A/N: My gratitude once again to the tremendous response to my story, so far!! I can only hope you'll continue to read and enjoy! This chapter didn't have all the elements I'd hoped to squeeze in. But, it flowed better to save some stuff for next chapter, which I will be posting soon.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, then it's certainly not mine! The character's and some scenes described in this chapter belong to Charlaine Harris. I own all the grammatical errors.


Eric never looked more like a vampire, than at that moment. The sight of his fangs fully extended, lips pulled back in a snarl, brows furrowed and eyes glowing, has her paralyzed with fear. The growl emanating from his throat sounds nothing less than that of a savage beast, ready to attack.

One minute, she was curled up next to his beautiful cool body, having one of the best dreams she has had in god knows how long. The next minute, she was prone on her back, with a vice-grip, that was Eric's large hand, closed around her neck.

Eric had risen from his unconscious state to the feel of a warm, soft body curled into his side and he instantly went into defense mode, flipping his attacker on their back in less time than it takes for a human to blink. He gripped the would-be assailant's throat, ready to rip it to shreds and bathe in its blood. He was staring deep into their eyes, ready to glamour them into a motionless state when realized he had made a horrible, unforgiveable mistake. Sookie!

Not only could he see the shear terror in her eyes, but he could feel her trembling body and hear a high-pitched whine emitting from her mouth, involuntarily. Now that he recognized who it was—who she was, he could also feel her emotions. It was unlike anything he had felt before, nearly crippling.

In another flash of an instant he was off her, pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. How could he explain to her that it was a mistake? It was purely his survival instincts that took over for a second.

Sookie was still lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling, trying not to hyperventilate. She realized he was still in the room, pacing back and forth, seemingly distraught.

"I'm so sorry Eric. I shouldn't have touched you in your rest," Sookie stammers out. "I…I woke up and didn't have anything to do and you just looked so peaceful and unthreatening. And then I just fell asleep," she had silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Of course she left out the part about feeling him up and staring at his Gracious Plenty, but now was not the time for that discussion. How could I be so stupid! He warned me!

She leans up on her elbows to look at him, assuming he is trying to figure out how he's going to murder her and explain it all to her protector. "Eric, please don't kill me. I wasn't trying to hurt you, I swear. You are so intimidating when you are awake, I was just trying to…I don't know…get comfortable with you, without feeling so threatened."

Eric darts to her side, surprised by her revelation. He was actually feeling regret for his actions. He never feels—anything. He pulls her into his arms, trying to express his remorse without actually having to say it. Eric, Viking vampire, Sheriff of Area Five never feels emotions and he definitely does not apologize…to anyone for anything. And apparently he can't stand the sight of weeping women either.

"Shhh. Relax, Lover. I'm not going to kill you. Just stop crying, please. I was just taken by surprise by your presence. It's been centuries since I had anyone stay with me in my daytime rest, let alone a human," he says, trying to explain to her why he reacted the way he did. It was as close as she was going to get for an apology.

She wipes her tears and runny nose on the sleeve of his shirt, she is wearing. "And now I've ruined your shirt," she cries, sobbing a little harder now.

"I'll buy another one. In fact, I'll order a closet full. Just please stop crying."

He starts rocking her, a little too fast for it to have the intended affect and kisses the top of her head. "My last conscious thought was that you were on the opposite side of the bed, stiff as a board, afraid of my naked body. I had no idea I would wake, to find you curled against it.

"I told you, that if I sense that I am in danger, I can and do become lethal, as you are an unfortunate witness to, now. Are you hurt?" He pulls her away slightly, to look at her throat. They are both lucky he didn't break her neck. As it is, she will probably have severe bruising.

He touches her there gently and she flinches. "So you were touching me while I was at rest?" Eric asks with a lop-sided smile. "Where exactly were you touching me, Lover? And more importantly were you touching yourself, too?"

She tries to push away from him, but he doesn't give in. "If you are trying to distract me by pissing me off, than you are doing a damn good job!" she spats.

Her face and neck have turned a lovely shade of red and he can feel her embarrassment. "You know, you didn't have to wait for me to go to sleep, to touch me. I'd let you touch me any time you want." He takes her hand and closes it around his stiff member, guiding it into a couple of slow strokes.

"Oh god, Eric," is all she can spit out before wiggling out of his grasp. She moves away from him on the bed.

"Why do you insist on teasing me?! Especially since you know I haven't done any of this stuff. It's so embarrassing!"

