"She is very devoted to you," Eva told Bill as they slid into the booth beside each other.
"Yes," he agreed.
Eva glanced towards the bar to see where Sookie had gone and noticed her standing near to Eric, watching Bill curiously out her peripheral vision. She was clearly frustrated, and a little concerned as well, but she stayed at a distance; Eva respected her restraint. Eric turned away from the bar and joined Eva and Bill at the table, easily balancing two bottles of True Blood and a gin and tonic for Eva.
"You remembered," she observed as he set the drinks down and then slid into the booth across from her and Bill.
"I assumed you were still taking cherries with everything," Eric told her. "Cherries with gin, cherries with orange juice, cherries with pancakes…" He paused suddenly and looked away. "Of course, I'm not sure how much has changed since you've been gone."
"I'll always love cherries," she assured him.
All three of them were silent for a few moments, but Bill finally spoke up. "Have you been well?"
"Well enough." She was quiet momentarily and looked down. "You know I wasn't sure you would come."
"Why wouldn't we?" Bill questioned with shock in his voice.
"I wasn't sure you would get the message," she told them. "I didn't know if you would still be able to pick up my scent."
"It isn't particularly something I can ignore," Eric told her. "In fact, I can still smell it."
Eva held up her finger, showing them the blood that was still slowly sleeping from the wound she had given herself. "Cutting myself was the fastest way I could think of to call you both. I couldn't count on you picking up the stress."
Bill moved so swiftly, Eva didn't even realize he was moving until he had reached the bar, and a moment later he was back with a band-aid. Eva smiled and let him cover her cut with the bandage.
"Thanks."
"Where have you been?" Eric asked suddenly.
"Around," she responded. "Europe mainly."
"You always did want to visit Europe," Bill commented. "Did you enjoy it?"
"Very much."
The guys glanced at each other briefly, staying perfectly silent and not even touching their True Blood. Eva sipped her drink slowly, rubbing her thumb across the light layer of condensation that had formed on the outside of the glass.
"Come on boys," she prodded them eventually. "I know you're both fighting against saying something, so out with it."
"Why did you return?" Eric asked finally.
Eva frowned at him.
"If you were enjoying Europe so much, why did you leave?"
"Because you need me here." The guys started to protest, but Eva quickly spoke over them. "I never intended to stay away forever."
"You were gone for a very long time," Bill pointed out.
"Not too long…"
"Twelve months, two weeks, and three days," Eric announced.
Eva noted his heavily pained eyes across the table and reached out to take his hand. "I'm sorry I stayed away so long. I just needed…" she shook her head. "I don't know what I needed, but I needed to be away from everything."
"And now?"
"I still don't know exactly, but being away wasn't really making things any better." She released his hand. "I couldn't get away from myself."
"We're glad you returned," Bill assured her. "We were greatly concerned."
"You should have called," Eric lectured.
Eva laughed. "One of the points in leaving was to separate myself from everything here. I needed to leave this life completely for a while…" she narrowed her eyes at Bill. "Of course that's also difficult to do when someone won't leave me be."
"I told you I was concerned for your safety. You left without a word."
"That's not true," Eva corrected him. "I left you a note."
"Yes, the note…" Bill thought for a moment and then slowly recited: "I need some time to sort things out. I still love you both very much, and I owe you more than I'll ever be able to repay, but this is something I have to do. Please don't hate me, and please don't come looking for me."
"You memorized my note?"
"It is all you left for us," Bill reminded her.
"If you memorized it, then why did you come looking for me?"
"You did?" Eric looked at him sharply. "Why did I never know of this?"
"He shadowed me across England for nearly three weeks," Eva explained. "I knew he was there the whole time of course, but he's a slippery bastard."
Bill shrugged.
"When I finally did catch up with him, I sent him home immediately."
"She was quite ferocious," Bill told Eric. "You would have been proud."
"To be honest, I didn't expect my note to do any good," Eva admitted, "but I sort of thought Eric would be the one to come after me."
"I know you well enough to give you space when you ask for it."
"I appreciate that."
"Can I get ya'll anything else?" The three looked up as Sookie stepped up to their table, smiling with more than just a little hesitation. "Another round of drinks?" Her eyes lingered on Eva.
Eva glanced at the drinks that they had barely touched and shook her head.
"Are you hungry?" Eric asked Eva. "If you would rather wait, I might have something you like back at my club, though we mostly have drinks of course."
"I'm not going to your club, Eric."
Eric's eyes shifted to Eva instantly. "Why would you say that?"
"Do you honestly expect me to encourage your ridiculous plea for attention?"
"Plea for attention?" Eric repeated slowly.
Eva noticed Sookie watching her intently. Her eyes were wide and she shook her head slightly, but Eva didn't heed her warning. "I refuse to voluntarily put myself in a low-class, skanky fang-banging hotspot."
Sookie let out a slight gasp.
