Wicked NOT Dead Chapter 23

Rebecca 

Rebecca knew she was dreaming, that the quaint perfect picture that she'd surrounded herself with was not real but her reality at this time was far from pretty and even in sleep she'd found it nearly impossible to escape it as of late and so she didn't mind being lost in this dream at all. She was sitting in her field the one near the commune, her face turned to the sun a small boy lying in the crook of the arm of his father both of them asleep beside her. She was enjoying the moment watching them both so peaceful, so content, so whole, so real. She heard rustling in the tall grass behind her and turned towards it, she wasn't expecting anyone to join them and the foot fall told her the being approaching walked of four legs not two. She looked to Alcide who was still sound asleep, she hated to wake him things had been so hard for so long and now that they were in a good place she hated the idea of changing the mood for any reason. Whatever it was would surely move past and even it did come into the clearing she could surely handle it herself. Beside her the pages of her book started to flap about in a new found breeze, she grabbed it before her place could be lost and pushing her bookmark firmly into the spin closed it and looked again to the sky.  From out of nowhere dark clouds started moving in with the wind. No she thought there was no call for rain today, only fresh, clean, crisp skies it was why the picked this day to venture out and the idea of rain was quite vexing. Could it be coming from something within her? No she thought she was calm, happy and felt none of the inner turmoil that would cause her hold on the elements to change the space around her. No none of what was happening around her was of her making, she started to close her eyes to speak to the elements surrounding her to find out where the darkness was coming from when she heard a growl, a wolf stood at the edge of the clearing, his eyes focused on her, the white fur along his arched back standing on end, she reached into his mind, read his intentions, heard it's voice. No it couldn't be??? Her head whipped down to the blanket, Alcide was no longer there, her son was no longer there. She was sitting in the clearing alone, the wolf approached slowly, purposefully, a full snarl now crossed it's muzzle. Rebecca reached in to it's mind trying to sooth, to calm but the wolf kept advancing. He stopped at the edge of the blanket, the hunger in his eyes increased, his pray firmly in his sights, no where to run, the only thing left to do was to strike and land the blow to kill. She didn't want to hurt him, but he was giving her no choice. She raised her hand, was about to strike a blow of her own when the wolf sprung toward her, she heard herself scream, she heard the wolf let out a pain filled yelp and then everything went black.     

   Rebecca's eyes flew open, the space around her just as dark as the dream she'd just awoken from. She could feel sweat beading across her neck, down to the palm of her back. Her hands were gripping the sheets, they ached from the harshness of the hold she had on them. She stared upward willing her eyes to focus. She had no idea when she'd fallen asleep or how long she'd been so, the last thing she remembered was sitting on the bed next to Alcide talking with Sookie and Sam. From beside her she felt movement and then from the darkness a sound that stopped her heart. A low growl filled the room, she turned to her right to find Alcide crouched on the bed beside her. He was still human but his brown eyes were amber in color and were filled with a predatory rage, his mouth was curled upward his canines bared. He lunged at Rebecca as she tried to rise and pinned her to the bed. His face inched closer and closer and she tried in vain to break free, every time she moved he dug his legs harder into the sides of her body, she felt she was being crushed, felt her bones creek from the pressure. She thought of their son and she stopped moving, Alcide was somewhere in-between his two natures, he could kill her at any moment and take their child's life as well. He wasn't responsible for what he was doing, the drugs, the confusion from the resurrection were disorienting him, he felt threatened. He was doing what he thought he had to do to protect himself. She tried again to reach him but he just shook her out of his mind, he bent his head into her neck and breathed in deeply, the scent of her seeming to stop him momentarily, a confused look moved across his face but his grip on her didn't lessen one bit.  Rebecca send feelers out through the house, she found four minds, two of which could not help her for despite the fact her room was pitch black the light of day still shown beyond it's walls. Pam and Eric couldn't get through the house to help her without charring themselves in the process. Sam and Sookie however were across the hall in the guest rooms and were alert in moments, she heard the doors to the rooms open, heard the pounding of their fast approach on the landing outside. The door swung open and Sam came running in Sookie a step behind him, Alcide turned and snarled at them, his hand made it's way to Rebecca's throat. He gave the two intruders a look to tell them she was his and they were to come no closer. Sam put his hand out to stop Sookie from advancing any further. Rebecca gasped and started to choke but immediately threw her now free hand around the one Alcide had wrapped around her throat, she sent fire through his wrist. Feeling the heat moving up his arm Alcide turned his attention to her long enough for Sam to advance and grab for him.  Alcide let out a noise half human, half wolf as the fire ran through his wrist and pain from the vice grip Sam had on his barely healed shoulder. Alcide turned his anger toward Sam and the two grappled for good footing, Alcides torso now twisted toward a new enemy but his legs still held Rebecca in place. Rebecca saw a flicker of light and turned to Sookie, her palm was aglow, she was concentrating on keeping it in control, not wanting to hurt Alcide but not not wanting him to hurt her or Sam either. Sookie caught her gaze and she nodded " Let it go" she sent to her and then the flash came and hit Alcide squarely in the chest, stunning him, loosening his grip on both her and Sam and sending him flying off the bed and toward the coffee table. Rebecca sat up and flipped herself toward Alcide, her palm out she stopped him in mid-air. Air held him in place keeping him from smashing the table and the ground. " Sam" she screamed bringing him back to attention and he slid across the bed and grabbed hold of the now unconscious Alcide. Rebecca helped Sam guide him back to the bed and only let air go when he was safely back down. It was then Rebecca jumped off the bed herself and stepped backward and let the shudder run through her, Sookie took her by the shoulders and held her. Sam stood in front of her, checking her out from top to bottom. She let him and only winced slightly when his hand gently touched her neck. Sookie held her until the shaking stopped and Sam stood in front just to the side of them both just in case, watching Alcide wearily. Once she was able to breath normally again and enough time seemed to pass to make questions okay Sam turned to look at her " What the hell was that?" 

"He's in the in-between. Somewhere between this world and the afterlife. He's confused and disoriented. I shouldn't have slept in here with him alone. The night I died and came back I was fine but Mason told me I went mad in the hospital, they kept me sedated for several days. I suppose the madness didn't leave me completely, not for several months, not until Alexander died. It was only then that my life really came back into focus." 

"I sure as fuck hope that don't happen with him Rebecca, you can't be alone with him if he's going to go all wolf shit crazy on you. He wouldn't be taking his anger out on those who killed his loved ones he'd be killing his loved ones himself." Sam ran one hand through his hair he looked scared, for her. " What if we hadn't been here Rebecca?" She reached out and grabbed his other hand from it's place on his hip, reached up and clasped her other hand around one Sookie's still on her shoulder. " But by the grace of the Goddess you were here and I can keep this from happening again, I can spell him and keep him grounded until he's okay and he will be okay. I just didn't think he'd wake up, the drugs we'd given him should have kept him down far longer than he was, his strength is already returning, his injuries almost healed. He's alive and thanks to you both he won't have any regrets to live with once he's awake and aware." They stood there for a while longer and then silently left the room the three of them making their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sookie and Rebecca talked to each other in their heads while Sam moved around the kitchen making them all something to eat. When he sat plates down in front of them they both smiled up at him and once he sat down everyone dug in readily. As Rebecca ate she reached out for Mason at first there was nothing, but then out of the blackness she found him. A pain seared through her hands and feet. She dropped her fork, the sound of it hitting the plate causing Sookie and Sam who'd been lost in their own thoughts to whip their heads in her direction. She saw a flash of Mason lying in a dark space his hands and feet shackled with silver he was covered in blood, some of it dried and some of it was dripping out of his nose and ears. He opened his eyes and looked outward, she knew he was looking at her in the blackness but he didn't reach out and say anything to her, he just shook his head slightly and begged her with his eyes to not come after him. Light filled the space and he cringed and drew back and he looked toward where the light came from and a look of defiance filled his face and then the connection went dark.  She let out the breath she was holding, it came stammered out of her and she fought back the urge to wail. He'd been able to show her he was still alive and make demands without saying a thing. 

" Rebecca?" Sookie said quietly. " Are you okay?" 

She looked from one friend to the other nodding, " Yes I'm fine Mason was able to let me know he was still alive, he's being held captive and not in good shape. They have him chained and he's been beaten and forced to stay awake so he has the bleeds." 

" Any ideas where?" Sam asked.

" No he didn't give me anything that would help find him, he doesn't want me to come looking for him. In fact if I did I believe he would be infuriated with me."  What little appetite she had was now gone, she pushed the plate away and stood up, sorrow and fatigue hit her in a rush and she stumbled backward. Sam sprang up from his chair and caught her, placing her firmly back in her chair. " Thank you, Sam." Sookie pushed her plate back in front of her and handed her her glass of water. 

" No excuses and no fighting with us, you're gonna eat everything on that plate and when your done you're going to lie down" she paused and then added " and not in the bedroom with Alcide either." She started to protest, she needed to help Alcide, she needed to make calls, see if there was any new information about Mason from Buzz or Bill. But she stopped herself, she'd promised Alcide she would never cast a spell on him or for him without his knowledge she couldn't make an exception even with this if she expected him to trust her and if there was anything at all to tell about Mason or Malcom's whereabouts her phone would have rung. She nodded her head and picked up her fork and took an extra big bite to emphasize she was going to do as she was asked. 

When they were finished Sam stayed in the kitchen to clean up and she and Sookie went into the living room. She laid down on the couch and Sookie sunk into the big chair and after a few minutes of staring out the window, at the phone through the living room door at the stairs she said " All of this quiet is to much you know? After everything that happened last night I didn't expect things to be so calm but so tense at the same time. I hate waiting around doing nothing while someone else gets to decide when to drop the other shoe. It's infuriating!" 

" Malcom is having to much fun fucking with my head, he thinks Alcide is dead, that I am devastated and he knows that making me wait to find out Mason's fate will only intensify my misery. He wants me to suffer. He also wants me to react, to act out, to do something stupid or impulsive to give him the upper hand. If this were five years ago, I'd have given him what he wanted, damn any and all consequences. I'd have gone after him with everything I had and let the chips fall where they may. I didn't care about anything but getting revenge and in the end Alexander lost his life, that was one casualty to many and there are many more at risk this time. I won't have any of your blood on my hands, I can't risk any of you getting hurt."

" Especially not my kid" They both turned their heads to the sound of the voice, Alcide was standing in the doorway. He looked rumpled and worried but surprisingly whole. Sookie looked from Alcide to Rebecca and back again, her posture was defensive but Rebecca knew there was no need, there was no threatening vibe coming off of Alcide at that moment. He was disgusted with himself, afraid he’d hurt her and trying to mask what remained of the physical pain he was in. “ Becca?”  He took two steps toward her and then stopped. She stood and went to him stopping within an inch of his body and put one hand over his heart and reaching down with her other to clasp it into one of his.  She looked into his eyes and smiled, tears filled her eyes “ You came back to me”  she sent to him and his body shuddered and his tension went with it. He squeezed her hand and she melted into him. His other arm came around her back and he held onto her tightly, breathing her in “ I told you I would” 

“ Not without scaring the shit out of me first!” She pushed into him and he let out a small grunt. 

“ Well it ain’t exactly easy to get your body and mind to cooperate when it’s been sliced and diced and kicked to shit.” He kissed the top of her head and gave Sookie a slight smile. “ Thank you for not giving up on me, I kept hearing your voice but it took me a while to really hear it, to focus and get a fix on it so I could follow it and I was almost there when I felt this shock go through me and I was rushing back into my body.” 

“ She shocked your ass with a bolt of lightning, we thought she was nuts and that you were dead.” Sookie babbled on from behind, both of them listened with silent amusement as she told her point of view on the events of the night before. Rebecca rested her head on Alcide’s chest and closed her eyes, she was so very tired, her body ached, her mind was running wildly from one scenario to another, one potential problem to another, every other potential heartache. Alcide’s already hurried heart skipped a beat inside his chest and while she knew Sookie’s graphic detailed description was saving her from having to find a way to convey it all herself she also didn’t want him getting to worked up and upset. They had eternity to rehash his death and rebirth but right now she wanted to let go of the thoughts of almost loosing him, even though the thoughts were false they still sent a shudder through her. 

“ Sookie, I got to thank you and Sam for looking after me, and after Becca.” Sam had come silently into the room, staying behind them leaning against a table on the wall near the entrance to the room. Rebecca knew he was on alert, just in case Alcide went all wolf on them again. She couldn’t blame him and frankly she was glad to have someone else on alert for her mind had to many other things to focus on. “ I guess I have a debt to pay to Bill, Pam and Eric to. I am grateful to all of you.” Some of that gratitude would be hard for him to swallow for a long time to come but he believed in giving credit where credit was due and he knew that without the five of them helping her take care of him and taking care of her as well he’d be in far worse shape than he currently was. “ I was half out of it but I heard enough from earlier to know you can spell me, to keep my from doing what I did to you earlier again?” She nodded. “ Well then lets get to it, I don’t want to be in that place again, being totally out of control, not able to reel myself in, to know I was hurting you and couldn’t stop, “ he paused, shook his head and cleared his throat. “ I’d never be able to live with myself.” She lead Alcide over to the couch and motioned for him to sit down. “ You wait here, I am going to go gather what I need to make the potion and cast the spell.” 

“Sookie can you go into the kitchen and get Alcide something to eat and a big glass of tea with no ice?” She looked to Sam who gave her the look that said he would be staying right there keeping an eye on things. She grabbed Alcide’s chin and lifted his head to look at her.  “ Everything is going to be okay, I am okay, you are alive and I am alive and we are not going to dwell on what happened in that bedroom earlier. Do you hear me Alcide?” He blinked twice, sighed inwardly and then nodded his head in agreement. When she stared at him long and hard enough for him to break down and give her a slight smile she let his chin go and backed off.” I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. I promise it won’t hurt. ” She followed Sookie out of the living room and moved quickly down the hall through the library and into the alter room. She gathered her ingredients and put them in the mortal and pestle. The potion and spell would calm Alcide’s second nature and help him keep the wolf within under control until he was fully back within himself. It would keep all of the anger and ferocity from manifesting itself at the wrong time. He would still be able to shift at will but the wolf inside would not be able to overtake his human form. Once everything was blended she put her hand over the mortar and conjured the spell.  When she returned to the living room Sam was in the same spot as she had left him. Sookie was sitting next to Alcide on the couch watching as he scarfed down the food in front of him. She sat on the edge of of the coffee table and motioned for Alcide’s glass, it slid towards her leaving a wet streak of condensation in it’s wake. Sookie snickered and shook her head, Alcide paused and lifted one eyebrow.” What? This is hardly showing off.” She poured the contents of the bowl into his glass and gave the glass a good swirl with her mind.  “ Now drink the whole thing and don’t be a baby if it tastes like shit” Alcide swallowed the entire glass of tea in two big gulps, letting out a jeez that tasted like ass gak at the end. “ Whenever you feel yourself getting out of control a little switch will flip inside your head and body that allows you to pull your wolf self back in. As that uncontrollable feeling starts to fade the spell will to. It’s a variation of what i have been taking to keep the fire inside me from boiling over. You will be fine now.” She knew what was going through his head, the confusion that came with what he was trying to deal with. She wished she’d been strong enough to do this for herself back then, perhaps she wouldn’t be in this predicament if she had. “ You finish your dinner and then we are going back upstairs. I am going to run you a hot bath so can soak the rest of the sore away. Most of his wounds were healed over but she still wanted to get a good look at all of him to make sure there was nothing that still needed some magical assistance to finish healing. “You know you just want to get me naked” He sent to her with another arched brow and her favorite smirk. She shook her head and was about to respond when the phone rang behind her making her jump and jerk her head towards the sound. Sam got to the phone quickly and answered it. “ Keane residence.” he listened to the person on the other line for a second and then sent her “ It’s your Uncle Buzz”  Do you want to talk to her yourself Buzz? No? He continued to listen for several minutes, Rebecca wanted to grab the phone but she stayed put, Alcide’s hand was grasped around her wrist and he was speaking to her in her head. “ Keep calm, let Sam get it if he wanted to speak to you he’d have had Sam hand you the phone.” She stayed put and watched the rise and fall of Sam’s expression.

