When we got to Fangtasia there was a line at the door. It was a smorgasbord of ethnicities, shapes, sizes, and ages. Most of the people were young and attired in the modern interpretation of the non-conformist uniform. You know, piercings ,tattoos ,leather ,lots of black eyeliner, and asymmetrical hair with electric blue or hot pink highlights. There were also military personnel, and regular folk just out for a night on the town. Whether they were wearing leather, jeans, cargo shorts, or a pair of chinos the only color you saw was black. The line of people added to the seedy charm of the bar's exterior. It wasn't a place I would hang out at if I were still human (having outgrown the bar scene back in college) but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel anticipation about checking it out now. The neon lips with the word Fangtasia scrawled upon them were beckoning to me with all the promise a wantons smile held for a sailor returning from a sea voyage that had lasted to long.

We spotted Chow standing by a group of people loitering around an ashtray. The smell of cigarette smoke brought forth an involuntary sigh. For obvious reasons I wasn't glad to see Chow but I have to acknowledge he looked good in an in -your-face sexy kind of way. He was wearing jeans, red snake skin cowboy boots, a black leather vest and his magnificent body art. His right side was propped against the wall, and he was leaning into a blond with a Jayne Mansfield physique wrapped in a black mini, fishnets, and a deep v neck Hello Kitty t-shirt . Hello Kitty had a three inch safety pin over her right eyebrow.

When Chow spotted us he didn't break eye contact, but he continued whatever it was he was doing with Hello Kitty girl. I hoped he was whispering something into her ear but it looked more like he was sticking his tongue in there and rolling it around. We had almost reached him when he broke away, kissed her forehead and nudged her toward the group of smokers. For a second I thought he might slap her ass.

"Sato"

"Chow"

They nodded at each other in greeting.

"Maeve " Chow purred seductively, " the change certainly suits you" he nodded and looked at me expectantly. Did he think I was going to acknowledge him, or thank him for a compliment that alluded to the fact he was the perpetrator of my homicide? I just stood there and let my silence speak on my behalf. Chow grinned and shook his head a little. " you can't hold a grudge forever " he said playfully, "Come on" He took my hand within his bone crushing grip and led me in the direction of the front door.

"Eric's meeting someone right now so we have enough time to grab a drink while you guys wait to check in." Chow was saying to Sato.

On the ride over , Sato had explained to me that Eric, Chow's boss, was the Sherriff in Shreveport. All vampires are required to check in with him at Fangtasia when they arrive. It had seemed very open minded to me, that the folks in Shreveport would elect a Vampire sheriff . And almost incredible that they would let him conduct official business from his bar, but the folks down south are pretty laid back from what I hear so I figured it was just a southern thing. When I shared these observations with him in the car, Sato clarified that Eric was the vampire's sheriff and had nothing to do with human law enforcement. He had also noted that Eric's wasn't an elected position. As we walked towards the entrance I thought about the implications of Eric being the sheriff. So the Vampires had their own legal system, hmmm…..

We were at the entrance now, Chow nodded to the vamp at the door and guided us inside. A band was playing and the dance floor was packed. I liked the music, although I can't really describe the sound of it. It was the kind of sound that brought to mind images of steaming outdoor candlelight baths, harem dancing and Masquerade balls held in a maze . Mesmerized by it, I don't remember how we got to the booth or when we sat down. It wasn't until Chow came back to the table with some bloods that I realized I wasn't walking anymore.

Since I didn't feel like making small talk with the guy who killed me, and this wasn't the place or the time to delve into the issues we needed to sort out, I started looking around. The interior of Fangtasia was a kaleidoscope of black, red, and grey. There were pictures of silver screen vampires hung on the walls and signs that warned about biting and loitering, and assumed risk. I looked to see if there was one that said "No Stakes on the premises" but if it was there I didn't find it.

We weren't the only vampires in the place , I counted five or six others. A couple of them appeared to be working but the rest were there to socialize. They were surrounded by human entourages. When they caught me looking at them we nodded at each other in acknowledgement.

Everywhere I looked I saw some doubles, or AU's (alternate you) as I had started to think of them. There were a lot of duplicitous beings in this place. The air was permeated with a heady mix of power, lust, greed , need and fear. It was so thick you could almost see it. "Lambs to the slaughter" I thought and I could feel my fangs extending. I was practically smacking my lips together, in response to something I didn't quite understand when Sato pushed me out of the booth and had me through the "Employees Only Door" Chow was holding open before I could say "what the?"

