chapter twenty

The next morning, Rachel was up. Bill had returned and Eric had too, for a little while, and stood on the porch talking to Sky for a long time. When she came back in, she looked as though she had been crying and she told them good night and went up to bed.

“You should go on to bed too,” said Bill. “I will stay up and help Bubba guard the house.”

“Those panther cries scare me,” she said.

“Don’t be afraid sweetheart, they are here to protect you,” said Bill, stroking her hair. “You are so beautiful and fine. I would recruit demons to guard you and keep you safe.”

“I know you would Bill,” she said, not knowing he had done that very thing. She laid her head on his shoulder and he held her. When she fell asleep he picked her up and carried her to their bed and laid her down and pulled the blankets around her and left her to her dreams. He looked in on Sky. She was asleep but he could see the tracks of tears on her face and he frowned a little. He hoped Eric had not done something foolish.

Sky woke up that morning a little after Rachel and lay there in the bed. She thought about what Eric had said to her, the thing that made her cry. It was not mean, what he said to her,  but it went straight to her heart.

She stood there and listened to him tell her about Sookie and what she had told him at her kitchen table. He told her about the vow he made to her, he and Bill made to her, to help each other and protect each other. He told her how difficult it was for him to mingle his blood with Bill’s and how hard it had been to offer the bond to her. Oh shit, this is where he tells her it is too much. He must have seen the fear in her eyes because he turned his face away for a second and when he looked at her again there were red tears there.

“You are sorry you have started to bond with me,” she said.

“No,” he said. “I want…” he stopped and tried to find the words and he cursed in his native tongue because the words eluded him. “I want to try Sky. I want to try to love you. I want to try…is that something you want? Because I think I eventually want to love you and I want you to eventually love me back.” His words broke her heart. She could feel it in even the secondary bond he meant it. He was fighting it though. He didn’t want to love her. He was afraid she would one day want to be free of him. He was afraid she would be like Sookie and stop wanting the bond, stop wanting him. She pulled her collar down.

“Do it, Eric, now, let’s make the true bond,” she said.

“Sky,” he said.

“No, I don’t want to think about it, I don’t want to consider what I am asking for, I want you to do it, I want to bite you and I want you to bite me and make the bond, which is what I want. We will see what happens, but I don’t want you to doubt anything about me or what we are doing. You say you can’t promise me things, human things, well I can’t promise you forever, I can’t promise you that I will love you just because you love me, just as you can’t promise you will love me someday. All I know is, I want to try too, and I want to bond with you and I won’t ever regret it and you will have to be the one to break it,” she said. “Do it Eric.”

“No,” he said. “I need for you to think about it. The bond we have already made will fade in time, the true bond has to be broken.”

“I want it Eric,” she said.

“No, I tricked Sookie…Don’t you understand? I tricked Sookie into making the bond with me. I didn’t cause the situation that led to the bonding but I used it to my advantage because I knew she would be bonded to me. She didn’t know, not til it was done. I tricked her. I don’t want your being emotional being the reason you bond with me,” he said. “I tricked her, Sky, I fooled her, I deceived her.” Eric grabbed Sky and held her close and she kissed his face and tasted his blood on her mouth. She kissed all over the tears, hoping to get his blood that way. “It won’t make the bond lover, it isn’t enough.” She kept kissing him. “Stop, stop…no, think about it, Sky, please. Think about it. I don’t want to make the same mistakes with you.” He leaned down and kissed her gently, kissing away the tears on her face.  And then he was gone.

“Sky?” there was a pecking on the door. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah, come in,” she said. Rachel came in. She was dressed in jeans and a Fangtasia tee shirt. Sky looked at it.

 “Oh, Bill had  like box of these in his closet. You want one?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice cracking.

“Hey, what happened? Did he do something stupid?” she asked.

“No…I did,” she said.

“What happened?” she asked. Sky told her what they had said to each other. “Gee, I don’t know what to say.”

“He doesn’t want to make the bond,” said Sky.

“Hey, he didn’t say that. Bill told me that they both did things to Sookie to hurt her and get her into this mess because she was telepathic, he is just afraid. Come on, Sky, let’s get up. I am going to the Super Wal-Mart over in Minden to get some paper products and stop at the farmer’s market on the way back to town and get a couple of cold watermelons,” she said.

“Okay, I want to take a shower first and get cleaned up. Can you get me a tee shirt?” she asked.

“Sure,” said Rachel.

