A/N: Thank you to my brilliant beta, Tammy, *txone* who helps me find answers, to my problems and mistakes.

A/N: Everyone from Louisiana, in this story, belongs to Ms. C. Harris. Please don't sue me, I'm poor.

Chapter 3

I stripped off my clothes as soon as I was in the door. I'd have to ask the Queen about not wearing a suit to the office. God, I hated them, especially the neckties. I pulled on a pair of swim shorts, grabbed a towel, and headed out to the lake. A short swim would prepare me for a night of work. I ran out onto the dock and jumped. Not the prettiest dive, but it got me in the lake. I suppose I could forget the shorts, but I was nervous, literally, about being caught with my pants down. Now that I was working for the Queen, in a position to access her information, it would be naive to think that I would pass below notice. I expected someone to show up any day with a offer that he thought I couldn't refuse. Only the Queen could make me an offer I couldn't refuse. After swimming around for about 15 minutes, I pulled myself onto the dock and picked up the towel. I dried myself as I walked back to the house, and threw my shorts into the laundry basket by the door. Now I was ready to work.

I spread out the papers Pam gave me, plus the files I took from the accounting office.

I started matching invoices, cancelled checks and work orders, and then I sorted them by companies. The largest pile of papers was for Herveaux & Sons, Copley Carmichael's company was the next biggest, and then there were lots of little piles. I decided to start with Herveaux and Carmichael's invoices first. Carmichael owned the largest construction firm in Louisiana, and had a good reputation. So did Herveaux, for that matter. I put the papers in order of the streets, and looked to see if there were any overlaps, there weren't. Next I made two lists of all the properties that were marked "Complete" on the work orders, and another two lists of those still under construction.

I decided that I needed to see the properties during the day, so I could take photos as proof. I called Pam and told her that I wouldn't be in the next day, and why. She said that she would talk to the Queen and get back to me. Then she hung up, no manners at all, damn, I liked her. I cleaned off the table and started to get dinner ready. I started slicing vegetables for a stir-fry, and just before I took the chicken from the refrigerator, the phone rang.

I picked it up, heard that honeyed voice and it went straight to my cock.

"Eric," she said calmly, "I don't want you going to those addresses tomorrow without a guard."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but I don't think that's necessary," I smirked into the phone, "I can take care of myself."

"There was no question mark at the end of that sentence, Eric, " her voice sounded stern, "There are things you don't know about, that are out during the day, and as you are in my employ, it's my duty to protect you. Pam said that you're not planning to come in to work"

"No, Your Highness. It's already late and I want to get enough sleep that I will be sharp driving. Plus, I don't know how long it will take to visit all of the properties. I'd like to get them all seen in one day, if I can. It should take about six hours to drive down, and back, to New Orleans."

"We will count it as an "out-of-office" work day. Be thorough and document everything. I'll have a bodyguard assigned to you. He'll arrive at your house at 7 AM, fly you there, and drive you around. His name is Trey Dawson, and his code word is, "stuntwolf." Don't forget to check. You will report to me tomorrow night."

"I'm not sure if I'll be ready to report tomorrow, Your Highness. Flying will certainly save time, but it depends on how many properties I can check and what I find."

"I said, call me tomorrow, Eric. If you need Trey a second day, just tell him. But call me, either way."

"Yes, Your Majesty," all the time my brain was thinking thatI was pathetic. If I wanted to date again, getting fixated on a vampire Queen, who happens to be my boss, wasn't the best idea. But looking down at my cock, standing at attention, from just hearing her voice, it looked like I didn't have much choice.

She hung up without another word, and I went back to my cooking. I felt excited about the next day's outing. It looked like there may be more to the problem than I originally thought, and my life might get more interesting.

**********************************

The morning was hot and humid, like most other Louisiana mornings. I dressed in a cotton shirt and khakis, determined to keep as cool as possible. I ate, washed up, and brought my mug of coffee out to the porch to wait for my bodyguard.

At 7:00, a black Caddy Escalade drove up the lane to the front of my house. The driver got out of the SUV, and looked around, then looked me, as I looked at him. He was almost as tall as me, and massively built. His hair was shaggy and he took his sunglasses off so that I could see his golden brown eyes.

He held out his hand, "I'm Trey Dawson, I'm your partner for the day," he said gruffly.

"I don't want to seem paranoid, but what's your code?" I asked, as I stepped forward.

He cracked a smile, "Stuntwolf." The smile got bigger, "Queen Sookie is a very careful woman, and has a good imagination."

I nodded, and grasped his hand. It was big and hairy, like a paw.

"Eric Northman. I'm the Queen's new CPA."

"And she has you out in the field? I didn't know you desk jockeys ever left your cubicles."

"We're doing a little investigating today. How do you feel about trouble?"

"Sure. It's been a slow week," he responded as if I had offered him a beer.

"This is what we're after," I explained, "We're going to check this list of properties to see if the work order was done on them. There may be people who don't want us to be checking. I don't think they know about us yet, but it's possible by late afternoon, they will."

