Tara decided that LaFayette was the one that was going to give her some answers. She called him from Sookie’s and requested that he come over, sans Jesus.
   
    LaFayette tried to hug her, but she pulled on his t-shirt, then reached around him to push the front door closed.

    “Forget the hugging. I want some answers.” Tara said in a flat voice.

    “Answers? I don’t know what you mean? Where’d you go anyway? Jesus and I came back to the pool and you weren’t there.”

    “Did you notice Alcide wasn’t there either?”

    “Who?”

    “Oh come on, LaFayette! Stop acting as if you don’t know what I’m talking about. I want you to tell me everything, from the beginning...starting with how your mother hooked up with a vampire that’s known as a ‘King’! How would she even know him? And you all know that marriage isn’t legal, right?”

    “Tara, that is just as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”

    “Fine. So you don’t know how your mother suddenly became sane, then married a rich vampire. Does Jesus know?”

    “No. I mean he would tell me if he did.” LaFayette hedged. Tara folded her arms.

    “Okay, I’m going to leave THAT part of this shit alone. But I don’t think it was an accident that Alcide was there today. And a man like Russell Edgington would hire a much larger firm, I would think, to work on his property!”

    “Who is Alcide? Are you talking about one of the workmen...”

    “Aw hell to the naw, LaFayette! Don’t even try that on me! Okay, see now that you’ve outright lied to my face, we’ll go back to the beginning. You do KNOW why your mother isn’t crazy anymore, don’t you?”

    “Tara, why don’t you tell ME what’s going on? Did something happen? Why are you asking all of these questions?” LaFayette countered.

    Tara took a deep breath.

    “Okay, okay. The reason I wasn’t at the pool when Jesus and you came back, was because I asked Alcide to take me over to Lula Daniels home.”

    “Tara, no!”

    “Yeah, well, Alcide wasn’t going for it either. He drove me back here. Made me realize that I could lose Sam messing with this thing, then acted like he was going to leave. Then next thing you know he KISSES me! For no damned reason! He claimed he couldn’t help himself but I’m not buying it.”

    “You don’t believe he wanted to kiss you?” LaFayette asked slyly.

    “No. What I actually believe is that this is some plan of his to get next to Sookie. You know, date the roommate while you try and get with the other girl? Anyway, I can’t believe you all let him pull this on me.”

    “Whoa! I don’t have anything to do with this! I’m just as much a victim as you are.”

    The moment those words came out of LaFayette’s mouth, he knew he had said too much.

    “What did you mean by that? Why are we victims?” Tara asked.

    “I’ve got to go!” LaFayette stressed and turned to walk to the door.

    “No, you wait a minute! LaFayette, what did you mean by that?!”

    LaFayette opened the door and looked at her.

    “Tara, your best bet is to go to Sam and make sure he knows you love him.  Make sure nothing can come between the two of you.”

    Tara said nothing as LaFayette walked out. She had learned nothing more and was now more frightened than ever.  She pulled out her cellphone. She knew Sookie was working the afternoon shift at Merlotte’s, but she needed her home--pronto!

    Tara planned to ask Sookie, to ask Bill Compton, what the hell was going on.

                                                      ****

    Sookie got Tara’s call, after she had finished giving Sam the lowdown on skanky Debbie Pelt. Alcide suddenly walked in and sat down at the bar, just as Sookie was listening to Tara, by phone, give her a partial explanation about him and his kissing her at the house. Sookie stared at Alcide. He never came to Merlotte’s. Now Debbie was working here. Now he was kissing Tara...

    He was at Tara’s mother’s funeral last night.

    So was Eric.

    Bill had thought something was going on last night.

    Sookie took off her apron and told Sam Tara was in trouble. It was the wrong thing to say.

    “What do you mean? Has she been arrested again?”

    “No, nothing like that. But I may have to get Bill involved.”

    “What?! I’m coming with you!”

    “No, Sam. I need to piece together what the hell is going on. But let’s just say that I don’t think it’s an accident that Debbie is working here, or that Alcide is sitting at the bar now.” Sookie told him. Sam looked over and saw Alcide there. Debbie had just poured her ex a beer.

    Debbie, meanwhile, could feel Sam and Sookie’s eyes on them.

    “The plan is fucked up!” she hissed between her teeth. “Sookie told Sam about our connection and now I’ve been working overtime trying to keep her from reading my thoughts! If I had some damned V, maybe I could do a better job of it.”

    Alcide didn’t drink his beer. Instead, he stood up as Sookie walked by.

    “Sookie.”

    Sookie stopped to glare at him.

