Sookie had called Bill on his cellphone, and he arrived at Merlotte’s that night with Jessica Hamby and Jessica’s boyfriend, Hoyt Fortenberry. Sookie wondered why Bill had brought them and soon found out, when she took a break and joined them in a booth.

    Bill gave Jessica, who was deemed a ‘baby vampire’, a sharp look.

    “Please tell Sookie, what you told me.”

    Jessica sighed loudly!

    “God! It’s no big deal!”

    Hoyt tried to run interference.

    “Bill, come on! You said you wanted her to find a job. She found one.”

    “I will thank you to stay out of this.” Bill said, addressing Hoyt but still looking at Jessica. Jessica rolled her eyes and looked at Sookie.

    “I think, I might actually work for this vampire Bill and you are looking for.”

    Sookie looked at Bill, then at Jessica.

    “The one Tara is seeing?”

    “Yeah.”

    “How do you know it’s him?” Sookie asked.

    “Well,  he has a picture of her on his desk.”

    Hoyt  nodded.

    “That’s true. I saw it and kind of wondered if Tara gave it to him.” he said. Sookie’s mouth dropped open slightly.

    “Tara is acting as if this guy is no big deal to her. And now I find out he has a picture?”

    “He could have stolen it.” Hoyt suggested. Sookie looked at Jessica.

    “This vampire has a picture of Tara, but you’ve never seen Tara with him, have you?”

    Jessica shook her head.

    “Nope!”

    Sookie looked at Bill again.

    “Then what makes you think this is the guy?” she asked him. Bill gave Jessica and Hoyt another reproving look. Jessica snapped!

    “Jesus Christy! I’m sorry! How was I supposed to know that he was working for a bad guy? You told me to get a job and Mr. Mott offered me one!”

    “Jessica, honey,” Hoyt said, “Mr. Compton is just worried about you. And so am I. I mean your boss was hired to dig up dirt on Mr. Compton here.”

    “What?!” Sookie asked. “Will someone tell me what’s going on? Otherwise I’m reading everyone’s minds!”

    Jessica looked at Hoyt.

    “We’re sitting at another booth! Come on!”

    Hoyt said goodbye to Sookie, then got up with Jessica and went to another table. Bill finally gave his fiancee his full attention.

    “I found out, from Eric of all people, that Russell Eddington had hired a P.I. to investigate you and I. I cannot imagine what he needs to learn about either of us, that he doesn’t already know. But I was also told the name of this private investigator. His name is Franklin Mott.”

    Sookie squinted at him.

    “Why has he set up a practice here though? I mean if he all he needs to do is dig up dirt on the both of us, then he wouldn’t need to open a business and hire people.”

    “Sookie, I think he’s decided to stay. Probably because of Tara. I fear that your friend is in over her head.”

    “Do you know something about him? Tara seems to be trying to keep away from him. I read her mind though. She is involved with him...willingly. Bill, Tara is covering for him. This Franklin helped her beat up two guys and Tara isn’t saying anything about him. She’s been at the police station for hours.” she said.

    Sam walked over and sat down, uninvited.

    “Bill.”

    “Sam.” Bill replied coolly.

    “Well, have you heard anything about Tara or this vamp? We’re hoping he comes in tonight. Maybe we can convince him to help her out of this jam she’s in.” Sam said.

    Bill looked from Sookie to Sam.

    “I believe this vampire has no intention of allowing Tara to slip from his grasp. I doubt very much she will be in trouble for  long.”

    Sam raised a brow.

    “So you know who this is?”

    Bill did not answer. Sookie cleared her throat and spoke.

    “Bill thinks he’s a detective that was hired to dig up dirt on the both of us.”

    Sam still looked confused.

    “Okay....so what’s Tara got to do with this?”

    “I suspect,” Bill said, “that she was unexpected.”

    “I don’t follow.” Sam said.

    “I mean he’s beginning to put down roots here. He clearly has a future in mind. Not only when it comes to living in Bon Temps, but maybe with Tara as well.”

    Sookie leaned back in her chair.

    “I still don’t get Tara. I mean she is just so...so...”

    “Against vampires and humans copulating?” Bill asked. Sam shook his head.

    “She was. With what happened to Eggs she’s vulnerable. That’s what I don’t like. And clearly this vamp  means her no good, if he’d let her take the blame for this crime she’s been accused of.” Sam huffed.

    Just then, Jason walked in. Sam nodded to Sookie and she turned around. Jumping up, she hurried over to him.

    “Jason, did you take Tara home?”

    Jason shook his head with disgust and sat at the bar. Bill and Sam got up and walked over to them.

    “Jason,” Sam asked, “where’s Tara?”

    “Not in jail! And she’d probably be safer there!” Jason snorted again. “Some goddamned vamp, no offense Bill, posted her bail and took off with her! He must have tricked her into having sex with him, right? Bill, you vamps can do that kind of shit, right?”

    Sookie smiled at Bill. Bill smiled back at her, gently, before answering.

    “I did not have to glamour your sister, Jason.”

    “Well, Tara ain’t Sookie, no offense, Sookie. Damn! And Buck and Cletus were pissed when they found out.” Jason revealed. Sam peered at him.

    “Pissed enough to go after Tara?”

    Jason suddenly looked as if he never considered that to be a possibility. He looked at the three of them.

    “I don’t know. But she’s with that vamp, so I’m sure he’ll protect her.”

    “What was this vampire’s name?” Bill asked. “Was it Franklin Mott?”

    “Yep!” Jason said, picking up a bottle of beer that Sam had handed him. “That was the fucker’s name indeed.”

                                                            ****

    Tara felt rage boil up inside of her, as she stared at Eggs’s desecrated grave marker. ‘Nigger Killer’ was spray painted in red, but ‘Nigger’, was spelled ‘Niger’. She would come back tomorrow and clean that shit off of his grave. And she would keep coming back until whoever was doing this, knew that they couldn’t fuck with Eggs--or her.

    She sensed Franklin’s presence behind her, but said nothing. His hands gently rested on the back of her shoulders.

    “Tara, leave this behind and come home with me. Why do you insist on reveling in pain?”

    Tara turned to face him.

    “Why do you insist on knowing why I revel in pain?”

    “Let me take away your suffering.” Franklin said quietly. Tara turned away from him again. Franklin had hinted very strongly a few times, usually in the afterglow of a torrid lovemaking session, that he would love to turn her. Tara wondered if he got that idea, because of what she told him about trying to kill herself?

    “Is it really Eggs or is there someone else, Tara?” Franklin asked.

    “What IT is, is that you’re a nosy ass! We barely know each other! And you’re asking questions that are none of your damned business.”

    Franklin’s eyes narrowed.

    “You knew Eggs Talley for about as long as you’ve known me. I think there is much more as to why you won’t open yourself up to me, then you’re letting on! I think there is someone else and I’ve already deduced that it isn’t that imbecile Stackhouse. So who is it?”

    Tara was about to say something to him that had the word ‘fuck’ in it, when she noted two men entering the graveyard. Franklin sensed them and turned around.

    They were vampires.

    Franklin turned back around to face Tara.

    “Those two vamps are going to want to share you. You are to tell them that you belong to me.”

    Tara raised a brow.

    “No, I don’t think so.”

    “Do it if you want to live!” Franklin snapped. Tara looked from him, to the vamps, who’s eyes were now solely on her. She moved closer to Franklin.

    “Hey!” one of the vamps called out casually, tearing his eyes off of Tara to look at Franklin. “Whatcha got there?”

    Franklin squeezed Tara’s arm. Tara spoke.

    “Uh, I belong to him. I’m his.”

    The other vamp peered at her, then at Franklin. He then nodded to the other vamp and they moved off elsewhere into the graveyard. Tara’s eyes followed them until they disappeared from view, then she turned back to Franklin.

    “Holy shit! They bought that! There’s no telling what would’ve happened if you hadn’t been here!” Tara exclaimed. Franklin reached out and turned her face back towards him.

    “They bought it because it’s true, isn’t it? You’re mine. You belong to me. Say it...say it to me.” Franklin moaned against her mouth, before pressing his lips against hers.  Tara started to wrap her arms around him, but her mind would not let her forget where they were. She pulled away from him slightly.

    “Not here! Not...”

    Franklin nodded against her.

    “Here. It will be the perfect goodbye. Tell me you’re mine.” he whispered. before using vampire speed to remove his clothing and hers. The lovers then fell to the ground in front of the grave of Eggs Benedict Talley.

                                                                            ****

    Jason was annoyed to be called to the scene of a murder, having just left Merlotte’s. A pretty damned gross one at that!

    A man named Bethune Tuttleton had been ripped apart, in what looked to be a home invasion. The place had clearly been ransacked.

    But Andy Bellefleur knew more.

    Jason grimaced at the body, before Coroner, Mike Spencer, covered it up. Andy pulled Jason aside.

    “This house look familiar to you?”

    Jason stared at him.

    “You’re asking me?”

    “Yeah! I’m asking you if this house, which is a fucking mansion, looks familiar to you?”

    “No. Should it?”

    Andy looked around, then lowered his voice.

    “I was out here one time. That succubus bitch lived here....Maryann Forrester.”

    Jason’s mouth dropped open!

    “Holy shit! So who is this dead guy?”

    “The actual owner of this house! And those wounds look as if some animal tore him apart.” Andy said, felling his stomach churn with dread.

    “Holy shit!” Jason said again. “Well what are you thinking?”

    “We don’t know that this Mr. Tuttleton wasn’t involved in that kinky, devil shit that Maryann was in to. But we have to be damned careful about this, Jason. Its best that people have forgotten all of that shit.”

    Jason nodded. And it was still best that everyone thought that Andy had killed Eggs.  Mike Spencer joined them.

    “I’m going to take the body in. Andy, could I speak to you a moment?”

    Andy nodded and told Jason to begin a canvas of the area. Jason walked off without comment. Andy turned back to Mike.

    “Yeah, Mike, what can I do you for?”

    Mike’s eyes shifted around, before speaking.

    “You’re thinking about how Eggs Talley used to live here, right?”

    Andy peered at him.

    “Uh, no. Are you?”

    Mike nodded.

    “Why?” Andy asked, looking him over. Mike grabbed his arm and moved him over  next to a fireplace.

    “I know I should’ve said something, but I’ve had so many gaps in my memory and well...you know...”

    “Yeah, I do. What’s going on?” Andy asked, feeling uneasy.

    “Andy, you knew that Sookie Stackhouse paid for Eggs’s funeral arrangements, right?”

    “I think I heard something along those lines, yeah.”

    “And you know that Eggs had no people. Sookie and Tara were the only attendees at his service.”

    “What’s your point, Mike?”

    Mike folded his arms.

    “Andy, I don’t know how to say this except to just say it: that casket was empty.”

    Andy’s mouth dropped open!

    “What the fuck are you saying, Mike?! What the fuck?!”

    “Andy, the body of Eggs Talley disappeared off of my table that same night! I don’t know if someone took it or...I don’t know! But his body is gone and now this shit! It might not be connected, but I felt you had to know. What are we going to do?” Mike asked. Andy rubbed his temples. The first thing that needed to be ascertained, was whether Eggs’s body had been stolen, or if Eggs Talley himself, somehow, some way, had gotten up off of that M.E.’s table himself.

                                                                             ****

    “I could end up on Youtube!” Tara thought with some slight despair. But it was despair at not caring at that moment in time. And she should.

    For right now, she was on all fours, facing Eggs’s grave and moaning with an abandon that couldn’t be natural. Franklin’s cock was like a magic wand as he filled her inner recesses with energy and dizzied her senses. Her breasts slapped against the headstone softly.

    Franklin, who’s powerful hands now held Tara’s hips in a steadying grip, continued to pump her seamlessly....only....he was looking at the werewolf, that now sat a few feet away from them. Tara was staring directly at the grave marker and did not see it, which was probably best.

    But Franklin continued his rhythm and stared into the wolf’s eyes. This creature was not here to kill them...though he wanted to...

    No. He wanted to kill HIM. But not Tara. It didn’t want to kill them both. Why?

    The werewolf bared it’s teeth, looking directly at Franklin. He emitted a low growl.

    Tara, who was used to Frank’s vampire growls, assumed it was him and thought nothing of it. Franklin did not break eye contact with the wolf, not even when his cock burst forth furiously to flood Tara with his creamy essence. The werewolf slowly backed away and disappeared into the darkness. Franklin’s eyes, still rooted on the spot the beast had sat in, loosened his hold on Tara’s hips and leaned forward on her back. Franklin reached around to cup her breasts within in his hands and finding her nipples, he pinched and pulled at them gently.

    “That’s it, my sweet! You’ve said your goodbyes! There is nothing to hold us back now!” he whispered hotly against her ear. But Franklin could not help but think that maybe he had been on the wrong path, when it came to finding the man that was keeping Tara from giving herself to him fully. Was it possible that she had been involved with a werewolf and had not known it?

    He intended to find out.  For it was very clear that if he ever did have cause to run across the wolf again, and Tara was not on his midst, the creature would certainly attempt to kill him.

    Meanwhile, the werwolf disappeared into a thicket of trees, before re-merging as his naked, human form. That being of the supposed, deceased Eggs Talley.

     Alcide Herveaux threw a bucket of water on Eggs Talley’s nude body. He was sprawled out on Alcide’s front porch. Eggs coughed, then sputtered, looking around. He locked eyes with Alcide and began to get up.

    “Hey, man...what did you do that for?” he mumbled. Alcide reached for the Bon Temps Gazette and flung it at him!

    “A man was killed in that house you lived in with that succubus heifer! Now here you are butt naked on the porch! You killed that man, didn’t you?”

    Eggs licked his lips. Alcide had been good to him since...well, the truth was he wasn’t entirely sure of a lot that happened. He just knew that before he confronted Andy Bellefleur and tried to confess to murder, he was bitten by what he thought was a rabid dog.

    Eggs had seen the animal limping in the road, before he made the turn off to Merlotte’s. Knowing that he was going to confess and send himself to prison for probably life, Eggs had figured that he could do one small, kind thing to make up for the unintentional hurt he had caused.

    But the damned animal had bitten him when he had tried to help. And Eggs remembered that as the the dog had run off, it didn’t appear to be limping any longer. The bite barely hurt, so Eggs got back into his car and continued to Merlotte’s.

    Then someone shot him.

    Then he awoke on the autopsy table. Scared out of his fucking mind, Eggs hauled ass out of Mike Spencer’s office, while Mike was on the phone and ran off into the night. He ran through endless woods, until finally, he ran into what he KNEW was a wolf.

