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    Seemingly, no one officially acknowledged the debacle that ‘Operation Apocalypse’ turned out to be.

    No one seemed to know how a team of agents ended up being slaughtered in a quiet community in Shreveport, Louisiana.

    Worse yet, no one seemed to know who killed most of the citizens in that community. There was some bullshit about a ‘wildfire’, but not many people were buying that. Then there were the haters, that made it clear they didn’t give a fuck who was dead in Foxpoint Bay, because everyone was rich anyway.

    There were many low key funerals held, none of which Alcide wanted Tara to be present at. He still felt as if she was still in danger from other undesirables in the wolf community. Tara didn’t like funerals much, and acquiesced to his wishes, though she had wanted to pay her respects.

    Instead, she and Sookie shopped for wedding dresses. Tara could feel her friend’s worry and kept waiting to endure some lecture from her. But it never came.

    Unfortunately, at night, she still had to train with Eric, who just gave her knowing looks but said nothing in reference to ‘their’ hot dreams.  And now, she was ready to work with LaFayette on the spell that would allow Russell, Eric and now Bill the chance to walk around in the sun. She couldn’t think of three beings that deserved that privilege less.

    As the story opens, Tara has found a wedding dress and has went to the bridal shop to pick it up. Sookie, who has to work the afternoon shift at Merlotte’s, is just about to leave, when Sam arrives.

    Sookie sighed. Sam was on her shit list these days. She told no one what Tara told her about him, but he knew damned well that she knew he was a spy for the government. A traitor to his own supernatural kind.

    She refused to speak to him at work. Tara had quit by e-mail. Arlene was trying to figure out what was up, but no one would tell her.

    Now Sam was on her doorstep. Sookie wordlessly pushed open the screendoor and let him in.

    “Sookie, I need for you to try and understand why I did what I did.”

    “There is no understanding it, Sam. You see what happened to those poor wolves in FoxPoint Bay. That’s what they plan to do to all of us--with your help!”

    “My handler was killed, Sookie. And I don’t think he meant to die. You can’t tell me Alcide didn’t have something to do with that. He lives there Sookie and he was the only one left alive!”

    “Alcide was probably just doing what needed to be done. Look, Sam, I’d stay away from those government types and watch your back.”

    Sam folded his arms.

    “I’m not really here about all of that. It’s Tara. I’m not letting her marry Herveaux. I mean, come on, Sookie! She barely knows him!”

    “You know why she’s marrying him. And what happened to Alcide’s people, just proves she’ll be safer with him.”

    “Okay, fine! I get that you think Tara is better off with him! But I need the chance to stop the wedding.”

    Sookie snorted!

    “That ain’t happening! I mean Alcide wouldn’t let anything stop it.”

    “Why don’t you just leave that up to me. I’ll need your help though.”

    “With what?”

    Sam took a deep breath, then spoke.

    “I need to live here Sookie. As a parrot. Your new pet parrot.”

    “Hell no!”

    “Come on, Sookie!”

    “Sam, how do I know this isn’t another plan of yours with the government? You’d be spying on us! Tara would never forgive me!”

    “She would never know! I swear! I just need to be able to tell where her head is at.”

    Sookie shook her head sadly.

    “What is the matter with you? You’ve betrayed Tara. You’ve betrayed us both. I don’t see how you’re going to get her back, really, I don’t. I mean Tara’s agreeing to marry Alcide, pretty much says she gave up on you.”

    “Sookie, I would’ve never let anyone hurt my friends. Not you. And I would’ve never let anyone hurt Tara. I’d die first. You have to know that.”

    Sookie could see and feel the sincerity coming from Sam in layers. But what he was asking...naw...Tara would be madder than a wet hen!

    “Sam, Bill gets something out of all of this too. Now I’m sorry, but I just can’t help you. I’m sorry. Now I have to get ready for work, as you well know, so if you’d scoot.”

    Sam nodded curtly and appeared to leave. He got into his truck and drove off down the road a bit, then parked on the side of the road.

    About 20 minutes later, Tara came speeding down the road. In the backseat was a box that held her wedding dress to a man that she barely knew, but had had sex with twice.  Tara tried to think of it in terms of an ‘arranged marriage’, kind of like what poor, foreign girls were sometimes forced to do. And some of those marriages probably turned out pretty well.

    And she genuinely liked Alcide. He seemed like a good man, despite his animal background. The thought of animals made her think of Sam...

    What was the difference between a man that changed into a wolf versus a man that changed into anything? Or anything that moved?

    The difference was that Tara had known upfront what Alcide was. Sam had lied then turned out to be some government spy/stooge. He was responsible for all of those deaths in Alcide’s neighborhood and the destruction of that pretty house they were going to live in. And...

