Sookie, Marilyn, and Hugo arrived at the church in Sookie's yellow bug. Both Sookie and Hugo emerged from the car and joined together arm in arm, Marilyn was stood just a little bit behind the fake couple putting on her fake smile whilst they were all welcomed by no other than Sarah Newlin. She had waved them into the car park and continued to accompany them into the church, Sarah escorted them all to the entrance of the church.
"Hey there, I saw you three drivin' up as I was sitting in the thought to come up and greet you myself, I'm Sarah Newlin, Nice to meet you" Sarah offered her hand to the three of them. "And what are your names?"
"Hi! My name is Holly Simpson! I can't believe that I'm finally meeting you in person your as cute as a button!"
"Oh, thank you" Sarah smiled at Sookie, who was definitely overplaying her part in this whole charade. "And who is this?"
"Oh sorry. This is my fiancé, Rufus Thompson, you know I love that word, I almost wanna not get married so I can keep calling him it, but we are going to, get married that is" Sookie nervously rambled.
"And you, miss?" Sarah was now facing Marilyn.
"Ally Simpson" Marilyn smiled at Sarah, speaking before Sookie could, shaking the preacher's wife's hand. "I'm Holly's best friend and maid of honour"
"Well, why don't you come inside and meet Steve, I'm sure he's available and would just love to meet you both" Sarah said, walking beside the trio towards the church steps.
"For real?! Reverend Newlin himself? That'd be just great" Sookie smiled like a Cheshire cat
"Well, come on!" Sarah encouraged them by using her hands to indicate towards the church itself.
The reverend sat behind his desk, and Sarah stood behind Steve, Sookie continued to ramble on the whole time, she claimed out in the parking lot she was nervous, and Marilyn knew that when her sister got nervous, she tended to ramble on.
Sookie spun their fake story about Sookie and Hugo meeting at church, and not liking their pastor, and they had confided in Marilyn about and since she was their maid of honour it only felt right that she be with them when they visited the church. The three of them selling the vampire hating idea and the Newlin's definitely brought it.
Shortly after they explained that Sookie and Hugo, or should she say, Holly and Rufus, wanted to get married at the church. Steve offered to show them around, they all agreed if only to keep up appearances.
The three of them followed Steve and Sarah and a friend of Steve's called Gabe around the church. As the tour went on and on, Sookie seemed to get more and more nervous. Marilyn could Sookie was hearing things she didn't want to hear from their tour guides, Marilyn tried to reach into Godric's mind to see if he was in the church at all but all she got in return was radio silence.
Marilyn could sense something was wrong, if only because of Sookie's sudden change in behaviour. She then took a quick glance at her watch.
"Wow, look at the time," Marilyn said still looking at her watch. "Holly we've got to get back in time for that meeting with the caters." Sookie turned to Marilyn as if understanding what she meant and nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Newlin, I'm afraid we have to be going now," Sookie told him, solemnly.
"Oh, but there's one last thing you need to see and then you can go, the last bit of the church then you can say you've seen it all and make an informed decision" Steve continued to lead them into a hidden part of the church. A small room with a single wooden door, he pulled it back to reveal a stone staircase descending downwards to another corridor. "This here is my father's tomb, you can actually feel his presence down there, come on, just a little peek"
Marilyn knew that if they went down there, they were certainly never going to come back up again.
"Rufus" Sookie wavered, interrupting Marilyn's impending thoughts
"I'm sorry, but Holly has a bad case of claustrophobia, and so do I, actually I think we should stay up here" Hugo explained
"Come on, it won't take a second just to peek" Steve encouraged.
"But we've already decided we're getting married here," Sookie told Steve hoping it would dissuade him. That's when Marilyn saw the glint in Steve's eyes, that evil. They had planned this from the beginning, had known that Sookie, Marilyn, and Hugo would be here. Their fate had been decided before any of them had even set foot in the door.
Marilyn turned to feel a rough hand on her shoulder and then her feet left the ground. Steve's friend Gabe had picked her up over his shoulder, Marilyn's fought back against the action her nails scratching against her arm that was now holding her waist against his shoulder. But she didn't stand a chance Gabe was ten times stronger than Marilyn and before she knew it, her whole body was being thrown down those concrete stairs she was staring at only moments ago.
The last thing she heard before her head hit the stone floor was a sharp crack and Sookie's piercing scream echoing through her head.
Marilyn drearily opened her eyes, she started to move before pain shot through every fiber of her being. Marilyn looked at her hands only to notice they were red, before she could inspect further Sookie arrived at her side.
"You're going to be okay," Sookie said, her hands now holding Marilyn's face to hers. Her sister's face was raw with emotion, Marilyn could tell she had been crying.