"There's no reason to be embarrassed, Lover. Desire is a natural feeling and I have a certain affect on women. And apparently just like everyone else, you are not immune."

She closes her eyes tight, clenching her fists to her sides. She had never imagined she'd have to try so hard to keep her hands off a man.

"Sookie, are you OK?" Eric asks. "Maybe you should have some of my blood so that you won't bruise," he suggests, pointing to her neck.

Her eyes fly open and her mouth gapes with an audible pop. "What? Why would I do something like that?" she asks wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"My blood has healing powers, just like my saliva. Remember last night, I licked your knee for you and its perfectly fine today, is it not? My blood has an even stronger affect. It will cure you of everything. It's really unheard of to have a vampire offer his blood freely. I would be giving you a great gift. And with my age, you'd only need a small amount."

Sookie shakes her head, "No. No thanks. I'll be fine. A couple of aspirin and I won't feel a thing. If you give me anything today, I would like it to be food and a change of clothes, if you don't mind." She points to the oversized dress shirt she has been wearing as a nightgown.

He moves in closer to her again. "I am rather partial to seeing you wearing my clothes. It's quite a turn on." He reaches out and pulls her in for a toe-curling kiss.

Sookie breaks free to catch her breath and realizes that the danger has surely past and he didn't even seem mad at the possibility of her touching him while he 'slept'.

"Well, if you aren't going to kill me, than let me up you big oaf! I'm starving and I need to pee!" Sookie shoves at the vampire's large body and squirms away, nearly falling off the bed in the process. Damn silky sheets!

He can't help but chuckle and feel relieved at her resilience and sudden shift in attitude. He can handle the spit-fire Sookie much easier than a weepy, scared Sookie.

"By the way, I get real moody when I haven't eaten, so prepare yourself Vampire. It just might be me who bites next," Sookie says saucily. She places her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense matter to emphasize her point.

"Are you threatening a thousand year-old vampire with physical harm if you don't get to eat? Isn't that a switch?! You truly are one delightful creature, Sookie," he says hopping off the bed to come stand in front of her.

"Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! Are you really a thousand years old? Seriously?!! So are you actually a Viking then, because I have to say, the minute I saw you, I thought 'he looks exactly like a Viking,' minus the helmet and furs and swords, that is. Wait…is that you in that painting in the Penthouse?

"And would you PLEASE put on some clothes!" She throws her hands over her eyes, to block her view and the wave of inappropriate thoughts running through her head.

She is overwhelmed to think that a real life (well undead) Viking is in essence, her bodyguard! It's unimaginable to envision all of the things he's seen and the time periods he's 'lived' through! And good god, what a body that man has. I need to get away from him, before I jump him!

She quickly turns on her heel and runs into the bathroom, slamming the door. She would have locked it, but of course there are no locks on the doors around here. I guess a flimsy interior door handle isn't going to keep a vampire from coming in anyway.

"Hurry up in there, we need to head upstairs and get ready for the evening, Lover."

This time when they traverse the maze that makes up the path to his resting place, he carries her the whole way. It makes for a much faster, less eventful trip.

When they arrive, there is a beautiful woman, with similar coloring as Eric, waiting for them. She was shorter than Sookie and definitely petite. The image of a Milk Maid came to mind, that is until she flashed a fangy smile.

"Sookie, this is my child, Pam. Pam, Sookie." Eric waved his hands between the two as a way of introduction.

Pam gave Sookie a brief nod and then bowed slightly toward Eric saying, "Master."

"Sookie, I had Pam bring you some clothes. Hopefully they are to your liking. And she also brought some food for you, so there is no need to go on a biting binge," Eric says cracking a smile. Pam raises her eyebrow in a questioning way, but she is also amused at her Master's behavior around this young woman. She has never witnessed him expose this side of himself in front of others, especially humans.

Pam reaches into a shopping bag at her feet and hands over a set of folded clothes. "I put shower gels and other hygiene items in the bathroom over there. Why don't you get yourself cleaned up while I have a word with my Master," she suggests.

Sookie looks at Eric momentarily. "What's with this Master business? You aren't expecting me to call you that are you?" she retorts. Because there is no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I'm gonna!

"Only if you want to Sookie," Eric says with a genuine laugh. "Pam is my child, that is, I made her vampire. She is obligated to address me in a formal manner. However, I don't force her to do so, unlike some makers. She does it out of respect for our relationship. It's like how you would address your Gran.