They were ready in no time and Rachel offered to treat her to beignets and coffee on the way. They drove by Sookie’s and there she was with her man and the little boy. She hailed them and Rachel stopped. “Did you girls get my message? I know we don’t know each other real well, but I would like it if you all could come,” she said.

“We were just on our way out to pick up our contributions, we thought we would get some plates and cups and napkins and bowls and stuff and a couple of cold watermelons,” said Rachel.

“That would be great, and some ice cream please, cherry, I have been having the worst cravings and this may be my last chance at it,” she said.

“Sure, we can do that. Anything else?” asked Rachel.

“No, I think we have everything,” said Sookie. “Thanks for coming with Bill and Eric, it means a lot to me to see them happy.”

“Not a problem,” said Rachel. “See you when we get back.”

Once they made it to Wal-Mart, Sky and Rachel grabbed their own buggies and went their separate ways, agreeing to meet near the book and magazine area in the front area of the store. Rachel was picking up the cups and napkins and she grabbed some plastic tableware and a huge stack of paper plates. She was so busy she didn’t notice the man looking at her.

He recognized the woman, the woman whose store he had thrown the brick through her window. Her phone rang and she frowned. “Hey there Sally,” said the woman. “Well, I emailed an order to them so they should be getting it really soon. No, I won’t be in today, we are going to a cook out tonight.” She listened. “Yeah, at Sookie’s house, a whole bunch of us are going to be there.” She listened again and walked past the man. “That is a fantastic idea, I think I will,” she said. “Take it easy. Call me if you need me.” She hung up, unaware of what she had done.

When the eavesdropper got to his car, he took out his phone and called Latesta. “Hey, have I got some news for you,” he said. “Listen to this.” He told Latesta what he heard.

“Where did you hear that?” asked Latesta.

“That little bitch Compton is banging was in Wal-Mart and her phone rang and she talked to someone about a little party she was attending at the Stackhouse woman’s house,” he said.

“Very good. Call everyone, I want a meeting in three hours,” he said.

“It’s you world boss,” he said.

Sky had bought everything under the sun. She bought extra rolls of foil, a cook out set for the grill, extra briquettes, a can of starter fluid and some wooden kitchen matches and a case of paper towels and some garbage bags. Rachel laughed at her buggy.

“What?” she asked.

“You are buying like the whole town is going to be showing up for her cook out,” said Rachel.

“You never know,” said Sky.

“Fair enough,” said Rachel. They got in line and the two women surveyed the magazines. They divided the dozen or so magazines between them and made a pact to share them between one another. Vampire magazines were expensive. They checked out and took everything out to Rachel’s car and loaded it and headed back toward Hummingbird Road.

“I was reading in American Vampire about vampires in the porn industry,” said Rachel.

“Yeah, if it is a facet of human life, vampires have their version of it,” said Sky. “Have you ever seen any?”

“No!!” she said. “I was too embarrassed to get human porn; I know I would just go up in a shot of steam to get vampire porn. Have you ever seen any?”

“Yeah, we did a special topics symposium and it featured differences in human entertainment from vampire entertainment,” she said. “Vampires focus on different things in porn.”

“Different things?” she asked.

“Blood,” said Sky. “They eroticize the blood. Does Bill like to play with your blood, smear it around on your skin, look at it on his fingers.”

“No,” she said.

“Some do, the sex is more to get your heart rate up and all that, but their goal is to spill your blood and smear it around and look at it and lick it off and be all into it,” said Sky. “They tend to be unpredictable though and only real experienced actors work with sanguine fetishists.”

“What is vampire on vampire sex like…I mean…” began Rachel. “Is it more violent, rougher?”

“Well they are strong and I imagine there are times they want to be with someone who can keep up with them, you know, give it as good as they are getting it,” said Sky. “Have you ever wondered about being one of them?”

“I had a cousin, Sherrylynne. She died of cancer. I loved her. If I had a sister, I guess she was my sister. I wondered if she ever thought of being a vampire,” said Rachel. “Pam had a human companion she loved and she had cancer. She wanted Pam to make her vampire and her family would not let her.”

“So… The Miriam Act,” said Sky.

“Yeah,” said Rachel. “But, you know what they say, that the maker and child cannot stay together.”

“That is what they say, but I read a paper a vampire up at Harvard wrote and he doesn’t think so. He thinks makers and children can stay together, that they made up that rule to keep vampires from making families that were more like human families and have these huge nests and have big power structures,” said Sky.

