Awakening

9

Morgan pushed her empty plate away slightly, taking a drink of her Coke before setting it down on the table. Her head turned toward the door, watching as Bill walked in, acknowledging Tara behind the bar, but she only took a step beck. The vampire walked to a booth, sitting down, giving Morgan a small nod, causing her to return it slightly. Two men who had been playing pool were staring at him, Arlene looking around, seeing Sookie waiting on other customers, a low sigh emitting from her. She walked over to Bill's booth, Tara having her arms folded, a mean look on her face as she looks at Bill,

"What you want?" Arlene asked, notepad and pen in hand

"May I have a bottle of O Negative, please?" Bill asked politely

"Um, A Negative's all we got" she replied

"A Negative then" giving her a small smile as she wrote down his order "pretty crowded in here tonight. Something going on?"

Arlene walked away without answering Bill, who looks around and sees Sookie, who is looking at him, the redheaded waitress giving her order to Tara,

"Sam just bought a case" Tara said, looking at Arlene "we got O Neg and A Neg, plenty o' each"

"Fuck him" Arlene replied, making a face "I'm giving him A. And don't microwave it neither. He can have it cold"

Tara gets a bottle of Tru Blood from the cooler, and places it on Arlene's tray, Sookie approaches Arlene,

"Are we out of O?" Sookie asked

"Blood is blood" Arlene replied "what difference does it make?" walking away with the tray

The bottle was snatched from the tray, causing Arlene to flinch slightly, her head turning to look at Morgan, who was giving her a scolding look. She had snapped out of her mood, and Arlene knew not to get her angry.

"Don't be rude, Arlene" she said "and he can hear you" jerking her head slightly toward Bill

"I don't care if he can hear me" she whispered "because of him Maudette and Dawn –"

"He isn't responsible for their death" walking to the bar, placing the bottle on the counter and looking at Tara "bottle of O, and warm it up"

"He is a vampire Morgan" Arlene said, following

"Then why don't you use your fucking brain?" looking at her "and think about it. I mean really think about it. Mike called, told me a little on the autopsy reports, there was not a drop of blood missing from those girls"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tara asked, setting a bottle of warmed O Negative Tru Blood on the bar

"If a vampire killed those girls, every single drop of blood would be missing from their bodies" grasping the bottle "the one who killed those girls wasn't a vampire. The one who did it? Is a human. Again, use your fucking brains. Don't go assuming that all murders happen because of a new face showing up in town. Vampire or not"

She walked away from the bar, making her way toward Bill, who had listened to the whole conversation, a newfound respect for the young woman. Morgan placed the bottle on the table, giving him a small smile, turning to walk away, only to stop when he lightly grasped her wrist. She turned to look at him,

"Thank you, Morgan" he said sincerely

"Some people just don't know when to stop and think" giving him a small smile "really think, about everything going on around them"

"And were you really called about the autopsy reports?" His eyebrows furrowing slightly, releasing her wrist

"Murders don't really happen in this town" turning to face him completely "Sheriff Dearborne occasionally needs all the help he can get. Since I'm the smartest person in town – proven by the records – he occasionally asks me what I think, especially since I think more rationally than some people" sitting down in the seat across from him "the reason why there's so many people tonight is because they need a distraction. One of the girls who worked here, Dawn, someone killed her last night"

"How?" leaning forward slightly

"Say you're sorry" leaning back in her seat

"Excuse me?" His eyebrows furrowing slightly

"You wanna learn to fit in with people?" Sookie asked as she walked over to them, catching the last of the conversation "you gotta say you're sorry. You don't even have to mean it. Lord knows they don't most of the time"

"I am sorry" giving her a small nod

"Thank you" smiling slightly "anyway, Morgan and I are the one's who found her. Strangled. Cops think it was our brother"

"Was it?" He asked

"No, he's not capable of it" Morgan replied

"I've been around long enough to know just about anyone is capable of just about anything" he replied, looking at her

"He didn't do it" Sookie replied, Bill giving her a small nod "so I've been listening in on people's thoughts, hopin' I might hear something to clear him. And apparently there's this vampire bar where Maudette and Dawn used to hang out at in Shreveport. You know it?"

"Fangtasia" he answered

"Fang-tay-sha?" Morgan asked, wanting clarification

"You have to remember that most vampires are very old" he replied "puns used to be the highest form of humor"

". . Punny" she chuckled, earning a small smile in amusement

"Well, I was thinkin' if I went there, I could do some sniffin' around" Sookie said "you think maybe you could take me?"

"I'll come too" Morgan added, causing Sookie to look at her like she had two heads "you can never have too much backup. Plus, if someone is able to make a description of anyone suspicious, I'll be able to draw it out"

Morgan had a point, her drawing skills were superb and on point to every detail. A small sight emitted from Sookie's nose, giving her a small nod,

"How about tonight?" Bill asked

"The sooner the better" Sookie replied, looking at him "I just gotta tell Sam I'm leavin', then run home and change"

"Meet you there" nodding slightly

"Thank you" she smiled "Bill, I'm askin' you this as a friend, okay? This is not a date, obviously"

"Fine" he replied

"It's not a date" grinning now "I'm serious"

"As am I" amusement in his eyes

Bill watches as Sookie gets back to work, Morgan leaning forward slightly,

"Even though she wants it to be" she whispered, getting up from her seat "Rae! I need an outfit! Pronto!"

A chuckle emitted from Bill, her best friend shooting up from her seat, the two woman running out of the bar.