I inquired as to where the bathroom was and went to wash up before bed. Years of running from everything that had turned bad in my life had kept me sharp to a good extent. I kept a spare change of clothes that was passable as casual and comfortable as well as travel toiletries, and a spare hairbrush in my car at all times in case I couldn't make it back to where I kept everything else.

Not that I had much else. Everything I truly cared about was able to fit in my car and most of it I could carry on my person. I had learned the hard way how painful it could be when sentimental and valuable items were ripped from you and all you could do was stand and watch. The fact that HE was responsible for losing the thing I held most dear until that point wasn't lost on me and didn't make my pain any easier. It did make me more determined than ever to get out while I still could. Damn the fates that said I had only a few ways to escape my future. I would find a different way that kept everything and everyone I loved safe; I just had to keep looking.

Thinking about my past had been something I tried to avoid and usually put me in a mood of sorts so while I washed my hands I must have scrubbed too hard. There was a slight trickle of blood running down my palm from just below my wrist. Okay, I guess I didn't scrub too hard. Things like this only happened every once in a while and it was because I lost control of my emotions. This was one of many different results but the best that could have happened at this moment.

I quickly ran some more water over the tiny cut and rubbed one of my fingers over it to staunch the bleeding. It was something I had discovered shortly after Derek had revealed who he was to me and how important I was to so many people. This secret that I had wasn't because of him, but because of what I am. He only allowed me to discover my true potential and my true nature. The nature of an ethereal and otherworldly being that has somehow been trapped, for lack of a better word, in a normal human body until reaching the age my real parents decided upon that would mark my coming of age.

Yeah, I got the best of both worlds and also the worst. Being human until you're seventeen and about to graduate high school is nice, but when you start changing and becoming more of your true self, it sort of leaves you with fewer friends and tons if questions. Luckily Derek had been there for me and the human family that had raised me had developed such a deep bond that they stuck with me to help me through my transition from "normal" to "other".

They graciously accepted the fact that Derek was also like me but had already come into his otherness. I wasn't sure what that entailed for him exactly but I knew he had answers for me that nobody else did. Even if he had gone about becoming my friend in a way that was underhanded and misleading, we worked past that and became drawn to each other.

Our relationship developed over the last few months I was in high school and while I tried community college the semester after graduating. Derek kept me grounded and reminded me of what I was fighting to hold on to here but he also filled me in on my missing history and everything that went along with my changes. Not only was I not from the world of Earth, I was royalty. Not a normal, average, whatever I was, but the princess and heir to the throne.

Toss in my older sister and still older half-brother and things became more complicated. Unfortunately, it was just after learning about my siblings that the chaos that had become my life exploded and everything was turned upside down. But to rethink and constantly reassess what I could have done differently or if I could have changed the outcomes didn't help me now. Right now I needed to focus.

"Come on, come on," I muttered as I continued to rub my fingers against the wound. As I did so I began to feel the tell-tale tingling that accompanied my special tricks and helped to heal my wound so it would appear that nothing had happened. Surprisingly, or maybe not, in the short time that I was washing up Sookie and Eric had begun to argue. I wasn't sure what about but I most definitely knew they had been talking quietly when I left and they were now close to yelling as I returned. As I rounded the corner I caught the last snippet from Sookie and Eric's argument.

"You were trying to glamour her! I could see it on your face," Sookie cried, exasperated.

"What concern is it of yours, min felik prinsessa, with who and what I try to acquire as an asset or a plaything," Eric intoned.

I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at them both. The expression on my face was caught somewhere between shock, embarrassment, and anger. If Eric Northman wanted me as a plaything it was not happening. I had been a plaything before and I would not allow myself to be drawn into servitude for the second time in my life. That was a chapter in my life I glossed over at best and rarely opened to anyone but Derek, and my family when they needed to know why I had chosen to leave them behind.

"I'm not sure what's going on here," I started as calmly as I could, "But if there's something you two need to work out maybe I should just go back to the motel to sleep tonight."

I could tell Sookie was uncomfortable that I had walked in on their argument but she wanted to be the best hostess she could and still offer me somewhere to sleep.

"Also, what is glamouring?" I asked cautiously before inching my way closer to the front door.

I had heard the term used before but I wasn't sure what it was and if it was a good or bad thing. Hopefully, they would tell me without any problem and I could get a straight answer.

Faster than my eyes could track, Eric was by the door and behind me from the way I was standing. He had blocked my exit and taken away the feeling of security I had managed to slip into. From his stance alone I probably never would have noticed it but the gleam in his eyes showed how much of a predator he truly was.

I spun around slightly and tried to keep them both in my eyesight. I didn't know why but I had a feeling that Eric wasn't the only one who could pose a threat. The thought struck me as odd because Sookie appeared to be fairly small and not as sturdy as other women I'd met, but being from the South I also knew that she could use a gun and could probably identify anything edible outside the home, unlike me.

