being Bill’s day guy?” asked Sam.

                “It’s okay; it’s like working for someone who is always out of the country. I only see him occasionally, he gives me his instructions on my voice mail, and he mails me my checks. I let myself into his house, gather his mail and other stuff and run around for him during the day, picking stuff up and doing errands. It is clean work,” he said. Sookie sidled up to him. “Come over here, I want to tell you something private Sookie.” Danny grabbed his beer glass and they walked over to the little pool table area. “Sookie, there is something going on with the vampires. Know anything about it?”

                “I am not the know all and end all of local vampire life,” she said, a little irritated.

                “Hey, I am just asking because Bill is moving a lot of stuff around…” he lowered his voice and looked around. “Stuff like money.”

                “I have no clue what is going on,” she said.

                “Is Bill and them in trouble?” he asked. “I am only asking because I want to know if I should be careful, you know.”

                “You have to be careful all the time with vampires,” said Sookie.

                “Damn and I still haven’t made all the money I need,” he muttered.

                “You needing money?” she asked.

                “You don’t know, I mean…I figured you knew,” he said.

                “I try not to listen to people’s heads Danny,” she said.

                “I want to ask Kennedy to marry me, I have enough for the ring, but I am also saving up for the wedding and a honeymoon,” he said. “That’s part of the reason I took the job with Bill, vampires pay real good for dependable day people and I wanted to make some money to do it up right. Kennedy said her and her first husband just went to the justice of the peace, so I wanted to ask her and give her the money to have a dress and reception…the works.”

                “Well, unless Bill tells you otherwise, you are going to have a job,” she said. “Just stay out of the drama and you will do okay.”

                “Okay, thanks Sookie, and I would appreciate it if you would keep this under your hat,” he said.

                “No problem,” she said.

                The rest of her shift was quiet and she worked through it so peacefully she was actually surprised when she saw India come in. She looked at her and when she turned her head, she saw a fang mark just above the collar of her tee shirt. She put her tray down on the bar on top of the stack of trays, put her pad under the cash register, and went to the back of the bar and to the office. She came in and went to her locker.

                “What’s it like out there?” asked India.

                “Busy but not hectic, the supper crowd is just starting,” she said. “If you are going to date vampires, you should make sure you take your B12.”

                “Thanks, but it’s none of your business,” she said.

                “You are right,” said Sookie.

                “I mean, just because you had a shitty relationship with vampires doesn’t mean everyone does,” said India.

                “Just be careful,” said Sookie. She looked at her. “Do I know her?”

                “Yeah, you do, it’s Pam Ravenscroft,” said India. “I would be with her tonight but she said she had things she had to do for Eric. Pretty big stuff from what I gather.”

                “Well, since it is Pam, be doubly careful,” said Sookie.

                “Whatever,” said India.

                Sookie walked out the back door, went, and got into her car. She pulled out. The sun was just going down and she looked at her watch. The library had evening hours so she had plenty of time to turn her books and look around to see if there was something else to read. She wondered what was going on with the vampires. Was it serious? Were they moving their money around getting ready to run? Where would they go? Sookie discovered that for all of her anger, she would sort of hate to see them go. Even Bill. He was her neighbor and it actually was nice knowing he was just across the cemetery from her. Maybe she should just leave Bill a voice mail. She pulled into the library and pulled out her phone and dialed Bill’s number. “Hi Bill, listen, Diantha Cataliades said Desmond wanted me to check in with you. When you get this, give me a call.” She hung up, put her phone back in her purse, reached in the back seat, and grabbed her books.

                Sookie had always loved the library. It was quiet and people were just looking at the spines, reading out the titles their minds like whispers. She dropped her return books into the bin and Mrs. Beck smiled at her. “Is Preston here?” she asked.

                “He sure is, I didn’t know you knew Preston?” said the librarian.

                “Yeah, we met a couple of days ago,” she said.