    Tara suddenly slammed on her brakes! She checked the rearview mirror and saw no cars had been behind her, thank God! She then looked at the person that had forced her to make such a hard brake.

    Sam Merlotte was standing in the middle of the road, butt naked! Tara turned off the engine and jumped out of the car, leaving the door open.

    “Sam Merlotte! Have you lost your goddamned mind?! Put some clothes on and get out of here!”

    But Sam folded his arms. Tara walked up to him.

    “Move, Sam! Before I run you down!”

    “You wouldn’t do that,” Sam said matter-of-factly, “and I’m here to tell you that I’m not letting you marry Alcide Herveaux. Whether you like it or not, the humans of this Earth plan to get some control here over supernatural beings. It’s better to be an ally then an enemy. I have a deal that will help us both. Don’t throw away your life by hooking up with fiends.”

    Tara rolled her eyes!

    “Thanks! I’m good, right where I am. Alcide and I are going to be very happy together. Alcide and our child. Now get out of my way.”

    “Is that your final answer?”

    “What is this? Jeopardy? Yeah, that’s my final answer! We’re through, Sam! I never want to see you again!”

    And with that, Sam shifted into a skunk and sprayed Tara! Tara began screaming her head off, running around and about, as Sam the skunk ran to her open car door, jumped in the backseat and sprayed her wedding dress box! He then ran out of the car and shifted back into himself! He walked over to the side of the road where his car was and reached in to put on some clothes.

    “YOU FUCKING BASTARD! WHY DID YOU DO THAT? WHY?” Tara screamed.

    Sam turned to look at her.

    “I guess you’ll have to get another wedding dress. You’ll also have to bathe in tomato juice...which means Herveaux probably won’t want any part of you--for now. Northman won’t be able to work with you either. I’m going to KEEP SPRAYING YOU AND EVERY WEDDING DRESS YOU GET UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT I’M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU!” Sam yelled, before re-dressing, getting into his car and speeding off.

    Too horrified to react, Tara slowly sank down into the road next to her car and began to cry.

                                                           ****

    Sookie called in sick and told Sam he was going to pay her anyway for it, since it was his fault!

    She had arranged for Tara to bathe in tomato juice in a second bathroom in the house, but she could not calm her near hysterics.

    Alcide came over, found out what Sam had done and headed for Merlotte’s, despite Sookie’s pleas for him not to start any trouble.

    Sam was wiping out a glass when Alcide entered. He smiled to himself and continued his task. Alcide walked up to the bar.

    “We have a problem.” Alcide said. Sam stopped what he was doing to look at him.

    “’We’? I don’t see how. I barely know you. Except to see you. I think it’s the same for Tara too.”

    Alcide took a deep breath.

    “Meet me outside.”

    “I have a business to run.”

    “Meet me outside, or I’ll kill every goddamned person that leaves this piece of shit hole in the wall dive. Are you hearin’ me?”

    And with that, Alcide walked out. Arlene glanced over their way. Sam huffed, took off his apron and met Alcide outside, near the woods. It only took two seconds for Sam to get grabbed by the throat!

    “Now you hear me, and you hear me good! Stay the fuck away from my fiancee! You messed up and it’s over. So there isn’t going to be anymore spraying skunk juice all over her, or her belongin’s! Are we clear?”

    Sam wrenched Alcide’s hand off of his throat!

    “If Tara doesn’t ruin her life by marrying you, then yeah, I understand.”

    Alcide shook his head.

    “What the fuck is the matter with you, Merlotte? You’re not just slowing things down for Tara and me. She won’t be able to work with Northman tonight. If she continues not being able to do that, then the vamps aren’t going to have any use for her. She could be in danger. Do you get that?”

    “What I get is that you’re full of shit! The vamps are always going to have a use for Tara and what she can do. And so will you.”

    Alcide looked him over.

    “What does that mean?”

    “You know what it means! This isn’t just about having a kid by a witch! With Tara by your side there’s no telling the amount of shit you could pull over on people! What Tara and I have always had was real. I’m not about to let anyone fuck that up. I’m also not going to let anyone use her.”

    Alcide said nothing more and walked off. He had decided that the people to inform were Edgington and Northman. Let them deal with Merlotte!

    But what neither Alcide nor Sam realized, was that the both of them were very much on Russell and Eric’s radar now.

                                                          ****

    When Alcide reached the Edgington estate, he was surprised to find Ruby Jean handing a suitcase to a limo driver. Alcide parked and got out of his truck, walking up to her.

