The Future's Uncertain and the End is always Near.

I was so late getting to the meeting everyone was already there. I was shocked and delighted to see the Lead Counselor, our Eric, back to his right mind and in charge again though I didn't like the strained look on Bill's face. The return of Eric to his former self was going to be a test for him and Sookie and all of us really.

"So nice of you to decide to amble in," said Eric. Oh yeah, he was back.
"Sorry, I was making rather merry," I said. I sat down beside my Barrister. I noticed Jess was looking at him with renewed interest. Poor Jess...she was wondering where all the cowboys had gone? Would she settle for a Brit Billy? I think she will...

Pam was back to her non-fragrant self and I was happy to see her cured and smell her old comfy Vampire smell. I love the smell of Vampires in the evening...when they aren't rotting or being burned in the sun or collapsed like balloons filled with viscera. Which by the way could be happening to them in the future.To quote Jim Morrison: The future's uncertain and the end is always near....At least with Vampires.

"I can tell you I doesn't seem right to be suiting up for battle without our council behind us," said Bill. We would be there in spirit, there was nothing we could do about what was about to happen.
"Wished we could be there with you guys," said Violet.
"Yeah," said Fairy. "I don't want anything to happen to you." Eric leaned over and kissed Fairy on the head. I could imagine they had already had their little reunion and Eric was planning to reunite with all the other Eric sister wives. I sighed a little.

"Where is Alcide?" asked Sugar. Alcide was in a spot of bother. He was choosing to help Sam against the evil were who had killed Sam's brother. I had mixed feelings about the shifter. The fact he did such heinous things and then turned around and was so noble, it confused my perceptions about him. I wanted him to leave Sam alone and at the same time, I wanted him to die...but then when it happened, I was cut to the bone.
"I imagine he is trying to decide where he is supposed to be in all of this," said Aolani. "But Debbie, that is one she-wolf who had better be on her guard."

"That thing with Jesus," said Minnie. "What is that all about?"
"I don't know," said Aolani. "It may be Jesus is himself guarded by a possessing spirit which only comes out when he is needed. Sort of djinn or familiar spirit."
"And Lafayette saw it first because of the V or because he is a medium?" asked Westexan.
"Both, the V opened Lafayette up to his medium talents and he saw it," said Aolani. "Shamans have been known to use small amounts of narcotics to explore the spirit world because it opens up all those inhibitions and frees the mind."
"While this is interesting," interjected Eric."What will that do for us?"
"Well, Lafayette and Jesus and Tara are in there now, they may be able to help you from the inside," I said to the Viking.

"So this Antonia, she is not the one who is the head of this deal?" asked Kellie, AKA the Kid.
"No, which surprises me," said Fairy."I mean, Antonia is the stronger witch."
"But she is the weaker personality," said Renee. "She is actually quite easy to manipulate."
"And Marnie, she pushes Antonia's spirit forward," said Minnie.
"Yeah, because this throws everyone off. She is so obviously different from Marnie that she becomes rather imposing," I said. "Even you guys, the Vampires are taken a bit aback."

"So, Eric, how are you feeling?" asked Minnie. "You feeling okay?"
"I am fine, no worse the wear for having my memories stripped, being silvered for two days, being shot with a silver bullet," he said, looking at Bill.
"But otherwise, you are fine?" I asked.
"I am fine," said Eric.

I wondered really how fine he was actually feeling. After all he remembered everything, and I mean everything, from the time he spent with Sookie. Now Sookie was wrestling with loving feelings for both the Vampires in her life and I sort of understood. I looked at Eric and then at Bill and sighed.

"What are you thinking, Aslinn?" asked Bill.
"Nothing, just that sometimes, the future is uncertain and the end is always near," I said...

One of the things I missed about Eric was playing poker with him. Of course he won most of the time, but still, it was fun to peer over my cards and see his baby whatever the hell color they are staring at me over his own hand. Right now, our fearless leader was in trouble and we had decided to congregate at Merlotte’s to chat about it. We were down our Vampires except for Jessica and Pam, who was beautiful but odiferous, and while Sam generally did not oppose the Vampires in his bar, he did not want Pam in there smelling the place up to high heaven, so he made our little group comfy in the outdoor party area. You could tell that Arlene was not happy to have to serve us out there, but Sam was helping her so that was okay.

Pam was not in the bee keeper inspired ensemble but I suppose to match her foul mood, she was in Vampire black. She was not happy with Eric’s situation and she swore about Nan Flanagan and her ineptitude. There should have been more Vampires in Pam’s estimation. She was told stay home since she was a little rank, and honestly, not the most pro-human Vampire in Eric’s bailiwick. The events at the Rally had enraged her and she hummed like a live wire. Thankfully she was downwind of us, so we could enjoy our chicken strips and French fries and cold beer in relative comfort.