"Do we have a legal right to be on the property?"

"Yes, we're paying the bills through NORD. We have a right of inspection."

"Great, let's go."

Trey drove the SUV like a wild man, to a small airport about 15 minutes from my house. The airplane was waiting for us, a little two-seater, with seats just big enough for us.

It only took another 20 minutes to touch down at another private airport in New Orleans, where they had another SUV waiting for us. Thanks to Queen Sookie, by 8AM, we were headed to the first house on the list.

I thought that we might have trouble with work crews, but we didn't. Each of the on-site managers at the Carmichael properties gave me a "grand tour," no matter how small the properties were. And there was no one around at any of the Herveaux properties. We took about five to ten minutes to photograph each one, and then moved to the next property on the list. I had the date turned on in the camera, and made sure you could see the addresses on the photos. Later I would add the construction company name for each one.

We finished around 5 PM, and reached my house just before sundown. It took longer to get to the airport during the New Orleans rush hour. That's why I liked Shreveport. I asked Trey if he wanted a beer. He agreed, but as I went to the refrigerator, I stopped and turned to him, "Hey, you want a swim?"

"That sounds nice and cool. You got extra shorts?"

"Yeah, I was thinking yesterday, that I should wear shorts in the lake, in case I had to run into the woods," I grinned, making a joke.

"Good reasoning," he said without a smile, "You also need a place to hide a knife."

"I hadn't thought about that. Do you think I need one?"

"Have you ever worked for vampires or other supernaturals before, Eric?"

"No. What do you mean, 'other'?"

"Didn't you think that, if vampires are real, some of the other creatures might exist too?"

"I wondered. But I just started with the vamps, and thought if I kept an open mind, I'd find out in time."

"Well, you don't look easily shocked, would you like your time to be now?"

I considered his offer, for some reason he was willing to share secrets with me. It seemed important, so I went for it, "Sure. Let's swim, then I'll grill some steaks, and we can talk."

By the time Dawson left, he and I knew each other well enough, that we thought we could cover each other's backs. But I had learned a lot more from him about lives I had never seen.

In addition to vampires, there are weres, who only turn into one animal, like werewolves, and also lions, tigers and even bears. There are shifters, who can change into any animal they wish. If they want to be seen as benign, they may change into a pet dog, but for battle, a lion or bear would be more useful. Then there are the Fae, who we call fairies. They have their own plane of existence, and there are different kinds. Some are good, some evil, all are not to be trusted. They can look human, but their pointed ears give them away. They are like crack to vampires. And last, there are witches, who do magic of varying kinds, and are mostly benign. It was a lot to take in.

Dawson is a werewolf. He offered to change for me, and I took him up on it. He took off the shorts he was still wearing and crouched, there was a strange gloppy noise, and he was shimmering, then he sat back on his haunches and growled. He had turned into a 6' long, golden haired wolf, with teeth bigger than anything I'd ever seen. I blanched, wondering, 'Is he my friend?' He turned back with the same gloppy noise, and was laughing before he had his full human form.

"Man," he laughed, "You should have seen your face!"

I snorted, "I wasn't sure what was going to happen next, if you were going to eat me, or play fetch."

He growled at me, "Wolves do not play fetch!"

It was my turn to laugh, and I thought, like Bogie said, "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

It was getting late and I had promised the Queen I would call her. So as soon as Trey was gone, I took out my cell, and punched in the numbers. Pam answered, and was her usual short-tempered self, but she put me through to Queen Sookie immediately.

"Eric. So nice of you to call," she stated coldly.

"My Queen, are you angry with me?" I was surprised.

"I've been waiting for your call, Eric," she responded.

"Oh, My Lady, were you worried about me?" I smiled into the phone. This is not how I should be speaking to a queen.

There was silence on the other end. She was thinking about her response, and I was almost going to save her, when she said with a tight voice, "Humph! You are new to the supe world. You could have gotten into a lot of trouble today."

"Is that why you sent Trey Dawson, My Lady? He gave me a lot of information this evening. He was very open, and as a result, I know a lot more than I knew this morning."

"Yes," she said, unbending a little, "Trey is very good with humans. And he doesn't mind a little show and tell. But you still have a lot to learn."

"Perhaps you could teach me, My Lady," I suggested, my voice dropping a tone, "at least about vampires." She ignored me.

"Tomorrow, I want your report, and you, in my office at first dark. Do you understand?" she said sharply.

"Yes, My Lady, I understand," I put some heat into my voice, "You want me in your office, and there you shall have me."

I thought again about that connection we felt. So far I have been laid back, trying to learn my way around the court and my new job. But ask anyone who knows me, I'm competitive and I like to win. The queen will not be able to ignore me for long, maybe not past tomorrow.

**********************************************

The next evening I dressed in my favorite blue shirt and khaki slacks, with a sports jacket.

I took a chance, not being in a suit when meeting the queen, but it was time to start being myself, and the shirt intensified the color of my eyes. I had another hard-on thinking of this meeting. I hoped to have more face time with the Queen, alone.

