True Blood at Twilight

The next day Dru decides to act like nothing happened, especially when she saw Sookie with no injuries at all, it just confused her slightly as to why, but then she heard Sookie thinking of her sucking his blood, which apparently can heal a person.

Sookie is sitting at the kitchen table watching a commentary program on the television so Dru joins her.

"We never should have given them the vote and legitimized their unholy existence! The American people need to know these are creatures of Satan! Demons! -literally! They have no soul" Reverend Newlin shouts on the camera.

"But Reverend Newlin, you must be aware of polls that show consistently growing support for vampire rights" Nan defends.

"Those polls are fixed! Do you know how much money these monsters have given to politicians of both parties, as well as the corporate media" he argues.

"That's nonsense! Vampires don't seek to control human policy. It's of very little interest to us. We simply want the" Nan says.

"You can't trace any of it! It's all been laundered"

"Are you accusing my organization of criminal activity, sir?" Nan glares.

"I will not speak to her directly, Sharon" he says to the presenter.

"Why is that, Reverend Newlin?" she asks

"My commitment to Christ Jesus, praise his name compels me not to recognize her kind!" he snarls.

"Well! That's gonna make it difficult to have a dialogue" she tells him.

"I will not speak to her directly" he crosses his arms.

"OK" Nan simply shrugs.

"Thank you, Sharon. Now, TBBN" Sookie, using the remote control, turns off the television as Gran enters the kitchen.

"I don't think Jesus would mind if somebody was a vampire" Sookie says.

"I don't either, honey" Gran smiles.

Sookie takes a bite of sausage as Gran puts scrambled eggs on the plates.

"Is this sausage different from what you usually make?" she asks, Dru bites her own and then looks at Sookie confused.

"They taste the same to me" she says.

"No" Gran shakes her head.

"Huh ... it tastes so much more complex than it usually does"

"Oh, dear, you think its gone bad?" Gran asks.

"No, it's delicious! It's like I can close my eyes and I can see the farm the pig lived on, and feel the sun and the rain on my face, and even taste the earth that the herbs grew out of" Gran looks at Sookie strangely and Dru snorts.

The door squeaks as Tara walks in.

"Hey, Miss Stackhouse" she smiles.

"Good morning, Tara" Gran goes over to her and kisses her on the cheek.

"No, you sit down I'll make a new pot" Gran orders.

"All right" Tara sits down.

"You look awful" Sookie says lookin Tara over.

"Yeah ... and I feel even worse" Tara moans and starts to say something.

"Yes, you can take a shower here" Dru says and Tara goes to say something else.

"And you can borrow some of my clothes" Sookie smiles.

"Thanks, any news about Jason?" Tara asks.

"Yeah, we heard from Evalee Mason already. They let him go last night" Dru tells her.

"I knew they would" Tara smiles and Dru rolls her eyes snorting.

"I didn't" Sookie shakes her head.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're still alive. You obviously did not hook up with that vampire last night" Tara says

Dru gives Sookie a look and she looks downward.

"Sookie, sometimes you are just plain dumb" Tara sighs in exasperation.

"Shut up" Sookie glares.

"Lucky Gran was already in bed when I got in last night" she whispers.

"Did he bite you?" Tara asks.

"No" Sookie says shocked.

"Did you bite him" Dru thinks to her and Sookie's eyes widen and she blushes.

"Human's can drink from a vampire can't they" Nessie says looking at her family.

"Yes, i have treated people who have become addicted to it" Carlisle nods.

"Are you sure, 'Cause you know they can hypnotize you" Tara leans closer.

"Yeah, and black people are lazy, and Jews have horns" Sookie whispers sarcastically and Dru laughs.

Gran comes back into the kitchen with a bag of coffee.

"You must be glad they let Jason go, huh Miss Stackhouse?" Tara asks.

"Oh, I can't even believe that they arrested him to begin with. I have a good mind to call Bud Dearborne and chew him out. Jason's a good boy! Everybody knows that" Gran rants, Sookie and Dru exchange a look, the phone rings.

