PART FOUR

Chapter 11

She heard the noises even thought the thick panes of glass and as she stepped forward, the room came into view and a knot filled her stomach, a knot that turned to nausea when she walked up the corridor. The others that had been captured, she saw them being hung on walls by silver, impaled with what had to be silver weapons, their bloody bodied just abused enough and destroyed to send a message. That they were still alive she supposed was something if a miracle and she was hesitant to make a move. Still, she didn't want to see anyone suffering and as she went to enter the room, something was triggered and to her shock, she watched as bullets went flying all over the room, a trap she hadn't expected. And as they made their targets perfectly, she stared with horror as the vamps in the room were finished off in flashed of blood and gore. Booby traps to keep prisoners from being broken free. Great, she thought to herself, wondering if she could flash into where never he was being held. Seeing another room, this one empty, she put a hand on the control panel outside the door and let her power through, sensing it was hitting the circuits, and hoping that perhaps she had deactivated the trap in this room she felt was no doubt present. And she did this in room after room, and as she went, found not a single trap. And through the twists and turns of this place, she found herself at a elevator that so evidently led downward. After arriving on the basement level, she was struggling to sense him, that she knew his life was literally dangling by the threat that remained of the bond…she feared she would be too late, that all of a sudden, she would feel nothing, a void and that would mean she was, in fact too late. As she went around using her light to incinerate the electrical system that worked the traps, the doors, she did come across one room she was able to save a few vampires, the trap made impotent by her magic. As the door opened with the fall of the power in at least this part of the building, she stopped dead in her tracks as was clearly the cream of the crop of torture rooms. She saw a cage within a cage and scented the blood and could see the room was splattered with a great deal of it.

"Oh god…." she said as she let herself into the unlocked room, hurrying to the room and though she knew she was being watched, hunted by Frank, most likely, she had to get to where she saw the body on the ground. Looking like death was understatement and saw that deep cuts had been made that made the skin peel from his body and she even saw bare bone exposed on his chest. She had gained a rather strong stomach over the years but this was the worst thing she had ever seen and to see it happen to her most beloved person in her life…..she turned around when she head something behind her. Wielding a weapon in each hand, Frank was appraising her with something of a lecherous look.

"Pity someone so cute is a abomination…..I saw you on camera before you destroyed the circuits in the security system. That I so carefully put in place and to be honest, I thought my hidden traps within the cell were a stroke of genius. I only activated them knowing you and those friends of yours were here."

"Where are they? My brother and Andy?" she shouted at him as she started towards him, brazen and bold. She knew he knew something was up about her and as she lit her hands up with angry looking light, he looked at her with contempt and a smirk. Firing the one weapon in his hand, she dodged nimbly, but upon his firing the second round, she slipped in a pool of blood and went head over heels. And not the good way.

Chapter 12

She was stunned but for a few moments and as he stood over her, she took things into a less supernaturally charged fighting style. With one thrust of her leg, she made contact and as he clutched his nether regions, she smirked herself and got back to her feet, ready to spar with the man, who was disarmed thanks to her below the belt attack. But he looked like he was far from quitting and as he moved swiftly, he spat at her. "What freakish thing are you?"

"A waitress." she said with a grin and she frowned. "where. Are. My friends?"

"Otherwise occupied….unfortunately, they ran into my final couple vamp guards and though they are regretfully no more, they were able to lock your friends in a room that so happens not to be powered by electricity and with the door being what it is, I think it will be some time before they get out. Pity." he looked at her. "I knew there was more than fanged freaks out there but I had somehow hoped it wasn't true. But clearly you are as abnormal as that is over there." Frank tsk-tsked. "He looks like hell…..perhaps you would like to say your goodbyes-" he moved fast, using her distraction, her pain at seeing him like this to pin her down on the ground, forcing her head to look into the bloody face of the one she had come to save. She wanted to scream, disbelieving what she was seeing and feeling more than a little despondent.

She felt a stabbing sensation in her side and saw the man had knelt at her side and had taken a knife to her, slowly cutting her as if curious as to see what came out. And sure as suspected her blood was a red color as humans were but with that strong faerieness within her, it also had a unnatural sparkle about it. A slight glow and it disgusted the man as he pulled away from her. And it was then the magic came to the surface and her hands were able to reach around just enough to send him off and away from her, she knew he had had other intentions on her and that suspicion was confirmed when she saw he had loosened his belt and with a shudder at what sick thoughts he had had, she made to get to her feet. But in a blur of fierce anger and a violent strangled scream, Frank's now headless body…oh, there went the arms too. And the legs…..in a violent maelstrom she saw as she remained on the ground, seeing the violent demise before her eyes. And as weak as she had known he was, that he had managed to help her out of the sticky situation. Three remaining guards had entered the room and made a beeline for the two of them on the ground and with a cry of fury, she shot to her feet and single handedly executed the last three vamps in the place, or so she hoped. Exhausted, she fell back to her knees at his side, clearly that one desperate action to help her had taken whatever he had left in the tank. "Babe…." she said, not used to using any cutesy names with him. But her worry and concern was great as she rolled him on his back, his eyes closed and she knew time was lacking. With some tentative relief, she turned to see the door to the bloody room open, seeing her brother and Andy looking a little battered but otherwise fine.

"They didn't count on us getting through the vents. Morons." Andy grumbled as he started in on his police radio calling for backup to the scene, to make sure things were clear and there was no way to keep this incident quiet. This would make the news in the morning , this second fallen camp. Jason came over and she was glad to see him and as he approached and saw, realized that most of the blood all over the room was from his

brother in law. funny how that sounded still to the deputy but Jason had to act fast. seeing his sister was in rough shape, he wasted little time in cutting his own wrist, to the stunned shock of his sister. "Look, I owe him one, he helped heal me once and though I still have the dream I had about him burned in my head for all time-" he stopped as she gave him a slightly amused expression. "Never mind. I want to help, ok?"

