Disclaimer: I don't own the story or the characters. They belong to the author Charlaine Harris. I am not making any profit from this. I am just borrowing them for fun. If you have any questions or comments feel free to do so. I would like to know how the story is doing.

March 8, 2017

First I want to announce that I am back and ready to continue this story. Life got too busy and I had to stop writing it, but it is now settled, and I'm ready to continue this rewrite! I hope you will give me the opportunity to entertain you with this story. Enjoy the ride!

As we know, CH HEA didn't fulfill our dreams. It didn't fulfill mine for sure. Therefore, in order to find closure and to please many friends who are struggling with the same problem, I am going to re-do the ending. There are several things that I think need to be addressed in order for the ending to feel natural.

One of them is to rewrite several parts of Deadlocked where CH opens the doors for her horrible ending. Not everything will be rewritten, just the main points to make Sookie behave more into character (less bitch and more likable) and to make our Viking to keep his Alpha role (a position he deserves). Once things are settled, the story will depart away from the original storyline and new plots will be added (forget the last book in the series... as if it never existed!). No matter what happens, this story is for Sookie and Eric. The way the story should have ended, but didn't.

I am going to do my best to tell the story in Sookie's POV. I really hope that I can give her justice. My goal is to make it fun while we reach our happy ending.

I will add some chapters with Eric's POV… just for fun. I think that we should get a glimpse of what goes on inside his mind… and heart!

I don't know how many chapters will take to reach the HEA ending. However, I promise to make the journey fun and entertaining. After all, this is what it's all about… to have fun!

Feel free to write reviews and to comment on the chapters. I want to know if you are enjoying the story since this is the first time I write Fanfiction. Thank you in advanced for your eternal support.

Deadlocked re-write

Chapter 1- 5

Summary: Sookie went to Hooligans for Ladies Only Night. She saw a lot fairies working there. In the morning Niall comes to visit her. After a talk between Niall, Dermot, Sookie and Claude about who put the spell on Dermot, Niall takes Claude to Faery to solve the mystery. Dermot is making renovations to the attic turning it into a bedroom. Mustapha Khan, Eric's daytime guy, visits Sookie with a message from Eric, another one from Pam, and another one from him. I am posting the scene because it is an important message for Sookie and for the story:

"Felipe de Castro is coming to Shreveport to talk about the disappearance of his buddy Victor."

"Oh, shit," I said.

"Say it, Sookie. We're in for it now." He smiled.

"That's it? That's the message?"

"Eric would like you to come to Shreveport tomorrow night to greet Felipe."

"I won't see Eric till then?" I could feel my face narrow in a suspicious squint. That didn't suit me at all. The thin cracks in our relationship would only spread wider if we didn't get to spend time together.

"He has to get ready," Mustapha said, shrugging. "I don't know if he got to clean out his bathroom cabinets or change the sheets or what. 'Has to get ready' is what he told me."

"Right," I said. "And that's it? That's the whole message?"

Mustapha hesitated. "I got some other things to tell you, not from Eric. Two things." He took off his sunglasses. His chocolate-chip eyes were downcast; Mustapha was not a happy camper.

"Okay, I'm ready." I was biting the inside of my mouth. If Mustapha could be stoical about Felipe's impending visit, I could, too. We were at great risk. We had both participated in the plan to trap Victor Madden, regent of the state of Louisiana, put in place by King Felipe of Nevada, and we had helped to kill Victor and his entourage. What was more, I was pretty sure Felipe de Castro suspected all this with a high degree of certainty.

"First thing, from Pam." "She says, 'Tell Sookie that this is the hard time that will show what she is made of.'"

I cocked my head. "No advice other than that? Not too helpful. I figured as much." I'd pretty much assumed Felipe's post-Victor visit would be a very touchy one. But that Pam would warn me … seemed a bit odd.

"Harder than you know," Mustapha said intently.

I stared at him, waiting for more.

Maddeningly, he did not elaborate. I knew better than to ask him to. "The other thing is from me," he continued.

Only the fact that I'd had to control my face all my life kept me from giving him major Doubtful. Mustapha? Giving me advice?

"I'm a lone wolf," he said, by way of preamble.

I nodded. He hadn't affiliated with the Shreveport werewolves, all members of the Long Tooth pack.

"When I first blew into Shreveport, I looked into joining. I even went to a pack gathering," Mustapha said.

It was the first chink I'd seen in his "I'm badass and I don't need anyone" armor. I was startled that he'd even tried. Alcide Herveaux, the packleader in Shreveport, would have been glad to gain a strong wolf like Mustapha.