He didn't set me down until we were in a room with a microwave, a table, and a bulletin board displaying the OSHA guidelines. The Employee break room.

" That was close" Chow said.

Just then a six foot five Viking with incredible hair wearing jeans and a T-shirt appeared briefly at the door. " Follow me" we heard him say. He didn't wait to see if we followed, he was heading down the hall. We followed him. The Sheriff, Eric Northman, was the kind of man you just knew had never heard the word "no" from a woman. It was more than his appearance, and believe me he is a striking man, there was something so intensely masculine about him. He exuded a lively and powerful energy.

His shoulders were broad and strong but not in a "he-man action figure" sort of way. His muscles were probably just as powerful but they were lean, and they gave his body a natural elegance. His torso tapered into a V and you would have to posses the shriveled up libido of a 95 year old Victorian spinster not to admire the rear view of the Sheriff in his jeans. I was looking so hard I could almost identify the thread count of the denim.

"See something you like back there? " he asked, looking over his shoulder. His voice was condescendingly playful.

If I could have blushed my skin would have been the same shade as my kimono. Sato looked at me sideways, I pretended to be enthralled with the pattern of water stains on the ceiling tiles . When we reached Eric's office, he motioned to the chairs in front of the desk and went around to take his seat .

"Sato, good to see you again. " Eric said and nodded. His eyes were sapphire blue.

" Eric, it's been too long " Sato said and nodded in reply, " Allow me to introduce Ms. Michaels"

" Yes, Chow's child" Eric interrupted and nodded my way. I nodded back , relieved he hadn't said "yes, the woman who was just ogling my ass" His lips looked kind of full for a Vikings.

" Take your sunglasses off , I like to see who I am talking to" this was directed at Sato. He still had his on. I had taken mine off and popped the contacts in when I was sure the driver wasn't looking. Eric's request made me anxious, I hoped Sato had put his contacts in. But when Sato took them off, I could see his amber eyes were a-showing and a-glowing. It was disappointing that he wasn't more on the ball. Anyone could have anticipated this might happen. After the fuss he had made about concealing our eyes I half expected the S.W.A.T. team to come in and throw us to the ground. Oddly, it appeared to be a non event.

If the Sheriff found anything shocking or interesting about Sato's eyes he wasn't giving any indication of it . Since I didn't suddenly his AU appear, I was pretty confident he could have cared less about our swirly amber eyes.

" What brings you to Shreveport?" the question was directed at Sato. The Sheriff knew of course, but he seemed to be following some kind of protocol.

" I accompanied Ms. Michaels to meet her maker"

Eric ( the Sheriff) was jotting something down into a logbook.

"and how long do you anticipate being in the area?"

" A couple of weeks at least, if you have no objection" Sato answered.

"Very well, be sure to stop in again before you go, old friend. We have catching up to do"

"Yes, we do" Sato said and smiled.

I waited for him to ask me how long I was staying. I only planned to stay in the area until tomorrow night or the night after that at the latest. I was only here because Chow was going to summon me anyway and I thought it might give me a chance to find out from him why he had turned me. I had no desire to be here when Chow found out about the insurance and the rest of it. Better to be in CT, he could direct any inquiries to my lawyer.

You know, when you consider that Chow and I knew each other for all of 15 minutes its pretty ridiculous that it had come down to restitution and lawyers. You would have thought we had been married and were going through a nasty divorce. It was like doing the time, having never done the crime.

When Eric started talking again it was to Chow.

" Chow, Clancy wants to talk to you before you leave, Sato you remember Clancy, don't you? "

" Yes, I would like to see how he's doing"

"Go ahead, there are a few details I need to work out with Ms. Michaels. She will join you at the bar when we are done."

Chow and Sato left and I was alone with the Sheriff. I can never think of anything to say to men I find incredibly attractive so we just sat there for a moment in silence. I was still waiting for him to ask me how long I was staying, I had assumed the details we needed to workout were related to that.

He leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands. His body language made me nervous.

"Chow tells me you are in need of an alliance and employment. It is my pleasure to be in a position to offer you both Ms. Michaels. I have an excellent opportunity for you "

I wasn't sure what he meant by an alliance but I had prepared what I considered to be a diplomatic response , on the off chance any talk of employment came up during my visit to Shreveport.

" It is very kind of you to offer and if I lived in Louisiana I would consider it , but I have no plans to relocate. I like CT. "he didn't look persuaded so I added," In fact ,I am currently on a sabbatical so I am not even on the job market. "

" You misunderstand, I am not asking you to consider it. I am telling you I have an alliance for you and excellent employment opportunity "

I pretended not to "get " that he saying the matter was settled, and my acceptance was a given.

