A/N All these characters belong to Charlaine Harris, gosh darn her.

Yes, it's another chapter! Amazing huh? Actually, this is the 2nd half of the original chapter 15 that ran too long. Plus, I had to tinker with the ending on this chapter.

The winner of my contest was semiramisII. The winner of the 2nd runner up drawing was Ilovemysteries. Semi has chosen her short story and one shot and mysteries has chosen her oneshot. Thanks to those of you who took the time to take my little quiz and participate.

Well, the previous chapter was just posted barely 2 weeks ago, so you shouldn't need a recap now should you?

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"Yes?" Mrs. O'Miley called out. "Who is it?"

Bill's face peeked around the corner. "It's just me."

"Ah," Mrs. O'Miley nodded. "What can I do for you Mr. Crumpton?"

"I was wondering if you could spare Miss Norris for a few minutes?" All eyes in the room turned to stare at me as I stood there pressing the heavy iron against a pair of pants. Mrs. O'Miley nodded towards Bill and he put his hand out for me to follow him back down the hall. I silently followed him up the stairs to the main level and into the sitting room at the front of the house near the front door. It was a simply furnished room with a few pieces of furniture , a couple lamps, magazines sitting on the coffee tables, and a rug in the middle. I hadn't actually sat in this room, neither had Alice. The only time I'd been in it was to clean and polish.

Bill gestured towards the small settee and lowered himself next to me once I'd gotten myself seated. He took his hat off and reached out for my hand.

"What's this about Mr. Crumpton?" I asked briskly. "I have work that needs to be done."

"I know that, so I'll be brief," Bill said. "I have a question for you."

"Yes?"

"Do you like me Sookie?"

"What?"

"It's a simple question. You see, I like you very much and when I have time to spare, I'd like to spend it with you. Would you be willing to grant me the pleasure of your company?"

I pressed my lips together as I pondered this question and stared at our hands intertwined. It had been so long since I'd seen those pale hands holding mine. His hands weren't as cold as his "normal" temperature and not nearly as white, so I assume he'd just fed before coming over here.

"Sookie?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me what you're thinking."

"Well, Mr. Crumpton…I guess my…"

"Please call me Bill," he interjected.

"Okay, Bill… um..I like you I guess, but I don't know what kind of um…expectations you have about us. I guess that's my concern." There, that sounded nice and vague didn't it? I needed to keep Bill off balance a bit.

"I would like to keep company with you."

"Explain to me what that means," I said bluntly. Dammit, I wish I'd been like this when I'd first started dating Bill. It might have changed a few things.

He frowned a bit. He hadn't expected to be challenged in any way. I concentrated on keeping my eyes downward, staring at our hands. He wasn't going to glamour his way out of this. Sookie Stackhouse was ready for him, yes she was. "I enjoy your company. I hope you enjoy mine. It would be pleasant to spend more time together, don't you agree? "

I sighed. "I guess I'm wondering how you see us spending time together and what kind of woman you think I am."

A tiny light bulb went off over Bill's head. "Ah," he answered slowly. "I wouldn't make overtures that any respectable woman wouldn't agree to, if that is your concern."

Well, it sounded good. Anyone watching our exchange would consider him a respectable gentleman and would never suspect he'd been jumping me and Alice, drinking our blood since we got here. I wondered what he would expect us to do once I agreed. His words to Malcolm were clear in my head and I knew he wanted me because my Bill had always wanted me. I just didn't want to have sex with my ex-boyfriend. It would be too weird and too painful for me, but I also couldn't turn Bill away right now. As long as I was his, he would watch out for me and I needed protection until I jumped out of this place. It wasn't 100% that Eric would take me if Bill didn't , which means I could end up with Victor by default.

That made up my mind for me. I felt confident in handling Bill. He wanted to get me into bed, but he wanted me there willingly otherwise he would have glamoured me already and done the deed. After all, this was a different time period and most women were still virgins when they got married, or at least engaged. And Bill was a patient man. I could put him off for a while.

"Okay, I guess we can give it a whirl," I said, smiling back at him.

He favored me with one of those rare beautiful Bill Compton smiles. "Thank you Sookie," he said and he leaned over and kissed my hands. "I have to check in with some of our customers tomorrow night. We could have dinner, then you could go with me."

"So, it's like a business thing?" I asked. That didn't sound like fun.

"It's a couple of the entertainment establishments here in town. They have music and dancing. I'll have a little business to attend to, then we can enjoy ourselves, maybe dance a little if you'd like?"

It sounded like we were going to a couple of the bars that purchased booze from Eric or maybe they were dance clubs. We'd be around lots of people which meant no hanky panky. I could handle that. "That sounds like fun," I replied, nodding along agreeably.

"Ah, one of them …if this wouldn't be a problem….it's a colored establishment," Bill explained, eyeing me for any balking. "It's run by very respectable negros you understand. I wouldn't take you there if it wasn't," he added hastily. "In my opinion, they have the best performers and music for dancing. I think you might like it. Would you be amenable to trying it?"

"That would be fine," I answered, to Bill's relief. He must have been anticipating a Southern white girl not wanting to go hang out with black people. Well, from the attitudes I'd seen so far that was understandable. "I have no problem going to a club if it's run by nice people," I said.

"Excellent," he answered, obviously pleased. "I have some things to do for Mr. Blue earlier in the evening, but I'll call you later on and let you know when I'll be over. " That was clever. Bill was making it sound like he got up while it was still daylight. That way I'd assume the reason I couldn't see him before nightfall was for work.

"That will be fine, "I agreed. Then something occurred to me. "Ah, I only have my work clothes. Will I need to find something to wear?"

"I'll talk to Mrs.O'Miley about that," Bill answered. "There's no reason for you to spend your money on clothes for tomorrow night. I'm sure we'll find something for you."

I took this to mean that I'd be hunting through the big room closet again. Our little tete a tete appeared over to me, so I stood up. "Thanks Mr Crum…ah Bill…I have to get back to work. I'll see you tomorrow evening then?"

"Yes, until tomorrow," Bill answered, and he leaned in and kissed me gently on the cheek. He put his hat back on and we trooped back downstairs. After bidding Mrs. O'Miley and Alice good evening, he left.

I marched over and picked up my iron like nothing had even happened. Alice was staring at me with eager eyes.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well what?" I answered.

"Is Mr. Crumpton your beau now?"

I really didn't want to talk about this too much in front of Mrs. O'Miley, but I had to answer Alice. "Well, we talked a little and we'll probably be spending some time together…I guess," I responded vaguely. "We're going out tomorrow night."

"Oh, Sookie, that's just wonderful! He's so handsome, and such a perfect gentleman even if he is a ….," and here she stopped before saying some word that wasn't allowed like "bootlegger".

"Don't forget your work still needs to be done tomorrow before any flitting around like you're fancy free," Mrs. O'Miley commented gruffly.

"Of course," I said. Alice and I gave each other a knowing look before going back to our ironing.

Alice and I went unaccosted that night. It looked like Bill was going to feed on us everything other night if this pattern kept up. So far, neither of us seemed to be showing any signs of being fed on too much. I felt fairly normal and Alice was her usual cheerful self. She hadn't displayed any lethargy or signs of anemia. We were working very hard, but we were also being fed pretty well with meals heavy in protein.