“Well, that is the only thing I would hate. I would want Bill to be my maker, but not if I had to leave him,” she said. “I could probably get Eric to make me and then release me and I could be with Bill that way.”

“You could,” said Sky. “Together forever. That is a real commitment. Have you and Bill ever talked about it?”

“No,” said Rachel. “I guess it will come up, but just like everything, we will talk it all out. We’ll decide together.”

Rachel and Sky stopped at Sookie’s and dropped everything off and parked Rachel’s car at Bill’s house and they walked back. A werewolf was padding along beside them. “Are you coming to the party?” asked Sky. The wolf rolfed at her in a positive way. “You wearing that?” The wolf made a moany sound canines make. “Well make you sure you come up to me and introduce yourself so I can recognize you.” He sat down on his haunches and his tongue lolled out. “Emilio?” The wolf woofed at her in response. “See you there.” Rachel looked at Sky. “My office assistant.” Rachel laughed a little and they met Sookie. Luna was unfolding the tables and Sam was dumping ice in huge metal tubs he used for weddings and other events when he bartended. Danny had a case of Abida Lights in his arms and Sam began to bury the beers in the ice. Amelia was setting out the candles Sky bought.

“Hey how was last night?” asked Rachel. “At the new place?”

“We made money hand over fist. I put most of it in escrow so I will be ready when I have to start paying rent,” said Sam. “I closed it today because we only had this Abida Light and a case of Bud. Jason and Hoyt Fortenberry are on a beer run for the party.”

“That is great Sam. I am glad you are back up and running,” said Sky.

“Me too,” he said. “I was worried that night. I didn’t have a clue about what I was going to do.”

“We are going to go over and help Luna,” said Rachel. They went over and grabbed the tablecloth on the other end and they made themselves busy anchoring down the corners of the table clothes. They were homey checked table clothes. Sky was unloading the bags they had dropped off.

“Thank God someone got matches and lighter fluid. I was going to have to make a Grab-it-Quick run,” said Luna. “So you are the girls who are dating Bill and Eric?”

“Yeah, we are,” said Rachel.

“Well, I was wary of them. But they helped Sam and for whatever reason, I appreciate them,” said Luna. “Aluminum foil too. You all are goddesses.”  She grabbed the foil and took it to Andy who was setting up the grill he brought and the grill Jason brought and Sookie’s little grill. D’Eriq was stirring a pot of gumbo with shrimp and boudan sausage. It would simmer all day til the party started on very low heat.

Hunter was running around shaking hands with everyone. He had been warned not to talk about the big trip. He went up to Sky and Rachel and Preston walked up to the women. “I am Preston Pardloe,” he said, extending his hand. Sky remembered what Eric had said about him, that he was a real live fairy.

“Sky Faulconer,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Rachel Westnight,” said Rachel, shaking his hand. “I hope you don’t mind but you have the most beautiful eyes.”

“Thank you Rachel,” said the fairy. “And you have lovely eyes too. This young man is Hunter.”

“Hi,” he said. “Uncle Preston, she smells like Eric.”

“That is because she is Eric’s very special friend,” said Preston.

“Eric has a funny head,” he said. “I can’t hear him.”

“Oh?” asked Sky.

“Hunter is sensitive to supernatural people,” said Preston by way of explanation.

“Oh,” said Sky.

“Hunter, go and help Aunt Sookie, she is setting out the cookies and cup cakes,” said Preston.

“Okay,” he said. They watched him go up to Sookie and she treated him to a cookie.

“You have to over look Hunter a little, he is very young and he doesn’t understand not all people or supernaturals like him to show what he knows about them,” said Preston.

“That’s okay,” said Rachel. “No problem.”

Calvin and the panthers, in their human forms, walked out of the woods behind Sookie’s house. They were carrying ice chests full of meat, mainly deer and wild boar but some catfish too. A few of them carried bags of bread and buns. Calvin greeted Sookie warmly “I brought some meat and bread and dirty rice and some good homemade wine,” said Calvin.

“Thank you Calvin,” said Sookie.

“How is the baby?” he asked, putting his hand on her belly.

“Starting out,” she said. “I am not showing much yet, just a little bump.”

“I am sure it will be a beautiful little fairy baby,” he said. He kissed her head. Calvin was married and happy but there was a part of him that would always wonder what it would have been like to have Sookie as a mate.

