Chapter 10

(Sorry for the delay, I've been working on a TV show script for one of my modules and playing in the snow)

"So what else did you do? Besides feel me up without my being there?" I asked Eric.

"Sookie, you make it sound so sordid, I was only appreciating your beauty, and trying to learn how to please you better". He smirked at me, disconcerting, seeing his Eric smile playing on my lips. Amelia when she screwed up she screwed up big time. I was getting used to Eric's body; mostly I was curious about how to use it to my advantage. I wondered how he was faring with the telepathy; well he wasn't holding my head in my hands so it mustn't be affecting him too much.

"Yeah, well I got to grips with little Eric earlier". Now he looked shocked.

"Did he, uh enjoy your grip?" He asked a brief look of concern flitted across his face. Oh I could have some fun.

"Eric, when you cut something off a Vampire it grows back eventually right?" My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, poor Eric, maybe I was being a little too harsh.

"Sookie, you didn't?" He asked in my horrified voice.

"He wasn't going down, I thought of you and he woke up, doesn't that make you kind of narcissistic?" I asked grinning at him, letting him know I was only joking, I noticed that he had subconsciously crossed my legs. Guys, Vampire, Werewolf, Shifter or Fae are all the same really.

"Technically my lover, it's your mind thinking of me that woke him up" he looked his body up and down and added "but I am rather foxy" we both laughed. Perhaps there would be some interesting benefits to being in each other's bodies.

"My hair looks nice today, did you shower?"

"Oh yes, I used the volumising Herbal Essence, I wanted you to know you could trust me to take care of your body" he smiled from behind my face.

"Oh I already knew that" I smiled "lover" I purred.

I glanced across the bar to see Pam and Sam stood together talking about me and Eric. They seemed to have forgotten I could hear them. I smiled indicated then with an elbow so Eric could follow my gaze. I could feel Eric trying to project his thought to me, "What are they talking about" he asked in his mind voice. I let him listen through my mind, it was a very odd sensation, it felt like there was a cold liquid running through my brain.

"They look happy" Sam said.

"I think they are good for each other" Pam replied.

"You're not worried Sookie will distract your boss?"

"You didn't see him when he was pining for her, it was like working for a love sick puppy, with violent mood swings, you have no idea how many chairs we have had to replace, and his wall needed filling and plastering every other day. " Sam laughed.

"Sookie's a good girl, but she wasn't much better, I'd never seen her in so dark a mood. It was obvious to everyone but her that she missed him. Now normally I'm not one for trusting Vampires, but he makes her happy and two people being happy is better than them being miserable because of differences in species"

"Technically we were human at one stage, its Shifters, Were's and Fae who are only part human"

"Yeah I guess, we get to be born different, Vampires get to choose."

"You were born with superpowers, like the X-men, you were born gifted"

"You saw the movies?"

"I read the original comic books"

"You?" Sam asked incredulous

"Why not? I used to read Penny Dreadfuls as a child, comic books, are much more interesting and diverse, I especially like Wonder Woman".

"I take it you don't read Buffy?" He asked trying not to laugh.

"On the contrary Spike and Angel are both excellent portrayals of mainstreaming Vampires, and the Vampire special effects are very good for comedy." Sam looked as though he was having one of the strangest conversations of his life. Eric probed his mind and confirmed this.

"I thought you had a stake in the bar? Doesn't that make you partners?" Sam asked.

"I have only a marginally smaller share than Eric, but I do not like to be in control, well..." she glanced coyly at Sam, fangs running out a little, "except in the bedroom". She took a sip of her blood, and added "would you like to get together for sex sometime?" Pam asked. Typical Pam, always cut straight to the point. Poor Sam went bright red and Pam chuckled enjoying the effect she was having on him.

"Pam, I always took you to be the kind of Vampire who looked down at Shifters, and uh, don't you like the ladies?"

"Usually that is true, but you have a kind of, dog-eared charm, and whilst it is true that I prefer the company of women, I would be willing to make an exception".

"I'm uh flattered Pam, really but I have feelings for someone, another shifter actually".