"Now go. Pam and I have things to discuss. Things that you do not need to hear." Eric takes her by the shoulders and turns her towards the direction of the Penthouse bathroom and gives her a swat on the behind to get her going.

"I am not an effing horse, Eric!" Sookie snaps and storms off towards the bathroom.

"No, definitely not," Eric leers, watching Sookie's ass sway as she walks away.

"Well isn't she a treat!" Pam exclaims. "What have you gotten up to since last night? I didn't see any visible bite marks. But I did notice the nice hand print you left there. Tell me everything," Pam teases Eric.

While he fills Pam in on what has gone on up to this point, Sookie enjoys her shower and getting into comfy clean clothes. The pink velour track suit with matching pink underthings, would not have been her choice and she was a bit intimidated by the thong, but everything fit like a glove and she did seem to look quite well when she examined herself in the mirror.

All but the obvious mark around her neck.

She was blow-drying her hair when Eric knocked on the door. "Sookie, I need to get ready. Why don't you come out and get something to eat and then you can finish primping your lovely self while I'm gone." It amazes her that Eric can be so lascivious even through a door.

When she comes out, Pam hands her a pair of Ed Hardy Converse to put on. "Love bites? Huh." Sookie shakes her head, reading the screen printed log on the shoes. Is that vampire humor?

"Sookie, I left you some food over in the kitchen. Once Eric is done getting ready, we need to go down stairs to attend to some of his duties. You will be perfectly safe here while we are gone. And you can call him over the intercom, there—on the wall, if you need him for something.

"I left the basic human food items in the refrigerator and some in the pantry. I even bought you coffee. If you think I've missed something, make a list and perhaps we can go together to the supermarket. If Eric will permit it, that is." Sookie rolls her eyes at that comment.

Pam continues, "It has been ages since I've needed to shop for human food and I found it quite fascinating how much these stores have changed and what they now offer! Plus there were some delicious looking cashiers, that I would like to see again," Pam said with a little fang showing.

"OK. Thanks Pam. It was really nice of you to go to all this trouble for me," Sookie was trying to mind her manners, but Pam made her a little nervous. "I'm sure whatever you've brought will be just fine. Can I get you something?" Her upbringing of being the proper hostess was kicking in.

"Are you offering?" Pam asks with a laugh.

"Oh right. Vampire. Sorry and no, I am not," Sookie says with a bright red face. "You know, it'll take me a little getting used to all of this. I apologize in advance if I offend you with something I say."

"You really don't know anything about Supes? Because you are definitely not completely human," Pam observes.

"Eric keeps saying that too! I most certainly AM human…at least as far as I know. I bleed like everyone else. I hurt like everyone else. I sleep, eat and do everything else a human does," Sookie states.

"I'll guess we'll see than, won't we?" Pam pauses for effect, "So for now, you'll be our little human, until we know more. Here comes Eric. Eat or he'll get upset," Pam stuffs a giant cranberry and orange flavored muffin into Sookie's mouth and walks towards the foyer.

Eric walks up to Sookie and brushes her hair off her shoulder, to look at her neck. "I'm glad to see you eating, Lover. I may need your help a little later, but for now, make yourself to home. The more you make this place yours, the safer you'll be."

"What does that mean?" Sookie asks.

"Vampires are not allowed to enter private human dwellings without an invitation. We have to be verbally invited in. If you make this place 'yours', than none of us can enter without your permission. Of course, you'll have to extend the invite to me and Pam, because I own the place, but you are under no obligation to invite anyone else. It's for your protection, Dear One." Then he kisses her on the forehead and walks to where Pam is waiting for him.

Well isn't that just interesting. How can he drop something that big on me and then just walk away without further clarification?!

So, Sookie makes herself 'to home' by making coffee and watching some TV. Figuring out the coffee maker and then the remote for the flatscreen, took nearly an hour alone. Vampire or human, men and their gadgets are enough to drive a girl crazy.

About two hours later, Eric comes back. "Oh, so glad to see you figured that thing out. I tried all last week without success!" Eric teases.

"It only took me about an hour!" Sookie laughs.

Eric hops over the back of the couch and settles down next to her. "Lover, I need your help. There are some people downstairs who are not being very straight forward with me. And I think you may be able to persuade them otherwise, without me having to resort to violence. You'd like that wouldn't you? To not have to have me hurt someone?" He's trying to coax her gently into admitting she has a gift.