Minnie was very upset. One of the things that troubled her was Marnie/Antonia’s influence over her beloved Viking. Lina was mad about that too. Hell, we all were.

“It just seems like there should be some way to do something about this mess!” she said.
“There is, just give it a minute,” said Aolani. “We are waiting for someone to join us.”
“Is Alcide joining us?” asked Sugar. She had a thing for the werewolf and she liked having him at our meetings.
“Oh no,” I said. “I called him and he said he no more desire to be around the fangers.”
“But what about us?” she asked.
“I am sure he will get in touch with you,” I said.

Besides, I thought the werewolf had more troubles than he knew right now. Debbie was doing something I was not sure of the reasons for, but I did know it was pretty suspicious and with her on V again, I knew nothing good would come of it. For some reason, both had jumped the gun on one another, Alcide being mad at Sookie and joining the pack to satisfy Debbie and Debbie apparently trying to take a page out of the Helpful Herveaux Vampire Wrangling Book and trying look at least like she was trying to help Sookie but I was not convinced. Even if she was sincere, I think Debbie and Alcide would be operating at cross purposes...Neither will be very happy and neither very successful.

I wondered too at another fucked up beyond all recognition situation with Tommy. What was that kid trying to do? He was squirrelier than most Vampire logic. He goes all skin walker and fires Sookie, shags Luna, then he masquerades as Hoyt's momma and steals about 5800 dollars off her and then does the Tommy/Sam thing and tries to head off trouble for his brother who was camping at the time. Everyone wondered why Alcide did not recognize the person at the door was Sam: That is easy...Alcide had never met Sam. He would not know the difference...

About that time, a battered truck drove up and out jumped Jesus and Lafayette. Lafayette looked none too pleased. Renee and I had been to his house and the experience he had with the ghost of Mavis was too much. But seeing Jesus exorcise the sad ghost from our fave short order cook was a revelation, something we suspected from the beginning but now knew for sure. “Hey guys, come on in.” Lafayette hesitated for a moment. He saw Pam standing there and he was about to backpedal.

“Ignore her Lafayette,” said Renee, soothingly. “She is willing to hear what we have to say to you.” Lafayette and Jesus sat down between Fairy and Violet.

“So, what can we do for you?” asked Jesus cautiously.
“Jesus, we need you and Lafayette to be willing to help the Vampires and your fellow witches. Marnie has allowed herself to become possessed by Antonia and you can get her out and maybe make her even release Eric and Pam from their curses,” said Aolani. “I think it would go a long way to helping your situation with Pam and Eric.”
“I want that as a guarantee…We help you and nothing happens to us, to any of us,” said Jesus. “Not Tara or Holly or any of the other witches.”
“This is no good!!!!” said Pam, full of anger.

“Pam, if you don’t cooperate and give a little on this, you are pretty much screwed,” said Barrister, evenly. The Vampire said nothing in return. She just looked impatient. Jessica sighed. She had finally hooked up with Stackhouse and she was upset with the fact Jason was feeling a little guilty over it.
“I can’t guarantee I can do anything with Antonia,” said Jesus. “She is a very powerful Witch.”
“Well, Antonia is a powerful witch but not Marnie,” said Aolani. “If you can bind Marnie, you can bind Antonia.”
“So how does Lafayette enter into this?” he asked.
“You have to send Lafayette in as your link,” said Aolani. “He is the medium, he has to take her on.”
“Oh hell no, you bitches is crazy,” said Lafayette.
“You do as they say or I will make you my last meal,” said Pam through gritted fangs. “Even if I don’t survive, I want you to save Eric.”
“Pam, calm down,” said Westexan. “We aren’t going let anyone get hurt.”
“We need time to think this over, consult others,” said Jesus.
“Well, we need to know something really soon,” said Aolani. “You don’t have a whole lot of time, and neither do they.”
We watched the two men walk away and get in the truck and head out.

“Do you think they will help us?” asked Lina.
“They don’t have any choice,” said Aolani. “They want out of their predicament with Eric and Pam, we want our Vampires back, it’s that simple.”
“So…this thing with Sookie having Bill’s blood…again…” said Lina. “Does that mean she really loves them both? Or is it the blood?”
“I think it is both. She still loves Bill, even if she madder than fire at him, else why is she all about saving Bill. She said she didn’t want people she loved hurt. And of course she loves this new version of Eric,” said Renee.
“But in the dream, that was not Amnesia Eric, that was the real Eric,” said Sugar.
“True, but she sort of loves that version of Eric too,” I said. “She had his blood before he became Amnesia Eric, so of course she is attracted to both. She might be enjoying the Amnesia Eric right now because his sweetness makes it easier for her, but I think she loved the ruthless part of Eric as well.”
“Do you think he will retain some of that sweetness after he gets his memories back?” asked The Kid. The Kid had been away taking care of things for Eric before he got amnesia and faithfully kept working on it til she was finished with it.

