Bite Marks (Eric Northman X OC)

Chapter 1- Coming Home

It has been 5 years since Marilyn has been home to Bon Temps. Sookie has asked her to come visit as they haven't talked in a while and apparently, she has some exciting news for her. Marilyn has spent most of her life hidden away from the outside world. The thoughts of the dead are one of the few abilities she possesses and she has very little control over them. She's found drinking helps but only if it's the strong stuff.

On the drive into town, Mary couldn't help feeling nostalgic. This place was once her home she had grown up here and had lost her parents here. Gran, she suddenly thought. She would get to see Gran; Mary had missed her grandmother dearly and wondered how she was doing. Marilyn bet Jason was still giving Gran the run around. Instead of driving straight to her grandmother's house Marilyn decided she would drop by the bar where Sookie works, Sookie would probably be there instead of at home anyway. The bar was called 'Merlottes' after the owner Sam Merlotte, he had opened the bar a few years ago and was now an iconic part of Bon Temps. No one came here and didn't visit the bar. As Marilyn parked in the gravel paved parking lot of Sam's restaurant, she wondered whether he would remember her, it's been a while since he's seen her but to honest it's been a while since anyone had seen the third Stackhouse sibling.

Walking into the bar/restaurant was surreal to say the least, it hadn't changed a bit since she'd last seen it. It was as if it had been frozen time, never changing. Marilyn saw a flash of red hair whoosh past her and as it did a smile crept up onto her face. It was a strange comfort to know Arlene still worked here and she wondered if her favourite sass queen still worked in the kitchen. As she made her way to the bar Marilyn quickly scanned the room in search for her blonde-haired sister, no sign of her. She must be collecting food for her tables. Marilyn sat on the brown leathered bar stool and waited for Sam to appear so she could order a drink ,that is if he still worked behind the bar. Out from the hallway next to the kitchen appeared a young man with greying hair, Sam, Marilyn thought, that has to be Sam. He came behind the bar and took an order from a man two seats down from her and then made his way towards her. At first Sam didn't make eye contact and just asked what she wanted to drink when Marilyn didn't reply he looked up to see her face, as it did a smile that reached his eyes appeared and he started to chuckle happily.

"Little Stackhouse" he said.

"Hey Sam" was Marilyn's reply.

Sam came out from behind the bar to where Marilyn was seated and drew her into a bear hug. She was glad he remembered her and still treated her as if she was family. The first time she had met Sam was when her sister got a job at his bar and grill here in Bon Temps, they had gotten on from the moment they met and ever since he has treated her as she was his own sister. Sam released her from the hug but still held onto her as if he were afraid that if he let go, she would slip away from him. For a moment or two he just stared at her and studied every aspect of features trying to commit her face to memory.

"I missed you to Sam" Marylin said as if she knew what he was thinking.

"I thought it was just your sister that could read minds" Sam said wondering how Marilyn knew what he was thinking.

"I'm just good a reading people. Also you had to of missed me, it must be so boring here without me."

"So, I have to ask why are you here? it's not that I haven't missed you because I have but I just never thought I'd see you here again." Sam asked as nicely as possible. He led Marilyn back to the bar stool where she was originally sat as he let her mull of over an answer.

"Sookie asked me to come and visit. So, here I am." Was her reply.

"That's it?" Sam said knowing that can't be all there is.

"I might be more inclined to say more if I had a drink." She said hoping Sam would get the hint. After a few seconds she added "Something strong." Sam turned around to face her with the look of hurt like he could ever forget what her drink is. He turned back around after a few moments and got to work on her bourbon. It was one of the few drinks that could block out the voices of the dead and keep her sane if only for a few hours. Some may call Marilyn an alcoholic, but she doesn't see it that way, without the alcohol she would be driven crazy by the voices that haunt her and being here at Merlottes the voices were particularly loud. How can there be some much death in one place?

Sam placed her drink in front of her snapping Marilyn out of her thoughts. Sam stayed where he was but rested his elbows on the bar ready to hear the rest of the reasons as to why she was here. Marilyn just smirked as she brought her glass to her lips taking a sip of her drink, satisfaction filled her features as the alcohol hit the back of her throat and the dead's screaming died down to a whisper as she continued to finish her drink in one go. Sam still stared at her waiting for the story as to why she came back.

"Are you ready now?" He asked.

"I missed Gran and Sookie said she had some exciting news for me. That's all I swear." She says hoping that's enough to keep Sam at bay.

"Well, I know your Gran has missed you too, she'll enjoy seeing you. As for Sookie I don't know what her news is, but she's missed you too. In fact, everyone has missed seeing you around Mary." Sam said. Marilyn opened her mouth to argue but Sam gave her a pointed look that said there was no room arguing. Right at that very moment, Marilyn's older sister came running out of the kitchen area and straight towards her. Marilyn got up from her seat ready for the hug from Sookie she knew was coming. Hands were wrapped around Marilyn shoulders and instinctively she put her arms around Sookie. She breathed in the scent of her sister that was a mix of vanilla and honey, her sister had always smelt like ever since she could remember. Sookie pulled away first and began rambling about how much she had missed her and how glad she was that her little sister was back.

"Wait Sookie, I'm not back for good. I'm just here for a visit and then I'm straight back home." Marilyn said stopping Sookie in the middle of her sentence. As soon as Sookie had taken in what Marilyn had said her face fell into a look of disappointment. Sookie actually thought Marilyn was coming back for good, there was a reason she left all those years ago and hadn't come by since then. It was a miracle anyone ever got out of Bon Temps, and she wasn't planning on getting sucked back in again. This town had only ever looked at her like a freak so when the moment came to leave, she took it and hasn't looked back since.

"Why won't you stay? Gran misses you and I miss you. Don't you miss us?" Sookie asked filling Marilyn with guilt. Of course, she missed her family, but it wasn't enough to come back.

"Of course, I miss you guys. I even miss Jason but Sook I can't come back. You know that." She says trying to get Sookie to understand why she can't come back here. There was to much death in the small town of Bon Temps, to many ghosts literally. It was hard enough living where she did now in her isolated cottage because it turns out that there are ghosts even in the middle of nowhere. She couldn't escape this curse she had been born with. At least Sookie could control when she heard other people's thoughts, but Marilyn had never been able to master the same level of skill with the dead.

"I'm here now lets just enjoy it. Okay?" Marilyn said.

"Yeah. Okay" Sookie replied downheartedly.

"Now you said you had some exciting news to tell me" She said trying to change the subject. At that Sookie's entire face lit up, she looked like she was glowing with happiness.

Sookie led Marilyn to a booth near the entrance of the restaurant, it was a simple booth with read leathered seats and a table in the middle of the cushioned seats typical of most restaurants. They both took a seat on opposite sides of the table, Sookie looking eager to tell Marilyn her news.

"Let me tell you about a vampire named Bill Compton."