“  Okay no I got it. I’ll rely the message. Yeah she’s good, one tough chick.” Sam smiled “ yeah you’re probably right about that. Alcide is up and awake. Looks like shit but he’s alive. No worries Buzz we got it under control here.” another pause, another smile” Yeah well I’ll look forward to that.” Sam nodded a couple more times said his farewells and put the phone down. “He says that the mess at the warehouse has been cleaned up, they’ve caught up to all but a few of the pack that sided with Malcom, Crawfish and a couple of Alcide’s crew just caught up with one that they think will lead them to Malcom and Mason. They know he hasn’t gotten far but Buzz and your Aunt think he must be being added by a witch, every locator spell they try to cast is blocked. Elva is livid and Buzz fears for who ever the witch is, she is surely going to feel the wrath of your Aunt when she or they are found.” 

She could imagine how angry her Aunt was, she was already upset that she wasn’t here in Bon Temps. She had instructed them that under no circumstances were they to come here. Buzz being here was bad enough, but her battle with him and been lost and in letting him come he has reinforced her desire for the rest of them to stay away. The more reinforcements she brought in the more Malcom would have known he was right the more enraged and desperate for revenge he would have become. They could do much without the fear of being hurt exactly where they were. “Whomever it is may be helping under duress. It’s highly likely they are being forced into helping or have no idea what they have gotten themselves into. I can’t imagine any Witch in her right mind with all the information in front of her would choose to go against my family. Did he say anything else?” 

Sam shook his head“ No just that he would call again when he had more information, if they got anything out of the Were about Mason’s location and that when this was all over he wanted to buy us all a round of drinks at Marlotte’s. He said he couldn’t wait to get all the way back to New Orleans for some hard liquor” 

“ I think we could all use a good shot or two” Sookie said smiling at Sam who nodded and ran his hand though his hair. From the back of the house they heard the two doors open. Somehow the day had drained away without them seeming to notice. William, Eric and Pam were standing in front of them in seconds. They all surveyed the room and the humans in it. 

“ William, Eric, Pam did you all sleep well?” They all looked at her like she was nuts and then looked at one another but only Eric replied to her question. “ Pam and I slept quite well. I can’t speak for Bill.” The two shared a look of disdain but gratefully William didn’t bother to respond.

“ I spoke to your Uncle, he has updated me with all he knows. The wolves that remained last night have been taking turns resting at Sookie’s but they all returned to the woods at nightfall. Jessica is in town, from what she has told me everything is business as usual. She Jesus and Lafayette are at Marlotte’s if they keeping an eye on one another. I don’t think Malcom intends on bringing anyone else into this. 

“ He is focusing on those he knows will hurt me most. Going after the people in town would not thrill me but killing Alcide, torturing Mason well that will do far more damage in a shorter amount of time. If he was going to go after anyone else here it would be someone in this room. But he is far more likely to try and get at my family first. I am sure that is what he plans to do once he has ridden himself of me.” 

A course of protests rang through the room, nothing was going to happen to her was the general consensus though Eric’s reply of  "If he kills you I will find great pleasure in bleeding him dry myself" was by far her favorite. 

“ Rebecca I have made arrangements for Pam and Eric to feed, if you don’t mind we will take our leave.” She appreciated William seeing to such matters and taking it outside of her home. She knew that they would not be far away, no chance they would leave and would return within seconds of her request. 

“ Yes of course, please go. Happy drinking.” Pam spoke to her silently about calling Elva, Eric continued to look at her as if she were a prized cow and William surveying the room, those in it and the woods beyond the windows. They left as quickly as they came and once they had Rebecca stood “ Sam, Sookie, there is some very good scotch in the library help yourself to some. Alcide and I are going upstairs to get him cleaned up.” 

There were no protests as she made her way though the room and she stood in the doorway waiting for but a second before Alcide stood to join her. They needed a moment alone and no one was going to keep her from that. They walked up the stairs in silence side by side touching slightly here and there and she felt the sparks running though her, stronger then ever before. They were bound before but now they had forever in front of them. When they got to the top of the staircase and turned on the landing toward their bedroom Alcide stopped. “ When Malcom drove that knife into my back the first thing I thought of wasn’t that I was going to die because I was damned sure that I was going to come back. No my last thought was of what his family had done to you and how the actions of others could make your snap and loose all sense. A part of me didn’t really understand all of that, not completely anyway, but in that moment when that coward stabbed me in the back and then he and his kids kicked and beat at my dying body I got it all. I have always had that sense of rage, that desire for revenge when it was called for and yet I have passed judgement on others when they have done the same thing. His family killed your husband, your child and you lost your mind with grief and that madness over took you, made you do things you might never have done otherwise and going into what I knew was a fight to the death I knew that I would do whatever I had to do to protect you. I had finally found a connection to someone that was worth killing for, worth dying to protect. I felt shame that I let Malcom surprise me with that knife, I’d swore that I wouldn’t go looking to die but I didn’t keep my mind on that, I just wanted to destroy him and because of that I was blindsided by the fact I was fighting with a man that had no problem fighting dirty. I doubt any opponent he faced would get a fair fight. I can understand his rage Rebecca, I can understand his desire for revenge because if I were him I’d feel it to. I do feel it for what he has done to my family, what he has put us all through. But the difference between us is he is a man with no honor, he isn’t doing this to avenge his family, he is doing this to feed his ego, his quest for power, for control, to feel he has won, that he is stronger and more powerful than anyone or anything else. He feels superior to us all but he deep inside he knows he isn’t any of those things, he will never be better than the Vampires and Witches he wishes to rid the world of and that fact has pulled him deep into his own brand of madness and for that more than anything else he has to die.” 

There were monsters in this world but most of them weren’t the ones people pointed at or stood up and accused. Most people had no idea what a real monster was and while she knew that many would look upon her, who and what she was and what she had done and consider her a monster, and maybe they would be right to do so, she knew that there were others far worse than she could ever be. Lawrence Malcom was a the kind of monster that lived in both worlds,awake or asleep he would always be there. Until he wasn’t and it would be up to her to stop him. “ I know all the reasons why I wasn’t there and I do not blame you for wanting to try and take care of Malcom on your own but you have to know now that you are no more capable of killing him on your own than I am. In fact Alcide at the moment you are far less likely to be able to do it and while the idea of each of us protecting one another is a noble one if we keep doing it, if we keep shutting each other out and trying to take matters into our own hands we are just going to end up with the same results.” 

“ Do you think we are capable of doing that?” she asked. She knew that as long as she was pregnant he would never agree to let her do anything dangerous and a day after having him laying dead in her arms she was unlikely to let him go head first into the fray either. He didn’t reply and she knew that his thoughts were the same as hers. She sighed and shook her head. “ Highly Unlikely” she said.  They were undoubtedly doomed to repeat the same mistakes. “ But we have forever to try and get it right.” She moved forward and walked though the bedroom and into the bathroom where she sat on the edge of the tub and turned the water on full blast letting it heat up between her fingers. Alcide stripped down and climbed in behind her turning on the jets once he’d gotten himself situated. She turned and looked him over, running her eyes over every inch of his body, the bruises had faded, the cuts and gashes were healed, slight red marks on his dark skin were all that was left to show they had been there. He had been watching her watching him but suddenly he leaned all the way back and closed his eyes. Her gaze was making him uncomfortable and inappropriate thoughts had started to run though his head. Her mouth turned upward and she bit her bottom lip. She supposed that those urges wouldn’t be suppressed just because you had been killed and come back from the dead and while she knew it was probably best to not encourage them it was tempting to. Her desire to be near him was just as strong. She shook off her own pleasurable thoughts and moved down to the middle step of the tub, she rested one hand on the rim and laid her head on it while she let her fingers of her other hand run through the water in the tub. She made the water swirl in circles and sent fire into the water heating it even more. No natural water heater could get water hot enough for a Were.

“ That’s good” Alcide mumbled though veiled eyes. She reached across the tub watching the droplets roll across her skin and fall into the water below. She picked up a sponge and squirted some “manly soap” into it.  She ran the sponge across his exposed knee and waited. Alcide lifted one of his legs out of the water and propped his foot on the her end of the tub. She started with his toes, resisting the urge to do this little piggy and worked her way up his leg taking long firm strokes. When she finished one leg she tapped it and it fell back into the water and was replaced by the other. She pushed herself forward on the step until she was in line with his chest and took to that task taking extra time to run a corner of the sponge across the well defined lines of his abs, when she got to his navel his hand came down and clasped hers. “ Better take care of the rest myself” She looked to him, his eyes were now open, wide and a bit of her smirk lined his mouth. She moved forward pushing her torso toward him but her hand downward and found his lips just as her hand found it's way between his legs. She kissed him firmly but with emotion, hoping it could convey in some small way how much she felt for him, she touched him to remind him that he was indeed very much alive, well and able bodied. His arms found there way around her and she gasped into his mouth at his touch and the feel of the water soaking though the fabric of her shirt. She threw her free arm around his neck and pressed herself to him, Her skin sizzled and her mind raced but her lips kept moving over his, when his tongue pressed through and found hers she moaned and gathered the hair at the nap of his neck in between her fingers. The water underneath Alcide started to shake and he pulled back from her embrace as his orgasm ran though him, their eyes locked and she tightened her grip on his hair refusing to let him move backward. Instead she pulled him back to her and held him there. His head moved down to her shoulder his lips pressed against the flesh of her neck, his canines extended and poked at but did not pierce her flesh. He whispered her name over and over, the feeling of his breath on her skin sending shivers though her she closed her eyes and held onto him so grateful that he was there, that their time together was not over, that he was hers. “ I love you” she said into his ear “forever and ever and ever”.  She’d have stayed like that forever if it weren’t for the sound of her cell ringing in the bedroom. It didn’t dawn on her at first but when the second ring reverberated though the room she pushed back and jumped up. “ It’s Mason’s ring, It’s Mason’s ring” she said frantically running from the room and fumbled along the dresser until she found the phone under a towel that had been discarded there the night before. “ Hello, Mason??” From the other side she heard nothing at first after a moment she made out the sound of faint labored breathing. “ Mason, I know you can hear me. Please tell me where you are. Please let me help you.” 

“Whatever he says do not come after me”  She heard his voice, weak and raspy in her head. Malcom apparently still knew nothing of her connection to Mason but the only message he was sending to her was to stay away. She tried to probe into their connection but he blocked her from seeing anything that could help her locate him. He’d decided he would die rather than give Malcom the satisfaction of his capture being what brought Rebecca to him. The voice that spoke next made her skin crawl, it would be stuck in her head long after she had killed him, she would probably never forget it and at that moment she’d do anything to never hear it again in the context of her current reality. 

“ Rebecca Anna Keane Benoit Sullivan such a long name, prestigious to in the Sup communities.  You’re Dad and Husband Were’s, your father being one of the most powerful pack leaders of the last few generations, your Mother a supreme witch both of you coming from a long line of powerful witchcraft. How they must be proud of their daughter, their wife? Even though you renounced all that and have been living amongst lowly humans these last few years. Though I guess two of them are no longer here to shower you with adoration or show you their displeasure at your choices now are they?? And now you’ve lost a new love and soon from the looks of it you will loose an old one. I took great pleasure watching Alcide die, knowing that it would rip you up inside, expose weaknesses and to think I still have another killer card to play. You’re friend Mason has been taking quite the beating, the chains I’ve put him in have slowed him down some but I’m pretty sure if I gave him an inch he’d rip my throat out.” She heard the sound of chains rattling in the background and then Mason sucking in his breath and then letting out a angry hiss and he struggled against the chains, desperate for any opening any chance to get his hands around Malcom’s throat, to drain him of every ounce of his blood.“ Yeah he definitely wants to kill me” Malcom chuckled. “ I’m assuming you’d like the chance to get your protector back am I right Rebecca? Yeah I am sure you do and I am going to give you that chance, seems the sporting thing to do. I know your Uncle and the rest of Alcide’s pack is looking for me it would be best for Mason if they didn’t, so tell them to stand down. Be ready the next time this phone rings I’ll be ready to end this.” He hung up the phone but not before she caught his mind say “ end you” 

She let her hand fall to her side, clutching the phone inside it, she wouldn’t be putting it down for a moment until the next call came.  She turned to find Alcide standing in the bathroom doorway questions lined into his brow. 

“ Mason is still alive, Malcom thinks you are dead and he wants me to call off Buzz and Crawfish and the rest. If they succeed in finding him he’ll kill Mason. I have to keep this line clear he said he would call here again and that I should be ready when he does. ” 

“ We’ll be ready” She nodded and watched as Alcide hurried to dress, “ I’ll go downstairs and get the calls started. Buzz isn’t going to be happy” 

“ No but he will do it, he won’t want to risk Mason’s life. I need a minute.” She willed Alcide to go, to leave her and after a long pause of uncertainty he nodded and walked out of the room. 

Once she was sure Alcide was down stairs she walked across the room and into the closet, Emmy and Saffy were sitting in on their perches, she gives her head a pop to the right and both cats hop down and head to the shelving unit in the middle of the room on the left side.  She reaches behind the dress hanging from a hook between two cases and presses one of the decorative buttons that circled the outline of the hook. The case opened outward revealing another room behind it.  She stepped inside, yet another new feature to the house, a panic room. If there were any strictly humans in her home right now she’d probably be sticking them in here but for now she sat the girls up some food and water and spent a few minutes checking to make sure that everything that needed to be in there was, she would have to lock down the alter room when she went downstairs to. “ I am sorry girls but this is the safest place you two to be for the moment.” they both looked at her wearily but didn’t make any attempt to follow her out of the room when she exited. They were protected by magic but still, she wanted at least on precious thing in her life to be safe and right now protecting her familiars was the best she could do. If anything happened to her Mason or Elva would retrieve them and make sure they were well cared for. She walked back out into the bedroom and standing in the middle of the room she took a long last look, her sanctuary, the home she’d always longed for. If she had known a few months ago what she knew now, what coming here would mean, what it would cost her, would she have done it? She supposed she would have, her regrets sadly were many, but this was her Grandparents home, their personal piece of heaven on earth. It deserved to be restored and loved the way it should have always been. Beside she thought as she made her way down the stairs, there was always the chance that her past would have caught up with her regardless, at least here she’d found a touchstone, a fortress for which to find the strength within to fight. This place had brought her to her other half, to good friends, brought her back to her family, to the magic inside her. No there was no way she would take it back from ruins to renewal, she was just as born again as this house and like it she had weathered many storms and they would stand tall together for a very long time. She found everyone in the kitchen Alcide talking to someone on the phone, it couldn’t have been Buzz or Crawfish neither of them would have given Alcide guff and there was only one other person Alcide would be talking to, she put her hand out and motioned for him to give her the phone, he handed it over gladly exhaling loudly and rolling his eyes. A look of “ women” passed between him and Sam. 