“I think he will. If we think about the source, and what she says, she says that he eventually not just knows about the time he spent with Sookie from Sookie, but he actually remembers as well, which is totally cool,” I said. “So I think now it will even be more sudden. It might be a little shocking to him, but I think he will be okay with it.”

“Will you people give me a small break,” said Pam, angrily. “Why would you want Eric to be different from the way he is now?”
“Not different,” said Jen. “Just more open.” Jen had just walked in to the meeting. It had been a while she came to a meeting but I was glad to see her.
“Well, either way, when Eric is uncursed, he will not be the same as he was,” said Aolani. “No one will.”
“That’s right,” said Violet. “No one ever is, once they get through one of those adventures.”
“I miss Eric,” said Fairy, finally.
“I do too,” I said. “I miss all of them.”

“Are we on? Do you see and hear us?” I asked. Barrister and I were sitting together in front of the mini-cam on my computer.
“We see and hear you Aslinn,” said Body Guard. “How are things in Spain?”
“Hot,” I said. “Have our Vampires arrived yet?” I asked.
“Soon,” he said. “Of course Eric…”
“Yeah,” I said. Eric was under the sway of the Witch Antonia. How he would be I had no clue, and felt he would be unpredictable. I had some things to share with the group, but I didn’t think it would do much good. After leaving the bruja’s hacienda, we went to the witch caves to see where they supposedly did their deed.

Fairy and Sugar Mags and Sweet and Wild came in with their arms full of goodies. I wished I were there, getting ready to chomp down on some lovely Minnie brownies. Lina and Linzy were there. They were whispering about something and I wondered about those two. The last time I had been around them, they were all hyped up for some reason. I had known them a while, but just lately, I had the feeling they weren’t telling us something. Same thing with Fairy. There just seemed to be times when she looked as though she was listening to something in her own head. When she caught me looking at her, she would turn her attention to something else and seem to almost banish gaze from her. Violet came in with Renee and Westexan and Aolani. Alcide stopped by the computer screen and said hello and sat down by Sugar Mags who was tickled to death. Finally three Vampires came into the room. Bill, Pam and Jessica. I watched Butter light a stick of incense. Pam may be looking pretty but she must be a little tangy to the olfactory. The nose knows, ya know?

Jessica sat down near the computer where Barrister and I were playing Max Headroom. (Let’s take The 1980’s please Mr. Trebek). “Hey guys are you ready?” asked Jessica into the computer.
“Ready when you are Jess,” I said.
“Eric is under Antonia’s sway,” said Bill.
“What does that mean?” asked Fairy.
“That remains to be seen,” said Bill carefully. “We don’t know what her plan may be.”
“Could they use Eric as a weapon?” asked Renee.
“She could,” said Pam. “Just as Antonia was using Luis to try to kill Bill, she could use Eric.”
“Eric was already damaged by the first spell,” said Aolani. “When a witch casts a spell, the spell becomes a door of influence between the witch the subject of the spell.”

“That is what we suspected,” said Bill, nodding. “Aslinn, have you learned anything else?”
“I learned a lot, but none of it seems relevant to this case except for this one thing. There may be someone who can heal both our Vampires if he will do it,” I said.
“Who?” asked Butter.
“Lafayette,” I said. “He already has a link to Eric through his blood and he and he is a medium. The bruja said the witch Antonia has to be exorcized and then bound by a brujo, someone who is a master at healing magik.”
“Lafayette isn’t a brujo,” said Westexan.
“No, no he isn’t, but Tio Luca is,” I said. “He can drive Antonia out and heal Eric and Pam.”
“I knew there was a reason I had not killed Lafayette yet,” said Pam.
“But isn’t Lafayette gonna be crowded with that woman already inside him?” asked Lina.
“She is just borrowing Lafayette as a vehicle,” said Aolani. “She may not be inside him all the time.”
“What is her story anyway?” asked Linzy.
“She thinks the baby is hers, she is using the doll as a tracking device,” said Aolani. “She is haunting the doll, that is why it kept coming home when Jessica and Hoyt kept throwing it away.”
“Was she the one who wrote on the wall?” asked Minnie.
“She was. The message has nothing to do with the fact that Terry is not the baby’s father, it has more to do with the fact the baby is not theirs, as far as she is concerned. That baby is hers.”
“Wow,” said Westexan. “So what is her story?”
“Whoever the man was who killed the baby, the baby’s father, that is the clue,” said Body Guard. “If the woman was hooked up with an influential family, then it may tell us more about the ghost and why she is interested in the baby.”
“Well, she seemed to know her way around the Bellefleur house,” said Renee.