    “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Alcide, but Tara doesn’t need to be pulled into any trouble right now.”

    “I don’t mean her any harm. But there are some things Tara needs to understand.”

    Sam, who moved in closer, heard that.

    “What is he talking about, Sook? What ‘things’ does Tara need to understand?”

    Alcide sighed and looked over at Sam.

    “Nothing that concerns you, shifter.”

    “Nothing that concerns me?! You sent Debbie here to work for me, didn’t you? Why?”

    Debbie could see the plan was shot to hell and back! She looked at Alcide.

    “I did my part! Can I have my V now?”

    Alcide gave her a cold look. She sure as shit did NOT to her part, since she fucked the wrong guy! Debbie threw down a towel, tore off her apron and muttered that she quit. She then walked out of the front door.

    Sookie folded her arms.

    “Let me ask you this: when Eric Northman wakes up this evening, will he give me some answers?”

    “Eric Northman!” Sam yelled. “This all has something to do with Tara?”

    “Fine. Fine, Sookie. I’ll be straight with you. Let’s go outside.” Alcide said. Sookie nodded. When she saw Tara at home, she wanted to be able to give her some answers. They went to his truck and Alcide proceeded to tell her everything....

    Twenty minutes later, Sookie need air! She jumped out of his truck while Alcide did the same, coming around to her side.

    “Sookie, listen to me! You and Tara were dying in that vision! Bill and Eric were staked! My pack was killed! Eric is working with LaFayette now to get him up to speed but he will need Tara’s powers to back him up. We can get vamps rings to wear during the day so they can know what humans are planning.”

    Sookie shook her head.

    “So because vampires are dead, you think that sleeping with witches is the only way to survive?”

    “Human women can’t carry babies by werewolves. Debbie is a mix of a were and even if she does produce a child, it will have disabilities. Tara and her kind are strong. Our children would be weres and have abilities. I need to have sex with her tomorrow night on the full moon...”

    “Alcide! Wait until next month! I mean even if she goes along with this, and that is a BIG if, Tara loves Sam. This would tear them apart if she had to give you a child.”

    Alcide licked his lips.

    “I’m talking about more than her giving me one child. I want a brood. I’m going to  have to marry her. And she can’t be with Sam. Hell, Sookie, she doesn’t even know if she loves him for sure!”

    “Oh, she’s told you that?”

    “I can sense it.”

    “Right!”

    “Sookie, I need your help here!”

    “NO! There other witches around. Go find one of them. I’m sure she can do the vampire ring spell, but the other thing...”

    “She killed Reverend Daniels last night,” Alcide said matter-of-factly, “and she doesn’t even know it. That light didn’t just fall and it wasn’t rigged. Tara needs to know and accept what she is.”

    “Fine,” Sookie bit out, “and the other thing? Tomorrow night? Will you wait until the next full moon?”

    “No.”

    “Alcide! What are you planning?! I swear to God, I will tell Sam and Bill and you’ll get nowhere near her!”

    Alcide said nothing as Sookie ran to her car, jumped in and drove off. Sam came out of the bar, after watching from his window. Alcide walked over to the driver’s side of the truck and got in. He now knew he had no choice as to how he was going to bring Tara to him tomorrow night.

                                                        ****

    Because Debbie quit and Sookie left, Sam could not leave right away, but waited anxiously for word from Sookie about what was really going on.

    Tara was shocked when Sookie came home, looked at her, then threw up on the floor! Tara helped get her into bed, then cleaned up the vomit. What was happening here?  She decided to stay with Sookie, who was upstairs crying and mumbling incoherently.

    That went on until evening.

    When Bill Compton awoke, he was less than pleased to find Alcide Herveaux and Ruby Jean Reynolds, waiting for him in his living room. Before he could react, Ruby Jean touched him and he saw what was coming and who would die.

    Ruby Jean then let go of him and gave Alcide a hard look.

    “You’ve fucked up this thing enough and my husband will not be pleased.” was all she said, before leaving Bill’s home. Bill looked at Alcide.

    “What was she talking about? That was Sookie being killed that I saw?”

    “All of us were being killed, Compton. Russell and Ruby Jean hooked up because she’s a witch than can see the future. Her powers seem to make her less crazy or something. LaFayette is her son and can cause destruction using nature--outside and INSIDE of people.”

    “Tara has something to do with this, doesn’t she?” Bill asked.

    “She can move things and freeze time--only she doesn’t know it.”

    “She made that light fall on the reverend, didn’t she?” Bill asked. Alcide nodded.

    “Why are you here?”