"Hello" Gran picks it up.

"Oh! Hey! Evalee" Gran takes the phone and walks into the other room

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you last night" Sookie looks between them both.

"I'm just overprotective" Dru smiles lightly.

"Well, I'm sorry I been actin' like I'm your mother. I just worry about you, Sookie. You're basically one of my only friend's" Tara says. The door squeaks again and Jason walks in.

"Am I too late for breakfast? Hey Tara"

"Hey! Hey Jason! I'm so glad they didn't lock you up" Tara gushes.

"Uh yeah, me too I don't even know why they suspected me. I think somebody heard I'd been with Maudette" Jason fidgets.

"Had you?" Dru asks.

"No" he avoids her eyes.

"Are you sure? She was a woman" she glares knowing he was lying.

"That's funny. At least she was human" he sighs sparing a glance at Sookie.

"You will never believe what happened" Gran rushes back into the room "Oh Hey! Jason"

"Hey, Gran" he greets.

"Sit down. I'll fix you breakfast" Gran tells him.

"What happened?" Sookie asks.

"Well, apparently, a tornado touched down over at Four Tracks Corners. It turned over that rent trailer in the clearing. You know the one?"

"Uh huh" they nod.

"Oh and it killed that couple that's been staying there"

"Mack and Denise Rattray" Jason looks up.

"They were trapped under the trailer. Mike Spencer said they were crushed to a pulp" Dru looks at Sookie and she pales realising her cousin knew what happened last night.

"They must be strong then" Jacob states

"They get stronger with age" Edward muses "Stronger than us if they are older" he nods.

"Really" Jasper's brow furrows "It's the opposite then, we're stronger when we're first changed, they gain it" he looks back at the screen.

Later that day Drusilla and Sookie drive to the Rattrays rented trailer. There's crime scene tape, cordoning off the site. They duck underneath the tape to get a good look at the destruction. A van pulls up and Sheriff Bud Dearborne and another man wearing a vest marked "coroner" get out and walk towards them.

"They can do that" Emmett asks looking at the wreck.

"Amazing" Carlisle says.

"Well! Sookie, Drusilla Stackhouse! What are you doing here?" the coroner asks.

"Sookie... You know Mike Spencer?" Bud asks.

"Of course, you buried my parents" Sookie says while Dru rolls her eyes and looks over the crime scene.

"Yep, my new job ... parish coroner, but I still run the funeral home" Mike laughs.

"Well! That's gotta be convenient" Sookie gives a strained smile.

"Girls, this is still a restricted crime scene. Why are you here?" Bud asks.

"Oh, when we heard what happened, we just had to come look, what an awful thing" Dru says mockingly.

"You know, I did hear you weren't too fond of the Rattrays" he looks at them carefully.

"Where'd you hear that?" Dru asks.

"My niece is the emergency room nurse in Monroe. Says somebody busted up old Mack pretty bad last night" he tells them.

"Everybody says that somebody was you" Mike looks at Sookie.

"Well, they were hurtin' a friend of mine" Sookie glares.

"This be that vampire I been hearing about, the one who is livin' at the old Compton house?" Bud asks and Dru shifts a little at where he was going with this.

"The old Compton house, just across the field from where I live" Sookie asks and then glares at Dru who looks the other way innocently.

"That's the one" Bud nods.

"Your grandmother lets you associate with a vampire?" Mike says and both the girls turn and glare at him.

"You can take that up with her, Mike Spencer! I'm sure she'd just love to know that somebody thinks she's not taking proper care of me" Sookie shouts then she turns to Bud.

"The Rattrays were draining him. Draining vampires is against the law, isn't it? I was simply doing my civic duty by stopping them"

"And now they're dead" Bud states.

"Yeah ... killed by a tornado" Sookie says lamely.

"Tornadoes hop! This one didn't land anywhere else. And nobody around here heard or saw anything like a tornado last night" Bud says.

