Author’s Note: I just want to remind everyone that when I say/write Sook that is referring to human Sookie. When I say/write Sookie that is vampire Sookie. Of course, this may change when someone is speaking but I will try to avoid that.
Chapter 4: Change
The party at Godric’s and Sookie’s nest was in full swing. Vampires and humans were lined up to talk to Godric: Sookie was sitting on his lap instead of the chair next to his. None of the vampires took issue with that, knowing that they are mates and they didn’t want to incur either vampire’s wrath for separating them. Sookie kept watch on her human descendant from afar throughout the night: She was mingling and talking to other guests with her vampire by her side. However, Sookie’s attention was drawn to the blond human man who had hugged Sook earlier since he was the next person in line. It was her other descendant, Sook’s brother Jason.
“I just wanted to say that I am real sorry about what the Fellowship did to you,” the young man spoke.
“Mr. Stackhouse, please know that your actions saved many lives today,” Sookie told him.
“Also, know that you have friends here,” Godric added.
“No offense meant but I don’t think I will be returning to Dallas anytime soon,” Jason replied. Godric nodded and Jason left. The party continued: At one point Eric came over and talked with the couple.
“Is there anything you need master? I can arrange to have an AB- human for you. They are very rare,” Eric asked.
“No Eric. We fed earlier,” Godric answered.
“Eric, later you need to tell us everything about this Bill vampire. There is something that is making feel suspicious of him,” Sookie planned.
“Of course, perhaps you can both shed some light on the information I have gathered,” Eric agreed.
All three of the vampires noticed the confrontation that had started between the telepath and a vampire Sookie didn’t recognize. Sookie was surprised at Sook’s daring and seeming fearlessness in confronting the vampire. Sookie and her mate shared a look that communicated what they should do. When the vampire grabbed Sook by the neck and forced her onto a table, Godric, Eric and Sookie sped over there. Godric grabbed the vampire’s throat, stopping her. Sookie was on the other side of Godric while Eric was a couple steps behind them.
“Retract. Your. Fangs. Now,” Godric commanded as he backed the vampire away from the young woman who got off the table and went into the arms of her vampire. “I neither know nor care who you are, but in this area, and certainly in this nest, I am the authority. Do you understand?” Godric stated. By this point the female vampire had been backed up until she was against the back edge of one of the couches.
“Yes sheriff,” the vampire responded scared. Godric let go of the vampire’s neck and she sagged, still looking angry, and relieved that the Sheriff had finally released her. Sookie didn’t say anything: If she had, it would have undermined Godric’s authority as sheriff. If it had been a private nest only matter, then she would have been more involved.
As he gestured to the young woman, Godric continued, “This human has proven herself to be a courageous and loyal friend to our kind, and yet you treat her like a child does a dragonfly, pulling off wings for sport. No wonder they hate us.”
“She provoked me,” the vampire defended: Sookie huffed so quietly that only Godric heard her.
Godric got in the vampire’s face, “And you provoke me. You disrupt the peace in my home. I could snap you like a twig, and I haven’t. Now why is that?” Godric proposed. Sookie wanted to snap the vampire like a twig for even saying one wrong word about the fearless young woman who had helped retrieve her mate. Unfortunately, doing so would not be beneficial to anyone for more than a second.
“It’s your choice,” the vampire answered sulkily.
“Indeed, it is,” Godric agreed. He shook his head, “You are an old vampire, I can tell. You’ve had hundreds of years to better yourself, yet you haven’t. You are still a savage, and I fear for all of us, humans and vampires, if this behavior persists.”
Sookie turned to Bill, “You, you seem to know her.” Bill released Sook and straightened up.
“Yes,” Bill replied.
“Escort her from the nest,” Sookie told Bill who nodded.
“I wish you out of my area before dawn,” Godric declared. The female vampire got up and walked away with Bill behind her.