“ Elva” she said into the phone and then pulled it aways slightly as her Aunt was ranting loudly in Spanish. “ Elva STOP IT” the other end went silent. “ “Listen to me there is nothing left to go rounds about, everything has been said, we all know our place, what needs to be done. You will squelch that fire inside you, find a better purpose for it. Stand in the present but be prepared to bask in our tomorrow. We are Benoit’s, Keane’s we know glory and we have been blessed by the Goddess’s hand. I know that I have failed you and our coven and for that I will need to make amends and pray that in time I will be welcomed fully back into the fold of their arms. I have no fear that I will persevere, I feel surrounded by the good will of those who have come before us and they will keep me. Do not fear for before the sunrises on tomorrow I will have ended this and we will be free. I love you, be safe.” She hit the end button on the phone before her Aunt could respond. Three sets of eyes were focused on her, Sookie’s mouth was partially open and it shut quickly when Rebecca’s gaze caught hers. “ Some people you can’t give a moment of breath to or they will be wound into a whirlwind of non stop chatter.” She smiled at them all “ Thank you three for being here with me. I am grateful. Now if you’d excuse me for a moment  I have something I need to take care of.” She moved through the room without looking back and walked purposefully into the library and through it into the alter room, she stood in front of her alter and with a flick of her finger tips brought a candle to life. “ I pray for the protection of those who I call friend, those I call family, those who I call beloved. I ask that the sins of my past not fall at the feet of those in my present and I ask for the strength to see this journey though. I ask for forgiveness for my acts of madness and for what must still be done” She put the candle of black onto the candle of red and lit it. “ My path be winding, my path be long, my path holds two sides one of right and one of wrong. My path be blessed, my path be light, my path will lead me to the way that is right.” She closed her eyes and said a silent blessing for everyone she knew and one by one the candles in the alter room came to life, one for every head and hand of those she held dear. “ Time passed she wasn’t sure how long but after a while she felt Alcide slip into the room and stand still in the corner, watching her, watching the candles, feeling the electricity in the room rise, she could feel him feeding off of it, letting it wash over him willingly. Finally when she raised her head from her prayers and her body relaxed he spoke. “ You have the hum of the earth inside you, the very life force of our world beats in your heart, runs through the blood in your veins. You are a walking, talking miracle. How is it that I am connected to you?” the cord between them vibrated with Alcide’s emotion and as she moved toward him it grew thicker, brighter. “ I am nothing but a woman, blessed with a gift, one that I have tried to break free of, one I have taken for granted but one that is as a part of me as this hand, “ she cupped her right palm onto his cheek, “ this heart” she reached for his left hand and brought it to her chest. “ this soul” she sent waves of emotion into Alcide, love, admiration, passion, gratitude, respect, acceptance. “ I am just as lucky to have you, we are our own people but together we are something more than whole.” He wrapped her up in his arms and held her close. Outside she could hear her Grandfathers’ clock start chime the hour, her heart skipped a beat with each chime, right before the final chime, the one that would signal midnight, the witching hour. She pulled back from Alcide and gave him a sweet smile. “ I hate to break away from this lovely moment but I can’t wait any longer, nature has been calling for a while now” she laughed an untangled herself and once they were both out of the room she called on fire to have care with the candles still alight throughout the room and shut the door. Silently she moved her lips though the spell to keep it closed from anyone but her “ You won’t be able to enter until this is over and I release the spell, I hope you understand” 

“ Don’t want family secrets falling into the wrong hands, I get it.”  He followed her out of the room only to run into Sookie in the hall. “ You heading the same place I am heading? “She sent Sookie a picture of a toilet and her friend nodded, You take this one and I’ll run upstairs.” She moved quickly noticing that the Vampires had returned. They were standing just outside the opened front door, Pam on one side of Eric, William on the other. They were looking out into the night but Eric had turned his attention to her, she gave him a slight nod as she passed by and she felt his eyes following her up the stairs and down the landing only removing themselves from her retreating back when she was out of sight.  She closed the bedroom doors just as the phone in pocket started to vibrate, she put up a wall around her before answering it, no prying sup ears” Hello?” she kept her tone even, no trace of emotion. 

“ Rebecca, he held the c’s between his teeth giving them a hard edge that made her cringe  “ Do you remember the first night I saw you?” Malcom let out a soft chuckle and she almost gagged. She knew exactly what night it was.  “Well I am there and I am waiting. Come alone, no wolves, no vamps, don’t bring any of your new friends with you or I’ll have to kill Mason before you get the chance to say goodbye” He hung up. The first night he saw her had been the night he’d trespassed through her land, Alcide chasing him through it, the night he’d ended up seeing her with Jason. The thought that Malcom had seen her to made her sick but it also filled her with rage. She did what she came upstairs to do and while washing her hands she looked at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. What she was about to do could not show on her face, she could not send out any signals and she couldn’t show her hand in any way. She had to seem worried, slightly agitated and unsure not as if she knew what was coming next, even though she did and was ready to face it. As she made her way back down the stairs she saw that everyone had made their way onto the porch, they were talking in a low voices amongst themselves. Something about the woods being eerily quiet, something about things being not quite right. Rebecca stepped outside and went to the front of the porch. “ All is still, all is right, nothing amiss in this black night.” She turned and smiled at her friends and returned an intense look in Eric’s direction. 

“ Something feels off Rebecca, the woods are to quiet no sign of your uncle’s pack.” William looked at her questioningly. How could she not feel the same things as the rest of them. He knew something wasn’t right. He wanted to go out to investigate and could feel his body start to hum but she squashed his desire to dash off with a hand to his arm. 

“ They are out there, they are watching but they are now cloaked with magic.” she sent reassuring vibes through the people in front of her, using her abilities to control the mood to convince them she was telling the truth when in fact the wolves were not in woods, they had pulled back right before midnight at Buzz’s direction and her insistence, the words she had spoken to Elva would have set everything in motion, quickly quietly her plan would have been put into place.  Malcom needed an opening and she wanted to be sure he was given one. She had predicted he would come to her, that his pompousness would lead him to believe he could fight her anywhere but that the greatest victory would to be to do it in her own back yard. He thought it was all his free will, his desire but most of the moves he made were dictated by a power greater than he could imagine. He thought he was in control but he was wrong. “ A spell was triggered when any outsider came to close to the grounds. Malcom must have sent someone here to check things out. The wolves can see them but not vice versa, the wards around the house put up a veil as well. I do not sense that whomever it was came closer than the main road though, a scout who was to afraid to do his job it seems or maybe just another way for that fucker to mess with us. He needs to get on with it already. I am tired of waiting.” Alcide put his hand on her shoulder and she let out a long exaggerated breath. “ Sorry my emotions all all over the place, not every day you have do deal with a werewolf with a vendetta, who’s holding your best friend hostage after trying to kill the man you love and is now making you squirm and driving you mad with the wait for him to make his next move.” 

“ Well I suppose we should get used to it,” She looked at Sam who had a goofy grin on his face” I mean this will be over soon enough but we’ll have 9 mouths of pregnancy hormones to deal with right?” Rebecca shook her head but smiled and everyone relaxed a little at the joke. She took that moment as her cue to exit. “ Okay Smart guy I’ll give you that one but I’ll be keeping a tab for all of you on the pregnancy jokes you will only get so many before I’ll probably bite your head off,” She moved into the house “ I’ll be right back going to get me some water’ Alcide turned to go with her but she shushed him back. “ I’ll be okay be right back and when he still didn’t seem sure he wanted to let her go on her own she came forward and pulled herself up to give him a kiss on the cheek and a slap on the behind. “ No worries big fella, we’re good for now”  and with a wink she pranced away down the hall and into the kitchen walking through it as lightly as possible her feet barely touching the tiles of the floor. The backdoor opened and closed without a sound and she moved through it and down the back steps. In her mind she repeated the same phrase over and over “ Close the circle, close the circle, close the circle and she could feel the protective seal she’d put around the grounds of Belle Vita start to move inward. From inside the house she heard Alcide call her name, she read the realization in his mind but kept her feet moving forward and her focus on her incantation. She heard the back door swing open and the sound of foot steps hitting steps, “ Rebecca” Alcide screamed her name and this time those in the front of it took notice and within seconds everyone was in the grass behind her. Close the circle, close the circle, close the circle and just before Alcide’s strong hands could reach out and grab her she felt herself move through the force of the field and heard Alcide curse as his attempt to grab her was thwarted and his weight hit the field and knocked him backward. “REBECCA” he screamed it into her head and this time she stopped and turned. She focused first on the three blurry shapes running to and fro throwing their bodies into the protective field, looking for any weakness and then her eyes met Sam’s and Sookie’s her face registering hurt, his understanding and then finally she made herself look at Alcide. Her chin trembled slightly and she blinked her eyes quickly forcing back the tears. He was furious, frightened, betrayed. Had they not just talked about this he sent to her, how could she do this to him, go at this alone. She took a few steps forward and put her hand up, the electricity of her fingertips touching the field sent sparks into the air. She waited, hoped his hand would meet hers but he just stood there looking at her defiantly, he wouldn’t give her that comfort. “ Forgive me” she whispered but his face didn’t soften, his stance remained rigid and when his eyes broke from hers and he took a few steps backward she turned and walked toward the woods. She could sense Mason now his aura called to her and she was drawn to it, her feet propelled her forward and though her heart stopped beating for a split second when the howl cried out in agony behind her she didn’t turn back. 

   

By the time she got close to the her circle clearing she had pushed the scene at the house out of her mind. she was focused and ready. Alcide was pissed but he’d get over it, and her coming back from her conformation with Malcom in one piece would certainly help him move past it quicker. She stepped into the clearing and immediately her eyes were drawn to the big oak in it's middle. Mason was strung up on the trunk, his arms spread across the chains, the chains making circles around a branch on each side. his legs dangled but they too were wrapped and pulled back and the chains were locked around the trunk. His head hung limply to one side. He was bloody, bruised and burnt. She willed him to look at her but he didn’t move. She wanted to run to him, to use air and the strength of her core to break him free and hold him but movement on all sides of her squelched the desire and forced her attention away from her dearest friend. Several faces came out of the darkness some were human some in wolf form all of them looking at her as if she were pray, some with evil grins crossing their faces or muzzles.
“ Rebecca, you came. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show and I was started to get pissed off but my friend here tells me you were just making sure your friends up in the house couldn’t follow you.” A tall blond figure came oozed out of the woods, a carbon copy of the vamp she had killed at Merlotte’s. Malcom turned to the vampire beside him and then back at her “ Rebecca Keane let me introduce you to Wilem, I believe you are acquainted with his brother Maarten. Wilem and his recently departed brother were passing through these parts looking for a women who’d been traveling with the vampire that killed their maker. Seems they weren’t quite convinced she hadn’t had anything to do with his death no matter how much the vampire that had staked him had professed she hadn’t known nothing of what he’d planned. They knew that their maker had found her quite intriguing and had planned on making her his. They had been away when their maker was killed and when they returned they were vexed to hear that the women was gone, they’d spent some time trying to track her down. One night in the woods here we came across one another, at first we were a bit confrontational with one another but after Maarten disappeared we got to talking and realized we might be looking for the same person and why not team up and pool our resources. Wilem here was able to worm his way into the good graces of a vampire women in New Orleans. One with a bit of a chip on her shoulder, one with ties to your friend Mason here. She was more than willing to give us a hand, spying on your Aunt and passing information along to us. She was quite helpful while she thought you were the only intended target. Seems you have a way of pissing people off Rebecca, something about you makes people want to kill you. But by the time she realized we intended to use her to get our hands on Mason it was to late. “ Wilem reached back into the darkness and with a cry and a hiss he dragged Silvia out into the moonlight. She to was chained and she was opening weeping. “ He came reluctantly, he probably knew what was coming but she was his progeny and he didn’t want to believe she would betray him. Or maybe he hoped that he could make a deal with me to spare you. But honestly there was nothing he could say that would have made me walk away. The thought of killing you is just to tantalizing.” 

“ I am glad that plotting my murder has given your life meaning Mr. Malcom,, I like knowing that I have left my mark on people. Of course to hear you tell it it’s often in a negative connotation. But “ she shrugged” What can you do?? Can’t please everyone now can you?” She smiled sweetly. “ So what’s next? I am sure you want to savor the moment, I mean really relish in the fact that you have me here, alone although I’m sure you know far from defenseless.” she called on wind and it whipped around her sending the branches of the trees around them snapping back and forth, Malcom made a move toward Mason and Wilem grabbed Silvia’s chains pulling them hard sending her screams out into the night. She released wind “ Oh my bad “ she took a step back putting her hands up and out in front of her, the wolves in both forms took a step forward “ I guess I’m probably not supposed to use my powers. I mean if I do you will probably hurt Mason some more and I don’t want that. I apologize how foolish of me” Malcom’s face registered loathing, Wilem’s fangs were extended. Rebecca turned her smile to him “ You can kill her if you want, I assure you her life is over one way or another before this night is.” Silvia didn’t even look up, she just collapsed further into herself and continued to cry. 

“ You think you are above it all don’t you girl? You and your family hovering over the rest of us as if you were gods? Thinking you are better than all of us? You’re coven with their pact with vampires, you’re father trying to bring all sups together as if we could be one big happy co-existing family. Wolves being forced to share the same space with vampires and witches and shifters. It’s disgusting, degrading to my kind. My lineage may not be as long or as prestigious as your’s girl but we sure as hell have no need to lower ourselves consorting with the likes of you and yours. You’re father was a race traitor and your mother sold her soul to the Vampire devils. You’re family is tainted girl and you, you have my families blood on your hands and I fully intend to get satisfaction for their deaths.” He rushed her then his anger propelling him forward and when he reached her his hand came flying out from his side and smacked her solidly across her cheek. Her head jerked to the side but she brought it back just as quickly and stared back at her assailant, he was breathing heavily his eyes ablaze he wanted to do more but he was forcing himself to hold back. She replanted her feet and pulled her shoulders back, the coppery taste of her blood filled her mouth, she had bitten her tongue, she waited a moment and then spit the contents out onto the ground in between them rolling her tongue across her teeth sending pain rushing through her body, it served as a reminder she was alive and to keep herself in control. 

“ Good you can take a punch, I hated to think you’d be an easy kill” Behind them chains rattled as Malcom stirred in his bonds a wave of his pain went through her and the strength of it threatened to buckle her, she steeled herself and though she could feel Mason’s gaze was now upon her she didn’t take her eyes off of Malcom. He gave a nod and four bodies made their way under the tree.

“ Do you want a confession Malcom, do you want me to attest to my sins, bare my soul, lay all of my bad deeds at your feet? Where would you like me to start? How about my offenses to Silvia here? I was more bonded to her maker than she was and no matter how much she tried she could never break that, no matter how good my family was to her, no matter what Mason gave her it was never enough. I made him less of a vampire, I forced him to suppress his most basic of instincts and I had the audacity to assert my my own authority and not bow down to him or anyone else and for that she despised me enough to get into bed with the likes of you. Who’s next? How about Wilem, he looks as though he’s chomping at the bit for answers and I am more than willing to provide them. First of the vampire that killed your sire, Alexander was my lover but he didn’t lie for me. He killed your sire because he wanted to take me away from him and Alex had no intention of letting that happen no matter the consequences. It cost him his life and I suppose that while I was not directly involved with your sire's demise I am guilty by association, by the love that he had for me and by the word and bond Alex had with my family to protect me no matter what. As for your brother, I gave him fair warning, I gave him options, an opportunity to leave without any repercussions but he refused and since he was threatening my life and the life of a dear friend he died for it. Wilem’s face was twisted into a menacing snarl, his fangs were almost vibrating their desire to sink themselves into her flesh was so great. He came towards her in a blur but was stopped mere inches from reaching her by a stake being slammed into his heart. He stopped came into focus his eyes growing wide with realization and he turned looked at Malcom with disdain and then dissolved into a flow of blood and goo onto the ground between them. 

She shook her head and gazed down at the puddle that used to be Wilem“ Sadly he did not see that coming, even eternity can’t fix stupid” she grinned widely knowing that she looked mad and not giving one shit about it. Malcom still holding the stake at the ready slowly put it to his side “ I told the son of a bitch not to try and touch you, you were mine. They all knew that. From above the sound of an owl echoed through the air around them. Rebecca looked up into the trees searching for the maker and found a pair of yellow eyes staring back at her from a few feet above Malcom in the big oak. The owl was almost as black as the night and it turned it’s head from side to side and then back to face her. Her grin got even wider. “ Mr. Malcom do you know what today is?