She relented as she watched as he started to give his blood to the still vamp on the ground. Andy entered the room at that point. "Help is one the way to get things sorted out…..Christ…." he muttered as he approached. "I don't know him too well but what I know is that one is a touch SOB…they really did a number on him." Andy seemed impressed with his younger protégé, what he was doing. "Looks like he's got that under control….you want me to find you some coffee or something Sookie?" he had had the foresight to bring a blanket from the car and as he draped it over her shoulders, he shook his head. "I don't think I have said it to you before, but I am glad….I am glad you found someone Sookie. After what that Ryan did to you, I thought he broke you. And I know how tough you are. But…." Andy trailed off as he looked at her, her gaze focused on her brother as he finished up doing his good deed. He got up off the ground and though looked a little peaky from the giving of his blood, they all saw the blonde on the floor finally starting to stir and Jason ran a hand through his hair.

"I wonder if he is gonna dream anything about me." he sounded worried and it broke the tension as the three laughed. And there came a fourth from down on the floor and to her immense relief, she saw eyes staring up at her.

"I aim to please, even in one's dreams…." the Viking said as they watched his wounds healing up before their eyes, though it was clear he needed more than Jason had been able to give him. Getting up seemed to be something of a slight struggle but there he was, bloodied, clothe less and of course, unashamed. But she took her blanket and wrapped it snug around him and right after she hugged herself tight to him. "don't you ever scare me like that again and I…..after you were here in a place like this before-"

"This time around was much worse…..though I didn't have to watch a loved one…." he trailed off, not wanting to emote too much in front of the others. Instead, he reached around her and promised to help finish his healing back at home. Here and now, it would be a little awkward, with her brother here and all, to say nothing of Andy. they had to get out of there and so she thanked her brother and Andy profusely just as others were coming into the scene to take stock of the events that had happened.

Chapter 13

She heard the sound from the other room, she helped him into bed, both foregoing any shower, both exhausted mentally and physically. And though he had fallen asleep, she swore he was having some kind of nightmare. Which she didn't think was possible, not just because of what he was, but because of who he was. She took a wet, warm cloth and started to gently wash his face, unconcerned about the mess this was to make on her comforter and blankets. There was always to be more blankets and the like but only one of him. And gently she made to offer him a drink, knowing he needed some more, even though he had been upright as they left the scene. That he had literally passed out on the bed had certainly worried her and as she stroked his hair, hoping to wake him from whatever hellish dream he was having, she was somewhat glad to see him relax and finally open his eyes once again, already looking much batter than a mere hour earlier. "Your brother did me some good…." he started. "But I needed a good…dessert."

But she didn't smile. "What was that….you were having a bad dream…a nightmare…I didn't think you were gonna get up." she finished with the cloth, pleased with her handiwork, though they both clearly needed a decent bath. Or shower. Wither option was a winning situation in her mind. He remained silent as he wiped his mouth after a little taste from her, her blood being the best at healing him up quickly. "Come on, its me." she prodded.

After a few moments, he finally spilled his guts. "I have always prided myself at being the survivor, having been through trauma after trauma and suffering losses that even now still hurt. All I saw at that place was the past. That part of me almost wanted to suffer because I could not save her in the first camp.

"Nora?" Sookie asked and when he nodded stiffly, she sighed. "After all you told me about your time in that place and seeing you in such a place for myself…I can't imagine….survivors guilt is not a fun thing for anyone. Human, faerie or vamp. But she knew you would have saved her if you could have but you were trapped. Even you couldn't have thwarted that cage you were in…."

"and I was forced to watch her be given that fatal injection and held her as she died in my arms. A bloody mess, she dissolved in my arms. And part of me….back there…wanted to se her again, to be with her." he seemed haunted and almost ashamed. "I have lost so much and I put up a front against that Frank….but so much came rushing back and I felt like…its rare that I get that despondent but as glad as I am to be here with you…..the wounds have been reopened and I suppose they wont ever really heal."

"You have me still….and Pam and Willa and my brother…so many people care about you and I know that your sister and all those you have lost, they would want to see you going on, thriving like you have been. They would rather see you live rather than blame yourself. Be in the doldrums. I wish I could bring your loved ones back, especially your sister because I know the guilt you carry….but she wouldn't want to see you in pain, like this…" she stopped talking and went to get off her side of the bed. "Perhaps a nice long soak will help?" she grinned. "I can help get every nook and cranny taken care of." she knew that kind of talk always perked him up and sure enough, she managed to get a rise out him. Literally, she noted as he got out of bed. "I know I can't make you forget the past, and I don't want you forgetting those you lost. But I want you to know that those you lost….they couldn't ever blame you for their fates. Things happen and sometimes there is just no real reason for it. Life is incredibly unfair. I should know."

Nodding, he let her pull him ever closer to the bathroom where the immense tub awaited. "I am far from spiritual but yet I know they exist and I thank them for bringing you to me…..does that sound ridiculous?" he seemed embarrassed to speak so frankly, to reveal such vulnerability. Even with her, it was still hard for him and she understood him. She got it.

"Far from it, it only makes me love you that much more. Now. Less talk more soap." she said as she turned the taps on and waggled a loofah and body wash before him, closing the bathroom door behind her as she did so. It promised to be one of the best baths either of them had in their lives.

THE END