"The reason I didn't even consider it is because of Jannalynn," he said. Jannalynn Hopper was Alcide's enforcer. She was about as big as a wasp, and she had the same nature.

"Because Jannalynn's really tough and she would challenge someone as alpha as you?" I said.

He inclined his head. "She wouldn't leave me standing. She would push and push until we fought."

"You think she could win? Over you." I made it not quite a question. With Mustapha's size advantage and his greater experience, I could not fathom why Mustapha had a doubt he would be the victor.

He inclined his head again. "I do. Her spirit is big."

"She likes to feel in charge? She has to be the baddest bitch in the fight?"

"I was in Hair of the Dog yesterday, early evening. Just to spend some time with the other Weres after I got through working for the vamps, get the smell of Eric's house out of my nose … though we got a deader hanging around at the Hair, lately. Anyway, Jannalynn was talking to Alcide while she was serving him a drink. She knows you loaned Merlotte some money to keep his bar afloat."

I shifted in my chair, suddenly uneasy. "I'm a little surprised Sam told her, but I didn't ask him to keep it a secret."

"I'm not so sure he did tell her. Jannalynn's not above snooping when she thinks she ought to know something, and she doesn't even think of it as snooping. She thinks of it as fact-gathering. Here's the bottom line: Don't cross that bitch. You're on the borderline with her."

"Because I helped Sam? That doesn't make any sense." Though my sinking heart told me it did.

"Doesn't need to. You helped him when she couldn't. And that galls her. You ever seen her when she's got a mad on?"

"I've seen her in action." Sam always liked such challenging women. I could only conclude that she saved her softer, gentler side for him.

"Then you know how she treats people she sees as a threat."

"I wonder why Alcide hasn't picked Jannalynn as his first lady, or whatever the term is," I said, just to veer away from the subject for a moment. "He made her pack enforcer, but I would have thought he would pick the strongest female wolf as his mate."

"She'd love that," Mustapha said. "I can smell that on her. He can smell that on her. But she don't love Alcide, and he don't love her. She's not the kind of woman he likes. He likes women his own age, women with a little curve to 'em. Women like you."

"But she told Alcide …" I had to stop, because I was hopelessly confused. "A few weeks ago, she advised Alcide he should try to seduce me," I said awkwardly. "She thought I would be an asset to the pack."

"If you're confused, think how Jannalynn's feeling." Mustapha's face might have been carved in stone. "She's got a relationship with Sam, but you were able to save him when she wasn't. She halfway wants Alcide, but she knows he wanted you, too. She's big in the pack, and she knows you have pack protection. You know what she can do to people who don't."

RECAP: After the conversation with Mustapha, she went to Merlottes and Jannalynn found Sookie and Sam working on the business taxes. Jannalynn was furious/jealous. Tara ate at Merlottes, and as always, she complained about her weight gain. Jason is planning to propose to Michelle. Sookie went home and got ready to see Eric and Felipe de Castro. Sookie met them at Eric's house where they were having a party. Felipe de Castro's guests destroyed Eric's furniture. Sookie found Eric feeding from a were female with fairy blood in her system. The woman left and Sookie was upset with Eric. The Were-woman was found dead in the front yard. Mustapha went MIA. They were taken to the police station for interrogation. They returned to Eric's house and Sookie spent the night in Eric's house. Eric apologized to Sookie for drinking from the other woman and they had sex. Next day Sookie went to her house and Mustapha was waiting for her. There she learned that Warren was missing which prompted her to suspect that whoever was holding him was forcing Mustapha to go against Eric.

Well, it seems I summarized chapters 1-5 (121 pages) in about 1 page long. Now, I am going to re-write chapter 6 because I think this is where a few things happened that started setting things to go the wrong way. Chapter 6 will be our Chapter 1. Enjoy it.

Chapter 1

It was dark when the phone finally rang and it was Eric.

"Sookie, I'm on my way over to see you," Eric said.

How can I disregard the fact that he drank from that woman. It was painful and uncomfortable to remember the incident. "No," I said. "I don't think so."

There was a little silence and I think that my answer took Eric by surprise. "Is this a punishment for last night?" he asked.

"No, it is not. But I don't know how I feel about that. I can't stop feeling contradicting feelings about the incident and I prefer not to talk about it tonight," I told him.

"You really don't want to see me tonight?" he asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"No, not tonight. Is Bill still the Area Five investigator?" I asked changing the subject.