“ What the fuck does that matter woman?” when she continued to look at him as if she were waiting for a proper answer he smirked and said “ The day you die?” She threw her head back and laughed. “ Perhaps Mr Malcom Perhaps but no that’s not what I was referring to. You see today is All Hallow’s Eve, All Souls Day, Samhain or as most know it Halloween. It has been celebrated for centuries in many cultures, as a celebration for the end of the harvest, for the coming of winter, a day to remembrance for the souls that have crossed. The night of the year where the veil between the living and the dead is at it’s thinnest. Does the holiday have any meaning to you Mr Malcom? 

The man shook his head but remained silent looking at her as if she’d lost her fucking mind. “ Not a God Damned thing Ms. Keane not until now. She took in the thoughts that went through his head each one of them more digesting than the next. He planned on having a very nice Halloween filled with lots of tricks and treats. Her being the barer of every single one of them.  “Now now Mr Malcom those thoughts are very very impure you really shouldn’t be thinking such things, you never know who might be running around in your head, you might never know who they might tell and how those people would react if they heard what you wanted to do to me.” 

From behind Malcom came a yelp and he took his eyes off of her and turned slightly, a blond wolf that had been there moments before was now gone. From beside Mason came another rustling of bush, another wolf gone. 

“What the hell?” He pushed the stake into the back of his jeans and pulled out a gun in it’s stead. “ I told you no magic woman.” He turned to the men holding onto Mason’s chains and just as one of them started to pull a force blew him backward into the tree knocking him unconscious. The other three dropped their chains and took several steps back into the clearing away from the woods. 

“ I am not doing a thing Mr Malcom, I am standing her doing exactly as you told me.” More rustling, More of Malcom’s men disappeared into the darkness of the wood. He marched toward her and put the gun to her forehead. His mind told her he knew that all of his grand plans were going to shit, that with each men that passed his chances of finishing what he started the way he intended grew less likely and his desire to make sure she died intensified. Malcom cocked the gun and Rebecca closed her eyes but the smile never left her face and just as his finger pushed backward to fire the round into her brain a growl came up from behind her killer. 

Rebecca opened her eyes and the smile that framed her face turned from one of madness to one of shear joy. Malcom was frozen in place not sure what the hell had come up behind him. “ Mr Malcom I would like to introduce you to my Father, August Benoit. Daddy this is Mr. Lawrence Malcom the man that wants to kill me. I believe you knew his Father and a couple of his half brothers.” The gun came out of Malcom’s hand and fell to the ground below with a clang. August Benoit in all his ghostly wonder now had the man by the throat, his wolf nails digging deeply into the mans neck. Rebecca took a few steps back and surveyed the scene around her, family members, friends and one dearly departed husband surrounded her. Christian was the only one who was not occupied with a enemy so it was he who after looking at her with eyes filled with love walked over to the Oak and started to free Mason from his bonds. She turned her attentions back to Malcom. “ I know you like to think me a liar so I want to make sure that you and I are clear on something. I promised you that I wouldn’t bring any of my new friends or my Uncle and his pack. I kept that promise. But you sir never said anything about old friends and family.” She walked over and stood in front of the man who moments ago held a gun to her head, who had been torturing her for the last few months who had killed the man she loved. He had no idea that she would have come back, that he did come back, that any of what was transpiring now. Now his intentions had been to annihilate all that she held dear. “ I know what your plans were for me had this whole evening gone as you had envisioned and I know that my death would have been slow and agonizing and you would have taken great pleasure in watching me cling to life. I also know that you wouldn’t have stopped once I was dead. That you would have gone after my family, it wouldn’t have ended with me. I am going to do for you what you wouldn’t have done for me. I am going to kill you fairly quickly. But first I want to let you know that anyone in this world that you may have spoken to, any one that holds the same vendetta against my family because of your venom has been taken care of. They have either been spelled or glamoured into forgetting everything you have told them or they are dead. Also rest assured that any information they had was taken from them before their memories or lives were taken. Well with the obvious exception of those who are here right now but I assure you they will be taken care of soon just as you will. You desire to be remembered as a force to be reckoned with will die with you. No one will remember you, no one will mourn you, no one will remember you ever existed. I can tell by the furrowing of your brow that that upsets you, that that is probably the absolute worst of outcomes as you spent far to much of your life being cast aside, left behind, seemingly forgotten to know that your death will bring more of the same must break your itty bitty blackened heart. Malcom struggled in her father’s arms realizing now he has nothing left to loose and might as well give getting at her one last go but he’s quickly pulled back and held in place, this time not only by the strength of her father’s bulk but by the roots that have wrapped themselves around his feet. “ I am going to give you one thing before you go, throw you a bone, as a Werewolf I am sure you can appreciate that” Her Dad clears his throat in protest but doesn’t say anything as she winks at him. “ Most of the charges you leveled against me I am guilty of. After your Father and brothers killed my Father, my husband and my daughter I went after them. One by one in various places around this great country of ours I ended them where they stood. I was mad with grief and with a need for vengeance, something I am sure considering your actions the last few months you can totally understand. I have very little remorse even now for what I did. I am sorry for the consequences my family and friends have had to bare because of my actions but I can not say I am not happy those men are no longer here. Your family’s blood line is tainted with an all consuming hate for everyone who is not exactly like you. Perhaps I should’t have made myself judge and jury and one day I may very well have to pay for taking their lives in my hands but I will deal with that if and when the day comes. But I can assure you know matter who may stand in judgement of me they would NOT have made my family or friends pay my penance. If you had come just for me maybe things would have ended up differently for you but no you had to get greedy. She placed her hands on each side of Malcom’s head, sending pictures into his brain. The details of the deaths of her family at his families hands, the deaths she inflicted upon them in return, the images that now flooded her brain coming from Mason, the torture, the pain and lastly his fight with Alcide and the knowledge that despite his best efforts he had failed at taking him away from her. “ He’s alive you cowardice son of a bitch.” and with that she moved further into his head and found the symbolic switch that made his brain tick and shut it off. His face went from startled to blank in the blink of an eye and all life left him. Her father held up the lifeless shell of the man until she gave the nod and then let him fall to the ground. He grabbed her up into his arms and held her tightly, she returned the strength of of his embrace and left a deep sobbing breath go into his chest. “ You’ve done good girl!” he whispered into her ear and then pulled back examining her. 

“ Thank you Dad, you will never know how happy I am that you were able to come.” A sharp pain ran through her and caught her breath and her head whipped around to find Mason’s legs had been freed and Christian was working on his right arm. Her father ran to Mason’s side and took the weight of his left side onto himself while Christian finished freeing his remaining arm and was down on the ground before it started to fall. Both men put the vampire down slowly. Mason was in a lot of pain, but having the silver off had already eased that enormously. “ Mason” she whispered as she ran her hand across his face, sending calming comforting vibes through her fingertips. “ You know that him having you, doing this to you was more likely to do me in that that gun right? You have really got to stop trying to do every damned thing by yourself. You will not get martyrdom in my name old friend” He looked at her with half of one eye, the other was still completely swollen shut and sent a string of curse words into her head. She laughed and took his open hand and then as carefully as possible she moved forward into him and kissed his cheek. “ yeah yeah I love you to.” 

“ Anna honey we ain’t got much time” She looked over to her Dad who was looking up into the tree the black owl still sitting there watching, this time it’s eyes were glued on her father. She turned to Christian and grabbed him up, revealing in the feel of his arms once again around her. She kissed him and thanked him and let their moment of togetherness wash over her, fill her up. “ Come on we need to hurry” he said. She let him pull her up and take her out of the clearing and down the trail a while into the woods, off to the side she heard footsteps and then two figures emerged from the brush. Her Grandfather and her daughter. She sucked in her breath, she hadn’t expected this. This hadn’t been a part of the plan but there he was. Her daughter ran to her and she bent down to grab her up in her arms, holding onto her tightly, breathing in her scent,  kissing her cheeks, her forehead, the tip of her nose. She remembering how wonderful she felt being this beautiful, talented, smart girls Mother. “ Hello Momma” Sage whispered “ I’ve missed you.” 

“ Oh my dearest baby girl I have missed you to, I am so glad you got to come to see me.” She reached out and touched her Grandfather’s cheek,Etienne smiled, took her hand and kissed it. “ Rebecca” Christian called from behind them. “ they can’t hold it any longer. We have to go.” She hugged her daughter once again and then turned toward her husband. “ Sage sweetheart you have to go with your Dad now.” She expected a fight, in the old days that is what she would have gotten but on this night Sage unwrapped herself from her Mother and turned her body towards her Dad so he could take her up in his arms. She had known her time would be brief, Christian had explained it all to her, it wasn’t easy but she knew she couldn’t stay and that holding on any more would just hurt their hearts more. “ I love you both so very much” and she smiled at them as tears ran down her face. She touched Christians arm and then placed one last kiss on her daughters cheek. “ You two be safe, take care of one another, of Grandpa” 

“ You take care of you Rebecca, be happy.” Christian smiled and then Sage chimed in “ and take care of my baby brother to!!” She giggled and Christian shook his head at his silly girl and then they were gone. She took several deep breaths and found her center before turning to her Grandfather “ I wasn’t expecting you but what a lovely sight you are.” She embraced him
“ Dearest Granddaughter, how could I stay away. A chance to see so many loved ones who have crossed over and to do what I could to protect the ones who remain earthbound with me. There was no other choice. “ they made their way back down the trail arm in arm. Her father was still holding on but almost everyone else was gone, their faces still etched in her mind but her chance to speak to any of them now gone. She thanked them all silently. Malcom still lay in the center of her circle but the rest of the men who were with him were no where to be seen. Her Uncle came into the clearing, a pair of loose fitting shorts hanging off his hips and gave her a nod “ All taken care of.” He nodded at August “ You take care brother!” 

“ Ain’t got no worries in the afterlife man, it’s all smooth sailing.” He turned to his father and they quickly embraced a look passed between them that conveyed many things, he then winked at her, nodded at Buzz and with one last look into the trees and at the black owl who's eyes met his it's eyes blinking slowly he faded away.

The black owl let out a screech and then descended into the clearing, landing at the north point of her circle, three more owls revealed themselves and landed in their places of south, east and west. One by one they transformed back into their human selves. Buzz and Etienne scurried around handing her Mother, Her Aunts Elva and Selene and her cousin Patrice black robes. “ Thank you gentlemen!” they covered themselves up as Buzz took hold of the back of Malcom’s shirt and one swift movement threw his body over his shoulder. “ Well everything seemed to go just as planned ladies, good job. Now if you don’t mind I got a bunch of bodies to dispose of.” All of the ladies turned and watched as he moved through the clearing, Buzz was not one for a lot of small talk when there was still work to be done. Noticing Silvia still lying on the ground at the edge of the clearing he turned and looked back at them and asked “ What about her?” Mason’s voice rang out from his place by the tree “ Leave her to me”  Buzz looked to her and she nodded. As her maker it was his right to decide her fate. Silvia knew there was no use in running, that Mason would find her no matter where she went, no matter how many miles she put between them all he had to do was call her to him so she had remained there watching the events unfold, her eyes dark and empty. She was now looking toward Mason slowly she stood and made her way over to where he lay as she started to crouch down next to him, whimpering and whispering apologies and pleas for mercy, Mason reached out and grabbed her by the neck and brought her to him, his fangs extended and he sank them into her. For a moment she struggled like a rat caught in the grips of a python, her arms flailing in the air, her nails clawing into the bark of the tree behind her, her feet kicking and digging into the ground beneath her. But Mason’s grip just tightened and the more her drank from her the weaker she became. He didn’t stop until her body went completely limp in his grasp and then he let her go, she fell motionless into him and his eyes now wide open gazed upon her, his arms went to cradle her bringing her to his chest where he held her. No matter what she had done she was still his progeny, he had made her immortal and it hurt him to have to take that immortality from her. But there was no forgiveness for what she had done, she had betrayed him, dishonored their pact with the coven and showing her any mercy would only weaken his hold over the others. No Mason had no choice but he took little pleasure in what he had to do. He placed her gently onto the ground and then finding Malcom’s stake laying near his feet picked it up and plunged it into Silvia’s heart. Rebecca went to him then holding out her hand, Mason took hold of it and she helped pull him to his feet, and when after taking a single step forward and almost teetering over she said “ Lean on me dear friend, I am far stronger than I appear.” His mouth opened slightly prepared to put forward a protest but he closed it quickly and sent his thoughts into her head instead “ Yes dearest girl, it is quite clear that you are.”  He placed his arm around her shoulder and together they walked toward her family. “ Temperance, Elva, Selene, Patrice” he gave each of them a nod of appreciation. “ It was ever so kind of you all to come to my aid tonight, I do apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused.” Rebecca knew she was the butt of the remark but she refrained from retaliation. Instead she repeated the sentiment. “ Yes thank you, for everything. I know that without the faith of my family all of this could have been far worse. I am grateful that you were willing to hear me, to believe in my plan.” There had been no phones, no e-mails no traceable communication it had all been conveyed from one mind to the other, nothing spoken aloud. 

“ Rebecca my daughter, you can be a terrible pain in the ass but you are also one magnificent witch. We have been graced with many blessings, the Goddess has been good to this family and in the dark of this night, with the moon of the blessed day of Samhain hanging in the sky we once again find ourselves safe. I am grateful for that blessing most of all.” There were many other words that needed to be spoken, conversations to be had but they would wait for another night. “ Now lets get Mason back to the house, he looks like shit.” Elva took Mason’s other arm and placed it over her shoulders and together they walked slowly up the path back to Belle Vita. With each step they took her heartbeat quickened and by the time they rounded the last bend that lead into the clearing of the back of the house it was ready to burst it’s way out of her chest. Her mind was a tissy of thoughts, of fears. What and who if anything or anyone she would find waiting for her. As they broke through the last of the underbrush she let out a deep ragged breath of relief, her friends were exactly where she had left them and Alcide was standing in front of them all. His eyes quickly locking on her. Sookie and Sam looked relieve, Eric and Pam slightly bored, slightly impressed. She watched as a look of recognition crawled across William's face as he saw Etienne, most would have thought they were seeing a ghost but William knew all to well that his old friend was real. She released the protection spell from around the house and as soon as it evaporated into the night Alcide started to run towards her. 

William and Eric made it to her first and they took Mason from her and Elva freeing her to be enveloped in Alcide’s arms. “ Are you okay?” he pulled back, his eyes held a million questions, he took her in quickly, grabbing at her shirt, staring at the blood on her clothes.
“ She’s fine son, none of the blood is hers.” Her Mother called from behind them.
“You must be Alcide? As strapping a young buck as Elva said you were.” She extended her hand “ I’m Temperance Benoit Keane. Rebecca’s Mother. I’d have liked to have finally met your acquaintance under different circumstances. Perhaps before you knocked my daughter up.” She looked at Alcide pointedly, her hand was still empty. 