    The thing charged him and Eggs remembered his whole body suddenly shifting out of place. He fought the wolf, who was Alcide.

    Alcide whipped his ass, but recognizing a newbie werewolf, took him to his place, gave him a job in his new, fledgling car repair shop that was located on just the other side of the Bon Temps town line. He tried to teach him the ropes of being a civilized werewolf. Alcide knew who Eggs was and honestly, while he liked him, he thought he would be better off leaving the state. After all, Eggs was the killer who had been stopped by the new police chief. It was just a matter of time before someone recognized him.

    Alcide took the precaution at the repair shop, of making Eggs wear an eye-patch. But this newest murder didn’t help things worth shit!

    “Cut me some slack, Alcide, okay? Can I get some Captain Crunch or something this morning?” Eggs moaned and opened the screen door to walk into the house. Alcide followed behind him, picked up some clothes off of the couch and tossed them to him.

    “Get dressed and start talking! What happened last night?” Alcide asked in a no nonsense tone. “And don’t give me that ‘I don’t remember shit’. You ain’t the Incredible Hulk here. As a werewolf, you remember every goddamned thing you do.”

    Eggs slowly dressed, then shuffled into the kitchen to get a cereal bowl. He began talking as he looked for a spoon.

    “I was depressed over Tara.  Something drew me back to the house where we spent the most time in. The new owner must have put in a burglar alarm.”

    “You went in?!”

    “Yeah!” Eggs answered, as if that was a natural thing to do. “Anyway, the new owner found me and recognized me. I got scared.”

    Alcide grunted.

    “Well, I guess you had no choice since he recognized you. But damn, Eggs, you’re going to have to lay low.”

    Eggs poured some Captain Crunch into the bowl and shook his head.

    “I can’t, man. I saw Tara last night.”

    Alcide’s eyes widened.

    “You saw her? She saw you?”

    “Naw. I was in my werewolf form...Alcide...she’s fucking a vampire! She was fucking him on my goddamned grave, man! I feel like changing right now and beating his monkey ass!” Eggs began to moan, crunching the cereal. Alcide put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

    “That’s fucked up, man. I’m sorry. Are you sure it was your grave?” Alcide asked.

    “Yeah....and I didn’t think Tara liked vamps. I mean she was always talking about how she couldn’t understand what the fuck Sookie was doing with Vampire Bill.”

    At the sound of that name, Alcide grunted.

    “Sorry, bro. I know you kind of liked Sookie.” Eggs said.

    “She prefers the vamps...for now.” Alcide answered. Eggs gave him a curious look, but declined to say anything more about that matter. He set his spoon down.

    “Tara wouldn’t be with this fucker if she knew I was alive. And I think he forced himself on her on my grave.”

    Alcide raised a brow.

    “Did it look like he was forcing himself on her? Was she fighting or crying or screaming?”

    “I don’t know...I was more looking at that vampire mutherfucker.  He looked me straight in the eye almost as if....as if he knew I was something to Tara. I can’t stand this shit! I have to see her right now!”

    “Whoa!” Alcide said, putting a hand on his chest. “You have to remember your situation here. Now, why don’t you let me try and find out what Sookie knows, without letting on that you’re alive, okay?”

    Eggs nodded.

    “Alright. I guess I can at least wait to find out what Sookie knows.”

                                                                     ****

    The next morning for Tara, almost began like the one from the day before.

    She walked down the stairs of Sookie’s house, feeling refreshed again, after spending most of the night with Franklin. She let him take her to his new office, where in which he had an upstairs apartment. He had fashioned the place with special shades that kept out sunlight. He drove her home shortly before he became endangered by the sun’s rays.

    On little sleep and not caring, Tara planned to eat breakfast and get over to Sam’s. He would be pissed that she hadn’t come in to work the other night. She would cover a few shifts just to make it up to him.

    But when she got to the kitchen, Sookie sat in a chair, with her arms folded in a no-nonsense fashion.

    “Hey, Sook! How’s Bill?”

    Sookie raised a brow.

    “You almost never ask how he is. Why is that?”

    Tara walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out some milk. She then walked over to a cabinet and took out a cereal bowl. She then looked towards an area where a few cereal boxes stood.

    Eggs had loved Captain Crunch.

    Sookie took note that on this morning, Tara bypassed the Captain Crunch box and picked Count Chocula cereal! When Tara had everything ready, she sat down and began eating.

    “Are you going to answer my question?” Sookie asked.

    Tara eyed her.

    “What question? Oh you mean the one that hinted that I’m rude to Bill?”

    “It was more than a hint and you are! Now suddenly you care how he is?”

    “Yeah, Sookie, I do. How is he sleeping? I mean he is pretty secure in his resting place, right? No sun is getting in, is it?”

    “Are you asking about Bill or someone else?”

    “Why would you think I’m asking about someone else?”

    “Tara Scarlett Thornton....”

    “My middle name is NOT Scarlett!” Tara snapped.

    “I know. I did that to punish you for being deliberately vague. Now, Jason told Bill, Sam and I, that a vampire named Franklin Mott got you out of jail last night. He’s the same one you’re ashamed of, isn’t he? The one you’ve been seeing? Tara, I’m just going to read your mind...”

    “Okay, okay! Yes! His name if Franklin and I haven’t known him for very long.” Tara grumbled, suddenly not hungry.

    “What is so hard about admitting that? We could double date if your guy wasn’t a weasel.”

    “Excuse me?” Tara asked, looking Sookie up and down.

    “Did you know that the vampire that kidnapped Bill, hired Franklin to investigate Bill and me?”

    Tara stood up.

    “I knew about Bill. Not you. And it’s one of the reasons I really wasn’t into him.”

    “Wasn’t?”

    “I still have my doubts...but I honestly don’t think he’s concerned with Bill or you anymore.”

    Sookie stood up now.

    “No, Bill agrees. He thinks Franklin is laying down roots...thinking of staying in Bon Temps permanently. For a reason.”

    Tara was about to say something, when a sharp knock on the door interrupted them. Sookie went to the door and opened it to Alcide Herveaux.

    “Alcide! Hey you! What brings you by?” she asked, hugging her former werewolf protector. Tara noticed that he gave her a crazy look(or what she deemed to be crazy), before stepping into the kitchen.

    “Hello, Tara.” Alcide said to her.

    “Hey.” Tara answered, looking him up and down. Now she may have decided to give a vampire a try, but there was no way in the HELL she would ever consider fucking a werewolf! Sweet Jesus! What if she was seeing one, and during sex he chose to transform on her? Hell to the naw!

    Tara shook herself out of her bestiality reverie.

    “I’d better get going. I have to apologize to Sam for missing work.” Tara said. She left the kitchen and went back upstairs. Sookie noticed Alcide was watching Tara.

    “Alcide? What’s going on?”

    Alcide glanced at the staircase before talking.

    “Someone saw Tara having sex with a vampire in the graveyard. I know from the little you’ve mentioned of her, she doesn’t seem to be in to supernatural men. I wondered if she was alright?”

    “Oh...you thought maybe a vamp had forced himself on Tara? No, that was probably her new boyfriend.”

    “So the sex was consensual?”

    “Yeah...Alcide, what’s really going on here? Who is this ‘someone’?”

    “I can’t say.” Alcide said before realizing he shouldn’t have.

    Sookie began reading his thoughts.

    “Eggs will have no choice but to accept the fact that Tara has moved on.”

    “Eggs?” Sookie asked. “You were thinking the name Eggs!”

    “I was thinking how I could go for some eggs! I missed breakfast this morning.” Alcide tried to cover.

    “Bullshit! Tell me what you meant, Alcide!” Sookie hissed, just as Tara hurried down the stairs and peered over at them. From Tara’s vantage point, Sookie and Alcide appeared to be involved in a heavy conversation.

    “I’m leaving now!” Tara called out. Sookie tore her eyes from Alcide’s and walked over to her.

    “Sam will understand. He was really worried about you last night. We all were.”

    “I know. When I know where this thing is going with Franklin, I’ll let you know.” Tara said. She nodded to Alcide then walked out of the house. Once the door closed, Sookie practically jumped down Alcide’s throat!

    “Start talking! Now!”

                                                                ****

    Before Tara went to Merlotte’s, she felt duty bound to check on Franklin. He had given her a key to his new place, which Tara reluctantly accepted. She just told herself that she would probably never use it.

    But now she found herself unlocking the business door of Mott Confidential Investigations. Tara wondered how much more money Franklin would make if he could open during the day?

    Tara closed the door and found herself straightening up Jessica’s messy looking desk. Tara frowned when she picked up a bag of Doritos. Her eyes went from the bag, to a few chips that had True Blood dripped over them. Tara raised a brow. Had Hoyt been eating this shit?

    She threw away the food, cleaned up the waiting room, then eased into the apartment area to check on Franklin. She opened the door that lead ot his apartment, stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

    Franklin had an actual separate kitchen and living room, plus one bedroom. The rooms were dark with the exception of two nightlights, that were plugged in in different parts of the apartment. Tara looked in on Franklin, who awoke for a moment, as if sensing her presence. He rubbed his eyes.

    “Tara, luv, what are you doing here?”

    “Go back to sleep!” Tara whispered. “I just wanted to make sure you were good.”

    “I’m better now that you’re with me.” Franklin said, sitting up and patting the bed. “Come join me.”

    Tara gave him a look.

    “You need some sleep. I need to get to Merlotte’s. I cleaned up your waiting room and Jessica’s area. You should get on that girl for being so messy.”

    “Oh, she doesn’t mean any harm. Come over here.” Franklin said, patting the bed.

    “Franklin, it’s not a good idea. I’ll see you later tonight.”

    Franklin said nothing, having figured out FINALLY, that for now, this relationship had to be on Tara’s terms.  He blew her a kiss as she closed the door, but now he could not sleep, as the identity of that werewolf kept knawing at him. Franklin knew he would not be able to concentrate on any other cases, until he figured out what werewolf had taken his having sex with Tara, so personally.
    
    Meanwhile, Tara left the building, got in her car and drove off. She never saw Eggs, who had borrowed a car from Alcide’s repair shop, to follow Tara in.  Eggs stared at the detective agency Tara had just come out of, then watched as Tara’s car began to slowly disappear off into the distance.

    He had decided that he couldn’t wait for Alcide to find out what Sookie knew.

    Eggs made the decision to follow Tara, and not confront the vampire that he suspected lived there. He would follow Tara and reveal himself to her, when she went outside for a break at Merlotte’s. Then once he and Tara were back together, Eggs planned on killing that vampire mutherfucker where he stood...or slept.

    Tara stepped into Merlotte’s and gave Sam a weak wave from the door.

    “Hey there, Sam. Uh, about last night...”

    Sam walked over to her.

    “Tara, we need to talk. In my office. Now!”

    Tara tried not to be unnerved at Sam’s tone. She had not come up with a good enough excuse, on the drive here, as to why she didn’t come to work last night after being bailed out. And this was a small town. She knew he knew.

    Tara said hello to Arlene and Terry, ignored Lafayette’s evil eye and walked behind Sam into his office. He closed the door and they both sat down.

    “This ain’t about work, Tara. What the fuck is going on with you? Jason Stackhouse was in the other night. He’s worried about you. So am I. So is Sookie and Lafayette.”

    Tara folded her arms.

    “Aren’t cops supposed to keep things quiet? I suppose Jason ran his mouth about who bailed me out, right?”

    “You’re damned right he did, Hooker!” Tara and Sam heard LaFayette call from outside the door.

    “Get back to work, Lafayette! I mean it!” Sam yelled back through the closed door. He then looked at Tara again.

    “Who is this guy, Tara? I mean Bill Compton seems to know him.”

    “What does any of this have to do with my job? Sookie can see a vampire and no one questions her for shit! I start seeing one and now everyone is concerned?”

    “So it’s true? You’re seeing a vamp?”

    Tara was quiet for a moment, then spoke.

    “I don’t know yet what’s going to happen. I do know this is the first man that’s made me feel anything other than sadness, since Eggs was killed.”

    “But Tara, the time between Eggs’s death and you’re hooking up with this vamp, has been like seconds! What does he do for work?”

    “He’s a private investigator. He has a business located off of route 47. Jessica is his secretary.”

    “Oh.” Sam said. “Well is he going to help you out of these charges that Buck and Cletus are filing against you?”

    Tara shrugged.

    “Franklin told me last night, that he didn’t think there would be any charges filed.”

    “Tara, Buck and Cletus are PISSED off! I mean if they come in here tonight...”

    “They’ll just get another monkey ass whippin’! Don’t worry about me, Sam. I’m fine. Better than I have been in awhile.”

    “Because of this Franklin vamp?” Sam asked skeptically.

    “I just feel as if finally, everything is going to be alright.” Tara answered. “Can I start work now?”

    Sam nodded and Tara rested a hand on his shoulder, before leaving the office. Meanwhile, Lafayette took some trash out to the back bin, and spotted someone who looked a lot like Eggs, peering from behind a tree in the nearby woods!

    LaFayette began to move closer.

    “Eggs?” he called out. Terry opened the door loudly and came out, and Lafayette turned back to him.

    “You see that dude out in the woods?” he asked Terry. Terry squinted and shook his head.

    “Naw.”

    Lafayette turned back to the spot he had seen Eggs in, then shook his head.

    No one was there now.

    “Tell me I’m not going crazy!” Lafayette said more to himself. Terry nodded sympathetically.

    “That happens to me quite a lot.” he said in sympathy.

                                                                     ****

    Meanwhile, Eggs disappeared a little bit into the woods, glad that Lafayette hadn’t followed him. His disposable cellphone, that Alcide had gotten him, rang.

    “Hello?”

    “Eggs, where the fuck are you? I told you to stay put!” Alcide yelled.

    “What did Sookie tell you?” Eggs asked.

    “Uh...Sookie is right here.” Alcide admitted.

    “You TOLD her I was alive?!”

    Sookie told Alcide’s phone from him and spoke.

    “Eggs, it’s Sookie. Alcide told me everything. Please tell me you aren’t at Merlotte’s?”

    “Sookie, I have to see her.”

    “I know, but are you prepared to tell her what you are now?”

    “Uh, that wasn’t my fault! And it’s not like she HAS to know.”

    Sookie’s mouth dropped open!

    “Eggs! You have to tell her you’re a werewolf!”

    “I don’t have to say a damned thing! Please, Sookie, help me out!”

    Alcide took the phone back from Sookie.

    “Eggs, Tara saw you shot dead! You aren’t going to be able to explain yourself any other way!”

    And then it came to him.