"He is," he replied cautious.

"Then he needs to get to work, don't you think? He could take Heidi with him, since she's supposed to be such a great tracker. How did Kym Rowe get past the guard? Unless someone bribed the guard-and it was a guy I didn't know-it's possible Kym came up from the gate at the back of your yard, right? Maybe Bill and Heidi could discover how she got there. Plus, I need to talk to Bill about something."

"That's a good idea." He was thawing out. "None of my vampires would say a word," Eric said with absolute certainty. "Colton is still in the area, but Immanuel has gone to the West Coast. You would not tell anyone. Mustapha's friend Warren, who acted as our cleanup man ..."

"None of them would speak. Warren wouldn't say boo to a goose if Mustapha didn't tell him to." I thought so, anyway. I didn't really know much about Warren, who wasn't big on talking. I was just about to tell Eric that Mustapha had appeared in my kitchen when he continued, "We should have taken care of Colton and Immanuel."

Did Eric mean the vampires should have killed the human survivors of that vicious brawl, even if they'd fought on Eric's side? Or was he simply implying he should have done a preemptive glamour, erasing their memories? I closed my eyes. I thought of my own humanity and vulnerability, though glamouring had never worked on me. However, after everything that has happened to me since I met the first vampire I learned to sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.

Time to change the subject to an important one that is keeping me mentally exhausted. "Do you know why Felipe is really here? Cause you know it's not because of Victor, or at least only partly because of Victor."

"Don't discount his need to discipline me for Victor's death," Eric said. "But you're right, he's got another agenda. I realized that last night." Eric grew more guarded. "Or at least, I became surer of it."

"So you already know this secret agenda, and you're not telling me."

"We'll talk about it later."

Of course I should have told him about Mustapha's visit, but I lost my patience. "Why is everything has to be later? I am tired of the vampire politics and the secrets that they hide." I hung up without giving him to opportunity to reply. I looked down at my hand, a bit stunned at my own action. Why is it that everybody's agenda doesn't include keeping Sookie safe? Maybe that is selfish of me, but right now Felipe's presence didn't give me good vibes. I wondered about Felipe's real reason to be here and I cringed. Nothing good can come up from that King.

I sat down in the living room replaying my conversation with Eric. I wanted to see him but I wasn't going to give up this time. I was upset with Eric, but I was more upset with Felipe's situation. I grabbed today's newspaper hopping it would help me to put my thoughts elsewhere. I wished I had a cup of coffee with me to read it, but I didn't feel like making any at this moment. I gasped at the front page news. There, I discovered that Kym Rowe had been twenty-four, she had been from Minden, and (after looking at the picture of her accompanying the main article) I wasn't surprised to read she'd recently been fired from her job as an exotic dancer for assaulting a customer.

The cause of Kym's death, according to the paper, had been a broken neck. Quick, quiet, requiring only strength and the element of surprise. That was why, even in that quiet neighborhood, no one had heard her scream ... not even Bill, with his vampire hearing. Or so he said.

Kym Rowe, I discovered, had good reason to have a short temper. "Rowe was desperate for money. 'She was behind on her car payments, and her landlord was about to evict her,' Oscar Rowe, the victim's father, said. 'She was doing crazy things to earn money.'" That was the short and sad story of the life of Kym Rowe. One thing stood out: She'd had nothing to lose.

Of course, much was made of the fact that she'd been found on the lawn of a "prominent vampire businessman and his party guests." Eric and his uninvited company were in for a hard time with the publicity machine. I turned to the inside page where the article continued. Kym's grieving parents were posed clutching a Bible and a bouquet of daisies, which they said had been Kym's favorite flower. Though I chided myself for my snobbishness, they didn't look like much.

Before I could finish the article, the phone rang. I jumped about a foot. I'd been wondering if Eric would call back after he'd had enough time to get really angry with me, but the caller ID let me know my caller was Sam. "Hey," I said.

"What happened last night?" he asked. "I just watched the Shreveport news."

I gave him the condense version of the events and once again I remembered Eric drinking from that were. I didn't want to give him too many details because that was really Eric's and mine private life.

"Do you know who did it?"

"No," I said. "If I knew who'd killed her, I'd have told the cops last night."

"Even if the killer was Eric?"

That stopped me dead. "It would depend on the circumstances. Would you turn in Jannalynn?"

There was a long silence. "It would depend on the circumstances," he said.

"Jannalynn ... she's great, but I feel like I've bitten off more than I can chew some days."