I was from California, and although short in stature like Sookie, I was more waif-like in appearance. I had slender flowing features that were delicate and gave the impression I was easily breakable, an impression I encouraged to anyone I met. She had golden honey wheat hair that came down just below her shoulders where my hair was black as coal coming down just below my hips. Our differences aside, we also seemed to have a good deal in common with one another. Such as our height, our general ability to get along with almost anyone, and our deep sense of connection to the people we cared about.

I had seen it when I first met Sookie, the way she watched to make sure her brother got to his truck safely, and that Arlene wasn't too overwhelmed with her kids to deal with work. Even Lafayette was watched over by Sookie, and it warmed my heart to know she cared so deeply and completely for these people in her life, it made me trust her before I had gotten to know her at all.

That may have been a mistake but I wasn't about to decide quite yet unless things became too complicated too quickly. Pulling myself from my scrambled thoughts I watched Eric and Sookie exchange a look. Whatever passed between them must have given me the benefit of the doubt because Eric moved away from the door and back into my direct line of sight in front of Sookie, almost like he was guarding her against me.

I hadn't slipped up in any of the conversation Sookie and I had made since we met, or tonight with the awkward exchanges that kept happening but it seemed as though they both knew more about me than I had let on intentionally. That worried me until I remembered that vampires have enhanced capabilities such as sight, strength, hearing, and speed, as well as an increased sense of smell. I could have kicked myself for being so stupid. If I had driven back when I had the chance I may not be in the mess I was gearing up for now. Of course, Eric could have caught my scent any of the other times he had visited Sookie at work, but he might have let it go before now.

Because I was the apparent threat now, I knew exactly where they placed each other in their lives, all other allusions aside. Anything they said I wouldn't believe anymore. I knew what it was like to have the one you loved threatened and I didn't want to put them through that if I could avoid it. For now at least, I would play dumb and see where it got me with the two of them, but I wasn't expecting any miracles.

"Eric, stop," Sookie growled as she placed her hand on his forearm. He didn't make any move to step away from or behind her so she tried again.

"Move aside or I'll rescind your invitation, Eric Northman."

Eric made and angry and disgruntled look that soured his appearance instantly. Despite his qualms about her being defenseless he stepped aside and kept as close to her as she would allow in present company. I would almost say it was amusing to see how much power she had over him but honestly, it was more frightening. I didn't know how old Eric was, but from the way he talked to her and others as well as the power I could almost feel rolling off him at times, he must have been old. For someone who was around my age, or at least the age that everyone would believe I was, controlling a vampire's baser instincts was both bold and reckless or a sign of complete trust.

Sookie motioned for Eric to move into the living room so we could all sit and with little protest, he obliged. From where I was sitting, across the small coffee table from Sookie in her comfortable recliner and Eric standing tall and intimidating beside her, I could see his hands begin to twitch in an impatient way. I could only guess at what that meant and hope it wasn't for me in any way.

He cleared his throat to get Sookie into action and glared down at the top of her head. She fidgeted around in her seat uncomfortably before looking up into his eyes. A questioning look on her face during their silent exchange produced a shrug of Eric's shoulders in an 'I don't know, it's your call' manner that perplexed me.

"I don't know what you are, exactly, but you're making Eric antsy," Sookie said to me bluntly. Well, this was going great.

"I-I'm sorry?" I questioned earnestly. Perhaps trying to settle my life down wasn't an option for me, especially around an area apparently teeming with vampires and who knows what other kinds of creatures.

"I said," Sookie started again then cleared her throat as well.

"I know what you said, but what do you mean by it?" I asked more directly. I wanted to hear her theories and Eric's before deciding if I should just cut and run. They didn't need my problems mucking up their lives and it seemed like they had enough of their own.

At that she pouted and took in a deep breath which she let out after a pause, sounding like a sigh mixed with a yawn and stared at me head on. If she was afraid or nervous she didn't show it, but then again I was getting too nervous to really pay much attention to everyone else in the room while trying to calm myself before I had an episode.

Intense or stressful situations after I began to change, I would have these fits or episodes as I called them. I don't know how exactly they came about but they gave me information that Derek never could, and they became the stuff of my nightmares. They happened similarly to an epileptic episode according to my brothers now fiancé, but that isn't at all what they were. Yes, my body shook and convulsed while I had no control and my eyes had no focus to them, but in my head, new images would appear as though I were dreaming. These were memories I hadn't known about that were locked away from me by my real parents.

If there was ever a time for me to not have an episode, it would be right now. Unfortunately, I would only have seconds notice before the spasms began and I had to be helped to the floor as my body was wracked with tremors and my mind assaulted with new to me memories. Some people I had met that were actually epileptic had given me advice on how to deal with the episodes physically, because to anyone outside of Derek and my family, I was epileptic. I hadn't given much thought to their advice but I was now thinking I should have listened better and maybe taken notes for myself.

I watched as Sookie visibly readied herself for what she was about to say. It must have been important but she was taking too long for Eric and he spoke for her.

"What exactly do you know about vampires," Eric requested? He didn't ask, or fish, he requested. I knew if I didn't answer there would be a command and no more questions. I didn't know how, but I was sure that was how it would be. So I answered with as much conviction as I could muster.