    “Ruby Jean, this ain’t the time for a trip. Tara’s going through a hard time and I need to speak to Russell when he wakes. We have trouble.”

    Ruby Jean gave him a pithy look.

    “Honey, if I were you, I’d run for the hills.”

    Alcide’s jaw hardened.

    “You’ve had another vision, haven’t you?”

    “I’m leaving Russell. This ain’t a vacation.” Ruby Jean said and began to get into the back of the limo. But Alcide grabbed her arm and yanked her back!

    “What the fuck is going on?! Answer me now!”

    Ruby Jean wriggled her arm from his grasp!

    “I saw no apocolypse...for now.  I also saw Tara with Eric Northman. You weren’t anywhere around.” Ruby Jean said pointedly. “Russell and Eric are up to something, so I’d watch my back if I were you.”

    Alcide just stared as Ruby Jean got into the limo and it sped off. He then looked around. Was LaFayette around?

    Alcide found LaFayette smoking weed by the pool. He sat down on a chaise next to him.

    “Your mama ran out of here like a bat out of hell. Do you know what she saw in her visions?” Alcide asked him. LaFayette blinked, before taking another hit. He then spoke.

    “Mama claims that Jesus told Russell and Eric something about Tara and me being fertile. Fertile enough to give vamps kids. So if I was you, I’d bounce.”

    Alcide’s mouth dropped open and he slowly stood up.

    “Are you fucking kidding me? Tell me you’re fucking with me?!”

    LaFayette stood up.

    “I’m trapped here. There ain’t no way I’m going to get out of doing my step-daddy’s bidding. And while I know you and Sam would probably try to keep Tara away from Russell and Eric, the two of you will lose. At least that’s what Mama saw in her vision.”

    “Sonofobitch!”

    “Yeah, ‘sonofabitch’ it right and then some! So I’d forget this wedding shit. Either that or marry Tara before Russell and Eric wake up tonight! Because they do plan on cutting you out of this shit.”

    Alcide nodded curtly, stood up and left the estate. Skunk smell or not, him and Tara were getting married right away.

                                                          ****

    Tara slowly walked out of the bathroom in a robe. She just faintly smelled like skunk, but she still smelled like FUCKING SKUNK! How could Sam do that? He was just going to spray her whenever? He was the one that fucked up, not her!

    She was too embarrassed to even look at Alcide. He would just have to agree to postpone their wedding, that was supposed to happen in two days. She needed to find another dress and make sure she didn’t smell like a wild animal.

    Sookie was downstairs looking at her with unease, when she entered the living room.

    “How are you feeling?” Sookie asked.

    “Like I was sprayed with a skunk.” Tara groused. “I hate Sam’s guts now. Before I just hated him in general but now I hate his guts too.”

    Sookie sighed.

    “Tara, he came to see me before he did what he did. He still loves you and he’s so desperate to work things out, that he wanted to pretend to be my pet parrot and live here.”

    Tara squinted at Sookie in disbelief!

    “What?!” was all she could manage.

    Sookie nodded.

    “That’s right. I didn’t think it was right to let him come in spy like that.”

    Tara folded her arms.

    “And disguised as a parrot, there’s no telling what he could’ve done to my wedding dress! Oh damn, Sook! What am I going to do?”

    Alcide walked in just then, slamming the door behind him.

    “Tara, we have to go! We have to get married now.”

    Sookie stood up.

    “What’s going on?” she asked.

    “Ruby Jean left Russell. Tara, honey, I doubt very much he’s going to like letting his psychic go. She could be in danger.” Alcide warned.

    “Well, she’s psychic...I mean she’ll know he’s coming. What about LaFayette?” Tara asked.

    “Given up. He’s not trying to run. I think what Jesus pulled hurt him deeply.” Alcide guessed.

    “Okay, but why do we have to get married tonight? I can’t go anywhere smelling like this!”

    “Tara, it will go away--eventually. But we have to leave now. I found out that you’re what they call a fertile witch. You can create life from anything--even something dead.”

    Sookie gasped!

    “Alcide Herveaux! What are you saying? That Tara could get pregnant by a vampire?”

    Alcide nodded, his eyes now on Tara.

    “Tara, Russell and Eric are plannin’ on getting rid of Sam and me. And I think Eric has designs on you!”

    “Shit!” Tara turned and ran back upstairs! No one had to tell her shit twice! All that fucking she did with Eric in those dreams, was not about to happen in real life! She hurried to the closet, pulled out a suitcase, threw some clothing in real quick, grabbed her purse her hurried down the stairs!

    “Let’s go!” Tara yelled and Alcide opened the door.

