" Ginger, enough." " Thank you." "Humans." "Honestly, Bill, I don't know what you see in them." "Synchro:" "Arrow et mpm" "How did I end up with you people?" "Jesus." "Mother Mary in heaven." "I'm so sorry, Mama." "I'm so sorry." "When Ginger is finished, glamour her for me." "Are you sure?" "She's been glamoured one too many times already." "Who knows how much of her is left." "It's either that or turn her." "You want her?" "Please, I'm not that desperate." " Glamour it is." " Excellent." "Come." "I'll buy you a Blood." " Thank you." " How do you stomach that stuff?" "Don't you find it metallic and vile?" "I don't think about it." "It's sustenance, that's all." "What?" "If you're their poster boy, the mainstreaming movement is in very deep trouble." "Tru Blood." "It keeps you alive, but it will bore you to death." " Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" " You killed a vampire, Bill." "For a human." " What are we gonna do about this?" " What do you have in mind?" " I'll take the girl." " No." "You can have anyone you want." "Why do you want her?" "Why do you want her?" "You're not in love with her, are you?" " Sookie must be protected." " Now, that sounds like an edict." "But it couldn't be, because I would know about that." "Admit it." "You love her." "If I hadn't done what I did, would you have let his disloyalty stand?" "Whatever I did to Longshadow, I wouldn't have done in front of witnesses." "Especially not vampire witnesses." "Not smart, Bill." "Not smart at all." "All I'm saying is, Lafayette didn't have to kidnap him." "And I'm pretty sure he left with some V." "Hey." "If you wanna make the same arrangement with Eddie Lafayette's got, then have at it." "This is the only thing I could think of to get you out of blowing a vampire." "You done this before, haven't you?" " Done what?" " This." "Kidnapping vampires." "Jesus." "I should have known something wasn't right the second you walked into my life carrying that big bag of crazy." "'Cause any woman with a purse that big is bound to have something in it" " I don't wanna know about." " Jason." "Baby, you're sweet, but you've gotta mellow out." "What the fuck is this hippie music?" "Put these on." "Thank you, but I'm fine, really." "I'm just gonna dry out my hair and be on my way." "You're not going anywhere." "Eric and your boyfriend aren't nearly done talking just yet." "Is" " Bill in some kind of trouble?" " That's for the boys to figure out." "Right now, what you need to do is change out of your clothes." "There's vampire in your cleavage." "Allow me." "Thank you." "I'm beginning to understand the fuss everyone's making over you." "Hey there, Pam." "Who's your new friend?" "Nice to meet you, Sookie." "Right." "Nice to meet you too." "You don't have to be so scared." "They're really very nice here." "Here." " You got him?" " Yeah." "Tape the windows shut." "Here." "Clear this out." "We gotta clear all this shit out." " Lift his legs." " I got it." " Ready?" " How's this one go?" "Tie his arm there." "What?" "I guess I got a little paranoid after 9/11." "No, 'cause after New York and D.C., terrorists were gonna come straight to Bon Temps." " And I said I was paranoid." " Get his feet." "What are you gonna do to me?" "I was kind of wondering that myself." "We're gonna drink from him." "And then what?" "Dude, I got this." "What's the plan?" "Jason, can you please try to live in the now with me." "I do live in the now." "In fact, I've gone entire months without thinking about shit." "But the truth is, right now, the now kind of sucks." "And if we both can't admit that, then we are 100 percent fucked." " Who wants the first taste?" " Well, I ain't doing it." "Not like this." " Thank you." " I said, stop talking to me." "Come with me, baby." " Don't let your fear get in your way." " Look, it ain't fear, all right?" "It's just..." "He's looking me right in the eye." "It ain't right." "Look at him." " Fine." "I'll see you when I get back." " Wait, wait, wait." "Ain't you supposed to cut it with aspirin?" "No, there's no risk of clotting when the V's this fresh." "My God." "You look... really happy." "Come on, baby." "Come with me." "Don't." "Don't do it." "I said, don't talk to me." "What exactly did you do to my mama?" "You were here." "You saw it." "Yeah, but I wanna know exactly how and why it worked." "'Cause I'm already taking a monster leap of faith even considering this demon crap." "Fine, then." "It's like this." "Your mind, your..." "Your body, it's just a physical manifestation of your soul." "And your soul is sick." "My soul don't wanna get ripped off." " How's your mama doing?" " She's doing great." "But she believes in shit