After what I had seen in the city, I could appreciate that the vampires were making the effort to take care of us. Or at least, Eric was making sure of it since I had trouble seeing Malcolm or Victor caring that much. I've met enough vampires to know that plenty of them see humans as on the same level as cows and wouldn't give a seconds thought to our needs or health. And I knew Eric well enough to know that this generous treatment wasn't due to being a nice guy, since well…he isn't. He wanted us healthy, providing blood, working hard, making him money and more importantly, loyal to him. I'd seen some headlines about labor disputes with various companies and some of them were violent and ugly. And these were the legitimate companies! I'm sure most bootleggers didn't give two shakes for the men working for them. All the men I'd dealt with so far were on the up and up and taking their jobs seriously. They were leery of Eric and his strange appearance and intimidated by his imperious manner, but they appreciated having a good paying job with meals and a clean bed to sleep in when so many people did not. If that wouldn't create loyalty, I don't know what would.

Once again, I was struck by the fact that if any of these people knew the truth, they'd probably still want these jobs. Being a vampire snack machine would be considered a small price to pay. I suddenly wondered if any of the vampires were feeding on Mrs. O'Miley as well? Would Bill be feeding on her or Eric? I tried to picture that, but it was just …..well….icky. Some things you just don't need to know.

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We had a very busy and efficient morning in the kitchen and Mrs. O'Miley ended up giving me some money in the little purse and sending me and Alice on some errands. We were also given permission to do a little shopping for ourselves which was expressed in the following manner. "Make sure you don't come back without gloves. There's no excuse for you tromping around like some migrant worker."

Alice was very excited to be included on my errand running and we practically burst out of the backdoor, desperate to escape Mrs. O'Miley's oppressive presence. It was another beautiful autumn day with a gorgeous blue sky and once again I got to see huge flocks of birds migrating south. The sky wasn't the only thing that was busy and we soon joined the hubbub going on in town. We took care of our errands first of course, and then went shopping.

Alice helped me pick out an appropriate, practical pair of gloves to wear every day. I decided on a tannish brown pair that buttoned with two little pearly type buttons, since they wouldn't show dirt the way white ones would. "Now you'll make Mrs. O'Miley happy," Alice announced. God bless Alice, the eternal optimist. I doubted anything could make Mrs. O'Miley happy, but held my tongue. The saleslady offered to wrap them up for me in nice printed paper, but I decided to wear them. All the women we were running into in town were wearing gloves and hats with their outfits. And believe it or not, people noticed that I wasn't wearing gloves and didn't approve. It was making me feel self conscious.

While we were in the women's clothing store, we checked out a few other things. I bought extra stockings ($1.00 for two pair), some underwear (equally as cheap), and looked at the various clothes items that I might need to purchase if I was here long enough. Winter coats had just arrived , so I took a gander at them. A winter coat would take a big chunk of my weekly pay, so I would hold off until it looked like I might need were having a sale on shoes and purses. I couldn't continue borrowing Mrs. O'Miley's purse, so I purchased one for $2.70. It had a muted brown, pattern to go with most of my clothing, a metal snap closure and a wrist strap. You've probably seen purses just like it hanging in the back of your grandmother's closets.

Alice already had some clothes in her little battered suitcase, but she needed stockings too and underwear so she spent the money. She was counting in her head and being careful about what she spent, since she was going to send half the money to her mama.

We stopped at the drugstore to pick up a couple things on The List and did some more shopping for ourselves. I was excited to purchase an honest to God toothbrush. It was plastic I think, but had an odd texture to it and believe it or not, it cost over a dollar! No wonder so many people lost their teeth in the old days. My toothpaste came in a tin (cost $.25 and it was the same brand I'd seen in Bill's bathroom) and it was actually powder that you mixed with water. I didn't care. The thought of being able to brush my scummy teeth nice and clean made me ecstatic. It doesn't take much to make me happy does it?

I was also relieved to see that sanitary pads were available since I couldn't remember how many days since my last period and this time travel thing had to be messing my cycle up. Unfortunately, the pads required a belt to hold them in place. They looked as uncomfortable as hell. I vaguely remembered my Aunt Linda joking with Gran about that one day.

Since I was going to be able to brush my teeth thoroughly that night(just the thought gave me happy goose bumps), and I wanted to display some gratitude towards Alice, I decided to buy us something at the soda fountain. That's right, this drugstore had an actual soda fountain with a soda jerk wearing the little stripped jack and hat to boot. Alice had helped me so much and I could honestly say that when I eventually time jumped out, she would be the one thing I truly would miss. She made me sorry I'd never had a sister. I knew she wouldn't spend her money on something so frivolous, but I could.

"Come on Alice," I said, linking my elbow into her arm and dragging her towards the counter.

"What?" she asked.

"We're going to have this young man make us something delicious and I'm treating," I pronounced with a "don't argue with me voice".

"But Sookie, you don't have to do that! Really, I'm not thirsty anyway," she argued weakly. She was lying. Alice was as thirsty as I was and she would love a soda fountain drink.

"No, I mean it," I countered. " You've helped me so much. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to find out about this job, much less get it. Let me do something nice for you. It's no big thing…please?" I asked, squeezing her arm with as much sincerity as I could muster. I had meant every word I'd said.

Ten cents and a few arm jerks by Mr. Soda Fountain and we had some fizzing drinks sitting in front of us. They were delicious and just what Dr. Sookie ordered. Alice had ordered a cherry flavored drink and I had gotten one labeled Coca Cola. I was curious how different it might taste. We sat and giggled like old friends, observing the various people coming in and out and teasing the soda jerk guy a little (which he didn't mind at all).

I could almost forget that this wasn't my real life and none of this was permanent. Eventually, I was going to jump out of here (my optimistic side kept telling me cheerfully) and back to my own time. By then, all these or at least most of these people would be dead and this whole world would have changed. It was hard not to be grim about it. I had to remind myself that a lot of bad things were going on that were going to get better and the fact that these people (including Alice) were going to age and die was normal.

I hang around with vampires too much.

We finished our drinks, waved goodbye to the soda fountain guy and huffed it back to the house.

Amazingly, Mrs. O'Miley was happy enough about my gloves and surprised I'd spent my money on a purse for myself, that she forgot to give us the lollygagging speech.

Who says God doesn't do miracles anymore?

The rest of the day went pretty normally, with the usual hustle and bustle. Then when Alice and I were hanging out clothes on the line in the glow of the setting sun, Alice reminded me of my date with Bill.

"Maybe you should start getting ready?" she inquired.

"I don't even know what I'm wearing," I replied. "Bill said he would speak with Mrs. O'Miley about borrowing a dress from that closet."

"Ohhh, that would be swell ! I'll go ask her!" Alice chirped and she bounded back into the house before I had a chance to stop her.

After Alice applied her special touch to Mrs. O'Miley, I ended up in the big closet again. I let Alice help me dig around since she seemed to be enjoying the thought of me going out with Bill even more than I. I felt bad about her being stuck at home with Mrs. O'Miley.

I ended up in a dress of pale greens, muted oranges, mustard yellows, and brown colors I would normally never have pictured looking good on me. It had a couple thin strands of beading along the gathered edge that swayed when I walked. Alice talked me into it. That, and it was one of the dressy dresses that fit me well. Most of them were made for women with bodies like Alice, all skinny shoulders and not very generous in the bosom department. A green velvet shawl would keep me from being cold and also had some beading along its ends. I wore a pair of my new stockings and shoes in a satiny brown fabric. I carried my new purse, with some money and a handkerchief loaned by Alice.

She helped me get my hair up. It was parted on the side and pulled together in a twisty sort of bun on the left, rather than being centered. She used what seemed like a hundred hair pins and finished it with my Great grandmother's bone comb that had managed to survive the time leaps with me. We borrowed a little makeup from the women next door. So, I had some rouge on my cheeks and lipstick to avoid looking barefaced and blah.

