It was a rainy Tuesday when Pam sauntered into Merlotte's and again launched my temporarily normal life back into chaos. She was dressed in her usual garb; her pale flesh glowed beneath a coral sweater and jeans hugged her curves elegantly. She looked like a typical soccer mom from a wealthy suburban community. I knew better.

She nodded to me as she gracefully lowered herself into a booth in my station. Reluctantly, I headed over. Some sixth sense told me trouble was ahead. Or maybe it wasn't a sixth sense - I just knew whenever a vampire was around that it couldn't be good news for me.

"Hey, Pam," I greeted, grinning so much it hurt. "Will it be A negative or O positive tonight?" So I was evading. Sue me.

She didn't smile back at me but I wasn't alarmed. Vampires rarely smiled, unless faced with lust. Of any kind. My attitude changed, however, when she grasped my wrist lightly.

"Sit, Sookie."

"I'm working," I said indignantly, stating the obvious.

Pam cast a glance around the nearly vacant bar and quirked an eyebrow at me. "I believe the sparse mortal crowd can spare you for a moment or two." My mouth opened but she interrupted. "It's important." Her tone left no room for argument and I had to admit that I was genuinely curious.

"Spill," I muttered as I plopped into the seat across from her.

Again Pam scanned the room - almost nervously, I noted. It seemed like she was expecting someone to pop out at any moment with a stake aimed at her chest. This couldn't be good.

Without looking at me, Pam finally got to the point. "Eric's missing."

I blinked at her. "Missing how?"

Her eyes met mine and her expression read "don't fuck with me right now". I gulped and nodded slowly.

"Since when?"

"A week and a half ago."

Sam passed by us, failing to casually get a read on the situation.

"Your shifter is irritating me."

"Who do you think has him?" I asked, changing the subject. Horror crept down my spine as I mulled over the possibilities. "Victor?"

Pam's mouth tightened in a firm line. "That's the likeliest possibility. I'm inclined, however, to believe it's someone else."

My eyebrows shot up. "Who, then?"

"I don't know," Pam answered in a small voice. She looked as distressed as a vampire could look. It frightened me. "I do think that he's still alive. I can feel him. And if I were to guess at his possible location, I would say it would have to be New York."

"New York?" I repeated stupidly. I wasn't aware that Eric had gone anywhere. "What was he doing in New York?"

"Business," Pam responded, purposefully vague. "Which brings me to you."

I nodded, silently encouraging her to go on despite wishing she would go away and bother someone else with this. I knew inherently that this escapade would end me up in a hospital somewhere with yet another black eye. Still, I found myself legitimately worried over Eric's welfare.

I began to wonder what "business" had to do with me, as her terminology impied, when Pam again started speaking.

"I cannot leave Shreveport. Someone must hold down the fort," Pam explained with a small, artificial smile. The expression sounded stale from her. "It is my belief that humans, or supes, have Eric hostage. Therefore you being the one to retrieve him would be most beneficial. I will provide you with the necessary details and the possible locations in New York. Someone will accompany you to guard you." She sounded as though she didn't doubt my participation.

Sam passed by again, this time not even bothering to hide his stare. Pam glared at him, shocking him back to reality, and he scurried away back behind the bar.

I fidgeted in the booth, highly aware of Pam's gaze. "I don't think I can go away right now."

I risked a peek at Pam's face and saw that it was contorted with anger. I rarely had seen a vampire show so much emotion before, if ever.

"Sookie Stackhouse. For the first time I've met you, I'm utterly disgusted with you. Eric has put his existence on the line for you, time and again. He has risked the ire of many a powerful vampire just to secure your safety. Now, when he needs you most, you will turn your back on him? That would be highly unforgivable, Sookie, and absolutely revolting." She sighed and shook her head. "You are blood-bound. Or have you forgotten?"

Her words shamed me and I knew she was right. What would Gran say? It didn't escape my notice that so many words from a vampire, said with such feeling, was incredibly significant. Without a second thought, I uttered the words that would undoubtedly seal my fate. "I'll do it."

She smiled, then – a very creepy smile. "Thank you, Sookie. I knew you'd come around." I shivered at what Pam would have done to me had I continued to refuse.

I was startled once more. Vampires never thanked humans, even me. With a weary sigh, Pam eased out of the booth and smiled at me again. "You will be compensated for the wages you'll lose."

I shook my head. "I don't want to be. It's okay." It wasn't okay, but for some odd reason I didn't want to be paid.

She eyed me over and then grinned. It wasn't a happy grin. It was more like grim, reluctant amusement. "You're really worried about him."

"Aren't you?" I shot back, at a loss for any other words.

The smile faded. "More than you know. He is my master. Without him, I'll be lost." Pam shook her head, effectively ending her sentimental stupor. "I will be in touch with all the information."