like this." "I don't." "If you don't believe then why'd you come all the way out here tonight?" "How much it'll cost me?" " 799,95." " What?" "799,95." "Cup of rum's on the house." "My mama paid less than half that." "What I do takes varying amounts of energy, and involves varying amounts of risk." "Now, what you got inside you is much more powerful than what your mama had." "Much more dangerous too." "I'm worse than her?" "I once found that woman on the ground, eating her own vomit 'cause she didn't wanna waste the alcohol she lost bringing it all up." "Think about it." "But not for too long." "You can't afford to keep pushing people away." "Your loneliness is spreading to your eyes." "It's becoming a part of who you are." "You're one hell of a saleswoman, aren't you?" "Next time you're alone stand in the mirror and count backwards from 10." "If you can get all the way down to zero, then I'm wrong." "But if you can't stand your own company for 10 seconds, how you gonna expect to do it for the rest of your life?" "So you're not in any trouble?" "A simple slap on the wrist, that's all." "You swear?" "Because Pam made it sound like..." "Pam was turned almost 100 years ago, and yet somehow still behaves as though every day were Halloween." "She's all drama and theatrics." "I assure you, everything's gonna be fine." "I'm gonna take a shower." "I still feel like there's blood all over me." "Don't look up." "Wait, wait, wait." "First we have to thank the vampire for the gifts that he's bestowed upon us." " We are grateful..." " Fuck you." "...for your gift to us." "Ignore him." "Can you see it?" "Where are we?" "Nowhere." "Everywhere." "Together." "Aren't you tired?" "Every time I close my eyes, I see her face." "Your cat?" "Gran." "But now that you mention it, Tina's in there too." "You do know that I'm not gonna let anything happen to you?" "That I am here for you, to protect you?" "And what if I don't wanna need to be protected?" "What if wanting to be protected makes me feel like the helpless little girl I used to be all over again?" "All of the things that you need to be protected from, all of the trouble you're in," "you're in because of me." "So you needing to be protected has nothing to do with you" "or who you are." "All of it is my fault." "So why don't you just go to sleep, and let me be the one to worry about it?" "All the trouble I'm in." "It's mine." "I chose it." " I chose it when I chose you." " Yes, but..." "Don't you think I wanna blame somebody else?" "But what happened to my gran, and now to poor Tina," "it's my fault." "And it's sweet of you to try to take it on for me, but if I let you, I'd be so mad at you, I'd never be able to look at you again." "And right now your face is just about the only thing getting me by." "So why don't we just leave it on me, okay?" "Very well." "Night, Bill." " You're a fucking dead woman." " Oh, my God!" "Honestly, you are like a little boy." "Did I scare you?" "Come here, lie down." "I wanna show you something." " What we looking at?" " The trees." "But we're not just looking, we're listening too." "Listening to trees?" "Can you hear that?" "It's like the leaves are talking." "They're laughing." "Because they're ticklish." "That's right." "We still high?" "Because I don't normally talk like this." "Plus," "I'm feeling kind of lightheaded too." "You're talking like this because your mind is starting to open up." "And you're lightheaded because you haven't eaten anything." "So here." "Have an almond, they're raw." "Oh, my God." "These crazy good." "That's why we gotta change the way you eat." "Raw foods." "Nothing processed." "Because the cleaner the body, the cleaner the soul, the cleaner the experience." "Cleaner than last night?" "Much cleaner." "He'll stop." "He'll stop." "Ain't you worried somebody's gonna hear him?" "We live in the middle of nowhere of the middle of nowhere." " Yeah, I guess, but..." " He isn't a person, Jason." "Did I say he was?" "All I'm saying is..." "My truck, for example." "It ain't a person either." "But I still fill it with gas and give it oil from time to time." " You're saying we should feed him now?" " Ain't he gonna die if we don't?" "Who cares?" "I just..." "I still think we should have a plan, that's all." "I do have one." "And here it is." "Everything's gonna work out, because it has to." "That ain't a plan." "Because when I am with you, what I feel..." "I've never felt that with anybody else ever before." "And I'm a person that..." "That a lot of bad stuff has happened to in the past." "And so I deserve this." "I love you." "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God." "I mean, why is it that we all need