When Bill called, he was surprised to find out that I was already dressed, primped and ready. Since it was going to be over an hour before he showed up, I put an apron on and helped Alice with the ironing to alleviate my guilt about going out. He walked in all pressed and polished, carrying a box of chocolates for Alice and Mrs. O'Miley which pleased them both to no end. Damn, Bill knows how to make a good impression doesn't he? I'd say it's a southern boy thing, but I've met enough southern boys who don't have this kind of savvy, so I'm going to go with it's a Bill talent.

I waved goodnight to Alice, allowing Bill to lead me outside on his arm. We weren't going in the Ford. This car had tons of gorgeous sloping chrome that practically glowed in the night and it appeared to be a dark green color. I slid into the leather seat and the scripted Cadillac name greeted me from the polished wood grain dashboard. The car exuded class and yes, I was impressed. This must be the Caddy that Eric had been talking about at the Halloween party. Bill had borrowed Daddy's car, how sweet.

When he got in and started the car, he leaned over. "You look beautiful," he said, and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thank you, " I answered. "You look nice too."

He pulled away smoothly and I felt much safer riding with him than with Sammy in the Ford. So, I managed to avoid compulsively pawing for a seatbelt that wasn't there.

"Where are we going first?" I asked to get the conversational ball rolling.

"We have several stops to make tonight, so we'll go to the diner first since I promised you dinner," Bill said. "I ate something with Mr. Blue when we were handling business earlier, so I'm not too hungry. I'll just have some coffee and a piece of pie I think."

"Oh"

"Please Sookie, I know you haven't eaten dinner yet, so make sure you eat something more substantial alright?" he urged, sounding regretful.

"Okay," I replied, trying to sound more upbeat.

"I plan on taking you around the dance floor plenty tonight, so make sure you eat enough to keep up your strength," he said playfully, as he reached over and gave my hand a squeeze.

"I will," I said, squeezing his hand back. I reminded myself that his "I ate earlier" story was just that, a story. The real reason was he didn't want to have to choke down real food that he'd have to regurgitate later (Bill had explained this to me when we were dating. I had been very sorry I'd asked).

We pulled up to one of those old fashioned diners you see in old photos and movies, with the long chrome counter and stools. "The Bridge Diner" was the name lit up in neon. The freckled waitress behind the counter smiled her biggest smile when she saw Bill walk in, then she lost some of it when my feet crossed the threshold.

She walked over with her little checkered dress, apron, and hat. Her heeled shoes made a click, clack noise on the linoleum tile. I would die if I had to wear shoes like that all night at Merlottes. It was bad enough wearing comfortable sneakers. She gave me her best fake smile as she handed over the menus.

"Your usual Bill?" she asked, just to show how cozy her and Bill were. It was all I could do to not roll my eyes. Just what I needed, another woman with a thing for Bill. They sprout everywhere, like fungus you can't get rid of.

"How are you doll?" Bill drawled. "Having a good night? Customers treating you right?"

"Hey, you know, a girl's gotta do what she can to get by," she answered knowingly. Honestly, if she started flirting with Bill, I was going to grab the New York Times sitting on the counter and start working the crossword puzzle just to show how bored I was. "What would you like this evening?" she asked, remembering she was supposed to be WAITING on us, thank you. The specials were hand written on a board on the wall hanging above the coffee machine.

"I'll just have coffee and pie," Bill answered. "And this lovely lady will have anything she'd like." He smiled and touched my hand lightly to make his point with Miss Freckles….oh sorry…her name was Betty according to her name tag.

They had a steak dinner for $.65, that's right sixty-five CENTS. It was the most expensive meal on the menu. I just had to order it for the sheer novelty. Not to mention, if Bill was going to keep chomping on my neck, he was going to pay to help replace my blood gosh darn it.

Betty clicked away to put the order in with the cook (wearing a natty white cap and jacket, thank you) , get me my coke and Bill his coffee.

Dinner was good, not gourmet good, but decent solid food. It reminded me of the Crawdad Diner in Bon Temps. My strip steak came with a side of veggies (peas and carrots), mashed potatoes, and some bread with butter. Bill and I made light conversation during dinner. He asked me about my daily routine with Mrs. O'Miley and how I got along with Alice. He told me a little about the places we were going to tonight.

If you weren't watching for it, it would have been really easy to not see what Bill was doing. He'd point out something outside the glass window and when I'd look back, his food and drink would be a little lower. I have a feeling he'd chosen this booth due to the large potted plant next to him. I feared being too relaxed since I might slip up and say something revealing. For example, when he got up to use the men's room, it was on the tip of my tongue to ask "what for?". When he came back, he was a little pinker and the man who'd gone in there ahead of him was not, so it was obvious he'd fed.

If you knew the kinds of things I did, you'd never enter another public restroom for the rest of your life.

Our total bill was approximately 85 cents. Bill left Betty $1.25, told her to keep the change and we were on our way. The first place we went to was in the center of the business district I'd been shopping in earlier that day with Alice. It was a brick building squeezed between two other buildings, called Roger's House Tavern and Inn. It was a white only establishment (the small sign outside announced this quite clearly) and seemed to have a mix of middle class types with some tourists. The white only part didn't apply to the entertainment, a single guy playing piano, nor the hired help behind the bar.

Bill and the owner had a slightly heated conversation in the back office, which consisted of the owner complaining about not receiving the additional shipment. To which Bill advised him if he paid his bills on time, he wouldn't have this problem. I was picking most of this up from the owner's agitated brain. He didn't want to run out of booze during racing season since this was when he made most of his yearly income. Bill lectured him regarding paying bills on time and Eric's new rules for him about paying in advance. The guy squeaked a little over this, but there wasn't much he could say since he knew he was in the wrong. He was thinking that he might go with a different supplier, but none of them provided the quality of product that Eric did. Another bar owner he knew had purchased cheaper alcohol elsewhere and a couple of his customers had ended up in the hospital after drinking it.

I was glad when Bill emerged and we moved along to the next venue, which turned out to be The Bayou Hotel I'd been hearing so much about. It was perched in an elevated open expanse with a sweeping view of the water. In the dim lights, I could make out a moderately wide 4 story stone building with a curved portico in front for the guests to exit their vehicles and hand keys to the hustling valets. It looked small to my modern eyes, but compared to the other hotels I'd seen in town, it was very large. Bill explained it had a large brick patio in the back and a long path led down the hill to an indoor pool house with a heated pool! It wasn't hard to figure out the elite of the town's visitors would be staying here. I double checked my stockings and dabbed my lipstick before getting out of the car.

When we walked inside, I was glad I had made the effort to look presentable. The men were all as pressed and polished as Victor on his best night and the women clustered together like colorful peacocks. Their feathered headdresses, beaded dresses and jewelry that was most definitely not costume glittered in the soft light of the curved chandeliers.

And every single one of them had a drink in one hand and usually a cigarette in the other. The swirls of smoke cascaded around the softly lit globes like they were dancing to romantic music. And while the clientele was definitely lily white (no need for a sign on the door of this hotel, no indeed), much of the entertainment and hired help was in the colored category. The waiter's dark faces contrasted with the white jackets and gloves they wore as they efficiently moved about the room with their trays dispensing various drinks to the patrons.

The only service type people that weren't black I noticed were women going around with those wooden trays with the straps around their necks. You know, the ones who say "cigars,candy, cigarettes?" that you see in old movies? They were all young, pretty white women with cute little bob haircuts and some kind of semi French maid looking outfits (minus the apron), with flashy heels. I wondered if they got a regular paycheck or commissions on what they sold.

Then a tall guy, who I swear looked just like Ricardo Montalban from Fantasy Island (you know, the old tv show with Tattoo?) and wearing a white suit with black tie to boot, came over to Bill and I.

