"We've had a difficult relationship with law enforcement for many years." "The man provoked me." " I could've done much worse." " I'm sure you could have." "you probably would've killed that man." " Hardly." " Would you have bit him?" "See?" "That's just crazy." "You would've fed on him then tossed him aside like and old chicken bone." "And don't tell me that's what vampires do." "I'm doing my best to mainstream." "Suckin' the blood from a police officer is not mainstreaming." "Neither is hosting orgies or listening to crazy Chinese gargling." " It's Tuvan throat singing'." " Whatever." "Tuvan?" "I don't even know where that is." "You cannot be frightened of everything you don't know in this world." "my world's opening' up mighty fast." "but it's safe. safe sounds pretty good about now." "thank you." "I can get this door myself." "I won't call on you again." "Synchro :" "Arrow et mpm" "Stupid... fuckin'... bitch." "hooker." "I was all-parish in high school. but you must've gotten 'em all." "When did you start dealing' V?" " You want some?" "You can use it." " You makin' jokes about it?" "you dumb motherfucker." "Is this 'cause I'm sellin' V or 'cause I sold it to your sweet Jason?" "Givin' vampire blood to Jason is like givin' Ho Hos to a diabetic." " You know he can't control himself." " I was very clear on how to use it." "It ain't my fault he didn't listen." "I had to take him to the ER." "They drained his penis with a needle the size of an ice pick." "Twice. and I have seen some pretty disturbing shit." "Lafayette." "Bad." "I..." "I'll go and check in on him in the mornin'. but how is comin' up in my joint at 3 a.m." "throwing' my shit around gonna make anything better?" "It makes me feel better." "Okay." "Adele Stackhouse." " Shame on you." " Who is this?" "A vampire is a perversion of humanity." "are perverting our community by bringing one{\ into the open}." "I suggest that you hear what he has to say before you take to lynching' him." "but when you bring freaks and abominations into our churches you will..." "I will be at the church early if you would like to stop by and say hi." "Mr. Compton's talk starts at 8." "You will go to hell for this." "now." "Phone's been ringing early today." "Everyone is excited about meeting the town vampire tonight." "I didn't hear you come in last night." "You went to bed early." "You didn't want to hear me come in." "I just thought I would give you two a little privacy is all. you gotta pin all your hopes for me on a vampire?" "But he seems like a very nice man." "he's not." " He's not nice?" "Or a man." "did you two have a fight?" "Kinda." "I don't think Bill and I have very much in common. if he feels at all." "I know that if I had a chance to know somebody I'd see it as a blessing and not something to be scared of." "Or hate." "I don't hate him." "I just don't want to be his girlfriend." "The phone's ringin'." "Michelle will pick it up." " Damn." " Yeah." "Just like that." "And no anesthesia either. then I gotta let a dude drain my Johnston." "That's a fuck of the day." "Sounds like it." "did you?" "Do I look stupid?" "I didn't even let on I was takin' anything." " You're my dog." " I love you right back." "man." "It fucks people up." "now Sheriff Dearborne thinks" "I'm some kind of sex maniac. ever be able to look Tara in the face again." "She'll get over it." "The girl's been lost in love with you since she was 8." " No shit?" " No shit." "man." "That's even worse." "I had no idea." "My life sucks so much ass." "And it's all because of your fuckin' V." "don't blame the Ferrari just 'cause your ass can't drive." "boyfriend." "I am done with V." "Go fuck some other people up with that shit." "You broke me." "man." "V will open up your mind to everything you missin' around you." "That's what's gonna snap you out of all this shit." "More V?" "If done right." "I got some in my car... if you want me to show you." "I ain't showing' you no whole vial till you learn how to use this shit right." "You get me?" "This... is the life force of a vampire." "They're just blood in a skin casing." "Ain't a whole lot different between a vampire and a boudin sausage except... for the blood." "this blood... is life. that's all you need." "Can't be greedy. 