Wine. Precious wine. As she sat back in her seat and looked at the others in the limo with her, it was somewhat still shocking to Sookie that it had been a vamp that had suggested a wine tour. Considering vamps couldn't drink the stuff. But when Pam had said the places they were stopping at were also vamp friendly as well, Sookie was only too eager for a fun day out with her closest female friends, all of whom were able to take a day for themselves as well. Pam, who had organized the trip had made no concessions in picking out the right limo. Only a brand new one would do and after final calls and finagling, she had booked a barely driven hummer limo from New Orleans to drive up to take them for the day. She would, of course, pay the driver handsomely for his troubles, though she would conveniently glamour him to make sure he obeyed each and every order she and the other women gave him and not to reveal just who they were to people as they wanted to keep a low profile. Though Pam was a realist. She knew people knew full well who she was and Sookie. Who they were connected to. Still, any precaution she could take for all their safety was to be taken in because if something happened to Vampire Tinkerbelle, she knew she wouldn't ever hear the last of it from her maker.

The women had all gathered in the living room of Sookie's farmhouse, all dressed causal but smart with a splash of sexy. But nothing that would make them look like bait for some drunken or sober jackass to hit on…or grope. If there was any groping, said groper would some to seriously regret his decision. That was for sure because each and every one of these women was a fierce female in their own ways and they would all put up a hell of a fight should someone get after them in a less than welcome way. "So….we're just waiting for the little princess to make her way down…she has changed outfits twice since I got here." Pam was pacing in the living room while the other women were seated on the furniture in the living room.

"We have time before we are leaving….I would be willing to bet you changed a few times before hand." Willa said with a smirk to her friend, her family member.

Arcing a brow, Pam said nothing for a moment. "I don't ever take my clothing choices lightly. And I thank god everyday that corsets are out of fashion. Back when I worked my….former occupation….it was part of the dress code….it sucked."

"What were you before you became a bar owner and one time business mogul when you were in the New Blood game?" Arlene couldn't help but ask.

Pam smirked at the fiery redhead, who she had grown to like, appreciating her spunk. "I was a hooker. And a damn good one, ran a brothel….if I hadn't been doing that I likely never would have met Eric and I never would have been turned. Never would have wound up with the life I have now."

Arlene hadn't known about this part of Pam's life and Holly looked as equally shocked. "Well, what interesting beginnings you had." Holly said.

Pam shrugged. "I had no family and no other options." she said bluntly. "I was good at that I did and I don't regret it…though I prefer my current state of affairs." she seemed lost in nostalgia for a moment, before her face hardened and she put her walls back up and went back into bitch mode. "Enough chit chat….SOOKIE! Get your prissy butt here, we are leaving in a few!"

A annoyed grunt was heard from upstairs and finally, appearing in form fitting jeans and a cute willowy lilac peasant blouse, matching flats on her feet. Sookie glared with a twinkle in her eyes at her former foe turned friend and family member her hair was done up in a braid that was then turned into a bun. Something different, Sookie had decreed.

"Sorry, I was trying to get ready as fast as I could but I couldn't; make up my mind and-" Sookie stopped as she watched Pam answer the front door before the chauffeur even had a chance to ring the doorbell. The man was dressed in the usual attire and behind him from her vantage point on the stairs, Sookie could make out the sleek yet powerful outline of the hummer limo. "Wow." she said as she joined her friends, greeting them all with excited hugs, thanking them again for coming, and Pam even accepted a short one. Touchy feely was still hard for her from time to time even after everything but still, she had certainly softened a great deal over the years.

"Well you're lucky I arranged for all the places we are going to stay open for private tastings…no worries about having any one in our way….I wanted to tell you later but I figured now is as good a time as any…..all our stops tonight till dawn are going to be open for us and us alone." Pam smirked as she took in the looks on her companions faces. "Impressed? Well you should be, it wasn't cheap."

"I bet it wasn't but its not like you're a pauper." Sookie teased and soon the party was seated comfortably in the limo that could actually seat ten. So with the extra leg room, they all made the most of it and even Pam seemed to be enjoying herself, stretching her legs and flicking off her black pumps.

"First stop is in ten. " she said as she passed the itinerary around to the others. "Since I arranged the trip, first stop is for the vamps….it's a new place built in the New Hotshot, god I am so glad they razed that redneck hickville…..Eric told me about the inbred panthers that lived there and I could only imagine what it was like."

"Jason said it was barely livable…..they all packed up and left town, thank god." Sookie replied as she shuddered to think of her brothers experiences with the long gone panthers. "No bog loss and the town isn't anything like it used to be. Grass is growing again and there are businesses again….."

"I never would have guessed this town was once a haven for the inbred weres." Pam sniffed. "I scooped out all these places personally and if it gets my approval then, well, its better than a Michelin star awarded to a gourmet restaurant." Pam bragged.

