| Bled
Part 1:
The Invitation
Blond haired, blue eyed, Sookie Stackhouse was prettier than average twenty-five year olds. Her legs were strong, her waist tiny; her bosom was substantial, and yet, she didn’t get out much. It wasn’t because of her looks, quite the contrary; Sookie Stackhouse was different, and not so much in a good way. Sookie was a telepath, able to read people’s minds, a gift (she thought of it more as a curse) that most people feared; it was hell on dates. Sookie had always known she’d wind up with someone equally different.
His name was Bill Compton, a one hundred, thirty-seven year old vampire, new to Bon Temps, and this was the second time he’d come into Merlotte’s bar, where Sookie worked as a waitress. He took her hand, his skin pallor and cool, and Sookie smiled: this was her vampire. She’d saved him from being drained by the Rattrays in Merlotte’s parking lot on his first visit, when afterward he’d asked, “What are you,” as if he’d never quite seen someone like her. And he hadn’t. It wasn’t everyday that a vampire met someone they couldn’t glamour, couldn’t will into doing their bidding. Indeed, Sookie Stackhouse was different.
Bill Compton had liked her from the beginning. His being there was just another job, true, but rarely did he find such pleasure in his work; dare say it, he was beginning to have feelings for the mortal. He held her soft, warm, hand and stared into her eyes, blue into blue gray, and wondered what she was thinking. He was thinking that he’d have liked nothing more than to throw her down onto the table and have her right then and there, give into his animalistic nature, but that wouldn’t be welcome, wouldn’t be gentlemanly like. Besides, he’d wager that Sookie deserved better, had waited a long time for better, so he decided that he’d play nice…would be better. That was how their meetings were…cool and calm.
So when Bill Compton barged through Sookie’s door unannounced, catching Sam Merlotte’s mouth on hers, Sookie was enraged. He’d left her when she needed him most, and now came busting through her door like a jealous madman…mad vampire, and she made it clear that she wasn’t amused, wasn’t grateful, even, that he’d come back now. She took back her invitation, forcing him to leave her home, and slammed the door in his face. She’d left Sam standing alone in her living room; she was hurt and confused.
Bill Compton, the vampire, her boyfriend, who’d left her.
Sam Merlotte, the shape shifter who loved her.
A killer, after her, still on the loose, and her mind racing with a million thoughts, and yet, none, all at the same time.
Part 2:
Gone
Bill had felt Sookie, had known that she needed him, but he couldn’t move. At the time he knew she was in trouble, he was holding a lifeless Jessica in his arms, still under the watchful eyes of Eric, the magistrate, and everyone higher up at the tribumal: he was forbidden to leave. Then he’d returned to her, only to find her in the arms of Sam Merlotte, the man he’d asked to protect her, the man who was in love with her. Bill felt like a fool. But, what could he have done? Had he left, he’d have faced stricter consequences…then again, they wouldn’t have allowed him to.
Sookie Stackhouse didn’t fully understand. She paced back and forth in her bedroom, leaving Sam to stand alone in her trashed living room; she didn’t know what to do. Unknown to her, her best friend was homeless, her brother was in jail for murder, a killer was still after her, Bill was gone, and her heart? She didn’t know about her heart, let alone anything, at that moment. She threw herself underneath her covers and fell into a deep sleep.
Sam straightened up the living room, tried to be quiet as he swept up the broken glass. His jaw hurt, Bill had nailed him a good one. He checked the shotgun again and sat on the sofa, his mind racing, his heart longing, his guard up. Despite the consequences, Sam vowed to keep Sookie safe, whether she wanted him to or not.
Part 3:
Run, Sookie, Run
Sookie was telling Jason to shut up, but he wouldn’t listen. He asked Andy to make her leave, and after her car wouldn’t start, Renee offered her a ride home in Jason’s truck, which had just been given to him. Jason was sure he’d fry for murders that he didn’t even know for certain that he’d committed. Sookie was sure she knew who the killer was…almost…and she wasn’t going to let her brother go down for something he didn’t do.