"Mr. Crumpton! It's a delight to see you this evening," he greeted him effusively. "Mr. Blue is already here discussing business on the back patio with the mayor and several dignitaries from Washington DC." He wasn't exactly quiet about stating all this, since he wanted nearby patrons to overhear and realize how important this establishment was. "And who is this lovely young lady?" he asked, turning his observing gaze upon me, noticing immediately that I wore no jewelry, nor a fashionably short haircut like most of the women here.

"This is my friend, Sookie Norris," Bill said. "Sookie, this is the hotel manager, Richard Monterey." That wasn't his real name. His real first name was, in fact Ricardo (what are the odds?), but he didn't want people to know he was half Puerto Rican, so he changed it. Ah well, none of my business. I smiled back at him pleasantly and shook his hand.

"Please, let me arrange some refreshment for you," he said and he snapped his fingers at one of the waiters to scurry over. Bill and I both took a cocktail glass each off the little silver tray. "This is our signature autumn drink, courtesy of your Mr. Blue. It's especially popular with the ladies, I hope you'll enjoy it and have a good evening." And with that, he gave a little bow to us and moved off to schmooze and tend to his other guests.

I was a little nervous about drinking it, since it was in fact…you know...moonshine that had probably been cooked up a couple days ago. Oddly enough, I thought I could smell apples and cinnamon around the very powerful alcohol scent. I don't drink hard liquor ever, so I took a very tiny sip.

Wow, it was very strong, but it kind of reminded me of …apple pie of all things I noticed an apple peel floating in the glass.

"What do you think?" Bill asked expectantly.

"It reminds me of apple pie a little bit," I ventured, glancing at him to see if he'd laugh at me.

"That's because we used apples to make it." Hah! I'd been right. Eric WAS getting apples on special. And speaking of Eric, we spotted him on the outside patio talking with a few well to do types. He had noticed us entering of course and nodded in Bill's direction, so we slowly worked our way over.

He was wearing his usual dark blue suit, his blond hair tied back and tucked in his collar, and the tinted glasses. That, combined with his height definitely made him stand out as odd. He wasn't drinking like the others, but he was smoking which was the first time I'd seen Eric do that. After putting out his butt in a nearby ashtray, he smoothly drew a gleaming gold cigarette case(monogrammed with a giant 'E', no joke) out of his breast pocket, pulled out the cigarette, offered it to the gray haired portly man he was speaking to, then lit it with a matching lighter. It was so beautifully choreographed it could have been from a James Bond movie.

It was weird. Eric doesn't smoke since smoking tobacco didn't become popular in Europe for hundreds of years after he was Turned. The only vampires I've ever seen smoking were smokers when they were alive. What does that tell you about the addictiveness of tobacco that it follows you into your undead eternity? The tobacco companies loved it. Since the vampires couldn't die from their product, they could advertise as much as they wanted in vamp publications.

"Hello Mayor, "Bill said to the portly man Eric was speaking with.

"Hello Mr. Crumpton," the Mayor greeted. He had a whiskey glass in his hand and by the looks of his cheeks, it wasn't his first. No wonder Eric was able to brew hooch so openly. He had the Mayor on his side. "I was just telling your Mr. Blue here over breakfast yesterday, that if he keeps making genuine product like this, everyone will be too relaxed to vote in November."

Bill smiled in response. Breakfast? How could? Ah…the man actually believed it. No wonder no one questioned not seeing the vampires during the day. They were glamouring people into believing that they had. That was clever.

"Could you give us a moment, Mayor?" Eric asked. He drew Bill and I away a few feet. "I need to speak with you about a couple things," Eric said somberly to Bill. "But first, I think I'll take a turn around the dance floor with your date." He smiled down at me.

"Where's Gertrude?" Bill asked, a little stiffly.

"Upstairs resting in a room I rented for a private party later. She's drunk…again,"he explained with an annoyed tone of voice. I was a little bumme d, since I still couldn't remember what the mysterious Gertrude looked like.

Bill nodded and reluctantly let go of my hand. I took another stiff sip of my drink. Gosh damn this stuff was hardcore. I needed to be careful or it would catch up with me later. Eric put his hand at my waist, I put my hands up along his arms and we were off.

The band was very good. They were playing some smooth almost jazzy kind of tunes with a little more pep and the clarinet player was getting a solo. Eric is a decent dancer, especially for being such a tall guy. I was still holding my drink in one hand and my purse was hanging off my other wrist. We were going slowly and smoothly enough that the remainder of my drink stayed in the little glass.

"Are you enjoying your evening so far? He asked me, his eyes steadily observing me from behind the silly glasses.

"Yes, I am," I responded. "Are you?"

"Being able to successfully mix business and pleasure is always the sign of a triumphant evening as far as I'm concerned," he smiled. Yeah, that was Eric alright. If he was human they could have put that on his headstone: successfully mixed business with pleasure.

"That's nice."

"And how are you and Bill getting along?" he asked, his mouth quirking a bit.

"Just fine," I answered breezily, taking another sip of my drink. The appley liquid was going down easier now.

We moved across the crowded floor smoothly, since of course Eric could see above most of the heads. "Dancing with you is very easy," he commented. Of course, I'd danced with Eric before which was helping me follow his lead.

"I like to dance," I commented, which was true.

"I love a woman who knows how to move her body," Eric observing me slyly for a reaction.

It seemed safer to not answer and I kept my telepath game face on. Judging from the expression on Bill's face, as he watched us, he'd definitely heard what Eric had said. I took another sip of my drink and lo and behold, the glass was empty! Well, not to fear though because one of the white jacketed waiters swiftly approached me and offered me another. These glasses were pretty small, so it didn't seem a big deal to take another one.

The song had ended and the band was taking a short break, so Eric handed me back to Bill. While circling the dance floor, I had noticed a sign for restrooms, so I excused myself while the two vampires clustered close and spoke in low tones. I hoped there wasn't going to be any trouble.

The women's restroom was a joy to behold. It was modern with tile floors, hot and cold water taps, flush toilets, and decent toilet paper. I wanted to stay in there all night. I also wanted to keep playing with the hot water tap since our house only had cold, but the bathroom attendant sat watching me after she handed me a real towel to dry my hands. Fortunately, I had stashed a little cash into my new purse, and I stuffed a dollar bill into the tip jar on the ledge above the sinks which made her eyes bug out. I forgot how much a dollar was here. She probably would have been happy with a nickel.

Sadly, I had to leave the wonderful ladies restroom and troop back to Bill. I don't know how this happened, but my glass had gotten empty again. The glasses really were small compared to modern day glasses, seriously. And I was drinking in tiny sips. I was totally positive. One of the very helpful waiters swooped in and swapped my glass for a fresh one. It was going down smoothly now. I wondered if I could get the recipe from Eric. There were old timers in Bon Temps who still made their own booze. I bet they'd love this.

While I worked my way through the crowd, I had a tickling feeling of being watched. Not the general type of watching that was going on at this party (women judging my clothes, men wondering if I was with anyone). These odd vibes were coming from two men standing at the hotel bar wearing the ubiquitous dark suits, nursing their drinks. I couldn't read them clearly since they weren't strong broadcasters and I was keeping my shields clamped down while in this crowd.

Taking my tiny sips, I found Eric and Bill outside, on the dark lawn away from everyone else having what appeared to my eyes, to be a slightly heated discussion.

"…..and I want you to personally check on him,"Eric said as I walked up.

"Isn't he Victor's responsibility?" Bill asked, sounding a bit put out.

"I need you to do it," Eric said meaningfully.

Bill stared at Eric for a moment."I see," Bill replied. "I'll take care of it then." Eric nodded and both vampires turned as I approached.

"We were about to send out a search party," Eric quipped. He had his gold cigarette case out, a fresh one balanced between his lips and was holding the case out to Bill. Bill just shook his head.