Barrister had been looking at Jessica through the computer screen. “Jessica my dear, how are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m okay,” she said. “When will you be home?”
“Saturday,” he said. Jessica smiled at him.
“Jessica, what are you going to do about Jason and Hoyt?” asked Fairy.
“I don’t know, I am so confused. Nothing happened the way I thought it would be,” she said.
“That’s obvious, I thought it was pretty shitty of both men,” said Sweet and Wild.
“I don’t know, I think I kind of deserve it,” said Jessica.
“Well, if it is any consolation, human relationships are not smooth running either,” said Linzy
“Yeah, I get it,” said Jessica.

“Alcide, what is going to happen with you and the pack?” asked Sugar. “You disobeyed the packmaster and got involved with Sookie’s mess.”
“I don’t care,” said Alcide. Minnie, Sugar and Sweet and Renee all looked at each other. “What?”
“It’s just that I think you have too much on your plate as it is,” said Violet.
“I can handle it,” said the werewolf.

“Do you think Tara will go through an attitude adjustment since you saved her Bill?” asked Fairy.
“I hope so. One of the problems of our kind is there are Vampires who have no ethics or limits. I admit I was that way myself when I was with my maker, but once I became my own Vampire, I resolved to recapture some of my humanity. I of course owed something to Tara because I could not save her when she was in Russell Edgington’s house,” said Bill.
“You didn’t have any options then Bill,” said Renee.
“But aren’t you doing this to get into Sookie’s good graces again?” asked Lina.
“Perhaps. It would not be beyond possibility that I did. But, I don’t think I am necessarily out of her good graces. She did come to me, she and Eric, to stand by me. She didn’t have to, in fact I would have preferred Eric and Sookie stay where they were,” said Bill evenly. “But any other ulterior motives I have does not negate my desire to make up to Tara my inability to help her. I do not wish to harm her.” Lina just looked at Bill, still skeptical.

“Sam needs to do something with Tommy,” said Aolani.
“If anyone deserves to be euthanized, it is Tommy,” said Butter.
“He’s gonna make one bad step and that will be all that pup wrote,” said Minnie. “I just hope nothing happens to Sam.”
“Me too, but Sam is in trouble with Marcus, your pack master,” said Renee.
“I will try to keep an eye out for Marcus,” said Alcide.
“Well, we will just have to see what we shall see,” I said.

Logrono, Spain

My eyes adjusted to the sunlight and the bright day. Barrister and I flew there to learn more about the witch hunts there as any tid bit could be important and to help us move on from the hard few days we had been experiencing. My Spanish was terrible but I had hired an interpreter.

I had already done some research on the witch hunts and made notes of it for the council. Since we were on that side of the world anyhow, I figured we could dig around. You just never know what might help. Aolani had sent me the name of an old Bruja, someone who was considered a living fund of witchcraft knowledge and we were eager to get to her.

Our translator Jorge also acted as our driver and I handed him the piece of paper with the address and he nodded. "We take you to the hotel first and then we take you to see the bruja, she will tell you everything," I certainly hoped so.

The hotel was nice and clean and faced the Pyrenees. Barrister dumped our bags on the luggage bench and I went to my bag and grabbed a fresh note pad and my little voice recorder and a couple of pens and my camera. I did not know what I might find, but I was going to document it fully.

I changed clothes and we headed out where our guide was waiting. It was not a long drive and we were at the bruja's house in no time. It was hot and there were only a few trees in area til we came to the casa where our witch lived. The house was classic Spanish construction. There were trees all around it and a low rock wall around the perimeter. the yard had no grass to speak of but it was packed earth and flat stones all around and there was an herb garden in the front, growing vibrantly in the unforgiving soil, like all herbs tend to do. I could smell the lemon verbena and the sage and heather in the hot wind. Somehow, it was refreshing and I filled my lungs with it.

Children where playing in the courtyard and there were hearty plants in clay planters adding a jewel-like green against the yellow clay brick of the house. A slender motley colored cat came mewing up to us, it's tail up and it's eyes expectant. We were led into an inner courtyard that was a bit more formal. There was a boy there cleaning fish and a woman making tortillas on a flat piece of metal laying over a braisure of coals. The fragrance of the corn wafted up to me. Another woman was cooking peppers and their pungent capsasin was filling the courtyard with the promise of spicy savories to come. We were greeted by another man, who might have been in his sixties. He was dark and the lines of his face seemed soft, almost beautiful. His hair was long and tied back and he had a shapeless felt hat on his head that would shade him from the most ferocious of sun. He said something to our guide and he nodded...