I showed up at Pam's desk at first dark as ordered. She was in with the queen, so I sat in the chair that faced the queen's door, as I waited for them to finish their daily meeting.

When Pam came out, she saw me, and turned her head around to speak to the queen,

"Eric is here, Your Majesty. Shall I send him in?"

"Yes, Pam. And I want you to join us."

"Eric, you can go in. Just let me put down these papers, and I'll be right there," she smiled at me, and winked. I thought I understood the wink, I'd see.

I walked into the office and the door shut behind me. Queen Sookie was standing by her desk, reading some documents. I knew she could hear and see me come in, but she decided to ignore me. So instead of waiting by the door, I quickly walked up to her, and extended my hand, palm up. Definitely a vampire faux pas, but.

"My Lady," I said huskily, "you were concerned about me."

She was thinking of taking my hand, I could see it in her eyes, and then she stopped. "Yes, Eric. It's hard to find honest, intelligent help these days," she stated bluntly.

"Is that all, My Lady," I lowered my voice. I moved closer to her. I knew I was taking a risk.

If I was wrong, I could be fired or worse, drained perhaps, but if I was right, it would be worth it. She was a short woman, not 5'4", but I had to remember that to become queen, she had probably killed a lot of rivals. Her eyes, the color of endless dusk just after sunset, drew me in.

"Sookie, My Queen," I murmured, and bent my head to kiss her. Her face tilted up to mine, and the hand I had extended, wove around to her back. Our lips touched, and the spark kindled again, but this time neither of us moved away. I pulled her gently to me. I didn't want to do anything that would make her remember our relative positions in the court. So I just kissed her for a while, pressing open her mouth and exploring it with my tongue. Her tongue was on an adventure in my mouth too. She gave a little moan, and her fangs came down. I ran my tongue over them, then I picked her up, brought her over to the couch and sat down with her on my lap. I was already hard, and was wondering how far I could go.

Although vampires are known for sexual adventures, I didn't want this to be just a fling for us. Something was drawing us together, and it was feeling like more than just a fuck. I pulled my head back and looked at her. Her eyes were dilated with want, and their color had changed to night. I must have looked the same, because with vampire strength and speed, she picked me up and threw me over her shoulder, went to the back wall, hit a hidden button, and still carrying me, flew down the stairs.

I was in trouble.

Queen Sookie's POV

I surprised the hell out of Eric! He thought he was in control, silly boy. Silly human boy!

I knew what he was thinking. I was thinking the same thing. But that first jolt of energy, threw me off. I had decided to call Octavia, the head of the Shreveport witches. We are friends. I know that male vampires don't make friends, and it's hard for us as well, but I know how important the support of equals is to women in power. There are so few of us holding power across the species, that I started a society many years ago. You have to be invited to join, and the only requirement is that you be in charge of a group. The only species that has never had a member was the werewolves, because they didn't allow women leaders. More of men's limitations of vision.

I told Octavia what happened and she wanted to come to my office, to see Eric. So one day last week, while he was sitting and jesting with Pam after our regular daily meeting, Octavia came in for an appointment. She dropped her purse at Pam's desk, and when Eric retrieved it for her, she was able to touch his hand when she thanked him. Then Pam buzzed her into my office.

I was always happy to see Octavia. She was thin and strong, and her wisdom shone in her face. I offered her a drink, and she accepted tea, so I rang Pam to bring her some. Pam brought me a mug of Royalty Blended. It looked less frightening to my friends in a mug.

"Sookie, I don't know how you will take this, but I've been doing some research, and now, after meeting your Eric, I have a lot to tell you."

"My Eric?" I asked. I didn't know what to feel; horrified…ecstatic?

"Oh yes! Definitely, yours!" she laughed.

"My dear, you and Eric are reincarnated lovers. You have been lovers for over 2,000 years, and have met many times in the past, but not since you have been made vampire. It is your destiny to meet, and if you turn him, you will be together for eternity."

It's a good thing I was already sitting, because what Octavia told me was the surprise of my 600 year undead life!

"How can that be Octavia? I haven't had any bonded or permanent attachments in my life. Where has he been?"

"I don't know Sookie. You may have missed each other by minutes, or by meters, in some lives. It is still random, you know. But now, in this life, you have the opportunity to end the searching, and to be together forever."

"Should we tell him first?"

"We should find out what he will accept first. Then, if you like, I will come and explain it to him, with you. He should believe you, but maybe I can answer some questions for him."

"I have to think about having a mate, Octavia. Will I have to share power? Could I remain queen? You've seen him. Will he accept a subordinate role? I know he's been laid back so far, but that's not the energy I perceived from the beginning from him. He's staying low key while he learns his way around."

"You are rushing too fast, Sookie. Start a relationship with him first. Become friends and ultimately love each other. Then we can worry about the other stuff. And sweetie, next to love, everything else is just stuff."

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A/N: So let's see what the Queen and the silly human boy get up to in the basement.

Do you think it is like Fangtasia's?

A/N: The Queen and I thank you for all reviews.