"Are you telling me you seriously think one man could do all this?" Dru smirks and pushes insecurity into them both yet they try to hide it.

"He's not a man" Bud gulps as she steps forwards glaring.

"They're really not that different from you and me, if you bothered to try to get to know one" Dru nudges Sookie to shut up.

"Sookie, you're a good girl. I hate to see you go down this path" Bud looks at her.

"Well, lucky for you, Sheriff Dearborne, nobody's forcing you to watch! Now, if y'all two rednecks will excuse me, we've gotta go" Sookie storm off to her car.

"And please like you two can talk about going down any path, it's her life so stay out of it" Dru stresses her last four words and follows Sookie.

"She's got a temper" Emmett chuckles.

Gran is vacuuming the living room, when Sookie and Dru arrive back home

"You know, he sleeps in the ground all day. I don't think he's gonna even look at the rug" Sookie says and Dru stops.

"What" she asks.

"Oh Bill's coming around" Sookie bites her lip waiting for her to shout but Dru just sighs and sits down on the couch.

"I ... I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing this for me, so I can be proud of my home. And how do you know where he sleeps?" Gran asks stopping the vacuum.

"I don't, actually" Sookie shrugs.

"What's that smell" Sookie scrunches her nose up.

"What smell?" Dru asks and sniffs

"It smells like rotten food, or something. You can't smell that?" she asks Dru who shakes her head.

"Well, find it" Gran tells her so Sookie starts looking around. She's moves a piece of furniture and finds a small piece of food.

"You can't ... smell this? I better just throw this out" she stands back up ignoring Dru's calculating face.

"Oh! Sookie" Gran calls her back.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"Jason and Tara are coming over this evening as well" Gran tells them

"Gran" Sookie moans.

"Well, they invited themselves. Jason said that he wants to meet the vampire for himself, and Tara said she thought she ought to be here as well" Gran shrugs.

"I don't know why everyone's getting their panties in a wad about some stupid vampire" Sookie huffs

"Did you want to be alone with him?" Dru asks frowning.

"I don't know ... maybe. Aren't you gonna tell me to be careful?" Sookie looks to her Gran.

"You're always careful, Sookie, about what counts. And I can depend on that. Isn't that right" Sookie nods her head and leaves the living room. Gran stares thoughtfully after her for a minute and then turns to Dru.

"Now missy, behave tonight okay" she says sternly.

"Yes Gran" she walks out dejectedly and Gran resumes hovering.

Gran, Jason, Tara, Dru and Sookie are in the kitchen.

"Look, I'm just sayin'. Do you want a vampire suckin' blood out of you?" Jason glares at his sister.

"I'm just tryin' to get to know the man, that's all" she defends.

"'Cause that's where it's gonna end up... always does" he leans on the counter.

"What do you know about vampires, anyway?" Dru asks.

"Yeah, I know a lot more than I care to" he tells them.

"Oh please, Jason! You ain't even got enough sense to pour piss out of a boot" Sookie gets up and leaves the kitchen, Jason takes a sip of the beer and Tara speaks up.

"That's my beer. You asked if I wanted anything to drink, and I said I'd have a beer. And that's when you went to the fridge"

"Oh, my god, I'm so sorry. Here" he hands her it.

"It's OK" she drinks from it and Dru rolls her eyes.

Jason, Tara, Dru, Bill and Sookie are seated in the living room. Gran is walking around, offering a tray of food to everyone. She extends the tray toward Bill who just shakes his head.

"Oh, my stars, of, of course, you ... you don't... I... I'm sorry" Gran sets the tray down and then takes a seat.

"Your people, Mr. Compton, they were from this area ... I believe?"

"Yeah, my father's people were Compton's, and my mother's people were Loudermilks" he answers.

"Oh, there are a lot of Loudermilks left. But I'm afraid old Mr. Jesse Compton died last year"

"Yes, ma'am, that's why I came back to Bon Temps, there were no living Compton's so I've set up home in the old Compton place. And as I expect the VRA to pass" Bill gets cut off.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure about that if I were you. A lot of Americans don't think you people deserve special rights" Jason glares at him.