To say the least but I didn't dare to say it out loud. It surprised me that Sam was dating women that were rough and with masculine features. Maybe he liked rough sex. Maybe he was into BDSM. I shook my head to remove those thoughts. I really didn't want to have that image in my mind. I rather have the nice and sweet Sam image. Out of the sudden I decided to ask a question that has been bugging me for a long time now, "Do you tell her everything, Sam?" I wondered how much did other couples share. I needed some feedback. I'd had so few relationships. Shouldn't Eric and I confide on each other for everything? Or would that be a bad thing?

He hesitated. "No," he said, finally. "I don't. We haven't gotten to the 'I love you' stage yet, but even if we had ... no."

"So it's not just me and Eric," I said confused. "Between us, Sam, I feel like Eric's not telling me some pretty important stuff."

"What about the things you aren't telling him? Are those things important?"

"Yeah, they are. Important, but not ... personal." I hadn't told Eric about Hunter, my little second cousin, being telepathic like me. I hadn't told Eric how worried I was about the concentration of the fae in Monroe. I'd tried filling Eric in on the fae situation, but it had been easy to tell that the politics of his own kind were at the top of his list these days. I couldn't blame him for that.

"Sookie, you're okay, right? I don't know what you mean by 'not personal.' Everything that happens to you is personal."

"By personal stuff ... things that are only about me and him. Like if I wasn't happy with the way he treated me, or if I thought he needed to be around more, or if he'd go with me to Jason and Michele's wedding. If I needed to talk about any of those things, I would. But I know pieces of information that affect other people, and I don't always tell him those things, because he has such a different perspective." I stopped listening to my own words and immediately I realized that I was voicing the things I wanted, but didn't have with Eric. I wanted him to go with me to Jason and Michele's wedding, I wanted for him to do human things with me, I wanted him to separate himself from the vampire politics for a while. Yet, I knew that with Felipe de Castro around, it would be difficult for me to get those things. What if he was not longer around? I smiled at the thought.

"You know you can tell me, if you need to talk about something. You know I'll listen and I won't tell anyone." Sam said bringing me back from my thoughts.

"I know that, Sam. You're the best friend I've got. And I hope you know I'm always ready to listen to anything you need to talk about. After all, that is what friends are for. Besides, I'm sure Eric and I will get back to normal when Felipe leaves ... when the boat stops rocking."

"Maybe you will," he said. After we said the polite words we hanged up.

Dermot came in about half an hour later. Normally, my great-uncle was at least content in a low-keyed way. Tonight he wasn't even approaching happiness; he was actively worried.

"What's up?"

"Claude's absence is making them restless."

"Because he has such charisma that he keeps them all in line." Claude had as much personality as a turnip.

"Yes," Dermot said simply. "I know you don't feel Claude's charm. But when he's among his own people, they can see his strength and purpose."

"We're talking about the guy who chose to stay among humans rather than go into Faery when it was closing." I just didn't get it.

"Claude's told me two things about that," Dermot said, going to the refrigerator and pouring a glass of milk. "He said he knew the portals were closing, but he felt he couldn't leave without tying up his business affairs here, and he never imagined that Niall would really stick to his decision. On the whole, the gamble of staying here appealed to him more. But he told the others, all the assortment of fae at Hooligans, that Niall denied him entry."

I noticed that Dermot was admitting, though not explicitly, that he didn't have the high opinion of Claude that the other fae did. "Why'd he tell two stories? Which do you believe?"

Dermot shrugged. "Maybe both are true, more or less," he said. "I think Claude was reluctant to leave this human world. He's amassing money that could be working for him here while he's in Faery. He's been talking with lawyers about setting up a trust, or something like that. It would continue to earn him money even if he vanishes. That way if he wants to return to this world, he will be a rich man and able to live as he wants. And there are advantages, even when you live in Faery, to having financial assets here."

"Like what?"

Dermot looked surprised.

"Like having the ability to buy things that aren't available in Faery," he said. "Like having the ability to make trips out here occasionally, to indulge in things that aren't ... acceptable in our own world."

"Like what?" I asked again.

"Some of us like human drugs and sex," Dermot said. "And some of us like human music very much. And human scientists have thought of some wonderful products that are very useful in our world."

"But why can't you have it there? Don't you have those products there?

"We have products made over there yes, but we also like humans' products and so far Niall doesn't allow us to bring them there." The more I heard, the more curious I felt. I wonder if I would ever be able to see it at least once. Would a part-human be allowed in Faery? Maybe I could ask my great grandfather next time I see him.