"How would I be able to do that? You want me to flash my boobs at them or somethin'?" Sookie is in a very playful mood. Food does do something for her state of mind.

"Hmmm. We'll save that treat for later. No, I need you to do what you did in the car last night. You know, when you 'heard' the driver?" Eric braces himself for her wrath. But it does not come. Instead she just sits there looking pensive.

"Do you know what it is that I can do? Do you understand my curse?" Sookie sounds so sad.

"All my life people have casted me aside, calling me Crazy Sookie. My parents took me to doctor after doctor in hopes of 'curing' me. I've spent most of my teenage years learning how to not use it at all and now you are asking me to willing use for you? Is this why I'm here? So you can take advantage of my telepathy?" Sookie said, looking troubled.

"No, Dear One. I simply picked up on the fact that my driver had not said a thing out loud, yet you somehow had picked his thoughts right out of his head. And he's not even entirely human. So I assumed you were either psychic or a telepath. But I didn't want to pressure you into telling me about it, if you didn't want to," he explains while running his hand down her back to try and soothe her.

"I understand that in the wrong hands, your gift could be exploited. I am at least giving you a choice. Consider it a trade-off of sorts. You let me borrow you for your gift and in return you owe me nothing for my hospitality or clothing or anything else I give you. Deal?" He would never have asked her for repayment of those things, but he was appealing to her more sensitive nature.

Sookie considers this for a moment. She was concerned about how she would repay him for all the clothes and food and stuff he will have to provide her while she is here. And obviously he knows about her gift and isn't freaked out by it, which was always the biggest problem with everyone else.

"OK. I'll do it, but only on one condition. You cannot kill anybody based on the information I get for you. You'll have to hand them over to the police, if they are guilty of breaking the law.

"And I can only read humans, well at least as far as I know. I can't seem to read you or Pam. So I'm guessing because you have no live brainwaves, I cannot capture your thoughts. So don't even bother to ask me to read y'all, deal?"

Eric pulls her into his side and kisses the top of her head. "Deal, but only for the humans. Weres and any vampires that are implicated by the humans have to be dealt with by me. It's my job as Sheriff." He stands up and pulls her up with him and they walk to the elevator, hand in hand.

"Sheriff? You're a sheriff? Of what Caddo Parish?" Sookie is giggling. "Where's your badge there Sheriff?! Ha. Ha. Are you going to deputize me?" She can't stop giggling at the thought of Eric as a sheriff. She is picturing images of John Wayne and Wyatt Earp. Eric pushes her into the elevator and up against the wall. He kisses her roughly on the mouth until the ding signaling the arrival on the next floor is heard.

Sookie is panting for air when Eric says, "There. You have been properly deputized," while shifting his hard on in his pants. "Now, stay close to me. Don't speak to anyone until we get into the room and I tell you it's OK. I'm not trying to be crass. It's for your own protection. Understand?" Eric shoots her a warning look-- one that tells her to just do what he says and argue later.

He walks them briskly down the hall and she witnesses all the people, humans and non-humans alike, waiting in line. It's like they are here for a book signing or something. They all stare at her as they walk by. She can catch glimpses of some of their thoughts. Typical stuff: Nice rack; She's pretty; Nice ass; What's she have that I don't? I wonder if he'll ever sleep with me? Does he still do men?

Well, not all of it was typical. She shakes her head and shudders a little as they enter a room that looks like a jail cell from a made-for-TV movie. The walls were painted grey, the floor was grey concrete with a big drain in the middle and the large conference room like table was made of a combination of steel and that stuff IKEA furniture is made out of. There were several chairs scattered around that were that new concept industrial lounge chair style. She had seen them on some show, where they were used as balcony furniture. They looked like soft plushy chairs, but they were really made of solid plastic.

Pam and another vampire Sookie recognized, but didn't know his name were already in the room. "Well, it looks like I owe you $100 Chow. I honestly didn't think he'd get her to come," Pam shoots Chow a dirty look and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Oh, I got her to come alright and she'll come again and again if I have anything to say about it," Eric teases, waggling his eyebrows. His comment makes Sookie turn a deep shade of red, with embarrassment.

"Sookie, this Chow. Chow, Sookie," Eric performs, what seems to be his standard introduction now.

"Eric, while you were retrieving the lovely Sookie, Sam Merlotte called. He seemed concerned when Sookie didn't come by today to pick up her check. So he went by her house and said he smelled several different scents vampire."

