"I'm worried about Eric," Sookie said, sliding back into bed beside Bill. He stirred from his daytime sleep.
"How so?" Bill turned to face her, staying awake despite the pull he felt to sleep due to the sun in the sky.
"I went to get a snack downstairs and when I passed his room I could hear him sobbing," Sookie explained. "He's really upset about Godric. I went in to talk to him but he didn't respond."
"Sookie, you went to speak to him?" Bill demanded. "He just tricked you into drinking his blood and you purposely went in alone?"
"Bill, it's not like that," Sookie tried to soothe. "He's a jerk and he may be a little obsessive but he doesn't want to hurt me."
"You don't know that, Sookie. He tricked you once, you really believe you can trust him?" Bill couldn't believe her. He was doing his best to protect her and she was foiling his attempts at every turn.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I saw something in him on that roof. He loved Godric. And I didn't lose Gran too long ago. Nobody deserves to be alone through that."
Bill sighed. He thought she was being foolish but part of what he loved about her was her heart. He knew she felt some kind of obligation after Godric saved her and he wouldn't be able to deter her.
"So what would you like to do?" Bill asked.
Sookie stretched out on the bed. "I don't know. If it were anyone else I would call a friend for him."
Bill snorted and Sookie had to hold back a smile herself. The idea of Eric having friends was a little ridiculous.
"We should be ready to leave soon," Bill said.
"It's daylight."
"I have made accommodations for day travel," Bill said. The only good thing about this trip was getting to spend Eric's money. "Hopefully Jessica has not destroyed my home. Or eaten that boy whose company she has been so enjoying."
He was almost startled when Sookie shot up in the bed. "That's it!"
"What?"
"Pam!" Sookie said, a triumphant smile on her face. "She's Eric's… what was the word again?"
"Progeny," Bill told her. The word still was unfamiliar to him. He was still having trouble believing he had his own.
"I'm going to call her!" Sookie said. She got up out of the bed and went to find her phone.
"How? Do you know her number?" Bill asked.
"I'm going to call the bar," she replied, dialing the number she found on the internet.
"She likely will not be there. It is daylight."
Before Sookie could respond she heard a chipper voice on the phone. "Fangtasia! Ginger speaking."
"Ginger! It's Sookie. Is Pam there? I really need to talk to her."
"Hey, Sookie! Uh, she's here but she's asleep."
"Could you go get her? It's really important," Sookie requested.
"I don't know," Ginger wavered. "She's not exactly the nicest person when she's woken up."
"It's about Eric," Sookie said. "Please."
Ginger hesitated before finally agreeing. If it was about Eric she didn't think Pam would mind. She might even be mad if she didn't wake her up.
"Thanks, Ginger." Sookie listened to the sounds on the other end of the phone. Ginger opened and closed some doors. As she waited she moved to sit next to Bill on the bed once more.
"He might have already called Pam," Bill said. "It's likely she already knew something was wrong and called him, even."
"How?" Sookie asked but was interrupted as they heard voices over the phone. Ginger had knocked loudly on her coffin.
"Pam! Pam! Sookie is on the phone. She says she needs to talk to you about Eric."
"Dammit, Ginger, I'm awake, you don't need to keep banging!" Pam's voice could be heard before Ginger's shrill shriek. "Give me that," she said and there was a bit of a rusting sound as Pam took the phone.
"What the fuck is going on with Eric?" Pam demanded, not even bothering with pleasantries.
Although Sookie hadn't had much interaction with the vampire she wasn't entirely surprised at her rudeness. Still, Eric probably needed her and so she could bite her tongue for the conversation.
"You talked to him?" Sookie asked.
"He won't answer my calls," Pam told her, clearly annoyed. "What's going on there?"
"Well, uh, Eric's a little upset," Sookie stammered. "He won't talk to me so I called you. I think he could use a friend right now."
"Sookie, it's the middle of the day. I'd go there if I could but by the time I organized it it would be night," she explained, sounding like she was speaking to a stupid child. "And Eric already made plans to be back tonight. So why don't you explain to me what. Is. Going. On?"
"I would," Sookie started, "but it's not really my place. Eric should probably tell you."
"Sookie! Tell me!" she drawled. She then added a very surprising but still insincere, "please."
