After being left with the vampire's cocky grin, the screen faded to black and moved on to the next commercial. Rosalie was completely confused. The vampire she had just met could be someone else entirely. The man on the screen did not match the man she was sitting next to. Could he really be that arrogant? And shameless? I mean really. Fangtasia, the vampire bar? She wondered. She'd heard customers talk about it before, and she knew it was a place she wanted to avoid entirely. Humans would go there looking to be fed from, among other things. Fangbangers. That's what they call them. She thought.
"My name is Eric Northman!" Eric grinned at her happily. "I know my last name now!"
"You sure do." Rosalie answered blankly. "And what you do for a living."
"I own…a bar." He stated, a confused expression on his face. "For vampires."
"I've heard humans go there to be fed from, some are never seen again." Her tone was firm and hinting with disgust.
Eric's brows furrowed. "That doesn't sound like me."
"Well, maybe it isn't you." Rosalie reasoned out loud. "You apparently own the place, but maybe you're a sidelines kind of guy. All I know is we have to find that bar."
"Yes, we must. But…I am afraid."
"Why are you afraid?" She asked, looking into his eyes.
"I am unsure of who did this to me. If it is someone I work with, more harm could come to me."
Rosalie scoffed, finding his words hard to believe. From the looks of the ad, sure. He seemed like a jerk. But he also seemed like a jerk that shouldn't be messed with. She'd seen him in action earlier that evening, she knew she would never cross him. Eric was sweet to her, but there was something else inside of him. Rosalie had noticed it earlier. There was a monster inside of him somewhere. It was strong and scary. If she had seen it, certainly his employees could see it too. They wouldn't touch him, would they? She considered what Eric had said. On the other hand, he could be right. If he didn't even know anything about himself, how was he supposed to know who to trust? There was no solid answer. Rosalie sighed.
"I'll go there tomorrow. Alone."
"You would do that for me?" Eric was stunned. "You are entirely too giving."
"Well, if I was ever under crazy circumstances like this, I hope someone would do the same for me." She thought for a moment. "Did anything about the ad spark your memory?"
"No." He frowned. "But earlier I saw another ad. It was a woman, the background was similar."
"Good. Okay. Anything else?"
"No, I didn't recognize her I'm afraid. But perhaps it will be on again?" He sounded hopeful.
"Alright, we'll wait and see."
Thirty minutes went by. Then forty. No sign of the ad could be seen. Soon an hour had passed. Eric and Rosalie sat quietly together, watching old re-runs of CSI. While Eric spent the evening following each forensic mystery to guess the killer, Rosalie fell asleep. Her tiny body sat slumped over on the sofa, leaning into Eric. Feeling the sudden sensation of warmth against his body, he looked down at Rosalie. Her eyes were closed, accompanied by faint breathing. He smiled. Her pulse throbbed lightly against his skin, and he enjoyed the sensation of life next to him. Eric reluctantly had to disturb her though, when the ad finally appeared again on television. Rosalie opened her eyes groggily.
"W..what?" She asked, immediately seeing the screen. It was then the thought clicked in her mind. The ad was finally on.
Her eyes were met with various angled shots of the synthetic bottled liquid, TrueBlood. It sat on a bar counter with a spot light on it, attempting to give the object some dimension.
"Smooth." A purring voice called out through the screen. "Satisfying. Seductive."
The voice revealed itself to be a curvy bodied brunette, sipping on the bottled blood. Her red dress matched her red lips, a satisfied smile on her face.
"What's your flavor?" She asked.
Suddenly the screen switched to a blonde female, holding up the synthetic bottle. Her dress was skin tight and made of leather, a red ribbon tied around her neck as a choker. She looked blankly into the camera, speaking with a deadpan voice that was not the same purring female one Rosalie had just heard earlier. The camera focused closer.
"TrueBlood." She stated. "It's to die for."
The screen switched to various shots of Fangtasia, showing stills of happy humans on the dance floor. The woman's voice continued to narrate.
"Come join us at Fangtasia, where the blood is warm and so is the service. Shreveport, Louisiana. This advertisement is brought to you by the American Vampire League."
"That's her." Eric commented. "I don't know who she is, but that is the woman we are looking for."
Rosalie nodded groggily.
"Tomorrow." She mumbled.
"Agreed." Eric answered her, starting to pull her into his arms.
"What are you doing?" She frowned, feeling tired and confused.
"Putting you to bed." He answered simply.