'How could Sam smell vampire?' Sookie thought. And why were their several vampires at her house. She only knew of one, but he wasn't there long enough to leave a scent, was he?

"He wanted to know if we had heard anything or knew about Bill Compton. He assumes since Bill is Sookie's new neighbor that he may have something to do with her 'disappearance'. I told him I would speak to you about it, but that it wasn't really our place to look for missing humans. What do you want me to do?" Chow looks from Sookie to Eric.

"Eric, maybe you should let me talk to him. I can come up with some explanation. I'll ask for time off or something. He probably won't believe anyone else, unless he hears it from me. He is very protective of me," Sookie pleads.

"We'll discuss this later. We have other things to do now," Eric effectively switches the conversation.

"Right now, I need you to listen to some human employees of a business partner of mine. It seems a large sum of money has gone missing and no one can figure out where it went. And instead of torturing each one into telling the truth, I thought perhaps we could take a more aboveboard approach and use your considerable talent," Eric explains, smiling a broad genuine smile at Sookie. He looks like a proud papa.

"And if the culprit is human, you'll turn him into the police, right?" Sookie asks.

"Of course, Dear One," he says with an eye-roll directed at Pam and Chow.

"Are you ready? Pam, Chow and I will be right here, so no harm will come to you." He was trying to ease the fear he felt starting to build in her. This is the first time she had ever really tried to listen to people on purpose.

Eric nods to Chow, who vanishes from the room for a minute, but then returns with three humans and a vampire in tow.

"This is Bruce, Tina and Belinda along with their employer, Long Shadow," Eric points everyone out to Sookie.

"Bruce, Tina, Belinda—this is Sookie. She's going to ask you a few questions about the missing money and then you'll be free to go home, OK?" Sookie could tell Eric was using some kind of hypnosis technique to get them to cooperate and probably make them forget they were even here. She could actually feel the power of his suggestion flowing across the room at them.

She wondered how they could even work for Long Shadow without knowing he was something other. It was so obvious to her, with his pale skin and drawn facial features. Not to mention his choice in clothing was a bit outdated. The 80's called and wants their MC Hammer pants back, Long Shadow.

"Bruce, lets start with you. Why don't you come and have a seat here across from me and I'll ask you a few questions, OK?" Sookie asks politely. Gran always said you'd catch more flies with honey, so Sookie was trying to be nice and disarming.

Bruce was real nervous because he was the one who actually discovered the discrepancy in the accounting ledgers. And after a couple of questions by Sookie, she could tell he had nothing to do with it.

Next was Tina. She seemed to be missing chunks of her memory. The way Sookie imagined it, Tina's brain was kind of like how Swiss cheese looked. She mentioned the discrepancy to everyone and Long Shadow seemed to tense a bit. She thought if she could just spend a little more time on her, Tina would be able to at least come up with a mental image, but Eric interrupted and suggested they move on to Belinda.

Belinda right away got an image of who she more than suspected was responsible for the missing money, but before Sookie could get the name out of her mouth, Long Shadow was across the room and charging towards Sookie. He managed to knock her to the floor, fangs bared and growling like a rabid dog. This was the second time tonight Sookie found herself in this position and she had a fleeting thought that maybe her number was just up and she needed to surrender. But instinctively her arms flew up in front of her face to try and block the oncoming attack.

It was a good thing she did because Long Shadow choose that same moment to try and tear out her throat but caught her left forearm instead, taking a big gouge out.

The next thing she knew there were several shrieks from the other humans in the room and an awful guttural moan that seemed to be coming from Long Shadow. Then his heavy body was no longer on top of her but rather sinking into her. He had a huge stake sticking out of his back and Eric was standing over him, with a mallet in his hand. Long Shadow was disintegrating into a pool of gelatinous goo right on top of her pretty new pink outfit.

She tried to scream but it came out more as a choking noise, as some of his blood oozed into her mouth. Then she felt a pair of strong hands pull her up off the floor and away from the now smoking remains of Long Shadow. Sookie spit whatever gunk was in her mouth out and tried to look anywhere but at the decomposing corpse.

"Sookie, you are hurt," Eric stated. "Pam, Chow -- get them out of here now!" he ordered, pointing to the other humans. He spun Sookie around to face him. "Let me see your arm." His fangs were fully extended and he his eyes were wide open and glowing a little like they did earlier this evening. This scared Sookie because that was the look he gave her when he was ready to attack.