"Um, one second" Sookie stalled, suddenly thinking this wasn't the best idea. She pulled the phone away and looked at Bill, ignoring what sounded like the beginning of an angry threat from Pam. "I can't tell her Godric's dead," she whispered as quietly as possible. "Isn't he family to her?" She wasn't clear on all of the vampire relationships but surely Godric had to be someone important to Pam.
"You just did," Bill said.
"What?" Sookie replied, confused.
"I'm sure she heard you," he gestured at the phone.
Sookie looked at the phone and almost groaned. She pulled it back up to her ear. "I'm so sorry, Pam. I didn't mean to tell you. It's just that Eric is so upset and I'm worried about him and I didn't know who else to call." She waited a moment but Pam said nothing. "Pam? Are you there?"
When she finally responded she had lost all snark in her voice. "Put Eric on the phone," she said.
"He's not here," Sookie explained. "I'll go over to his room, give me a second." Sookie got up again and this time Bill followed her. Together they padded across the hall and knocked on Eric's door. He didn't answer so she decided to let herself in. Walking in, she called to him.
"Eric, Pam is on the phone. She wants to talk to you." She turned the corner and for a moment she thought Eric would ignore her again. But he surprised her by reaching out for the phone.
"Pamela," he said. She was too far away to hear Pam's response but she did listen into his side.
"No, I'll be there tonight. Yes, I promise. Pam, really, go to ground. I'll be there tonight." Finally he said something in another language and then handed the phone back to Sookie. Unsure if he turned it off or not she held it up to her ear. She heard Pam hang up on the other end and then did so herself.
"I was ignoring her calls for a reason," Eric told her.
"I'm sorry, Eric, I just thought maybe she could help."
"The effort is appreciated. I would like to be alone now," he told her, barely turning to face her.
"Of course," she said. She turned and pushed Bill out of the room, feeling like she had intruded enough for the day.
"What language was that?" Sookie asked him as they returned to their room.
"Swedish," Bill said. "His native language."
"What about Pam? Is she from Sweden too?" She couldn't stop her curiosity.
"No," Bill said. "I believe she is from San Francisco," he told her, hoping to not have to tell her how he knew that. He didn't want to admit to killing so many people.
"Did you know her when she was still human?" Sookie continued.
"I met her," Bill admitted. "I was surprised to learn that Eric turned her."
"What was she like?" Sookie asked.
"Surprisingly similar to how she is as a vampire," Bill told her. When he had told Pam he could scarcely believe she'd ever been human, he'd meant it. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes he'd never believe it. She was born to be a vampire, it seemed, with her ruthless nature. Although he could understand how she became that way. It was likely that as a prostitute she hadn't been met with the same kind of polite and kind treatment he had been as a human.
Sookie caught his pensive look. "When was that?" she asked.
He exhaled, trying to remember. "I don't remember when exactly. A little after 1900. Before the first world war."
"Wow," Sookie said. "That's incredible."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"It's just so easy to forget how old vampires can be. Since you all look so much younger, I mean. Pam was made a vampire before my Gran was even born."
"What do you think he said to her?" Sookie asked. "In Swedish?"
"I have no idea," Bill said. "I imagine something to comfort her."
Sookie nodded. "How did Pam know something was wrong?" she asked.
"Makers and progeny share a bond. They can often share feelings. She likely felt her maker's turmoil," he explained.
"Do you share a bond with Lorena?" she asked.
"Not anymore," Bill said. "Not since she released me."
Sookie was about to ask another question but Bill stopped her. "We have all the time for questions later," he told her. "We should prepare to leave."
Sookie nodded and went to get her things collected. She was realizing how much she still did not know. Not only about vampires, but about Bill in particular.
Later she took to the internet to figure out what Eric had said to Pam over the phone. It was none of her business, but being always in people's heads made it hard to accept being in the dark.
She was surprised to learn through her memory and Google translate that he'd said "I love you." Eric was just becoming more complicated by the day. He clearly loved Godric and it seemed he loved Pam as well. Did Bill once hold similar feelings for his maker?
Hopefully she'd never have to see Lorena again. And hopefully she could keep Eric, despite his blood, out of her thoughts.