Sookie invited Renee inside for tea, and that’s when she caught the thoughts in his mind, him murdering Cindy and Gram, and all at once it hit her why his thoughts had no accent: Renee was Dru Marshall, Cindy’s brother. Renee was the killer. Sookie backed away slowly to get a towel, she told him, but he followed her, and the chase ensued. Sam knew it, Bill knew it, and both hurried to Sookie's rescue; Sam despite his shapeshifting, Bill despite the sun. He was beating her ferociously, punching her in the face and strangling her…and oh, God, his horrible thoughts, when Sam, who’d shifted, jumped onto Renee’s back. After Sam was knocked unconscious and had changed back, Renee flew into a rage, kicking him and beating him. Just as he was about to kill him, Sookie struck with a nearby shovel, landing a fatal blow. Sam regained consciousness, and in the distance, Sookie saw the smoke.
She and Sam did the only thing they knew to do: bury Bill to keep him from the sunlight. Jason was released. Tara was getting used to life with MaryAnn, and Sookie was finally safe. She worried about Bill, thought him to be dead, until he showed up at her doorstep. Arlene was a basket case. Lafayette hadn’t been to work in two weeks. Andy Bellefleur was pissed that he’d had to let Jason go. Sookie went back to work. Things seemed back to normal in Bon Temps. For a little while. At least, that was, until Lafayette Reynold's body was found in Andy Bellefleur’s car outside of Merlotte’s.
Part 4:
Bon Temps Sex Party
Eric Northman was smiling from ear to ear. “Why, Ms. Stackhouse, you look positively delectable.” He paused, looked over her skin tight, barely there, attire again. “I could just eat you up. If you’d let me,” he added, revealing his fangs, and Sookie sighed and rolled her eyes.
Normally she’d have been frightened, but under the circumstances, she was in no mood for humor---or seriousness---or what she was about to endure. She’d asked Eric to accompany her to the orgy---sex party---what have you---to gain information on Lafayette’s death, and in order to keep her safe. She didn’t want to go to clear the Bellefleur name, but because Lafayette had been her friend, she felt that using her ability was safer than poor Portia Bellefleur’s going. Bill had insisted that Sookie take Sam or Jason with her; he’d be less than pleased to discover that she’d instead asked Eric, be even less so still if he discovered that Eric had kissed her, had flirted with her, and by the look of his Lycra, would do much more to her, if given the opportunity.
They exited Sookie’s house and got in the red corvette, made their way to the cabin where the party was being held. *** Sookie had to get some air. She hadn’t been in the place but five minutes max, and was already feeling sick. So many naked bodies attached to so many familiar faces; Eggs, Tara Thornton’s fiancée, was busy trying to unbutton her shorts when Eric came up behind her and replaced his hand with hers. He managed to slide his fingers below the line of her lace panties before she turned around to face him. His mouth found hers, tongue parting her lips, hands cupping her bottom, and she tried to clear her mind of her thoughts, and began listening to those around her.
After a few moments she whispered to Eric that they needed to leave, quickly, and Eric picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, her long blond hair trailing his Lycra-clad thigh. He lay her out on the corvette and lay atop of her. “Yield to me, Sookie,” he said, his mouth unbearably close, and Sookie’s head swam with her thoughts, the thoughts of those around her, and the nothingness in between.
Eric pressed himself against her and a moan escaped her; Eric smiled, once again revealing his fangs, once again allowing his tongue to part her lips. She’d have been lying, had she denied that she didn’t find Eric attractive, but Sookie was in way over her head, here. She was with Bill. Bill Compton, her boyfriend. Bill Compton, the vampire. But right now, Eric Northman, Area 5 Sheriff, Eric the vampire, was on top of her, his tongue inside her mouth, his hands doing things to her, making her feel things that should have been illegal, and she felt powerless to stop him. Or maybe she didn’t want to stop him. The thought occurred to her almost at once, and she pushed against him, to no avail. Little Sookie Stackhouse pushing against Eric the Vampire was like tossing a grape at a brick wall: pointless. He refused to move, so she bit his tongue, and he moaned. The blood filled Sookie’s mouth and she spit and swallowed some of it, and Eric laughed.