    “Northman is involved. There is a pact. Once Tara is up to speed on her powers, her and LaFayette are going to perform a spell that allows vamps to wear rings during the day. You won’t get the bleeds and you can get a better handle on what humans may be plannin’ for sups.”

    Bill did not react. Oh, to be able to walk around during the day! To be with Sookie all of the time! He then peered at Alcide.

    “What do you get out of this? That is why you are here.” Bill said coolly.

    “In case we fail at this, I need to ensure the survival of my people someway. And it’s going to begin with Tara.”

    “You need to couple with her?” Bill assumed correctly.

    “Yes, though I wouldn’t put it like that...”

    “How else would you put it, Herveaux? Last time I checked, her and Sam Merlotte were an item. He’s a shifter. One would think any children they had...”

    “Merlotte is not a werewolf! And I don’t give a damn about him or his kind! I’m here because Sookie knows. And she won’t help me with Tara, who I don’t think is feelin’ me at the moment. I need to be with her tomorrow night.”

    Bill’s mouth dropped open!

    “Don’t you think that’s a little soon? Wait until next month.”

    “We don’t know when Ruby Jean’s visions could come true! And we can’t afford to wait on any of it.”

    “YOU can’t. Getting Tara to learn her craft and make some rings, should be all there is to it. Your part in this is complicating things. By rights, Russell should cut you out of this.”

    “Edgington isn’t stupid. Plus he’s built up a long standing alliance with the shifter community. Especially werewolves. So I’m not being ‘cut out’ of anything.”

    “What do you need?” Bill asked, but somehow, he knew...

    “I need you to glamour Tara tomorrow night. Glamour her into letting me make love to her. By the second full moon, she’ll want to be with me. I’ll make sure of it.”

    “No.”

    “Compton...”

    “NO! Tara is important to Sookie. She would never forgive me. Now leave unless you want help leaving.”

    Alcide growled, turned and left. As soon he stepped foot out on the porch, he knew who he would have to turn to for help. God help him... and that bastard was awake right now.

                                                            ****

    LaFayette had just managed to cause an earthquake inside the body of a vampire that Eric had kidnapped, and brought over to a lower room in the Edgington mansion.

    “Of course if he was human, he would die instantly. This vamp will heal--eventually.” Eric said, eyeing his student. Something was wrong. And whatever the problem was, it was interfering with LaFayette’s lesson.

    “What is it? You might as well tell me.” Eric said patiently.

    “It’s Tara. She’s on to Alcide’s fucked up plan--sort of. I’m just worried about what is going to happen tomorrow night.”

    Eric stared at LaFayette.

    “What do you mean ‘Tara is on to the plan’?”

    “Meaning Alcide tried to put the moves on her, and now Tara is suspicious of him. I’m just afraid of his forcing himself on her tomorrow night. I’m not going to sit around and let that happen, even if I have to use my powers on him.”

    “Now, now. It won’t get to that.” Eric said, patting LaFayette’s shoulder. “Why don’t you take a break? Maybe go and find Jesus. I saw him around here somewhere. I’ll find out what’s going on and get back to you, okay?”

    LaFayette nodded, relieved to get a break from causing anything any torture. He averted his eyes from the pained vamp, while Eric smirked! Just as he had suspected! Herveaux would not be able to lull that witch into his bed willingly.

    Eric left the lower rooms and was not the least bit surprised to find a meeting of sorts, going on in Russell’s study. Russell was sitting in a highback chair, watching as Ruby Jean and Alcide argued.

    “You stupid, sonofabitch! My niece is with a shifter anyway! One that cares about her. She can procreate with him and willingly! I knew this wouldn’t work!”

    “Now, now, darling,” Russell scolded, “language.”

    “That weak ass shifter isn’t up to creating any kind of sup that’s worth a damn.  My strategy was flawed, but I still intend on being with her tomorrow night.” Alcide told them. Eric cleared his throat.

    “And if she resists you? Tara’s powers are unchecked. You could end up dead.” Eric warned.

    “Or my niece could end up raped!” Ruby Jean snapped.

    Eric didn’t even look at Ruby Jean, his eyes on Alcide’s.

    “It’s more likely that Alcide here would end up injured--or dead.”

    “No one is going to be injured or dead. I’ll talk to Compton again. He loves Sookie to death and would do anything to be with her during the day. He’ll come around and in a timely manner.” Alcide growled, before leaving the room. Once again, Northman had rattled him! There was no way in the hell he was asking that sonofabitch for help! Eric glanced after him, then looked at Ruby Jean and Russell.