"Not tonight."

The beautiful case was extended out to me. I shook my head also. Eric shrugged and lit his own, clicked his shiny lighter shut and slid it back into his pocket. We stood quietly for a moment, gazing out across the dark lawn towards the vast expanse of water of which only tiny glimmers were visible. Smoke from Eric's mouth lazily drifted around us before disappearing into the night. Bill had taken my hand and slid it around his elbow, which was fine. Eric glanced down at me with a mildly amused expression, although for a fraction of a second…I almost thought I saw my Eric. The Eric who let me see little glimpses of vulnerability from time to time, the man buried underneath a thousand years of vampire survival. Then his confident mask was back in place like it hadn't happened.

One of the white jacket waiters came up to Eric. "Sir? There's a phone call for you at the front desk." Eric nodded and followed him. Bill rubbed my hand curled around his arm.

"I apologize for Mr. Blue's crudeness earlier. Sometimes, he forgets to mind himself when ladies are present," Bill said. Ha! Eric never "forgot" to mind himself. If he was crude, it was because he intended to be or didn't care. There was nothing forgetful about it.

"Don't worry about it," I replied, giving his arm a squeeze. I took another tiny sip from the little cocktail glass.

"Well, Isaiah is here," Eric's voice announced as he strolled back up."Sookie, I'll need to borrow Bill for a moment."

"Help yourself," I retorted, taking another itsy bitsy sip. Bill patted my arm in a reassuring way, like I wouldn't be able to handle myself without his presence for 5 minutes. It was all I could do to not roll my eyes.

Then I felt that tickling again. Tiny goosebumps going up my neck and it wasn't from the cool air blowing gently off the Cheasapeake Bay. Glancing around the carefully dressed and coiffed partygoers, I saw that the men I'd seen at the bar were now outside. They saw me, but were looking around like they wondered where Eric and Bill were. Since I was drinking and this was a party, I really didn't want to let my shields slip too much. But these guys were beginning to concern me, so I decided to check it out. I strolled past them to a table set up outside with silver trays of tiny snacks on them…excuse me… hor 'deurves. I picked one that the white jacket waiter pointed out as tasty and strolled back. I managed to "trip" when I got next to them and one of the guys automatically grabbed me to keep me from falling. When his sweaty hand touched my skin, I realized my concern was warranted. He was looking for a chance to take out Eric and maybe Bill too! What was he? Like a mafia hitman or something? Would he really gun down someone at this nice party?

"You alright miss?"he said, trying to sound like he cared. His squinty eyes peered at me.

"I'm fine and I'm only going to say this once," I said, without hesitation. "Don't even think about it."

"Huh? Wha ….?"

"I know what you're planning and don't even think about it. You won't survive the night if you do," I threatened. What the hell was I doing?

It was entirely possible I may have had a bit too much of the tiny apple pie cocktails. I couldn't stop talking.

"I mean it. You need to leave town and don't come back." Who was I now? Wyatt Earp? The expression on the two men's faces was almost funny, they were so shocked at being threatened by a tipsy woman in a borrowed dress.

Mr. Squinty eyes collected himself. "I don't think you know what you're saying there miss…."

"Yes, I do," I continued, like an idiot. "But if you want to die tonight and end up feeding the fishes and the crabs over there…." I gestured towards the huge expanse of dark water with my tiny snack." You go right ahead, good night gentlemen." And then I marched back over to the mayor, hoping these guys weren't crazy enough to gun down the town's highest official. The mayor turned to me with a friendly smile and a welcoming hand into the little group he was discussing the upcoming elections. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the two men having a heated conversation, then they went back into the hotel. Hopefully, they were leaving.

I wasn't sure where my sudden outburst had come from. Even though I knew bullets wouldn't kill Eric, the end result would be the collapse of our little organization. If he was shot point blank in front of people and didn't die….that would be a problem. He and the vampires would have to leave town and all of us humans would be left behind without jobs or a place to go. So, I guess I was defending Eric …kind of…maybe…but I was looking out for all us humans too.

And the booze had probably helped a little too.

To my relief, Bill came gliding back through the crowd.

"I'm sorry I was gone so long. We have some business associates visiting from out of town and they'll be staying here".

I debated whether to tell him about what had happened. How would I explain knowing the assassin's plan? I guess I could say I overheard it, right? Eric and Bill had to know, so they could be on their guard. Otherwise, they could get gunned down in the parking lot. With my luck, they'd miss them and hit me. I've already been shot once. It hurts like the seven shades of hell and I don't want to ever experience it again. So, I took a deep breath and said," Bill? I need to tell you something." I proceeded to tell Bill that I had "overheard" the two men at the bar, plotting to kill Eric."

He was suitably serious as he listened, only asking a couple questions for clarification. "Come," he said. "We'll need to tell Eric immediately." He led me back towards the front desk of the hotel, where Eric was standing with a small group of well to do's, a valet and lots of luggage, complete with big steamer trunks. He tapped Eric lightly on the shoulder. "I need to speak with you," he said, his voice low and urgent.

Eric caught the hint and said,"Isaiah, I'll be back in a moment."

Isaiah was a tall man and was wearing a wool coat with a massive fur collar and a fedora with fur trim, turned around. It was all I could do to not stand and gape at him.

It was the vampire King of Kentucky himself.

I had met him at Rhodes. He'd been courting Sophia Anne a bit. He was smart as a whip and cautious. He'd hired these not from this dimension elite warriors called the Britledgens to protect him and he'd been the only vampire to make it out of the Rhodes hotel explosion without a scratch. If you ask me, he would have made a better husband than her previous one, the weasely Peter Threadgill , the former King of Arkansas. If her companion Andre hadn't talked her out of it, she might have accepted Isaiah's attentions and he would have watched her back while she was regrowing her destroyed legs. Then, the takeover of Louisiana would never have happened and …why was I bothering to think about this stuff? No use crying over spilt milk, or dead vampires in this case.

"Is there a problem?" he asked with his overly done Kentucky twang. You had to hand it to him. He knew how to fit in. I didn't know his last name or if he was one of those vampires (like Eric) who were so old that they'd never had a last name until they had to make one up for dealings with humans. I wondered if he was already a King or something else.

"Just a minor item to discuss with Mr. Blue," Bill assured him. Bill drew Eric and I further down a hallway, near the servants area while a valet showed the little group to the elevator. Now that I was paying attention, I noticed one other void besides Kentucky's in their group. So, that means there are now six vampires in town. It seemed prudent to keep track.

"Yes?" Eric asked impatiently, with a come hither gesture.

"Sookie, go ahead, tell him what you heard," Bill said.

Both sets of eyes stared at me as I began my little white lie all over again. Eric's were especially serious. His narrow slits of blue bored into my head, even from behind the tinted glasses. He asked a couple questions like Bill had done, but appeared to believe me. He wasn't shocked nor surprised at someone wanting him dead. What does that tell you?

"Thank you for this information and your discretion. I appreciate that," Eric commented, his face thoughtful as he observed me. "I think you and Bill should continue your date. I'll contact one of the others to look into this information," he continued, as he gave Bill a look. Bill nodded and started to steer me out of the hotel. That meant Victor or Malcolm was going to be on these guys trail shortly. I almost felt sorry for them.

"Um, are you going to be okay?" I asked. It was silly being worried about Eric, but there it was.

Eric looked startled at first, then he smiled widely," You're concerned about me aren't you? How sweet. Don't worry yourself Miss Norris, this matter will be sorted out before the end of the night." Those guys will be swimming with the fishes he meant.