"Why do you think Claude went with Niall?" I asked instead.

"Niall is fond of you, so I think he wants to become secure in Niall's affection," Dermot said promptly. "And I think he wants to remind the rest of the fae world what an enticing option they have cut off, since Niall closed the portals and guards them so rigorously. But I don't know." He shrugged. "I'm his kinsman, so he has to shelter me and defend me. But he doesn't have to confide in me."

"So he's still trying to have it both ways," I said.

"Yes," Dermot said simply. "That's Claude."

Just then there was a knock at the back door. Dermot raised his head and sniffed. "There's one of the troubles," he said, and went to answer it. Our caller was Bellenos the elf, whose needlelike inch-long teeth were terrifying when he smiled. I remember how he'd grinned when he'd presented me with the head of my enemy. Our new visitor had bloody hands. "What you been doing, Bellenos?" I asked, proud that my voice was so even.

"I've been hunting, my fair one," he said, and gave me that scary grin. "I was complaining of being restless, and Dermot gave me leave to hunt in your woods. I had a wonderful time."

"What did you catch?"

"A deer," he said. "A full-grown doe."

It wasn't hunting season, but I didn't mind them hunting a few ones. "Then I'm glad you took the opportunity," I said.

"Some of the rest of us would like to hunt here, too," the elf suggested.

"I am not sure if that would be a good idea, but I'm willing to give it a try. Long as that hunting was restricted to deer, and you stayed on my land. I don't want to get the neighbors' attention."

"My kindred are getting restless," Bellenos said, in what was not quite a warning. "We would all like to get out of the club. We would all like to visit your woods, experience the peacefulness of your house."

I wonder why they are feeling so peaceful in my land. Would it be because of the portal or because of the cluviel dor? A deep uneasiness feeling took over my chest. "I understand," I said, and offered him water. When he nodded, I poured a glass full of cold water from the pitcher in the refrigerator. He gulped it all down. Hunting deer in the dark with your bare hands was apparently thirsty work. After the water was gone, Bellenos asked if he could clean up, and I pointed out the hall bathroom and put out a towel.

When the door was safely shut, I gave Dermot a look.

"I know you have reason to be angry, Sookie," he said. He came closer and dropped his voice. "Bellenos is the most dangerous. If he gets tense and bored, bad things will happen. It seemed wisest to give him a safety valve. I hope you'll forgive me for granting him permission, since we're family." Dermot's big blue eyes, so like my brother's, looked at me imploringly.

I wasn't too pleased, but Dermot's reasoning made all kinds of sense. The image of a repressed elf finally cutting loose on the people of Monroe was a picture I didn't want in my head. "I get what you're saying," I told him. "But if you ever want to let someone run free on my land again, check with me first. Remember that Bill lives across the cemetery and there are other vampires that usually come to visit uninvited. I don't want to have to explain to them the fairies presence or having to deal with a vampire accidentally draining one of them."

"I will," he said. I wasn't convinced. Dermot was a lot of good things, but I couldn't see him as a strong or decisive leader. "They're tired of waiting," he said hopelessly. "I guess I am, too."

"Would you leave for Faery?" I asked. I tried a smile. "Can you live without your HGTV and your Cheetos?" I wanted to ask my great-uncle if he could live without me, but that would be too pitiful. We'd gotten along without each other just fine for most of our lives-but there was no denying I was fond of him.

"I love you," he said unexpectedly. "The happiest I've been in years is the time I've spent here with you, in this house. It's so peaceful."

This was the second time in a few minutes that a fae had said my house was peaceful. My conscience stirred inside me. The clavier dor's magic must be stronger that I thought.

Bellenos came out wrapped in a towel, holding out his bloody clothes. His pallor-and his freckles-extended all over. "Sister, can you wash these in your machine? I had only planned to scrub my face and arms, but I thought how good it would feel to be completely clean."

As I took the stained clothes to the washer on the back porch, I was glad I'd taken Mr. Cataliades's warning to heart. If the cluviel dor had such influence when they couldn't even see it, didn't even know it was present, how much more would they want to touch it if they could? What would they do if I wouldn't give it up? A shiver ran down my body just contemplating the idea.

After I'd started Bellenos's clothes on the cold cycle, I remained on the back porch looking out through the screen door at the night. The bugs were in full symphony. It was almost noisy enough to be annoying. I was glad all over again for the blessed invention of air-conditioning, even if the house was cooled by window units instead of central heat and air. I could close and lock my windows at night and keep the drone of the insects at bay ... and feel safe against the appearance of other things. One of those other things was strolling out of the trees right now.