"My club is not low-class," Eric responded. "We serve only the best humans." He smiled a little, but when he picked up on the scowl forming on Eva's face, he shook his head apologetically. "That was a poorly worded joke. I apologize. We do not serve humans at my establishment. They work voluntarily and are paid well for their services."
"My god Eric, I can't believe I'm hearing this."
Bill glanced up at Sookie briefly. "You may leave now. I believe this conversation is about to become private."
She frowned at him and looked ready to argue, but Eric repeated Bill's command, and she obeyed.
"Evangeline, do I need to remind you that I am a vampire?" Eric asked once they had their privacy again.
"Nope, I'm pretty damn clear on that one."
"As a vampire, it is not unusual for us to utilize humans as a food source…"
"It's not necessary either," she reminded him. "Not since alternative blood sources have been made. You used to know that." She sighed and held up a hand. "Look, I don't care that you feel the need to feed from humans. It's disgusting and base, and you should try and rise above it, but I do understand it. What I don't understand is why you feel it necessary to run such a revolting business."
"You know nothing about it," he argued.
"If you've been to one vamp club, you've been to them all."
"Where did you visit a vamp club?" Bill demanded.
"Paris and Amsterdam."
"What the hell were you thinking visiting a place like that on your own?"
Eva laughed. "So you have a problem with me visiting a vamp club, but a moment ago you were planning to take me to yours. How does that work?"
"It is not the same thing," Eric explained. "You would be safe at my place."
"And how do you know I wouldn't be at another?
"What possible motivation could you have had to visit these places?" Eric's voice revealed his anger.
"I didn't go to be someone's meal if that's what you're thinking."
Eric looked away and she rolled her eyes.
"I missed you both very much," she told them. "I thought maybe going to a place populated by vampires would make me feel closer to you somehow." Bill put his arm around her shoulders gently, and Eva leaned against him. "Anyway, I didn't feel closer to you going to those clubs. In fact, I felt farther away. The vampires there…" she frowned. "They reminded me how special the two of you are."
Bill tightened his hold on her and kissed her forehead. "I have missed you very much."
Eric nodded his agreement.
"Okay, enough about Eric's questionable profession for a moment," Eva winked at him and looked to Bill. "You're mainstreaming here now?"
"I am," he confirmed. "At least, I'm trying. The people are not always very comfortable with my presence in their town."
"I'm proud of you for trying," Eva told him. "It's never easy starting over in a new town. I remember how long it took us to settle in "
"Yes, though I think he has had a little bit of help in the adjustment…" Eric nodded over his shoulder toward Sookie who was serving drinks to a table at the opposite corner and pretending not to be watching them, though she clearly was.
"Right, let's talk about her for a moment," Eva decided. "If you're mainstreaming, why do you have a human?"
Bill was silent.
"It's not like that, is it?" Eva glanced at Eric for confirmation; his irritated eye roll was all she needed. "You're as devoted to her as she is to you." She laughed. "You love her, don't you?"
Bill withdrew his arm from Eva's shoulders and crossed his arms. "I would rather not talk about this."
"Yea, that's not going to work for me." Eva adjusted her position so she was facing Bill more. "How did you meet? Why did you fall for her?"
"Not here," Bill insisted. He glanced surreptitiously towards Sookie.
"Fine," Eva conceded, "but later I want all the dirt."
Eric held up his hand to flag down Sookie. "I want you to order something for dinner to take away. Bill will have nothing decent for you to eat at his place."
"He's right," Bill agreed. "I have no food."
"Why does that matter?"
"Because I know you, and I know you will be hungry later tonight."
"Well, yea, but why will I be at Bill's place?"
"Because you refuse to come stay with me." Eric shrugged. "Bill's place probably makes more sense anyway. It's a large house with plenty of spare room, and I believe there are even bedrooms with actual beds. Also, the noise at my club would keep you up all night."
"I'm not staying at Bill's," Eva argued.
"Where will you stay then?" Eric sounded a little exasperated now.
"I thought I'd find a motel."
"A motel?" Eric smirked. "Evangeline, you are not going to stay at a motel as long as you have the two of us nearby."
"He's right," Bill told her. "My home is quite large, and I would never tolerate you staying anywhere else."
"I just don't know if I'm comfortable doing that…"
"You lived with us before you ran away. Why is now any different?"
"You two are different," Eva told them. "It's not the same anymore."
"How am I any different?" Bill demanded.
"You have her…" Eva nodded towards Sookie.
"Sookie does not live with me, and she would never bother you. When I see her I will visit at her home if that makes you more comfortable," Bill promised.
"It's not just Sookie…"
"Why are you being so difficult?" Eric snapped.
"It just doesn't feel right."
"Eva, please come stay with me," Bill requested. "I'll make sure you have everything you need. I promise you will be quite comfortable."
Eva analyzed their serious expressions and finally nodded. "Under one condition."
"Anything," the men spoke together.
