Agnes was a Professional Phlebotomist. Vampires called her a blood bag, humans called her a fang-banger for hire, and her steward called the entire crew 'generous dears.' No matter the label, she was paid to look pretty, taste amazing, and provide excellent customer satisfaction.
Tastefully dressed in a grey skirt-suit with a low heel, she promptly knocked on the door a half-hour past sunset. Dressed neatly and professionally, with the potential to turn sexy with a few rolls of her waistline and by discarding the jacket, she waited on the doorstep. Discretion and versatility combined.
The key to Agnes's success was her rare blood. As an AB donor, she was paid top-dollar by one of the leading blood donation companies in the Dallas region. Usually, clients visited her in the secure facility. Donations happened under supervision surrounded by plenty of witnesses. Tonight, however a vampire connected and wealthy enough to arrange a house call had requested her blood type. So, she packed herself and her supplies into the company car and followed the GPS to a sprawling home with more windows than a vampire dwelling ought to have.
The door opened seconds after the first knock. A slim Hispanic female looked up at Agnes, blinking slowly then gesturing her in. "When Eric told us a blood donor was arriving, he forgot to mention he invited an Amazon. Miss Smith, yes?"
"Yes, call me Agnes. Pleasure to meet you…?" Agnes found her considerable bulk to be an asset. More mass, more blood, and faster recovery time.
"Isabel. If you'll follow me, a room has been reserved for your visit." Isabel started down the hallway at a brisk human pace.
"To verify: There will be one vampire feeding from me?"
"Correct." The vampire stopped halfway down the hallway and opened a door on the left side. "Godric will be in to see you as soon as he finishes in the main room. Make yourself comfortable."
"Thank you, Isabel." She stepped in and set her bag down on the floor. It was a medium-sized room that looked straight out of a catalog. Gentle wafting curtains, a large bed with matching end-tables flanked by a couple of chairs, and an office desk. She perched on the closest chair and unzipped her bag. Iron supplements, water bottles, meal bars, and a few books stared back at her.
"You're welcome, Agnes." And then, the door clicked shut behind her.
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Agnes was halfway through her book when the door opened. The tall brunette slid through the door, quickly shutting it behind him. Judging by the pale skin tone and swiftness: her client. She bookmarked her place and stood, extending her hand. "You must be Godric; I'm Agnes from the Red Line Blood Agency."
The brunette smiled and fangs popped into view between his lips. "I'm not Godric." He blurred, jumping from across the room to directly in front of her. Bright blue eyes flooded her vision, boring through her eyeballs and scrambling her brain as he grasped her arm in both hands. "Hold very still... Agnes." His tongue savored both syllables of name, turning it from an identifier into a sexual marker. "This might sting a little." A hypodermic needle pierced through the skin of her wrist, pale green liquid injecting into her bloodstream. The vampire swabbed her skin with an alcohol pad then released her.
"You will not remember me nor my actions. You continued to read uninterrupted."
"I continued to read uninterrupted." She parroted back, sitting back down and opening her book.
"Good girl." He disappeared in a whoosh, leaving her alone in a silent room with an unknown liquid mixing into her blood.
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When the foundations shook and pieces of drywall rained from the ceiling, she threw her book into her bag and ran. Shrill screams and painful groans filled the air when she yanked the door open. Without a second thought, she followed the sounds to the end of the hall and darted into the devastated main room. Isabel was easy to locate and quickly set her to work, excavating bodies and dragging the living out of the destruction.
Orders to regroup at the Hotel Camilla were quickly issued down the ranks. Since the night was already paid in full and Isabel ushered her into the van without word, she accompanied the group of vampires to the hotel. The ride was awkward, full of long pauses and suspicious stares, but she disembarked without incident and entered the front doors.
The hotel lobby was massive, full of black marble that lent a sleek and modern look to the cavernous room. Black walls, polished counters with orange and red undertones, and two friendly clerks manning the front counter. The vampires paired off into groups of twos and threes that disappeared into the elevators or up the grand staircase after checking in with the front counter. The two clerks were courteous, smiling as they pressed buttons on half-hidden consoles and passed out card keys like candy. Slowly, the lobby activity dwindled to a small trickle of intermingled mix of humans and vampires that lounged about the area enjoying a few drinks and conversation. Agnes waited awkwardly, shifting back and forth in place while awaiting further direction. Eventually, Isabel re-appeared at the head of the stairs. She quickly headed to the ground floor, checking with the remaining stragglers before approaching Agnes. A tall male vampire stalked at her heels, looming over the shorter Hispanic. A tall wide-brimmed cowboy hat was jauntily perched on his head, a perfect match to the embroidered boots he strode in. He sneered at her appraisal, drawing himself up taller and puffing out his chest.
"Thank you for waiting, Agnes. This is Stan. Stan, Agnes." Isabel smiled, overcompensating in an attempt to counter her companion's bristling. "Godric has dismissed you. He no longer requires your services, but will still compensate you for your time and the inconvenience. You are free to leave."
Agnes hadn't realized that she was being detained in the first place. In fact, as Stan's hand latched around her upper arm in a steely grip, she felt more imprisoned in her freedom.
