En route to Fangtasia

[onceaviking]

He moves through the air, silent and fast, the crazed King of Mississippi and Louisiana next to him, cradling the slimy remains of his dead consort encased in crystal in his arms.

Honing in on Sookie.

He can feel her.
Giddy with relief. Having escaped.

And yes, there she is. Or rather, there is her tiny car.
And he can hear her too. Chattering away, high on adrenalin.
"..,happily married. And I'm not a waitress anymore. I'm - I'm going to college. No! I'm a real estate agent, and I'm really rich."

Happily married? Happily married?!
Oh, for fuck's sake. She wants to play house with Bill Compton. And he had been so sure he'd planted enough doubt in her mind.

And then there's the dulcet tones of Compton, trying to one up her in the sap department.
"I teach third grade," he says, voice sincere, "and I love my job."

Third grade?!

And he sounds like he means it. He's either a much better actor than Eric would ever have given him credit for, or he's beginning to believe his own mainstreaming bullshit.

William Compton, the shredder of whores, no wait, sorry, the third grade teacher.

Next to him, Edginton starts laughing.
Manically.
It drowns out some equally, sappy shit about gardening and dinner parties.

Then Sookie says, "We don't even know Eric Northman."
"Everything is peaceful."

They land in the road in front of the speeding car.

Sookie screams.

Edgington slams his hand down on the hood and the car's rear end lifts high into the air, almost toppling over, and Eric can't help himself, quickly bending to see if she is alright. To make sure that she is alright.

He needs her alive for this.

Comments

[dobadthings]

They were Bon Temps-bound, but now they're headed for Shreveport.

Eric's at the wheel of Sookie's little car. The mad King of Mississippi is shotgun. Bill and Sookie are huddled in the backseat.

Everything is peaceful.

Famous last words.

Bill has no idea what Eric and Russell are up to. And asking questions now seems...well, right out of the question.

He tries to catch Eric's eye in the rearview mirror with a What the fuck are you doing? look, but he's staring dead straight ahead of him. Russell is too busy muttering and cooing at the red goo in his urn.

Are they going to kill Sookie?

He grasps her hand, holding it tightly. Her fear rushes through her blood. He feels guilty for thinking that it smells so sweet.


The car pulls into the parking lot outside Fangtasia. Graffiti covers the walls of the neighboring empty lot. Die fangers. Suckers suck.

Eric and Russell climb out, followed by Bill and Sookie. Sookie is immediately accosted by Russell who starts on about his grandiose plans. Bill, however, finds himself ushered along with Eric's fist in his collar.

[onceaviking]

"Everything as far as your deficient human eye can see will be mine," Russell says with a sweeping gesture.
And while Sookie answers, Eric leans in, just a little, and half whispers, "Hit me," to Bill.

He need him alone, just for a second. Because he will need his help to make thus work.

[dobadthings]

As they walk toward Fangtasia's door, Bill abruptly looks up at Eric, frowning questioningly.

Well, that's not something he expected to hear.

He glances at Sookie and Russell, then back at Eric, still bewildered.

[onceaviking]

And his mental capacity hasn't increased apparently.
Eric suppresses an eye roll.
"Hit me," he whispers again.

Honestly, how hard can it be?
It's not like he doesn't want to. He'll put good money on that.

[dobadthings]

...Okay.

(Bill's catching on.)

Moving to face Eric, he knocks his arm away, freeing himself from his hold, before aiming his left fist straight for his jaw. It connects hard, and satisfyingly so.

Thing is, Eric is about 900 years older than him, give or take a couple decades. Even his best shot wouldn't put much of a dent in him.

[onceaviking]

Bill isn't the only one with some pent up aggression here.

Eric slaps him across the face whilst Edgington leads Sookie toward the entrance to Fangtasia. Droning on about the decline of society and how America is begging to be conquered.

.... maybe he ought to have held back a little.

[dobadthings]

The blow sends Bill crashing against the fence.

He thought Eric was supposed to be holding back. This is fake, right?

Fine.

Grunting and growling, he goes at him again and again, throwing more punches that hit their mark, but if he's supposed to knock Eric off his feet, well, that's not happening. At least Eric isn't breaking any of his bones. Yet.

[onceaviking]

Eric spreads his arms, fangs down. Grinning.

Come and do your worst Billyboy.

Sookie is being clever for once and not arguing as Edgington leads her the last bit of the way to the door. Even if she is twisting in his grip to look back at them.
Frightened.