    Everything would be fine, if he turned Tara into a werewolf too! Why hadn’t he thought of that before? He would wait for her tonight, in wolf form, bite or scratch her, then after her first transformation, Eggs would reveal himself to her. And chances were, once the vampire found out she had been turned into a werewolf, he would lose interest in her.

    “Eggs? Eggs answer me!” Alcide demanded.

    “I’m here. I’ll get back home. You’re right. I haven’t thought this thing through.” Eggs said and hung up. Meanwhile, Alcide hung up.

    “Well? What did he say?” Sookie asked anxiously.

    “He said he was coming home. That he hadn’t thought it through. I hope so. I hope he means it.”

    “Why wouldn’t he mean it?” Sookie asked.

    Alcide shook his head.

    “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m saying. I guess we won’t know anything until we see Eggs for ourselves when he gets back here.”

                                                               ****

    When night fell, Sookie felt obliged to tell Bill about Eggs. They were at Bill’s home and Jessica was hurrying about, getting ready for work. Bill was not especially happy to hear that Sookie had spent most of the day with THAT werewolf.

    But he set aside his annoyance to listen to Sookie’s concerns about Tara.

    “So what did Eggs say when he returned?” Bill asked. Jessica, who had been about to come down the stairs, listened in.

    “He said he didn’t know what got into him, and that he would wait for the right time to tell Tara he’s alive.”

    “While I’m not a fan of werewolves, Eggs did seem to genuinely care for Tara. We have no idea why Franklin Mott is really interested in her for herself, or because he still wants information on the both of us.”

    “Bill! I thought you said that YOU thought Franklin was here for her...you know...with his putting down roots here and all?”

    “I do. But there is always the chance that I’m wrong. And I think that Tara would love Eggs no matter what.”

    “Oh I think so too! I just don’t think it’s right that all of this be sprung on Tara so soon. LaFayette told me she tried to kill herself over Eggs. Then she jumps into this relationship with Franklin...I think...”

    Bill stood up.

    “I think we ought to pay a visit to Mr. Mott’s place of business. Let’s find out from him what his intentions are.” he said, then called out for Jessica.

    “Jessica, I know you have been listening! You will not breathe a word about Eggs to anyone, are we clear?”

    Jessica stomped down the stairs!

    “I don’t think it’s right that Mr. Mott not know that he has competition for Tara! I mean I can’t just sit there and not say anything!”

    “You can and will, young lady!” Bill snapped. Sookie put a hand on her arm.

    “It won’t be forever, Jess. We just need a little time to prepare Tara for the news that her former boyfriend is alive---and is now a werewolf.”

                                                                           ****
    
    The last customers in Merlotte’s that evening, were Buck Johnson and Cletus Buzzard. Tara scarcely noticed them. Actually, she didn’t recognize them. She had been so busy beating them down, that she wouldn’t know them on the street!

    But Arlene recognized them. She eased over to the kitchen window, where Terry and Lafayette were.

    “Hey, guys? I think we have trouble.”

    “What?” Terry asked, walking to the window. Lafayette raised a brow.

    “Uh, the kitchen is closed! They need to get the fuck out!”

    “They ain’t here to eat! Those are the two guys Tara beat up...oh shit! Buck is going over to the bar now...oh shit...” Arlene trailed off.

    Meanwhile, Tara was wiping down the bar, when a guy that looked vaguely familiar with a half a mouth of teeth, sat down at the bar. Tara eyed the clock. Well, technically there was 15 minutes left.

    “What can I get you?” Tara asked, thinking about Franklin. After closing, she would head over to his apartment. Hopefully he wasn’t too busy with clients.

    “True Blood.” Buck answered. Cletus laughed from across the room. Tara raised a brow over at him, shrugged and turned to pull a bottle of True Blood out of the fridge. She handed it to Buck.

    Buck popped it open, swilled it around, then spat it out in Tara’s face! Tara gasped, then leaped over the bar at him! Lafayette dove out of the kitchen window, did a frontward roll and began punching Cletus in the booth!

    “Holy sheet!” Terry cried out, jumping out through the window to help Tara, who had been punched by Buck!  Sam came running out the back, while Arlene whipped a bottle of ketchup over at Cletus, just barely missing Lafayette!

    “Watch it, hooker!” Lafayette yelled.

    “Sorry! I was just tryin’ to help!” Arlene called out.

    Then, just as things seemed like they couldn’t get any worse, it did.

    Eggs, who had been waiting for Tara to come out, so he could turn her into a werewolf, saw the commotion from the window, changed into a werewolf and crashed through one of the plate windows!

    “AAAAAHHHHH!” both Lafayette and Cletus screamed. Lafayette let go of Cletus and ran back into the kitchen! Werewolf Eggs bit Cletus’s head off!

    Arlene fainted at the sight and Terry remembered a similar scene in a movie he once watched called ‘An American Werewolf In London’. It had scared the shit out of him!

    “CLETUS!” Buck screamed. Werewolf Eggs focused on him, and Sam grabbed Tara, pulling her back behind the bar! Terry dove under a table, as the creature knocked Buck down and ripped out his throat!

    Once that was done, Werewolf Eggs looked around at Terry under the table and up at Sam and Tara. Sam had his arm around Tara. He growled at the sight.

    “Uh,” Tara called out, “nice wolf! Would you like a beer or something?”

    “Tara!” Sam hissed in a whisper, “it’s a fuckin’ killer! It’s not going to want a beer!”

    “You never know! Look, I’ll get that dog dish...you know the one Sookie used to use for that dog that used to hang around here?”

    Sam pinked up.

    “Uh, yeah. I remember that dog.”

    “Anyway, it’s underneath the bar here. I’ll pour a little beer in it, then while the wolf is sipping it, we’ll all just sneak out.” Tara said, slowly reaching for the dog dish. She popped open a beer, then slowly began to walk around the bar.

    “Hooker, no!” Lafayette hissed.

    “Tara, no!” Terry whispered from underneath the table.

    Arlene moaned from the floor, while Sam prepared to change into a wolf to save Tara, if need be.

    Tara slowly walked towards the wolf, then gently set down the dish. It was strange, the way the wolf was looking at her. His eyes were oddly gentle. Still, it was a fucking werewolf! Hopefully a beer would calm it down.

    “Here you go, boy. Drink this and calm down.” Tara said. Werewolf Eggs ran a tongue around his mouth, and accepted the beer bowl. Once he started drinking, Tara motioned for everyone to slide out of the front door. Sam eased out from behind the bar and picked up Arlene. Terry slowly crawled out from underneath the table and Lafayette joined them, as they all shuffled out--with Tara last.

    Werewolf Eggs was halfway through the bowl of beer, when he noticed what was going on! He rushed them, grabbing hold to the back of Tara’s shirt with his teeth and pulling her back into the bar!

    “Oh hell no!” Lafayette cried out, when he saw everyone was out except for Tara! Sam handed Arlene off to Terry, then took out his phone.

    “I’m calling Bill!”

    “Vampire Bill?” Terry asked. “What for?”

    Sam didn’t answer. But he could not shake the feeling that this werewolf had killed Buck and Cletus to save Tara, and now didn’t want to let her out of his sight.

                                                                      ****

    Bill and Sookie were forced to drop Jessica off at work, then head to Merlotte’s. That werewolf was definitely Eggs! Sookie was about to call Alcide from her cell, when Bill told her that he would not be needed. Bill insisted he could handle Eggs on his own.  

    Meanwhile, Jessica walked into work just as Franklin was finishing up a meeting with Lucy Lee Tuttleton, the niece of a man murdered the other night named Bethune Tuttleton. Lucy Lee outright told Franklin that she felt the Bon Temps police force was too stupid to solve her uncle’s murder. That some creature had done it, and that in order to find the killer, either a werewolf or vampire would have to find it!

    “Thank you, Ms. Tuttleton. I suspect I might have already spotted this murderous beast roaming the graveyard.” Franklin told her. Lucy Lee put a hand to her breast!

    “Lordy! Just find the damned thing!”

    “That’s what I’m paid to do, Ms. Tuttleton. Find things. Jessica, you’re late---again.”

    “Sorry, Mr. Mott. Uh, can I get this lady a refreshment?”

    “The meeting is over. Just make the reminder calls for the next day’s appointments.” Franklin said, showing Ms. Tuttleton out. He closed the door, a little disturbed by the fact that Bethune Tuttleton owned the home that that succubus, Maryann Forrester, previously resided in.

    As did Tara. And Eggs Talley. Was it coincidence?

    Jessica twirled around in her chair, then looked around.

    “Where the hell are those Dorritos I had sitting out here? Did you eat them?”

    Franklin gave her a look. Jessica smiled back.

    “Now don’t be like that. Maybe I have some information about your little case there.”

    Franklin sat down on the edge of the desk.

    “Do you, Jessica? Or is this just some way of getting out of being late--again?”

    Jessica stopped twirling and smiled up at him.

    “I know who the werewolf is! I know who the werewolf is!” she sang out. Franklin raised a brow.

    “Do you? And how did you come by this information?”

    “Bill and Sookie. They were discussing him.”

    Now Franklin was really interested!

    “Bill Compton and Sookie Stackhouse know this werewolf?”

    Something in the back of Jessica’s mind, told her she had said too much. She clamped her lips shut briefly, before speaking.

    “You know, maybe I’d better get on those calls...” she said, picking up the phone. Franklin snatched it out of her hand and slowly replaced the receiver.

    “Little Jessica. Tell me what you know. Now!”

    “Okay, okay! But you’re not going to like it!”

    Franklin stared at her. His feelings had been spot on before. The werewolf that had killed Bethune Tuttleton and the one that he had spotted in the graveyard the other night, watching him and Tara, were one in the same.

    And if he ‘wasn’t going to like it’, that also meant that Franklin’s feelings, that that werewolf was something to Tara, were correct.

    “Tell me!” Franklin snapped.

    Jessica stood up.

    “It’s Eggs!”

    “Eggs who?”

    “Eggs Talley! Tara’s Eggs! He was bitten before he was killed and then never died! He wants to get back with Tara...”

    Jessica suddenly found herself alone. Damn! Bill and Sookie were going to kill her!

                                                                              ****

    “What the fuck do you mean ‘that’s Eggs’?!” Lafayette asked. “I’m callin’ 911! I thought I saw that muthafucka earlier...”

    “Lafayette, no!” Sookie snapped. “The police can’t know he’s alive and is a werewolf!”

    Terry had taken Arlene home a half hour ago. Sam stayed behind and knew Terry would be coming back to help out. They had to get this done with and fast!

    “We need to tell Tara just why she’s trapped in there with a werewolf!” Sam insisted.

    Bill looked at the three of them.

    “I think that Eggs has a mind to turn her.”

    “Whaaaaaaatttt?” Lafayette and Sam said at the same time. Sookie shook her head.

    “Bill, stop him! Tara would just die if she became a werewolf!”

    Bill nodded and was prepared to burst into the bar, when a gush of wind stopped him in his tracks, along with witnessing the front, glass door, disintegrate!  Bill, Sookie, Sam and Lafayette ran inside, to find Eggs, now naked on the floor, shivering.

    Tara was nowhere to be found.

                                                                  ****

    Franklin got Tara back home, where she collapsed in his arms in the front hallway.

    “Oh my God! That fucking thing wanted to kill me! Why? Why?”

    “Tara...”

    “Oh my God! Alcide Herveaux was here earlier, looking at me like I was crazy! It was his ass that did this! He did kill those rednecks...but still...”

    “Tara, luv, I think that that wolf...”

    “You know what?” Tara interrupted again. “It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter. You were there for me--again! And I don’t know why I haven’t seen how lucky I am to have you!” Tara said, then kissed him hard on the mouth, before breaking off the kiss, which Franklin started up again, while taking off his own clothing.

    Tara hurriedly shed her own clothes and before she could utter another word, Franklin lifted her by the buttocks, pistoned her on his cock and ran up the stairs with vampire speed. Tara moaned as she bounced on his member with each rapid step he took up those stairs and to her room, where she surrendered, once again, to her passion for this vampire.

    And on the bed where she had last made love to Eggs Talley, Tara’s hands covered Franklin’s as they rested on her full breasts. They were both kneeling on the bed, with Franklin’s knees laced outside of hers from behind, while his cock slowly pillaged her depths. God! She was so warm, moist and inviting! This was one of the many reasons he could never let her go.

    He wouldn’t let her go. And a small detail like Eggs Talley, could very easily be dealt with. Franklin was perfectly willing to provide for Mr. Talley, the death he was justly cheated out of, when he was bitten.

     Andy Bellefleur looked at the dead bodies of Buck Johnson and Cletus Buzzard and shook his head. He was about to say something, when Jason Stackhouse took the words right out of his mouth.

    “Sam, what the hell happened here?” he asked. Sam took a deep breath, then looked over at Bill and Sookie, who glanced at LaFayette, who looked at Sam again.

    “Well is somebody going to answer him?!” Andy snapped. His eyes then narrowed as he focused in on Bill Compton.

    “What do you know about this shit, Vampire Bill?” Andy asked, looking him over. Jason frowned.

    “Aw, come on, Andy! Bill didn’t do this!”

    “I didn’t say he did, Jason! But it looks pretty damned bad, that three out of the four people standing in front of us, are friends of Tara Thornton’s...no offense, Bill.”

    “None taken.” Bill replied.

    “Andy, Tara didn’t do this! She couldn’t! Jason, tell them!” Sookie pleaded. Jason gave his sister a sharp look.

    “I know that. But you all had better give me somethin’! Now Sam here is telling me that some damned wolf broke through the window and did this. Was Tara working tonight? Lafayette?”

    Lafayette coughed loudly!

    “I don’t remember, Jason! Honestly, I was so busy cookin’ and shit, that I didn’t notice.”

    “Was Arlene here? And Terry?” Andy asked.

    “Uh...yeah. But Arlene passed out, so Terry took her home. Come on, Andy! We don’t have time for this shit! There’s a fucking wolf loose! I think it went that way!” Sam said, pointing in the opposite direction, that Alcide had driven off with Eggs, once he was called to pick him up.

    Andy refrained from really going off! There was clearly a time discrepancy going on here. For some reason, the police had not been called right away, once the wolf went away.

    “Why did this wolf only kill these two? And where the hell is Tara Thornton? Answer me now or you’re all comin’ in!” Andy yelled.

    Bill was tempted to glamour Andy, but honestly, he didn’t see the point. The revelation about Eggs Talley being alive would have to come out, since the man was determined to reunite with Tara. If he were leaving town, maybe, lying would be the best option here...