"They're the same rights you have" Bill says looking at Jason with a blank look.

"No, I'm just saying there's a reason things are the way they are" Jason leans back crossing his arms.

"Yeah ... It's called injustice" Bill says calmly.

"Listen, it's called, "this is how we do it!" Jason snarls.

"Jason! This is my house. I will not tolerate rudeness" Gran shouts and Dru calms him, Jason grows quiet and leans back into his chair. Gran composes herself and smiling, turns to Bill.

"Did you know the Stackhouse's, Mr. Compton?" she asks.

"Yes, uh ... I remember Jonas Stackhouse. He and his wife moved here when Bon Temps was just a hole in the road. I was a young man of 16. Isn't this the house he built? I mean, at least in part?" he asks.

"Yes, it was!"

"Did you own slaves?" Tara asks and Dru chokes down a laugh.

"Tara!" Sookie scolds.

"I did not, but my father did. A house slave, a middle-aged woman whose name I cannot recall, and, and a yard slave ... a young, strong man named Minus" he tells her truthfully.

"Oh, this is just the sort of thing my club will be so interested in hearing about" Gran smiles widely.

"About slaves" Tara asks and Dru snickers hiding her face behind a cushion.

"Well ... about ... anything having to do with that time"

"I look forward to speaking to your club, Mrs. Stackhouse. Now, if it's all right with you, I thought that Sookie and I might take a walk. It's such a lovely night" he smiles and Dru pulls her cushion down watching him carefully, she didn't trust him at all.

"Pack it in" Sookie shouts in her mind, so she winces rubbing her temple grumbling.

"It hurts when that happens" Edward winces form memory, as Alice does it whenever she didn't want him in her head.

"Well ... it's all right with me if it's all right with Sookie" Gran says but Jason quickly puts his beer down on the table and stands up facing Bill.

"I don't think that's a good idea"

"I don't think it's any of your business!" Sookie glares standing up too.

"She's right, Jason" Gran tells him.

"Look, Gran, I am the man in this family" Jason began.

"You are a man in this family, but I am the oldest person here and this is my house. You better respect me, boy"

"Actually ... I'm the oldest person here" Bill jokes, Gran smiles and laughs.

"Shall we?" Bill addresses Sookie.

"We shall" Sookie takes Bill's extended hand and the two of them leave, but not before Bill gives Jason a dark parting look, which makes Jason take a step backwards , Dru seeing this sends him a lot of weakening emotions and he trembles lightly.

"Drusilla" Sookie shrieks in her mind so she pulls them back in glaring after them as they walk out the door.

"Well, thanks for making me look like a fool in front of him, Gran" Jason mopes, none of them noting what went on.

"Oh Jason, you don't need any help looking like a fool" she sighs.

The next night down at Merlotte's, the place is crowded. Dawn calls out a greeting to a customer on her way to the food order counter while Terry Bellefleur carries a case of Corona behind the bar. Tara is tending bar. An older woman is sitting at the bar and calls out to Tara.

"Hey, sugar. Make momma another stinger, would you?" Jane asks.

"You listen to me Jane Bodehouse you're already drunk as a skunk. Ain't no man in here gonna wanna take you home. Sam will have to call your son to come and get you just like he always does, even though everybody knows it humiliates him to death. Ain't you ashamed of yourself?" Tara glares.

"What'd you just say to me?" Jane says deliriously.

"She said any particular brand of cognac?" Dru asks walking up to Tara.

"Ah ... no ... whatever you have that's nice and cheap" she waves her hand.

"Tara, I told you where you could buy your uniform" Sam walks up behind them and Dru tenses.

"Sam, how come you don't wear a uniform?" Tara asks.

"Because I own this place and wear what I want" he furrows his brow.

"Well, how come Terry Bellefleur don't wear a uniform?" she asks putting her hand on her hip.

"Because"

"I've spent enough time in uniforms" Terry shouts.

