Fangtasia was the only home she knew as a vampire. She missed it. Pam missed it more. The wind blew loose pieces her hair. Tara eyed the petite brunette lurking around the building. The neon lights that warmed the doorway with a red glow, were gray clearing any doubt anyone might have that it was open with the shifting atmosphere towards vampires. She didn't look like a threat. Jessica recognized her. Tara wasn't sure, but it wasn't safe for her to creep in the shadows of a known vampire establishment, she might be mistaken for food.
"Come out come out wherever you are?"
Jessica laughed. The sound in the quiet night alerted the stranger and she turned. Tara glared at her companion, who only shrugged an apology for giving their position away. It was too dark to make them out, but the stranger squinted trying. Tara jumped down from her perch on the opposite building to investigate.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"I was kinda hoping to run into one of you." She knew Jessica owned the high ground. If there was any sign of trouble she would have alerted Tara by now. But, old habits died hard and the vampire looked around the empty parking lot for shadows she may have missed. The sweet smelling stranger rubbed her neck. A porn star could've been more subtle. The groupie bit her lip staring at Tara as if she were meat on a stick.
"Go home."
"Aren't you hungry?" the dirty blonde asked pathetically.
Her neck arched suggestively. Tara found herself mesmerized too quickly. She was hungry. They had been holed up in a building Alcide assured them would be empty for at least six months. True blood was at an all time low and there were very few humans willing to feed them. There were reports some vampires, most likely overzealous baby vamps, didn't like to stop.
"Go home," Tara reiterated with less resolve.
"Only if you come with me," her nails ran over her exposed skin.
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"She said that?"
Tara nodded her head.
"That's sweet," Jessica cooed annoyingly.
Tara glared at her girly companion. Wiping her mouth as the vampire groupie slid from one side of the red couch to the other end, where Jessica waited. Tara wasn't as hungry as she was starting out the night. She could still eat. To be considerate Pam's progeny left enough for the redhead to drink without killing the human. It was one of the first lessons the new Pam taught them. It only needed to be learned in light of their less than appealing circumstances. Tara smirked to herself, the new Pam. The vampire had been true to her word and began lessons about control: Mastering emotions, survival, being the best predator without losing sight of survival as a species. Education had never been so interesting and she wasn't the only pupil, Pam even included Jessica. She turned to her first vampire buddy.
"Puff puff pass," Tara stated out of the blue. The whole scene was like de ja vu. Her and Lafayette sharing a blunt just like she and Jessica were sharing a human.
The redhead was too busy feeding to notice, but Tara didn't mind. She felt her phone vibrate. Looking at the messages today there were forty eight texts and three voicemails. She didn't delete them until she read and listened to them all. Lafayette's amused her. If she expected him to act different because she no longer had a pulse she was wrong. She hadn't seen him this determined to make up with her, since he stole her boyfriend in eighth grade. She missed her loud mouthed bitch ass cousin.
If she had had any carefree days they went by too fast for her to notice. Her life was just one disappointment clawing at her, until it left holes where all other disappointments could waltz in. With Lafayette he helped her forget. He wouldn't dare let her fall into the abyss that overtook both their mothers. That's why it hurt when she woke up a vampire. A monster as if she needed another reason to feel out of place. And whether she wanted to admit it or not she liked the new Pam, when she got passed the rejection part.
Being a vampire was a clean slate so to speak. She didn't have to be the Tara Thornton born, raised and fucked over more times that she can count in Bon Temp. She could reinvent herself as many times as she liked, she was immortal. Maybe one of the people she pretended to be would be the Tara she could live with.
"I think—"
"I didn't ask you what you think." This was just like getting high. Emotions come floating to the surface and people like Jessica start to talk like she and Aristotle could hold a conversation.
"I think that it's pretty sweet that she wants to get to know you. Me and Jason did the exact opposite. Look how we ended up."
Tara sneered. Eying the human whose fingers trailed up and down her arm as Jessica began licking her neck cleaning the wound. "It's better than using each other. With that type of relationship one of you is bound to throw the other away." Jessica cleared their evidence of bite marks.
Tara didn't want to consider that Pam might actually have her best interests in mind. It meant the woman had to care for her. It was a nice thought, Tara had to agree, but she preferred that it remained just that, a thought. She was hesitant to feel any type of emotion with the knowledge her emotions wouldn't be just hers to feel. It felt as intrusive as Sookie reading her mind. She definitely didn't enjoy Pam having that kind of power.
"Come on let's get out here." Tara stood and stretched out of reach of the needy human. There's still more of Bon Temp to check over before we head back." She kicked Jessica's leg lightly to get her attention.
