The next evening, Eric ground his teeth as he sat on his throne; ostensibly presiding over the patrons of Fangtasia but really watching Alphonse and Pam who were deep in conversation by the bar.

"Enough," he muttered, getting to his feet and striding through the crowd.

Pam didn't even turn around as he came up behind her, "We need to talk," he informed the back of her head.

She turned around slowly, "I'm busy," she drawled with something of her former spark.

"Tough," he snapped, taking her by the elbow and dragging her behind him.

"Hey!" Alphonse protested, looking every bit like a petulant child as he ran after them. "She doesn't want to talk to you," he whined, "let her go!" he added, tugging on Eric's arm.

"You, in there," Eric ordered, pushing Pam into his office, "and you," he added, turning to his brother, "stay out of this," he growled, slamming the door in his brother's face with relish.

"What do you want, Eric?" Pam demanded, crossing her arms as she watched him barricade the door against Alphonse's attempts to get inside.

"I told you," he explained with forced calmness, "we need to talk."

"I think you said enough outside the Moon Goddess Emporium," she said flatly.

Eric took a deep, unnecessary breath, "You of all people should know that I was not myself at the time."

"I don't know, fawning over Sookie seems to have become your default setting," she retorted.

"I was cursed!"

"You weren't cursed when you bought her house," she countered, "or when you installed a bolthole in said house or when you threatened to kill me."

"You tell him Pam!" cried a voice from the hallway.

"I said, stay out of this!" Eric bellowed over his shoulder.

Alphonse ignored him and continued to shout from the hallway, momentarily distracting Eric, "Bully."

"Pipsqueak."

"Barbarian."

"Peasant."

A howl of rage followed Eric's last statement, "How dare you!" Alphonse spluttered and Eric smirked to himself as he imagined the outraged look on his brother's face.

"Oh, don't let me stop you," Pam drawled, leaning against his desk as he turned back to face her, looking a trifle guilty. "This conversation is clearly important to you," she added, feigning disinterest as she examined her nails.

Eric narrowed his eyes, "It is important to me," he insisted, "nothing is more important to me than you."

Pam raised an eyebrow, "All evidence to the contrary."

"I've tried to have this conversation with you several times," he protested, "but your pintsized bodyguard wouldn't let me near you."

"Pintsized or not I can still rip your arms off, you…poo-head!" came the petulant response from the hallway.

Eric rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his brother's outburst.

"I thought no one could stop you from doing what you want?" Pam countered with a hint of sarcasm.

"This wasn't about what I wanted, this was about what you wanted," Eric explained, taking a small step towards her, "and you wanted his comfort."

"So what changed?" she challenged.

Eric stopped, stumped.

"Excellent point!" Alphonse called out from the hallway as the silence continued.

Pam raised her eyebrows as she regarded Eric, ignoring Alphonse's interruption, "Well?" she prompted.

In spite of herself, Pam felt an amused smile tug at the corner of her mouth as she continued to watch Eric struggle to find an acceptable answer. "Jealous of your own brother," she chided him, a hint of teasing in her tone as she shook her head, "so selfish."

Eric's confusion melted into a smirk, "Insubordinate."

Pam couldn't tell who moved first, but as she buried herself deeper into her Maker's embrace, she didn't particularly care.

"You still have some grovelling to do," Pam said after a moment, pressing herself closer.

"I don't doubt it," Eric replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I thought I'd lost you," she murmured against his neck.

"Never," he swore, pulling her closer.