He can taste her fear.

"Graffiti is the desperate cry of your dying race," Edginton pontificates, as Eric grabs hold of Bill's throat. Snarling. Almost lifting him off the ground.

"Your society is disintegrating. Soon there will be anarchy, and then, it will be me." They disappear into Fangtasia and when the door has shut behind them, Eric lets go and takes a small step back.
Running his hands through his hair. Withdrawing his fangs.

Now, Bill. Don't disappointment me.

"I have a plan," he says.

[dobadthings]

Now Eric is just showing off, smug bastard.

He leaves himself open with his arms spread like that, so Bill closes in with a kick to his midsection followed by a punch to the face that have seemingly no effect. (Maybe this is also payback for brawling with his Progeny.)

He can feel Sookie's worry and fear. Russell's got his smarmy hands on her, and he feels her revulsion. But he can't do anything about it.

Eric blocks his next hits, and when he's deliberately open again, tauntingly, Bill goes for his throat. Eric's reach is longer, though, so he finds himself locked in his grip. Growling, he grabs at Eric's throat and arm as he's lifted onto his toes--

--and suddenly Eric lets him go.

With a huff, he sheathes his fangs and looks back at the door. Sookie and Russell have gone inside.

He turns to Eric with a scowl.

"Will it save her?" he demands.

[onceaviking]

He runs his fingers through his hair.
Again.

"Yes," he says. "It's our best shot."
Because they are united in this. Trying to keep Sookie safe. At least in keeping her safe from Edginton.

"I've told him what she is," he says in a low tone of voice. "And he wants her. He wants her blood -"

[dobadthings]

Bill stares at him for a moment before it dawns (metaphorically) on him.

"You mean he-- he wants to walk in the sun? Eric, no! Goddammit, why would you tell him that? You know firsthand how crazy and unpredictable he is -- he could completely drain her!"

[onceaviking]

Eric just looks at him.

Then he says, slowly, as to a toddler, "He will want to do it more than once. You don't conquer the world in a single day. And although he is fucking crazy - and I will give you that - he is not stupid. He'll need her alive."

His eyes are drawn to the horizon. Everything's dark. For now.

"So he'll drink. And he'll walk outside ..."

And then what, Bill? Then what?

[dobadthings]

Bill shakes his head. He doesn't like it. He doesn't fucking like it.

"...And he'll burn when her blood wears off."

He still doesn't like it.

He glances back at the door, then back at Eric.

"Are you sure he believes you?"

[onceaviking]

"I've been very convincing," Eric replies, glancing away.

"I'll be even more convincing now."
Flatly.

"He'll start wondering what is taking us so long," he says as he starts striding toward the door. Expecting Bill to follow.
Because that is who Bill is.

[dobadthings]

Bill will need to play along if this is going to work. At this point it seems like a long shot...but he'll have to betray Sookie.

Again.

Sucking it up and setting his jaw, he follows Eric's lead.

Once inside, he sees Sookie seated at a table, her arms defiantly folded while Russell hovers still carrying the crystal urn.

And then there's Pam. She's wearing blue rubber gloves and holding up a long length of silver chain. She rattles it at Bill.

"Bill! So nice of you to join us. Have a seat, why don't you?"

She invitingly pats the back of a chair. And glances up at Eric with a faint twitch of her lips.

[onceaviking]

Eric puts his large hand on Bill's neck and shoves him, face first, at the chair.
"Yes," he says, "Do sit down."

He can smell Sookie. Her fear. Her anger.

It's very distracting.

He turns his attention to Edgington.
"Are you ready?" he asks.
"Ready to taste fairy blood?"

Because he hadn't actually told him that part yet, afraid that he would not have believed him.

A fear that seems justified, as Edginton goes, "Fairies? You seriously expect me to believe she's fairy, a species extinct for millenia - if they ever exist at all? Do you think I wouldn't notice if there were fairies bouncing around in the world?"
His voice filled with scorn. Amused scorn, but scorn none the less.

"I didn't say she was full fairy. She's a human-fairy hybrid, which helped save her from detection. She may well be the last of her kind. Your only chance to walk in the sun."
Emphasizing it, because it is all he's got.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Edgington says. Unimpressed.

"Drink her blood," Eric says. Low and intense.
"You'll see."