"Maybe, we could stop by the hospital." Jason didn't love her. Pam in her own way wasn't being unkind when she told Jessica there were plenty others she would claim to love. Jessica just had to disagree.
"Do you want to do that to yourself?" Once upon a time Tara could say that she filled those shoes rigid from unreciprocated feelings. Pining over Jason Stackhouse like he was the last pancake on a plate after everybody else had a taste. Jessica could be waiting a long while before he changed his mind, if he ever changed his mind.
"The way I see it we got us a unrequited love club. It's not fair if you're the only that gets to drool over the someone you love," she shrugged on her boots.
"Hey, I ain't say nothing about love."
"Fine, you ain't say nothing about love," the romantic copied unconvinced.
Tara chewed over the information she knew Jessica would feel hurt to hear from her. "He's not in the hospital. Sookie texted yesterday he checked himself out."
"Oh," she couldn't have hidden her hurt if she tried.
"You should forget about him," Tara knew she was barely listening. Jessica was in love with him, and there was nothing she could do short of ending her life to be rid of it any times soon. The only thing Tara could do is be there for her. Hopefully they would come across a few baby vamps to get her thoughts off of Jason.
"Call me," the groupie called out on her couch as she lay back replete.
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Fingers drummed on her hips. A looked mixed in contemplation and consternation as Pam looked at her hugely minimized wardrobe. An assortment of clothes hung on a long rack with wheels. No longer playing the part of hostess she wore just a basic compilation of shirts and jeans. It pained her to say it, but her wardrobe was as exciting their new hideout. She couldn't touch the top half of the warehouse. It would ruin the perception that it was abandoned. Despite the wrecked interior the space had potential. She made due with the lower area where they stored their coffins and procured couches to lounge.
Eric worked out an agreement with Alcide. The pack master chose two of his wolves to protect the vampires by day. By night they could fend for themselves obviously. Still, Pam didn't like the idea of werewolves protecting her. Despite her disapproval she understood it as a necessity of survival.
Bill had humans and vampires on his payroll. And it seemed that there was more of Bill in this new Bill and Lilith hybrid. Last nights politically savvy move rebuilt the trust between humans and vampires if only to quiet the rumors of an uprising. Select members of the government, were allowed to witness the true death of vampires found guilty of heinous acts towards humanity. Pam could only assume that Bill made scapegoats out of vampires he'd only just created. Advanced technology did the rest, including fake backgrounds and records of The Authority's investigation on all seven of the accused.
It was bullshit. Bullshit people wanted to hear because it was better than losing sleep over the truth. Eric and Nora and Alcide were quietly calling in favors from allies. She volunteered to keep a watch of the epicenter with her progeny and her adopted progeny. That meant giving them added responsibility away from the nest. Pam ordered them to control the vampire population. New vampires were pretty easy to spot. They hunted recklessly and could be easily dispatched unaware there were more dangerous things than them in the dark.
Tara and Jessica were old enough to hold their own against newborns. If there was any trouble they couldn't handle she would feel it through her childe. She was a particularly proud maker with Tara's prowess. Jessica had been an unlikely opponent when the club owner and her patrons watched their first catfight. One for her progeny and zip for Bill's, her mouth curved in amusement. She wasn't surprised that Jessica was ill equipped for a fight as Bill's spawn. He fought like a politician. The coup against Queen Sophie for instance, some would call it smart with her superior strength. She didn't have a particular love for the Queen because she framed her maker bringing the Magister to their door. Still, Pam didn't expect anyone to have her back armed automatics with wooden bullets in a fight. She fought like an opportunist, others phrased as fighting dirty, but the ending outweighs the meaning as long as she's the victor. Tara was raw and primal while she may not have wanted to be a vampire she had remarkable potential. She used her owned her rage in every blow transcending into her day to day interactions making her off putting to some, desirable to others.
A brow arched at a lovely scent. She wasn't hungry, but she could eat that is until she growled inwardly realizing, who the delicious smell belonged to. Pam didn't look up from the mini skirt she hung, a gift Tara had presented from one of her outings on patrol for rogue vampires. Tara had a habit of stopping by Fangtasia to secure some of Pam's favorite pieces. "He's not here." Sookie's scent was too distinct to be mistaken. Her footsteps descending the stair with a cautious gait caused Pam's grin.
"I know. He checked in on me with his creepy sister when he was leaving town." The vampire dragged her eyes away from her modest wardrobe. She wasn't aware Tara and she mended their bridges enough for the blonde to feel confidant to visit.
"You're staring," Pam observed lazily.
"You're beautiful."
"Please tell me my maker fell for a better line."