Alcide drove up and parked and Jason pulled in behind him. He and Hoyt had made it back with the beer and cases of soda and bag of something he brought over to Sookie. “Sookie, I have some stuff to take with you for Hunter,” he said. Sookie looked in the bag.

“Bubble gum? Candy bars? Hard candies?” she said.

“Yeah, well, sometimes you can give him something from this world so he can maybe remember his Cousin Jase,” he said.

“That is very good of you,” she said. She hugged her brother. They had said their goodbyes last night but Sookie felt a lump in her throat.  Michele was talking to Rachel and Calvin’s wife. Her belly was very obvious. “You will make a good dad.”

“I want to be,” said Jason. “We sure have come a long way, haven’t we sister?”

“We have,” she said.

Alcide’s pack came in the late afternoon and after they had their suppers, they went out back and shifted. Hunter loved watching them shift, one minute being human and the next being wolf. Alcide was taking a two hour shift and he butted Hunter out of the way with his head. He woofed softly to Sookie, putting his muzzle in her hand as he loped by. Sky and Rachel were drinking beers and eating the gumbo and chatting with Jason and Sam and Luna and Danny Prideaux.

As the sun began to go down, Rachel became edgy, feeling Bill begin to wake up. The party was a little louder and there was music coming from the radio on the porch. Soon the sun was down. Amelia was lighting the candles she had set out earlier in the day. Sky watched fascinated as the witch blew on the unlit wicks and a little flame appeared there. The world had just gotten tremendously huge for Sky. What more was out there?

Bill appeared with Bubba. Most everyone knew or had been warned about Bubba. He liked the happy crowd and his fangs came down in delight. Sam handed him a warm TrueBlood. “Bill, you want a TrueBlood?”

“That would be very nice,” said Bill. He wrapped his arms around Rachel. “How was your day sweetheart?”

“Lovely, we have done nothing but eat and talk to everyone; it has been fun getting to know everyone.”

“Good,” he said. Sam brought him the warm TrueBlood and he drank from it.  “Thank you Sam.”

“The guests of honor are here, ready to do the thing,” said Sam in a very low voice. Bill scanned the crowd. Preston was holding Hunter’s hand and had his arm around Sookie. Sookie looked back at Bill. He smiled at her and nodded his head.
                “Wait, Eric isn’t here yet,” she said. “I just want to see him one last time.”

“Only a few minutes, Amelia is ready and so are Diantha and her uncles,” he reminded her. Suddenly a red Corvette appeared. Eric slid out and went to where Sky and Bill and Rachel were. Bill nodded his head toward Sookie. He looked her way. Sookie smiled at him. She waved a little and he nodded at her and smiled. She looked at Preston and they began to just casually walk toward the woods, holding hands. When the darkness swallowed them, they reappeared, coming from the other side of the house. ‘Sookie’ nodded at Sam and Bill and Eric. ‘Preston’ and ‘Hunter’ went and sat down and began to chat with Calvin Norris and Jason Stackhouse.

At the key hole, Sookie could see the glimmer and wave of what must be that thin spot. Amelia and Preston grabbed the bags and Hunter was given his backpack and his canvas bag. Sookie put on her backpack and grabbed her canvas tote as tears fell down her cheeks. Preston grabbed a bag and slung the strap over his chest and shouldered another bag. Amelia was lighting candles and setting out bowls of burning herbs and other things. She and Preston faced the thin place and began to chant approximating  a language Preston told her was ancient Irish.  The thin place began to glow. It was almost time to go.

Judith watched in the woods. She could see the boy and the woman there, chatting with everyone. Bill was with the dark haired woman. Soon he would leave her. He would leave her and come to her. They would raise Robert together and he would be happy. He would forget her. She tightened her hold on the stake.  She would stake Eric, he was the one who stole hers and Bill’s child, the thing that would make him love her. A child, a child they could raise. He would have his family back again. She began to creep toward them.

The door was open. It was a strange bluish light with little golden sparkles. Suddenly a bright figure stepped out. “Sookie, welcome home great granddaughter,” said Niall Brigant.

“Are you ready Sookie?” said Preston.

“Yeah,” she said. “Hunter that is your great great grandfather,” she said. He looked at the regal looking fairy prince.

“Come Hunter, you are about to go on a great adventure,” said the fairy. The boy took his hand and Niall took him into the light. Sookie and Preston went through next. Amelia stood there, the only person to see Sookie Stackhouse leave Bon Temps forever.

