Shreveport, Louisiana
Eric Northman sat behind the desk pinching the bridge of his nose as he idly watched his protégé vampire, Pam pace back and forth in front of him. Pam suddenly paused and slammed her hands down on the desk beckoning for Eric's attention. He sighed and turned his body to face her.
"Yes, Pamela?" Eric asked as her lips parted in disbelief.
"You are actually fucking serious about this," Pam said as she pushed off the desk, placing one hand on her hip, as the other rose to gesture as she spoke.
"I mean I get it. Louisiana has been the longest we've stayed anywhere in the years that we've been together but Cali-fucking-fornia, Eric?" Pam said as she made a disgusted face. Eric continued to watch her tirade, patiently waiting for her to conclude. He steepled his fingers in front of him with his elbows resting on the desk.
"What are you going to do there for business, kill Mexicans coming over the border or start a fucking taco stand?" she said as she finally stopped her pacing and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff, staring at Eric.
"Are you finished?" Eric asked with a raise of his eyebrows. Pam responded with an idle roll of her eyes. Eric rose from the desk and made his way around the desk to approach her.
"No one said you had to follow me, Pam, you have been released from me as your maker or have you forgotten that?" Eric asked as he placed his hands behind his back and stared down at her, awaiting a response.
"How could I?" Pam said with a hint of remorse in her tone.
"With that being said, I hope you'll reconsider accompanying me. Can't say I've ever had a better business partner and I could really use your assistance," Eric said, not moving from his current position as a slow progression of curiosity started to spread over Pam's expression.
"What kind of business?" Pam said, a look of skepticism starting to take over her features. Eric cleared his throat and turned around to face the desk, reaching for a piece of paper, handing it to her for review. Pam looked at Eric for a moment with a cocked eyebrow before she looked down to the piece of paper, reviewing what looked to be a logo of some kind with the Grim Reaper as the focal point. She canted her head to one side as she read the words surrounding the reaper.
"Sons of Anarchy? Eric what the hell is this?" Pam asked, glancing back up at Eric who was now leaning back against the desk, his arms crossed over his chest.
"That my dear Pamela, is a motorcycle club. One of the most popular, ruthless, and profitable motorcycle clubs in the nation." Eric said, as Pam's eyebrow once again rose to the skies. She was convinced at this point that he had officially lost his mind as she spoke her response in monotone.
"You…want to join…a motorcycle club?" Pam asked as she held the piece of paper between her fingers now like it was a rag covered in dog shit.
"Not join…overtake. Wouldn't be very hard to convince them, I'd imagine." Eric said as he made his fangs unleash, looking to Pam for a response.
"Okay, so you overtake this motorcycle club and then do what? Go on rallies? Fuck a few biker chicks?" Pam asked with complete lack of enthusiasm.
"Christ Pam, try to be a little more open minded here. They deal drugs, run guns, own a porn studio-" Eric started to say as Pam suddenly interrupted.
"Porn studio? Well, color me a bit more interested," Pam answered as Eric couldn't help but give a wicked, sidelong grin.
"There's my girl. They deal in all these organizations that we would be profiting from and could become filthy rich with the addition of one singular item to their dealings," Eric paused as he rose his eyebrows to Pam as if beckoning her to guess. She widened her eyes and gave a shrug of her shoulders in annoyance, wanting him to spit it out already.
"V," Eric said simply and Pam let her hands drop to her sides in frustration.
"Eric, come on," Pam said as Eric pushed from the desk and took the few strides he needed to stand directly in front of Pam glaring down at her.
"I am sick and tired of this constant peddling of New Blood bullshit. I used to be a fucking Viking king for Christ's sake! This is a chance for a fresh start," Eric said as Pam's body had begun to recoil backwards slightly and she cleared her throat and smoothed out her hair.
"You can't peddle your own blood, you're too ancient," Pam said and Eric turned around to begin his own pacing.
"Yes, I know Pamela. I am not an idiot. I'd force someone to volunteer and chain them to serve the sole purpose of being a blood factory, clearly, "Eric spat as Pam looked down to the piece of paper again, thoughts starting to consume her.
"The Grim Reaper is a little too ironic for a vampire don't you think?" Pam said with a smirk and Eric stopped and turned the paper over in her hand where a different logo resided. A Norse designed wolf's head was the focal point for this one along with the words, 'Fenrir's Pack'. Pam looked from the logo and back up to Eric with a raise of the eyebrows. Eric stared at her and nodded once.
"I'd insist on all dealings of V to be done under this name. So what do you say Pam, are you in or are you out?" Eric asked as he raised his hands to lightly place on each of Pam's shoulders looking down at her with those epic blue-eyed puppy dog eyes that he was so talented at using. Pam looked at him for a moment, having never built up an aversion to those eyes as she quickly looked away and left out a sigh.