    “Good luck!” Sookie yelled out fearfully. She then noted that the sun was beginning to look like it was going to set. Oh no, she thought.

                                                             ****

    Alcide and Tara did not make it to the Justice of the Peace in a timely manner.  They had been closed for two minutes when they arrived.

    “Sonofabitch!” Alcide bellowed, ignoring all of the passerbys. Some sniffed gently as they passed them and Tara knew it was because of  her.

    “Look, let’s just hide for the night. We can go someplace where we won’t be found and then get married in the morning. Eric’s blood is almost out of my system. Chances are he won’t find me. Let’s just find a place.” Tara said urgently. Alcide nodded, but was beginning to panic! Where the hell could Tara and him hide that Russell and Eric would never think to check? Where? Where?

    “We’ll go to my mama’s old house.” Tara said calmly. Alcide frowned.

    “Where is that?”

    “In the ghetto. Hell, even Eric and Russell ain’t crazy enough to come into the hood at night.” Tara guessed.

    “I don’t know, Tara. I mean it might work but if it doesn’t....I can’t fight them both off.”

    “But I can! I’ve learned some spells and some new tricks. Let’s go. It will be alright. I promise.”

    Alcide, against his better judgment, decided to go along with Tara to the old house that Lettie Mae Thornton used to live in. Surprisingly, it had been kept up rather nicely, despite the dead woman’s extreme unhappiness at the end of her life.

    Alcide turned on a light then closed a shade. Barking dogs could be heard, along with two gunshots. Maybe this would work. Tara walked over to the refrigerator and found nothing but cheese and butter inside.  There was a loaf of bread on the table. The least she could to was cook some grilled cheeses. They could drink water.

    Alcide sat down near a window and peered out, looking for any signs of trouble. Tara flipped one of the sandwiches on the stove. Neither said a word. Just as Tara turned off one of the burners, a noise from her old bedroom,  gave her a start!

    “That sounded like breaking glass.” Alcide muttered, then shifted into a wolf. Tara gasped! She didn’t know if she would ever get used to that! She slowly followed Alcide into her old room and found...

    Eric outside the window--alone. He raised a brow at the wolf and looked at Tara.

    “Please invite me in. The gang activity around here makes me uneasy.”

    “Fuck off! I know what you’re trying to pull on Alcide and me! You can just forget it. I would’ve give you a kid if my life depended on it.”

    Suddenly, two other wolves leaped in through the broken window and jumped on Alcide! Tara saw one of them had a pink collar and she realized that that had to be Debbie! Holy shit! She’d turned on Alcide!

    Tara screamed in a panic, forgetting all of her witch training! She couldn’t even think how to turn invisible, when she flung open the front door and ended up caught and locked in Eric Northman’s arms!

    “I personally have always liked skunks. They are one of God’s finest creatures.”

    “Let go of me!” Tara snapped, then remembered how to turn invisible. But Eric kept a tight hold on her anyway.

    “Don’t fight me or I will order those wolves to kill Alcide. Then after he is done for, I will kill your beloved shifter. Tell me you won’t fight me, kitten? Tell me!”

    Eric could hear some whimpering.

    “Fine! I won’t fight you! Fuck you!”

    “Hmmm. Yes. And you will show yourself again.”

    Slowly, Tara re-appeared.

    Eric smiled.

    “Good. Very good. I will tell the wolves to leave Herveaux alone, then we are headed to a night chapel, where your last name will change from Tara Thornton to Tara Northman...or Tara Thornton Northman. I understand these are more progressive times.”

    “ALCIDE!” Tara screamed in a panic. This could not be happening!

    “You will spare Alcide and Sam’s lives if you just stop all of that squirming! Now I want you to go back in and tell Herveaux what is going to happen.”

    But Tara did not move. She just glared up at him.

    “Tara?”

    “I’m not telling him shit! And I hate your guts.”

    “Fine.” Eric said drolly, “then invite me in so I can do it.”

    “Let go of me and I will.”

    Eric supposed she wasn’t going to run, with her two lovers lives at stake. He let go of her.

    “Invite me in.”

    “Come in.” Tara said in a fake, sweet voice.

    Eric walked into the house. Tara turned invisible and ran for her life! Eric, for the life of him, could not close in on her scent, which made him realize that this particular power of hers, would be most troublesome.

    “RUN TARA!” Alcide screamed, now back in his human form. He was being held by Debbie and Coot. Eric returned and smiled coldly at him.

    “Maybe this worked out for the best. Take him back to Russell’s. I’ll go and get the shifter. When Tara sees the both of you imprisoned and tortured, I’ll get what I want sooner rather than later.” Eric predicted.










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