There wasn't much else to say, so I gave my empty glass to one of the waiters and followed Bill out of the hotel. Once the valet brought our car around and we climbed in, Bill spoke. "Mr. Blue values loyalty greatly. And it was a smart thing to do, not announcing this information to anyone else. Your discretion will be appreciated." He sounded proud of me, as he squeezed my left hand.

I hadn't told them about my threatening the would be assassin. I had a feeling they wouldn't consider that discreet or smart. If I hadn't had so many of those tiny little drinks, I probably wouldn't have done it to begin with.

We drove maybe ten blocks, then Bill pulled into an empty space on the side of the street. There was a marina next to us. A few spotlights shined on the various boats bobbing up and down next to the docks. He helped me out of the car and we walked, arm and arm, to our next destination.

We could hear it before we turned the corner. The partying sounds were coming from a two story building that reminded me of the buildings you see in French Quarter of New Orleans. It looked like an older building, even by 1930's standards, and had a 2nd story porch that wrapped completely around the upper level. All it needed was the black ironwork supports to capture the New Orlean's look. The doors and windows were open with lively music and raucous laughter pouring out.

"It's called The Ordinary," Bill explained. A couple men who appeared to be security because they were carefully watching passing cars and us approaching, waved to Bill.

"Mr. Crumpton! How de do, sir! What brings you to our little juke joint this fine evening?"His large white teeth shone like ivory against his dark complexion. Both men were wearing suits that appeared to be less conservative than most of the men I'd seen at the Bayou. Even in the dim light under the porch overhang, I could see brighter colors and patterns on their carefully tailored suits.

I was surprised to realize that his friendliness towards Bill wasn't a put on. As he and Bill made small talk, I probed just a little since I was still nervous about the hit man I'd run into at the hotel. They were ecstatic that Eric had decided to sell them the extra shipment, because wealthy negros from Philadelphia and DC had come into town for the races and were happy to spend their money on good booze. Normally, they'd be charged twice as much as white owned bars for rot gut bathtub gin, but they felt Eric gave them a fair shake. Apparently Victor and Malcolm gave them the jitters, but they liked Bill. He talked to them plainly and he didn't disrespect their women. Bill's manners bought him good karma everywhere he went it seemed.

I found it more than a little ironic that a vampire who had grown up surrounded by negro slaves, now treated their descendents better than their current day white human counterparts. This was yet another historical messy American issue that I had to ignore.

Now that I realized these men were exactly what they appeared to be, I put on my nicest smile. Bill made introductions. "Sookie, this is Leon." Not thinking, I stuck my hand out. After a tiny hesitation, and a glance at Bill, he shook it. His buddy was Benjamin, "Everyone calls me Benny".

"This is my friend Sookie Norris," Bill said, his hand lightly resting upon my back.

"Please, call me Sookie," I added. Leon and Benny gave each other a puzzled look and gestured for us to go inside the club. I had said something wrong, but I wasn't sure what it was. There was this whole weird social black/white interaction set of rules that I was having trouble grasping. I gave Bill a quick glance as we walked into the club and he had his "thinking" face on, which spelled trouble for me. I needed to keep my mouth shut. If the booze I had drunk earlier would start wearing off, then that might become easier.

Even with the coolness outside and all the shutters open, it was warm inside from all the bodies. The place was packed. There was a band on a tiny raised platform at the end of the big room. A skinny guy with a trumpet was doing a solo. The dance floor was a moving mass of people. It was amazing everyone could dance in a space this tight. Ledges lined the entire place for people to put their drinks, rest smoldering cigarettes in tiny ashtrays etc. We had come in next to the bar that had the requisite wood expanse with stools lined up. Even though just about everyone in here was black(there were a few people on the other side of the room who could have been white or Hispanic), there seemed to be a wider variety of social classes. Some of them definitely had money, judging by the swanky suits and the dresses and hair ornaments their women were wearing. Others looked more like they had carefully put together the best they had, which wasn't great.

But it didn't make any difference because everyone was having a kick butt good time and judging by the amount of drinking going on, someone was making money. Bill and I strolled up to the bar. A tall black man with skin so dark he was almost a shadow greeted us. He was wearing a natty carefully pressed shirt, tie, and a colorful vest. He also had a gun strapped to himself with one of those shoulder harness things. I guess he wasn't just the bartender.

"Mr. Crumpton! How are you this evening sir?" he bellowed out over the trumpet player. I realized I recognized his voice. He was the man I'd spoken to on the phone when I had called for Sammy.

"Very well, "Bill replied. "How's business, Richie? Is that extra shipment moving for you?"

Richie smiled happily. "If the customers keep coming in like they are, there will be no problem selling it. You let Mr. Blue know that he can send any additional product my way. I'd be happy to sell it!"

"I'll be sure to do so," Bill answered loudly.

"Would either of you care for a drink?"

Bill glanced down at me. I had already had enough alcohol to potentially get myself in trouble, so I shook my head. "Not right now, Richie, thank you," Bill said and led me away. I felt very conspicuous as Bill and I moved through the crowd. Various dancers glanced at us as we made our way to one of the windows where the shutters were open. The cool air coming in was a relief. I set my little purse down on the ledge, slid off my shawl, and put it on top of the purse.

Bill smiled at me," Are you ready to dance now?"

"Yes"

He took my hand and led me into the heated crush of people. To give you an indication of how warm this place was, Bill's hand was no longer as cool as it normally is. His body was absorbing some of the heat in the room.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd danced with Bill. By Rhodes we weren't really speaking….actually I wasn't speaking to him. Definitely before Jackson sometime…a party perhaps..maybe at Fangtasia or something in Bon Temps. I bothered me that the memory wasn't there. But the rest of me did remember. He slid his arm around me and we clasped hands and off we went around the dance floor. If Bill had been human, we would have been bumping into the other gyrating humans. But instead, we moved quickly around the dance floor, avoiding near collisions right and left. I could feel various other body parts, dress hems, and jacket tails brushing past me as we spun to the energetic music. After a couple minutes, everyone else was ignoring us which was good as far as I was concerned.

It may sound strange, but my telepathy is easier to deal with when people are listening to music. Their brains take a vacation and they're so into the music that they don't have the conscious thoughts that bleed over and infiltrate my head day after day. It's almost like they stop thinking. Haven't you ever felt that while dancing? You just lose yourself and all conscious thought stops?

That's how I was feeling and after a few minutes I was just going with the flow. Forgetting for a little while that I was trapped in another time period that I didn't belong in, I just let myself go and followed Bill's lead. Everything was a whirlwind of colorful dresses, laughing mouths, be bopping music, and Bill's hands holding me close. Fortunately, for my heart, the band decided to do a few slow tunes. A woman in a intensely green shimmery dress and sparkly hat that fit close to her head, stepped up on stage. I recognized the song they were doing. It was the one I had heard on the radio two nights before. She had a voice that could only be described as smoky (which went with the atmosphere in here), singing about the lost love of her life.

My body and Bills pressed together as his one arm was wrapped around me. We moved together like we'd been doing it forever and always would. His face pressed against mine and my arm tightly draped over his broad shoulder. I had missed this more than I realized. My Bill.

He pulled his face away a little and those dark eyes with depths that I'd never been able to discern stared into mine. I don't know how it happened, but suddenly we were kissing. And it was better than my dream.

The warm room, the packed bodies, the smoky air, the dancing and Bill's kissing combined to make me feel a little woozy. I needed some air.

"Would you like to go outside for a moment?" Bill asked, having picked up on my potential swoon. I nodded and he led me across the dance floor. We gathered up my little purse and shawl and went out the back door and around the side of the building, under the second story porch overhang. My sweaty body's reaction to being outside in the cool air was initially relief, but I pulled the shawl around me to prevent feeling clammy. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I answered, letting him keep his arm wrapped around me, I leaned into him a little. We stood there quietly for a moment, leaning against the clapboards with the vibration of the music and the dancers coming through the boards.