"Shit. I am not riding bitch on the back of one of those fucking things. I get my own," Pam said as she poked Eric in the chest. Eric squeezed her shoulders with a smile spreading across his lips.
"Whatever you want. It can even be a Tiffany's edition, if you'd prefer," Eric said sincerely as Pam smiled up at him. Eric continued to stare down at Pam as his smile began to fade.
"You can come out Jessica," Eric said simply as Pam's eyebrows furrowed looking over Eric's shoulder as the pretty redhead shuffled her way from around the corner. Pam put her hands on her hips as Eric slowly turned around to face Jessica.
"Can I help you?" Eric asked as Jessica cleared her throat and idly began to pick at the cuticles of her fingernails.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overhear things," Jessica said with her southern charm laced accent. Her blue eyes dropped to the floor, having not the courage to look Eric in the face.
"Yes you did. Now what I can help you with, Jessica?" Eric asked as she turned her gaze back up to him.
"Can I please come with you, Eric? I have nothing here. Hoyt is gone and he ain't ever comin' back, Bill's dead and I mean I could help! Tend bar or waitress or I mean I can do absolutely anything you'd need," Jessica started to say as Pam rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh for fuck's sake," Pam said as Jessica peered over to her for a moment before her eyes dropped to the ground again with embarrassment.
"You can tag along on one condition," Eric started to say as Jessica's eyes widened in surprise and overwhelming relief.
"Yeah, o'course anything!" Jessica said excitedly as Eric stared down at her, his face the epitome of seriousness.
"You must service my carnal needs at my beck and call," Eric said as Jessica suddenly grew nervous looking around from left to right. She looked back at Pam who had the most devilish grin played across her lips.
"I'm kidding," Eric said deadpan as he patted Jessica atop the head. He turned around to look at both Jessica and Pam and slapped his hands together once.
"Let's do this ladies," Eric said and Jessica, now relieved that Eric didn't want her to be his sex slave, started to jump up and down in delight.
"Oh this is gonna be great. I ain't ever seen California before," Jessica said, as Pam remained unenthused.
"Yes, I'm sure it'll be a real slice," Pam said as Eric was already making his way toward the door.
"Wait, what about Fangtasia?" Jessica asked as Pam started to follow Eric, leaving Jessica standing in the middle of the office alone with her thought. Eric raised a hand above his head referencing the building around him and yelled without ever turning around.
"Torch it for all I care!" Eric said as Jessica looked around confused and then scurried forward to catch up with them.
Bon Temps, Louisiana
Jason Stackhouse followed his sister Sookie as she frantically made her way around in her bedroom, shoving various things into one of three suitcases that she had laid out on her bed.
"Sook, seriously can we talk more about this? This is just plain shit crazy," Jason said as Sookie continued to take clothes from hangers out of her closet and shove them into the suitcase.
"Jason, I love you and I appreciate your concern but this ain't up for debate. I need a change and I need to get the hell out of this town," Sookie said as she moved past him to go downstairs with Jason quick on her heels.
"Sook, I get that, I really do but why California? It's all the way on the other side of the damned country. Why not Mississippi or-or I hear Alabama can be real nice this time of year," Jason said as Sookie stopped for a moment to look up at her big brother.
"Jason, the entire southern part of this country is still full of vampires, shifters, witches…I want away from all of it. All the vampires were run out of California years ago; it is the perfect place for a fresh start. I mean look at this brochure. The town is even called Charming, how cute is that?" Sookie said with a wide grin that always displayed the gap in her two front teeth prominently. She patted his shoulder as she left him standing there with the brochure to continue packing up her things. Jason glanced down to the brochure reading the words Charming, California at the top with an image of a house amidst the mountains. He let out a sigh, knowing that when Sookie got like this, there was nothing or no one that could stand in her way, not even her own brother.
"Whatta gonna do for money?" Jason asked, and Sookie laughed as she grabbed a couple of things from the downstairs closet.
"Everywhere needs waitresses Jason, I'm pretty sure I won't have an issue findin' a job," Sookie said as she brushed past him to run upstairs again and throw the items in the suitcase. Jason nodded solemnly, not following her this time as he patted the brochure into his palm a few times, waiting for her to come back down. Within a few minutes, Sookie was dragging all three of her suitcases down the stairs, making loud banging noises as she did so. Jason cocked an eyebrow as he watched her, not daring to try to help with how determined she was right now. Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, she let out a huff and blew a rogue strand of blonde hair that managed to escape her ponytail from her eyes. She glanced down at her watch and then back to Jason.