They rolled into the once derelict town and the towering trees replanted from elsewhere were rivaled by the new town square where there was a roundabout surrounded by flashy new buildings. It was a 180 degree turnaround and soon the vehicle e came to a stop and their doors were opened, releasing them in front of a glass fronted building, the glass dark enough that they could only see shadows of the interior. "its privacy was one of the things I really liked, even though we already have the place to ourselves, I like the dark glass windows." Pam explained as she knocked on the door and soon, a expectant looking hostess arrived and let them in. it was cool and sleek inside, black and white seemed to be the theme of the bar and as those who would be tasting some flavors of blood went to the bar, the hostess was so clearly prepared for the humans as she put a tray of finger foods, chicken wings and simple sliders before them on a round glass table. Holly, Sookie and Arlene went to town on their food while the others, Pam, Willa and jess sampled only the best of the best-so the bar claimed-blood around. It was one of a handful of places that served actual blood instead of only the fake stuff.

Sampling some of the wines that were on offer, the wine drinkers soon had a nice buzz, save for Sookie and considering they had another four stops left on their trip, Sookie was glad only faerie wine could get her buzzed and yet, she did enjoy that floaty feeling, the lack of control that being drink offered her. Not that she had ever done that very often…..but it was nice to let loose now and then. Still, she knew, judging by their past experiences trusting the wrong people, she needed to be smart. They all did.

Licking their lips, the vamps at the bar grinned at the three at the table a few feet away, finishing up their wine and appetizers. "You missed out on a decent vintage from the mid 14th century, they don't bring it out for just any old vamp, you know. Just the ones that carry the black AmEx." Pam grinned, knowing that while Sookie usually ate human food, she did require a nip or two now and then. Tonight was not to be one of those times, Pam knew, but she couldn't help but tease. It was her duty to give the waitress slash faerie-slash-vamp a hard time.

"On to the next stop." Pam said as she finished her business with the hostess at the bar, sliding her black credit card into her sleek magenta Chanel purse that went well with her blouse and black miniskirt. As they drove through the rest of the rejuvenated Hotshot, they were soon in the larger city of Monroe. The chauffeur was certainly punctual and got this beast they were riding within moving at a swift and legal pace. As they made their way to the rest of their stops, the women enjoyed the leather interior and the fridge within that was fully stocked with blood and wine and yet more human snacks. By the time they reached their final stop, Arlene and Holly were both feeling more than a little buzzed and Sookie was more than thankful that they were going to be safely dropped up on their front porches once the night was over. Hopefully without any other drunken symptoms making their appearances, vomiting, for once, though Arlene and Holly were smart enough to know their limits. Also, Pam had threatened to haunt them at Bellefleurs if the interior of the limo happened to be vomited upon. The last stop on the tour was only twenty or so minutes away from Bon Temps, a very stark, almost castle like building in its design. As so many places in the state was catering to the undead, more and more Fangtasia wannabes were springing up, trying to be the biggest and baddest. And though none could hold a candle to the Shreveport bar, Pam grudgingly had to admit that this vampire/human bar was certainly impressive. Two stories with a rooftop lounge, the building was seemingly carved from a giant black granite stone. Sleek and ultra modern, the place, was sunken in, as one stepped down a few stairs where couches and leather chairs were scattered amongst the glass tables. Realistic looking weapons were placed on the black walls, giving the place a even more fortress/castle like feeling. And yet it was cozy, pleasant to be in. A impressive bar was being staffed by, it appeared, no one at the moment.

"I hadn't ever heard of this one, this the one you were griping about being competition?" Sookie asked Pam as they awaited service. "They did know we were coming, right?"

"Go around the bar and see what's holding things up…there's a door there." Pam replied, a somewhat non answer to which Sookie shrugged and felt something was up. And something was, in fact, up as she had been to busy checking out the stylish building around her rather than taking notice of the crouched figure on the ground that grabbed her and she screamed and started kicking and striking out with her hands. For a few seconds.

"I believe you may know the owner of the Armory, the newest addition to our little family empire." Pam said deadpan as the Viking made his presence known to the rest of the party, all looking as shocked as Sookie had been. Pam then looked at Willa and Jessica. "This is a surprise for you as well, Willa.….we decided you deserved your own business to run. You've wanted more responsibilities and so you can hire who you will for this place…don't get all mushy and thank me….it was his idea…..and his to surprise y'all tonight."

"And you were disparaging this place like crazy when we went over the itinerary….." sookie said. "You tricked me."

