saturday night and the moon is out

[feel_human]

Tucked away off the road in Bon Temps, there's a road house. Warm light spills from its windows, and the sound of a jukebox playing drifts out into the muggy Louisiana night. The regular assortment of trucks and Hail-Mary-please-keep-this-lemon-goin'-just-a-little-longer cars sit in the dirt parking lot; what amounts to about half the town's small population... or, at least, of those of the 'drinking age and above' persuasion.

Inside, it's a bar of the type scattered all across the American South: homey, no-nonsense. Booths and tables. A man in a plaid flannel shirt wiping the bar; a crossdresser in the kitchen singing Gospel hymns and rolling his hips in time with the words just to scandalize the prep cook. A handful of waitresses, bustling about.

Sookie makes her way briskly through it all, a tray balanced on her palm and her eyes kept stubbornly front, as voices swarm around her. Aloud, and... less so.

...I’m just going to have one beer tonight Jesus one beer that’s all...

...better not gripe about me eating fries not after what I did for him last night...

...I cannot wait to get the hell out of this podunk town...

 

 "Well, make sure you do, and before it’s too late," she responds, thoughtless, to the young man. "Because every year you wait? You just get more and more stuck here. Believe me, I know."

He stares at her. So do his parents.

So does the other table. And she realizes, too little too late, that he hadn't said that out loud, not at all. She laughs, uncomfortable. "I’ll get y'all some ketchup," she says, brightly, and flees, ponytail swinging against the nape of her neck as she goes.

Stupid, Sookie, she chides herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

Comments

[feel_human]

"Night, Sam."

She watches him go and doesn't realize until she's turned and caught Sam Merlotte's eye that she's got a private little smile tucked into the corners of her mouth.

Well, and why not? Maybe she'd always thought she'd never find anyone to spend some time with, but isn't it nice to think she might have been wrong? Is it so awful to enjoy the attention of a handsome young stranger?

She avoid Sam's eye and bustles through last call with renewed vigor, then does her prep work with even more than characteristic efficiency. It's been a night, and she's tired, and her mind is already buzzing with plans for the next day. She wishes a good night to Arlene and Dawn as they head out, then ducks out the back door before Sam can catch her for the chat he so clearly wants to have.

She leaves him to Tara's tender mercies. That oughta be plenty distracting.

[gavemea_45]

He can almost hear Dean’s voice as he wheels the bike into the trees and eases it back toward Merlotte’s. Careful, Sammy.

He’d better be. There’s no visible sign of the bloodsucker, but better safe than sorry. Sam spends a half-second wishing for the kit in the Impala, then sets about finding everything he can just in case.

He sneaks back to the vantage point he’d spotted and settles down to wait. Once Sookie gets safely on her way, he can follow at a distance until she’s even safer inside her home.

[feel_human]

She breathes deep of the muggy night air as she steps outside. It's full of all the scents of home -- damp earth and the nearby creek and summer flowers -- and she feels better in the next moment.

And, all in all, it wasn't such a bad night, plus there's the fun of all the anticipation for tomorrow morning. So she's smiling as she heads to her car, keys jingling in her hand.

There's no warning. She's alone, and then, in the next second, Bill's there, a cold silent bubble around him. Sookie startles, badly. "Bill!"

He doesn't answer, just paces towards her. She takes a step back, then another, and finds herself backed up against her car. "You scared me. Where the heck did you spring from?"

[gavemea_45]

"Get away from her, bloodsucker, right now."

He puts every bit of deadly threat into his voice that he can, gun leveled and ready as he steps out of the shadows. He'd hoped to keep this from Sookie, but there's no chance of that now.

"I know pure lead's not a big problem for your kind, but I'm packing more than that. Step back."

[feel_human]

"...Sam?"

She stares at him over Bill's shoulder, her eyes huge and confused. Is that a -- what's he doing with that gun in his hand? What in heaven's name is going on?