[dobadthings]

Bill stumbles forward, almost knocking the chair over. Scowling at Eric over his shoulder, and then scowling in turn at Pam, he sits down heavily.

"Oh, cheer up," Pam mutters at him as she pulls his arms back and wraps the chains tightly around his wrists.

He hisses in pain as the silver burns into his skin. Teeth set in a grimace, he looks over at Sookie (seething, fearful) and wishes she didn't have to be the bait. Seems like that's all she ever is. Vampire bait. He dreads what he'll have to say to her...

As his strength drains and he starts to slump, he snaps his gaze toward Eric, eyes wide. Do the lies never end? Russell isn't fucking convinced at all!

[onceaviking]

And Sookie is just as disbelieving.
"Now that's just nuts!" she says, almost forgetting her fear momentarily.
Because, really? Even for Eric, this seems pretty far-fetched and desperate.

"Nothing in my blood is a supernatural sunscreen for y'all. Why would you even think that?"

It's a bad night when Russell Edginton is the voice of reason.
Well, and Bill of course.
She turns her face to him.
Expectantly.

[dobadthings]

Bill picks his head up and tries to sit up straighter. Meeting Sookie's eyes is a difficult task. But he has to be convincing, for her sake.

"Sookie, you're wrong," he manages to say, visibly rueful. "What Eric says is true. I never told you..."

It's partially true, at least. The part that Russell needs to hear.

[onceaviking]

"No!"
The shock and disbelief are plain to see on her face.
And Eric feels it too, the cold dead of being deserted and let down. And even in the midst of this, it is a sweet, sweet feeling. For how will he overcome this, the sweet and kind and good Bill Compton? How will he regain her trust?
He won't.

Edginton still looks both condescending and doubtful so Eric leans in a little and says, "Bill's experienced it for himself."

The condescension wins, "Oh, well, that's reassuring," Edgington replies. Scathingly. "A testimonial from the mendacious Mr. Compton."

At least, they agree about Bill.

SOokie is still in shock. But she's regained enough of her wherewithal to lay into Bill. "A new beginning? We'll start over?"
Hurt. Betrayed. Upset.

If only he could take her into his arms and calm her.
Kiss her.

He for pecs his thoughts back on track.

She really is the most distracting, little thing.

[dobadthings]

Sookie had always been so trusting, even the night they first met. He's tested it one too many times now, and each time it gets harder and harder to win it back. He was sure she would never take him back after what he'd done to her, losing control of his instincts, nearly draining her, and putting her in the hospital after their escape from Russell's mansion.

But the result of that incident is the only thing that can save her now. If Bill hadn't drunk so much of her blood, he'd never know what it could really do.

"I can't force you to believe it," he says to Russell earnestly, tearing his eyes away from Sookie, her hurt, the sting of betrayal.

"You'll have to see for yourself."

[onceaviking]

"Why are you doing this to me?"

He'll never regain her trust, the good Bill Compton. Not after this. He simply cannot. Eric is certain of it.

So hurt. So upset.

He would hold her, Eric. Soothe her. Kiss her.
No.
Focus.

[dobadthings]

This time Bill does look at her.

"We've tried fighting him," he says, pleading, imploring her to listen.

"We'll never win. If he develops a taste for your blood, he may let you live."

Except it doesn't really matter of Sookie doesn't trust him, now, or in the future.

The whole point now is to get Russell to believe him.

[onceaviking]

"Bill, please!" She sounds like she is on the verge of tears. All her pretty, warm sunlit dreams are being swallowed up by betrayal and Russell's considering gaze.

"So?" Eric says to Edgington.
He's buying it. He's sure if it.
He's taken the bait.

"I'm intrigued," Russell says, stroking his chin. Looking at Sookie. Sweet, delectable Sookie.

"Excellent."

They've got him. They've fucking got him.
Finally. Finally, finally, finally.

And while Sookie screams that she hates them all, Russell turns to Eric and says, "On one condition."

"Whatever you like," he says, trying not to let it show, not to let the relief and the elation color his voice. And then Edginton says, "You go first," and Eric smiles, a small, pleasant smile, and says, "I'd love to."

[lazy_but_loyal]

You go first.

Pam's eyes widen a bit as she looks to Eric. He seems way too calm, way too confident. But there's something in his eyes that doesn't sit right with her.

Second thoughts are starting to nag her now. She's not going to let on, though. Not in front of Russell.

"It's almost dawn," she says plainly.