    “Wait a minute,” Jason said, “that vamp that Tara is seeing...he’s involved, isn’t he? He killed Buck and Cletus, didn’t he? Why the hell didn’t you say that? Why are you all trying to frame some poor wolf?”

    Bill looked at Sookie. Sookie looked at Sam. Sam looked at Lafayette. That sounded like a pretty good damned lie to them!

    “Yeah, that’s what happened. And he took off with Tara. But I think Tara wanted to go with him.” Sam said shiftily. Jason nodded, pleased that he had this case almost solved, while Andy bent down and picked up the dog dish, sniffing it.

    “Who the hell was drinking beer out of a dog dish?” he asked suspiciously.

    “Uh, Terry.” Lafayette said just as shiftily. Andy threw the dish down!

    “Now that’s just a goddamned lie! My cousin has some problems, but he wouldn’t do anything like that.  This whole thing reeks.  Jason, you go and talk to Arlene and Terry. I’ll find Tara.”

    Jason saw Bill and Sookie shake their heads behind Andy’s back.

    “Uh, Andy, why don’t I talk to Tara and you talk to Arlene and Terry?”

    “Why don’t you just do as I say, Jason. Buck and Cletus’s relatives will have to be informed.” he said, touching his gun. If Tara was with that damned vampire boyfriend of hers, he’d need some silver bullets or something. Then again, he could come along to the police station, all peaceful like.

    “Tara is still living with you, Sookie?”

    Sookie took a deep breath.

    “Yes, Andy, she is.” she said. Mike Spencer arrived and shook his head. Deputy Kenya looked at the foursome.

    “Bill, Sookie, you tell me how you came to be here, after all the trouble ended. Sam, Lafayette, you all tell me who you saw kill Buck and Cletus.” she said.

                                                                         ****

    Franklin figured that a dead man having trouble breathing, after having savage sex with the love of his life, was a good thing.

    He fell back against his pillow, while Tara got up and peered out of the window from behind a shade. Franklin sat up.

    “Who are you looking for, luv?”

    Tara swung her braids around to look at him.

    “That fucking wolf! Franklin, it could be waiting outside or something.”

    “Come back to bed now. I’m sure the police have shot it...hopefully.” Franklin sniffed.  Who was he kidding? Tara would find out that Eggs was alive and then...

    Then what? Leave him?

    That he would not allow. Then again, there as no escaping the truth. Sookie would most likely try and break the news to Tara about Eggs. It would probably be better to do it first.

    “Tara, come here. There is something I have to tell you.” Franklin said, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side. Tara walked over, her naked body gleaming, and sat down in his lap.

    “Okay, what is it?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him.

    “I have some bad news for you.”

    Tara frowned.

    “What?”

    “Eggs is alive.” Franklin revealed.

    “Eggs....uh Eggs who?”

    “Your Eggs! Darling, he was the werewolf. Apparently he was bitten before he was killed by the Sheriff here. He was the one that saved you from those men tonight.” Franklin said somberly. Tara pulled out of his embrace and walked over to the window. She then turned back to him.

    “I have to go to him.”

    “To tell him you two can be friends now?” Franklin asked patiently.

    “Uh, no. Look, Franklin, I will always love you...but Eggs was the one. My forever. My...”

    Franklin burst out laughing and laid back down on the bed. His chest heaved as he laughed even harder. Tara cleared her throat.

    “I’m going to assume that you’re laughing out of shock?”

    Franklin put a hand to his bare chest and rose.

    “Tara, honey...don’t be ridiculous. Eggs is a WEREWOLF!”

    Tara looked kind of shifty.

    “We’ll get through it. I have to tell him I understand.”

    “Understand what, precious? He’s a fucking beast now. You’d never be able to handle it.”

    “Look, Franklin! You don’t know what Eggs and I had!”

    “I know what you had when he was HUMAN! Tara, I don’t want to hear anymore. Go to him if you must. Reunite with him if you feel the need. But I KNOW YOU. The minute he turns into an animal in front of you, you won’t be able to take it.”

    Tara folded her arms.

    “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!”

    “Oh...I love it when you give me attitude! Love it! Now, darling, don’t you remember that midnight picnic we had about two weeks ago?”

    Tara stared at him, then looked away briefly, before looking at him again.

    “Uh no.”

    “The hell you don’t! You freaked out when that fox showed up to eat off of your sandwich...only it wasn’t a fox. It was some rusty haired shapeshifter! You jumped up and chased it, flinging a full bottle of water at it and some of the sandwich. Is that what you would do to Eggs when that poor man transforms?”

    Tara didn’t like thinking about that! And she hadn’t been able to help herself that night! It was bad enough that a wild animal had been eating off of her food! But to see that it wasn’t an animal at all? Franklin had had to stop her from picking up a stick and chasing it down as well.

    “It wouldn’t be the same with Eggs. I’d try and show him some understanding.” Tara said, walking over to him and sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I’ll always treasure the time we spent together.”

    “Hmmm, yes.” Franklin said, picking up a copy of Essence Magazine that had been sitting on her nightstand. “I think your hair would look pretty like this.”

    Tara shook her head. Franklin would realize it was over between them, when he saw Eggs and her together.

    “TARA!” Sookie called out.  Tara looked for a robe, put it on and hurried from the room. Franklin found another robe of Tara’s, put it on, and followed after her.

    Bill growled when he saw Franklin following Tara down the stairs! Sookie was a bit surprised herself.

    “You invited him in?!” Bill snapped at Tara. Tara gave him the finger, causing Franklin to grin, before looking at Sookie.

    “Franklin won’t cause you any trouble, Sook. He told me about Eggs. Where is he? I need to go to him.”

    Sookie grabbed her hand.

    “Alcide is with him. He’s been caring for him--trying to get him used to being a wolf.” Sookie said. “Come on. I’ll take you to him but we have to hurry. Andy is on his way over here.”

    Franklin smiled.

    “I’ll just get dressed. Tara, I know I’ll be seeing you soon.”

    Tara ignored him.

    “Let me put something on and we’ll go.” she said, turning and running back up the stairs. Bill looked at Franklin.

    “You should put something on and leave.”

    Franklin ignored Bill and looked at Sookie.

    “I hope you don’t plan on encouraging this.”

    Sookie folded her arms.

    “Encouraging what?”

    “This crap with Eggs! I know for a fact that he has murdered THREE people now.” Franklin said. Bill nodded.

    “The man that lived in the house that MaryAnn Forrester lived in?” he questioned. Franklin nodded.

    “A relative of the dead man, has hired me to look into his death. And then there are the police. What will they think of all of this?” Franklin asked. But Sookie gave him a dirty look.

    “Eggs and Tara belong together. We’ll get through this. Bill, please make sure he leaves this house.” Sookie said, as Tara passed Franklin on the stairs. She turned and gave him a kiss.

    “That’s goodbye. I’m going to be with Eggs now.”

    Franklin said nothing as the two women left. Bill stared at him.

    “You don’t seem concerned.” he noted. Franklin shrugged.

    “Like I told Tara: I know her. This thing with Eggs will not last a day. Sex with a werewolf is a bit different than with a vampire.”

    Bill could not help but agree. Tara would have to discover that herself, though.

                                                                     ****

    Tara ran into Eggs’s arms as soon as she saw him again, too stunned to believe she was not dreaming! Sookie and Alcide left them alone, driving off somewhere. Eggs sat down with Tara on a couch.

    “Baby, tell me what happened? When were you bitten by the wolf?” Tara asked.

    “A little bit before I was shot. Tara...I don’t think Andy shot me.” Eggs told her.

    “What do you mean? He said he did it.”

    “I know that. But one of the last things I remember, is facing him with a knife, then nothing. He didn’t have a gun.” Eggs told her. Tara frowned, but shook the whole thing off. None of that mattered now.

    “That was you at Merlotte’s, wasn’t it? You saved me from those rednecks.”

    “You were doing a pretty good job yourself. Tara, I would’ve never hurt you in there. I saw...I saw the vampire take you away. How could you let him touch you, baby?” Eggs asked in a pleading voice.

    “I was lonely...I missed you. I broke it off with Franklin. He understands.” Tara nodded, touching her forehead against his. God, he felt kind of hot...

    “I’m glad he understands, Tara, because I was going to kill him. I was.” Eggs almost growled. “I need you. I need to know that you’re mine.” Eggs whispered, as he began taking off her clothes. Tara reached for his and once naked, they both fell to the floor.

             TWO MINUTES LATER

    Tara was squatting on the ground, holding on to the arms of a chair, while Eggs, on his knees, pumped her steadily from behind.  

    The first feral sound made caused Tara to take pause.

    She then looked down and saw that Eggs’s hands, which were on her hips, were starting to turn kind of hairy.

    “OH HELL TO THE NAW! GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME! GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!” Tara began screaming.

    “I....GRRR....I.....GRRR....I’M SHIFTING BABY....GRRR!” Eggs moaned/ growled. Tara reached for a vase, half turned mid fuck and smashed it over Eggs’s head! Eggs fell back, now howling, as his transformation was almost complete! Tara grabbed her clothes and ran from the house, naked as the night is long!

    Eggs smashed through the screendoor and chased her behind an old car! Tara managed to get her pants on, while running around the car, but then dropped her top, as Eggs chased her so hard, that she knew he was about to pounce on her!

    Tara screamed again and ran off into a nearby wooded area! She could feel the wolf’s hot breath on her back! This was not Eggs and damned if he was going to be turning into a wolf on her during sex! If they were going to be together, he’d have to get some medication for this shit...

    Suddenly, there was nothing. Tara stopped running to look behind her. She squinted. Eggs was lying naked on the ground.

    “Baby...Tara baby, I couldn’t control it...” he moaned. Tara turned and ran out into a nearby road...and into the headlights of Deputy Kenya.

                                                                           ****

    Tara was jailed, again, for not only running around topless, but for being an accessory to a crime.  Andy was sure that Tara had sicced this ‘wolf’ on Buck Johnson and Cletus Buzzard, but couldn’t figure the connection. Yet.

    Meanwhile, Franklin casually entered the police station and asked to see Tara by glamouring Deputy Kenya, Jason Stackhouse and Andy Bellefleur. He then walked into the cell block and convinced the only other prisoner, that he was now blind.

    The prisoner began screaming! Franklin told him to be ‘quietly blind’. He then walked over to Tara’s cell and unlocked it. Tara watched as he then closed the door behind him and joined her in the cell.

    “What is this? I told you so?” Tara asked grumpily. Franklin sighed and took in her gray uniform.

    “I heard you were topless, darling. Is that true?”

    “What do you care?”

    Franklin reached for the front zipper of her jail uniform.

    “I care very much who gets to see what’s mine.” Franklin said, watching as the uniform fell to her feet. “Now, do you understand that you do not belong with Eggs Talley?”

    Tara, not caring that she was naked, turned away. She then turned back.

    “It will just take some getting used to. WE’RE still broken up.”

    “Of course we are. Of course. But the least you can do is thank me properly...for bailing you out...again.”

    Tara watched as Franklin undressed with vampire speed! She looked over at the other prisoner, now realizing why Franklin had tricked him into believing he was blind.

    “Franklin...”

    “Tara, let me turn you. Let me do it before Eggs tries to.” Franklin asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

    “Eggs would never want me to be what he is.” Tara whispered. Franklin moved her against the bars and Tara raised her arms to grip them tightly.

    “Of course he does. He thinks then the two of you could be together forever.  But I won’t let him do it. I’ll have to kill him, Tara.” Franklin said, knifing his cock into her inner recesses from behind. And while the other prisoner thought he was blind, and Andy, Jason and Kenya had been glamoured into not coming back there, Franklin thrusted his cock into Tara over and over and over again, causing one of Tara’s breasts bounce out through the bars. He bit into her neck and Tara’s world began to spin from passion and pain...

    Just then, the power went out in the police station. Franklin and Tara stopped what they were doing, just as they heard a guttural howl outside of the cell door.  Tara felt the breast that was jutting outside of the bars, get licked by a very primal, feeling tongue.

    “Oh Lord Jesus!” she whispered.

    

    “Get your bloody tongue off of her tit!” Franklin growled. Tara squinted.
    
    “How can you tell what  he’s doing?” Tara whispered, as the tongue seemingly disappeared.

    “Darling, we’re both creatures of the night. I can see him and he can most certainly see me. He’s changed back into human form now. Good evening, Mr. Talley.” Franklin called out.

    Tara found this whole thing to be maddening! She couldn’t see shit! It was pitch black  because somehow, someway, Eggs had cut the power.

    “Eggs,” Tara whispered, “why..”

    “Why are you whispering, Tara?” Franklin asked crossly, “it’s not like we’re in a library. The man in the other cell thinks he’s blind. It’s just you, me and the beast.”

    Eggs got up off of the floor, naked.

    “Don’t you call me a muthafuckin’ beast! You ain’t much better!”

    “I didn’t call you a ‘muthafuckin’ anything, though I will admit, it adds color to your sentence.”

    “What the FUCK does that mean?!” Eggs snapped.

    “Stop this shit!” Tara snapped herself. “Eggs, you’ve got to get some help. I’m sorry but you can’t be changin’ while we’re in the middle of sex.”

    “Is that what happened?” Franklin asked with a grin.

    “I can’t get help, Tara. I am what I am. But...you could be with me as a wolf. We could be together like this.”

    “Hell to the naw, Eggs! I love you. You know that but I can’t be changing into anything. Sorry.”

    “So you’re just going to let this ashy looking vampire turn you then?” Eggs asked.

    Franklin, who had been about to bite into the back of Tara’s shoulder, looked at him.

    “Who are you calling ashy?”

    “You! You’re ashy! Your ass is ashy! Your feet are ashy! Tara, what the fuck!”

    “I’m ashy?” Franklin protested coolly, “I suppose those are the remnants of a powdered donut on your feet.”

    “Okay, stop! Stop, stop, stop! I’m through with both of you. I’m going back to dating human men.” Tara said. “Franklin, you let go of me and Eggs, you let me by when I leave this cell. I don’t want to see either of your sorry asses again.”

    “Tara! Tara, you don’t mean that?” Franklin asked, his fangs slowly receding. “You’re just stressed.”

    “You’re damned right, I’m stressed!” Tara cried out, tearing up. “All I ever wanted was for Eggs to be alive again. And that got fucked up!”

    “Baby, it’s not fucked up. Not if I turn you.”

    “Why the hell would I want to be a werewolf, Eggs? Look at you! And Franklin, get those damned fangs away from me! I can feel them! I’m not turning into a vampire either.”