“ Take her hand Alcide” she sent to him and quickly he thrust his hand into her Mother’s. “ Humm nice solid grip, strong werewolf stock. You have a nice aura, good vibes. I suppose that you will do. Welcome to the family Alcide Herveaux you see that you take damned good care of my daughter. Keep her out of trouble if you can manage it.” she turned her gaze to Rebecca, “ I know that’s a tall order, but you look like you’re up to the challenge. Now lets give these two a few moments alone. Mr Compton, Mr Northman can you help Mason inside. Ms.De Beaufort would you please retrieve some blood from the basement." Her Grandfather stood silently gazing upon his old home, the splendor of it still catching his breath. He sent a thousand thanks to Rebecca and then as William and Eric started to move towards the house so did he, patting his old friend on the shoulder as their strides met and matched up. " Miss Stackhouse, Mr Merlotte could you please help us ladies get ourselves settled into Belle Vita. Some clothing? Perhaps a bite to eat. Casting can be quite exhausting" No one seemed at all surprised that her mother knew all of their names, nor that she went about barking orders at them. They all did as they were asked and she continued to talk at all of them as they made their way back into the house leaving her and Alcide standing there together, alone. Around them the woods started coming back to life, the crickets began to chirp, the mice began to scurry, a breeze picked up and rustled through branches of the trees,moved through the water of the lake making it ripple. She listened to the questions in Alcide’s head. She answered each and every one of them. “ So it’s over, really over?” he finally asked aloud.
“ Yes.” she replied. It seemed like such a short answer to such a complicated situation but it was the truth. Lawrence Malcom was gone, any threat he posed to her, to him, to their loved ones died with him. “ Alcide, I am sorry that I” He stopped her from saying anything else by placing his lips onto hers and kissing her with an intensity that makes her knees give out but with Alcide’s arms around her she stays upright and steady and she knows that this is how it will always be when she is with him that somehow no matter how far she falls into him she will always remain on solid ground.  

“ You are forgiven” he says when he finally pulls his lips away  and as he smooths the flyways the wind is whipping around her face and caresses her cheeks with his thumbs he looks deeply into her eyes “ And you are loved. You are so very loved.” She smiles up at him and grabs his hands and lifts herself up to kiss him again. A thrill runs through her and throws her head back and howls into the night. For the first time in years she is truly free, free to start again, free to be happy, free to give and receive love, free of her demons, her secrets, her fears. She knows she has been blessed, that while she had been immortal for five years and had had eternity stretched out before her she had been merely existing. Her life had not been a living one. She had been dead inside but now she was awake and alive and ready to bask in all of the wonders her world had to offer.
“ Shall we start our forever Mr. Herveaux?” He shook his head but the crooked grin she loved so much had already started to form in the corners of his mouth. He extended his arm and she placed her hand in the crook. “Ms Keane, I thought you’d never ask.” and together they walked back to Belle Vita and forward into their future.                                                                      

   

THE END 

FOR NOW 

Wicked NOT Dead Chapter 22

                                                          

                                          

WICKED NOT DEAD : CHAPTER 22 

Rebecca 

" Jesus Fucking Christ" Alcide came though the back door like a hurricane and Rebecca cringed as he banged things around in the kitchen and spewed several more curse filled half sentences long before his shadow passed by and then returned to the library door. His eyes met hers first and then softened momentarily, he have her the slightest of smiles and took a deep breath. He was about to explain what all the fuss was about when he noticed that she wasn't alone in the room. 

" Well hey there Sookie, I didn't know you were here. Sorry bout all that in the kitchen. Been a hard day" he ran his hand through his hair and looked contrite. There was no need for the apology Sookie had seen and heard far worse hell she'd perpetrated far worse herself bit it was still nice that he offered one up. 

" No problem Alcide you two need a minute?" Sookie pushed her chair back but Alcide put his hand out to stop her " No it's nothing that can't wait, you two have been waiting a long time to get into those books, I'll just go upstairs and get cleaned up." he gave Sookie a grin and then turned back to her " You need me to do anything to help with dinner?"

She wanted to ask what kind of damage she was going to find in the kitchen but thought the better of it. There was no guilt in his mind over anything broken so she figured it was best to just let it go. " Nope, nothing everything is well underway and should be ready in an hour or less. Sookie will be joining us." She smile at her friend to reassure her that despite her boyfriends current mood she was welcome and wanted there. They had just started going through all of the books and journals her family had on the Fae and she had promised Sookie her full attention for the entire evening. 

" Well you give me a call if you need anything or when it is ready whatever comes first." He gave her a wink and gave Sookie another smile and a nod and then disappeared from view. 

" He sure is tense" Sookie kept her gaze at the opened door. The feeling was palpable and the reminents of it whiffed through the room towards them. Rebecca sighed " He's been that way ever since we returned from New Orleans. No matter what he is doing, how focused he is on other things he is always waiting for the other shoe to drop." 

September had fallen away and now it was Mid-October Malcom hadn't made his move, in fact he seemed to have backed off completely. Whatever his plan was for them it had taken a backseat to getting the housing development he had stared with Alcide's father off the ground. Alcide was in the presence of the man he despised most, who was holding his and Rebecca's future captive every single day of the week and for Alcide that was maddening. 

" Honestly Rebecca I don't know how he hasn't gone off the depend, with everything that man knows and how he is always in Alcide's face I doubt I'd have shown as much restraint" She had told Sookie everything a few days after returning from New Orleans. She had told William and Sam the whole truth as well. Being Sups they could be of help to those in Bon Temps that might need it. They deserved to know what knowing her could cost them. She had left it to Sookie to clue in her brother, Tara and the others on whatever parts of the truth she thought fit. Sookie had decided to keep them relatively ignorant the less details they knew the better it was for them, at least in theory. Rebecca asked Mason to put some discreet vampire protection around them at night and Buzz had sent a few wolves up to keep an eye on things during the day. Rebecca didn't think they were in any danger but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

" I worry about him loosing his shit every day, it is ripping away at his insides, he barely sleeps, spends a lot of time wolfing out in the woods at night. The weight is so heavy on him, he tries to be personable with me but I know it is a strain at times. He wants so badly for this to be over with, patience is not a virtue he possesses under normal circumstances, this situation is life or death and he'd prefer to just kill Malcom now and get it over with." 

" Wouldn't that just be easiest, just wait until he is off somewhere on his own do him in and then have Mason and the others glamour anyone he might have told your story to?" 

" We could but the question is would we be able to get to everyone in time. We have people positioning themselves around every person we know Malcom had a relationship with. I want this to be over in one swoop, I don't want this hanging over my or my families heads forever. There are laws Sookie and I broke a lot of them, if the word gets out there will always be someone who will want to make me pay for what I did and imagine what would happen if they in acted their revenge only to find later that I can not die. Then I have to go into hiding, people like me will be hunted, studied, tortured to figure out what makes us tick. We are immortals without being Vampire, all of the perks and none of the drawbacks, that is something that many human and sup alike would love to get their hands on. I don't want to end up a science experiment, I don't want anyone else to find out they are like me by being made to die. I also don't want anyone else to get hurt by my past, so we sit and we wait and we try to be as normal as possible. We cook dinner and we help friends learn about their backgrounds and we try to find ways to calm down our frenzied men folk." she let out a short laugh and then handed Sookie the book that she had been looking through, " here is a passage about my Great Aunt wrote about her dealings with the Fae, why don't you have a look while I go check on dinner." Sookie grabbed the book up and immediately started to read, the entry was quite long and spoke of her Great Aunt Imogen's dealings with a Fae Prince named Naill and his sons. Some of the dealings were rather personal in nature and would shed a bit of light on how it was Sookie ended up with Fae blood. She was fully absorbed in reading the text before Rebecca left the room. As she made her way the short distance in to the kitchen she couldn't help but let her mind wonder to the man upstairs. She could hear the shower running and she could hear his mind turning, though he was trying hard to turn it off, calm himself down and be able to come down for dinner in a better mood. The last few weeks the only thing that really got his mind off Malcom and their situation was when they were in the throws on intimacy. Alcide couldn't get enough when it came to sex and so she had been throwing herself at him whenever possible, not that she minded the distraction at all herself but she hated that the only moments he had any peace was when they were making love. She rarely got a half hour after they had finished before his mood shifted and his thoughts started to wonder, he spent far to much time in the dark places in his mind, many times he blocked her out, she could only feel the tension but not know exactly what it was that was causing it. She couldn't blame him for keeping her out he didn't want her to worry, didn't want to make it any harder on her, didn't want her to know what he was planning. She knew that despite all their promises to go through this together Alcide would still try and find a way to keep her out of the fray and she was going to do everything she could not to let him take the brunt of her mistakes on his shoulders. She had gotten sick for the first time that morning, terribly gut wrenchingly sick. It had taken all she had to wait until after Alcide had left the house and now sitting in the kitchen checking on the chicken in the oven she felt her stomach turn again. No one knew about the pregnancy. She'd kept that to herself and when asked directly by her Aunt and her Mother she had lied. If they had talked to Alcide she had not seen it in his head but she would not be at all surprised. But no matter the talk Rebecca wasn't speaking it aloud. There was to much at stake at the moment. Both with the possibility that her family would keep her from helping end the mess she had started and with her previous inability to carry a baby to term. It was real but that didn't mean it would stick and Rebecca wasn't going to jinx it. There was nothing anyone could say or do that would make her put the thought out into the universe. She kept it to herself and in quiet moments she let herself dream of another child. A boy, she knew without a doubt. This time she was going to have a son. Alcide's son. She looked up at the heavens and sent love to Sage and hopes for understanding from Christian. She knew they would both be happy for her but there was a part of her that couldn't help but feel guilty. She wasn't replacing what she had lost but she was moving on. It was time but there was still a sadness there that caught her heart. Once satisfied that everything was going right in the kitchen she walked back towards the library she stopped short when she heard something hit the floor upstairs.  " Sookie I'm going to pop upstairs for a minute and see if there is anything that needs to be secured before Alcide decides to toss it across the room." Sookie looked from the ceiling to her face and gave her a nod. " I won't be long." she gave her friend a smile and then headed toward the stairs.  She heard the sound of the chair scrapping against the hardwood and then Sookie was in the door frame. " Um Rebecca are you going up there to?" Rebecca nodded but didn't turn she just kept walking to the stairs " You sure you don't want me to leave and come back?" 

" Why would I want you to do that?" she turned on the steps with a mischievous smile on her face. 

"Would it help if I promised to be really quiet? Sookie blushed slightly and then straightened herself against he door frame. She was no prude " You gotta do what you gotta do. I'll keep an eye on dinner. " 

She opened the doors to her bedroom and took a look around. There didn't seem to be anything out of place, nothing shattered on the floor but Alcide was spread across the bed, she guessed he'd plopped down hard and it had made the headboard shake. " Is anything in danger of being irreparably broken in here?" she closed the door and stood against it. 

 " No I know better than to start tossing your stuff around. You didn't need to come up here, I'm all right." he was wrapped in a towel, slightly wet his arm draped across his eyes. 

" Alcide." his arm came away and he turned to look at her. He let her into his head and she saw his day unfold and without saying a word he conveyed all of the emotions he had felt, the anger and the resignation, the complete lack of control he felt over the situation and the numerous times he had imagined snapping the mans neck during the hour meeting they'd had that afternoon. She walked over to the bed and crawled onto it laying down next to him letting her hand caress his forehead, running her fingers through his hair. She sent out a soothing vibe and listened as his breathing slowed, his body relaxed and mind focus on her face. " No matter what happens Alcide, moments like this is all that matters. You and me and what we feel for each other is real and no one will ever take that away from us. In this life or in the next, our minds, our bodies, our spirits belong to one another. We are connected. We are forever. No one can break us. I love you, I will fight for you. I will die for you. " He took her by the shoulders the last declaration was something he didn't want to hear. Even if it were true. 

" I will come back for you." she leaned down and kissed him lightly. " Believe in me, Believe in yourself, Believe in those around us, those who will stand with us, those who will help us through this. It will be okay, you have to believe Alcide. You have to believe and you have to be patient." She kissed him again and this time he kissed her back. The moment went from there and when it ended she laid in the crook of his arm and they talked softy for a few moments before getting up and dressing. Sookie was waiting. They were halfway down the stairs when Alcide pulled her hand and brought her to a stop. 

" Rebecca, if anything happens " she closed her eyes and braced herself for what was coming next. " Look at me Becca" she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. " If anything happens you need to believe I'll come back to you to." He squeezed her hand tight and didn't let her move until she nodded her response. If anything happened she had to believe that, fore the alternative would break her. Alcide would be like her, he would be immortal. There was no other choice. Not that she was all that keen on testing the fates on that one. 

They found Sookie in the kitchen, dinner on the table, the pitcher of tea in her hand. " Thank you Sookie, everything looks fantastic." They sat, they ate, the made small talk. Alcide listened as the girls talked about what they had read in the journals so far. Rebecca answered endless questions and the focus didn't leave Sookie or her quest for understanding the Fae side of herself for the remainder of the evening. Alcide walked Sookie to her car and they both watched until the taillights turned the corner and Rebecca waited on the top stair until she saw the blur in the woods go after Sookie's car knowing that she would make it safely into her home that night and that she would be looked after until dawn. There would be more waiting tomorrow. 

             

October twenty-29th two days until All Hallows Eve, the night children would dress up and go looking for treats while perpetrating a few tricks in the process, the night adults might find themselves dressed up as well, as sexy witches and glamouring vampires their pursuits leading to tricks and treats of a different kind. It was also the night the veil between the earthbound and the spirits would be at it's weakest. Back on the homestead in Tennessee her coven prepared for the rites and ceremonies of the night. Rebecca's newly energized powers wished she was there to engage in them but instead she found herself sitting in Alcide's apartment in Shreveport. She was a bundle of nerves and being relegated to Alcide's place during the day wasn't doing anything to help that. Two days before Mason had been forced to leave, three of his men had disappeared at their job outside New Orleans. He'd had little success finding them up to this point and he was frustrated on two fronts. They all knew it was likely the work of Malcom, a way to distract Mason and keep him from Rebecca's side and it had worked but they didn't have much of a choice. Two of the men, were Mason's progeny and he was compelled to find them, dead or alive. Rebecca was hoping for alive because if there were dead, there was going to be a massacre. The calm that had settled over Mason as he had prepared himself to take his leave had scared Rebecca more than any outburst of anger would have. Mason was on a mission, he was being inconvenienced, torn in two and taken from his most important responsibility, her. But he also had a duty to his sons and the other men on his crew. They trusted him and had often been asked to lay their lives on the line in his name. He simply could not ignore this affront and so she waited in Shreveport, wards surround the apartment, Werewolves lying in wait in various parts of the building. She could have stayed in Belle Vita, but Alcide hadn't wanted to let her out of his sight. The only way he would go about his normal routine was for her to be here during the day and while there had been a cavalcade of people coming in and out of the apartment the last two days at the moment she was alone. Outside the sun was dropping in the sky and soon she would be in Alcide's truck heading back to Belle Vita. William and those who Mason left to watch over them would be waiting on the perimeter of the house. The wolves Buzz had charged to protect her would be waiting in the woods. Alcide's pack mates were on high alert here in Shreveport. The phone beside her rang, Alcide's landline. Certainly not him, he always called her on her cell. She picked it up and a lump caught her throat as she read the number on the caller id. Lawrence Malcom's name flashed across the screen and she jumped out of her skin as the phone rang again. She steadied her self, took a deep breath and answered the phone. " Hello?"

" Good Evening, is this Ms Keane I am speaking to? Why of course it is who else would be in Alcide's apartment but his lady friend." she could see his slimy face through the phone, image what thoughts were going through his mind. He was pure slim and she felt disgusting just talking to him. 

" What can I do for you Mr Malcom?" 

" Why I was hoping to speak to Alcide." 

" Well I am afraid he isn't here at the moment" 

" Oh but he will be, I'd say he'll be opening his front door at any second." The key clicked in the door and Rebecca jumped slightly as Alcide opened the door. He took one look on her face and went white. It wasn't as surprise that Malcom was watching them, but to know almost to the second one's moves was unnerving. She put her hand over the receiver but didn't have to say anything. Alcide knew who it was, he charged towards her and took the phone from her hand. " This is Alcide." The conversation was one sided. Alcide didn't say a word but with each minute that passed his face became more twisted, his hands clinched, his nostrils flared, his eyes became filled with rage. " I'll be there." was the only thing he said before hanging up the phone and tossing it across the room. It hit the wall and fell in a thud on the floor of the kitchen, spinning over and over on the linoleum before coming to a stop the antenna pointed in their direction. Alcide sat down beside her she kept her eye on the phone. " He's rolled the dice?" 