24 karat life." "You take this in and you take in a piece of the vampire it came from. you have to let it take you deep." "Follow it." "Soak it in." "What kind of vampire is that?" "He's new." "So the blood is still a little wild." "I can feel him in my muscles making me strong." "But you might get another side of him." "The same V could affect you in a whole other way." "But I guarantee you'll see the world with new eyes." "I can't believe I'm doin' this again." "man." "You're doin' it for the first time." "That vampire Bill would get a rise out of that." "You'll have to ask him yourself." "huh?" "I hear." "And people from Arkansas." "It was fine." "then?" "Did that vampire get all handsy with you? I won't be goin' out with him again. but how are you ever gonna know until you go see for yourself." "I said my piece yesterday. or dead." "I hope you're not too flipped out to miss the Descendants of the Glorious Dead tonight." "I gotta go." "Gran spent all week on it." "I was gonna ask if you wanna go with me." "Maybe we'll go grab a cup of coffee or somethin' after." "Are you askin' me out?" "I am." "That's pretty much how I do it." "Sometimes they even say yes." "you better say yes." "Shoot." "Why not?" "Good." "people." "Sorry about that." "They were all kind of watery." "huh?" " I guess." " Even that brother of yours." "He getting' serious with Tara?" "Tara who?" "I would." "right there." "I knew it." "Tara ain't bangin' Stackhouse." "Bitch lied to me." "Andy Bellefleur." " Didn't say anything." "but I did think it." "that means it's true." "You can hear what people think." "Let me get you a refill on that tea." "I need a sweet tea." "Tara here yet?" "She just came in." "She's in the ladies' room." "Why didn't you tell me you were goin' out with Sam?" "Because it just happened." "And how did you know?" "she works fast." "Alls he did was ask me to the DGD tonight." "It's in a church for cryin' out loud. and..." "Why do I have to justify?" "ain't I?" "about that." "Why does Andy Bellefleur think you're seein' my brother?" "I went down to the sheriff's and gave Jason an alibi." "What'd you do that for?" "Because I know he's innocent and so do you." "And we both know the more time he spends with the police the more he's gonna talk himself into trouble." "Is there something' else you're not tellin' me?" "What are you doing?" "okay?" "Keep that girl away from me." "Is everything okay? my brother and Tara have kind of been sneakin' around lately." "It's a shame they feel they gotta keep it quiet." "like I don't know now don't look her in the eye. for Pete's sake." "I'm gonna hear you whether you look me in the eye or not." "there's not a whole lot of ideas in there." "Like mice in a cage. but don't drag my brother down with you." "Here you go." "what are you doin'?" " Help Momma get this thing down." " Get it...?" "Our guest of honor is a vampire." "Adele Plumb forgot that little fact when she booked the church for tonight." "What do you think's gonna happen when he comes out and sees a giant cross?" "I don't either. is there?" "make yourself useful." "Quit jerking' on it." "munchkins." "I reckon you're the youngest history buffs we've had at the DGD." "they wouldn't stay home for nothin'." "they had to come." "Mayor Norris" "Adele." "Quite a turn out." "Isn't it?" "Good thing Myra made extra ambrosia." "Andy Bellefleur will like that." "He's with the Dearbornes." "Lord know why Bud insisted on wearing his uniform." "Is our vampire friend here?" "In the kitchen waitin'." "I left him with a bottle of that Tru Blood they like." "Do you think we've taken enough precautions?" "Against what?" "to make sure everybody's safe. but there's young folks here." "Mr. Compton is a perfect gentleman." "Frankly I am more worried about what we might do to him. this ain't gonna budge without a jackhammer or a blowtorch." "I got a better idea." "look at all the people." " Isn't it exciting?" "what a nice surprise." "When She told me she was comin' here alone" "I thought it would be a shame if she came without an escort." "we're sittin' down now." "girl." "Can we join you?" "Tara." "come on in." "Could always use more white people." "V will open up your mind to everything you missin' around you." "There's nothing but old people." "not zombies." "more like descendants of the walking dead." "did you?" "Mind if I sit with you?" "have a seat." "guys." "strong." "Alive." "sit back." "relax." "I thought I was relaxed." "I don't think you know how." "Welcome." "It certainly is a pleasure to see so many new faces here this month." "But Mayor Norris assures me that there will be enough ambrosia and tipsy cake for everyone. is one of us." "His family was among the first to settle in Bon Temps in the war for Southern