    “Well we have to work this out someway,” Franklin said, “because I don’t share my women.”

    “Damn! Didn’t you hear me? I said we’re breaking up!”

    “And furthermore,” Franklin continued, “if you do stay human, I don’t want you to continue living with Sookie Stackhouse. I don’t like her attitude. I don’t think she likes me.”

    “Wonder why?” Eggs asked sardonically. “Look, baby...”

    “We’re through here, Mr. Talley.” Franklin said, smiling in the darkness at him. He had not taken is cock out of Tara, and slowly began to move around within her again. Eggs saw how Tara’s eyes closed and she moaned.

    They had both forgotten he was there and sank down to the floor of the cell.

    Eggs unlocked the door, unprying Tara’s hands from the bars, then stepped inside to close the celldoor. Tara reached behind her to grab Franklin’s hair and his lips sought hers as he slowly moved within her.

    Eggs reached for Tara’s full breasts, scooping them up so he could nestle his own cock within the folds. Tara pried her lips loose from Franklin’s to stare unseeing into the darkness. Her mouth formed an ‘O’, as Eggs began a slightly faster cadence of lovemaking. Franklin peered around Tara and glowered at Eggs.

    His fangs emerged.

    Then the power was restored.

    And the man in the next cell no longer believed he was blind.

    “Holy Jesus! Holy fuckin’ Jesus! Guards! Guards there’s raw fuckin’ going on back here!” the man yelled, though he did lick his lips. Jason Stackhouse walked in the back and froze. Holy shit! Tara’s body was looking pretty good...

    “Hey, Stackhouse! I ought to get some compensation or sumthin’! I lost my sight back here and when it came back, I had to look at this depravity!” the prisoner complained. Jason rolled his eyes.

    “Shut the hell up, Mickey Doolittle! You’re in here on a rape charge! Mrs. Tillwater claims you fucked two of her horses and a pig. So you ain’t going anywhere! Tara, what the fuck?”

    Franklin looked at Eggs. Eggs looked at Franklin, as both men kept fucking Tara. Tara managed to gasp.

    “Jason, turn the lights out again!” was all she could get out. Jason began to lick his lips a bit. Damn Tara’s body was looking tight! Why hadn’t he noticed her...

    “HEY!” Jason suddenly screamed. “IS THAT EGGS? I THOUGHT I KILLED YOU!”

    The threesome stopped abruptly. Eggs stopped tit fucking Tara, turned back into a wolf and knocked the cell door open! He leaped on Jason! Franklin grinned, Mickey Doolittle screamed and Tara went running out of the cell and beat Eggs on the back!

    “GET OFF OF HIM! GET OFF OF HIM! FRANKLIN, HELP ME GET HIM OFF OF JASON!”

    Franklin snorted! He didn’t like Jason Stackhouse either, since he was unsure that Tara didn’t still have feelings for the imbecile. But he was smart enough to realize that if he did not help, and Stackhouse perished, Tara would blame him. Franklin hurried out of the cell and leapt on Eggs back, taking a large bite out of his neck!

    An in human growl erupted from Eggs, and he turned from Jason, who was just scratched up, to snarl at Franklin. Tara stood in front of him.

    “Eggs, no. Just go. If you stay, they’ll put you in jail here.”

    Eggs hissed at Franklin, who gave him the finger in kind, then turned and trotted out of the cellblock! Deputy Kenya and Chief Bellefleur jumped out of the way when the wolf casually walked past the front counter and nosed the glass door open. Andy looked at Kenya.

    “Is that the fucking wolf that killed Buck and Cletus?”

    Kenya shrugged.

    “You’re the smart one, ‘Chief’. You tell me. What the hell was he doing back there with the prisoners, though?” Kenya asked. Suddenly, Tara, who was back to wearing her prison uniform, helped Jason out to the front.

    “Tara Thornton! What are you doing out of your cell? Jason, did you let her out?” Kenya asked. Andy frowned when he saw Franklin walk out.

    “How the hell did that vampire get back there? Is that your wolf?”

    Franklin folded his arms.

    “No. He’s yours. He’s Eggs Talley and I think you’d better put out an APB on him.”

    Tara turned back to Franklin.

    “I will never forgive you for doing that!”

    “Of course you will.  And prison is where he belongs. Maybe he can get some help there.” Franklin said smoothly. Tara turned to Jason.

    “What did you mean by what you said? That you killed Eggs? I thought Andy shot him?”

    Deputy Kenya furrowed her brow and looked from Tara and Jason, to Andy.

    “What’s Tara talking about?” she asked him. Andy cleared his throat.

    “Nothin’. Isn’t that right, Jason?”
    
    But Jason looked guiltier than hell! Franklin peered at the two men. Something about Eggs’s death was not kosher. But what? That loser Stackhouse didn’t even look like he could shoot straight!

    “Jason,” Tara said a bit more sharply, “what did you mean by that? You said you killed Eggs!”

    Jason looked at Andy, then at Tara.

    “I’m sorry, Tara. I thought he was going to kill Andy. I’ve had a hard time living with it. But you see, it doesn’t matter now! Eggs is alive!”

    Tara stared at him wordlessly, then slapped him across the face before walking out of the police station. Franklin smirked! Good! Now Tara wouldn’t think her precious Jason was so precious after all. He would give her a night to herself before making up with her. It was clear that the idea of Eggs’s being a werewolf frightened her, so he would no longer be any competition--that and he would probably be going to prison.

    Jason Stackhouse turned out to be a lying creep. No  more competition there either. Franklin smiled to himself. Yes, one night to herself and everything would be just fine.

                                                                         ****

    The last person in the world, Tara expected to see trying to pick her up in his car, was Alcide Herveaux. If she saw one more goddamned manimal, she was going to scream! She was damned tempted not to take the ride at all. But it began to rain a little, and Tara didn’t want her braids getting fucked up.

    So she got into the car. She then closed her eyes, hoping Alcide would not speak.

    But he did.

    “I take it things didn’t go well with Eggs?” he asked. Tara shrugged.

    “I can’t be with him. I’m scared.”

    “Scared of what?” Alcide asked. Tara’s eyes opened and she looked over at him.

    “Look, no offense, but Eggs started changing while we were having sex. It scared the fuck out of me. I can’t live like that. I guess we can be friends or something.”

    “Eggs can’t control himself yet. You have to give him time. But maybe you don’t want to.” Alcide said, his manner bordering on sarcastic.

    “What does that mean?”

    “It means that Sookie and you have a thing for vamps! Just admit it and stop using that bullshit excuse about ‘werewolves scaring you’, as a reason for not being with us.” Alcide groused.

    “Is that what Sookie told you?” Tara asked curiously.

    “No. She said she loved Bill Compton. But I feel like she was kind of lyin’.”

    “You WISH she was kind of lyin’! You know Sam Merlotte was in love with Sookie too. And when she couldn’t love him back, he showed more dignity than you.” Tara huffed.

    “What the fuck else was he going to show? He’s human.” Alcide argued. “And these days that ain’t shit!”

    “Don’t talk about Sam like that!” Tara snapped. “Take me home, mofo!”

    “Oh I’ll take your ass home alright! I don’t know what the fuck Eggs sees in you! And that vampire has to be one hell of a pussy to put up with your shit!” Alcide huffed.

    Tara smirked over at him! She then reached over and shoved her hand down the front of his pants!

    “They see this in me and plenty more, precious!”

    Alcide stopped talking and looked over at her, still driving. He then pressed the accelerator to the floor and drove like a bat out of hell back to his place! Alcide hoped like hell Eggs wasn’t around!

    He wasn’t.

    Alcide and Tara burst through the front door, pulling one another’s clothes off! From there they fell to the floor, where Alcide witnessed a most amazing act of dexterity, as he entered Tara swiftly then pounded her furiously--all while holding her ankles-- that were locked behind her head.

    Alcide barely remembered how many orgasms he had had, but he did know that Tara reminded him of his ex girlfriend, Debbie, for some reason...

    And Tara? Tara could not believe that in a matter of days, she had slept with two werewolves and one vampire. She didn’t know how she’d ever be able to look Sookie in the eye again!

    Of course the real problem was headed towards the house, as Eggs, in wolf form, stopped, turned back into his human form and rested his self a bit. He could see Alcide’s house off in the distance. He still had time to grab some stuff and leave town. He just really wished he was taking Tara with him. Eggs caught his breath and continued making his way towards Alcide Herveaux's house.

     Eggs Talley collapsed as soon as he came out of the woods. And that is how he met Alcide’s former girlfriend, Debbie Pelt.

    Debbie saw the naked, Black man in a clearing near Alcide’s house and recognized a fellow Were in trouble. He was clearly a newbie, with his fetal position and all.

    Debbie got out of her car and hurried over to him, trying to help him up.

    “I got you.” she said, leading him towards Alcide’s house. “How do you know Alcide?”

    Eggs blinked, barely registering the woman that was leading him towards Alcide’s porch steps.

    “He’s been helping me. You know what he is, don’t you?”

    “I know what you both are. I’m one too. I can tell you’re having a hard time with this, aren’t you?”

    Eggs collapsed again but Debbie put her strength into half carrying him to the porch. Alcide heard the noise while Tara was in the shower.

    “Holy shit!” he muttered to himself. If this wasn’t some piece of damned back luck! Eggs seeing Tara here would be bad enough, but if Debbie caught wind of this...

    The water stopped and Alcide hurried into the bathroom, just as Tara was drying off. She peered at him.

    “What?” she asked, sensing trouble.

    “Eggs is outside, along with my ex-girlfriend. They’re this c lose to coming in here.” Alcide warned.

    “My prison uniform is out in the living room!” Tara hissed. Alcide ran into the living room, ran back to the bathroom to toss the garment to Tara, just as the door was about to open! Alcide whipped the door open, then backed them back onto the porch.

    “Eggs...Debbie, what are you doing here?”

    Debbie gave him a look. Eggs answered.

    “Things got fucked up man! They’re looking for me!”

    “As I knew they would be! Eggs, I told you this wasn’t a good idea!”

    Debbie gingerly sniffed the air, then her eyes narrowed.

    “You’ve got some bitch in there with you, don’t you?”

    Eggs gave Alcide a surprised look.

    “Oh. My bad. I’m sorry, Alcide...”

    “Look,” Alcide said, tossing Eggs his keys and all the cash he had on him, “I know the law is after you. Take my car and this money and get going.”

    Debbie held Eggs’s arm tighter, but she looked at Alcide.

    “You don’t have to run, Eggs! Your fellow Were’s have your back. Come along with me. You’ll be fine. I’ve got a special pack I run with...”

    “Eggs, you’d be better off dead than hanging out with this skank or her pack.” Alcide said matter-of-factly.

    “Is that right? Why don’t I come up in there and rip that Stackhouse bitch’s throat out! I know that’s who’s in there!” Debbie retorted. But Eggs gently sniffed the air, then eyed Alcide.

    “That’s not Sookie.”

    Debbie looked at Eggs.

    “What do you mean? Who the hell else would it be?”

    Eggs stood up straighter, unassisted.

    “I don’t know. But Sookie has a nice, fresh smell to her.”

    Tara, who was listening behind the door, shook her head! What the fuck did THAT mean? Sookie smelled fresh! She couldn’t wait to hear how she smelled!

    “And this smell is what?” Debbie asked him, eyeing Alcide. Yep! He was scared shitless, she could smell it! And she began to wonder if the woman inside, was someone Alcide didn’t want EGGS to see?

    “Familiar.” was all Eggs said, as he stepped a bare foot onto the porch. It was then that the sound of sirens wailed in the background!

    “Take the stuff and go, Eggs!” Alcide warned. “I have a mechanics uniform in the trunk you can change into later! Just get going!”

    Eggs nodded, then ran to Alcide’s car, jumped in and squealed off.  A moment later, Tara stepped out onto the porch. Debbie threw up her hands!

    “I knew it! I fucking knew it! I think I’ll go after Eggs and tell him that you’re fucking his bitch!”

    Alcide was about to say something, when Tara put hand on his arm.

    “I’ve got this.” she said, taking a step towards Debbie.  Debbie smirked.

    “You’ve got nothing. I’ll rip your fucking throat out.”

    Alcide hurried inside the house, then returned just as quickly. He waved a vial of blood around. Tara lifted a brow. Was that vampire blood?

    “This is V.  Take it and get the fuck out of here! I mean it!”

    Debbie’s nostrils flared widely for a moment, before she snatched the vial from her former boyfriend, hurried to her car and sped off. She had plans to do this V in private somewhere...before she decided just how to proceed with the new info she just learned.

    Meanwhile, Tara folded her arms and looked at Alcide.

    “I could’ve handled her.”

    “And you wouldn’t have a head right now. Never mind her. What are we going to do about what just happened?” Alcide asked in a strange tone of voice.

    Tara shrugged.

    “Nothing. And if Eggs or anyone else finds out, we just say that your girl there is lying. She’s a V junkie. No one would believe it.”

    Alcide said nothing to that. Tara tilted her head.

    “I take it you disagree?”

    “I don’t disagree, Tara. I just don’t see any point in lyin’ about it. Part of Eggs’s problem is that he’s not dealing with what he is now. And I’m afraid he could fall into the wrong pack.”

    Tara’s mouth dropped open!

    “Are you fucking crazy? Eggs is never going to understand my being with a werewolf when I broke it off with him for being one! No! If he finds out, we deny everything. Okay?”

    “So I’m just supposed to lie?”

    “Alcide, what is the problem here? Yeah, you lie! What good would the truth be to anyone? Look, I see you’re short of cars here, so I’ll walk home.”

    “I’m not short of cars. I’ve got one in the back. I’ll take you home.”

    “No,” Tara decided, “take me to my cousin’s instead.”

                                                                 ****

    LaFayette was peeking out from behind a curtain, as he watched a fine ass dude drop Tara off in front of his house. He then realized that the ‘fine ass dude’, was that werewolf that Sookie had been hanging out with! Alfred or Alex or something...

    LaFayette noted that it looked as if the weredude wanted to walk Tara up to the door! Tara put a hand up in a halting position, and the weredude got back in his car and screeched off! Tara rolled her eyes and headed towards the front door, which LaFayette already had open!

    “Hooker, get your ass in here! I heard you were in jail and that Sookie was going to bail you out.”

    Tara collapsed on his couch, while LaFayette closed the door.

    “I walked out of the damned jail. And neither Andy or Jason are going to have shit to say about it.”

    LaFayette smelled blackmail. He slowly sat down next to her.