"Are you having a nice time tonight?"

"Yes"

"Good, I'm glad." Bill nuzzled my head a little, and softly kissed my forehead.

We heard a throat clearing coming from the bushes at the end of the porch. "Ahem, I'm sorry to interrupt." And Eric stepped from the shadows.

"What is going on?" Bill asked, straightening up and giving his boss an annoyed look.

"We need to talk for a moment."

Bill nodded," Wait here Sookie. I'll be right back."

"Actually, she needs to come too," Eric said.

Puzzled, Bill and I followed Eric past the bushes and into a large lot on the other side. It looked like the remnants of someone's summer garden, a big one. Once we were alone, Eric turned and addressed me," Why did you lie to me, Miss Norris?"

My mouth dropped open a little and my slightly still drunken brain tried to think of any specific lies I had told Eric, you know, besides the obvious unspoken ones.

Bill jumped in," What is the meaning of this?"

"She knows," Eric responded, his face covered in shadows from a tree that hadn't quite lost all its leaves yet. "Answer me…now."

"I don't know what you mean," I said, reminding myself that people telling the truth keep a steady gaze on the person they're talking to. I returned Eric's look back at him with my shoulders squared and straight.

"Yes, you do….why did you tell me you had overheard the men at the bar plotting against me?"

"Because I did…"

"No, you did not," Eric snapped. "One of those men works for me. He keeps an eye on those who might try to come after me or damage my organization. He says you couldn't have heard anything at the bar, because they didn't discuss coming after me at the bar." He must have been the other guy. I should have taken the time to read both of them and I would have known this already .

"Well, he's mistaken. How else could I have known ?" I insisted.

"You would if you're involved in some way," he said dangerously. Oh boy, I was in real trouble now. If Eric thought I was plotting to kill him…..

"Eric, how is that possible?" Bill asked. "She just got here and …"

"Did you know she's from Bon Temps?" Eric interrupted. "Why didn't you inform me that she was from the same town you are from. Don't you find that strange?"

Bill was silent for a moment. "She told me she was from Hotshot, Louisiana. But I still fail to see how this matters. "

Eric's face lit up in a way that I knew was ominous for me. "Bill, when was the last time you were in Louisiana?"

"It's been a very long time…perhaps not since I originally left."

"Hotshot is a settlement of two families of shifters, panthers to be exact, so she cannot be from there." It boded very badly for me that Eric was dropping contractions right and left.

It was time to go on the offensive. "So what?" I declared. " So what if I lied about where I'm from? I'm trying to make a life for myself and it's really nobody's business where I've lived. And I don't know what your guy is thinking, but he's mistaken. I DID hear them at the bar!" I crossed my arms and looked as annoyed and put out as possible.

Bill stepped in again, God bless him. "Eric, this sound like conjecture and speculation to me…I can't believe that you would…."

"Bill," Eric interrupted. "Are you even paying attention?"

"What do you mean?"

"She did not even react when I said "shifter," he said. His big body was completely still and he was watching my every twitch and fidget. I tried to stay as still as possible. " Has she asked you any questions about why she cannot see you during the day?"

"No"

"Has she asked you any questions about your family, or where you are from..anything like that?"

"Well….no"

Eric seemed to make a decision and turned towards Bill. "That is it. I warned you and I cannot put the rest of us at risk. She cannot work for us."

What? He was firing me? Where was I going to go? What was I going to do?

"Mr. Blue, can't we talk about this a little. I don't understand why you're so upset. I'm telling you the truth," I insisted.

"No, you are not," Eric replied flatly. "Mr. Crumpton will be taking you for a little ride and we will send your things along."

"But…but…." I stammered.

"Goodbye, Miss Norris." Eric turned and walked away without hesitation. His mind was made up and that was that.

I wasn't sure who was more stunned, me or Bill. After a few moments, Bill shook himself, grasped my arm and pulled me further away from the club.

"Bill?"

"Follow me Sookie," he murmured, his voice resigned. I dragged my feet a little. "Come along now, don't make a fuss."

"Bill, you believe me don't you? Can't you talk to Mr. Blue and make him change his mind?."

"Mr. Blue never changes his mind once it is made up. I'm sorry Sookie."

I trudged along after Bill, back into the street where our car had been parked. I didn't know what I was going to do. It depended on where Bill was taking me. Would I time jump out? Could I if I was separated from Eric and Bill? How did all this work anyway?"

While my mind was racing and trying to come up with where I was going to sleep, what was I going to eat, what on earth was Alice going to think….I didn't notice that we weren't going back to the car. We turned down some kind of driveway that crunched under my feet. I looked down and in the dim street lights it looked white. "What are those?" I asked lamely, trying to make Bill talk to me.

"Crushed clam shells."

"Oh, that's a good idea," I said.

We were heading into the marina. It was very quiet, the only sounds were the water lapping up against the dock posts and boats bumping a little. Puzzled, I followed Bill down the dock to a small outboard boat. He gestured for me to get in. It was one of those wooden boats that you rarely see anymore because they cost so much more than fiberglass, and need more maintenance. I sat on the bench along the side and Bill sat at the stern.

"Where are we going?" I asked. "Can't I go back to the house and get my things first? Come on Bill, Eric won't know and I need my clothes!"

"Your possessions will be forwarded along," Bill said quietly, and he pulled the cord and started the motor. His voice sounded odd.

I huddled miserably and pulled my shawl around me tightly. As we pulled away from the dock and the friendly lights on shore, the wind picked up and it got much colder. This didn't bother Bill of course, but I rubbed my arms, hoping we'd get to our destination quickly. I assumed we were going across the river to one of the other towns there, although why we weren't taking the car over the bridge was beyond me. Maybe they didn't want to pay the toll, cheap vampires.

It got darker and colder and my mind drifted a little, back to the conversation I'd had with Eric. I had made him suspicious and he wasn't taking any chances. He was paranoid and seeing enemies everywhere, even a nonthreatening woman like me. At least he wasn't having me killed….wait a minute. What was it he had said?

"Take her for a ride….." The gangster movie's I'd watched with Jason…wasn't what they said when they were taking someone out to be executed?

I was shaking now and it wasn't just from the cold. I suddenly knew, to my core that Bill was taking me out into this massive dark expanse of water to kill me and dispose of me. By the time anyone found my body (IF they found it) , I'd be all chewed up by crabs and bottom feeding scavenger fish. I squinted and looked around the boat for a weapon, anything I could use to kill Bill. The moon's light was going in and out as the clouds drifted past the moon's face, so I couldn't see very well. I couldn't fight Bill. I was going to have to try and convince him.

Up until now, I'd been making an effort to not let anyone know who and where, when I was from….since I was assuming I could alter history or something bad would happen if I did so. I also figured they would just lock me up, thinking I was crazy.

But this was do or die, so it was time to blab.

"Bill! Don't' do this! Please, I won't tell anyone anything I promise!" I said, checking his reaction.

"I'm sorry Sookie. We can't take that chance and Mr. Blue won't take that chance." The boat kept puttering along. Bill kept his hand on the rudder, steering and not even looking at me.

"Bill, I know you like me, how can you do this?"

"I've pledged myself to Eric. I have to follow orders."

"Stop being such a damn good soldier! Why can't you think outside the box sometimes? You're one of the smartest vampires I've ever met. You don't have to do this!"

The boat drifted to a stop. Bill's head turned towards me. I couldn't really make out his face, but I knew he could see mine. "How did you know?"