" Yes, he's called a meeting. He's openly challenged my Father. Turns out the Mother Fucker has been skimming money out of the developments accounts for the last month. Malcom says he has proof, apparently my Father isn't doing much to dispute it. Don't think he can when you've been caught red handed. Lawrence set him up I got no doubt. Putting that kind of cash in my Dad's face it was inevitable." 

" Lawrence may have set this up as a pack grievance but you know that it is all a smoke screen. He's been setting this all up so he has an legitimate excuse to come after you." she moved closer to him but didn't touch him. 

" We've been planning for this since New Orleans. Your Mother told us he would make a play for me first. He wants you to hurt and coming after me is the swiftest way to get those results" " You and Mason" she sent feelers out to see if she could reach him. All she got was silence. He would be awake by now, if not above ground lying it wait for the first moment the sun fell completely from the sky. " I can't reach him" this was worrisome and then the chill ran up her spin, never a good sign. 

" There is nothing he could do here anyway Rebecca, he can't go in there with me, ain't no way. He'd cause everyone to jump out of their skin the moment they got a whiff of him. No vamps Rebecca, they won't do nothing but make it worse."

" I know, I know but I'd feel better having him here, to be nearby, to be with me while I waited." She would be far enough away to stay out of the fray, but close enough to come running if she were needed. The spell to cloak herself was on the tip of her tongue. She'd practiced it dozens of times. They would not know she was there. Alcide was looking at her intently, he was trying to form an argument in his head, one to keep her from coming with him. They had had it several times before and in the end she had promised no vampires and he had promised to not leave her behind. She has promised to not insert herself, if he'd promised not to try to get himself killed. He started to speak but then thought the better of it. There was no time to rehash this again and there was a chance he would piss her off and she'd go back on the promises she made. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone " Get your stuff together, we need to get moving." he typed out a text while she gathered her belongings. He made two quick calls presumably to Crawfish and Max. When he opened to apartment door Alcide took a protective stance as they exited the building the other wolves melted out of the woodwork and several other cars sprang to life as Alcide's did. They drove in silence further into town, she'd expected they would be meeting out in the woods but that didn't seem very likely now. Maybe at the company warehouse, the construction site. She was about to ask Alcide where they were headed when he made a sharp right turn. The other cars behind them continued down the road. Rebecca had been lost in her own thoughts and hadn't noticed at first where they were pulling up to. The neon of Fangtasia's sign caught her eye and then the headlights of Alcide's truck hit Pam's figure in the parking lot. People mulled around behind them, many of them staring at Pam, she ignored them all her hands on her latex clad hips her eyes squarely on Rebecca. The truck came to a stop a few feet away from Pam and Rebecca took a quick look at Alcide, his hands gripped the steering wheel his eyes shifted back and forth but didn't make contact with hers, he gave Pam a nod and she headed toward the car door. Rebecca put her hand up as Pam put her hand on the door handle, she asked for fire to come to her " If you open that door Pam I'll turn your ass into into ash." 

" What are you doing Alcide?" she kept her voice quiet but stern. She didn't want to let her emotions to get the best of her. She didn't want his to boil over either. He turned to face her. 

" I'm keeping you safe. I ain't chancing it Becca. You know I how much I love you. How it tore me up that night in the woods, the days after. I know I promised you but I'm not gonna see you die again. Not tonight. Pam is going to take you back to Belle Vita. Mason, Buzz and I discussed it. If you were here in Shreveport when the shit hit the fan I was to get you to Pam. 

" Son of a bitch." They had all conspired against her. She shouldn't have expected anything less. It was touching they cared so much but it still pissed her off. " I can handle myself Alcide, I hate being pushed aside, to feel I have no use. You don't have to do this alone. You gave me your word." 

" Don't make this any harder than need be Becca, yeah I know I am an ass for having a contingency plan even though you have told me countless times these last weeks to plan for every eventuality but you and I both know this isn't just about the promises I made. Can't very well expect me to keep 'em when you didn't put all your cards on the table. This isn't just about you Becca, you got my kid growing inside you." He stopped and reached for her searching her face for some confirmation. She gave him none. " You can try to deny it all you want but I know. Your Mother has seen it, Mason has all but confirmed it and damn it Becca I'm a fucking werewolf don't you think I would sniff out any change in your body chemistry? Not to mention the fact you started puking up your guts two weeks ago. I know you're superstitious and you're worried you won't be able to carry the baby to term and I know you don't want to be left out of this fight but damn it I'm gonna do everything I can to save you both. Cause if I don't come back" she sucked in her breath and a sob escaped, she was barely hanging on now, here he was laying out her truth, saying it all out loud and she was trembling but she couldn't bare for him to keep going. She grabbed him by the collar and shook him. " You will not say that, you will come back to me" He took her hands in his" Becca, stop it, and listen to me." she stopped and caught his eye. " If I don't come back Becca, you have something to focus on, don't you dare fall into that dark place, you stay here, you fight and you have that baby." He'd wished for the baby as a way to keep her going, she would have a piece of him after he was gone and she would never let his child want for anything. As much as she hated it she would do what he wanted. She would let him go. Alone. " No matter what I will take care of your son, Alcide." He pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. " Well hell a boy? You sure?" she nodded and felt his lips spread into a smile. No matter what he'd have been happy but he couldn't help but be excited about a son. He pulled back but held her face in his hands. " I love you Rebecca." he kissed her and she pressed herself against him, trying desperately to hold on to him, to will him to let her come with him. " I love you to." she cried into his shoulder as he started to pull away. She sat up and moved to the end of the seat. Pam opened the door and she got out.  She took a few steps back and Pam's hand met her shoulder, she kept it there protectively, Rebecca didn't mind she hoped it would be there to catch her if she lost her shit once Alcide drove off into the night. When the truck sprang to life and started to move forward she jumped in front of it and it jerked to a halt.  Alcide hit the steering wheel and shook his head at her " What the fuck Becca? he sent into her head. She went to the drivers side door and jumped onto the step and pulled herself halfway inside, like first night she kissed him. " You come back to me no matter what Alcide. No matter what. You hear me?" If he didn't make it she wanted to be able to bury him, to have a place to go to grieve him, a place to take their son and if he died but was like her, if he came back he wanted her face to be the first he would see. 

" I promise Becca, I'll come back to you." He gestured for Pam and she came up and Rebecca let her take hold of her and pull her backward. Alcide shifted the truck back into drive and did a u-turn around them. He watched her from the side mirror until he turned out of the lot and then as he drove past them he kept his head straight ahead. He didn't want to see her if she fell apart, or if she called out to him. He wasn't sure if he had the strength to not come back for her. She waited until he was out of sight before she gave in and let the sadness engulf her. Strong arms held her tightly and she had hoped they would and while she knew Pam wouldn't be thrilled with the emotion she didn't say anything, she remained silent as Rebecca cried and let the knowledge that she had seen Alcide alive for the last time washed over her.

Pam?" Eric's voice rang out from behind them, she felt Pam stiffen, the tears in her eyes dried up and she went mute. It was bad enough for Pam to have seen it she wouldn't give that to Eric to. She wiped her eyes and squared her shoulders. Pam was sure that Eric was going to forbid her from leaving. She was going to have to defy her maker. She wasn't sure Rebecca was worth it but she also knew she wasn't going to let some fucking Were kill her either. Plus Elva had pretty much promised Pam a true death if anything happened to her. Either way Pam was half way into the ground she hated being fucked no matter what. She turned and put a smile on her face. Rebecca followed suit but didn't bother with the smile. " Eric. somethings come up. I need to take the night off, I've got Marla to watch the door" Marla was a tall extremely skinny brunette who clearly enjoyed working her vampire charms on the human patronage of Fangtasia. They both waited for Eric to protest but he just stood there staring at both of them. His gaze on Pam told her not to say anything else, to not push her luck. When his gaze fell on her it held questions. Eric wanted to know what it was about her that kept people captivated, would make one risk their lives. Would make Pam risk pissing him off? Her strength? Her beauty? Her power? Her odd could not quite place it scent? All of that played into it he figured and since he possessed many of those same attributes himself and had been using them to his advantage for centuries he could find enough respect for those same qualities in her, even if she was just a lowly human. He felt her pull, he wanted to know what was going on around her, she thought he may very well know much of it already, and he wanted to insure that whatever went down in his territory he had a fang in the pulse of it. He may be made to answer questions later and it would be best if he knew the answers through first hand knowledge. " We'll take my car." Pam's shoulders de-tensed and together they walked with purpose through the lot and around the back of the club, Rebecca climbed into the back of the car wanting to put a bit of distance between her and the Viking. He was trying to eat away at her with his gaze but she was not in the mood to engage him. He found her attempts to ignore him both amusing and irksome but he said nothing to her. Eric drove fast, calmly asking Pam questions. She answered them with quick curt yet satisfying replies. When they pulled up to Belle Vita Bill, Sookie and Sam were waiting for them. She sensed others just on the outskirts of view. She sent feelers out again or Mason, she'd been alternating between Alcide and Mason the whole way back home. With Alcide she felt a closed off determination, bitter anger and a touch of sadness. With Mason she felt nothing and this frightened her far more. At least she knew Alcide was still alive. She got out of the car and faced her friends. 

" Malcom has made his move, Alcide has gone to meet the pack. His Father stole money to feed his gambling problem from the accounts Malcom set up for the new development. He is using that fraud as a way to make a play for the pack. Malcom has enough power in the pack to call for his removal and there will be a face off. Undoubtedly Alcide will end up in the fray. Malcom wants him dead. He will resort to whatever it takes to meet that end." She swallowed back the lump in her throat, the time for tears had passed.

" Rebecca, are you all right?" William asked for the top step glaring at Eric and Pam who had exited the car and were standing behind her. " I am fine William. Mason I am not so sure about. Could you please see if any of others in the woods have heard anything?" William hesitated. He didn't want to leave her here with Pam and Eric. " Please William." he felt her concern and was gone in a blur. 

" Sookie, Sam it is good of you to be here." Sookie waited at the top of the stairs with a hug and Sam put his hand on her shoulder blade. " I thought you were going with him?" Sookie whispered into her ear. " Alcide had other ideas." she whispered back. 

" How bout we take this inside." Sam looked around nervously to many sups hanging around the grounds for his liking. Rebecca gave him a slight smile and moved toward the door. Everyone entered except Eric who waited with an arched brow just outside the doorway. Sookie got Rebecca's attention and motioned back to the door. " You may come in Eric." 

They settled in the living room. Sookie busied herself in the kitchen gathering up snacks and drinks that went virtually untouched but which the presence of was still appreciated. Eric stood by the window and watched the woods. Pam stood by the fireplace filing her nails and looking bored. Sam kept one eye on each of them. Sookie kept her eye on Rebecca. Rebecca kept her mind focused on Alcide and Mason. The two most important people in her life were in danger. The more time passed in silence the worse she felt. Her gut started to churn and she felt uncontrollably sick. She ran from the room making it to the bathroom underneath the stairs just in time. The wrenching over took her and anything she had consumed within the last twenty four hours came back up, bile came next and then when there was nothing left she dry heaved over the bowl until her eyes watered and her legs gave way. She slid onto the floor and stayed there. When she'd run in she'd had no time to turn on the light, she'd just let the glow from the nightlight plugged in by the sink guide her and the faint glow caught her attention and gave her something to focus on. What good were her powers if they told her nothing? What good was she doing here, waiting like a potential victim in this house surrounded by Werewolves and Vampires? Why wasn't she out there doing something? If not with Alcide confronting Malcom then out looking for Mason? She felt a flutter from within and she had her answer. She put her hand on her belly and leaned back against the wall. She called on air to cool the room, she called on earth for calming vibes and she sat quietly until the nausea passed and her mind got right. She wouldn't do anything to harm the child growing inside her. She would not go looking for trouble but she would be ready, with a clear mind if it came her way. If she were smart enough, cautious enough, prepared enough she would be able to defend herself without anyone touching her. She just had to be focused and ready. She stood, splashed some cold water on her face and opened the door. She could hear voices in the living room. Sookie was arguing with Pam, " I just don't get why she didn't insist on going with him. I'd have found a way to be there even if I had to fight the two of you off to do it." 

" I'd have liked to have seen you try sweetheart," she could see Pam's red lipped smirk in her minds eye " Rebecca is doing what Alcide wants and as much as I hate the idea of doing anything for a man, in this case it's the right thing. No sense in both of them ending up dead." 

" Okay then why aren't you there then? William? All of those sups out in the woods? Why are we all here and Alcide is walking into a deathtrap all on his own." 

" Oh yes a bunch of Vampires and strange Were's walking into the middle of a pack dispute sounds like a brilliant idea. Way to needlessly risk all of our lives Sookie." Sookie must have given Pam one hell of a look." What, do you think you can take several dozen sups out with your finger sparklers before one of them rips your head off? I know your spunky blondie but I didn't think you had delusions of grander. You'd only end up dead and in the way." 

" Well at least I'd have done something. This sitting here waiting is cowardly. We should be out there doing something." 

" ENOUGH" Eric's voice rang out and filled the room. "Enough." he said again as he turned from the window giving both women a look that shut both of their mouths tightly. Rebecca slid into the room but kept herself pressed against the wall. Eric caught her entrance with a side glance, he gave her a slight smirk " Sookie, Alcide is your friend and everyone is well aware that you will compulsively risk your life in order to save someone you have feeling for. But if there was one thing that would keep you from risking your life for someone else what would it be?" Eric knew, she looked at Pam who shook her head. She had said nothing. Eric had figured it out on his own. "As a woman Sookie what would make this situation, us sitting here doing nothing while others die, acceptable?" His gaze went from Sookie's face to hers and back again, it was then Sookie realized she had returned. She looked embarrassed and confused. A bit angry that Eric seemed to know something she didn't know. Realization was all over Sam's face and Pam looked smug and slightly grossed out by the idea. " Rebecca is with child, Sookie." 

" She's what?" Sookie found Rebecca's face and got confirmation. " Why didn't you tell me?" she asked hurt running through her words. 

" I didn't tell anyone, I didn't admit it to Alcide until an hour ago. It is early, it wasn't planned at least not by me. Alcide played the baby against me. He planned the whole thing. For all my ability to read people, I got played by the man I love. He conspired with Mason, with Pam and my Uncle to insure that I wouldn't be anywhere near that fight tonight. He wanted me to have a part of him no matter what happened. I have no control over what is happening to him right now but I do have control over what happens with our child. Knowingly putting myself in harms way would hurt Alcide in a way his own death couldn't. My life, the life of our child right or wrong means more to him. So while I hate the fact that I am here and not there even more than you do, this is where I need to be. I am here safe, waiting for him to come back to me. One way or another….." A wave of pain hit her then and she saw flashes of Alcide in her mind. The confrontation, the challenge, the fight. No mention of her or the real reasons Lawrence was there. He taunted Alcide with looks and smirks and snide comments. It was only when Alcide tried to defend his father that her name was mentioned. As a distraction, one that kept Alcide from seeing what was going on around him. One that made him just a copable in his Father's theft. One that had used her charms to get him to turn his back on his pack. He lusted after a human who consorted with Vampires and this made him weak and unsuitable to take control of the pack from his Father. The men in his crew stood beside him, defended her. Crawfish explained her linage, Max spoke of her generosity, they all said she was nothing less but a friend to the pack. Those who stood by Alcide or his Father agreed, those who sided with Malcom were unconvinced. The air around them was stifling and as the heat in the room crept higher and higher so did the angst, eyes began to glow, breathing became heavy and once Malcom laid the challenge down in front of the whole pack there was no going back. The two men took their places in the middle of the circle, the others surrounded them. The fight ensues, it is bloody from the beginning, the smell of which insights the others ,soon Were's are shedding their human skins, pack are fighting pack. Alcide remains in human form fighting with his crew, it is mayhem. Malcom gets the upper hand on Jackson, has him on the ground is bashing his head in with his fists. Alcide belts the Were he is grappling with in his face with a sharp right hook, pushes past him and rushes Malcom grabbing him by the back of the neck tossing him across the ring. Malcom livid, wild, half wolf regains his legs and charges Alcide. Alcide has placed himself in front of his Father's to still body, he waits and watches Malcom's face locking himself into position. From the side of the ring something is tossed in Malcom's direction. Alcide sees but doesn't realize what it is until Malcom is on top of him, one hand goes for Alcide's throat snapping his head back. Alcide grabs the hand and wrenches it from his neck as the other slips behind him. He moves forward trying to knock Malcom off balance but that move just gives Malcom the clearing he needs to hit his mark.  Alcide feels the steel of the knife's tip slip into the flesh of his back, he feels the blade as it moves through the layers of flesh and the extra twist of the wrist Lawrence gives it just as it finds it's way into his heart. Rebecca sees Alcide's eyes go wide, she sees him toss Malcom off sending the man sailing across the room. She watches as Alcide tries to stay upright, refusing to fall until he starts to cough, his lips turning crimson, blood splattering on the floor below him. He staggers backward and falls to his knees. Crawfish and Max make it to his side, they try to prop him up. He catches the eye of his enemy, the triumphant look on his face, he feels one last rush of adrenaline coarse through his veins, he wants to wipe the look from the mans face. But his heart is weak, he can't find his legs, he can't get stand, there is nothing else he can do. He is dying. He falls to his side and as his heart stops his eyes close and his last thought is of Rebecca's face. 