"I would prefer to hear my dismissal in person. Procedure forbids me from departing unless directed by the client or payee. If I could just have a word with Eric Northman or Godric to verify, then I will be on my way." Agnes slowly rotated her head, giving the invasive hand her coldest glare. "Remove your hand."
In her experience, vampires responded best to directness. Anything less was considered a weakness and exploited.
"Just a minute, missy. Before you go running off… How about a little sample?"
"My services have been exclusively reserved for my listed client and only my listed…" Agnes launched into a recital of the Agency's protocol, but Isabel interrupted her.
"Don't be a fucking jerk, Stan. Can't manage to keep your fangs out of the nearest human for five minutes can you?" Isabel interjected, hands gravitating to her hips in the universal nagging stance.
"Being shot full of silver really works up an appetite!" Agnes flinched as Stan's fangs sprung out of his gums. His frustration with Isabel transferred to the human as he literally shook her like a rag-doll.
Isabel's frown deepened, "Release the human and go to your room, Stan."
"Is that an order, Sheriff?"
Isabel hesitated. That brief moment cost her control of the situation; Stan struck, biting down on the nape of the blood donor's neck. Agnes felt like a chastised kitten. His jaws snapped down as he swallowed, lifting her onto the tips of her toes as pain radiated from the puncture points. She felt him swallow again, long and deep as she screamed. A chuckle reverberated down his fangs, traveling through her skin. Then, he started foaming at the mouth…
Literally.
A cold, aerated liquid dribbled down the captured human's back and across her shoulders. Minty green fleck of foam sprayed across her hair as Stan's fangs yanked out of her skin. His fangs burned as they ripped out, sharp jagged edges widening the entry wounds. Agnes whirled, pushing her attacker back. The entire lobby was staring at them, gawking as the pale cowboy flopped on the carpet like a dying fish. His limbs shook and his eyes rolled wildly in his head, like an induced seizure. Agnes screamed again, louder and gaining even more attention this time. Vampires cut off of her view of Stan, surrounding him with growing murmurs and exclaims.
A woman's scream pierced the crowd and a hush fell over the entire lobby. The vampires had fallen back and Agnes could barely see Isabel grabbing Stan's arms, pinning them with her own. His fangs had pierced her shoulder, with the same minty-green foam drooling from his mouth and into the wound. Stan lurched awkwardly with stiff limbs before blurring into vampire speed, gurgling strangely. Then, his eyes rolled even further into the back of his head and he attacked.
He tackled the two closest forms, grabbing both forms with one hand, before launching himself into the air. Bodies hit the floor as Stan hit the ceiling. The falling vampire managed to right himself in mid-air, gathering his legs underneath him and pushing off of the floor as a springboard into a counter-attack. The human was not so fortunate and landed with a crunchy splat. Agnes was grateful that the body landed behind the bar, out of sight… instead of on top of her. Stan grappled mid-air with the vampire, before swerving and weaving through the gigantic chandelier to circle behind. With a twist of his hands, he yanked the head clean off of his attacker and proceeded to peel the skull and hair with his fingertips from the squishy brains. Floating in mid-air, Stan stuffed the brain goo and gray matter into his mouth, crunching through the dangling ends of the spinal vertebrae. The body exploded into a shower of blood, spraying the entire crowd and spurning them into action.
When vampires start panicking, something is seriously wrong. Shouts of: "Philippe was twice as old as Stan!" "Fetch the silver!" "Stake him!" "Aaargh!" "What the hell is going on?!
Mayhem happened. Agnes dashed to the side of the fallen Isabel, quickly pulling the wheezing body under a table in the corner. The two desk clerks had opened a storage cabinet behind the front desk. The first clerk was currently trying to lasso Stan with a chain of silver. He failed. The second was stuffing what appeared to be a silver net into a giant rocker launcher. A blonde vampire was currently throwing tables and chairs at the Stan. One of the chairs broke across the cowboy's broad back. He twisted, gaze locking onto the attacker as another table came flying at him. Stan caught the table and dove with it, driving the wooden leg through the vampire's heart. Once again, he tore the head from the body and with a loud cry of random syllables and groaning, he feasted on the brain.
Isabel twitched and groaned as Agnes tried to make her comfortable, propping her against the wall. Her eyes grew vacant and she started to turn an alarming shade of red for a vampire. The exposed skin felt hot and clammy. Agnes began to fear for her own brains. Was Stan contagious?
The second clerk fired his rocket launcher as Stan paused to feed. The silver net wrapped around the distracted cowboy and slammed him into the floor. Five vampires with silver chains pounced on the squirming form, grabbing onto limbs and twisting the chains around them. The five vampires had napkins and tablecloths tied around their hands and they quickly trussed the outraged rabid Stan. His skin sizzled as he bucked and screamed—shrill non-human syllables.
And that was precisely the moment that Godric arrived.
====To Be Continued======
Author's Note: Obviously, this is going to be an AU. Firstly, Stan doesn't die at the fellowship bombing because he just turned into a vambie/zompire. And secondly, because I just love finding an excuse for Godric not to suffer from sun combustion. So, what did you guys think? Great, horrible, meh?