"Sookie, what's going on?"
"You've been asleep for about a day; Gabe threw you down the stairs and...I saw you fall." Sookie looked away for a moment. "Marilyn your leg was injured during the fall" As well as other parts of her body if the pain was anything to go by.
Marilyn finally managed to pull herself up into a sitting position with help from Sookie, that's when she saw the great white piece of bone protruding from her leg just below her kneecap. Marilyn fought back a scream at the sight of it, Sookie grabbed Hugo's blazer to cover the grotesque image.
"Gabe threw us in here after he threw up down the stairs. We've been locked in this cage ever since." Sookie explained but Marilyn was really paying attention anymore all she could think about was that bone now sticking out her leg. If someone didn't come for them soon, she could lose her leg and God knows what other injuries she has from her fall.
"Has Bill not come for you yet?" Marilyn asked, trying to grasp onto that last bit of hope she had left.
"No, I don't know why. He should have been here by now, we need his blood to fic your leg" Sookie said, voicing the same idea that just blossomed inside Marilyn's mind.
Hugo jumped up from wherever he had just been sitting and started to bang on the metal mesh of the cage they were locked in.
"Hey! I need to use the bathroom!" he yelled, shaking the cage wall.
Sookie got up and took a bottle to him, "Here, I'll turn away" she told him, but he knocked it out of her hand.
"I don't need that; I need to get the hell out of here!" Hugo yelled in her face
"This is not helping, look, just sit down! Try to relax!" Sookie grabbed the man's hand and suddenly went silent.
"You," she said, after a pause. "You're the traitor" Sookie gasped out, looking disgusted with Hugo,
Marilyn tried to muster the strength to pull herself up further but only managed to cause more agony for herself. But she still watched Hugo carefully because even if Marilyn was technically one leg down, she would muster every bit of her strength to defend Sookie.
"I used to be just like you," Hugo said, going to sit down in the corner on a cardboard box. "Thought of myself as a real emancipated thinker, especially when Isabel claimed me as hers. Everything a bit it was addictive, isn't it? To be desired by beings that powerful"
"I'm not addicted" Sookie announced, shaking her head
Marilyn now leaned in closer to Sookie, whether from protecting or interest was unclear.
"No, well I guess you wouldn't know how your life changes to suit them. Start missing work, can't even get up in the morning, can't stand to leave them after dark before you know it your somebody you don't recognise." Hugo explained
"So, you went to the Fellowship because you couldn't control yourself?" Sookie asked.
"I begged her to turn me, it was the only way that we could be equal together, as equals, but they like when you're weaker than them, they don't want us to e equals, she just used me, like is using you"
"You don't know Bill"
"I know he and his are having you do their dirty work; I mean a telepath's gotta be a real trophy for a vampire."
"Shut up!" Sookie shouted at him
"All they're about is their own kind, that's why I joined the fellowship"
Marilyn took this moment to try and send Eric a message telling him what happened and that he needs to get here as soon as possible. The amount of energy it took Marilyn to even reach Eric was much more than she had but she didn't give up. She slouched against the wall eyes drawn in concentration then she felt that whisper of him, she grasped it and pulled- sending the same message to him over and over again. Prisoners in The Fellowship. Come Quickly.
As Marilyn opened her eyes, she was welcomed by Sookie's fawn brown eyes.
"Marilyn, are you okay?" Sookie asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Yeah, I was trying to let Eric know what happened, but I don't think it reached him," Marilyn said, sighing. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
A few hours later the sun went down, and sweat was now dripping along Marilyn's forehead, her body high with fever. Marilyn knew the early signs of infection were now appearing but tried to ignore them, maybe if she ignored them long enough, they would disappear, but she knew that wasn't true if she didn't get help soon, she would definitely lose her leg.
Gabe came through one of the doors in the wall opposite the cage, he walked to the gate in the cage and unlocked it.
"Hey, Gabe, she knows everything, so I hope that Steve knows that I'm gonna need protection from now on" Hugo explained. "What happened to your face?" he asked, and Gabe attacked him, punching him heavily in the face until he shriveled to the ground.
"STOP!" Sookie yelled, jumping on the man's back, and he bashed her body against the shelves in the cage. Pinning her against them and strangling her.
Marilyn forced herself to try and get up off the ground. Her nails digging into the stone floor her face now sweating from the effort. She managed to pull herself up against the floor her weight resting on her good leg, pain shot through every part of her body. It took all her self-control not to cry out in agony. She made one step towards Gabe and Sookie but stumbled back down onto the floor. Gabe's laughter filled the cell until it didn't.