"We are to go with him and eat and then the bruja will see us," he said. I nodded.

We were led into the dining room. It was a lovely big room with worn braided rugs and red tiles and a battered but much scrubbed table. Plates were set before us and a big jug of spring cooled red wine, made right there at the house was brought to us. The older man poured us glasses and we tasted it. It was very sweet with a black berry undertaste that gave it a tang that was refreshing. Several women and men came and sat down with us. If having strangers here was uncomfortable to them, you would never know. The women who had been cooking the peppers and the tortillas came in and brought in the work of their hands. Another woman came in brought in a platter of beef and rice and a young man brought in a large pot of soup. Bowls were ladled out to us and tortillas passed to us. The old man made the sign of the cross and prayed over the food. After prayers we began to eat. As we ate, more food was brought to us, the fish the young man was cleaning, some rabbit, some chicken, and we took a little of everything and ate and drank til we were full. There was no talking and as soon as the meal was over, the men and women who joined us stood and took off, back to work, I supposed.

We were given strong coffee and thick cream to add to it. Another bottle of wine was brought. We sat quietly, waiting to see her, the bruja we had come to speak to.

Bill had told me about the situation with the witches and what had happened. I was hoping we would find a way to help them, or at least give them a heads up. I worried about Eric. He was under her sway now...

Finally, the older man stood and we followed suit. I was amazed by her. She might have been four feet tall. She was maybe 80 years old but carried herself erect. She was wearing a bright skirt and a white blouse and her eyes were dark as a Vampire's dawn. She had her hair braided and wore silver earrings. She sat down and we followed suit. The guide introduced us and she smiled at us. Of course everything she said to us was in Spanish, and our words were translated for her.

"Welcome," she said. A woman brought the old woman some soup and the soft fish. She tore a tortilla apart and dipped it in the savory gravy and began to eat. We sat there and let her eat in silence. Once finished, she called for the whiskey bottle and took a dram and smacked her lips. She was toothless, giving her an apple doll look. "What I can do for you?"

"We have a problem, and we need your help," I said. I told her with all honesty about the Vampires and Antonia and the trouble we were having with her. I told her what I knew, and confessed we thought she would know more. She nodded and stood again and motioned for us to follow her. We stood up and went with her. We went into yet another court yard, this one was private. It was her power place, where she brought people to work for them. There was a lovely little sheltered altar dominated by a statue of the blessed virgin in her bright red and blue robes, but I knew the old woman was using her to represent Mari...the basque mother goddess, the one the Logrono witches prayed to. She indicated we should sit with her in the garden.

"Vampires are not immortal," she began. I nodded. This I knew. They may live a long time and be hard to kill but they can die. "And not all witches are good, like us." I nodded at that too. I had gotten my witch learning from books and other witches but this woman was born a witch and had learned the Craft at her mother's knee.

"Mother, tell me about the witches who died in Zummagara?" I asked.
"Those witches were at odds with the Vampires. They did more than curse them into the sun...They were raising Vampires," she said. I listened to the interpreter telling me her words. I looked at her.
"Mother, you surely are mistaken, only another Vampire can make a Vampire," I said.
"I didn't say she was making them...she was raising them, from the dead. Even Vampires know that once you are dead, the true death, you should never resurrect them. The humans who become Vampire are never truly and completely dead. As you know, they are near death, but the Vampire's blood transforms them and makes them not human anymore, the human part them that grows old and fades with age and disease and sickness is dead, but they do not die, they are made Vampire."

I thought about that a moment. It was a strange way to look at it. "So what were they raising? Vampires...they don't leave much of a corpse behind?"
"What they leave behind is enough. But this Antonia was raising the undead and this is an anathema to Vampires. Had she been an ordinary bruja and stayed to herself and others like her, then she would have been safe, and all the women of her coven with her. But Antonia was a necromancer, she spoke to the dead and raised them up. She became their master and she ordered them to kill other Vampires."
"The Vampire priests and nuns... she was after them. Why?" I asked.
"She fell in love with a Vampire. He threw her away when he was tired of her and took another lover. So she began to delve into the land of the spirits and she divined a way to bring back the undead. This made her their maker and they did as she bid them," she explained. "But she also learned to take over the bodies of Vampires and bend their will. Your Vampire friend, he is in her sway?"
"Oh yeah, he is in a lot of trouble," I said, thinking of Eric.
"You have to force her to remove the spell and this will not be easy," she said.
"Damn," I said. "Do you know what we might be able to do to help?"
"He has to be saved by someone who loves him," said the Bruja. "And it is dangerous for that person to try. She will have to fight for him."