After Bill was out of sight, Eric went over to Sook and asked, “Are you alright?” She seemed surprised by Eric’s concern but didn’t object to it.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Sook informed them all. Sookie and Godric backed away so that the vampire and the human could have a moment. The party started up again, the sheriff and his mate quickly engaged in conversation with others around them.
“Can I have everyone’s attention!” a human’s voice rang out. All the voices stopped and everyone faced the human standing near the door.
“My name is Luke McDonald and I have a message from Reverend Steve Newlin,” the human stated. Then he opened his jacket to reveal a bomb.
“Everyone get down,” Sook shouted. The human pushed the detonator and the bomb exploded. Sookie and Godric, like many other vampires, used their vampire speed to avoid being seriously injured, but the blast still knocked them down. After a moment Sookie sat up and took note that she was not injured. She looked over and saw Godric doing the same.
“Are you alright, my love?” Godric asked Sookie.
“Yes, are you?” she returned.
“I am fine,” Godric answered. They both stood up and linked hands before they surveyed the damage. Isabel came over to them, appearing to be unharmed.
“Make arrangements at Hotel Camila,” Godric ordered. Isabel nodded and sped off. Sookie looked and found a rather peculiar sight. Sook was on top of Eric, sucking on his chest. Godric saw what she was looking at and was going to intervene when Bill re-entered the house. He grabbed her and hauled her off Eric, most likely bruising her wrist. Bill and Sook started to have an argument while Eric got up off the floor.
Godric and Sookie walked over to Eric. “Everyone, arrangements have been made at the Hotel Camila. Go there,” Sookie announced. They saw Bill practically dragging Sook away. Everyone left, leaving Godric, Sookie, and Eric standing in what remained of the ruined house.
“What happened?” Godric asked Eric. Eric stood at his tallest as he reported to his maker,
“I blocked the blast from Ms. Stackhouse because the explosion would have killed her, but by doing so I landed on top of her. Fragments of silver were launched into my chest, making it impossible for me to move. After Ms. Stackhouse pushed me off her I informed her that I needed her help in getting the silver out. I figured the best way was for her to suck it out.”
“Why did you think that was the best way?” Sookie wondered.
“So that I could get the silver out of me and some of my blood into her. This will make it easier to keep an eye on her. Then, just as she took out the last piece of silver, her precious Beehl,” he mocked, “showed up and proceeded to manipulate her by telling her I wasn’t in any danger and that I just wanted my blood in her to control her,” Eric finished.
“I imagine Ms. Stackhouse will be mad at you for sneaking your blood into her for quite some time,” Godric stated. Sookie didn’t reprimand Eric because his life was in danger and it wouldn’t be right to punish him when he was Godric’s child, at least without Godric’s permission.
“Let’s go,” Godric said. They glanced at the house one more time before taking a car to the hotel.
The next night everyone gathered in Eric’s suite to have a meeting with Nan Flanagan. Isabel, Sookie, and Godric were on one couch with Sookie in the middle. Eric took one of the chairs in between the couches while Sook and Bill took the other couch. Sookie had never liked Nan. Nan thought she was more important than she was because she was on TV and worked for the counsel. The big doors to the suite opened and two human guards stuck their heads in. They surveyed the area before they stepped back to allow Nan to come through. She was dressed in a very expensive looking Hilary Clintonesque pantsuit. However, her heels were unique in that the actual heel was reflective. Sookie had no doubt that the heels of Nan’s shoes were silver.
Nan observed the group before she snapped her fingers. One of the guards went over and grabbed a chair from the other side of the room. He then walked over and put the chair in the empty spot in front of the unlit fireplace. Nan walked over and sat down in the chair, her guards took positions behind her.
“None of you understand the clusterfuck that has been created by this situation,” Nan reported, sounding angry: No one responded. “Tell me everything that happened,” she demanded. Godric and Sookie told Nan what had happened at the church. The others in the room added their parts when appropriate. The only one to stay silent was Sook. Although Sookie had a feeling that she wanted to contribute. Occasionally, during the conversation Sookie observed that Sook would periodically look over at Eric with a curious look in her eyes. Sookie concluded that it must have something to do with the sucking of bullets incident last night. Godric and Sookie had talked last night about what could happen at this meeting and what they were going to do if certain events happened as they predicted they would.