"Then a toast!" Pam smiled. I wondered if she had been teasing Sam but the way she breathed in his scent when he glanced away seemed to indicate otherwise. "To new romances, and to our colleagues staying together for the sake of our businesses!" That Pam, romantic and practical.

Eric and I burst out laughing at the end of their conversation. This night was getting weirder and weirder. "To us" Eric whispered as we clinked our bottles together.

"To us" I replied. We kissed softly. I could get used to this.

Moondance sung by Michael Buble began to play through the speakers, his voice was pure sex, blended with velvet and chocolate. Eric held out his hand and I took it, we walked towards the dance floor and got into our usual dance positions before remembering, I had to lead, well this was going to be interesting.

"You can do this" Eric whispered up at me knowing I'd hear him. I was impressed with the enhanced hearing the Vampires enjoyed. "It's just dancing normally in reverse". We started off well I learned how Eric's large frame made it easier to turn us both in a wide arc, but if it weren't for the Vamp reflexes I would have stumbled a couple of times, his feet were big, and I wasn't used to them, much in the same way I found Eric's car a little too much to handle. We enjoyed a slow dance together, mainly because it was a shuffling hug of a dance, and even the least coordinated of people could manage it. The main problem we had was when the fast tempo dance came on, we managed half way through the dance until it came to the spin... Eric somehow forget he was in my body and tried to spin me as I tried to spin him, we both spun off in opposite directions, I stopped quickly and glanced around to find Eric sat on the floor with a very put out look on his, my face. He wasn't used to not being good at everything and it irked him. I bit my lip so I wouldn't laugh. I walked over and picked him up, dusting off my Merlotte's uniform. I blinked.

"You covered my shift?" Considering I was now gifted with Vampire super vision I wasn't very observant.

"Yes I did quite well" He said smiling with pride. I burst out laughing. Eric busting tables, what a mental image, emphasis on the mental. "I gave Sam dating advice too".

"Is Sam ok?" I asked.

"Of course I give good advice" He replied wounded pride creeping in. "I got you to date me didn't I?"

"Yeah but I'm crazy"

"I only told him the female he desired wanted sex with him, it was more of an ego boost really" Oh this was too rich. Well if anyone had enough ego to share around it was Eric. We went over to the bar and ordered drinks, he had a Coke and was amused by how the bubbles tingled in the back of my throat. Part of me was sad that he wouldn't be able to stay human, there was so much the human world had to offer, although he had seen the world change over the centuries, had he really experienced it? I ordered an O negative, it had a kinda citrus twang to it, not unpleasant. It must have made my ears laugh, because Eric chuckled at my expression.

"Aww Sookie, is blood not to your liking?" He hadn't been here earlier or at the house when I woke up.

"Actually I prefer AB positive, this is nice but a little sharp" I said as I swirled the bottle, the way wine tasters did with glasses. Eric's/my jaw dropped a little, eyes wide. Why did everyone think I wouldn't cope as a Vamp?

I felt someone watching me from across the bar. Claudine was walking into the bar in a stunning emerald green dress, looking a little uneasy I noticed. What was she doing in a Vampire bar, it must be important if she was quite literally willing to risk her neck like that.

I blinked and she was in front of Eric and I, she seemed to be trying to maintain a safe distance, although Eric didn't seem too interested, odd normally I'd be fighting to hold him back from her. Fairies were notoriously delicious to Vampires. It seemed the Fae could move as quickly as any Vampire, possibly faster, no wonder Vampires didn't catch them often.

"I have to talk to you" she said looking at Eric. "I am all for slapping idiots, but you may have caused more trouble than even I can get you out of".

"I slapped her because she was being offensive. I'm not Sookie by the way". Claudine looked a little blindsided at that. You would think a fairy would have seen it all before. I waved shyly at Claudine from Eric's body.

"Hey cous" I said quietly.

"Sookie?" her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. "What happened?"

"Funny story" I was six feet from my cousin but she smelled so good I had to move closer. Claudine noticed, and reached into her matching green purse. She produced a small bottle, the contents of which looked like liquid tigers eye, Claudine took one look at my/Eric's face and downed the contents, grimacing slightly. I looked down and went back to sipping my O neg.