I could think of all the sister wives Eric had but I could imagine only one who right now could have that power and that was the blond bon bon of Bon Temps, Miss Sookie Stackhouse.

"Thank you mother, for telling us what you know. I will keep it in mind," I said.
"Take this, it may help you," she said. She slipped something in my hand. "Do not open it til the time is right and only you will know."
"Okay," I said.

So much to ponder...

I make a wish on the first star

August 10, 2011

The rooms of the council were dimmed somehow as the members wandered aimlessly stopping occasionally to nibble some of the food that loving hands had prepared for them while they sat and watched and waited. Spooky Tooth had sent a huge pot of her famous soup beans with a message admonishing them to eat. Once a mother, always a mother.

Aolani, Fairy, and Renee stood watching as the sun began it’s slow descent in the skyline heralding the beginning of the night.

“I wonder if they will come tonight,” Fairy said as her worried eyes scanned the ever darkening skies.

“I think they will,” Aolani said quietly.

Renee took one last look, took a deep breath and walked back into the chambers where she began to rummage amongst small boxes and pulling out drawers, rifling the contents. She finally threw up her hands and cursed pithily.

“What are you looking for?” Minnie asked quietly.

“The damn cigarettes!” Renee snapped “I can’t find those damn cigarettes!”

“Renee,” Butter said, a faint laugh in her voice “you don’t smoke.”

“I do now,” she said, then looking around the room somewhat shamefacedly added “I’m sorry guys, I just need to do something with my hands.”

“Come help me,” Westexan said “I’ll wash and you dry.” Renee smiled gratefully and went to help with the simple task.

The quiet of the room resumed as the group settled back into their stance of watchful waiting. Shortly, their patience was rewarded when Bill walked in, followed by Eric. Anxious eyes looked behind the two and their disappointment was evident when neither Jessica or Pam appeared.

“Bill?” Violet asked softly, a wealth of questions weighing upon his name.

Bill shook his head sadly, “I have no idea, I cannot feel her.” His eyes searched the faces of the people and came to rest upon a beautiful ornately carved table that’s surface was covered with an eclectic assortment of candles all lit, their flames causing the eye to imagine it was looking upon sunlight dancing upon a cool deep dark pool. His eyes closed and he moaned softly as a single bloody tear trickled down his cheek, “It’s true then?” he whispered.

Violet went to him and gently embracing him, passed him some tissues while the others in the group nodded sadly.

“Where is Aslinn?” Eric asked looking around the gathering for the woman that he accredited with the leadership of this group.

Sugar went quickly to his side and whispered to him while Aolani said sadly “She’s been called away Eric.”

Fairy cleared her throat and said “Let’s begin, we have so many things to speak of tonight.”

The group settled into their normal places, Fairy and Aolani flanking Eric while Renee and Violet sat close to Bill, each touching him, both drawing and giving strength with the contact.

“Bill,” Linzy asked “you really can’t feel Jessica?”

“No,” he said, pain drenching his voice “I cannot, I fear she has met the true death at the hands of that witch.”

“I won’t count her gone just yet,” Scarlett said “remember, she is a young vampire and it takes longer for them to burn, you didn’t Bill when you tried to save Sookie from Rene and we can’t forget that Jason is there.”

“No,” said Lina “we can’t give up hope until there is none to cling to.”

The mood in the room lightened somewhat as the group considered this possibility.

“Did anyone else feel sorry for Tara?” Violet asked “she’s sacrificed her love to keep her lover safe.”

“That’s true,” Renee agreed “but really, so much of the pain Tara has endured lately has been the result of her own bad choices. I think she has such an angry soul that she can’t choose a quiet path and I’m afraid that this is leading her to her own destruction.”

“Lafayette a medium?” SweetAndWild questioned “That explains so much of what happened to him last year.”

“Aolani and Aslinn are right,” Linzy said “he’s powerful and others can use his power. That’s scary.”

“What about Marnie?” Minnie asked “is she in there at all? Has Antonia completely overshadowed her?”

“I’m sure there are remnants of her remaining,” Aolani answered “but she welcomed her possession and willingly shed her own blood,” here, Aolani’s voice filled with disgust at the foolish actions taken by the weak willed medium “and Antonia is extremely powerful, you don’t invite that in without taking serious precautions. Whatever happens, Marnie brought this on herself.”