to be loved, but then when somebody finally says, "I love you,"" "people just run scared." "I love you, whether you like it or not." "I'm not afraid to admit it." "Know what?" "You're right." "Fuck it." "I love you too." "Say it again." " I..." " Come on." "You get it once, that's all." "Ten." "Nine." "Eight..." "Don't you knock?" "What if I was doing something private?" "I taught you that was a sin against God." "So if I walk in on you doing it, it's your problem, not mine." "What do you want?" " Sam's here to see you." " You ain't sleeping with him, are you?" "What makes you jump to that conclusion?" "He brung flowers." "Men only bring flowers if they already slept with you and looking to again." "That especially goes for white men, as black men are less prone to grovel." "What do you want?" "To apologize for anything I said that hurt your feelings" " and sort things out between us." " That's a load." "It's sex he wants." " She drinking again?" " Nope." "That's her, stone-cold sober." " Look, you should go." " Why?" "Because I'm just too fucked up for this." "I hate to break it to you, you're not the most fucked up person in this house, much less this town." "What do you think this is between us anyway?" "We were clear from the beginning it was just gonna be us fucking." "It's too late for that." " What are you, a masochist?" " No, I'm not at all." "But I've spent my life running away from people or pinning my hopes on somebody I can't have." "I'm done with that." "Like it or not, you've reminded me that I'm a social animal." "I'd rather deal with your fucked up shit than be alone." "Here's some fucked up shit for you to deal with." "Do you know that right now," "I'm thinking I have a demon inside me?" "And the solution is have some crazy ass lady who lives in a bus out in a swamp perform a $800 exorcism on me that there is no way in hell I can afford?" "So go ahead." "Now try and tell me you still want something more with me." "Not if it's gonna be like this." "But I'd like it if we could have..." "We can't, all right?" "Look, just go, okay?" "Get out of here and save us both a lot of misery." "All right, I'll see you at work." "Oh, my God, it's beautiful." "I know, right?" "So you guys having an engagement party or what?" "We'd like to, but I don't know where we'd throw it." "You know, our place isn't big enough." "You could have it here, if you like." "Oh, thanks." "But I wouldn't wanna put you out like that." "You wouldn't be putting me out." "It'd be like any night, except I'd close the place to the public for you and your nearest and dearest." "That would be amazing." "Except I was thinking could we maybe do it in the warehouse next door?" "Or even outside?" "'Cause if we did it in here, it'd feel like work, you know?" "You were thinking, huh?" "About the party I only just now offered to throw for you?" "You are a spectacular man." "And you are one hell of a conniving suck-up when you need to be." "I'll cover the catering and the band." "Alcohol and all the other incidentals are on you." "Got it." "And I may be conniving, but I still mean it." "You are gonna make some woman extremely happy one day." "Maybe I'll meet a woman who's willing to take that chance with me." " Morning, Sookie." " Ain't nothing good about this morning." ""Secret Sauce"?" "Who you fucking kidding?" "Since when is it right to call mayonnaise a fucking secret?" "I don't know." "I kind of like it, though." "You can like it all you want to." "It's still mayonnaise." "What are you thinking?" "Thinking fucking roots should learn where to grow, them." "What?" "Wait!" "Wait!" "The fuck, man?" "Shut it down!" "Get the fuck off me!" "Asshole." "What the fuck is wrong with you?" "You got a screw loose?" " You could've killed me, you know?" " I'm sorry, I know." "But this ain't just some root growing up out of nowhere." "It's connected to that tree." "Everything we see, man, it's all..." " It's all connected..." " The fuck are you talking about?" "You some kind of tree hugger now?" "You gonna kill your best buddy to save a tree?" "Chill, son." "I could give a fuck if you're sorry!" "I'm about to get married." "There are people that count on me!" "Okay, come on." "Let's go get you cleaned up." "Shit." "Is everything all right?" "Tell me, Hoyt, were you on the football team?" " Were you on the football team?" " No, I wasn't." "Then you do not call me Jay." "You got that?" "Yeah, I'm sorry." "Goddamn it, Jay." "Goddamn it." " What can I get for you today?" " Your boss around?" "Tell him you're looking for him." "What can I get you?" "Don't know, I haven't decided yet." "And while you make up your mind, how about I tell you what you can