I was completely blown over by her confession. It had never truly hit me how close Pam was to Eric. When he'd lost his memories all those months ago, Pam had smoothly and effectively taken over the reins at Fangtasia. Perhaps it was that she was confident then, or that she had at least put up a front of being confident, that allowed Pam to go on. Or, it could have been that though Eric was useless and had no idea who he was, he was still there physically. There was a good chance they would catch Hallow, the witch who'd cast the spell on him in the first place. The situation now was entirely different; even though Pam had barely given me any details, I knew the entire thing was pretty hopeless. Maybe Eric wasn't dead – again – but he was very likely to be. Soon. My heart ached for her and yearned for Eric. Briefly I wondered if that was because of the blood-bond, but I put the thought out of my head. It wouldn't do to think of things like that at the moment. I could think about it tomorrow, or next week. Or never. For now, my only preoccupation would be to find Eric… alive.

Well… as alive as he could ever possibly be.

- - - - - -

It was very dark when I finally pulled into my gravelly driveway. I was completely distracted, thinking over my agreement with Pam. For a while I was angry with myself that I was so easily cowed into doing whatever the vampires asked of me. Then I realized how selfish I was being. What Pam said was right on the money and I owed this to Eric, no matter how dangerous the consequences could be.

My mind had gone crazy when Pam finally left the bar and I was grateful when the bar crowd picked up. I screwed up so many orders as I pondered over who could have possibly taken Eric. Pam said he was in New York doing business. Was it business for Victor? Or was Eric conspiring against him? Pam seemed to think that whoever had him was not vampire. I wondered what made her think that and if she'd ever explain her reasoning to me. I didn't think it was likely.

My thoughts were so far removed from the present that I let out a bloodcurdling scream when someone opened the car door for me.

"Sookie," a familiar cold voice whispered.

A new round of anxiety formed in my stomach. Bill Compton and I hadn't seen much of each other lately, ever since he once again declared his affection for me in my backyard. I cast him a withering glance as I clumsily fumbled out of my car.

"What's up?" I asked in a flat voice. Though his amorous words had flowed to my heart like warm honey, I wasn't completely thrilled at the sight of him. I figured many people couldn't blame me, considering the circumstances. Bill had lied to me, used me, left me, and maimed my heart. Why should I be happy to see him? And what the hell was he doing here in the first place?

Then it dawned on me that he probably knew about Eric and either wanted to inform me, thinking I was ignorant of Eric's disappearance, or give me more information on the enigmatic topic.

"Pam told me that she came to see you tonight."

I nodded. "Yes, I know all about Eric."

He hesitated and ran a hand through his hair that looked peculiarly untidy this evening. "You've agreed to her proposal."

It wasn't a question. "Yes."

I regarded him curiously as he walked beside me on my way to the front porch. I was silent, knowing he had more to say. He always waited for me to articulate my thoughts; I figured the same courtesy was due him. While we walked, I let the blissful absence of his thoughts comfort and relax me.

"Do you think that's wise?"

My muscles tensed up again at his tone. "Do I have any other choice? You of all people know that I don't." I was tired and I was annoyed. My day had started off pleasantly boring enough and now I was once again in the throes of vampire politics and mystique. To top everything, my first love (my first everything) was standing beside me with beseeching eyes.

Why couldn't they just leave me alone? I seemed to bring them almost as much trouble as they brought me, anyway.

"You're angry with me."

"Aren't I always?" I asked with a tired smile so he knew I wasn't totally pissed off with him. I wasn't being completely fair. Then I thought about him, tangled up with Lorena and Selah in silk sheets and my smile faded.

"May I come in?" he asked politely when my hand reached for the doorknob.

"You think that's wise?" I knew it was petty of me to shoot back his words at him but my temper was still short.

Bill looked taken aback. "I need to talk with you."

"What for?" I asked petulantly. If there was every possibility I could die in a few days time, I wanted to make the most of it. A carton of Rocky Road ice cream was screaming my name from the freezer and I knew there was a showing of An Affair to Remember on Lifetime.

Bill looked flabbergasted but I was too drained to find it amusing. "Didn't Pam tell you? I have been assigned to be your escort."

Apparently I wasn't too tired to let out a maniacal cackle. "What?"

"There wasn't anyone else Pam could trust and she seemed to think you'd be most comfortable with me. Normally I would turn right back around and tell her to find someone else, as you seem to be quite displeased, but there really is no one else." Bill was watching me with both a concerned and cautious stare. He probably thought I'd finally lost it. Maybe I had. It certainly felt that the events suddenly happening in my life were cracking at my painfully crafted façade.

"Then I guess we're going to the Big Apple."

Bill's beautiful lips stretched into a hesitant smile. "It would appear that way." I tried to ignore the hopeful spark in his dark eyes.

Bill, my ex-boyfriend who I had so badly tried to "abjure" in the past, was accompanying me to New York to retrieve my other past flame (if you could even consider him that). We would have to share a hotel room together, probably. He'd likely lay the moves on me again, and given my weakened mental state, there was a good chance that I'd succumb.

Great.

Where the hell was that Rocky Road?