independence." "Let us welcome one of the original sons of Bon Temps back to the town that he helped build." "William Thomas Compton." "Mrs. Stackhouse." "If you'll pardon me for a moment." "I wouldn't dream of putting myself before Old Glory." "I did not burst into flames." "We vampires are not minions of the devil. just as readily as any other creature of God." "How was I supposed to know?" "I am honored to stand before you tonight. perhaps to our detriment. and even thrive together." "I served in the 28th Louisiana infantry. under Colonel Henry Gray. and the ease with which it can be extinguished." "That son of buck's been killin' since the 1860s." " Why stop now?" " That don't prove anything." "My cousin Terry killed 20 Iraqis in Fallujah." "You sayin' we should lock him up?" "Your cousin Terry should be locked up." "we knew little of the political or ideological conflicts that had lead to this point." "he's so white." "we're white." "He's dead." "...but goin' to war was not a choice for us. that we had a calling to fulfill." "A destiny handed down to us from above." "God forbid should any of our men become wounded or injured." "Often the only recourse for a serious injury was amputation." "I had to hold down one of my fellow soldiers while the medic took a saw to his arm or leg." "We had no anesthesia at the time." "Apart from a bit of whiskey." "Load it up." "It often seemed that the man bein' operated upon suffered more from his surgery than he did from his original wound. the chance of subsequent infection was high." "Fucker." "Keep it down." "the nights could grow bitter cold." "My great grandfather was in the 28th." "I wonder if you might have known him." "His name was Tolliver Humphries." "Tolliver Humphries?" "I knew him very well." "We fought together." "Tolliver Humphries was my friend." "perhaps to a fault." "I dare say it contributed to his death." "What happened?" " Were you there?" " I was." "We were about 20 miles north of where I stand now." "and they had better firepower as well." "We'd spent much of the afternoon recovering the bodies of those we'd lost." "please!" "There was a boy in our troupe..." "No more than 13 or 14." "Who lay wounded in the middle of a field under poor cover." "He called to us all day." "He begged us to help him." "He knew he would die if we didn't." "I admit I considered shooting' the boy myself just to shut him up." "not war." "Hold your fire!" "He told me God wanted him to rescue that boy." "I'll go get him." "I pleaded with him not to go." "To think of his wife and children back home." "He ran into that field like it was a cool spring day." "Please!" "They shot him just as he reached the boy." "It was obvious to us that he was beyond help." "the boy started screamin' again." "What happened to the boy?" "He lived. and then under cover of darkness along with the body of Tolliver Humphries." "But it seems that Tolliver was right." "God did look after his descendants." "Mayor Norris." "I've been digging in the archives this week... and I found this old tintype." "Mr. W.T. Compton and family." "Can you tell us if this is a picture of you?" "This..." "This is a remarkable photograph." "I remember the day we gathered to have this taken." "When was the last time you were with them?" "When I went to war in 1862." "I..." "My human life ended before I had a chance to come back home." "But you became a... right?" "Couldn't you go back to your family then?" "that wouldn't have been possible." "I apologize." "This is not a subject I'm very comfortable speaking about." "mayor." "Brings back many memories for me." "Any other questions?" "dear." "man." "None of them will ever understand." "brother." "All right." "Could I...?" "Would it be possible to take a picture with you?" "Of course." "You won't vanish in the photo?" "That's just a myth." "And it's one I'd be happy to disprove." "Come around." "All right." " Here you are." " Thanks so much." " Great job tonight." " Wasn't he just marvelous?" "that was..." "That was quite a show." "right?" "you're Sookie's employer." "legally you still are." "I just wanted to congratulate you." "Seems like you've won everybody over." "I hope." "we better get going." "We're gonna grab a cup of coffee before we call it a night." "Coffee." "Sounds delightful." "Gran." "I'll see ya later." "He seems nice. this place is crawling with hot chicks and we're just sitting here like our balls are stuck together." "Don't look at me." "My chère is right there." "you get one