Margaret Hunter, known to her human friends as Peggy, was sitting alone in a booth at Fangtasia when Bill Compton appeared silently beside her. Peggy wasn't particularly startled by Bill's stealthy arrival, though she did turn her head towards him and arched an eyebrow. She didn't speak, simply waited to hear what Bill had to say. Whatever it was, he did not appear to be in a hurry to say it because he remained silent for a length of time that soon passed from awkward into painful.

Peggy crooked a finger at one of Fangtasia's harried waitresses and after a few more long, silent moments, they were delivered two bottles of True Blood. Fangtasia was very short on waitresses at the moment. Lately none of them seemed to last long, and Peggy had begun to suspect this had to do with one of the regular vampire customers' predilection for them. She made a mental note to discuss it with Eric Northman, the owner of the bar and her lover of almost three years.

"Is Eric available tonight?" Bill asked finally.

This might have seemed an odd question, considering that from their booth Bill and Peggy both had a clear view of Eric. The large, gorgeous blond Viking vampire was sprawled over his "throne," a large chair set up on a dais where he could see all the patrons of Fangtasia and they could see him as well. Sitting on the low chair beside him was a human female with dark hair and eyes, staring at him in utter rapt attention. Peggy caught a flash of fang and knew that the girl would be Eric's meal tonight.

She tried to evaluate her feelings to see if she was jealous. After all, she had once been Eric's human plaything before her friend Christopher Santiago of New Orleans had made her a vampire. Tonight, Peggy felt nothing. She was secure in her relationship with Eric. They both fed on humans. The girl was no more than a cow. She was young and pretty, but she could not hold Eric's attention for long. Besides, whatever lust the girl might rouse in Eric would be brought home and spent on Peggy. Even when she and Eric didn't talk much, their sex life was spectacular, she reflected.

"He won't want to be interrupted," Peggy told Bill frankly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I find I have a rather embarrassing request," Bill replied in a plaintive tone. Peggy turned her head and looked at him, noting the gleam of his thick, shiny hair under the red flashing lights of the bar. His dark eyes were filled with a deep and painful emotion. She took in his clothing, the pressed khakis and dark blue button down shirt. To those unfamiliar with their kind, he could have passed for human. Peggy herself was wearing a lacy black dress that Eric had picked out. It clung to the lines of her body and made her look even more blonde and curvaceous than she was.

"Is Sookie all right?" Peggy asked with alarm. Bill had married her friend Sookie Stackhouse a little under a year ago. The wedding had been something of a disaster, but afterwards the couple had seemed happy.

"Sookie is fine," Bill said firmly.

"But?"

"She is angry with me."

"And why is that?"

Bill sighed. "I would prefer not to discuss it."

Peggy frowned, tempted to pull out her cell phone and call Sookie right then. She hadn't spoken to her friend in a few days, but Sookie hadn't indicated that she was unhappy when they last spoke. Peggy decided that the call could wait at least until she was out of Bill's sight. Besides, Sookie would be working at Merlotte's tonight, and Sam Merlotte hated when his waitresses got calls at work.

"I see," Peggy said, even though she didn't.

"I am wondering," said Bill, "If it is not too much of an imposition, may I sleep at your house for a few days?"

Peggy's blue eyes grew round. "Bill—"

"Please, Margaret," Bill said. He put his hand over hers on the table. His white, icy fingers were even colder than her own. She felt a jolt go through her, and realized that despite her friendship with Sookie, she felt profoundly sorry for Bill. "I really do not wish to speak about the issues I am having with Sookie. I just need to know if you and Eric would be willing to extend me your hospitality. I would understand if you are disinclined to do so because of your friendship with my wife."

"You are our friend as well," Peggy insisted. "And of course you can stay with us."

"Assuming it is all right with Eric," Bill added politely.

Peggy nodded, though she felt a flare of irritation. It irked her that Bill couldn't accept her word without Eric's approval… though Bill was probably right. No matter what Peggy said, if Eric wanted something different, that was what would come to pass. She glanced over at Eric again, debating whether to interrupt his seduction of the human girl, but Eric's throne was empty and they were both gone.

"We have room," Peggy said.