Within half a second, Gabe was plucked away from Sookie and was held squirming in the air by a short, muscled boy, he looked no older than fourteen or fifteen.
"Godric?" Marilyn and Sookie asked at the same time.
Godric snapped the man's neck with a fleck of his wrist and dropped his corpse to the ground.
He looked from where Sookie was still in front of the shelves to where Marilyn now lay on the floor. "You should not have come," He told them
Suddenly there was a commotion coming from upstairs, screams and panicked voices bled through the floorboards that separated the two floors of the building. "Bill?" Sookie said, getting up from where she was sitting on the floor.
"No," Godric said, closing his eyes. "I am here my child, down here"
Marilyn also felt the intensifying thoughts at the back of her head as Eric got closer.
Eric ran down into the basement, seeing Godric, and then walked towards him, kneeling before him. Marilyn pulled herself up, leaning her head against the wall, the cold stone was a silent comfort.
"You were a fool for sending humans after me," Godric said down at his progeny.
"I had no other choice, these, savages, they seek to destroy you" Eric explained, looking up at his maker.
Marilyn noticed the markings on Godric's skin, she did not recognise them, but she knew that this was not the time to ask and kept quiet.
"I am aware of what they have planned," Godric told him, looking up phased by knowing this.
"This one betrayed you" Godric explained, glancing down at Hugo, who was unconscious.
"It was a trap; he was with the fellowship" Sookie explained.
"How long has it been since you have fed?" Eric asked, Godric, ignoring Sookie and Marilyn completely. But she knew he could sense her hurt but his maker came first.
"I require very little blood anymore," Godric said, turning back to his progeny.
Suddenly an alarm started sounding, and everyone looked around to make sure no one was coming.
"Save the humans, go on," Godric told his progeny, Eric looked confused.
"I am not leaving your side unti-"
"I can take care of myself" Godric informed Eric.
"Eric... " Marilyn groaned out. Eric crouched in front of his face contorting in sympathy, and he took in her injuries. Before her eyes could track the movement, Eric had bitten into his wrist and placed the now open wound in her mouth. As Marilyn sucked on his wrist Eric leaned in close to her body, his mouth brushing against her ear making her whole body go rigid.
"Now, your mine."
Before Marilyn could reply to Eric had scooped her up in his arms and turned to face Godric knowing Sookie would follow them.
"Spill no blood on your way out," Godric said, and Eric walked towards the exit, leading Sookie out, Marilyn still in his arms.
When they reached the top of the stairs, the door was guarded by three guards with stakes.
"I could have you out in seconds," Eric told them.
"There are kids out there!" Sookie said.
"Those humans won't harm us"
"Why didn't you bring Bill with you?" Sookie asked.
"Because Bill is overly attached, he would go to insane lengths to make sure that you were safe, I doubt he wouldn't kill children to make sure you were safe" Marilyn butted in, moving her face away from Eric's chest to get a look.
Eric softly placed Marilyn down against the wall they were now hiding behind and walked out into the hallway. Eric quickly knocked out all of the men guarding the entrance and looked out of the front doors. Eric came running back scooping up Marilyn again even though she probably all healed now, Sookie running with him into the church entrance.
"Those arrows are wood," one of the men said, who was leaning against the wall, disarmed by Eric. "You'll never make it through"
"Eric! Through the sanctuary" Sookie said, leading them back into the main section of the church, with the pews and the altar.
They hurried up the aisle, Sookie having to jog to keep up with Eric's huge stride which was still considerably fast since he was carrying Marilyn.
"Where's the exit?" Eric asked, looking around.
"That way," Sookie said, pointing at the door she claimed to be the way out.
"There are several exits actually, for you, the easiest one takes you straight to hell," Steve Newlin said, walking around the altar and standing in front of it, looking at the three of them.
Several doors around them were thrown open, and hordes of people carrying silver, chains, stakes, bows, and arrows, and guns all walked in, surrounding them.
"Let us go!" Sookie yelled at Steve. "Save yourselves! No one has to die!"
"The war has begun, you evil whore of Satan, you vampires cast the first stone by killing my family, the lines have been drawn, you're either with us or against us. We are prepared, for Armageddon"
"The vampire you were holding got away, he's a sheriff, he's bound to send help" Sookie continued.
"I'm not concerned with Godric" Steve shrugged. "Any vampire will do for our grand celebration, and we got one right here"
Marilyn looked at Eric, who was now staring down at her. She shook her head at him, holding the front of his t-shirt as to prevent him from going up to the altar, and protect him from Steve. Eric pulled Marilyn tightly towards his chest before lightly placing her on the ground in front of Sookie.