“Well that is quite a story. Godric this is your fault, you fucked up,” Nan declared.
“Don’t talk to him like that,” Eric growled.
Sookie was just about to agree with Eric when Godric spoke, “Eric stop. Nan is right. I take full responsibility for what happened. I should have listened to my mate and brought her or someone else with me.”
“Well at least we can agree on that,” Nan snapped.
“What about the Fellowship’s part in this. They were the ones who kidnapped Godric and planned to publicly burn him!” Sook spoke up for the first time. Sookie was impressed once again with Sook’s bravery and boldness to speak out for a vampire and against humanity. Sookie glanced over at Eric and she saw him looking at Sook with what might have been awe.
“We can’t blame it all on them: That would start a full-on war with the humans,” Nan dismissed Sook’s question. Bill seemed to pull Sook back down to the couch by placing his hand on her wrist.
“Sheriff you’re fired. As a courtesy, we will allow you to pick your successor,” Nan dictated.
“I choose Isabel to be the next sheriff,” Godric expressed his wish.
“Very well,” Nan concluded. They all stood up, knowing the meeting was over.
“Where will you go?” Isabel inquired.
“We were thinking of going to live in Eric’s area, if that is alright with Eric?” Sookie answered and turned to Eric.
“Of course, it would be a honor and a pleasure to have my maker and his mate live in my area,” Eric responded. Bill, Sook, and Eric left the room to go about their business while Nan, Isabel, Godric, and Sookie went and signed the documents to make Isabel the new sheriff of the area. After the few signatures were written Nan and her guards left. Isabel also excused herself to her own room. Sookie and Godric stared at each other as if they could communicate telepathically.
“We should tell her now before we move to Shreveport,” Sookie reasoned.
“I agree but it has been an emotional few days for her,” Godric pointed out.
“This might be our only chance though,” Sookie countered. Godric thought for a moment and then nodded. Sookie held out her hand and Godric placed his in it. They walked out of the room and down the hall to Sook’s room. Not hearing anything, but realizing that it would appear polite to Sook, Sookie knocked on the door. Sook opened the door and looked surprised.
“Is there something wrong?” She asked them.
“No, nothing is wrong,” Sookie replied.
“Is there something I can help you with?” She tried again.
“We would like to talk with you,” Sookie told her many times granddaughter.
“Oh, okay. Please come in,” Sook decided and moved to the side so they could enter the room. Sookie and Godric entered and observed that Bill was not there.
“Where is your vampire?” Godric inquired.
“He went to go make our arrangements,” was the response. Sookie and Godric thought that was suspicious because they knew Eric was handling all the flights and arrangement back to Louisiana. They sat down, Godric was next to Sookie and Sook sat across from them.
“Well I guess I will start at the beginning,” Sookie stated. Sook nodded which indicated she was listening.
“After Eric met you in his bar he called us to tell us about you. The reason he did was not only because we look alike but also because he suspected we had a connection,” Sookie started.
“What kind of connection?” Sook inquired.
“Well your name is Sookie Stackhouse. So is mine,” Sookie revealed. Sook looked confused.
“After further research into my past and your past we found out that I am your ancestor. We are family,” Sookie clarified. Sookie paused to give Sook some time to process the information.
“So, your saying that I have a vampire in the family? That you are Sookie Stackhouse from like the Middle Ages?” Sook asked.
“Yes. I know this must be a shock for you but if it is possible I would like to be in your life,” Sookie replied. “Not as a mother or whatever but as a friend or a sister,” she finished.
“Well you are moving to Shreveport so we will see how it goes,” Sook skeptically agreed.
“All I’m asking for is a chance. Is there anything you wish to ask? About anything?” Sookie wondered. Sook thought for a moment.
“Can I ask you about vampires? Bill hasn’t really told me much,” Sook requested. Sookie found that statement odd. She was under the impression that Sook was more than a pet to Bill and pets usually knew about vampire rules and ways.
