|TWO|
NATURE CALLS

Apparently, there was a murder in Bon Temps. Maudette Pickens had been killed and Jason Stackhouse had been arrested for it; although, they let him go shortly thereafter because of a lack of evidence.

Eira was working another night shift at Merlotte's as she thought about it. Jason isn't a killer. Don't know why they'd even arrest him in the first place.

"Thank you, Eira," Sookie sighed in relief. "You are like a breath of fresh air."

"Oh, you're welcome," Eira replied in surprise before heading to a table to wait on a couple that had just walked in.

She was in the middle of taking their order when they looked past her with wide eyes. She looked back to see what they were looking at to find a vampire had entered and Sookie was walking towards him like she was in a trance.

Eira saw that everyone else was staring at the two of them. She shook her head before she turned back to the couple to finish taking their order. There was nothing wrong with vampires.

Eira took their order and then moved on to a young man sitting at a booth alone. He had a messy head of brown curls and brown eyes. She smiled politely, "Hi, what can I get you?"

She looked down to fix the small apron she wore. She didn't notice that the man was staring at her in awe. But she did notice that he hadn't said anything.

She looked back up in concern to find him staring, "Uh, are you alright?"

He started to smile, "Could I order a date with you?"

Her eyes went wide as she swallowed, "Uh..."

"It's okay if you don't want to," his eyes started to turn sad.

"Well," she said nervously. "I don't know you."

He smirked as he stood up and offered his hand, "I'm Daren."

She smiled shyly as she shook his hand, "Eira."

"That has to be the most beautiful name I've ever heard, Eira," Daren smirked. "Now will you agree to go on a date with me?"

She swallowed harshly again as she thought about it. She'd never been asked on a date before; they all thought she was an albino and wanted nothing to do with her. But this boy in front of her was cute and she craved to know what a date would even be like.

She grabbed his hand again before she took her pen and wrote down her phone number. She gave him a small little smile, "I'll go on a date with you."

_____

            Later that night, when she got off work, she was getting into her car when she heard sounds of a struggle. She immediately ran towards the noise to find the Rattrays kicking Sookie over and over again, beating her to death.

             "Hey, leave Sookie alone!" she shouted as a dog showed up and started barking.

             "What are you gonna do about it, little girl?" Mack chuckled.

             She felt anger stir inside her and she thrusted her hand out. The vines in the trees quickly moved and struck down, wrapping around the two Rattrays before lifting them up into the air and dangling them there as they screamed. The dog that had joined her let out a slight surprised whimper.

           "What the fuck, you bitch!" Denise shouted. "Get us down!"

           "I think you deserve to stay right there," Eira glared; they had nearly murdered a person. They could rot up there.

            Eira stared at them for a moment before she looked towards Sookie who was bloody and broken on the ground. She went to go to her but Bill, the vampire, suddenly appeared by Sookie as he lifted her up delicately.

            "Sookie," he called worriedly.

            "Heal her," she demanded as she knelt down next to Sookie. Bill glanced at her before he bit into his wrist and gave Sookie his blood.

            Sookie started to heal and when she started to come to, her eyes were on the people shouting for help, "Are the Rattrays hanging in the air...with vines?"

         "Yes," Eira said slowly, unsure of how Sookie would respond.

             "What the fuck?"

              ____

              Once Sookie assured she was okay, she left. She told Sookie that she was a witch and she could tell no one. She agreed but Eira was wary of Bill so she went immediately to Eric.

           When she entered Fangtasia, she immediately grabbed his hand and tugged on Eric to come with her. He followed her immediately to his office like sailor falling prey to the siren. She turned to him a bit shyly, "I did a bad thing."

           "What did you do?"

           "Someone was being beaten up outside work and...I may have used my powers."

            "Eira," he scolded. "How could you do something so stupid?"

          "I'm sorry," she apologized as she grabbed his hand and looked up at him pleadingly. "Don't be mad at me."

           He stared at her for a moment before he looked away from those hypnotizing green eyes as he muttered, "I'm not mad at you."

           "Good," she said nervously. "Because I sort of used my powers in front of a vampire."

            Eric growled as he bared his fangs, "What vampire?"

            Eira told Eric everything that happened. About the Rattrays (and how they were still hanging there), Sookie, and Bill.

            "I'll take care of it," Eric assured as he reached out and caressed her cheek.

         She stared at him for a moment before she stepped forward and gave him a gentle hug. She rested her forehead against his chest as she whispered ever so sweetly, "Thank you."

          Eric stared down at her in surprise as she hugged him. But he slowly wrapped his arms around her before he kissed the top of her head.

           _____

Eira went home and she found her mother. Things were floating around in the kitchen as her mother had ice cream come out of the freezer before floating through the air towards her along with a bowl and a spoon. Everyone else would be surprised but this was a regular sort of evening to her.

Eira smiled nervously, "I'm going to need some, too."

Her mother noticed her tone as she looked at her in worry, "What happened?"

Eira sighed. She explained everything over again. She wasn't supposed to use her powers in front of people but she did.

"But Eric is taking care of it," Eira said reassuringly.

"That does not reassure me," Meredith ran her hands through her hair worriedly.

"That's what the ice cream is for," Eira smiled as she ate a spoonful of it and her mother smiled a bit before eating some, too.

"Also," Eira added quickly. "I said yes to a date."

"Oh, a date?" her mother started to smirk. "Is he cute?"

"Very," Eira blushed.

"Is he a vampire?" her mother questioned slowly.

"No," Eira said knowingly. "So you can rest easy, Mom."

"Rest easy? When I have a daughter who's now dating?" her mother smiled as she wrapped an arm around her. "I'm pretty sure that's not possible."

Eira blushed, "It's just one date."

"Just one date until another and another," her mother teased. "Then I'll have to meet this boy and scare him off with magic instead of a shotgun."

"Mom!"

_____

Eric took care of the Rattrays. He cut them down and then killed them at their home, making it look a tornado. They couldn't be trusted not to talk.

He would've killed this girl, Sookie, but Eira seemed to like her and wouldn't approve of it at all; he couldn't have her being mad at him. But Eira said that she was trustworthy and he would trust that. For now.

Now he was paying a visit to Bill. It was a little bit more tricky with a vampire involved, especially, Bill because he knew Bill was working for the Queen and killing him would raise an investigation that he didn't want to deal with.

"Eric," Bill said in surprise as he found the Sheriff in his home.

"Hello, Bill," Eric smirked. "I heard you had a little run in with my human."

"But she's not entirely human, is she?" Bill patronized.

"That would imply you saw something tonight you shouldn't have," Eric said with a challenging glare. "But you didn't, did you?"

Bill clenched his jaw as he looked away, "No. I saw nothing."

"Good," Eric said as he started to leave but with a warning. "Keep it that way...or you'll be hearing from me."