"I'll be fine," He said, giving himself up.
Marilyn ran forward to stop him but was grabbed by some of the mob. "No, ERIC!" She screamed, but he didn't turn.
"Brothers and sisters, there will be a holy bonfire at dawn!" Steve shouted, silvering Eric to the alter, his fangs extended, and his skin burned, Marilyn pulled against the man holding her, but he thumped her in the ribs, where one of them was already cracked. She cried out in pain and fell to her knees, Eric snarled.
Steve Newlin laughed.
"Pick her up and make her watch her vampire suffer, fucking Satan-worshiping slut" One of the men did as he said, pulling her head back by her hair, forcing her to stand a watch.
"I gave myself for Godric's freedom, as well as the two girls," Eric said, but Steve shook his head.
"Oh, how noble, but they are as much to blame as you, we should strap them to you, and you'll all burn together" Steve mocked.
A commotion ensued outside, and Bill ran into the hall. "SOOKIE!" He yelled. Running towards her. But Steve held a gun to Sookie's head, making Bill stop moving.
"If you shoot her, everyone here will die!" Bill threatened, his fangs exposed. "Let her go now!"
"Honestly, what do they see in you? Soldiers, some silver chains for our friend here" Steve said.
Enough.
Marilyn tore herself away from the men using her newfound strength and ran towards the alter. She caught the chains that weakened Eric with her hand, yanking most of them off of him.
Steve Newlin turned on his heel and shot at Marilyn, catching her in the chest, just below her right breast.
Marilyn leaned back against the alter, her energy completely spent, pushing down on the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Her pale hands were now covered in fresh blood coating the dried bits already there from before.
"Newlin!" Someone yelled from the other side of the mob and the room, there was a shot, and Steve cried out in pain, dropping his gun. Everyone gasped and backed away from Steve. "Let her go, fuckwad!" Jason Stackhouse called, before shooting him in the forehead with another paintball round.
Bill ran forward and pushed the men away from Sookie, Marilyn reached up and pulled the last chain off of Eric's arm, setting him free.
Eric shot up from the alter and grabbed Steve by the neck, slamming him down against the steps up to the alter.
"Eric" Marilyn gasped, trying to ignore the pain. "No bloodshed" She whispered back to him.
"Kill the motherfucker!" Jason yelled.
"God ahead! Martyr us! Martyr us before God! We are willing to die!" Steve begged Eric.
Immediately, Stan and a band of other Dallas vampires walked through the double doors into the hall.
"Steve Newlin, you pushed us too far, you expect us to sit on our thumbs while you round up your men to come and kill us. We'll kill ya first, the same way we did your father" Stan admitted.
"Murderer!" Steve yelled from under Eric's hold.
"Destroy them! All of them!" Stan yelled, and all the vampires sped into the horde of humans and grabbed themselves a meal, Eric let Steve go and stood up straight.
"Enough!" A voice came from the back of the church, everyone looked, and saw Godric. "You came for me I assume, underling?" Godric asked, talking to Stan.
"Yes, sheriff" he replied.
"These people have not harmed me, you see? We can coexist... Mr. Newlin? I do not wish to create bloodshed where none is called for, help me set an example, if we leave you in peace, will you do the same.
"I will not negotiate, with subhumans!" Steve replied, he got up on his knees in front of Eric, pulling his collar down to reveal his neck. "Kill me, do it, Jesus will protect me"
"I am actually older than your Jesus, I wish I could have known him, but I missed it," Godric told him, using his speed to get down from the balcony in seconds. He grabbed Steve by the back of his shirt and lifted him to his feet.
"Good people, who of you are willing to die for this man's madness?" Godric asked, and no one spoke up. "That's what I thought, stand down everyone" all of the vampires let go of their humans, and retracted their fangs. "People, go home, it's over now"
Sookie hugged Bill tightly, burying her head in his chest.
Steve started begging the humans not to leave him, as they all continued to file out of the hall.
"I dare say my faith in humankind is stronger than yours," Godric told him. "Come" Godric ordered Stan and the rest of the vampires to follow him.
Eric ran over to Marilyn, who was leaning back against the alter, still trying to staunch the bleeding.
"I'm fine," Marilyn told him, getting pale. Eric shook his head at her and bit into his wrist, and pulled Marilyn's hand away from the wound, letting his blood flow into the bullet wound, it healed quickly, and Marilyn's eyes stared into Eric's. She felt a certain pull towards him as if he was her missing half, Marilyn ignored the feeling and put it down to the fact she had now had two doses of Eric's blood.
Eric picked Marilyn up in his arms and placed a light kiss on her forehead before carrying her out of the church, only a few steps behind Godric.