“Of course you may,” Sookie consented.
Before she was able to ask her first question Godric stood up and declared, “Well I should go and see how Eric is doing with our arrangements.” He bent down and gave Sookie a quick kiss before he left the room.
“When the bomb went off, Eric was injured. Was his life really threatened?” Sook asked. This wasn’t what Sookie had thought she would ask but she went with it anyway.
“Since the fragments were silver and some of them were very close to his heart, yes his life was in danger. The perhaps wrong thing that he did was he took advantage of the situation to get his blood inside you. However, all vampires are taught to take advantage of any situation in order to survive,” Sookie explained. Sook listened and then nodded her head as if working out a difficult problem in her head.
“What are Godric and you? I have never seen a vampire couple act like you two. and I have heard different things?” Sook inquired. Again, Sookie wondered why Sook didn’t ask Bill. Sookie guessed that she would have to educate her ancestor from now on.
“Godric and I are pledged and we are mates,” she answered, only to have Sook look confused. “Pledged is when you are bound together by vampire law.”
“Like a marriage?”
“Yes. Most pledges among vampires are for political reasons only but, mine and Godric’s pledge is eternal.”
“Is a mate like a soulmate?” Sook questioned.
She nodded, “Correct. Mates are very rare in the vampire world. In fact, many vampires don’t even believe in them because they are so rare,” Sookie told her descendant.
“Wow that is…romantic,” Sook commented and then giggled.
Sookie smiled, “Is there anything else?” Sook thought for a moment.
“Do you know anything about Bill’s past? He won’t tell me anything.” She finally asked.
“I have never met him before this encounter, and I don’t wish to give you rumors. I do wish to tell you that all vampires whether, good or bad, have a bloody and violent past. It is our nature,” Sookie warned.
“Is there anything else you would like to ask?” Sookie wondered.
“No not that I can think of right now,” Sook stated.
“Since Godric and I are moving to Shreveport, you can call me for anything,” Sookie assured her.
“Thank you,” Sook replied. They got up and went to the door. “I know that vampires aren’t really touchy feely, but can I hug you?” Sook inquired, sounding unsure.
Sookie gave her a genuine smile, “Yes you can.” When they hugged something strange happened: Whenever she hugged a human, Sookie was always tempted by their blood. And if what Eric suspected was true, she should have been itching to bite young woman. However, Sookie felt no urge to bite. The two women broke apart and said their goodbyes. Sookie entered the suite she and Godric were sharing with Eric. Godric was on the phone but smiled when he saw her come in. Sookie sat on the couch and began to think. Something was wrong. Godric finished his phone call and sat next to Sookie.
“What is wrong my love?” Godric asked.
“Godric, I think we have to get this human Sookie away from Bill,” Sookie voiced her concern.
“Why?” Godric wondered.
“From what I’ve heard and seen, it seems that Bill is keeping some big secret from his human. Whatever this secret is, it seems like it is going to have very steep consequences,” Sookie suggested.
“I was just so surprised, but now I just want to know more,” Sook exclaimed.
“Sookie we should be cautious about this. She is a vampire,” Bill warned, exasperated.
“But she’s family Bill. I don’t have a lot of family. Really, it’s just Jason and me,” Sook countered. “How do we even know she is telling the truth?” Bill argued, sounding angrier.
“One of Godric’s people dropped off these documents. This proves that the Stackhouse line goes all the way back to when she was human,” Sook excitedly gave Bill the documents.
“You will stay away from her until we get these documents verified,”
Bill commanded. Sook was about to protest when Bill added, “For your safety of course sweetheart.”
Sook smiled at his now loving tone, “Of course Bill.”
Author’s Note: I hope you liked this chapter. I really need to know if you guys liked the changes so please comment, review, questions, etc. I had to include the Lorena confrontation because that is one of my favorite scenes. Thanks to my wonderful beta tj6james. I own nothing. All rights belong to HBO, etc.
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