get for me?" "I'd love to have whoever's killing off my family's head on a platter." "Think you could arrange that for me?" "I don't appreciate your tone, Miss Stackhouse." "And I don't appreciate my officers of the law enjoying casual lunches while there's a killer out there trying to hunt me down." "Did you know he got into my house again last night?" " He did?" " Yes, and he killed my cat." "He cut her head off and took it with him." "Jesus." "How come you didn't call the station?" "Because they would've send you." "And if I had called, you'd still be here right now acting like you don't know what you're gonna order even though you always have the cheeseburger." "Hey there, Detective, I'll take your order." " No, it's my table." " I got it." "Just take a break." "It'll do you some good." "What can I get for you?" "Go with the goddamn cheeseburger and fries." "Listen, you all right?" "Sometimes I wish I smoked, you know?" "So you could sneak outside without anybody knowing there's something wrong." "I'm really sorry about your cat." "Maybe I shouldn't have come in today." "Yeah, I was gonna say, why did you?" "I don't know." "Maybe because lately it seems like if I called in sick every time somebody I loved got murdered I'd never make it in for a single day of work." "Don't you think Sam would understand?" "I guess." "But if I went home, what would you do?" "Me?" "What's it got to do with me?" "Well, with Arlene doing nothing but showing off her ring to anybody who will look at it, you'd be the only one waiting tables." "Yeah, she is gonna be a handful, that one." "Can you imagine what she was like the first time she got married?" "What about you?" "You ever been married?" "Is this the part where the sister as what the girl's intentions are with her brother?" "Because right now, I am all about protecting Jason." "He misses you, Sookie." " Right." " No, he does." "I mean, between your grandma passing and then what happened afterwards with you..." " He told you about that?" " Yeah, he couldn't not." " I mean, he's a mess about it." " Well, you wouldn't know it." "I know what you must think of him." "And I get why you're mad at him, I do." "But he loves you." "You still got people around you who love you." "And all I can hope is that maybe one day," "I can be counted in among those people." "You are way too good for him." "You know that, right?" "Of course, I know that." "I'm not stupid." "You can call me all the names you want, but I am confident in my position that when the day comes that I meet my maker, it is I who will be allowed to pass through the gates into the glory of eternity." "Thank you, Reverend." "Miss Flanagan, would you like to turn the conversation back to the VRA?" "Shut up, shut up, shut up." "After the massacre of three of our kind in Louisiana earlier this week" "I think the world should take notice of the fact that we have not retaliated." "And we will not." "Which leaves us with the question of exactly who is hunting whom" " out there in America tonight?" " I applaud your rhetoric." "That was very impressive." "Shut the fuck up!" "Thank you." "Thank you." "Please, I..." "What is it?" "I need you to move me." "Too much pain." "This chair is digging into my skin." "Thought y'all couldn't feel pain." "When you don't drink, your body..." "Your whole body aches more than anything" "I ever felt when I was alive." "Please?" " Well, if I move you, will you shut up?" " I promise." " This better not be a trick." " It's not." "And don't you fucking bite me." "I don't even have the energy." "Just, please?" "Jesus." "For a vampire, you sure are a doughy fuck." "I'm sorry." "There." "That any better?" "I think so, yeah." "Yeah, good, 'cause now I'm all fucked up." "What the hell?" "I found an envelope full of cash in my cubby." " You know anything about it?" " We'll talk after work." " You know I can't..." " I said, after work, all right?" "Anyone needs me, I'll be in my office." "Yes, he's done it again." "Another lovely shot." "A hole in one." " Nice to meet you." " Chow is Longshadow's replacement." "I take it by your being here, there was no way around it, then?" "I can't really say." "Didn't exactly look into it." "Tell me, do you enjoy it, living halfway up his backside the way you do?" "Yes, it's nice." "You should try it." "We're gonna have to stop by the bar where Sookie works first." "She needs to know that I'll be gone." "Don't forget how this started." "She came to Fangtasia to help you." "Fine." "Go to the bar." "Might be smart to check out the competition." "Yes, indeed." "What's your game?" "Excuse me?" "You were playing Wii." "What's your game?" "Golf." "What's your best score