" Well that's nice, thanks again, but I think I have been clear. I plan to be in your area until tomorrow night by the way" I gave him a smile that I hoped conveyed appreciation, regret and professionalism and waited a moment for him to acknowledge he understood. When he didn't say anything and moved a piece of paper from one side of his desk to the other, I took the hint and got up to go.

" We are not finished yet" he said. His voice was calm but something about it would have made any rational person sit back down .

As I stood there in this office- in a state I had never wanted to visit, wearing a dress I didn't pick out for myself ,contact lenses that were beginning to sting, and shoes I wouldn't be caught dead in- I had another one of my epiphanies. This wasn't about working in a vampire bar or whether or not we were finished talking. This was about passively letting people take over your life one inch at a time, and I didn't feel like giving up any more inches.

"Please sit down" he motioned to the chair. This was not said as a request, but rather a command. I was starting to try his patience.

I looked at the chair. My mother told me once that a person should start a relationship as they mean to continue it. I had started my relationship with these vampires as a doormat. If I sat in that chair now, I might as well roll over and play dead. It would be the equivalent of me saying "yes, by all means - change my life status, tell me what to wear, where to work, who to form alliances with, where to live - I accept you have the right to do this"

I had been too passive. I should have made Chow come and get me - not just hopped on a plane because I thought he would or could anyway. I should have told Sato I wasn't wearing contact lenses until he explained why my eyes mattered. For that matter, I should have told Sato that I was wearing my own clothes and I could give a Rats Ass what the undead thought of as appropriate attire especially since they seemed to think stripper shoes somehow met the criteria.

Why was I waiting for explanations from Chow, or Sato or any one else when their reasons didn't matter? Why was I hoping they would allow me a voice when it was my choir? I am an American Citizen after all, I have certain inalienable rights, and among them are the right to decide where I live, where I work , and whether or not I want to sit or remain standing.

I mentally girded my loins, was I going to do this? Was I going to literally make my stand?

" I'll stand thank you, and I believe we are done." short and sweet.

I had just turned to go when I found my ass firmly planted on the seat of the chair. The Sherriff was grabbing my shoulders and pushing me down with a calm expression on his face. The sight was more disturbing than seeing a 70 year old woman with an orange spray tan, bouffant hairdo and blue eye shadow. I am making light of it, but let me tell you I was so scared my knees were practically knocking together. I had started on this path though, and I wasn't backing down.

" A request from your sheriff is a command. You are visiting here, but you still have to comply. I told you we weren't done and to be seated. That means you sit down and listen." I was to stunned by the word "command" to say a word, he must have taken my silence as the beginnings of compliance because he continued," Now, I am going to let you go, and you will stay in this chair until I have explained the reality of your situation to you, or you will face the consequences of your insubordination." his face was uncomfortably close to mine as he said this. When he finished talking he released my shoulders.

I was back on my feet before he was on the other side of the desk.

He didn't want to hurt me. I can't say why I was sure he wasn't someone who took pleasure in brute force. It was to bad really that this ugly scene had to be played out with him in it, I liked the Sheriff. I wish I had my epiphany sooner, because of all the vampires in my acquaintance (3) I had chosen the most powerful to take a stand against. It wasn't his title that made me say that, Eric oozed power. But I guess sometimes you just have to be pushed to your limit. And he was the one that had done that, the moment he made it sound like I was going to work here whether I was inclined to do so or not.

"Sit Down!" He yelled. Always one impatient to drive things to their inevitable conclusions, I replied to this last command by remaining on my feet and flipping him the bird.

As I felt the silver burning my wrists and ankles I heard them hammer the lid on my coffin shut. I was in pain but I can't say that I had any regrets. After this little episode, I was pretty sure I was in no danger of ending up on the sheriffs payroll . So essentially, even if it didn't seem that way at the moment, I had won.

"First offense, he said a week should do it" I don't know who said that but the person who answered "Thank you, please call me when its time and I will come release her" was Sato. Then I heard Chow and Sato bickering in Japanese, and Eric muttering something. I couldn't hear everything he said but I made out the words "sorry it had to be like this", " she flipped me the bird", ""stupid", and " why don't you have your child under control?"

The pain was getting pretty intense. I closed my eyes and imagined I was sitting at my piano playing scales.

I just focused on this image and listened to the notes in my imagination until the image gave way to a black tunnel with rays of light in different colors flying by. I let myself join the lights streaming by and lost awareness of myself.