Rebecca can here herself screaming, the walls of her living room shake from the vibrations coming off of her body, the people in the room surrounding her. William rushing in from outside. but she is still outside her skin, she is still in Alcide's head. She is pleading with him to stay alive but he is no longer there, he can't answer her. Everything goes black and the connection is lost, she sees the shimmer of the cord between them flicker, and then go dark as well. He is gone. She hears them calling to her and she falls back into her own mind, and finds herself on the floor, Sookie at her side, the others hovering over her, William calling to her, all of them looking for an explanation. She looked at each of them, her gaze steely, resigned. She held out her hand to William and he helped her to her feet. " Alcide will be returning soon." She walked to the front door and tossed it open and walked to the top step. " Any word on Mason?" 

 " No"  came William's reply from behind her. " Do you feel anything from him?" She shook her head. Nothing but blackness surrounded her. But she knew Mason was not dead, she'd have felt it but she also knew he had not just shut himself off from her. He had to be incapacitated. " William, go now and tell everyone in those woods to leave, they are to go now and find Mason. I don't want any arguments, they are to do as I ask. They are not to come back until he has been found." William came forward and stood next to her. " Mason gave them direct orders not to leave the grounds, they will not leave. They are here for your protection." She turned her face upward " They no longer need to worry about protecting me, they need to be more worried about protecting themselves and others FROM me at this point. I want to know where Mason is, I want him found. There is nothing they can do here that I can not do myself. If I could I would go and I would find him myself but Alcide will be here within moments and I can not leave. Do not let my calm demeanor fool you, inside a fire burns out of control and there will be no squelching it until I know the fate of both of them. Send them to bring Mason back to me. Please William, go now." In the distance came the rumbling of tires on the gravel of the drive, a truck had turned onto the road to Belle Vita and was traveling at a high rate of speed in their direction. William took one last look at Rebecca and then Eric who nodded and then was once again gone. Pam and Eric took positions next to her, Sookie and Sam one each side of them. " What do you want us to do when they get here Rebecca?" Alcide may be returning but none of them had much hope that it was alive. 

" I want you to be open minded and prepared for anything." Headlights came into view and she could see it was Crawfish's truck. There were three men holding on in the back of the cab. Max wasn't among them. The truck came to a halt a few feet from the stairs, Crawfish got out, blood covered his clothes and he eyed the two Vamps standing above him wearily. The men in the back of the truck had the same look on their face but all of them were ready to fight if need be. She knew Eric and Pam were far to old and controlled to let the smell of blood get to them easily but she sent feelers out to each sup around her making sure they knew there was to be no fighting. She walked quickly to the truck and hopped inside before Crawfish had the chance to pull the bed door down. Alcide's three pack mates stayed in their places, watching over their fallen comrade but none of them made any efforts to keep Rebecca away from his body, which was lying on the bed floor covered in a white drop cloth. " Thank you for bringing him back to me." she met each of their eyes and as she did they each hopped off the back giving her all of the space they could. " Before he went in, he insisted on it, he said that if that mother fucker got him we were to make sure that we got him back here. Max stayed behind with the others so we could get Alcide out. "God damn it Rebecca, he stabbed him in the back. Nothing we could do." The words caught in Crawfish's throat, he felt he'd let both of them down. He worried what was going to happen to Rebeca now that Alcide was gone. He was afraid for her. " I know Red, I saw it. Malcom will pay for what he has done." Rebecca gently pulled back the sheet back slowly taking in each feature of Alcide's face. His hair was matted to his head,filled with sweat and dirt, his eyes were shut the right one slightly swollen, discolored. Dried blood was caked on the sides of his nostrils, his lips were stained as well, a trail of red ran down each side of his mouth and down under his chin. Another drop cloth had been put down before his body it was sticky and wet from the blood that had come from the wound on his back. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the blade in the far back corner of the bed. The handle of it gleamed in the light of the moon, it was made of silver. Just a piece of folklore but the irony of it wasn't lost on her. She pulled the covering back further exposing his upper body, his right hand placed over hisheart. she covered it with hers and then bent closer stroking his forehead with the thumb of her other hand. She put her lips to his and then whispered into them " I am sorry my love, I am sorry it came to this, I am sorry he is a cheating piece of shit and I promise you that he will pay for what he has done to you. I will kill him myself." she stopped and waited, for any sign of life. Alcide remained still. The first time she died she'd returned within an hour but it could take longer for Alcide. But the longer it took the less likely he was going to return, the longer it took the more uneasy those around her became. Soon the natural instinct to remove her from his side would set in, there would be talk of whether to to take him to mortuary, to have a proper funeral or to bury him nearby. What would bring the least amount of questions? No if Alcide was going to return it needed to be soon. " Are you in there Alcide? Can you hear me? You need to make your way back. You have to fight. " She laid her head on his chest, waiting to hear the flicker of his heart beat, the expanding of his lungs as he gasped for air to fill them. But she heard nothing at least not from Alcide. She heard Sookie, crying softly, she could hear Sam whispering to her that it was going to be alright. She could hear the low growls that escaped with each breath the Were's surrounding the truck took. They were anxious to get back, there pack was in trouble, many were injured, dead, possibly still fighting. They thought there was nothing they could do here. They were right. " Crawfish, it's time to remove him from the truck." Her friend was standing at the end his eyes sad but resigned. " Yes Ms. Rebecca."  two of the men climbed back into the bed and picked up the top corners of the drop cloth Crawfish and the other Were took the bottom corners and slowly pulled them toward him. They walked a few feet into the grass and then lowered his body to the ground. " I will take care of things from here. I promise he will be buried according to custom. You have done your job, you have fulfilled Alcide's final wish. Now return to your pack, help the other wounded, avenge the dead. I doubt that Lawrence Malcom will be there when you return, but if he is I would appreciate if you don't kill him. That is something I wish to do myself." They looked surprised by her request but none of them said anything to refuse it. Crawfish gave her a quick one armed hug and told her he'd be back as soon as he could. Then the four men got back into the truck and sped off the way they came. Once they were gone William was at her side, she moved away from him " No William, no." He wanted to know where she wanted the grave prepared. She couldn't let to much time pass if she wanted their help. She wasn't ready to give up, there had been to many signs that he would return, she couldn't believe that they would be wrong. She wasn't ready to let him go. " Sookie, can you please go into the house and get the candles on the desk in the library"  It was time to ask for a little help. " Rebecca he's gone. It's to late. What good is magic now?" Sookie sent to her.

" Trust me Sookie!" Sookie slid out from under Sam's arm and went back inside, she returned a few moments later with the candles. She brought them to her and they all watched as Rebecca, went through the ritual of opening the circle. Once all of the elements were with her she sat down in the middle, taking Alcide's head into her lap and quiet began to chant. She prayed to the Goddess she asked her to help Alcide to find his way back to his body. It was not his time she told her their connection was to strong to be severed. The wind picked up around her, and the sky above filled with dark clouds and thunder started to clap over the waters of the lake in the woods behind the house. The others stood just outside, mostly afraid she'd gone mad but all enraptured in the scene unfolding in front of them. " Alcide, I know you can hear me. I know you are somewhere above me trying to find your way back, listen to the sound of my voice, follow it. Come back Alcide. Come back. Our time in this life is not over. You come back and see your child be born, watch him grow up." The rain started to fall as she became more desperate. Was it possible her prayers couldn't be answered? Was he really gone? She closed her eyes and focused every ounce of power and energy into her core. She lifted her arms above her head, and once she felt the surge of power reach her fingertips she yelled into the wind and rain " You will come back to me you son of a bitch" and then brought her hands down onto his chest. Lightening struck the ground inside the circle, causing the candles to flare and rise into the night sky. Spent she fell forward, her lips to his ear one last time she asked him to return " Return to me." and since she couldn't cry she made the rain fall harder and since she didn't have the energy to let the rage inside her escape she made the wind whip wilder one by one the candles went out and as the last bit of hope left Rebecca's body Alcide's chest rose up, breath caught in his throat and his pierced heart began to beat. He had returned to her. 

                                                                                                                 

ALCIDE 

     He heard her calling to him and he tried to respond. Everything around him was white and he had no sense of what direction to take. The sound of her voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and each time he took steps in one direction it seemed to be louder in the other. He felt dizzy and light and he was not in control of his body. He could remember the his last moments, he could feel the cold steel piercing his skin, he could feel it digging into his heart and the way it felt when the blood begin to rush out. He felt every moment of his death, he hated himself for not seeing it coming, he'd been distracted by the sight of his father lying broken on the ground. He'd thought Malcom would want to prolong the fight, would want a chance to beat the shit out of him first but he'd been wrong. It is what he had wanted to do to make Malcom suffer but no,he'd gone right for the kill. Alcide felt something wet hit his arm, he'd thought it would be blood, he'd lost so much of it, felt it come rushing out of him but when he looked down he saw a spot on his arm cleared of red and when he moved his arm it ran down his arm and a the water now turned crimson hit the floor with a splash. One by one he was hit by the raindrops falling from the white around him, Rebecca's voice returned, more urgent, filled with pain, desperation and anger. From behind him it seemed her voice was louder and so he turned and found a hole starting to grown in the white wall, the night sky began to shine through, stars, and clouds and then he saw the glowing cord that bound him to Rebecca slowly coming toward him. He waited until it reached him, until he felt it flow through him and pull him from the inside and once he was sure it was safely refastened he followed it. He was moving in what he thought was a quick pace but apparently it wasn't fast enough. He felt a rush of hot air, a blast of cold rain and the cord was yanked and he was falling, he saw a flash of Rebecca holding his body leaned over him, devastated that she wasn't able to bring him back, that the odds hadn't been in their favor. He crashed back into his skin. His chest was heavy, like someone had placed a ten ton weight on top of it, he was trying hard to make his lungs expand but nothing inside would work, not unless his heart started to beat, a shock ran through him and like an engine that hadn't been started in a long time he felt his heart kick back in protest but his return could not be denied and after another jump of electricity ran through his veins the hole in his heart healed over and it started to beat. His first breaths came out stuttered, his throat was filled with blood and he struggled not to choke, it tried to go up while the air tried to go down. He felt Rebecca spring to life and her remarkably strong arms pull him upward and on his side, blood sputtered out of his mouth and he wretched repeatedly. He tried to opened his eyes but couldn't manage to raise them above slits, he saw the ground around him was soaked with water, he could hear Rebecca's voice telling him to take shallow breaths, felt a cloth come to his face, gently wiping away the blood. There were others there but he couldn't make out who they were, the only voice that came out clear was Rebecca's and she was now barking out orders, he heard feet hitting the wood of the porch and then return within moments. He felt himself being lifted onto what had to be a gurney and he couldn't help but think " Why the hell does Rebecca have gurney in the house?" but the amusement he found in that simple, very human pondering was lost when sharp searing pain ran through his back. 

" Be careful he's in a lot of pain and he's lost a shit load of blood." Rebecca's voice even clearer and when he tried to opened his eyes again he felt a hand cover them. Quickly his mind was filled with her image, she was right above him, she as soaking wet, rain trickled down like streams on the strands of her hair. She smiled and her green glowing eyes seemed to wink at him. He felt her other hand cover his as he tried once again to open his eyes. He was incredibly tired, he didn't want to sleep, he wanted to stay awake, no matter the pain. He feared if he didn't he would find himself surrounded by white again. But no matter how hard he tried he could not force his eyes open. He blinked a few times and he heard himself cringe and whimper with each step those who carried him took up the stairs, he felt the energy that surrounded Belle Vita as he entered the front door. "Alcide?" Rebecca was now in his head. " Alcide listen to me, your body is far more broken that you know" she sent him images of what had happened after he'd taken his last breath. Of the fight that had gone on around him after he had fallen, of what it had taken to get him out of there, what had been done to him by Malcom and those who were loyal to him as he laid in a heap on the ground. Cracked ribs, bruised organs, blows to his face, to his head, to his arms and legs. " You need to stay still, you need to stop fighting your bodies desire to sleep,we are going to take care of you. It will be far easier for us to do if you are not awake."  She tried to show him what she was going to have to do, but he shook his head. He wouldn't go, he didn't care what was going to happen. He couldn't risk it. He'd been damned sure waiting within those white walls that he wasn't coming back, that he was sitting there waiting for either the sky to open up or the bottom to fall out and a set of stairs leading to either heaven or hell to appear and he would stand their looking at them knowing he'd fucked up and praying that wherever he ended up he'd still be able to see her, to know she was alright. " You are a stubborn mother fucker Alcide Herveaux. I will not be asking you for forgiveness for this later." He saw the image of the needle in her hand, felt the prick of it on his skin and before he could form a angry response everything went black. 

                                                                                                                                        

Rebecca 

They worked quickly, Rebecca barking out orders to everyone in the room all of them to dazed by what they had just seen to ask any questions, to question any command. Even Eric did as he was asked but his gaze stayed upon her no matter where she was in the room. She felt something in him shift toward her, he now no longer regarded her as human, he'd never had much regard for her as a witch, she was not supernatural enough to garner any actual respect for it but now he was sure that she was far more than that and that the Were lying on the table in the library was far more than anyone could imagine as well. If there was one thing every vampire in that room knew it was when someone was dead. Alcide had been dead, it could have been magic that brought him back but he had dismissed that for he knew enough about Witches to know that even if they had the power to bring people back they rarely did, if their magic was pure, white and they were true followers of the Goddess they didn't swing the balance of nature in such a way. There would be consequences often far greater than the potential joys of having their loved ones back with them. No Rebecca might have called on the Goddess for guidance, the elements for assistance but Alcide had come back to his body, been brought back to life by something other than magical means. Eric had been around a long time, longer than anyone in this room and he'd heard rumors but he'd never actually been in the presence of an immortal who didn't have the same needs and limitations as himself. He was sure that he was now in the presence of two such people and for the first time in centuries Eric found himself in awe and jealous. Very very jealous. They would be young and beautiful, strong and powerful forever and walk this earth no matter the time of day, eat and drink and live their lives fully. She met his gaze as she returned from the alter room, she would have to talk to him, to figure out what if any ill intentions he may have with his newly realized information and she sent to him her acknowledgement of such but for now Alcide was her priority. The boys had set his broken bones so that they could heal easier, Sookie was working on wiping his nearly naked body clean, Sam was coming in and out of the room with new clean buckets of hot water from the kitchen. Rebecca gave his arm a graze as he passed her and he flung his hair back from his eyes and gave her a smile. Rebecca pestle in hand began rubbing a healing salve on the cut above his eye. She could see that Sookie's hand was shaking slightly and so she reached out and covered her friends with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. " It's going to be okay, he will be okay. We are all going to be okay" Sookie took a deep breath and a met Rebecca's gaze. She nodded and with new more fortified resolve continued the task of getting her friend cleaned up. 