Bill doesn't turn, or even stiffen, though his glance slides sidelong, and then -- she doesn't understand how it happens, can't even see it happening -- he's standing alongside Sam, and his fingers are curled around the barrel of the gun. "I think not," he says, almost conversational, and twists his wrist, sharply.

[gavemea_45]

The son-of-a-bitch is strong, not that it's a surprise. The cords stand out along the side of his neck from pain and effort as the vampire wrenches the gun from him, but he'd come as prepared for this as he could.

Sam flicks his wrist, dropping the spring-loaded silver knife from its hidden sleeve sheath, and rips it along Bill's arm where he's left it open by grabbing for the gun, then across his middle before the other can recoil. He jerks back, placing himself between the vampire and Sookie, knife solidly in his grip now and his other hand holding the canteen he'd slung at his hip earlier.

"I said, back off!"

[feel_human]

She claps a hand to her mouth as a blade flicks into existence and Sam swipes with it, leaving a slash in Bill's arm and another across his stomach. They smoke, of all things, and she sees a few dribbles of dark blood, molasses-thick, soak into the fabric of his shirt.

But it's what she sees when her gaze lifts to her face that makes her own blood run ice-cold. He's glaring at Sam, his eyes cold as winter, his skin pale in the dark, and when he opens his mouth, she sees two neat, gleaming fangs that have dropped to replace his incisors.

Bloodsucker, Sam had called him. "Oh, my God," Sookie says, faint, unable even to realize she's taking the Lord's name in vain. Is this why she couldn't hear his thoughts? She feels sick.

Bill's glance shifts to her, and she sees his nostrils flare, as though he can scent her on the breeze. There's a moment, and then -- it seems to take some effort -- he retracts his fangs and straightens. "Silver," he says, contemptuously. "You certainly are well-prepared, Mr. Winchester."

[gavemea_45]

"Damn right." It's too late to do anything but wish that he'd used a false ID after all. Hopefully none of this'll get back to Dean or D-- or John; hopefully his screwups won't cause them any trouble, whether or not he survives.

"I didn't come here looking for any of you. But when I saw you homing in on her-- no way was I just gonna stand by."

Lower, he adds, "Sookie, just stay behind me, okay?"

[feel_human]

Sam's back is a tense wall in front of her, and Bill -- Bill is -- "What is goin' on?"

She looks from one of them to the other, her back still against her car. "Vampires? And... what are you, some kinda vampire... hunter?"

Bill narrows his eyes, his glance dropping briefly to the canteen in Sam's hand. "You misunderstand my interest in her," he tells Sam, then looks over Sam's shoulder at Sookie. "I did not come here to harm you, Miss Stackhouse."

[gavemea_45]

"He's a vampire, yes," Sam says, low and steady. He watches the way Bill's glance flicks to the canteen and tightens his grip on it just a little, ready to react. He can have it all the way open before Bill reaches him, especially now that he's been sliced with silver.

"People like me - we try to keep people safe from the things that are out to hurt them. Not just vampires. Most people never have to find out about any of that kind of stuff. We help those that do."

He raises his chin, staying careful not to meet the vampire's eyes, and challenges, "Yeah? So what's your interest in her, then?"

[feel_human]

"That is a matter for me to discuss with Miss Stackhouse," Bill says, frigid. "I cannot think how it might be any of your concern."

Sookie's face is white and drawn, but she's focusing just as hard as she can, trying to listen to Bill's thoughts. It's all for naught; she gets nothing but that perfect silence.

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah, no," Sam spits at him. "Not gonna happen. She goes home safe. Sookie, get in the car, okay? Get in your car and start it. He can't come inside your home unless you invite him. Remember that."

[feel_human]

"I would not impose on her safety for the world," Bill says, with such old-fashioned manners Sookie can almost forget the neat little fangs she'd seen glittering in his mouth.

