I'm unsure what to think as I really study him over and take in his appearance. His clothes are as high quality and pristine as they've always been, but somehow they seem to fit him more loosely. His eyes appear to be slightly sunken in and a shadow is thrown across his cheeks. The lighting is low, but it appears that he is whiter than usual. In fearie, I had taken in upon myself to learn more about the anatomy of different species, and I had taken several weeks to study vampires in particular. As I took in everything, my only conclusion was that he wasn't getting the appropriate amount of regular blood that he needed. Buy why? Knowing Pam she would do her best to force feed him if he didn't feel like doing it himself.

Speak of the devil, another stir moves the crowd and I notice Pam coming in for the first time from beyond the employee's only door. She's wearing a short dress, made out of something stretchy that hugs every curve, and features red and black designs all over. The same bored expression that has always adorned her face is there as usual, and she moves quickly through the crowd to take a seat next to Eric on the stage. I reach for my drink, and finding it empty I wait for the bartender to come back my way. She's notices just seconds later, and is there instantly. "You sure there's nothing stronger I can get for you?"

"No thanks, just the gin and tonic. I can't handle anything else." It's not completely true, since alcohol has never been a problem for me, but I don't want to accidentally lose control of my appearance and scent.

"Well in that case, why don't you leave with me when my shift is over in an hour, and we can see exactly what you're capable of handling?" There's a seductive sparkle in her eye, and I can see the fangs between her lips as she hands me my drink.

I cringe inside at the thought. "I'm sorry, but I just don't swing that way."

She seems slightly ruffled at my refusal, but none the less smiles. "Are you sure? I'm sure I could make you feel downright magical for you."

The comment strikes me just right, and I can't help the laughter that comes from my mouth for a moment. I'm almost certain that I probably know more about magic than she could ever dream of. "No thanks, but I'll keep it in mind."

She seems ready to say something else, when suddenly she stares at something just behind me and then hurriedly goes to the other end of the bar to wait on someone else. Taking a sip, I turn to look back at Pam and Eric, and nearly choke as I find him standing there in front of me.

What the hell? My mind screams at me as I realize that I hadn't really done anything to change my voice except for making it come across at a slightly lower pitch. I'm aware that I must look shocked as he takes in my appearance, and I do a quick check to make sure my smell is hidden. "Who are you?" He demands, and I stumble over the words as I rattle off the name from the fake ID. His scrutiny seems to intensify, and after an agonizing moment, he takes a step back. "Would you join me in my office?"

Time seems to stop as I struggle to come up with a reason not to, but finally I stay mute and stand to follow him. We go through the door to the hallway in the back, and finally through the door to his office. It's not much different from what I remember, only featuring new furniture that has replaced the old.

He stands before his desk, and continues to look me over as I stand there awkwardly. "What are you doing here?" There's a disdain in his voice that I'd never heard directed at myself.

"I-I just moved to this city a week ago, and thought that I would check out one of the most popular clubs." He shakes his head, obviously unhappy with my response.

"Don't do that. Don't lie to me. I can't smell you at all, so obviously you're something other than human, hiding your scent from everyone. Why is that?" He seems much tamer than what I recall, and I can't help but wonder if it's due to the lack of nutrition.

"Um, well, honestly I'd rather not be cornered and drained by a vampire who can't control himself."

"What are you?" He says with an edge to him voice.

I see it there in his eyes, the real question, since I'm certain that he already knows I'm fae. "You know what I am. Why don't you just ask what you really want to know?"

He arches an eyebrow, something that I haven't seen in a long time, and I can almost see the gears turning in his head. "Someone I once… knew was fae. She disappeared, told me that she had no other choice. Could you find her?"

There was a way that he paused when he talked about me, and he seemed almost hesitant to bring it up. It was like watching an abandoned child trying to find the parent that may or may not want anything to do with him. It's the sense of closure that they both seek, but the search only brings more pain when all the leads are dead ends. I try to keep my face calm, and take a deep breath to steady myself.

"Perhaps, but I can't guarantee anything. If she is of a different house then it may be difficult, since not all of our families get along very easily."

"I don't fucking care about who gets along or not, I just want to find her. Talk to her." I'm ready to open my mouth with a retort when the office door bursts open.

"Eric! This is bullshit and you know it. That fairy twat walked out on you, wants nothing to do with you, and you still go chasing her? For fuck sakes just-"

Eric is suddenly there, with his hand around her throat, holding her firmly against the wall. There's a fear in her eyes that I've never seen caused by Eric before, and he throws her out the door to slam it shut a second later. He ignores me as I set down on one of several chairs lining the wall, and he takes his own seat behind his desk. "Your child cares for you." I say, not really thinking.

His eyes bore into mine, almost searching, until he casts them over his computer screen. Several clicks of the mouse later and he's turning the screen toward me, showing me a picture of myself. It's my most recent driver's license picture, and below it I can see the word 'Deceased'. Doing my best to school my features in a look of sadness, I take control of my voice's inflection and tell him the best thing I can. "She's dead."

He rolls his eyes, "The human authorities are wrong. If she had died then I would know. I may no longer feel her emotions or location, but I would feel if she died."

"No, you wouldn't." My mind works quickly, and I do my best to remember the tale I'm weaving. "You don't know why she left, do you?"

"No. She never told me." He says, and I can see him coming to grips with the possibility that I could be dead.

"You were due to go to a party together. However her grandfather, Niall, came to her, and told her of a vision that one of his seer's had. If she'd gone to the party, one of you would have died. Even if it wasn't then or there, her going to the party would have been the point of no return. She either had to learn to defend herself, or you would eventually die trying to do so for her. She wanted you to be safe, so she came to our plane to learn how to control her light. Niall was to teach her himself." It was as truthful as I could make it, and now came the harder part. Now came the lie that had to work, otherwise he would never stop trying to find me. "Something was wrong with her however, something that we couldn't fix. Believe me we tried, she could have been our future queen. We thought that maybe it was the vampire blood, being rejected by the realm, so we pulled it from her body. With the difference in time and the distance between you, there would have been no way you could have felt the separation. The best of us, those with the strongest sparks, watched over her for days but it was to no avail. In her mixed genes, something human was killing her, and we couldn't fix it. In the end she didn't make it, but she still loved you." I still love you. I want to tell him, but I can't. He has spent the last fifty years of his undead life looking for me, and now he deserves to be happy. He deserves to get closure and move on for the better. I can't hold him back anymore.

Tears fall from my eyes, which I hope he takes to be from grief, and as I look at him his face is stoic.

"Leave." The order is simple, and I nod, moving to open the door. Once I'm out in the main room, I see pam standing at the door. She looks passive as usual, but as I approach I can see the hurt deep in her eyes.

"What do you want?" Her voice would cut me if it could.

"Pam. It's me." I say, letting my scent slip through for her. I wipe my tears away as I let it sink in. "He thinks I'm dead, and it has to stay that way. He would never give up, and never stop if he knew different. I want him safe, and I want him happy. He needs you now, and you have to help him through this so that he can live his life. Can you do that?" She nods, and I start walking away. I'm just out of her view when I pop away, straight into my apartment. I collapse onto the bed, and drown in my own tears as I do my best to go to sleep.

I made the right choice, the one that was best for everyone, didn't I?