"Hey, Bill," I said quietly.

"Sookie." He moved closer. Even when I knew he was there, I couldn't hear him. Vampires can be so quiet.

"I guess you heard my visitor?" I said.

"Yes. Found what was left of the deer. Elf?"

"Bellenos. You've met him."

"The guy who took the heads? Yeah. Dermot is home?"

"He's here."

"You really shouldn't be alone with Bellenos." Bill, a serious guy, sounded very grim indeed when he said this.

"I don't intend to be. Dermot will take him back to Monroe, either tonight or tomorrow morning. Eric call you tonight?" Even though I wasn't intending to be alone with Bellenos, Bill's interrogation was annoying.

"Yeah. I'm going to Shreveport in an hour. I'm meeting Heidi there." He hesitated for a moment. "I understand she still has a living relative."

"Her son in Nevada. He's a drug addict, I believe."

"To have living flesh of your flesh. It must be a very strange feeling to be able to talk to your immediate kin. This age of vampires is so much different from that when I was turned. I can hardly believe that I now know my great-great-great-grandchildren."

Bill's maker had ordered him out of Bon Temps and even out of the state for a long time, so he wouldn't be recognized by his wife and children or his local acquaintances. That was the old way. Nowadays, things were different.

I noted the wistfulness in his voice. "I don't think it's been very healthy for Heidi to keep in touch with her son," I said. "She's younger than he is, now, and ..." Then I shut up. The rest of the sad story was Heidi's to tell.

"Several days ago, Danny Prideaux came to me to ask if he can be my daytime man," Bill said suddenly, the change of topic took me off guard. Was he hiding something and almost told me?

I didn't make any comments and decided to go on with the conversation. That is when I realized that was Danny's big secret. "Huh. He already has a part-time job at the lumberyard."

"With two jobs, he thinks he can ask his young woman to marry him."

"Oh, wow! Danny's gonna ask Kennedy to marry him? That's wonderful. You know who he's dating? Kennedy, who works behind the bar at Merlotte's?"

"The one who killed her boyfriend." Bill seemed displeased by this bit of information.

"Bill, the guy was beating her. And she served her jail time. Not that you have any room to talk." I said giving him the look which he understood. "You hired him?"

Bill looked a little abashed. "I agreed to a trial period. I don't have enough work for a full-time person, but it would be very pleasant to have a part-time helper. I wouldn't have to ask you for help all the time, which I'm sure is inconvenient for you."

"I haven't minded making the occasional phone call," I said. "But I know you'd like to have someone you don't have to keep thanking. I wish Danny'd tell Kennedy what he's up to. Not knowing is making her have all kinds of bad thoughts about him."

"If they're going to have a real relationship, she has to learn to trust him." Bill gave me an enigmatic look and melted back into the trees.

Ouch, that was a straight forward comment to me. Regardless, my relationship with Eric is none of his business. I went back in the house and the kitchen was empty. Sounded like Bellenos and Dermot had gone upstairs to watch television; I caught the faint sound of a laugh track. I climbed halfway up the stairs, intending to suggest that Bellenos move his own clothes from the washer to the dryer, but I paused when I heard them talking during a commercial break.

"It's called Two and a Half Men," Dermot was telling his guest.

"I understand," Bellenos said. "Because the two brothers are grown, and the son isn't."

"I think so," Dermot said. "Don't you think the son is useless?"

"The half? Yes. At home, we'd eat him. Wither they prove to be worth to keep or they would be gone" Bellenos said.

I turned right around, sure I could put the clothes into the dryer myself. "Sookie, did you need us?" Dermot called. I should have known he'd hear me.

"Just tell Bellenos that I'm putting his clothes in the dryer, but he's responsible for getting them out. I think they'll be dry in ..." I made some hasty calculations. "Probably forty-five minutes. I'm going to bed now." Though I'd had the nap, I was beginning to drag.

I barely waited to hear Dermot say, "He'll get them," before I hurried to the back porch to toss the wet clothes into the dryer. Then I went into my bedroom, shut the door, and locked it.

If the rest of the fae were as casual about cannibalism as the elf, Claude couldn't come back soon enough to suit me. Would that be a reason for the shortage of fairies? If they would eat each other less, they would have an over population then. I shivered just thinking on many others like Bellenos hunting in my land.

I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or comments feel free to do so. I would like to know if you're enjoying the story.