"No! ... Because you're a man! And Sam don't feel the need to sexualize the men in his employment the same way he do the women" Tara say cockily and Dru bites her lip to keep her laugh in.

"OK ... you don't have to wear a uniform" Sam sighs.

"Thank you" Tara smiles.

"Remind me why I hired you again" he asks.

"Affirmative action" Dru answers then tries to walk away, Tara sets Jane Bodehouse's drink down in front of her as Sam follows Dru then pulls her into the back room.

Jasper growls

"Sam what the hell" she asks yanking her arm back.

"I just wanna apologise" he tells her but she holds a hand up.

"No it's okay you know my gift, animal attraction" she gives him a solid look and he nods in defeat.

"What did she mean animal attraction" Jacob asks.

"I don't know" Alice looks confused.

"Good" she walks out to take some orders.

"Loaded skins and a pitcher of Bud, is that it for y'all?" she writes it down after taking their order.

"Yes" all three guys say.

"Yes, if you serve them nachos off them perfect legs we'd all be mighty obliged. Ain't anything I like more than lickin' food off..." one of them thinks.

Jasper clashes his teeth together and his eyes darken projecting his emotions.

"Jasper, we're not there" Alice soothes, but her eyes darkened slightly too from her own anger.

"OK then" Dru turns to leave.

"That's a fine ass too." Then he reaches over and grabs Dru's butt. As fast as lightning, René appears out of nowhere and has the guy in an arm lock with his face pinned to the table.

"You wanna let go of the lady, you? Or you want me to knock you into next week?" Rene growls and everything quietens down, Sookie quickly walk over to Dru wondering what happened.

"Damn it, you're about to break my arm" the guys moans.

"Apologize" Rene orders

"Sorry" René lets the guy go and steps back a little.

"Maybe you and your friends should find someplace else to eat, yeah" Rene glares at them.

"Let's go" The three guys get up to leave. The second guy gives René a parting look.

"Don't look at me, you" he steps forwards.

"René, you should have let me handle that myself" Dru tells him, she had an odd feeling coming from his emotions, but not his thoughts.

"Merlotte's is a nice place. And we all want to keep it that way. And besides, you remind me of my baby sister, you. I hope to God that somebody will stick up for her if some fucker ever does her that way"

Dru laughs quickly, then turns and walks back toward the food counter area. René watches her walk away and then grabs the pitcher of beer off of the threes guys' table.

"Arlene, would you tell René thank you for helping Dru out with those jerks tonight? She walked away so quickly I think she might have seemed ungrateful" Sookie asks Arlene

"Please let me get my period tonight. Even though René wants one of his own, but I sure don't want him to feel like he's being forced" Arlene thinks worriedly so Sookie rushes over to Arlene and gives her a big hug.

"Did you just read my mind" Arlene asks.

"Sorry I'm not very focused tonight" Sookie apologises.

"My private thoughts are none of your business" Arlene quickly walks away.

"Sookie, ignore her, her emotions are all over the place, and I'm not calming her down, she'll snap at me then" Dru smirks at Sookie who scoffs, Sam walks up to them and turns to Sookie.

"Sookie, wanna step into my office?" Sookie follows Sam into his office.

Dru looks around carefully and then licks her teeth, she closes her eyes then opens them back up, a milky layer now appeared over her eyes making her look blind.

"What's she doing" Bella gasps.

"I'm not sure" Alice watches closer then the screen seems to shoots into her eyes, as if they were watching a video on her pupil.

Sam leans against his desk, while Sookie sits opposite him.

"I swear I try not to listen, but ... I can't always keep my guard up" Sookie tells him.

"Is it true you can't hear the vampire's thoughts at all?" Sam asks leaning forwards.

"God, that's... I mean, that must be very relaxing for you. You know, not havin' ... to work so hard not to hear" he looks at her.

"No ... yes" Sookie nods her head.

"Can you hear me" Sam asks.

"I don't want to hear you" Sookie tells him.

"Why not"

"I'd have to quit if I read your mind and I like it here" she smiles nervously.