                “Let me call him and tell him he has a visitor,” she said. She dialed an extension, muttered into the phone, and hung up. “He will be right out.” Sookie nodded and went and looked at the bestseller tables. There were those lady porn books Holly was squealing about to her. She picked one up and looked around to see if anyone was looking and began to read the back.

                “Oh Sookie, those are very erotic novels, I recommend them,” said Preston. Sookie blushed a little and sat it back down.  

                “Holly was just telling me about them, it’s not what I usually read,” she said.

                “So, are you here for literature, or have you come to see me?” he asked.

                “Both and to see if you would like to have some supper. I was going to stop at the Crawfish Café and I wondered if you had supper yet?” she said, trying to sound casual.

                “Well, I have a few more books to catalogue in the computer, could take me maybe a half hour, think you can entertain yourself while I finish up?” he asked.

                “Sure,” she said.

                “Here,” he said, putting the erotic novel back in her hands. “Give this a second look. If you like it, I will call you when the second book comes back in.” Sookie smiled and blushed again at him. She finished reading the back cover and kept it and went to the mystery novel section. She picked up a couple of books and read the backs and kept one and put the other back. She wandered over to the mythology section. She had never looked in this area before and she let her eyes roam the titles. There were a lot of books about faeries. Some looked like children’s books and some looked like research books, like encyclopedias and collected stories.

                “You won’t find much factual information there,” said a voice. Sookie turned, a little startled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Those books are written about us by humans.”

                “I have never been able to have a meaningful conversation about what I am with Niall or even Dermot and Claude. I mean, I learned some stuff, but that was just through experience,” she said.

                “Well, you can ask me anything, I would be happy to tell you,” said Preston. “Are you ready?”

                “Sure, I will just check out,” she said. She walked up to the check out and Mrs. Beck scanned the bar codes and then Sookie’s card.

                “I didn’t know you read this stuff,” said the librarian.

                “It comes highly recommended,” said Sookie, smiling at Preston.

                “Well, I hope you enjoy it,” she replied, handing over the books. Preston walked Sookie out.

                “We can take my car, and I can drop you back here,” she said.

                “That is an excellent plan,” said Preston. She unlocked her door and got in and unlocked Preston’s door. He opened the door and slid in.

                “Iron doesn’t bother you?” she asked.

                “I am building a tolerance at long last. It can still do me damage, but I can touch it briefly,” he said. He relaxed around her. “How was your day?”

                “Pretty good, I laid in the sun and then I was called in for a half shift, so I worked for a while,” she said. “Can I ask you something?”

                “Certainly,” he said.

                “Do you like me for me, or do you like me because there aren’t many faeries left and you want to hang out with someone who is fae so you won’t…whither?” she asked.

                “Well, the fact you are part fae is great Sookie, but I told you, I have cared about you since that night,” he said.  “Were you worried I was just essence sharing with you?”

                “A little, I have to admit,” she said.

                “It is more than that,” he said. The sun was going down. He looked out with his big turquoise eyes. “The sunsets are beautiful here, not as beautiful as Faery, but still beautiful.”

                “Do you miss it?” she asked.

                “Sometimes,” he said. “But I find beauty everywhere. What do you like to eat in this place?”

                “I like the fried chicken livers and the mudbugs and the bread pudding,” she said. “Still finding your taste buds?”

                “Yes,” he said. “Human food is very different. I sometimes hunt, but not as often as I did when I first settled in the human world.”

                “What did you hunt?” she asked.

                “Swamp deer, hawks are a fine meal, catfish, rabbits,” he said.

                “And you eat them raw?” she asked. She remembered Bellanos.

                “Some things, yes, but some things I roast,” he said.

                “My brother hunts,” she said. “Do you know Jason?”

                “I know who he is, he seems like a nice man,” said Preston.

                “I think he is trying to get it together,” she said. “At first when he became two natured, I thought his life was over, but it actually made him grow up some.”

                “Then that is a very good thing,” said Preston. “Sookie, I don’t mean to frighten you.”

                “Oh, please don’t frighten me,” she said.

                “There is a car following us,” said Preston.