on Pebble Beach?" " Seven under." " Mine's 11 under." "I liked Longshadow better." "It still hurts?" "That went right away." "I guess that's a perk of me doing V." "But this..." "This stretching just feels so goddamn fucking good." "Another perk." "Then what's with the weight, dude?" "I thought all you vampires were supposed to be in shape." "We are what we were when we were turned." "I led a very sedentary life." " What's sedentary?" " Desk job." "I was an accountant." "Sat around a lot, ate a lot of junk food." "How's someone go from being an accountant to being a vampire?" "It wasn't the straightest line." "I always had this sense that it wasn't really my life I was leading." "But I convinced myself it was the life I wanted." "Then one day, about a year ago," "I came home from work to find my wife crying like her whole family had just died." "Turns out my son had had a fist fight at school." "So one of the kids suggested to him that I might be a fucking faggot." "Kids are morons." "That's precisely the reaction my wife wanted me to have." "And when I didn't..." " What, she never even had a clue?" " How could she, when even I didn't?" " I'm sorry." " Don't be." "Comes a point in life when you realize everything you know about yourself, it's all just conditioning." "It's the rare man who truly knows who he is." "At least I accomplished that." "I guess it helps that you don't look all that gay." "Most of the gays I've come across," " they look like..." " You." "You're what we're supposed to look like." "Anyway, after she left me and took my kid," "I went to a gay bar, hit on a couple of men." "Got laughed at." "Or pitied." "Then I saw this one guy." "He was even less of a looker than me, and he had beautiful young men all over him." "Somebody told me he was a vampire." "I guess I just thought:" ""That's for me. "" "After that, it was just a matter of time before I found someone willing to turn me." "That's crazy." "I told you it wasn't the straightest of lines." "So... how did it work out for you?" "With the guys and everything?" "You tell me." " I'd like that on the side, please too." " Okay, coming right up." " What's going on?" " His place is even more depressing than I thought it'd be." " What are they doing here?" " Give me a minute and then we'll talk." "Where's Sam?" " I don't know." "Why?" " He's in his office." " Try to behave yourself." " Don't I always?" "It's Bill Compton." "I need a minute of your time, if that's all right." "It's open." " Who's this?" " His name's Chow." " He need to be in my office too?" " Yes." "I have very little time, so I'll be brief." "I've been called away." "And I need you to watch over Sookie, protect her while I'm gone." "That's just priceless." "Don't expect her to be too keen on the idea." "Sookie hates feeling like she doesn't have her independence." "I'm really starting to get fed up with you telling me who Sookie is." "I know." "And I also know how you feel about her, and I don't like it." "But I'm asking you because you're the only one I can ask." "You're the only person I know of who can protect her in my absence." "Will you do it?" "Of course I will." "But I'll be doing it for her, not for you." "Thank you." "So simply present this card at the door when you get to Fangtasia, and the first round is on me." "Also, Thursdays are ladies nights, so be sure to bring a date." "That is, if you can get one." "She got you." " Thanks, ma'am." " Not him." " He doesn't get one." " What gives, bro?" "What'd you do to your arm there... bro?" " I take it your business here is done?" " I came to talk to Sookie." "I'll give you three minutes." "We have a tribunal to get to." "What?" "Come with me." "Before I go, a word of advice:" "We know when a human has wronged us." "We can smell it." "Do not make the mistake of letting the pretty blond vampire lady on television make you feel too comfortable." "We may not have retaliated... yet." "We know who you are." "Have a nice night." " I have no choice, I have to go." " Why?" " Because I killed a vampire." " I know that, I was there, remember?" "He was gonna kill me." "You were defending me." "If one of you killed another one of you defending one of us, you don't think" " there would be a trial?" " I'll come with you then." "I can and I'm going to." "I wanna testify for you." "Damn it, Sookie, you can't." "You can't come." "And you can't testify." "You will not be welcome there." "You lied to me." "You said that everything was gonna be okay, but it's not, is it?" "I honestly don't know." "Just look after yourself, all right?" "I've asked Sam to watch over you." "I wish you hadn't have done that." "Be smart, Sookie, and just let