"You don't have to quit" his voice softens.

"Sam, I've had to leave every job I've ever had because I could hear my boss' thoughts" she glares.

"You might be surprised by what you find" he gives her a look.

"Not all surprises are good" she shakes her head.

"Try some time ... listen, don't you worry. You got a job here as long as you want one" they look at each other and Sookie fidgets nervously.

Knock, knock the door opens and Dru's head appears.

Everything snaps back to normal and they all watch confused for a moment.

"Sook your needed" she nods her head backwards.

"Got your back" she thinks and Sookie lets out a grateful emotion.

"I should get back to work" Sookie quickly leaves Sam's office shutting the door.

"Thanks for that" Sookie shakes her hands.

"S'okay" she purses her lips and they walk to the kitchen.

"I guess it's similar to your ability Alice" Carlisle summarises.

"You mean, instead of being able to see the future, she can see what is happening at that moment" Edward asks reading his thoughts.

"Well, we already have seen her use all three of your gifts she may have more, and that is similar" he nods.

"Baby girl, don't even let that get you down" Lafayette says to Dru and she looks up momentarily confused.

"Don't let what get me down?" she asks.

"Don't let nothin' get you down it's the only way to live. Ain't that right, Big John?"

"Right" Big John nods.

Tara draws a pitcher of beer, while Dawn stands at the bar adding up a bill.

"Hey, how's Jason?" Tara asks and Dru walks up to them.

"He's probably pretty pissed off at me right about now, but ... hell, he probably deserves it" Dawn shrugs.

"Aw Dawn" Dru grimaces "Please don't think of my cousin like that, nearly every girl does" she shivers.

"You've tied him to your bed" she chuckles, looking up and Dawn winks.

"You know, I have to say I... I'm surprised you and him got back together" Tara says looking away and Dru bites her lip feeling the infatuation for Jason flowing from her.

"No more than I am, baby. Believe me" Dawn smirks.

"Think its gonna last?" Tara fakes indifference.

"Is there a reason you want to know, Tara?" Dawn stands straighter and they stare at each other.

"No ... but ever since I've been friends with Sookie, I've just gotten a kick out of watching Jason's escapades with women, you know" she shrugs.

"Sort of" Dawn nods knowingly then with a wink in Dru's direction she walks away.

"God only knows what happened to my tables" Sookie arrives and looks up at the TV to see what Dru was looking at.

Playing on the television
In other news, a tragic car crash in town has claimed three lives today. Paramedics...

"Hey, turn it up" Dru stands straighter. Tara uses the remote to turn up the volume.

Playing on the television
... Reverend Theodore Newlin, his wife, Yvette, and their 18-month-old daughter, Bethany - all pronounced dead on arrival at Baylor University Medical Centre. There were a total of seven other casualties as well in the freak accident, apparently caused when a freeway sign...

Later that night Dru finishes off drying her hair when she goes into a vision.

It's still night when Sookie drives up to the old Compton house, there are lights on in the first floor rooms. She notices another parked car with a bumper sticker reading, "VAMPIRES SUCK" and a Louisiana license plate, reading "FANGS 1". There's another sticker reading, "HONK IF YOU'RE A BLOOD DONOR!" Sookie walks up to the front door and hesitates as she hears loud music playing. Just as she's about to knock on the door, a black woman vampire opens it.

"Hey there, little human chick" she smirks.

"Hi, I'm here to drop off some information about an electrician for Bill Compton. Is he here?" Sookie says nervously.

"Maybe" Another vampire - a man joins the woman vampire at the door.

"She smells fresh" Both vampires display their fangs and begin to snarl at Sookie. Sookie gets a little frightened and turns as if to leave, but finds a third male vampire, bald and tattooed is standing directly behind her. All three vampires continue snarling at Sookie

Dru gasps coming out of it and looks down at her short shorts and tank top.

"Damn" she hisses and runs off.

"Ooo, wonder what's going to happen" Emmet sits on the edge of his seat.