    “What’s this all about? That dude that dropped you off? Is that that werewolf that Sook knows? And where the hell is Eggs? You know it’s all over the TV that he’s alive and shit! How did that vampire take it? The one you were seein’?”

    “Could you slow down, please? I can’t follow all of that shit you’re asking me!” Tara groused. “Are you going to offer me something to drink?”

    “You’ll get a drink when you spill some dirt! Let’s go back to the other night at Merlotte’s. How the fuck did you get away from Eggs? I know he was that wolf that killed those rednecks.”

    “Franklin Mott rescued me. I’ve been kind of seeing him. Kind of.”

    “What does that mean?”

    “It means he gets on my nerves sometimes. But I know he cares about me.” Tara sighed.

    LaFayette shook his head.

    “How many damned times did you get on Sookie about Bill?”

    “Alright, alright!”

    “Okay, let’s move on from the vamp. Sookie told you Eggs was alive and then what?”

    “Actually,” Tara corrected, “Franklin told me. He didn’t have to but he did. And he was the one that warned me that I would regret it.”

    “What do you mean?” LaFayette asked.

    “I mean he said I wouldn’t be able to fuck an animal! Jesus, LaFayette!  I didn’t listen to him! I went back to Eggs and while we were in the middle of sex, he tried to change on me!” Tara cried, tearing up at the frightful memory. LaFayette hugged her briefly.

    “Damn, girl. I’m sorry.”

    “It gets worse!” Tara sniffed. LaFayette handed her a Kleenex so she could blow her nose.

    “So how did you end up getting arrested?” LaFayette asked.

    “That’s the ‘worse’ part. I freaked out and ran butt naked out into the woods and ended up getting caught by Deputy Kenya! You know she hates me!”

    “Kenya hates everyone. She’s mad she ain’t police chief yet.” LaFayette said.

    “Well, she arrested me and put me in a cell. Franklin shows up and we kind of...”

    “Kind of what?”

    “Kind of started having sex. Then the lights went off and Eggs showed up...as a wolf and started trying to lick me through the bars! LaFayette, I had a three way with a vamp and wolf in the ....LAFAYETTE!”

    LaFayette had passed out! Tara ran to his kitchen to get some water, came back and threw it down in his face! LaFayette awoke, sputtering and coughing!

    “What the hell happened?!”

    “You passed out in the middle of my story!”

    “Bitch, don’t ever throw any damned water in my face again! Lord, I passed out from lust! No one saw this going on? Andy? Jason?”

    “Jason did. But he was too worried about the fact that Eggs was alive to notice much. Then...”

    Tara could not say the words. Jason had shot Eggs, not Andy. Jason had lied to her and let her suffer. If Eggs hadn’t come back to life as a wolf, she might not have ever found out.

    “Then what, Tara? Eggs must have escaped because the state police are lookin’ for him.” LaFayette informed her. Tara nodded.

    “I know. I couldn’t stay there. I had to get away from everyone, including Franklin.”

    LaFayette eyed her.

    “So you called that werewolf to pick you up? I didn’t think you knew him that well?”

    “I don’t. I was walking home and he picked me up.”

    “And yet I’ve been calling Sook’s number for hours. No one has been picking up.”

    Tara looked away.

    “Alright! Alright! I had sex with him too! And he didn’t change into anything on me and I liked it! Is that what you want to know?”

    “Lord, Jesus! What are you going to do?”

    Tara blinked.

    “About what? I broke up with Franklin. Eggs is now on the run and Alcide means nothing to me. There’s nothing to do about anything. Now, could you drive me home? I need to get some sleep. I want to make it clear to Sam that I want and need my job.”

    But LaFayette was still shaking his head. If Tara thought all of this was over, she was crazy!

                                                                   ****

    Bill opened the door to Alcide Herveaux and decided in that moment, that he’d rather let Franklin Mott into Sookie’s house, than him.

    Sookie peeked out from behind Bill.

    “Oh hey, Alcide! Come on in!”

    Bill just barely moved aside, so that Alcide could get in through the doorway. Cold looks were exchanged, but nothing said.

    “What brings you by?” Sookie asked.

    “I just thought you should know that Tara is over at her cousin’s house. I found her walking in the road.”

    Bill folded his arms.

    “I wonder why she was just allowed to walk out?”

    “I think they were all too shocked by Eggs to do much else.” Alcide speculated. Sookie shook her head.

    “Poor Tara. You know what? We should throw her a party. A ‘Cheer-Up Tara’ party. Right here.”

    Bill and Alcide looked at one another, then looked at Sookie and shook their heads simultaneously.

    “Sookie,” Bill said gently, “I don’t think a party will help in a case like this.”

    “I agree with the vamp. I mean Eggs is on the run now. How is that going to cheer her up?” Alcide asked. Bill looked at him.
    
    “How do you know Eggs is on the run?”

    “Because I sent him on his way, vamp! Anymore nosy questions?”

    “Actually,” Bill said, “yes. Why couldn’t you just tell us this by phone?”

    “I’m telling SOOKIE this, not you!”

    Sookie stepped in.

    “Okay, okay. Alcide, thank you for letting me know where Tara is and that she’s okay. I’ll walk you out.” Sookie said, wagging a finger at Bill. Sookie and Alcide walked out onto the porch, where in which, Alcide began to ask a few questions...

    “So, what’s going on with Tara and this vamp?”

    “Franklin?”

    “Is that his name?”

    “Uh, yeah. I don’t know. He seems to be kind of obsessed with her.”

    “Does Tara love him?”

    “I don’t know, Alcide. Why are you asking all of these questions about Ta...

    I’d really like to feel those smooth, brown thighs of hers around by neck again

    Sookie’s mouth dropped open!

    “Alcide Herveaux! No you didn’t! No you and Tara didn’t!”

    Bill walked out onto the porch and put both hands on Sookie’s shoulders.

    “What’s going on out here?”

    “Nothin’.” Alcide quickly said. “I’ll be seeing you, Sookie.”

    Bill watched as Alcide got into his car and drove off. He then turned Sookie towards him.

    “What’s going on?”

    Sookie took a deep breath and then spoke.

    “I read his thoughts. I think he’s become involved with Tara.”

    Bill blinked.

    “When? When would he have had time to have become involved with her? Between Eggs and Franklin...”

    “I don’t know! But I have a mind to go over to LaFayette’s and give her a good talking to!”

    Bill didn’t say anything, but it bothered him how much the idea of Tara and Alcide seemed to bother Sookie. And what really bothered him, was that he believed that Alcide was using Tara to be near Sookie.

    “Let’s just stay out of this, okay?” Bill asked softly, kissing her. He then pulled her back into the house.

                                                                          ****


    Franklin Mott was not thrilled to open the door to Bill Compton, with only two hours left until the sun came up.

    “Are you in need of a private investigator? Because if you’re not, sod off!”

    Bill put a hand against the door that Franklin was threatening to close.

    “You have a problem. And your problem, could become MY problem.”

    “I can’t imagine how we could have anything in common.” Franklin said. He rubbed his eyes. He didn’t know what it was, just a sense that maybe giving Tara a little time alone was a mistake. It was stressing him out and the last thing he wanted to look at, was Bill Compton!

    “This is about Tara. And someone that’s shown an interest in her.”

    Franklin rolled his eyes!

    “Eggs Talley doesn’t have time for love. He’s a wanted man.”

    Bill smiled at him.

    “You think I’m talking about Eggs?”

    Franklin stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

    “Who else would I be referring to? Or maybe the word is SHOULD?”

    “A werewolf named Alcide Herveaux. I don’t know how or when the whole relationship began...”

    “Get the fuck out of here! Tara is scared to death of having sex with anything that can grow an inch of hair all over it’s body or has a tail! Eggs transformed mid sex with her. There is no way she’d be caught dead or alive with a wolf. So I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re trying to start around here, but I definitely plan to mention it to Sookie...and Tara.”

    Bill never stopped smiling.

    “If you find that you can’t locate Tara, try Herveaux’s bed.” And with that, Bill turned and left. Franklin slammed the door! What horseshit rubbish! What kind of game was Mr. Bill Compton playing?

                                                                        ****

    The next morning, Tara parked in the employee area of Merlotte’s, then walked inside. She felt oddly okay on this morning, despite the fact that her life was falling apart.

    Or at least it felt that way.

    She nodded to Sam, who was behind the bar, and ignored Jason, who was sitting there.

    “Hey, Tara!” he called out to silence. Sam, who was wiping down the bar, peered at him.

    “What’s that all about?”

    “Well, we’re after Eggs now. She’s  mad is all.” Jason lied, then leaned forward. “So...you think maybe Tara would give me a chance?”

    “To what?” Sam asked, confused.

    “You know, to be together. To get into a relationship?”

    Sam dropped the cloth.

    “What the hell are you talking about, Stackhouse? Since when do you want to be in a relationship with Tara?”

    Jason’s eyes darted around. He nodded to Terry and Arlene as they walked in, then spoke.

    “Sam, I watched Tara fuck a vampire and werewolf at the same time! I realized I love her! I always have! And I was so hard watching them that I almost teared up! So, do you think she’d give me a chance?”

    Sam blinked in disbelief.

    “What you’re really saying is this you’d like to have sex with Tara, now that you’ve seen her screw? Look, Tara is in a bad place now. Just leave her alone.”

    Jason peered at him.

    “I didn’t ask you that shit! I asked if you thought...”

    “I know what you asked me! No, I don’t think Tara would go near you. And if I see you near her, I’m going to tell  her what you told me.”

    “Daaaaammmmnnnn!” Jason yelled out. Terry glanced over at them.

    “Keep your voice down!” Sam muttered.

    “Keep your voice down, my ass! Have you been with her? Is that why you’re trying to cock block me here?”

    “Jason, if that fucking vamp she’s seeing, finds out you’re sniffing around his woman, your cock will be more than ‘blocked’. Now leave her be.” Sam said, walking to the back. Tara had just put on an apron and was ready to come out, when Sam grabbed her arm and pushed her into his office, closing the door.

    “Uh, good morning to you too!” Tara said, looking him up and down.

    “You want to tell me how you ended up in jail a second night?”

    “Deputy Kenya hates me.”

    “And?”

    “It’s a long story. Can we talk later? I just want to forget yesterday.” Tara told him. Sam nodded but did not move.

    “Something else?”

    “Tara, I care. You know that. I just feel as if you’re moving too fast with all of these creatures.”

    “Oh...well, Eggs is gone. And it wouldn’t matter if he was here. I couldn’t be with him. I broke up with Franklin too. So everything will be back to normal in no time.” Tara told him gently slapping his cheek.

    The door opened and Sookie peered in, dressed in her uniform.

    “Hey, Sam! Tara, can I speak to you for a moment?”

    “Sure! Thanks Sam, for caring.” Tara said and followed Sookie out of the office and eventually outside. Sookie didn’t mince words.

    “I know you slept with Alcide.”

    Tara sighed.

    “He told you?”

    “I read his thoughts...which I wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been trying to pump me for information about you. Tara, what’s going on with you?”

    Tara shook her head, then sat down on the porch of Merlotte’s.

    “I don’t know. One moment Eggs is dead, then I’m trying to kill myself, I beat up two rednecks and enter into an affair with Franklin. I find out Eggs is alive, try and get back with him and am almost sodomized by the wild beast in him.  I end up in jail trying to run from him, end up screwing both Franklin and Eggs, then find out something terrible...and that’s how I ended up with Alcide.”

    “You know, I was thinking you needed a party or something. Now I think you just need to get away. To go somewhere. In fact, why don’t we go somewhere together? Just us girls?” Sookie suggested.

    Tara smiled at her.

    “That sounds like fun. Where do you want to go?”

    “Let’s go to Vegas. Bright lights in the desert.  What do you say?” Sookie asked. Tara smiled again.

    “It sounds like a plan. Of course Sam won’t be too happy about letting us off.”

    “I’m going in now to handle Sam.” Sookie said, squeezing her arm. Tara’s smile dimmed as Sookie went inside. Would a trip really restore her life back to normal, if it ever was?

    “The only bright lights you’ll be seein’, BITCH,  is from inside my car trunk!!”

    Tara was about to turn around, when Debbie Pelt hit her in the back of the head with a shovel. Then, dragging her backwards towards her car, Debbie picked Tara up and tossed her into her trunk, slamming it closed. If Tara Thornton and not Sookie Stackhouse, was the key to getting back at Alcide, for making her life miserable, then so be it.

      As per the norm, Sam Merlotte was the only one that thought that Tara’s suddenly disappearing shortly before the breakfast dishes were cleared, was odd.

    Sookie told him that they were planning some trip(Sam didn’t say anything, but he had no intention of letting either of them off! And if they did go, it would be without pay), and that Tara had probably gotten so excited by the idea, that she had left to buy things for the trip.

    That just didn’t seem right, but Sam became busy with other matters, especially when his little brother Tommy, showed up naked at the back door, after having run off somewhere as a pit bull.

    Alcide showed up and ate lunch and dinner, waiting for Tara to return, under Sookie’s disapproving gaze. When the sun went down, Bill arrived to see Sookie as well and noted Alcide’s presence. He was now sitting at the bar.

    Then Jason arrived, carrying flowers and looking beady eyed! Sam gave him a dirty look, just as Franklin Mott and Jessica arrived. Franklin shoved Jason aside to get into the doorway.

    “Hey!” Jason snapped.

    “Sod off!” Franklin snapped back. Jessica apologized for her boss, then joined him in a booth. Jessica looked fresh and perky, ready for a night’s work. Tommy smiled at her from across the room and she smiled back.

    But Franklin was in quite the foul ass mood. Because despite his bravado with Bill Compton the other night, he hadn’t slept a wink! Was it possible that Tara was seeing SOMEONE ELSE besides Eggs?

    He then sniffed the air and noted that Alcide Herveaux, the same fucking wolf Bill had warned him about, was sitting at the bar! Why the hell was he here? And where was Tara anyway? Her car was outside...

    “You know, we could glamour Lucy Lee Tuttleton into paying.”

    Yes, Lucy Lee Tuttleton, the niece of Bethune Tuttleton, who had owned the mansion that Maryanne, Eggs and Tara had lived in AND who had been slain by werewolf Eggs, was refusing to pay for Franklin’s services. Once it became common knowledge that Eggs was alive, Ms. Tuttleton told Franklin and Jessica that the police had actually done their job for once, and she had no need of them.

    Jessica had bared her fangs at the news, scaring the shit out of the woman as she ran from the building. But Franklin had been staring at a framed photo he had of Tara. He  shouldn’t have let her leave the jail the other night alone. He had thought maybe time and space was what she needed.