As soon as Sookie and Preston stepped through the light, the door disappeared. She cleaned up the bowls and candles and left them there under the undergrowth. She was walking back toward the party when she heard a loud scream. She began to run.

Bill and Eric turned around and immediately put themselves in front of Sky and Rachel. The weres ran up and a panther screamed. Bubba had a hold of something struggling and screeching. “No you ain’t gonna hurt Bill and Mr. Eric,” he said. Suddenly Bubba had a wild look in his eye and stumbled back. Eric moved faster than you could blink appearing by the side of the creature Bubba had been struggling with. She was the vampire who had kidnapped Hunter. She growled and hissed at Eric as he held her still. He fell back onto the ground and Bill went over and knelt by Bubba.

“Hey Bill,” he choked. “I saved you.”

“You did,” said Bill. “Just rest.”

“I am so tired Bill,” he said. “And I can’t see you so good.”

“Don’t worry Bubba, everything is going to be okay.” Heidi squatted down. She and Bill shared a look.

“I’m awful tired Bill. Think I will just close my eyes now,” he said.

“That would be just fine,” he said.

“Close my eyes and sleep…maybe forever,” he said. He coughed up a thick gout of blood. “I ain’t scared.”

“No reason to be. You have been my very good friend,” said Bill.

“Are they gone? Did Miss Sookie get to heaven?” he asked.  Bill looked up at Amelia. Amelia nodded.

“She did Bubba,” said Bill.

“I will meet her there and I won’t be so confused anymore,” his chest heaved several times and he squeezed Bill’s hand, his eyes rolling around. “Momma? Jesse?” He let out a great sigh and he stopped. Elvis had left the building.

“Bill, why isn’t he…” asked Sky.

“Bubba was not a proper vampire. He should never have been made one of us. Now he is free,” said Bill. He stroked his hair with fondness. “Pam, we need his travel coffin. It is at my house in the storage closet.” She nodded and she and Indira went to get the coffin. Bill carefully pulled the stake out of Bubba’s chest. Bill stood and walked over to Judith, still struggling. He said nothing and when she began to speak, he put his hand on her mouth and drove the stake into her chest and Eric dropped her. She began to melt and smolder away.  Bill turned around and looked at Rachel’s face. Her look was a confused look of worry, fear and anxiety. He went to her.  “I am sorry you had to see that?”

“Who was she?” she asked.

“She was my vampire sister,” said Bill.

“Oh, she wanted to hurt you?” she asked.

“She wanted to hurt you. I have to see to Bubba. Can you and Sky help everyone begin clearing everything away?” he asked.

“Sure Bill,” she said.

They worked like an army. Food was wrapped and stowed in vehicles and trash was collected. Sam and Hoyt and Jason brought the ice over and Eric dumped it over the ashes of what was Judith. She was just one more creature who found her resting place in Sookie’s yard. Andy doused the grills and set them to one side to cool.  Tables were put away with the help of naked weres who shifted as soon as they were loaded in Sam’s truck. Everyone was heading to their cars, making a perfunctory stop to hug the imposters and Bill went up to Diantha/Sookie. “Don’t waste time,” he said. “When everyone is gone, do what you have to do.”

“You bet Bill. See you at the memorial service,” she said.

“See you then,” he said.

Eric walked Sky over to his car. “Stay with Bill and Rachel tonight. I will come and get you tomorrow night and you can stay with me if that is something you would like,” he said.

“I would love it,” she said. He put his hand on her face and kissed her gently but thoroughly.

“See you tomorrow night,” he said.

“Where will you be tonight?” she asked.

“Fangtasia,” he said. “Call me if there is trouble.”

“I will,” she said. “Be careful.”

“I will,” he said. He kissed her again and slid into his car and she shut his door. She ran a little to catch up with Bill and Rachel. A panther ran along side of her but she was not afraid.  Pam was ahead of them with another vampire, carrying the coffin that contained the remains of Bubba.

“What will you do with Bubba?” she asked.

“I have to call the King of Tennessee and ask his advice,” said Bill.

Everyone was gone and the imposters made motions of bringing in some things into the house. “Hunter, go on and get your pajama’s on and get ready for bed,” said ‘Sookie’.

“C’mon Preston, let’s go, you said you would read me a story,” said ‘Hunter’.

“Go get ready and pick out the book and I will be in soon,” said ‘Preston’. ‘Sookie’ and ‘Preston’ took a moment on the porch and he put his arms around her. “Ready Diantha?” asked Desmond.