him." "There's still somebody out there who wants to kill you." "Fine." "I will." " Thank you." " And time." "If I had any feelings," " I'd have the chills right about now." " Not me." "Now." "You all right?" "Look, I'm sorry about..." "Right now I don't even remember what it is I'm supposed to be mad at you for, so why don't we both just forget it, okay?" "That's good by me." " It was in the flood." " A flood?" "Oh, my." "It was the shits." "But you gotta play the hand you're dealt, I guess." "And when you say you... were living at your grandmother's, I take it to mean your grandfather was already gone?" "I'm so sorry." "Why?" "It wasn't your fault." "It's that a boy needs a man in his life to teach him what it means to be a man." "Whatever." "That's the hardest part of all this for me." "My boy." "He's got nothing but women around him now." "He needs me." "I'm not there." "I'm sure he'll be all right." "I mean, look at me." "Don't you try to glimmer me." "Amy warned me about that." "I'm too depleted to glamour you." "That's something I haven't quite mastered yet, anyway." "Really?" "You can't just do it?" "Learning to be a vampire doesn't happen overnight any more than learning to be a man does." "You gonna marry her?" "Who, Amy?" "I don't know." "We haven't been together that long." "But... just between you and me?" " I could really see her being the one." " She's not." " What?" " Don't do it." "Don't marry her." " Ain't none of your business." " She's a psychopath." " Fuck you, Eddie." " She is." "She is far more dangerous than I could ever be." "That's enough." "Look, I gotta go out and get some more beer." "But while I'm gone, keep your fucking howling to a minimum." "Can we talk about it now?" "Sure." "That's not talking about it." "I can't take it." " I appreciate it, I do." "But..." " You're keeping it." " You can't tell me I'm keeping it." " It's my money, so, yes, I can." " You're a stubborn son of a bitch." " That makes two of us." "You really believe you have a demon in you?" "I think I got something inside me that is... scared... and pissed off... and mean..." "And fucked up." "Think it's stupid, don't you?" "Look, two years ago nobody even knew there was such a thing as vampires." "Now we gotta deal with them every goddamn day." "And who knows what else is out there?" "Eight hundred bucks?" "That's..." "That's a lot of money." "People in this town drink a lot." "I'm doing okay." "So I guess I'm having an exorcism." "You're welcome." "I don't know how to ever thank..." "Interesting night, huh, Sook?" "I guess." "Maybe a little too interesting." "Shit, ain't no such a thing as too interesting, only too dull." "How big is your dick?" "You know what?" "There is such a thing as too interesting." " Where's Arlene?" " She just left." "Of course she did." "Listen, I have to get out of here." "Would you mind covering the rest of my side work for me?" "Sure, but is that really the best idea," " you going home by yourself?" " I'm not going home." "I'm going to stay at Bill's." "No one'll come looking for me there." " Okay, then." " Thanks, I owe you one." "No worries." "While I got you alone" "I wanted to say thanks for everything you've been doing." "You're fitting in great around here." "Really." "I should be the one thanking you." "Lord knows I really needed this job." "But you are welcome." "So, where are the others?" "Arlene had to get back to her kids, Sookie took off a couple of minutes ago." " What?" " I know, I tried to stop her, but..." " She say where she was headed?" " She was going to Bill's." "Goddamn it." "Hey there, Sam." "Turns out that little story you told me the other day about growing up in a nudist colony didn't exactly check out." "We need to talk." "Sure, just..." "You know, I forgot something in the bar, but I'll be right back." "Okay?" "Hey, dog." "Screw you too." "My God." "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on people like that?" "What are you doing so far away from home?" "Tell you what, why don't you come spend the night with me and I'll take you back to Merlotte's tomorrow, okay?" "Come on." "It's night-night time." "Come on." "You know, if we're gonna be sleeping together, we're gonna need a name to call you by." "What do you think of "Dean"?" " I like it too." " Dean." "Dean the dog." "Look at you, looking away." "What a gentleman." "Here, would it make you more comfortable if I got under the covers?" "Come on." "Hop up in bed with me." "You can't sleep on the floor all night." "You're gonna catch a draft." "Now, hop up here." "Good boy, Dean." "Sweet dreams." "Wake up." "Wake up." "Here." "You brought me Tru Blood?" "Just drink." "You're on my feet."