He rose off of her, still laughing, his lips touching his lips, tasting the blood there. “Sookie, my angel,” he cooed, “you’re a little devil tonight.” He paused. “I find it highly arousing.”
“Go to hell!” Sookie spat, sliding from the hood of the car, trying to compose herself. “You know that Bill is my boyfriend.”
Bill Compton’s voice startled her. “Yes, indeed,” he answered, staring at Eric. Sookie looked at him, and Eric smiled.
Part 5:
Callisto
The maenad arrived out of no where, along with Sam, in collie form. Sookie supposed they’d been in the woods together; for a brief moment she felt a pang of jealousy. Eric and Bill gathered around her then, the patrons inside the cabin, some still naked, where out on the porch watching the goings on. Andy Bellefleur had come from the bushes, drunk and disheveled, his gun in his hand. “I wanna know which a you sumbitches killed that boy and stuffed him in my car!”
Callisto walked to him, nude, a smile upon her face. She’d found out who the culprits were, had driven them mad for it; the rest of the cabins occupants, sans Tara Thornton, were brutally killed by her rage and madness. Sookie was limp between Bill and Eric, their arms were clasped together, holding her body, and just as suddenly as she’d come, Callisto meandered away into the woods.
Sookie woke in Bill’s arms. After she rose up out of bed, he told her everything that had happened, how the tortured thoughts of the cabin’s occupants had practically driven her insane as well and how he and Bill had burned the cabin to cover up what the maenad had done; Sookie felt tired and weak. Andy Bellefleur was cleared of Lafayette’s murder, and the cabin was burned. The police were none the wiser, and, once again, all seemed back in order, as well as it could be, in Bon Temps.
“What the hell were you doin’ there, Sookie?” Sam was asking, in his office.
Sookie looked at him and shook her head. “I had to try to find out who killed Lafayette.”
“To clear Andy?”
“No, because Lafayette was my friend. And Portia Bellefleur was the last person on earth who needed to see…what was going on that night.”
Sam hugged her, and without saying anything, his mouth found hers. Different than Bill or Eric, warmer, Sam’s tongue probed Sookie’s mouth gently, and she felt her body temperature rise. She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, just as Bill entered the office. He was enraged, but stood motionless. Sookie could feel the anger pouring from him as she backed away from Sam. Sam took a step back, fumbled behind his desk for the baseball bat he kept there, silently wondered what good it would do, after his first encounter such as this with Bill Compton.
“This is the second time your mouth has been on Sookie’s,” Bill snarled. “I don’t take lightly to people touching, or tasting, my things.”
Sookie bit her bottom lip in an attempt to stay silent: how dare he call her one of his “things.” His girlfriend, yes, his, maybe, but his thing? “Bill, I…”
Bill raised a hand, a gesture for Sookie to be silent. She obeyed. “Sookie, you and I shall discuss this later.” He took a step toward Sam, whose hand gripped the handle of the bat, just in case. “Sam Merlotte, head this warning: if you ever touch Sookie in a matter that is not professional again, I will find you and drain you of every last drop of your foul blood. Is that clear?”
Sam swallowed hard and nodded. Bill took Sookie by the arm and led her out of the office and out of Merlotte’s. There was silence on the drive to Sookie’s house.
Part 6:
Cleansed
Bill opened the car door, didn’t wait for Sookie to get out, but instead reached in and took her in his arms. He was up the steps and inside in an instant, and a few moments later she was standing in her bathroom, Bill in front of her, eyeing her from head to toe.
“You smell like him.”
He began to run a bath.
“The night before, you smelled of sex and smoke and of Eric.” He paused. “And tonight you smell of heat and of…him.”
Sookie folded her arms around herself, feeling ashamed and cold.
Bill stepped toward her, removed her arms, and tore her dress from her shoulders. He ripped it from her small frame and Sookie shuddered. She couldn’t ascertain whether he was enraged and aroused, or just enraged.
Bill picked her up and lowered her into the tub and rolled up his shirt sleeves. He turned the water off and began washing her body. Face, neck, shoulders, arms, breasts, stomach, legs, and then back up to her thighs.
“Spread your legs for me, Sookie.”