"Eric has to come with us tonight."
Bill frowned, and Eric shook his head, but Eva tightened her lips and waited until Eric gave in and finally nodded, and Bill's frown softened.
"Great," Eva smiled. "Then let's order me some food."
Bill caught Sookie's eye and she hurried over. She smiled at Bill expectantly, but he nodded towards Eva. "She would like to order something."
Sookie's smile instantly turned into a frown as she looked at Eva. "What can I get for you?"
"How about a salad, with chicken? I'm not picky."
Sookie nodded, but continued staring hard at Eva. She stared back, but then suddenly gasped and closed her eyes. She opened them again and smiled, shaking her head.
"How interesting…" Eva glanced at Bill. "Could you please tell your human to stay out of my head? It tickles."
Now Sookie gasped. She frowned at Eva curiously.
"You're not going to get any information from there anyway," Eva told her. "I'm sorry, but if you want to know anything, you'll have to go about it the normal way. Just ask."
Eric snickered.
"Okay…" Sookie turned from the table and went to place the order for Eva's salad.
"So when you were telling me about this girl of yours, you sort of left out the part about her being telepathic," Eva accused Bill. "You would go and fall in love with a telepath."
"Sookie is a very special person," Bill assured her.
"I'm sure she is," Eva agreed. "A very special person with very special abilities."
"That's not why I fell for her," Bill protested.
"I never said it was." Eva glanced at Sookie across the bar. "I do feel a little replaced though, to be honest."
"Replaced?"
"With her around, you don't really need me anymore, do you?"
Eric nearly growled. "No one could replace you Evangeline."
"Not at all," Bill agreed. "You are unique and special in ways no one else ever could be, and when you are gone we feel your absence significantly."
"Thank you." Eva kissed his shoulder adoringly. "Though you should probably explain to Sookie about me if you want to keep her in your life."
Bill looked confused.
"She's worried," Eva explained. "I'm encroaching on her territory."
"Territory?"
Eva glanced at Eric. "Help me out here."
"Sookie does not understand the place Eva holds in your life. She will become jealous if you do not ease her mind," Eric told him. "Especially since she cannot read Eva's mind."
"Yea, that must be making her crazy," Eva grinned.
"Eva is irrelevant to mine and Sookie's relationship," Bill told them.
"If I'm going to be staying at your house with you, then I'm not irrelevant to any part of your life, especially your relationship with her. She'll need to know why I'm living with you."
"You may be right," Bill agreed, "but I will talk to her about it another time. When it becomes necessary to explain."
"Whatever you think is right."
Sookie returned with Eva's salad in a box to go and set it on the table. "Will there be anything else for ya'll this evening?" Her eyes drifted towards Eva again.
"No," Eric answered. "That is all. I will settle the tab at the bar." He stood swiftly and moved to the bar to close out with Sam.
Sookie didn't leave the table.
Eva nudged Bill and he slipped out of the table suddenly. He took Sookie by the elbow and led her away from the table. "I must change our plans," he told her.
"What plans?"
"For tonight. I won't be seeing you after work."
"Why not?"
"I have other matters to attend to."
"Other matters," she repeated. "What's going on Bill?"
"I will explain it all to you another time," he promised. "I will come to you tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow?"
"Forgive me, but this is important."
"More important than us?"
"I did not say that," he argued, "but at this moment it is very important."
Eric returned to the table and motioned for Eva to stand. She came to his side and nodded towards Sookie and Bill. "If he would just explain to her about me, it would save him a major argument later."
"Bill has always been very good at creating conflict."
"Really? Bill has?" Eva grinned. "The way I remember it, you're the one who starts the conflicts and he's the one who has to make peace."
"Time to go," Eric quickly changed the subject and beckoned to Bill.
"Be careful driving home," Bill told Sookie as he started to turn away from her. She held onto his arm for a moment and quickly kissed him. He touched her cheek briefly and then followed Eric and Eva towards the door.
Eva glanced over her shoulder briefly at the bar. She offered a wave to Sam, but he was watching her suspiciously and seemed too shocked by the fact that she was leaving with two vampires to give any sort of friendly motion. She gave up and left with the men.
"Neither of us have a car here," Eric observed. "We both ran."
"Of course you did," Eva smiled. "It's a good thing I took a cab here from the airport." She pointed into the dark parking lot where a taxi was waiting. "I have luggage," she told them, "so I asked the driver to just wait."
"That must be expensive."
"It's a good thing I'm still living off your money then, isn't it?"
Eric smiled, but Bill was too distracted to participate in their conversation. His head was inclined back towards the bar, and Eva assumed he was thinking about Sookie. They reached the cab, and Eric opened the back door and motioned for Eva to slide in. He slid in after her and then called for Bill to join them. The drive only took ten minutes, and when they pulled up in front of Bill's old Southern mansion, Eric paid the cab fee while Bill unloaded Eva's bags from the trunk of the car.