    “Do we really need him?”

    “Yes,” Russell said in a hard tone, “we really need the werewolves. And I like the idea of creating another breed of supernatural...something. You know, it’s not as if Mr. Herveaux is a bad looking man. Tara is really that much in love with that shifter?” Russell asked Ruby Jean.

    “I don’t think it’s that. The werewolf’s plan was just stupid. It would’ve been one thing if Tara had never seen him before. But she had it in her head, according to LaFayette, that Alcide is using her to get next to Sookie. If he just waited until next month...” Ruby Jean trailed off.

    “But darlin’, you don’t know if we have until next month, do you? Your visions don’t appear to be time specific. For all we know, the humans could be planning something now.”

    “Which is why it is MORE important that Tara learn her craft, than be prepped for some sort of love match.” Eric said. “I understand Ruby Jean’s fear for her niece, but if Herveaux is unsuccessful in getting Bill Compton to glamour Tara, then I say let this be her first big test.”

    “Meaning?” Russell asked.
   
    “Meaning we already know about her telekinetic abilities,” Eric said, “if she has to fend off Herveaux tomorrow night, then surely another power will emerge. One that will protect her from him and more than likely either injure or kill the werewolf.”

    Ruby Jean shook her head. She sure as hell hoped so.

                                                          ****

    Tara opened the door to Bill, praying that the bloodsucker could find out what the hell was wrong with Sookie.

    She had taken a call from Sam, who sounded funny. Tara had told him about Sookie’s becoming sick and he got quiet. He said he would be over in a bit, but they were shorthanded. Tara decided that she would take Sookie’s car to Merlotte’s and help out.

    She was about to take Sookie’s keys, when Bill came downstairs.

    “Sookie is asleep now.”

    “Well...good. I’m glad you’re here with her. I’m going to Merlotte’s to help out and I’ll probably stay at Sam’s tonight so...”

    “Tara, I need to talk to you about why Sookie is feeling so poorly. She is very upset about something she learned. Something she learned about you.”

    Tara stared at him.

    “Me? I called her earlier to tell her about some strange shit that was going on...she must have found out something.” Tara said, and began walking around Bill to go upstairs.

    But Bill grabbed her arm and Tara shook him off!

    “Don’t touch me!” Tara snapped.

    “Fine.” Bill said, letting go of her. “But there are some things you should know. When I awoke this evening, I found your aunt and Alcide Herveaux waiting to speak to me.”

    “My aunt AND Alcide? I KNEW it! I knew something was going on! Is she trying to fix me up with him for some reason?” Tara asked.

    “Yes.” Bill bit out.

    “Why?”

    Bill then told her everything that he knew. Tara began slowly backing back.

    “I killed Reverend Daniels, then?”

    “Yes. I’m sorry. I think it’s best if you see your aunt tonight. Maybe you should began working with LaFayette and Eric.”

    “Oh hell no! I’m going to see Sam, say my goodbyes then get the hell out of town!” Tara snapped, then moved to leave.

    But Bill got in front of her.

    “Did you hear what I said? I think you should see your aunt. She can show you the vision.”

    “I’m sorry about the vision! But if everyone just leaves town or moves away, they can’t get staked or killed. And I am not fucking Alcide!”

    “That is not the way to deal with this. And I think you know I’m right. Sookie is scared to death for you with this werewolf matter. Herveaux does not strike me as an unreasonable man. Maybe if you spoke to him about waiting until the next full moon...”

    “What is it with you supernatural creatures? I like human men. I’m not going to have sex with some half animal dude! And why would Sookie and I be killed in that vision? Sookie is human and I may, or may not be a witch....I still don’t know if I believe that but...”

    Bill just gaped at her!

    “You don’t know that Merlotte is a shifter?”

    Tara blinked.

    “What are you talking about?”

    “I have seen Merlotte change into a dog...a fly and...”

    “Shut the fuck up! That’s a lie! Sam wouldn’t keep something like that from me!”

    “I think you should speak to Sam,” Bill finished, “then maybe you won’t find Mr. Herveaux’s wishes so repulsive.” he said, before walking up the stairs to be with Sookie. Tara tried to control her breathing, before opening the door and heading out. She was headed to Merlotte’s to confront Sam.

    But something would not let her steer Sookie’s car Sam’s way.

    Instead, she headed for ‘Uncle’ Russell Edgington’s estate. Tara believed her aunt was still crazier than hell, and now, was making everyone else crazy! She was going to find out once and for all if what Vampire Bill Compton had told her was true. If it wasn’t, then chances are he was lying about Sam as well.