yourself." "You..." "Want another round?" "Maybe we should order up a couple of those Tru Blood's." "don't you wanna try it and see what it's like?" "I go to the dog races." "You see me eating Alpo?" "was all." "Another Dixie Draft?" "Dixie Draft." "I'll get it." "I love you guys." "I know." "Another Dixie Draft?" "You feel that?" "Every hair on your arm shooting sparks into my hand." "You know those electric fences they use to pen horses?" "It feels like I just pissed on one." "you are still high." "I'm gonna kill Lafayette." "don't." "I'm not high." "I am high." "But that don't mean that what I'm feeling ain't real." "I can see clear." "I was blinded by the bullshit that keeps people apart." "Tara." " It's been you all along." " Who you think you're talking to?" "I've known you since I was 6 years old." "And it's taken me all this time to admit it." "Come here." "This bar might be full but you're the one who took care of me when I needed it." "Tara." "And that's the most beautiful thing of all." "Come to me when you're sober." "Then we can talk serious." "I'll prove it to you." "Everything I'm feeling" "I want to feel it with you." "One chance." "That's all I'm asking." "Last bite's yours." "you go ahead." "we'll split it." "huh?" "What?" "Tonight?" "What makes you say that? hear what I'm thinking if you wanted." "You ever tried? it's a little weird." "You don't think the way others do." "it's whole sentences or images." "I just get these sounds." "waves of emotions." " I guess I'm just a freak." " I was gonna say mysterious." "How come nobody knows anything about you?" "or or anything." "the people who raised me got nothing to do with who I am." "And I ended up pretty much raising myself." "Is that why you spend so much time alone?" "I think that's  'cause I don't like people." "no one goes and opens a bar if they don't like people." "Maybe I wanted to meet some pretty waitresses." "Too bad you got yourself a couple of crazy ones in the bargain." "There's nothing wrong with you." "I can't understand why you'd wanna fix or change or hide anything." "I wouldn't want you any other way." "You're just trying to get on my good side." "How am I doing?" "Finish it." "That's yours. that's all." "What's their problem?" "now." "It's not worth it." "What did they say?" "He said" "Arlene?" "He said the burger might have AIDS." "fudge." "Excuse me." "Who ordered the hamburger with AIDS?" "I ordered the hamburger deluxe." "a hamburger deluxe and AIDS!" "Do anybody got a problem with that?" "I'm an American." "And I got a say in who makes my food." "it's too late for that." "even brewing your beer long before I walked my sexy ass up in this motherfucker." "Everything on your goddamn table got AIDS." "You still ain't makin' me eat no AIDS burger." "all you gotta do is say "hold the AIDS." "Here." "Eat it." "you gonna eat my food the way I fucking make it!" "Do you understand me?" "Tip your waitress." "I for one am thankful you can't hear all my thoughts." " Why's that?" " 'Cause then you'd know what's comin'." "You okay?" "Are we going too fast?" " Maybe." " I don't wanna make you do anything I do." "Trust me." "I want to." "It's just and a little too soon since..." "Since what?" "Sookie." " I'm sorry." "I'm not used to this." "Should never have gone to see that damn vampire." "It's not him." "Just stop it." "I just can't go jumping from kissing one man to the next so quickly." " You kissed him?" " That's none of your business." " What else did you do?" " That's really none of your business." "you have to top it? is you waiting for someone else shows an interest before you decide to kiss me." "You have no future with a vampire." "They don't die." "I've got nothing but a future with one." "Just like Dawn had a future?" "Like Maudette Pickens had a future?" "Bill did not kill those women." "}There's nothing that I will not do to keep that thing from hurting you." "They're not like us." "They could turn on you." "And people can't?" "You're doing pretty good right now." "I think I best take you home." "You go ahead." "don't be" "Sookie." "Get in." "Excuse me." "Whip!" "Whip!" "baby?" "keeping it real." " Partyin'." " Me too." "I'm celebrating'." " What's the occasion?" " My divorce went through today." "That's great." "He was a jerk." "He shot my car." " Sorry to hear that." " Yeah?" "yeah?" "I swear." "So... you wanna help me forget all about him?" "She asked me to come home with her." "you?" " I said I'd think about it." "you a lost cause." "What?" "I