"Not very much," I stated. "I know that you all are very fast, but I never knew quite how fast you are," I motioned toward the foyer where Eric had demonstrated how fast he could move. He smirked at my mention of it then went back into interrogation mode. That's what I decided to call it.

"I also know that you can see much better than people and even animals, and you have great hearing. But that is all I'm aware of," I finished lamely. I looked down at my lap and quietly folded my hands together. I was hoping the night wouldn't end with me on the run again, especially since I was so close to actually being able to start over this time.

Sookie giggled slightly and blushed as well. She had thought of something that was apparently funny and embarrassing pertaining to vampires that I hadn't mentioned or didn't know.

"They also have an extraordinary sense of smell," she finally added, then succumbed to a fit of laughter. Why she found that so funny I had no clue, and I only hoped I wouldn't be enlightened to it.

Eric continued to stare at me like he was the bad cop and Sookie was the good one. As she finished laughing Eric moved to sit on the arm of her chair. She swatted him away and motioned to the chair next to her or the spot on the couch next to me. At that, my heart rate sped up because for the life of me I did not want such a deceptively sweet predator next to me on her couch, or anywhere for that matter; unless it was Derek.

With that thought in my head I began to blush just as Sookie had, but in this circumstance, it appeared that I was blushing because she suggested that Eric sit next to me. Sookie straightened up and sat forward in her chair while Eric grinned unrepentantly and swayed his hips in the direction of the seat next to mine. Before taking the seat he made a big deal of looking concerned for me and with a flourish, inclined his head and pointed next to me while asking, "May I?"

I blanched and could make no noise whatsoever. I nodded and scooted myself upright and slightly to the back of the couch in an attempt to get away. Both Eric and Sookie noticed. Sookie seemed to approve of my gesture while Eric appeared to take it as a challenge. He must have been thinking along the lines of 'anyone who can resist my charms must be gay, or lying to themselves' because he scooted closer to me and without preamble took one of my small hands in his large, calloused ones.

This was not going well for me in the slightest. I gulped and reflexively tried to pull my hand away but Eric wouldn't release me. He gripped me tighter and pulled my hand up to examine the tiny wrinkles and lines upon it. Then he dropped his head to smell my hand and plant a soft kiss on the back of it.

My blush returned and deepened at the unrequited contact and I tried to think of a way to leave without seeming rude. Finding none, I settled for trying and failing to remove my hand from his grasp again. Eric chuckled softly to himself and turned his eyes to mine. Sookie took all of this in as though she was watching her boyfriend and had caught him cheating red handed. Clearing her throat rather loudly broke Eric's gaze with me and brought us back to the discussion we were apparently still going to have.

"You have lovely hands," Eric stage whispered to me while looking at Sookie through his peripheral vision and winking. No one had ever complimented me on my hands, or much of anything, my brother being the exception. Of course, that changed when Derek walked into our lives. I'm not saying I'm a plain Jane and there's nothing special, just that I didn't display my talents often and nobody took the time to figure out if I possessed any.

I sighed to myself and looked sheepishly away from Eric and anywhere but at Sookie in acknowledgment of his compliment. I had never been good at accepting compliments and that definitely had not changed since I'd been on the run. Since I never stayed in one place too long I saw no point in trying to work on my people skills because people were not a set requirement for my future, specifically.

Eric finally released my hand, still grinning and Sookie let out a breath I hadn't known she was holding. I thanked my stars Eric had let me go but I kept my thoughts to myself. As long as he was on the couch with me, I wouldn't feel comfortable. How I would get that across and not end up out in the cold again I was unsure of, but I tried to come up with something when Eric caught my glance and spoke to me.

"Katrina, look at me," Eric stated calmly. I looked at him questioningly and held his gaze. I wasn't sure what he was up to but to refuse felt as though I would be reprimanded.

"Tell me your name," Eric probed. That wasn't what I was expecting. My eyes widened and I glanced to Sookie for some sign of what to do. She was conveniently staring at her fingernails. I turned my gaze back to Eric who was patiently waiting, for his standards anyway.

"My name?" I questioned softly.

"Yes," he replied. I gulped. This is the last thing I needed to happen right now. Maybe not the last thing, but it was near the top for me. I took a deep breath, let it out, and then began the background I had practiced before I had come here to start over.

"My name is Katrina Saunders," I said. Eric nodded slightly and motioned for me to continue.

"I'm twenty-three years old and I have been looking for somewhere to call home. I think I may have found it here," I continued. I found that putting a little truth in the lie made it more believable, so I kept as close to the truth as I could. Just minor changes to protect the people I cared about. Or major changes. Whatever made people stop asking or quenched their curiosity.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Sookie asked me. That was a question I would have to make an answer for.

"That special feeling you get when everything falls into place," I told her. Lie.

"I just want to have a life that I can call my own, and here is where I've felt the most welcomed."

Not exactly the truth but not wholly a lie either. I had a feeling the questions weren't going to get any easier and I began to get more nervous.