“Let’s go,” she said.

“Ten minutes,” he said.

“That will be perfect,” she said. They went inside and ‘Preston’ closed the door. They moved around in the house, turning off some lights. Rachel and Bill and Sky were in Bill’s house, just sitting down and Pam and Indira were driving away toward Shreveport with Amelia, who was staying with Pam, and Heidi was on Bill’s porch.

Latesta was deep in the weeds that grew thickly around the Stackhouse property creating a boundary between the house and the main highway and the cemetery. He was about to ease back when there was a deafening boom and Sookie’s family home went up in blinding flash. The percussion threw him back and it took a moment for him to shake his head clear and realize what was happening. The roof had flown off in pieces and there was a rain of litter and household goods. He saw the flames shooting up through the remaining structure. He pulled himself together, his ears ringing. He had to get out of here. He moved back into the brush til he came to the highway. He took off walking down the road til he came to his car and got in and headed down the road.

De Castro would not be pleased.

Rachel and Sky jumped a little when the explosion happened. They knew it was coming but it was loud and they saw the path light up like daytime for a second.  Bill stood up, went to the house phone, and called 911.

“Yes, this is Bill Compton, I wish to report an explosion,” he said. “I think it was my neighbor’s home, Sookie Stackhouse. Please send the fire department and the emergency service.” He hung up. “They will think it is strange if I am not there, you girls stay right here, Heidi will come in and join you.”

“Okay Bill,” said Rachel.

“I’ll be home by dawn, but you may be asleep,” he said.

“Be careful Bill,” she said.

“Don’t worry,” he said.

Bill walked down at human speed. It made him sad to see Sookie’s house burning down. He went and stood by the pine trees he used to lean against to wait for her. He watched the fire truck come down the gravel drive and then another fire truck with a pumper and two ambulances. He saw the red and blue wick wack lights of the Sheriff’s car. Sheriff Dearborn was not a happy camper. He stared daggers at Bill as he drove up. Bill began to walk toward the sheriff’s car.

“What the hell happened here?” he said to Bill.

“Miss Stackhouse was having a cookout with her friends and family. I was attending with my friend Rachel Westnight and Eric Northman and his friend. The party broke up and we helped her clear away the debris and I walked my friend and her tenant to my home. They had a little too much to drink  so I invited them to spend the night in my home. As they were preparing to go to bed, I was at my computer, preparing to do some work when we heard the explosion,” explained Bill.

“You expect me to believe that?” asked the Sheriff.

“It is the truth,” said Bill.

“Is it true Sookie was knocked up?” asked Sheriff Dearborn.

“She was expecting a child,” said Bill.

“I bet that was one hell of a temptation, a young woman and a baby inside her, bet you couldn’t stand it and you decided you didn’t have to. So you broke in and you drained her,” he said.

“That is the most repulsive thing I have ever heard. Contrary to the Fellowship the Sun, vampires consider it a taboo, a perversion, to drink the blood of pregnant women and children,” he said.

“Yeah, but she was done with you, you all are real possessive, you figured if you could not have her, no one could,” said Dearborn.

“Sookie was her own woman. She remained my very dear friend even after our romantic relationship ended,” said Bill. “I would never have harmed her or her child.”

“What about that big blond in Shreveport?” asked the Sheriff.

“Ask him yourself,” said Bill. Eric was striding toward the Sheriff of Bon Temps.

“What has happened?” asked Eric.

“As if you didn’t know,” said Dearborn. “You were here, Compton has already said so.”

“I was, I was attending a gathering here with my female companion. I had to go to work and as my companion had too much to drink, Bill offered to bring her to his home instead of drive impaired,” said Eric. “Is Sookie in there?”

“We don’t know, we were hoping you could tell us,” said Dearborn. “Where were you when the house exploded?”

“Bill called me when it happened. I was standing behind the till at my bar, checking the early receipts, speaking to my accountant,” said Eric. And Maxwell Lee would swear to it.

“So you weren’t here?” asked Dearborn.

“If I am behind the bar at Fangtasia I am not here in Sookie’s yard,” said the vampire.

“I asked Compton, so I will ask you, did you know Sookie was knocked up?” asked the Sheriff.

“Humans use such repulsive expressions for the thing that is the genesis of us all, human, vampire and two natured. Yes, I knew Sookie was with child, I knew before even she did. I informed her of her pregnancy,” said Eric.

“Really, how did you know?” asked Dearborn.