"It wasn't a total trick…this place pales to the other bar, there's too much history in that one…." she sighed and relented. "But with this one being family owned too, I suppose history can be made here too and before you get any ideas of taking your little faerie girl to the office or down to the private lounge area-for staff and friends only, by the way-I am not planning on paying for a last minute cleaning after you two are done." Pam had hands on her hips as the humans watched slightly drink and fascinated by the repartee between the vamps.

Blushing with embarrassment as she took in the looks on Holly and Arlene's faces, she sent her two human friends to a table and before she knew it, the last person she ever would expect to serve did just that, the Viking serve the two women a flight of wine apiece, along with a small platter of cheese and crackers. "Enjoy ladies and tell your friends about this place." Eric winked at them and turned back to where the vamps and Sookie were gaping at him from the bar.

"You never cease to surprise, I ever pegged you as a server." Sookie arched a brow. "You are going to give me a run for my money…." she grinned as she reached up to put her arms around his neck and he put his arms around her waist.

"Hey!" Pam clapped her hands. "We may be giving the girls this place to run but it is still ours too…and none of that here." Pam snapped, her face slightly amused.

"Ok, ok, why don't we let the girls lock the place up and get everyone home….one never knows what kind of scoundrels one may encounter at night." Eric handed the keys to Willa. And in ten minutes, the building was locked up and the two now very drunk and happy humans were safely in the limo, Sookie prepping to enter it last, though it was clear he wanted her to fly home with him.

"I want to make sure they get home safely. They enjoyed themselves tonight…..tomorrow they may not be enjoying life so much. Jason used to be the king of hangovers…..I think these two may give him a run for his money…..not that they get drunk all the time and not like Jason did back in the day, he matured and-" she was stopped by a finger to her lips.

"I love when you babble." Eric said with a smirk. Part of me wishes we could both get drunk, mess around and….." she didn't need to hear the rest of the sentence before she returned the gesture of putting a finger on his lips.

"So naughty…..I mean with the right wine I could get drunk but faerie wine isn't readily available and of course, you could get drunk off of my blood but it wouldn't leave me with enough energy to be able to do much….I'll see you at home." she tapped him on the nose with a finger and grinned wickedly as she escaped into the vehicle, rolling down the window. Seeing the slight disappointment on his face she gave a saucy grin. "I've got a bottle of Bliss stashed away for a rainy day and judging by the air and sky…..it feels like a storm is coming." Bliss was the faerie made wide that could get her very much drunk ad the prospect of a drunken toss in the hay, it amused the other women in the vehicle, catcalls and whoops egging Sookie on.

"Well, look, happy endings all around, Willa got herself a bar to run and looks like you are going to provide your own happy ending." Pam said as she leaned back in her seat in the vehicle. "He never tells me about you too in that way…god, I don't want to even think of it….but he's always…more relaxed and changed in the afterglow. I can always tell when you've given him his happy ending." Pam grinned devilishly, to more laughter by the women in the car

"Dish, Sookie…dish, I mean, Keith is good and all but you've got the biggest and baddest of them all…just how good is he?" Arlene slurred her words, sipping on another glass of wine that she poured herself. Holly too was imbibing once again and looked as expectant as Arlene and all the others, save for Pam, who sighed and took to pulling out a compact mirror and readjusting her makeup.

"Between us girls…." Sookie grinned. "He is pretty much the energizer bunny. He keeps going and going and going. And he carries a big sword if you know what I mean." the limo erupted with laughter of the women and unbeknownst to the rest of them, save for Pam who had briefly looked out the tinted window for a moment, seeing her maker sneakily flying next to the limo and she knew he was making himself comfy atop the roof of it. And had heard every word of the now increasingly tawdry conversation. Smirking to herself, she had to admit tonight had been….interesting and not the bore fest she had thought it could be hanging around with non vamps. Truth be told, she liked the wiccan and the fiery redhead. Mind you, in small doses. And it was then she decided to reenter the conversation and knowing Sookie wouldn't mind, knowing that after all, she as the one who had won the Viking's heart revealed how once, she had to explain to him how and why sex toys were used and invented, he being somewhat stunted in that department for some time. He had been more interested in using what he had himself rather than caring what others did or used. Or came up with their filthy minds. Everyone in the limo was dying when Pam recalled how she had once had to explain to him what a vibrator was used for. The laughs kept going right until everyone had been dropped off home and though she had known her maker had departed right before entering town, she knew she would pay the prince for revealing such things about him to the women. Though she had glamoured it out of the two drunken humans, who she had come to like even more after this night, it went without saying Pam would pay for saying what she did. And by paying, knowing her beloved maker, it would be some dull lecture or something. She knew he was now and would not be embarrassed by any of this but instead amused that she would divulge such info. And he would take this slight embarrassment and turn it into fuel to prove his prowess once and for all, and thank Pam instead for helping give his waitress the evenings best happy ending out of all those that had partied this night.

THE END