"What was that?" Eric asked. "You can suppress the bloodlust?"

"It's from Niall, it makes Vamps a little less hungry, never thought I'd have to use it to stop my own cousin trying to eat me".

"Why don't you drink it every day?

"It's rare". Claudine explained. "Glad I have it, stuck in a Vamp bar like this, how do you cope?" She asked Sam who had walked over to join us, Pam just behind him was eyeing Claudine curiously.

"They're pretty friendly actually. Vamps aren't all assholes". Pam smiled at Sam winningly, well if it didn't work out with the shifter Pam would have him.

"Ok we don't have much time" Claudine began.

"The human I hit, why was that such a problem?" Eric asked, well at least one of us was firing on all cylinders.

"The chump she's dating, the Fellowship of the Sun guy? Well he's managed to get a mob together, and they have decided at burn down both of your businesses" she addressed Eric and Sam who both looked shocked and furious. "Think you two can put aside your differences and work together? Get your own group of fighters together, just in case?" Clearly my fae cousin had not been at Merlotte's today.

"I would be honoured to fight by your side" Eric said theatrically to him throwing my arm around Sam grinning widely".

"We will battle injustice and crazy humans!" Sam joined in the fun, in that moment Eric and Sam resembled kinda short superheroes, Pam seemed to downright ogle Sam, maybe I wasn't the only one with a thing for superheroes. I flung Eric's arms around all three of them making us look like a tight knit group grinning madly. Claudine looked baffled.

"Ook, well you have two days". Claudine said as she vanished with a small "pop".

Eric burst out laughing, "If I had known how much fun it was winding up fairies then I wouldn't have spent so much time trying to eat them".

"I think we should all take out extra insurance, just in case..." Sam added practically. Pam smiled approvingly. Oh my god, Pam has a crush on a Shifter, interesting, I was glad to note that even without my telepathic gift I was still adept at picking up on people's moods.

"I look forward to the battle" Eric beamed at us.

"Uh, not like that you're not fighting" I said looking him up and down.

"Is my attire impractical, I would have my broad sword?" He asked.

"You are not fighting in my body".

"I'll look after it!"

"It's not a car!" I cried.

"Then give me my body back!"

"I can't you know what Amelia said, we have to establish a male female balance."

"What better place than on the battle field?"

"I'm a girl!" I groaned. Pam laughed;

"Oh why don't I have a video camera for this?" Pam asked. Sam was grinning at her side.

"Lover you have staked Vampires, and shot a Shifter, both are creatures with far more power than you, and still you were victorious, are you telling me humans scare you?" He had a point, but I'd be damned if I'd stop arguing before I was ready.

"There are more humans than Supes" I pointed out, pouting slightly; Pam was still chuckling so it must have looked odd on Eric's handsome face.

"You need a combat lesson" Pam said grinning. With that Eric and Pam began walking out of the bar, Sam and I trailing behind them.

"Any idea where we're going?" Sam asked, obviously as perplexed as I was.

"Don't ask me" I said as we descended a flight of stairs I didn't even know Fangtasia possessed. We came to a thick steel door with a keypad on the left hand side Eric punched in a 4 digit code and the door swung inwards, we walked in single file, Pam flitted across the room to perch on a vaulting horse, Eric stood in the centre of the room, and Sam and I were left looking around the room in awe, it was something like a gym mixed with a training room, there were weapons on every wall, much like in Eric's bat cave.

Over the course of the night each of them tested my reflexes, I was taught how to use one of each type of weapon, swords, crossbows, (that was Eric's speciality). Pam taught me Aikido (a form of martial art that melded philosophical practices). Sam taught me how to dodge... whilst in his Lion form. Tomorrow night would be when we were due to rally our own troops, and perhaps before the battle Eric and I could see what each of our bodies were really capable of...

(Ok this was more mild comedy and battle prep, I promise there will be more proper action both in and out of the bedroom in the next chapter, although I have just had an idea for a Jamie Vegas PoV short story since I've just finished reading "Men of the Otherworld" by Kelley Armstrong, if you haven't read anything by her, you should she's brilliant.)