just didn't feel that..." "that spark." "Another Dixie Draft." "O-negative." "Hoyt." "It's..." "It's hot." "That's the way it's served: 98.6." "That shit is nasty." "what'd you expect?" "This bullshit is like blood." "I thought it was supposed to be some sort of life-force or something." "Tru Blood don't do nothing." "The real life-force... is V." "Vampire blood." "It's illegal." "All our blood belongs to the universe." "we take a little from them." "merci." "It might give you the will to seal the deal with that girl. is you." "shit." "Look." "son?" "Mr. Compton?" "I'm Bud Dearborne." "Sheriff of Renard Parish." "This here's Detective Andy Bellefleur." "What can I do for you gentlemen? - if you don't mind." " Of course." "Won't you come on in?" "In to the house? make yourselves at home." "May I offer you a drink?" "thank you." " I have Frescas." "You do?" "For guests." "I'll have a Fresca." " What the hell are you doing?" " He offered." "He's a suspect." "Maybe to you." "We got no evidence." "He's a vampire." "It's a toaster." "For bread." "You put the slices in the end and then you cook them over the hearth." "as I no longer eat." "You said you had some questions for me." "We're investigating a couple of homicides that took place locally" " in the past week." " I've heard." "We're you familiar with either of the victims?" "Maudette Pickens or Dawn Green? I believe she worked over at Sam Merlotte's place." "but I saw her." "Were you aware that both had sexual contact with vampires?" "I was not." "But it's more common than you would think." "You have anybody that can vouch for your whereabouts on the night of the 23rd and 27th? were either of these unfortunate women exsanguinated when you found them?" "Drained of their blood?" "If you don't mind my asking." "That's not information we're at liberty to share." "Because a fresh corpse... full of blood... that's something no vampire could resist." "not even I." "Goof thing you weren't there." "And nor was any other vampire." "A vampire would have drained those girls of every last drop." "How's your Fresca?" "It's a little warm." "I apologize." "I don't own a refrigerator." "shoot." "I think I forgot my pen." "Leave it." "Is there anyone inside?" "I require help." "I'm a soldier of the 28th Louisiana Infantry." "I require food and water." "Is there anyone who can help me?" "Do not move." "I will shoot you." "I wasn't... even aware we surrendered." "Word came two weeks ago." "Yeah." "We disbanded immediately. but I chose to take a shortcut home by..." "By way of these trails." "I overestimated my knowledge of the land." "You're not far off." "Bon Temps is 10 miles south of that. under Colonel Gibson." "He fought at Shiloh. but I haven't heard from him in nearly seven months." "Many of the postal routes have been disrupted." "I'm sure your letter simply got lost." "That's kind of you." "But I've considered myself a widow for some time now." "Still have quite a lot of blood on you." "lieutenant." "I doubt you would've survived another day without food." "I'm in debt to you for taking pity on me. you best spend the night here... with me." "I'm sorry. but I have a wife and two small children waiting for me. and I do not wish to sully our reunion." "You are an honorable man." "The others have not always been so." "There's been others?" "From time to time." "mostly. and they help appease my loneliness. but these are times of war." "I do not judge you." "as are mine." "I wish to continue on my way home." "You have my gratitude for your hospitality." "I will not soon forget it." "The others." "They all presented themselves as gentlemen." "Can blame the war if you like." "They proved to be no more than savages once I let them into my home." "They deserve no better." "Have they died?" "yes." "But I'm not keen to let you go quite so easily." "I've waited a long time for a man such as you." "Drink." "you will die." "Certain as I'm speaking to you right now." "Do you wish to see your family again? your children?" "You must drink from me." "Take me in you." "Feel me in you." "forever." "You... are mine." "Look." "You know you can never enter." "Do you wish to see them grow old? while you remain the same year after year?" "They are my family." "They are as good as dead if they are found harboring a vampire. and now it's time for us to go." "Come." "You've got to be kidding me." "This is Randi Sue." "Come join us." "It's beautiful." "Stackhouse." "Bitch!" "Don't fuck with my hair." "Don't you dare stop."