"Don't you boss me," she snaps, frustrated. "Neither of you! Land's sake, seems men are all the same, vampire or not. Bill -- "

This she addresses to the vampire, meeting his cool gaze with her own eyes snapping with temper. "If you're not here to drink my blood, or whatever it is you do, what do you want?"

He stares her down for a long moment before a small frown appears on his brow. In his intent focus, he seems to have forgotten Sam entirely. "What are you?" he asks, almost wondering.

[gavemea_45]

Absolute frustration spears through him, but if he acts it's going to ruin whatever cautious thing this is right before a fight. Sam watches Bill more intently - and then turns enough as the vampire stares past his shoulder to realize that Sookie's staring him back, right in--

"Sookie, don't look him in the eye!"

[feel_human]

"Why not?"

Look Bill in the eye she does, her own flashing and annoyed. He stares back at her, looking more puzzled than anything else. "This is my place of work, and vampire or not, I am not gonna simper and scream and back down. Bill, if you have somethin' to say to me, you had better say it and be done with it!"

Anger is easier than fear; she grasps it with both hands. "Well?"

He peers at her again, shaking his head slowly. "What are you?" he asks again, and again her temper flares.

"I'm a waitress."

[gavemea_45]

"Because most people can't, without being glamoured," Sam grits out, shifting position a little. The vampire looks confused; god knows he feels confused, but there's no time for that. He has to stay on guard.

Still, he has to admit that Bill's not making aggressive moves. That's something, at least.

"That's probably why he's asking you that."

[feel_human]

Sam's observation hits her like a slap.

most people--
what are you?
crazy as a bedbug --

"Well, I'm -- " Her mouth is dry, and the look in her eyes turns uncertain. "I'm just... me. Just Sookie."

Bill studies her a long moment. "Oh," he says, softly. "I think you are much more than that."

[gavemea_45]

He doesn’t like the sound of that at all, and he likes the way the vampire’s looking at Sookie even less. Sam puts himself even more firmly between them.

“You heard the lady,” he says, tightly. “Now leave her alone.”

[feel_human]

Bill's eyes tighten, but he nods. "Mr. Winchester," he says, almost polite if not for the venom under his voice.

It dissipates as he looks back at Sookie, something like a promise in his glance. "Miss Stackhouse. I wish you a very pleasant evening."

And then he's gone, in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing behind but a flutter of leaves that settle slowly to earth and Sookie's rapidly beating heart.

[gavemea_45]

"Are you okay?" he asks, low. Sam keeps scanning the area around them, but spares a moment to look back at Sookie and meet her eyes.

"I figure you probably have a lot of questions, but this isn't a safe place."

[feel_human]

She coughs a short, stunned laugh. "Sam, I just found out vampires are real and that, apparently, one of 'em has some kinda business with me! No, I'm not okay!"

She's mad and scared in equal measure, and she fists her hand tight to keep her keys from jangling in her shaking fingers. "Is there a safe place? You said... they need an invitation to come into my home, right?"

[gavemea_45]

"Stupid question, I know. I'm sorry."

He shakes his head and keeps scanning the area. "Right. No invitation, no entry. It doesn't work for public places - like the bar - but a home's protected. If there's anything that can break it, I've never heard it."

Sam glances over at her. "I can get you there, if you're not okay to drive."

[feel_human]

It doesn't work for public places, he says, and she feels a stab of fear.

"What about motels? Does it work for those?"

[gavemea_45]

"Not really. It has something to do with things being more permanent than temporary." Sam darts another fast look at her. "But there's things you can do to help protect yourself. I'll explain, I swear I will. But right now we need to get out of the open. Please let me see you somewhere safe, okay?"

[feel_human]

"Sounds to me like I'm the one oughta be seeing you somewhere safe," Sookie points out, and huffs out a breath. "Well, you better come along with me. I don't think Bill took too kindly to you interferin', and Gran'd have my hide if I let a nice young man like you get eaten by some vampire."

She glances around and looks back at him. "You got your bike? You can follow me."