" He is going to need blood. The vampires looked at each other and then at her. Her gaze was squarely on Pam. Once again she was the lesser of the evils. The boys looked to her as well. 

 Pam shook her head and looked at them all with disdain. "Oh no.! I'm not a fucking blood bank for the supernatural in need." Eric raised an eyebrow at her and she rolled her eyes and glared at Rebecca, " Fine." her fangs extended and she bit into her wrist and placed it to Alcide's lips. " I hope you know that eventually I expect some kind of compensation for this type of shit." she muttered some more about how things like this was why she'd kept her distance from witches and winced when Alcide became lucid enough to really clamp onto her wrist and drink deeply. Once he'd taken all Pam could give him and he was a clean as they could get him, his wounds slathered with with healing ointments Rebecca asked them to help move him upstairs. He'd be far more comfortable on the bed than on the hard wood of the table. He was transferred back onto the gurney and each Sup took an end carrying him up the stairs. She and Sookie followed with supplies. Once the had him resting comfortably they dispersed, Sookie and Sam went into the bathroom to get cleaned up. William at Rebecca's request returned to his quest to find out any information on Mason. Pam and Eric went downstairs, into the living room and conversed in hushed voices. Rebecca resisted the urge to listen in, instead concentrating her abilities on talking quietly into Alcide's mind and sending out feelers out for Mason. Every once in a while she would get a pulse of energy that she couldn't quite latch onto,  it had his signature but wasn't strong and she couldn't grab hold of it long enough to get any information. Her gut instincts were telling her he had met fowl play more than likely at the hands of Malcom, possibly being held captive because if he were free to be at her side there is no where else he would be. She sat down on the edge of the bed and took Alcide's hand. 

" You scared the living hell out of me do you know that?" she brought his hand to her lips, " But you came back to me, you kept your promise." She held his hand to her cheek and watched his face, his eyes worked behind the lids, the swelling had already dissipated the cut above his eye was already healing. Having regenerative abilities would serve him well, he would heal much quicker than she did. Sookie and Sam came back into the room both looking a little worse for wear but neither of them had any urge to leave. Sam brought a chair over to the other side of the bed for Sookie to sit in, he in turn took a place on the couch. He rested his head on the back and closed his eyes. She turned to look at them both, she had told them what she was, they had seemed to accept it easily but having seen a resurrection for themselves they couldn't help be a bit shaken. They wondered if she'd brought him back, used her magic, they wondered if Alcide was more zombie than an immortal being. " I asked the Goddess to help me, to help guild him home if it wasn't his time, it wasn't and so he came back. He is like me, an immortal. No zombification required." Sam's lips turned up into a grin, Sookie tried in vain to hold back a giggle. Their lives were to impossible and just when they'd thought they'd seen it all something came along to disprove it. " I thought you were loosing your shit" said Sam his eyes opened focused on her face. " You were whipping that rain and wind into a frenzy, I was a bit afraid you were gonna take us down with you." 

" Nah, you were in no danger, I knew exactly what I was doing." She pressed her lips together " Nope no worries AT ALL" she rolled her eyes heavenward and turned back to Alcide. " He is going to be sleeping for a while, do you two want to get cleaned up a bit better, get something to eat or maybe some sleep?

" I'm to wound up to sleep" Sookie answered but some clean clothes and something to eat sound good." She looked at Sam who nodded his agreement. 

" Sookie take something from my closet, use the master. Sam there should be some things that will fit you in the trunk by the window in the first spare bedroom. You can get cleaned up in the bathroom there to." 

" You sure you're gonna be okay in here alone?" Sam asked standing up and stretching his legs.

" I'll be fine. I don't want to leave him but there is no sense in all of us sitting around grimy and hungry. You to go if I need you I will be sure to call." Sookie disappeared into her closet and Sam made his way out of the room, she listened to the sound of his boots hitting the floor of the landing and the door to the spare room opening. She picked up the phone on the nightstand and hit one, she could hear the phone downstairs in the living room ring, heard the voices of the two vampires stop and then the sound of Pam's voice coming across the other end. " If you two wish to get cleaned up there are showers in the basement. There is blood down there as well. If it is okay with Eric I would appreciate if you would please stay for a while. He is welcomed to as well, if he wishes." 

" We'll be staying" Pam replied and put the phone down. Pam was still obligated by her promise to watch over her, Eric was curious to see what would happen next. She heard the pair walk through the house and through the kitchen. The door to the basement clicking open and clicking shut. She sent out feelers to William who had returned to his home and was making phone calls. He had an entire list of those who worked for Mason and was contacting them all, pressing them for information, moving them forward, making sure they were covering all ground. He'd been in contact with Buzz who had sent some members of his pack out to the construction sight, everything looked to clean, to pristine. It had been sanitized but the Were's were sure outsiders had been there, they were now following what scent their noses could find. She put out feelers of her own, trying to find her connection to Mason but she was disappointed yet again by nothing but the sound of silence. Alcide turned slightly and moaned, she reached onto the nightstand for the prepared dose of tranquilizer. It was enough to put down several average humans or one large Were. She gave him the shot and almost immediately he fell back into a seemingly peaceful sleep. She wanted to crawl up next to him, listen to the sound of his heartbeat, feel the rise and fall of his chest but she didn't want to risk hurting him. Instead she checked his wounds, cringed at the sight of the bruises, resigned herself to the fact that the sheets on the bed would have to be burned. The door to the bathroom opened and Sookie stepped out looking fresh and clean and much more relaxed than she did when she'd gone in. " I'll head down get something quick and then come back up and stay with him so you can get cleaned up. Do you want me to bring anything back up for you to eat?" 

" No I don't think I can eat right now, my stomach is in one large knot but thank you for the offer" She gave a side smile to her friend who nodded and made her way out of the room. A few minutes later she heard Sam on the landing and the sound of his footsteps as he made his way downstairs. She climbed onto the bed and let her head hit the pillow. She was covered in blood and dirt and her insides felt like mush, she was exhausted, the magic within her sputtered, so much of it had been used and there were gapping holes in the connections and threads that ran through her, her batteries were almost dead. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, Alcide was beside her, his body healing but she wondered about his mind. He would be in a fog and feel disconnected. She had for a several weeks after she'd returned. Not quite in control and unlike her there was another nature Alcide had to worry about. She wished her great grandfather was here, he could do so much to help Alcide through this time. But there as no way any of her family could be here now, they needed to stay away. Part of her heart ached for Mason, the more time passed the more sure she was he was being held against his will and considering what Malcom and his cronies had done to Alcide she hated the idea of what was being done to him. She wondered why she couldn't feel him, his pain? It was possible he was keeping it from her, not wanting her to know, not wanting her to find him because he knew she would come after him. He would rather die than lead her into a trap. Malcom could use him all he wanted but Mason would never ever deliver her to him. He'd welcome a the true death with open arms before that happened. She felt someone come into the room and opened her eyes to find Eric standing just inside the door. She sat up and met his gaze. There were so many questions running through the minds within these walls. Alcide was silent and still and she was unlikely to feel the need to sleep any time soon so she might as well handle as many now as she could. 

" Do I thank you for your assistance tonight Eric or do I sit back and await for your payback demands?" she leaned back against the headboard and waited. 

" There will be no demands." he looked smug, aloof, self satisfied. It was a look that both drew you in and infuriated you. Typical Eric. 

" For now at least?" she replied. His gaze grew wider the blue in his eyes sparked in the light coming from the landing. 

" I knew you were unlike anyone else I had ever made the acquaintance of, well there may have been one other like you, a very long time ago but I could never prove it but you are the real deal. I'd read about your accident, I saw the wreckage, read of your remarkable survival. Your family did quite a bit to cover it all up, I had to work very hard to find the original statements, the original reports, medical records. That of course made me suspicious but watching the Were come back to life tonight gave me all the proof I needed. You are quite possibly the most important person I've met in all of my centuries of existence. I know that I could benefit greatly from our acquaintance and while you and I may never agree on much, or even like each other I have no intention of telling anyone about you. Just as I have never outed another Supernatural being against their will. It may seem unlikely but I do live by a code of ethics, I, my interests and my progeny will always come first but I've lived long enough to know the benefits others can offer, what power and prestige the proper alliances can bring. Being firmly within the good graces of you and your family would be most beneficial. I have no intentions of making you an enemy Rebecca." 

She laughed, " Oh well the that is good to hear, I was afraid you were going to sell me out to the highest bidder and then spend the rest of your life gloating inwardly. I mean it would be quite the coup would it not?" There would always be an interlining doubt that flowed between the two of them. Eric could not be fully trusted but she'd seen enough of his mind at the moment and knew that for now what he said was the truth. He found her to be far more valuable as a ally than an enemy. He had enough enemies in this world, his indifference and out and out hatred for the majority of the others that shared his space made him an easy target. Having a connection with Rebecca, no matter how uneasy that connection may be it would be useful. She stood and went to stand in front of him. His height gave him an advantage over her, she was tempted to levitate to meet his eye but figured he could just do the same, trying to one up a vampire who could fly in that way would be futile. 

" You are a powerful woman, from a powerful family. A family that consists of Immortals, Witches, Vampires and Werewolves. Your parents found a way to bring Sups together something few others have been able to do. I may not agree with the idea, I might even find it distasteful but I can clearly see it's merits." 

" You know there is a reason we haven't met before now right Eric? That you have never crossed paths with anyone from my family? Why Pamela never mentioned my Aunt to you? In general we don't go looking for trouble and you Eric Northman are trouble. That being said you did help me tonight, without question and you have extended your hand in an offer of friendship and I will take it. I need friends at this moment as well and sometimes it is good to have friends who don't mind getting their hands dirty. I unlike most of my family know the value of that sort of friend and I am not afraid to have them in my life." She extended her hand and after a second Eric took it. " Besides you know what it is like to have lives in your hands right? I mean being a vampire you can easily end anyone you want at any time and that has given you a great edge over most you have come in contact with. You do however have your limitations, I am not trying to stab at a sore spot I am just stating the obvious and I am sure you realize that I have none of those limitations." Eric's face hardened just slightly but he didn't respond, he just gave her hand a hard squeeze sealing their alliance. She needn't say another word. He knew that his world would end should he ever do anything to hurt her or anyone she loved. As long as he was nothing but slightly annoying to her though she would willingly deal with him. He was the sheriff of her district and Pam's sire those two reasons gave her enough pause. They were still standing hand in hand when Sookie and Sam came back into the room. They took in the scene for a moment before moving further into the room. Eric with another slight nod backed out of the room. Sookie sat a tray of food down on the coffee table and after Sam was sure Eric had made his way back down the stairs turned to Rebecca. 

" We brought you some food, Sookie said you weren't hungry but we both think you should at least try to eat something. If not for you then for the baby" his eyes moved down to her stomach. 

" You should get cleaned up to, we'll sit with Alcide while you do. You're gonna scare him back into unconsciousness if he wakes up and sees you looking like that" Sookie pushed her toward the bathroom and after one last look toward Alcide she went in to get cleaned up. She turned the water in the shower on then stripped off her ruined clothes and climbed into the steaming hot water and watched the dirt and the blood go down the drain, it would all come off and when she was finished she would be outwardly clean, but this night had added yet more scars to her insides, she hoped that they weren't deep enough to effect the child growing inside of her. She was tired and felt her magic was weakened but she didn't feel the baby was in any danger, in fact she felt that all of the magic that remained inside her had pooled around her womb and was sheltering the child growing within her from everything that was going on around it's mother. She was thankful and felt soothed by that feeling. Once she'd gotten all of the muck off of her she quickly dried off and engulfed herself in a robe and walked purposefully toward the plate of food Sookie had brought in. She saw the look of relief on both her and Sam's faces, they were both thankful not to have to knock down any further refusals on her part. They sat in silence for a while each of them lost in their own thoughts, Sam on the brink of passing out, it was getting closer and closer to dawn and Rebecca had one more thing she needed to take care of before the Vampires had to go to ground.  

" Would you two excuse me for a moment, I need to go and speak to Pam" Sookie nodded from her chair and Sam did the same beside her without opening his eyes. She walked into her closet and quickly dressed, she didn't feel comfortable heading into even her own den with two vampires roaming around in it in nothing but a robe. She found Pam in the Library sitting behind her desk her face in profile, the room was dark except for the lamp that sat on the shelf behind her. Eric was not in the room but she could feel him nearby. Rebecca closed the door, he could come in if he wanted to and he could surely hear them but she'd prefer that they be alone. Rebecca didn't bother to turn on any more lights, her eyes hurt and Pam could see just fine with out it." Are you sitting here pouting, silently fuming and plotting revenge for being put upon?" Pam had given her blood to help her and now Alcide, she'd risked the ire of her maker, risked angering her Aunt, it was a no win situation. Should she go to far and choose to disobey Eric she'd die, if she didn't do as her Aunt asked and anything happened to Rebecca she'd surely end up the same way. " I'm sorry you have been put in this position Pamela but if it is any consolation to you Eric and I have come to an agreement." The look Pam shot her stopped her from saying anything else. " You think I give a shit about any understanding you may or may not have with my maker? Do you think that that means you can come to me, to him, whenever for whatever you want? He may see the value in you Rebecca but that doesn't mean we want to get tangled up in you and your families fucking dramas. You have no idea how much I wish I’d never met you or your family. People run from vampires but you and your kind are far more deadly and the fucking irony in that is you can get everyone around you killed and you no matter how much blood is shed, how many bones are broken, how many true deaths are had will still be standing when the dust clears." She had every right to be angry, to be slightly scared but more than anything she was jealous, jealous and sad. She hadn't been trusted with the secret and no matter how foolish that would seem to anyone else in the know about what Rebecca and Alcide were Pamela thought she had earned the right to be read in on the entire truth of things. 

Rebecca walked into the alter room and retrieved a small vial from a fridge tucked inside a cabinet. She poured it's contents into a goblet and ran her hand around the glass, the fire within warming it's contents. There was nothing she could say to Pam to change what had and what might happen. There was no way she could take away the pressures of her maker or her Aunt. Even if she asked Elva to not press Pam into doing anything further for her ,her Aunt would simply tell her the matter was between her and Pam. There was more to their story, pieces to their past she wasn't privy to and none of it no matter what it was was her business. She walked over to where Pam sat and put the goblet in front of her. Pam turned sniffed the air and looked at he eyes went wide, her pupils blackened the color surrounding them. " Blood for Blood Pam, it's the best I can offer." Pam picked the goblet up but hesitated as it reached her lips. She knew all to well that Rebecca's blood was poison but this small token was clean, given freely and kept should an emergency ever arise, tonight seemed like a good time to use it. Rebecca shook her head and smirked. " Yes Pam I'm just that evil, you tell me off and I hand you a glass filled with tainted blood. That is something my old friend if you could you would do." She turned and walked quickly out of the room. As she strolled across the foyer she heard Pam moan and whisper "Fuck me". Rebecca stopped on the landing her hand on the railing and looked around her, the house was quiet, Pam had been satiated at least for the moment. Eric was lurking in the shadows, Mason was still missing. She wanted this all to be over, done, finished and there was no doubt in her mind that after tonight the stakes were even higher and that the desire she had to finish this herself was even greater. Malcom would pay and it would be at her hand and no one would stand in her way.