“I heard the child inside her,” said Eric. “I am very in tune with women who are pregnant. My waitresses believe I am a vampire pregnancy test I have informed so many of them when they have conceived.”

“Pam does like to call you ‘first alert’,” said Bill smirking.

“Among other choice names,” he said.

“So, hearing that new life, smelling the changes in their blood that makes you pretty thirsty doesn’t it?” he asked.

“Perhaps you don’t know this, but when I was human I was a married man and I had a wife and children. I would starve before I would drink a woman who was pregnant or a child,” said Eric, his eyes glowing.

“She broke up with you and moved on pretty quick,” said the Sheriff. “Why?”

“I was unfaithful to her with another vampire,” said Eric.

“Are you still with this vampire woman?” asked Dearborn.

“No, she met the true death,” said Eric.

“So when your vampire girlfriend died, you came back and found Sookie was fucking someone else and you got mad, so you and Compton over here went to her house this evening and drank her dry and then burned down her house,” he said.

“Sookie had rescinded her invitation to us, we could not go into her house, even if she were in trouble,” said Bill, stepping between Eric and the Sheriff.

“I don’t want you or Mr. Northman to wander off,” said Sheriff Dearborn. “In fact, I want you and your female friends to come to the sheriff’s office and answer a few questions tomorrow evening.”

“What the hell is going on here?” asked Andy as he jumped out his truck. He was still dressed in the clothes he was wearing for the cook out.

“What took you so long?” asked the Sheriff.

“I just got home from here,” said Andy. “Halliegh told me to get back here because there had been an explosion. Was Sookie in there?”

“I am afraid maybe she was,” said Bill.

“I’ll handle this Sheriff,” said Andy. Sheriff Dearborn was more than a little irritated.

“I bet you will, ever since you found out you were kin to this blood sucker you have been taking up on their side,” said Dearborn.

“Now hold on Sheriff, they are citizens, we have to follow the law,” said Andy.

“Follow the law, not kiss their god damned asses,” said Dearborn. “I want their preliminary statements in the morning and I want them and their women in my office tomorrow evening.”

“Alright, alright,” he said. They watched the Sheriff stalk off. “He gets worse every year.”

“You should run for Sheriff Andy,” said Bill. “I would vote for you.”

“Well, here are the statement sheets, take one for yourselves and one for your lady friends and fill them out and sign them and bring them with you when you report to the Sheriff’s office. I will be here all night likely with the fire marshal and I will see to it you get a copy of the report,” said Andy.

“Thank you,” said Bill.

The papers and the news were all over the story. Sky and Rachel watched it on Bill’s flat screen and they could hear the tv crews and the news paper people all over the grounds, even near Bill’s property and in the cemetery. If Sookie’s parent’s graves were not photographed a thousand times, it was not photographed once. Mustafa Khan turned anyone away from the Compton house and Rachel called Sally and told her to close the shop, she would be back Monday.

Jason was at the house. He’d gotten there just as Bill and Eric were leaving. He stood there watching as they dug through the ashes to make sure everything was out. They found Bill’s hidey hole and questioned its purpose. “Well, she was dating a vampire, she would have a place for them to sleep in the day, instead of letting them go up in flames there in her bed. She had full sun in her bedroom.”

Tara, JB, Michele, and Kennedy came over that afternoon with a laundry basket and combed the yard for any little something that might have survived. There was a tin measuring cup, a couple of angels Gran had on her fireplace mantel, a Fangtasia drink coaster and a few other things were found. Though they found all these things, nothing of Sookie was found. Jason did cry, not because she was truly dead, but because she was truly gone. Amelia came back from Shreveport and on Bill’s advice, she picked up her car and took off back to New Orleans. She would come back for the memorial.

That evening, Sky and Rachel had their suppers and Bill rose and Eric arrived. He and Sky would go to Shreveport after the interview. She wondered about her vampire sheriff. How he was feeling, was he handling things okay. As they stood and spoke to each other, she felt his hand stroke her back and then rest on the small of her back.

“What were we advised to do about Bubba?” asked Eric.

“The King of Tennessee wants us to bring him home after Sookie’s memorial service, he understands there are things that have to be done here, and they have to make the arrangements for Bubba there,” said Bill.

“I hope it is not like the god awful three ring white trash circus they made of his first funeral,” said Eric.

“Well, King Russell Edgington has recommended you for the leader of the service as you did such a wonderful job officiating his and Bartlett’s wedding,” said Bill.