Before Rosalie knew it, she was lying in her bedroom with a comforter pulled over her. She sighed, feeling content. Her eyes fluttered open again by the sound of a soft chuckle.
"Good night, Rosalie." Eric said softly.
"Night Eric."
The blonde vampire retreated to bed, retiring for the evening.
Eric's eyes fluttered open. The night sky was as black as could be with the exception of stars twinkling above him. A breeze cascaded over his body, causing the tall grass around him to brush against his skin. He was in a field. Suddenly, he shot up. The area was completely empty. Nothing could be seen for miles. The land before him was quiet, the endless distance of grass rippled in the wind like water. Studying his surroundings, he found he wasn't afraid. He was curious. The area was…familiar.
He had seen this empty green sea before. Memories flooded back to him. This was the same place where he had met that strange little boy. Standing up, Eric quietly made his way through the grass. Each blade swept softly across his legs as he made long strides into the emptiness. Why was he here? Could he be dreaming, or was this his actual reality? Where was that boy? The wind began to blow harder, each gust blowing his hair back and pushing air past his ears.
"Where are you!" Eric called out, scanning for the boy. "Show yourself!"
Suddenly, Eric heard grass rustling around him. Something was moving, hiding near him. Quickly alert, he turned his head in the direction of the noise. A flash of white sped past him. And just like that, it was gone. Was it the boy? Grasping for answers, Eric decided to follow it. He began running at full speed, his eyes scanning for the sight again. When the pale color appeared in the distance he ran after it once more. He began to feel like he was playing a game of cat and mouse.
"Do not run from me, coward!" He yelled.
It was then the small figure appeared before him. Within inches of him, the young male stood. His bright eyes pierced into Eric's, giving him a fearless gaze.
"It is your mind that has run away, not I." He said simply.
"Who are you?"
"You know me."
"No I don't!"
"I am so close, but out of reach. You are struggling, I see it."
"Tell me who you are!" Eric demanded.
"You know me well, Eric. Concentrate my childe."
Confused, Eric looked the boy over. He seemed so small and young. The thin linen shirt he wore flowed freely with the wind. With each gust, Eric could see a glimpse of his skin hiding beneath it. It was pale and thin, stretched over toned muscles. Thick black patterns were inked onto his body, permanently marking him. The tattoos were simple tribal designs, but the blonde vampire was unsure of their meanings. Eric's eyes trailed over to the young boy's face, finally meeting his gaze. The bright eyes staring back at him were not those of a child. The irises peering back at him were not naïve or immature. They were not foolish or impatient. They were wise. Eric sensed this child-like ghost might even be wiser than himself. Finally, a connection was made.
"Godric." Eric stated. The name had finally come to him, though he found it hard to place any other connection.
"Yes, childe. I am your maker."
My maker? Eric thought. He knew what a maker was. The boy that stood before him was one who made him vampire. Maker's shared a close relationship with their children, but yet Eric felt little from him. Why was he here, appearing to him in some empty field? This was certainly a dream. Where was this Godric in real life?
"Godric…" Eric's eyes filled with blood tears. He fell to his knees, feeling helpless.
"Who am I?" He asked.
"That is a question you must answer yourself."
"Please!" Eric begged.
"I have made you what you are, not who you are."
"Why do you only come to me in slumber?" Eric asked.
Godric gave Eric a fleeting look.
"You know why."
And then, suddenly, he was gone.
Eric opened his eyes, a gasp escaping his lips. There was a reason his maker had never found him or come to his rescue. Godric never tried to help him because he couldn't. His maker was gone. Dead. How did Godric die? Eric couldn't recall. He felt guilty. How could he not remember? He immediately felt saddened, wondering if he had failed his maker somehow. Had he disappointed him? Red tears escaped from beneath his lids. Sighing, he pulled up the t-shirt he was wearing a wiped them away. Great, I promised I wouldn't stain this one. He scolded himself. The sound of shuffling feet pulled him from his thoughts. Bare feet padded past his bedroom door. A human would have never heard the noise, but his vampire senses were able to pick it up easily. The foot steps echoed to the end of the hall, a door shutting behind them. He sat up immediately. Eric could feel it was dark out. Rosalie must be awake. Deciding to greet her, he rolled out of bed and wandered into the hall. When he opened her door, however, he was met with a surprise.
There Rosalie stood in her bedroom with wet hair, wearing nothing but her undergarments. She was standing in front of her dresser, rummaging through its drawers. Her skin was pale like his, though she was much more delicate. A baby blue bra held her breasts, light lace detail covering the fabric. Her panties matched the pastel color and rested lowly by her hips. Suddenly feeling a strange presence, Rosalie looked up.