"Don't be afraid. It's just the blood excites us. We are like sharks in that regard. And you smell so different, I don't know if I could ever get used to it enough to not want to bite you." Then he leaned in and started licking the blood off her face.

His actions became heated very quickly and before she knew, he had her spread out on the conference room table, licking and sucking all the blood off of her face and arm. His saliva was enough to stop the bleeding but the bite wound was deep.

Eric was visibly aroused when he stood back from her and appraised their situation. "I know you will have several questions and probably want to have a long drawn out discussion about this, but if I don't give you some of my blood, you will need to go to the hospital or see a doctor for stitches. And since we cannot really explain why you are covered in vampire blood and have a gaping bite wound on your arm, I don't think that is a good idea," he crossed his arms over his chest waiting for Sookie to argue.

She looked into his piercing blue eyes and for a long moment, she could feel that same power flow around her, as she did earlier when he was hypnotizing the other humans. But it didn't seem to have any affect on her.

"That shit doesn't work on me Eric, so quit it," she scolded him. He was surprised that she recognized it this time. The first time he tried it on her, it only slightly fazed her, just adding to her already heightened state. But now, she was too far removed from the situation to seem affected. Plus she had just accidentally ingested some of Long Shadows blood, he was certain of it. Maybe vampire blood makes her more immune to our powers?

"Alright, I'll do it…I'll drink your blood or whatever it is you want me to do. I don't want to cause any more trouble than there already is." And boy was there a mess to clean up. That's why there is a hose nearby and a big drain in the middle of the floor, Eric thought.

Eric walked over and locked the double-doors to the room. He pulled over one of the over-sized plastic lounge chairs and folded himself into it. Normally giving or taking blood involved sex, but with her being a virgin, he didn't want her first time to be while she was covered in another vampire's blood, in a gore filled conference room.

He patted his lap and said, "Come here Sookie. Sit on my lap and I will feed you my blood."

She audibly swallowed hard, took a deep cleansing breath and then walked over and sat down in his lap. They were both facing the same direction and she could feel his hard-on pressing into her back. That must be uncomfortable.

It seemed they were on the same wavelength, because she heard the sound of a zipper at the same time she heard a weird crunch. He pulled her tightly to him and placed his bleeding wrist up to her mouth. "Drink," he whispered in her ear, while she felt his other hand pleasing himself.

She closed her eyes tight, 'in for a penny, in for a pound,' she thought and grabbed onto his wrist and started sucking. It didn't taste anything like the goo that was Long Shadow. It was kind of sickly sweet and with every draw, she felt better. Her arm began to itch, her hearing became clearer, and her vision more crisp and her neck no longer throbbed.

After a few more pulls, she felt Eric have his release and she let go of his wrist. She felt more than a little aroused herself and if it were under different circumstances, she may just throw herself across the table and ask Eric to have his way with her. But there was blood and bits of dead vampire everywhere and she was also covered in the same stuff. Yes, definitely not the time.

She turned to look at Eric and his eyes were clouded with lust. He looked so handsome and relaxed just then, she had to kiss him. After all, he had not only just healed her of her serious wound, but he had killed another of his kind, to save her life. She deepened the kiss to show her gratitude and began exploring his chest with her hands. Then there was an unfortunate knock at the door.

Eric sighed in frustration. "It's Pam," he whispered against Sookie's mouth. She immediately jumped up, at vampiric-like speed and went to open the door. She felt great! Like she could crawl up the wall of the building, like Spiderman! Wow…Eric's blood is awesome, she thinks.

"What have you two been up to in here," Pam chides.

"Take Sookie upstairs to get cleaned up, while Chow and I wrap things up here. Once word gets out that there was a staking, the line will dissipate and I'll be able to come up and join you," Eric instructs.

Pam takes Sookie by the arm and leads her out the door. "You are so much trouble, Sookie," Pam teases.

As they were heading towards the elevator, she hears a man call, "Ms. Stackhouse…Oh, Ms. Stackhouse?"

It was a voice she had never heard before. Pam sighs, sounding a bit irritated. "Compton."


A/N: Oh no! Bill Compton, you wouldn't dare! So, how was your holiday? Any thoughts on what you'd like to see next chapter? Hit the little green button and let me know what's on your mind. Thank you for reading. Your hits, alerts, PMs, reviews are the only compensation an author on this site gets. *flashes puppy dog eyes* Could you spare a moment? :)