“I just wish she hadn’t involved our vampires,” Butter said “it’s so hard to watch Eric struggle with who he is now and to not want to remember his past” she looked at Eric sadly as she continued “I get why you don’t want to remember Eric but to us, your memories are a part of who you are and we love you….whatever you did.”

Eric’s eyes widened as he looked into the faces of the women surrounding him, their acceptance washing over him like a soothing balm although he made no comment.

“Ok,” Renee said breaking the sudden silence “who else was happier than a puppy with two peters to see Dr. Ludwig?”

“Oh hell yes!” Tiff Tiff said a chuckle in her voice “she sure gives as good as she gets but I have to admit her bedside manner might need some work.” The group chuckled at the memory of the acerbic doctor’s treatment of Pam while Tiff continued “at least she can help slow that curse until it can be lifted.”

“Yeah,” said Linzy “and what about Ginger? Now that girl is one devoted fangbanger. Pam is darn lucky to have her help and that coffin……….it is so Pam.”

“So,” said Fairy as the laughter died “what are we going to do about damn coven?”

“Well,” Aolani replied “I have to travel over the next few days and thankfully there are some shamen and other witches that I’m going to consult with. I have great hope that someone among them will have some extra knowledge that will help us.”

“I sure hope so,” said Sugar.

“I know one thing,” said Fairy “binding yourselves in silver was a smart move on your part Bill. I know you suffered dreadfully but that was a stroke of brilliance.”

Bill nodded at her praise but said sadly, “I still failed, I failed Jessica and now she may be gone.”

“That’s a possibility Bill,” said Violet “but, as we said earlier, don’t count her as gone yet and even if she is gone you have to remember that, whatever you felt about being forced to be her maker, she had more happiness in her time as a vampire than she ever had in her human life. That counts for something.”

“It counts for a great deal,” Renee whispered as she laid her head on Bill’s shoulder and snuggled closer.

“Ok,” said Aolani “I have to get on the road soon so perhaps we can call it an evening.”

The group agreed and rose en mass, human and vampire alike and left the chambers to step into the enveloping darkness of the night. They looked up and gasped as what is known generally as the northern lights shimmered with brilliant colors across the night sky while the stars shone like diamonds. While they stood gazing upon the night’s gift, a huge shooting star shot through the velvety blackness and the dancing colors.

Renee whispered

Star light, star bright
The first star I see tonight
I wish I may
I wish I might
Have this wish
I wish tonight………

Shine eternally in our hearts little star.

I remember.....

Bill was not going to be at the meeting and neither was Pam. Jessica was bringing the Viking to the meeting. We were excited because now that Bill knew we knew he was hiding at Sookie's we could try and help Eric a little. He had fallen into a general malaise and while we could not really do anything to help him get his memory, maybe we could reassure him about something else. The something else was that he was not a bad Vampire and while we could not vouch for what he did before we knew him, we knew he was not a bad person, not really.

So we hurried and ate and cleaned up. Fairy of course was nervous and Westexan and Butter brought the tea cups. They did this on the principle that if Eric saw the boys didn't think he was bad, he would understand we were not just blowing smoke up his hole, that he was really a nice guy.

Linzy and Lina and Fairy were especially excited. Minnie had made brownies and Renee had made her bakeapple tarts, which Eric loved though he could eat them. He loved the smell of them. Violet had come in early to help me spritz the parlor and Michael and Body Guard and Alcide were all there to help us if he got upset and we needed someone a little stronger to sort of help us. Not that we thought he would be violent, but maybe just to reassure him. Sometimes it helps an emotional male to be around other males who can sort of stand their ground with him.

Aolani was doing a peace spell over the parlor and burning some lavender incense in the room for calm. We needed Eric to be calm. Aolani, Renee and Fairy and I explained that we should not just rush up to him, but just welcome him in and have him sit down and try to relax. Minnie brought her photo album. She had taken pictures of all our adventures and she wanted to share them with him to see if he could see how he was with us because often he was smiling and laughing and being embraced and cuddled and treated like an ordinary person...Okay, well he wasn't an ordinary person, he was 1000 years old and a Viking Vampire god (spelled with a little "g" so he would not get a big head), but to us he was Eric Northman, our friend and lover and leader of all our adventures.

Finally, Jessica arrived. She poked her beautiful red head in the door. "Hey, are you guys ready?"
"Come on in," said Fairy.

Eric was finally decently clad. He had on blue jeans and tennis shoes and a Fangtasia tee shirt. He came in carefully and looked around. He recognized me and Aolani and Fairy and Renee from our visit and he looked expectantly at the others.