"Eric!" Rosalie gasped, pulling a random shirt from her dresser in an attempt to cover herself up. It was hardly useful. She blushed immediately, knowing Eric had seen her exposed.
When she had turned to him to speak, Eric had a better view of her chest. He looked closely at her bra, noting a small jewel detail on the fabric between her breasts. Eric's fangs exposed themselves immediately, enjoying the undergarments she was wearing. Quickly though, he slapped his hand over his mouth and felt embarrassed.
"…Sorry." He apologized, looking at her with wide eyes.
"…Get out!" She shrieked, completely mortified.
The vampire quickly followed her orders. Rosalie sighed, fumbling through her dresser to find something to wear. Great. She thought. Just fucking great. How long had he been standing there? She felt completely humiliated. After choosing a pair of denim cut-offs and a fitted black t-shirt, she wasn't sure if she could ever face Eric again. She was embarrassed. He'd practically seen her naked! She groaned, hoping he hadn't seen her completely exposed. She shuddered at the thought, already knowing it would be awkward enough to have to look him in the eye again. Wandering over to her mirror, Rosalie looked over her outfit.
She felt she looked juvenile and boring, choosing to put on a pair of black converse to complete her outfit. I look like a little girl. She thought. Everyone in Fangtasia would laugh at her for the way she was dressed. But then, sudden reassurance fell over her. She wanted them to laugh. It was better getting made fun of than getting killed. She hoped no one would be interested in her. Going in dressed like a slut was the last thing she needed. She didn't want to be vampire bait. This outfit would hopefully keep everyone away from her. Attempting to calm herself, she slowly stepped out into the hall. Once in her living room, she was greeted with the sight of Eric.
"I didn't mean to walk in on you, I am terribly sorry, I just-"
"Don't worry about it." Rosalie closed her eyes, feeling a deep blush rising in her cheeks. She shook her head. "Just forget it happened."
"Okay," He replied, bowing his head. "I can do that."
Deep down, however. He wasn't so sure if he could. The sight of her was beautiful, and he longed to see it again. Just as his mind began to wander once more, the sound of her voice pulled him back to reality.
"So," She breathed. "I'm heading over to Fangtasia."
Eric sighed. He knew that was the plan they had made last night, but he did not want to be left alone. What if something happened to his new friend? He shuddered at the thought. Then, he'd have no one. Rosalie was far too kind and innocent to be risking her life for him.
"Please, I have changed my mind. I want to go with you."
"Eric, no." She protested. "That would be stupid. Like you said, we don't know who did this to you."
"Yes." He answered confidently. "We don't, and that is why I must come along. I do not wish for any harm to come to you."
"Fine." She grumbled. "But you're staying in the car."
After an obedient nod from Eric, the two headed for Fangtasia. The bar was across town, as Rosalie had found out through quick internet research. The pictures she had seen of it online proved that it was located by a strip mall, very close to a Toys R Us. Rosalie shuddered behind the wheel, worried about what the bar would really be like. Her heart picked up speed just thinking about it. What if the woman in the ad was the one who did this to Eric? Rosalie wondered what would happen to her if she found out she had Eric. It was then she realized she was risking her life for a man she barely knew. Was he worth it?
She glanced over at Eric, who seemed to be quiet and content in the front seat. There was a bit of blood on his shirt, though she didn't want to ask him why. He was eyeing his surroundings curiously, much like he had the first night they had met. She hoped he wasn't hungry and wouldn't misbehave while she was gone. Little to no conversation was made in the car as they approached the vampire bar. Aside from Eric stating observations of his surroundings, no conversations took place. Rosalie considered herself the queen of awkward, but for the first time she felt the silence between them wasn't an awkward one.
Despite some of the strange interactions she previously had with the blonde vampire, she felt oddly comfortable around him. She looked at him intently. He sat quiet and unmoving, as if he were made of stone. Aside from his unanimated position, however, there was still part of him that seemed vibrant and alive. Rosalie glanced over with intrigue, watching Eric's eyes move around swiftly. They were unlike anything she had seen before. Colored an ice cold blue, they were mysterious and wise, glimmering strangely like they were from another world. In her moments of staring, those eyes suddenly darted over to hers, locking for the first time in their quiet drive.
"We're here." He stated.
Rosalie frowned, seeing nothing ahead of her. As soon as she turned the corner, however, she was met with the sight of Fangtasia.