    
    But now he suspected that some one or some THING, had used that ‘time and space’, to get near Tara! Franklin locked eyes with Bill, who nodded over to Alcide. Franklin looked at Jessica.

    “I’m giving you the night off.”

    “Why? We have other cases...”

    “With pay.”

    “Oh,” Jessica sniffed, “if you insist. I think I’ll just call Hoyt.”

    Tommy(now dressed in his Merlotte’s uniform) eased over to them and Franklin used his presence to slip away over to the bar. Bill touched Sookie’s arm.

    “Maybe you should ask Sam if you can leave early?”

    “Why? Bill, I can’t cut out on Sam. I’ve been gone too long in the past few months.”

    “Sookie, I think there’s going to be trouble.”

    Sookie saw him looking over at Alcide and Franklin. Shit! When did Franklin arrive? And what was going on...

    “Bill Compton! Tell me you didn’t say anything to Franklin?”

    “I think you should ask Sam if you can leave early.” Bill repeated.

    “Shit!” Sookie hissed and hurried over to Sam to warn him of the impending damage to come.

    Meanwhile, Alcide grew uneasy. Tara would not be gone THIS long! Maybe she was avoiding him? Maybe she saw he was in here and decided to skip work? He began looking around and noticed Franklin Mott, as he dropped into a stool next to him.

    “I’m not going to fuck about here,” Franklin said in a low threatening voice, “so I’m just going to ask you straight out: have you been with my girlfriend, Tara Thornton?”

    Alcide looked him in the eye.

    “Yes.”

    Franklin’s stare never wavered.

    “So you’re admitting to raping my girlfriend?”

    “I’m admitting to being with her and liking it. She liked it too.”

    Franklin didn’t even wait for the ‘too’ to get out of Alcide’s mouth, before he leaped on him and ripped out some of his shoulder! Screams and cries could be heard, as Alcide threw Franklin back and threw the glass, front door of the establishment!

    “DAMN!” Sam screamed. Tommy and Jessica hurried over to get a better view, while Lafayette and Terry peered out from the kitchen.

    “What’s happening now?!” Terry asked, his voice full of stress. Jason hurried outside and fired his gun three times up into the air!

    “STOP THIS SHIT!” he bellowed. But it was Bill and Sam, who got in between the two supernatural beings. Sam held an injured Alcide back, while Bill kept a deranged looking Franklin at bay! His mouth was caked with blood!

    Sookie hurried over to Alcide with a towel and glared at Franklin.

    “You sick sonofabitch! Wait until Tara hears what you did!”

    “When will I see Tara, if I may ask?” Franklin asked sarcastically. “Did any of you back woods fucks notice that Tara’s car is still here? Where is she?”

    Alcide threw the towel aside and sniffed the air. He then moved closer to Tara’s car,  past it and off into the woods. It didn’t take him long to return.

    “Debbie was here...and Tara! Something’s wrong!”

    “No shit!” Franklin snapped and hurried to his own car. But before getting inside, he looked around, picked up a pebble, and with superspeed, whipped it at one of Alcide’s tires, rendering it flat!

    “Christ!” Alcide yelled, as Franklin sped out of the lot in search of his lady love.

                                                                            ****

    Tara nodded approvingly, as the third car that Debbie tried to get in to, sped off!

    Debbie had run out of gas! She was then forced to let Tara out of the trunk so they could walk to her kidnapping destination.  Three cars had tried to pick them up, but when Tara shouted out that Debbie was a werewolf, and planned to kill them for their cars, the drivers sped off!

    Debbie looked at her.

    “Tell me again why I shouldn’t just kill you?”

    “You tell me, were-heifer! This is your fucked up kidnapping! Oh and by the way,  not that I would ever do anything like this myself, but if I was going to kidnap someone, I’d make sure my shit was on point.”

    “Meaning what, bitch?” Debbie snarled.
    
    “You ran out of fucking gas! You plan to kidnap someone and you don’t fill up? Damn!”

    “Just keep your mouth shut! Now here comes another car.”

    A red convertible pulled up beside them, with two rednecks inside.

    “Hey there, sweet thangs! Where you headed?”

    “Oh, me and my friend here are headed anywhere yall are headed!” Debbie cooed.

    “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! THE BITCH IS A WEREWOLF TRYING TO KILL YOU FOR YOUR RIDE!” Tara screamed again.

    “Sheet!” the redneck driving, yelled out and squealed off. Debbie had had it! She grabbed Tara by the throat!

    “This isn’t worth it! I’m killing you now!”

    “Do it!” Tara wheezed, “But you won’t be hurtin’ anyone by doing it! Alcide doesn’t give two shits about me!”

    “You’re a liar! You fucked him!”

    “So?” Tara continued to wheeze. “That wasn’t about anything. That was like that fuck between Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in that movie...”

    Debbie raised a brow.

    “Monster’s Ball?”

    “Yeah!”

    “Uh, they got together in the end!”

    “I didn’t see the end!” Tara rasped and Debbie slowly released her.

    “So, you don’t care anything at all about Alcide?”

    Tara rubbed her throat.

    “I didn’t say that. He’s a nice man/wolf. But there is no way we’d make it in a relationship. He would give me alot of lip. I like quieter men.”

    “Oh. Then I guess I should have kidnapped Sookie Stackhouse then, huh?”

    Tara wasn’t about to agree out loud. She sure as hell didn’t want to see Sookie kidnapped!

    “So you don’t like Alcide AT ALL?” Debbie asked.

    “Why are you asking me that?”

    “Because you did fuck him. I mean there had to be something there.”

    Tara stopped walking.

    “Look, I don’t know if you could understand this. You being a creature and all. But I’m having a hard time dealing with this bestiality shit.  I loved Eggs. And if he could’ve just come back to life as a human again, we’d be together now.”

    “So you have something against wolves?”

    “And vamps.”

    “I KNOW you were fuckin’ that scrawny vamp P.I.?! The one that worked for Russell Eddington!”

    “I know...I’ve been confused.” Tara admitted. “Eggs is a no brainer. The man is on the run now. We don’t have a future together. Franklin is a little obsessive. I don’t know how to deal with the way he loves me sometimes. And Alcide isn’t interested in me, so that’s a no brainer as well.”

    “Oh.” was all Debbie said, as a car pulled over to the side. Franklin got out. Tara’s eyes widened!

    “Franklin! Holy shit! What are you doing here?”

    “Get in the car, darling! You, bitch, can rot in the night for all I care!” Franklin sniffed. Debbie was about to say something, when Tara put a hand on her arm.

    “Franklin, uh, Debbie meant to kidnap Sookie and got me instead. This was all a mistake.”

    Franklin blinked.

    “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

    “It’s true!”

    “How in the hell does one go about making that kind of mistake? I heard you were some kind of vamp blood addict, but maybe you should get some help, if you’re making THAT kind of a mistake.” Franklin advised Debbie.

    “Fuck you, vamp! I wouldn’t take a ride from you if you were the last damned thing on this Earth.”

    “How articulate. How much of grade school did you attend? Tara, in the car, now!” Franklin ordered her.

    “We can’t just leave her out here!” Tara protested.

    “She’s a wolf. All she has to do is transform and she can run home--wherever that is. Now come, Tara. There is a chill in the air. You could catch cold.”

    Tara looked at Debbie apologetically.

    “He means business. Sorry.”

    Debbie shrugged.

    “No sweat. He’s right. I can run home.”

    “Listen, about Sookie, she does love Bill. She’s no threat to you when it comes to Alcide.”

    Debbie just nodded, then gave Franklin the finger, before changing into a wolf and running off into the night. Franklin got out of the car carrying a blanket and wrapped it around her.

    “Come, luv. We’ll get you home.”

    Tara just nodded and got in on the passenger side. Franklin closed the door and hurried over to the driver’s side. He would take her home alright! To HIS home which would now be her home! He couldn’t leave her back at that Stackhouse bitch’s home! That werewolf could visit her anytime he wanted!

                                                                         ****

    “Franklin, you said you were taking me home.”

    “This is home, Tara. Too much happens to you at Sookie’s place. I can look after you properly here at my place.”

    Tara took a deep breath before speaking.

    “I don’t want to offend you...”

    “Then don’t.”

    “Franklin! You sleep during the day! I sleep at night. I mean I don’t want to be underfoot.”

    “You won’t be.” Franklin said breezily, getting out of the car and coming around to her side. He helped Tara out.

    “Franklin, really, I don’t want to impose.”

    Franklin scrutinized her.

    “You DO want to stay with me, don’t you?”

    Tara stared at him for a long moment.

    “No,” she finally said. “I meant what I said at the police station. We’re broken up.”

    “You broke up with me. I did not break up with you.”

    “Meaning what?” Tara asked.

    “Meaning I still consider you to be mine. Which brings us to a subject that we must discuss.”

    “I’m feeling kind of tired...”

    “I just bet! Did you sleep with another werewolf? That fuck Herveaux?”

    “Really, really...really tired...”

    “OH FUCK!” Franklin screamed. “How could you? You know what? He won’t like you so much as a vampire, I’m sure!”

    Before Tara could move, Franklin grabbed her and sank his teeth into her neck, his intention being to turn her into a vampire, thus truly cementing them together! As he ignored her flailing arms and cries, Franklin was sure this would stop all of this shagging about, his beloved was doing with all sort of creatures of the night...

    Tara suddenly felt Franklin’s fangs leave her throat, as she dropped to the ground and blackness enveloping her.

                                                                        ****

    Tara remembered just brief sounds and voices during that time. Alcide had sped to Sookie’s house, carried her inside and let Bill Compton feed her some of his blood. That was immediately after her attack by Franklin.

    Day 2- Tara slept most of the day and night. Sookie had to work but left Alcide with her.

    Day 2-Night- Tara had a strange dream where in which she fucked Vampire Bill on a merry-go-round.

    Day 3-Day- Jason stopped by and told Alcide he’d spell him. Alcide fixed some soup for Tara, came back and found Jason doing something kind of suspicious. Jason claimed a fly landed on Tara’s breasts but Alcide wasn’t buying that and told him to get the fuck out!

    Day3-Night-Jason came by and apologized for the ‘fly incident’. Said he couldn’t help himself. He stayed and ate dinner with Alcide, Sookie and Bill, who didn’t mind Alcide’s presence, since it was clear he cared for Tara. Lafayette stopped by later as well.

    Day 4- Tara began to come out of it and Lafayette, who had slept over, woke Sookie up to tell her. Tara gaped at Sookie, feeling guilty, since she had dreamt of her and Bill having sex in a coffin.

    Day 4-Afternoon- Tara got up, took a shower and dressed, just as Alcide let himself in...

     Tara walked down the stairs and saw him standing there. She had a vague recollection of his being there while she was recovering.

    “Hey!” was all she could think to say, just as the phone rang.  Alcide got to it first, which Tara thought was kind of odd.

    “Stackhouse residence.” Alcide said.

    “Hey, Alcide, it’s Jason. I heard Tara was feelin’ better. Could you put her on the phone?”

    “Why?”

    “Well, we caught Mott. We just need Tara to come down and identify him in a line up.”

    Alcide frowned. That didn’t make a bit of goddamned sense!

    “Jason, you know what he looks like. Everyone does. Why does Tara need to come down there? She just got up.”

    Tara frowned.

    “Is that Jason?”

    Alcide took the phone away from his ear and covered the mouthpiece.

    “He’s on the line with some bullshit about needin’ you to come down for a line up to identify that crazy fuck Mott.”

    Tara motioned for him to give her the phone. Alcide reluctantly did so.

    “Jason? You know what he looks like. If you have him, keep him there and I’ll come down.”

    “Tara, uh, I lied. I love you.”

    Tara blinked.

    “What?”

    “I love you! I’ve known it for awhile and just couldn’t say it.”

    “How long is ‘awhile’?”

    “A couple of days, I guess.”

    “Jason, please, I can’t deal with this shit right now.”

    “Okay, well the least you can do is come down and give a statement. I mean we do officially need one if we’re going to catch  him.”

    “So Franklin is on the run?”

    “I guess. Jessica hasn’t seen him and went back to work at Merlotte’s.”

    “Okay, I’ll be down.” Tara said and hung up without saying goodbye. She then stared at Alcide.

    “You saved me from Franklin, didn’t you?” she asked. Alcide nodded.

    “You know, Eggs thought turning you into a wolf would keep the two of you together. And the vamp thought the same thing. You have bad taste in men, Tara Thornton.” he said, smiling. Tara smiled back, then looked around.

    “I’m fine now. I need to get down to the station.”

    “I’ll drive you.”

    “Thanks for saving me. And looking after me. But you need to be watching Sookie’s back. And your own. Debbie is still on a rampage and she’s out to hurt you anyway she can.”

    “I can handle Debbie. And Sookie has Bill to protect her. You’re the one that needs lookin’ after. Mott doesn’t strike me as the type that will stay in hiding for long. He’ll be back. And when he does return, he’s still going to want you.” Alcide said matter-of-factly.

    “How do you know that?” Tara asked, thinking it was kind of an odd assumption to make.

    “I just do.” he said. “We’d better get going.”

                                                                      ****

    Jason eyed Alcide from afar, as he took down Tara’s official statement.

    “So then, Franklin left Debbie in the road and she turned into a wolf to get home.” Tara said.

    “And when you got back to his place, that’s when he went ape shit and tried to turn you?” Jason asked.

    “Yeah. I don’t know what to think or feel. I mean I think he just couldn’t help himself.”

    “Why? I mean what were you two arguing about that made him go crazy like that, Tara?”

    Tara half glanced over at Alcide.

    “It was nothing.”

    “Was it Sam?”

    “Sam?”

    “Yeah. I get the feelin’ something happened between the two of you.” Jason asked. Tara stood up.

    “Jason, there’s not much more to this. Let me know if you find out anything, okay?”

    Jason stood up.

    “You know I will. Tara, I meant what I said. I love you.”

    Tara smiled wanly and Alcide, who overheard that, made his way over.

    “You through over here?” he asked, eyeing Jason. Tara tore her eyes off of Jason’s.

    “We are. I should get home and get changed. I have to get back to work.”

    “You’re still recovering.” Alcide argued.

    “I’m fine. And I can’t keep doing this to Sam.” Tara said, turning back to Jason.

    “I’ll see you.”

    “I’ll be in to Merlotte’s tonight.” Jason said, and his gaze moved from Tara, to Alcide, who emitted a low pitched feral growl, as he glared at Jason.

    “What the hell are you lookin’ at?” Jason snapped. Tara glanced between both men, before Alcide grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the police station. Once they returned to Sookie’s, Tara waited until they got into the house to let loose on him!