"Come on in Eric," I said. "Would you like a Tru:Blood?"
"Yes, thank you," he said. He came into the room and stood by the fireplace. "This is a nice place."
"It should be," said Michael. "You built it. It's the headquarters of the True Blood Council."
"I built this?" he asked. "For you guys?"
"You sure did," said Westexan. "Go have a seat, make yourself comfy." The Big Viking went and sat down at one of the chairs. Kaiser was toddling around and he came right to Eric and lifted his hands to the Viking.
"Is this your baby?" he asked me, as I brought him the blood.
"No, this is Westexan's baby," I said. "He is our first teacup human."
"First?" he asked.
"Yeah, the first baby born to the Council," said Westexan."You can pick him up if you want."
"He would be afraid," said Eric.
"No he wouldn't," she said.
"You might not really want me to," he said.
"I know you don't remember but when I was pregnant, you squatted down in front me and put your head on my belly to listen to him in the womb," said Westexan.
"I did?" he said.
"Sure," said West. She picked up the baby and put him in Eric's lap. The Kaiser looked at Eric and he smiled. Eric smiled back. "Bare your fangs at him."
"No," he said, his smile disappearing, trying to hand him back.
"No, hold him, but show him your fangs," said Westexan. "I want you to see something." He looked at Westexan and Fairy and me. I nodded. Eric looked at Kaiser and snicked out his fangs. Kaiser squealed with delight and put his fingers on the long deadly fangs and was not at all concerned. Eric was surprised.
"He isn't afraid of me," he said.
"Of course not," said Aolani. "It's because you aren't a bad Vampire Eric. If you were a bad person before, do you think we would put a baby in your lap and do you think he would reach out and put his fingers on your mouth like that?"
"You don't know me," he said. West could tell Eric was getting uncomfortable, he lifted the baby to her and she took him.

"True, we don't know how you were when you were traveling with Pam, but we have knows you for a very long time, and we have trusted you with our lives and the lives of those we love," said Michael. "I'm Michael, by the way, Aslinn's human spouse."
"You have a human spouse?" he asked me.
"Yes, I do," I said.
"And you belong to King Bill?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"And you defied him and didn't tell him where I was?" he asked.
"None of us did," I said. "You are our friend too, and we love all of you and you guys have a truce with us."

He thought about it for a while. Finally, he sipped the blood and looked at us. "What do you know about me?" he asked.
"Well, your dad's name is Ulfrick and your mom's name is Astrid and you had a sister. You were married and you had six living children and your wife was named Aude and she was your older brother's widow," said Fairy.
"I had children? What were their names?" he asked.
"We don't know that," said Violet.
"What became of them?" he asked.
"We don't know that either," said Fairy.
"How did I meet Godric, my maker?" he asked.
"Godric found you dying, lying on your funeral pyre and he made you a Vampire," I said. "You were with him for a very long time, and he loved you a lot."
"Did you meet Godric?" he asked, looking at all of us.
"A couple of times," said Minnie. "He was wonderful."
"Remember when he visited and I made bakeapple tarts and Godric and Eric both were overjoyed to smell them?" asked Renee to the room.
"Yeah, they ran for them and sniffed them, I thought they were going to sniff them up their noses," said Butter. Renee got up and came back with a napkin and a tart in her hand. Eric picked it up and sniffed it.
"It's lovely, but I don't remember why," he said.
"It's okay, though, because you will remember," I said.
"I don't want to," he said. "Pam said I was terrible, that she and I did terrible things and I hurt people."
"Eric, we have known you for close to three years now," said Linzy. "If something happened and you never got your memories back, well, we would just do the best we could do with that and help you remember what we could but if you get your memories back, that is fine too, because whatever you were before we met you, it made you the person we love."

He looked uncomfortable. He looked around and a reddish tear traveled down his pale skin. Violet, keeper of all things kleenex, gave him a handful and he wiped the blood away. "Sorry," he said.
"It's okay," said Renee.

We sort of relaxed a while, some of us going to make coffee and grab some of Minnie's special brownies. Eric moved over to the couch and Fairy got Minnie's photo album and showed him the pictures. There were pictures of us at the Halloween party, pictures of us at Fangtasia, pictures of us in England and Ireland and Sweden, pictures of our trip to the Myrtles and how he was happy and surrounded by friends and lovers and children. There was a picture of him with Hunter and a picture of Eric lying on his back with the Bun on his chest.

I didn't know what would happen next. As we know, the second world is a world where we had no control but at this moment, I think we could all agree, Eric felt a little more calm now with us, than he had in a long while because we had evidence of something. We had evidence of Eric's humanity, even before he lost his memory and somehow, it gave him hope.