She saw that his fangs were out, and as he began to clean her, rubbing gently and then more quickly and more forcefully, her eyes rolled back and her head lulled. After a few moments, when her breathing had calmed, Bill stood up and dried his arms.
“Now you are clean,” he said coolly as he walked out of the bathroom.
Sookie shivered.
“Bill,” she called, “don’t you want to…?”
“You’ve had Eric’s blood,” he said coldly. “I couldn’t stand the taste of you right now.”
The tears stung Sookie’s eyes and she stepped out of the tub and began drying off. She put her robe on and made her way back into the bedroom, was surprised when Bill took her hairbrush from her and began combing her hair: a favorite past time for him.
“Sookie, I apologize,” he said after a long silence, his voice quieter. “I am by no means human, as you well know, but I remain jealous.” He paused. “If it weren’t for your regard for Sam, I’d have killed him tonight.”
“And Eric?” Sookie asked, tilting her head.
“Eric is much more powerful than I am.” He paused. “But I would defend your honor to the death,” he said finally, and Sookie believed him.
Bill finished combing her hair and kissed her forehead. He lay with her until almost dawn, and then went into his space in her closet, where he slept sometimes during the days.
Sookie went to work, avoided Sam as best she could, but it didn’t stop her from catching his thoughts every now and then.
She missed Bill.
Part 7:
Merlotte’s Deal
Vampire marriages were becoming legal. Arlene beamed and giggled, and Sookie smiled.
“He hasn’t even asked me yet.”
Sam was furious.
“I’ll even give ya a party. Probably have vampire wedding planners…hell, it’d put Arlene’s party to shame.”
Everyone looked at him as he tossed the rag he’d used to wipe the bar down with away and walked out. He went into his office and opened the safe, began stuffing money into a bag.
***
Sookie shuddered after cumming for the second time. Bill’s tongue traced the wound in small circles. She lay her head on his chest, hearing no heartbeat there, and sighed, then smiled.
“Vampire marriages are legal in Vermont, now,” she blurted, and Bill smiled.
“Is that why you were so excited upon your arrival home this evening?” he asked, referring to her practically jumping him when she came through the door.
Sookie giggled. “Idaknow.”
Bill smiled, kissed her forehead. “I think I know,” he whispered. He rose up and looked at her, caressed her face. “Sookie Stackhouse,” he began quietly, “if and when the time comes, in Bon Temps, for us to be allowed to legally wed…nothing would make me happier than to have you as my wife.”
Sookie grinned from ear to ear and kissed him gently.
***
Callisto stared at him.
“He is vampire.”
“I want something done about this.” He paced the floor. “Sookie can’t marry a vampire. It just isn’t right.”
“Oh, there are more than your morals at stake, no pun intended,” she added, “here, Sam.” She paused, sipped her tea. “You love her.”
“Well so what if I do? Does anything justify the living marrying the dead?”
“Sookie thinks so.”
“Bill Compton is a monster!”
“Sookie loves him.”
Sam shook his head.
“I can’t allow it. I won’t.”
Callisto thought a moment. “You can keep your money, Sam Merlotte.”
Sam shot her a look. “It’s no good to me.” She paused. “However, there is something that you can do for me…”
Part 8:
The Assignment
Sookie wasn’t happy. Bill was leaving for Mississippi on a secret assignment, ordered to him not by Eric, but by the queen of Louisiana herself.
Sookie wasn’t allowed to go.
Bill had told her that if anything were to happen to him, or if she didn’t hear from him in, say, eight weeks, to look in the “hidey-hole” in her house for his computer and some disks. She promised that she would, and promised to stay away while he was working on his project. Bill agreed that it was for the best, and Sookie left that December night, confused and angry.
***
Tara Thornton and Sam Merlotte were drunk. Sookie had been avoiding Sam, and Tara was tired of not getting any sex. Their remedy for their ails? Have sex together.
So they did.
***
Sookie had learned that Bill had betrayed her. He’d fallen in love with a former vampire flame, Lorena.
He was no longer her boyfriend, she reckoned, but it didn’t stop her from missing him like crazy. And here was Alcide, strong yet gentle, a Were.
Sookie closed her eyes. | |
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