“I should contact John Quinn,” said Eric.

“The king of Tennessee has been advised Quinn is the man for the job,” said Bill.

“Well, let’s get this over with,” said Eric. “I want to stop by Fangtasia and then call it a night. Are you ready Sky?”

“Whenever you are,” she said.

“Mustafa, take Miss Faulconer’s car to my house, if you please,” said Eric.

“Sure Eric,” he said.

Rachel and Bill went into town in Bill’s car and Sky was in Eric’s Corvette. “BLDSKR, huh?”

“That would be me,” said Eric.

“Sort of asking to be pulled over, what with this red sports car and that tag,” she said.

“Well, it makes driving more interesting,” he said.  Sky reached out to him and put her hand on his hand, resting on his long thigh.

“How are you Eric?” she asked. He glanced at her and he turned his hand over and raised her hand to his mouth.  He pressed his cool lips on her skin.

“I am fine,” he said. “I will be happier once the formalities are over with. I hate dealing with human law enforcement.”

“I imagine so,” she said. “After not having to do it for so long.”

“I hope you will like my house. I had it recently renovated.”

“I am sure it will reflect the man,” she said.

“What did you do today?” he asked.

“I worked on my lesson plans, doing some renovating myself,” she said.

“Are you looking forward to teaching this fall?” he asked.

“I am,” she said.

“What is your schedule like?” he asked.

“I teach four day classes, three evening and I have Friday’s off,” she said.

“I was thinking, if you like, if I could give you a key to my house, a pass at the gate, so you can come and go from my house as you like, and you could stay with me from time to time, as you like,” he said, picking his words carefully.

“Well, I could do that during the week in the summer and on the weekends and holidays, but in the winter, only during the holidays and the weekends,” she said. “If I like.” Eric grinned at her.

“I will arrange it for you and have the pass and key for you Monday,” he said. “Do you want to complete the blood bond tonight?”

“Do you want to? I know I want to, since the night before last,” she said.

“I do, and I am sorry for the way I handled things the other night,” he said.

“I am sorry for being so pushy. I am a red headed woman Eric, and an Irish fishwife and I have a monumental temper,” she said.

“Well, I am a Norseman, I think I am big enough to handle whatever you can dish out,” he said.

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said. “Did you ever go to Norse Dublin?”

“Oh yes,” said Eric.

The interview was perfunctory and they did not offer much more than Bill and Eric had told the Sheriff last night. They asked the girls what they knew about Preston. “I just met him that day at the shop when he and Sookie came in to get her prenatal vitamins and some tea and then there at the lawn party,” said Rachel.

“I had just met them that night,” said Sky.

“He was employed by the Bon Temps Municipal Library,” offered Bill.

“Did you know him Eric?” asked Andy.

“I knew who he was but I did not know him personally,” said Eric. “I spoke to him briefly at the party but that was all.”

“And do I understand you correctly you told Sookie she was pregnant?” asked Andy.

“Yes,” he said.

“How did you feel about that? You were her last boyfriend and you had not been broken up for long,” said Andy.

“I was happy for Sookie, she had always wanted a normal life, well, as normal a life as one could have considering her situation. Having a child was something I could never give her, so I was happy for her,” said Eric.

“And you Bill?”

“Sookie and I had long since stopped being intimate, and I only wanted her happiness. When she found out she was pregnant, I know she was happy and I was happy for her,” he said.

“How long have you and Miss Westnight been seeing one another?”

“A little more than a month,” said Bill.

“And you and Miss Faulconer?” asked Andy.

“A couple of weeks, we are just getting to know one another,” said Eric.

“Do you know of anyone who might carry a grudge against her?” asked Andy.

“She had enemies in the Fellowship of the Sun and the Take Back the Night movement, of course, as a result of her involvement with us,” said Bill.

“Anyone specifically?” asked Andy.

“She had been harassed by former FBI agent Tom Latesta,” said Eric. “You may want to look into that.”

“I will,” said Andy. “Thank you all for coming in and I will get back to you.”

“When will you hear from the fire marshal? I know Jason is anxious to have her memorial service,” said Bill.

“A couple of days,” he said. “I know Jason has been working on her service already, picked out a stone memorial to put by their parent’s grave and her gran’s grave.”

“That is very good, please let Jason know if he needs anything, he should contact me,” said Bill.

“I will,” said Andy. “You all have a nice evening and thanks for coming in.”