"I understand that Simone is still with you," said Bill. Simone Boudreaux was the vampire brother of Peggy and Sookie's friend Anne Marie, Sam Merlotte's wife. Like Peggy, Christopher Santiago had made Simone a vampire. Like Anne Marie, Simone had had an affair with Christopher. Both romances had ended badly. Simone had been captured by drainers and nearly died the final death, and had been making his recovery at Peggy and Eric's home in Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Christopher had been heart-broken when Simone ended their affair, Peggy thought. She hadn't spoken to him since Simone had come to Bon Temps nearly a year ago. She had called a few times, but Christopher didn't return her messages. Finally she had left him to himself. Eric didn't care much for Christopher, and Simone refused to discuss him. He seemed to blame Christopher for his torment at the hands of the drainers, whom Eric and Christopher had helped dispose of.

"Yes," said Peggy. "He is nearly fully recovered."

"Will he be leaving soon, then?"

"I don't know. He isn't quite sure where he means to go next."

"Maybe he will make a home in Shreveport," Bill suggested. "After all, he has family here."

Bill looked pointedly over at the bar, where Chow, Fangtasia's current bartender, stood talking to a young female vampire. Pearletta Boudreaux was Simone and Anne Marie's cousin, and had been transformed into a vampire to save her life when she had accidentally almost been killed by Anne Marie's brothers. Pearletta, like the other members of the Boudreaux family, had been a shape shifter. She and Simone had both lost that ability when they were changed. Unlike Simone, Pearletta regretted that loss sorely.

"I wish he would go back to New Orleans," Peggy said flatly.

"Do you?"

"Christopher needs him."

"Ah," said Bill.

Peggy didn't know how to decipher that comment, so she stopped talking and instead wondered where Eric had taken his meal. She sipped her True Blood and looked around the room, debating whether there was any human worth her time, but the fang-banger crowd didn't excite her much. She almost never hunted at Fangtasia, but Eric used the club like a lazy spider, waiting for his prey to come to him.

Peggy suddenly missed the days when they had only shared blood with each other, first when she had been human, then later using True Blood for sustenance. The bottle clutched in her hand shattered and she looked at it in surprise. So did Bill. The glass cut her fingers and Bill grabbed her hand, wiping at it with a napkin.

A moment later, the cuts faded, healed. Bill held her hand gently, almost tenderly, and Peggy fought to remember the last time Eric had made a tender gesture to her. Every moment they shared lately was lustful, sexual, she realized. Even though there was nothing in what Bill was doing besides compassion, Peggy suddenly hurt. She snatched her hand back and ignored Bill's look of confusion.

"Is everything all right, Margaret?" Bill finally asked.

Peggy wasn't sure, but she nodded. "Fine."

"Are you and Eric having a problem?"

"Listen, Bill, just because you and Sookie are on the rocks, it doesn't mean that everyone else is!" Peggy snapped. Immediately she was sorry. Bill glared at her.

"I was merely trying to be a friend to you," he said coldly.

Peggy shut her mouth and nodded. She waved the waitress over to clean up the mess, but it took several excruciating minutes, during which Peggy schooled her expression to blank and tried to figure out what exactly was wrong. Eric had not been unkind to her, or even neglectful of her lately. It was just that his lust generally outweighed everything else.

Typical of a male, Peggy supposed.

Until tonight, it hadn't really bothered her, so why now? Why, when she was sitting so close to Bill Compton. Peggy looked at him again as the waitress left with the broken glass and tried to fathom his dark eyes.

"You are always so serious, Bill."

"I suppose I am," Bill replied stiffly.

"I am not sure I have ever seen you smile."

"Certainly you have," Bill said, his voice gentling.

"You are nothing like Eric."

"I should hope not." Now his tone held a hint of humor, and Peggy suspected the smile she had never seen was being repressed.

Before she could press him further, there was a huge boom and a flash of light as a bomb exploded out of the disco ball hung over the dance floor at Fangtasia. Bill and Peggy were thrown backwards across the room and dust filled the air. Bits of glass sliced her face, and all the air she no longer needed to breathe was knocked out of her as Bill landed on top of her.

"Eric!" Peggy cried out. Where was her lover?

There came no reply.