Sookie blushed. "I meant I can see what Tara sees."
"I'm sure mind reading makes you very insightful," she answered sharply.
Sookie frowned slightly. She didn't expect Pam to warm up to her for Tara's sake. "You don't have to be rude when I'm trying to have a conversation."
"Why? You just said the only thing I have going for me is my looks."
"You've got control over her through the blood right? That's why she kissed you."
"Look at these lips snow flake and tell me you haven't thought about it."
Sookie dropped her gaze long enough for Pam to enjoy her discomfort. "I just wanted to see if Tara was in the right hands." She rushed on uninterested in the innuendo Pam's arch brow implied. "'Cause she's encountered some monsters," she used the word to generalize the collection of humans and supernatural beings. "If you want her—really want her and not just as a plaything then you've got some strong walls to break down. She moved away and changed her name just to be someone else. That's not a sign of someone who loves who she is, so you might have to do it for her until she learns."
"Are you done?"
Sookie answered with a mute nod. Everything she knew of Pam was snarky and unnerving, but she hadn't harmed her, for that she had Eric to thank.
"The kiss you saw. Forget it. Nothing happened after it. And nothing will happen after it."
"Does Tara feel the same?"
"No. But as her maker she has little choice in the matter."
"Wow."
Bored eyebrows hiked in question.
"This just looks like something you would exploit," sounding more surprised and relieved, neither of which endeared her to Pam.
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"Fucking fangers," the shadow whispered to no one in particular. He moved careless to the shadow that watched his movements.
His motions were jerky and unnecessary, but it was better than hitting the wall again. His fist was red and throbbing. What right did vampires have existing like they did? They were abominations. Spawns hell choked up and left on earth. They were stronger and faster. Though, they weren't invincible. He breathed in a breath that wasn't remotely calming.
He lit the match. The smell of gasoline was stuck on his hands but he didn't mind. Vampires weren't welcome. They didn't deserve to lay with humans. They didn't deserve to feel at home in his town with businesses or families. He barely slept anymore. It bothered him that they had a safe place to stay. Fangtasia was such a place. Not only was that it a reminder built in stone of his past. The business thrived when he was weak, irresolute in words and actions as they often contradicted the other.
Jason was still broken, but he had a purpose that surpassed the strength of his past addictions. A crooked smile and the red glow of the flames made him look insane. He turned to leave then suddenly face to face with a squatter.
"Who the hell," he raised his gun.
The vampire was quicker grabbing it and throwing it into the flames engulfing Pam's throne. The vampire looked thin and feral with cheek bones covered with velvet flesh that looked inhuman. He tried fighting back. His blows came down hard. The vampire felt nothing except the rush of blood answering the call of its appetite.
Jason felt his life draining away. Fear gripping as wholly as his rage had earlier when he set Fangtasia on fire. It looked like he would die there with a fucking fanger on his neck. This was not how he foresaw the night ending. He hoped for resolution some sign of closure. If he was more aware of his surrounding he would known there was a threat.
Suddenly he was released. He heard crashing sounds like wood and glass. Then he felt a light spray of blood before he succumbed to darkness.
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His t-shirt ripped stained from soot and blood Tara stopped herself from pouncing on him. Images of the building a mess, a fucking mess—Pam wouldn't be happy. Jessica crouched over him letting him suck her blood. If it were up to the darker vampire she would have ripped him apart.
"That's more than I'd give him."
As soon as he was conscious of what he was doing the deputy pulled back wrenching away with his face flooded with disgust.
Ungrateful Tara glared at Jason. She started toward him, but Jessica turned in time to stop her from advancing on him. They hid in an alleyway. Away from the fire when they heard the ring of sirens. Like a mother nurturing her babe she let Jason suckle on her wrist nursing him back to health.
"Fuck him," she growled pushing off of Jessica going in the other direction. "He's dead anyway when Pam finds out," she remarked with pleasure.
"Bring it on fangers."
Tara scoffed. Tough talk for a man that was fanger food moments ago, the squatter was another newborn. His strength was unimpressive with a diet of the last bits of true blood left in storage. He was easy to dispatch while Jessica got Jason out.
They smelled of smoke. Pam would smell them and immediately question what they'd been. It wouldn't take long for news to spread about the club.
"We can't tell her."
"What?"
"We don't tell her it was Jason. That squatter," she pulled at Tara's jacket to make her look at me. "She'll kill him, please." Everything in Tara told her to walk away and tell Pam everything. Her loyalty was to her maker.
"If she asks outright I won't lie."
Jessica looked at Jason's frowning face. Tara shook her head. This would not end well, just another thing to worry about with Bill building his ranks.