    “Alcide, I appreciate you saving me from Franklin, but who I want to see is none of your concern!”

    Alcide slammed the door!

    “You’re tellin’ me you want to see that fuck?! He doesn’t care anything about you, Tara! And he’s the last thing you need!”

    “And suddenly you’re an expert about what I need?!”

    Alcide’s answer was to pull her to him and lock his mouth onto hers. Tara did not bother to protest as she kissed him back, all the while helping to undress him and herself. She gasped as Alcide lifted her by her buttocks, pistoning her hot, enfolding flesh onto his cock.

    Tara felt herself carried towards a wall and pinned there, while Alcide ferociously raised and lowered her on the massive extension of his manhood. Locked in a tight grip of desire and passion, they did not hear keys jingling at the door, as Sookie fumbled to get inside to check up on her friend....

    Also at that very moment, a car with the sign ‘JUST MARRIED’  hanging off of it, sped past the ‘Welcome to Bon Temps’ sign. Inside, was Franklin Mott and Debbie Pelt. Or Debbie Pelt Mott.

    “I can’t believe I fell for that bitch’s lies! All that bullshit about Alcide meaning nothin’ to her!” Debbie snapped. Franklin nodded coldly.

    “I can’t believe I thought Eggs was the only obstacle.” he replied. “But not to worry. Our marriage is just the beginning of our revenge on Tara and Alcide.”
    

    

    “Damnit! Why does this keep happening!” Alcide growled softly, as he hurried to get dressed. Tara beat him by one second. Sookie had been about to open the door when Jason pulled up and called out to her.

    “You mean why do we keep fucking?” Tara asked glibly.

    “Naw! I meant why does our fucking keep getting interrupted!” Alcide huffed, zipping his jeans. Despite the vulgarity of that statement, Tara found it oddly sweet.

    Meanwhile, Sookie left the door ajar as she faced Jason.

    “Jason, what’s up?”

    “Sookie, I thought Tara was your friend?”

    “What the hell are you talking about? Of course she’s my friend! She’s yours too.”

    “Then how could you let her get involved with that wolf? I know somethin’s going on because he was down at the station with her, actin’ as if they were a couple or somethin’! They haven’t fucked in the house, have they?”

    “No, Jason! I would know THAT!  Alcide is just helping Tara through a rough time. We all are.”

    “Are they in there now?”

    “I guess. Both of their cars are here.”

    Jason moved past Sookie to open the door all the way. Alcide and Tara were sitting in front of the TV, side by side watching a cartoon. Jason shrugged. He guessed nothing was going on.

    But Sookie frowned. What the hell were they doing watching a cartoon?! Well, maybe Alcide liked them or something.

    “Hey, Tara!” Jason said. “I came by hopin’ we could get some lunch.”

    Tara turned away from the cartoon that she was pretending to watch and looked up at him.

    “Uh, I don’t know, Jason.”

    “Oh come on, Tara! We haven’t spent anytime together in like forever. I was thinkin’ a picnic lunch. Sookie could make it for us.”

    “What?!” Sookie cried out. Alcide turned to look at Tara and slightly shook his head at her, something Jason noticed.

    “You stay out of this!” Jason snapped. “You know what? I think I’m running you in!”

    “Jason!” Tara cried, jumping up. Alcide stood up as well and glared at Jason.

    “For what?” Alcide hissed.

    “For fuckin’ up my lunch, that’s what!” Jason hissed back and began to take out a pair of handcuffs. Tara got in between the two men.

    “Stop it! Stop this! Jason, I have to go to work. So I can’t have lunch with you.”

    “You were sittin’ here watchin’ cartoons! You don’t look like you’re in any hurry!”

    Alcide smirked.

    “Run me in! I’ll have a story to tell too. One that involves your ass trying to feel Tara up here, while she was unconscious!”

    Tara and Sookie gasped! Jason pointed at Alcide.

    “I told you I was swattin’ a fly!”

    “Yeah well you just tell your Chief that shit!” Alcide barked in response. Tara licked her lips and pointed at Jason.

    “Jason, we need to talk. Then I’m going to work.” she said, walking out towards the porch.  Jason looked from Alcide and Sookie, then followed Tara outside. Sookie looked at Alcide.

    “You two weren’t watching cartoons all of this time, were you?” she asked. Alcide was about to speak, but Sookie put her hand up in a halting motion.

    “Alcide, you know what she’s been through in such a short amount of time. First Eggs, then Franklin and now you. I think the best thing you can do is leave Tara be.”

    “When TARA tells me to leave her be, then I’ll leave her be. For now, I have to get back to the repair shop. With Eggs gone we’re short staffed.”

    “How are you just going to blow me off like that? I told you that Tara is confused. She doesn’t know what’s doing or saying! She barely knows you. Now is not the time to jump into anything.”

    “And I told you, Sookie,” Alcide said in a tone that was oddly gentle sounding, “Tara is going to have to decide that for herself. I have to get goin’.”

    Sookie said no more and watched as Alcide walked out of the house, giving Tara a nod as he hurried down the steps and to his car. Tara watched him as he drove off, then returned her attention back to Jason.
    
    “Jason, I have been in love with you for years. And I always will love you. But I now know it could never work between us.”

    “Uh, this can’t be about my shooting Eggs. I mean he turned up alive.”

    “No...”

    “And it can’t be about that weirdo vamp you were seein’! The one that attacked you. It’s that fuckin’ wolf, isn’t it? What does he have that I don’t? Tara, I see clearly now. It was you I wanted the whole time! I just didn’t know it!”

    “And you still don’t.” Tara said pointedly, just as Jason’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered.

    “Detective Stackhouse?”

    “Jason, get your ass down here! Franklin Mott is here. And he’s got one hell of a story to tell about who really attacked Tara.” Andy told him.

    Jason glanced at Tara.

    “Meaning not him?”

    “Yeah, not him. Like I said, you’d better get down here. And if you can find Tara, I’d do so.” Andy suggested.

    “She’s right here.  I’ll bring her down.” Jason said, then hung up. Sookie came out of the house while Tara peered at Jason.

    “What’s going on?” she asked him.

    “That was Andy. He said that Franklin is at the station.”

    “What?!” Tara and Sookie said in unison. Tara glanced at Sookie, then at Jason.

    “Is he turning himself in?” she asked. Jason shook his head.

    “Andy didn’t say much, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be good. He said you should come down with me, Tara.”

    Sookie heard Jason’s thoughts: he’s sayin’ that someone else attacked Tara.

    “I’m coming down with you two. Let me get my purse.” she said.

    “Grab mine too, Sookie.” Tara said, trying to keep the unease out of her voice. She found herself wishing Alcide was still here.

                                                                          ****

    Franklin leaned back in his chair, trying to repress his smile. He was in an interrogation room and had just glamoured Andy Bellfleur into believing that not only had Alcide Herveaux attacked Tara, but that he had also helped rob and kill Bethune Tuttleton, along with Eggs Talley.

    Andy told Tara, Jason and Sookie that.

    “This is BULLSHIT!” Sookie snapped. Tara nodded fervently.

    “Andy, this man is a goddamned liar! You can’t believe a word out of his mouth.” Tara seconded.

    Franklin sighed.

    “Tara, I am sooooo disappointed in you. I left Merlotte’s looking for you, after my wife...”

    Tara and Sookie looked at hone another! Jason lifted a brow.

    “You’re married?” Jason asked in disbelief. Sookie eyed Andy, who looked more perplexed than usual.

    “You vampire piece of shit! You were married this whole time? Married but bothering me about becoming a ‘vampire bride’?! Tara asked, disgust tingeing her tone.

    “No, I was not married this WHOLE time. I got married recently...while I was out looking for you. And damned if I didn’t fall in love with a werewolf. My wife, Debbie...”

    “Oh hell to the naw!” Tara snapped. “So you’re going to lie and act as if you didn’t find me with Debbie, bring me back to your place and try to turn me?”

    Franklin gave her an innocent look.

    “I met Debbie when I went looking for you. You see, CHIEF, I found my poor wife alone on the side of the road. Her car had broken down.”

    “You married skanky Debbie?” Sookie asked. “I didn’t think vampires and wolves liked one another?”

    “It was love at first sight.” Franklin purred. “I am just astounded at how quickly I got over you Tara. Tara...Tara, Tara, Tara....lying arse Tara...trampy Tara...”

    “Hey!” Jason snapped. “Look, let’s hear the rest of it. How do you know that it was Herveaux that attacked Tara?”

    “It had to be. Because as Debbie and I were driving back to Bon Temps, we passed Alcide. He had just stopped to give Tara a ride. By the way, Trampy Tara, how did you end up in the middle of nowhere? Did you just walk away from your employer and get lost or something?” Franklin asked slyly. Andy pulled Jason aside.

    “It makes sense.” Andy said. Jason’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything. He had tried to break up that fight between Franklin and Alcide the night of Tara’s attack. He had seen Franklin leave first, then Alcide.

    Then Tara was attacked. Alcide said he had stopped Franklin from killing her outside of his office/apartment. But really, there was no proof of that. Alcide just showed up on Sookie’s doorstep, looking for Bill. And yet, Herveaux’s first stop should have been the hospital. Was the reason he didn’t take her there, was because he COULDN’T? He couldn’t because he was lying about Franklin being the culprit?

    Tara looked at Sookie.

    “What’s wrong with Jason and Andy? I think they believe this shit!”  she said. Sookie peered at Franklin.

    “You’ve glamoured Andy, haven’t you? That’s why he believes your crap about Alcide.” Sookie huffed. Franklin didn’t even bother to waste a glance on Sookie. He stared directly at Tara.

    “Leave with me right now, Tara. Leave with me and I can glamour Andy into thinking something else...anything else. If you don’t, Alcide will go down for the Tuttleton murder along with Eggs.”

    Tara blinked.

    “And Debbie?”

    “I’ll divorce her.”

    “I could give a fuck about that! What is her part in all of this? Alcide will never love her.”

    “My, aren’t we the arrogant one. Who’s to say that he won’t?” Franklin asked sarcastically. Tara moved up so that she was in his face.

    “What does that were-heifer get out of this? She’s just going to be satisfied with seeing Alcide locked up?”

    Sookie folded her arms. God, how she wished she could read vampire minds!

    “Of course.” was all Franklin said. But Tara knew it was bullshit. Somehow framing Alcide was part of some kind of plan. Tara turned to Jason and Andy.

    “Andy?”

    “Yeah, Tara?” he asked, trying to clear his head.

    “I want you to arrest me for the murder of Bethune Tuttleton!”

    “No!!” Jason and Sookie cried out. Franklin felt the beginnings of smoldering rage! Tara was trying to protect that werewolf fuck! Well, she couldn’t do it if he was dead!

    “Tara, you’re confessin’ to the murder of Bethune Tuttleton?” Andy asked. Tara nodded.

    “I helped Eggs...remember I used to live there too. I don’t know what came over me. Kind of like when I went off on the rednecks. Lock me up.” Tara said. Andy sighed, then put a pair of cuffs on her.  He soon lead her back to the cellblock--for the third time in a month.

    Franklin used his vampire speed to leave the police station. The plan to frame Alcide for assaulting Tara and killing Tuttleton, was ruined--no thanks to Tara.  Franklin decided to cut Debbie out of the plan. He was going to finish Alcide off himself.

                                                                       ****

    Alcide half looked up when the bell went off above the door of his car repair shop. He had been in the garage, working on a car when he heard the sound.

    He was not prepared for the sight of a naked Debbie, sitting in a chair, her legs spread.

    “What’s this all about?” Alcide asked coolly.

    “I got married. To that pasty vampire that black bitch you’ve been fuckin’, was with. Probably still is with. You know he wants to kill you.”

    “You married Franklin Mott?” Alcide asked, perplexed. “Why in the living hell would you marry a vamp?”

    Debbie stood up suddenly.

    “Make love to me, Alcide! Make love to me and I’ll be able to back Franklin off of you. I can stop him.”

    Alcide reached out and grabbed Debbie’s shoulders!

    “What’s he plannin’?”

    “Fuck me now, Alcide!” Debbie demanded. Before another word could be spoken, Franklin entered the establishment. He raised a brow at Debbie’s state of undress, before leaping at Alcide with bared fangs!

    But this time Alcide was able to fend him off...just barely. Debbie morphed into a werewolf and joined Franklin in trying to murder Alcide. And they may have succeeded, if Sookie and Jason had not arrived.

    Sookie slapped at Debbie’s werewolf form and white, stinging light, threw her off of Alcide and through a plate glass window! Franklin, who’s fangs were now in Alcide’s chest, looked up quickly, before he too was thrown backwards by the light!

    Sookie bent down to tend to Alcide. She bit into her wrist(it hurt like a BITCH) and forced him to drink her blood. Fairy blood, that is.

                                                                           ****

    Tara’s ‘confession’ didn’t stand up.

    Probably because the night that Bethune Tuttleton had been murdered, she was already in jail. For the assault of the now dead rednecks, Buck Johnson and Cletus Buzzard.

    Franklin Mott left town. And not because he wanted to. It was discovered that he was wanted in the U.K. for some ‘Jack the Ripper’ like killings. In fact, a group of foreigners from a place called ‘Torchwood’, had asked all around Bon Temps about him...

    Debbie was another story. The bitch actually got a job at Merlotte’s! Sam was showing interest in her and Tara thought she would puke! She really needed a vacation...

    Which brings us to her planned Vegas trip with Sookie.  Tara was putting the finishing touches on her packing, when someone knocked at the door. It was late and Tara peered out of a window first.

    It was Alcide. She had not seen him since that terrible day that Franklin and Debbie tried to kill him. She opened the door.

    “Hey!” she said. Alcide smiled, handed her a letter, then turned and walked back down the porch. Tara watched him drive away then closed the door. There would be no more packing until she read this letter. She sat down on a couch and opened it....

    Dear Tara,

    ‘I’m not so good with words, so bare with me here. We could have something really special here. And don’t bother to deny that you care for me. You were ready to go to jail just to keep me from being framed.  So I know you care.

    When Franklin and Debbie were attacking me, I could feel myself dying. Then I heard your voice. Somehow, someway I heard you. It was like you summoned me back from the dead.

    We’re connected, whether you want to be or not. We’re connected, so you’re no longer alone, Tara Thornton. And when you return from your trip with Sookie, I’ll be waiting for you’.

    Tara folded the letter up and put it back in the envelope. She then put it in her suitcase. She would read it on her trip---over and over and over again.

THE END