"I've known all along," I answered. Now wasn't the time for holding back, so I plunged ahead. "This should give you more reason to not do this. You know I can be trusted. I haven't told anyone else have I? Isn't it useful having a human to do things for you?"

"Yes, why didn't you tell us this before?"

" I was afraid and I just wanted a job." Boy, was this true.

"We can't trust you," he said and he revved the motor back up. The vampires can't trust ME? That was rich.

The lights on the shore were becoming dimmer and dimmer. It was time to really go for it. "Bill! The reason I couldn't tell you the truth is because I am from the future. I know you and Eric in the future."

The boat stopped again. This was killing me.

"What?" Bill asked, his voice curious. "What are you saying?"

"I was attacked by a fairy back home in Bon Temps…the Bon Temps in the future. And somehow I was zapped backwards in time..I don't know how or why. I just want to go home. But I've been running into you and Eric repeatedly…I think…I think it's because I've had your blood and his. "

Bill's glowing form was still. I could practically hear the little gears in his head grinding around. "You know about fairies too…." He murmured. Then his tone changed, "You saw the books on my desk. You're mocking me. You think I'm foolish and would fall for such a ridiculous story." He sounded angry and almost hurt. He started the boat up again, we took a turn and kept chugging along.

"NO! Bill, I'm not making fun of you! I know you hate being teased. Believe it or not, we're friends in the future…very good friends. We used to be together, but you were called by Lorena and…"

"How did you know about Lorena?" He demanded. The boat stopped again. I was ready to tear my hair out from this back and forth. I was so scared and panicking. The thought of being pushed into this dark, cold water to drown all alone….tears were pushing themselves out and creating hot little trails down my cheeks. Bill just had to listen!

"I told you! Lorena called you and you went to her. You were going to stay with her willingly because she was threatening to hurt me if you didn't." Bill had told me this afterward, but I had been so hurt I hadn't really listened. I only just now realized the sacrifice Bill had been making , staying with a horrible Maker to protect me.

"I would NEVER agree to stay with Lorena willingly, NEVER," Bill insisted. "I spent years trying to get away from her. I would never EVER go back!" Now, even his voice was almost shaking. I had him shook up. Good.

We sat still for a moment.

Then he continued, " How did this end? Are you saying I'm trapped with her still in the future? That I never escape that woman's clutches?" He sounded despondent and the tragedy in his voice almost made me want to cry if I wasn't worried about being murdered any second.

"No…no Bill…," I said. " I insisted on rescuing you and Eric went along to help."

"Eric helped?" Bill sounded like he didn't believe that. Well, I couldn't blame him.

"Yes, you were doing a job for a more powerful vampire and Eric was going to be punished if he couldn't find you, so he helped."

Bill's dark head nodded. This sounded more plausible to him.

"What job was I doing?" he asked curiously.

Boy, I was really screwing with the future now. "You were building a database of vampires. You had compiled a massive database of every vampire in America and even ones overseas. It has everything about them, their makers, children, powers, ties to others, where they live, alias …all kinds of stuff. You did all the work by yourself and spent years doing it."

"You mean, like an encyclopedia?" he asked. How could I explain computers to Bill?

"Yes," I agreed. "Like an encyclopedia. You have photos and drawings ..all kinds of history stuff. No other vampire had thought of doing it and it gave you a means to make lots of money for yourself and the vampire you were working for," I added proudly. I had done nothing but complain when he had been working so hard to meet a deadline for Queen Sophia Anne. Not once, had I ever told him I was proud of his accomplishment. What the hell was wrong with me? Why hadn't I ever told him that? Why was this just occurring to me now?

Bill sat silently for a few more moments. "How could you know?" he murmured softly." I've never told anyone that I have been keeping notes on various vampires I've met. That project…that sounds like a great idea….it would be so useful to other vampires..and…"he stopped again, obviously thinking about what a great idea a vampire database was. He shifted in the boat. "Why? Why would I sacrifice so much for you? Why would I do this? Are we lovers?"

Boy, this was getting complicated. How do I explain my relationship with Bill? "We were….lovers," I responded carefully. " I was very upset about you leaving me for Lorena. And you didn't tell me what you were doing, you just left. And then later ..it turned out you had met me under false pretenses…that hurt me so bad. We broke up…but we're still friends…kind of…" God this sounded bad. Why didn't I just lie and tell him Yes we're still together, why don't you doublecross Eric and not kill me please?

"You didn't answer my question," Bill commented. "I would never go back to my maker…"

Time for truthtelling. "You love me," I sighed. "You just do…you've never stopped even after all the mess we went through with Lorena. And I loved you too, that's why I went after you. I was so angry with you, but I had to save you. I just had to. "

"And did Lorena let me go?"

Oh dear. "Ah, no… when I was rescuing you….she attacked me and I …uh…I killed her."

The boat motor stopped entirely. "Lorena has met her final death?" Bill's voice was incredulous. "How is that possible? She is old and a ruthless killer. You could not possibly have killed her."

"I got lucky," I admitted. "She jumped me, I had a stake in my hand and she landed on it. It was winter time, so I dragged her body into the swimming pool on the property so no one would realize she was dead. Then I put you in the car and we got away."

"Very smart," Bill said. "And you are either very brave or very foolish."

"I guess you could flip a coin on that one."

A low chuckle erupted which I took as a good sign. "So, I was grateful? We got away together?"

Time for a little editing. I had Bill feeling all warm and fuzzy about us now. I didn't want to ruin it by telling him what he'd done to me in the trunk of the car afterward. "More or less, " I answered.

"You could be a psychic or a seer," Bill speculated. "Or maybe you just have a very good imagination. Tell me something else about the future that doesn't involve me." He thought he was going to catch me out on something.

Okay Sookie, let's just ruin the future of the entire WORLD shall we?

"Hitler is going to start a massive war, a world war. It's going to be even worse than the last one," I said somberly.

"You don't have to see the future to know a war is coming,"Bill said.

Well, smarty pants try this one on for size."In about forty years, an American named Neil Armstrong is going to walk on the moon. "

He literally gasped. "What?"

"NASA is going to shoot a rocket up into space, it's going to land on the moon, the astronauts are going to step out and walk around the moon," I explained, using scaling hand gestures to demonstrate.

"Who is NASA?" Bill asked.

I was losing patience and I wasn't as scared as I was angry now. "Come on Bill! What are you going to do? It's cold out here!"

Silence.

He started up the motor again. Unfortunately, he steered us into the darkness even further. "Bill! Bill? Please, you don't have to do this! Please?" You'd beg to if you thought you were going to die.

"I have pledged myself to Eric. Following orders is not an option. And if you'd spent as much time around vampires as you are claiming, you would know that."

"Bill please!" I cried. My voice was shaking and everything else. I had been so sure he was going to change his mind.

"I'm sorry Sookie, but I really have no choice."

Then, without any warning, he reached over, grabbed me like a bag of groceries and tossed me into the water.

"AH!" I yelled. I landed on my back in a backwards version of a belly flop and the dress clung to me, which made it hard to move. Pumps aren't made for swimming either. I thrashed around as the sound of the outboard motor disappeared quickly into the distance. "Bill! Please!" I yelled again, to no avail.

The water was COLD and it was so dark and disorienting. I momentarily thought about the movie Titanic and Kate Winslet out in the middle of the Atlantic with all those other poor people. I'm not a great swimmer and swimming in these clothes was hard. I was going to die just like all those people did.

I choked and sobbed as the brackish, black waters of the Cheasapeake Bay pulled me down.

TBC

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next chaper: you don't really think I'm going to tell you that do you? *evil cackle*

BTW, there is something called Apple Pie Moonshine or Apple Pie Gin, you can google it. It's amazing how creative people can get when they're trying to become intoxicated.