"My train leaves in an hour, I better call a cab," she said as she made her way over to the landline telephone in the kitchen.
"Sook, why don't you just let me drive you to the station?" Jason asked and Sookie shook her head back and forth emphatically.
"Nope, Jase I am doing this completely on my own, it's important to me," she said as Jason held up his hands in defense. Once she called for the cab, she made her way back over to Jason and they now stood toe to toe. They stared at one another for a moment, neither of them wanting to be the one to initiate the goodbye first. Sookie let out a sigh and launched herself at her brother in a tight embrace. Jason reciprocated by wrapping his arms around his baby sister.
"It's gonna be fine, Jason, I promise. I'll call you as soon as I am all settled in," Sookie said as she backed away from the hug and Jason nodded his head several times.
"I know Sook. I'm proud of you, ya know? Glad yer finally doin' this," Jason said with a weak smile, knowing he was going to miss the hell out of her. Sookie nodded in response as she fought back tears and instead cleared her throat to start grabbing all three of her suitcases. Jason glanced down to the three relatively small cases that she had managed to package her life into.
"That's all yer takin'?" he asked as Sookie smiled to him over her shoulder as she made her way to the door.
"Oh you know me, never needed much to get by," she said and Jason couldn't help but smile, knowing she was completely right.
"Oh and do me a favor, Jace…please don't sell this house. I almost made that mistake once and I don't want to even think about it again," Sookie said with a grimace on her face and Jason shook his head slowly.
"I would never even think about it, Sook. Now get the hell out of here before I have to lie and say there's dirt in my eye or some shit," Jason said with a meager smile as Sookie smiled back and pushed open the screen door that lead to the front porch. She looked over her shoulder at him one last time.
"Love you, Jason," she said as Jason gave an idle wave from the middle of the living room where he decided to stay.
"Love you," he responded and she let the screen door slap shut behind her as she made her way out to the taxicab.
Charming, California
Jax Teller, President of the Sons of Anarchy Red Wood Original motorcycle club sat at the head of the table in the top floor of the club owned ice cream shop, idly tapping his finger on the wooden table, listening to the members of his club debate back and forth, on what directions the club should be heading. For a moment, all their voices had become static in the back of his mind as he had his own thoughts to organize. He slapped his hand atop the table several times to get them all to be quiet.
"Alright, alright, it's clear we all have our own opinions on the best way to handle this. I, for one want us out of the gunrunning, out of drugs and more focused on Red Woody now that Diosa is gone. Stick to making legitimate cash. Can we at least all agree on that?" Jax asked as he looked around at all his loyal and dedicated members, brothers, and friends. All men slowly nodded their heads in agreement and Jax nodded once in return. Chibs Telford, one of Jax's closest friends and now vice-present of the club cleared his throat to speak, his Scottish accent laced heavy over every word.
"Jackie Boy, I agree with going legit, but to go legit is going to cause blood to be shed and the shed blood ye should be focused on right now…is Tara's," Chibs said as all the other men at the table looked at each other with apprehension before they looked over at Jax to gauge his response. Jax's fist started to tighten as he peered down at the wedding band on his left hand, fighting back tears.
"The man responsible is dead and Lin is in prison, Juice knows what he is supposed to do. That's all there is to say," Jax said as he continued to ball up his fist and release it several times. Bobby Munson adjusted in his seat before he leaned forward onto the table.
"We also need to be a little more concerned about the retaliation on Marks's part. You think our betrayal against the Triads is going to be taken lightly, Jax?" Bobby said as Jax slowly nodded, staring at his hand. All he had ever wanted was to make this club into the image that his father had worked so long to try to build. Not as a crime syndicate but as a legitimate, organized, and working club that also could be a place where life and family could coincide. He had already convinced Wendy to take his two sons to live on Nero's farm, having already decided that he did not want his sons to live amidst the poison as he himself had. If things, and that was a big if, had ever managed to calm down, he'd ask her to bring them back.
"We'll take care of Marks, we'll take care of the IRA, it'll all work out in the end boys, I promise you," Jax said as all the men nodded slowly in agreement.
"Now, if there aren't any other issues you would like to discuss, I could use a drink," Jax said with a raise of his eyebrows as he looked around the table to the all the men for objections. The men looked from one to the other as they all shook their heads. Jax nodded once and hit the gavel atop the table before rising from his chair and immediately bolting from the room. Once he was out the door and away from the fellow members of the club he placed his hand on the wall and let his head drop, rubbing the back of his neck harshly. He had a huge burden weighing heavily atop his shoulders and had to figure out a way to cross every T and dot every I before it was too late.