Notes: Charlaine Harris is my master, and I bow to her creation- the mighty Viking, but playing dress up is a lot of fun. Thanks again for all the review crack and alerts- totally makes my day. Probably gonna take me a bit to get the next chapter to you, cause I'm going on vacay for a week.

Darkness had taken place of the sunlight that had kept my office lit. I hadn't noticed. For hours I sat with my head resting on my arm until I had nothing left and sleep took over. I didn't hear a knock, but I suspect there wasn't one before Eric barged into my office. He had clearly been informed of his contract being terminated and my dismissal, but it took me a while to realize what he was doing there as I wiped the drool from my face and blinked into understanding. There was a little wet spot on the sleeve of my jacket and I couldn't help but hope he wouldn't notice.

He gave me no time to even form a hello, before raging about what had happened. It was difficult to follow in my haze at first, but slowly things were making sense. Had they actually tried to deny him access to the building? I started listening more closely.

"I'll rip that bloody son of a shifter apart! I've already called in my favour to the A.V.L and Pam is on her way to that executive's house right now. We'll see how he feels about your position after a little chat..."

I practically vaulted over my desk when I began to appreciate everything Eric was saying.

"Call her," I interrupted defiantly. "Tell Pam to leave Reggie alone. I don't want you to fix this. Not this way!" The vampire gave me a hard stare in return and I saw just how angry he was. For a brief moment I was afraid, but it passed just as fast. "Now!"

He removed his phone from his pocket, dialed quickly, and called off Pam. Once the phone was back in his pocket he informed me that she was going to meet us at my house. And that she was very disappointed in my choice. I let him know with a look that I was not in the mood for Pam's games tonight.

On the way to my house Eric filled me in on everything he had been told and that, yes in fact, security had been ordered to keep him off the lot. Luckily, they weren't watching the skies and Eric found a way in from the roof. I was too much of a wreck to make intelligent conversation about everything that had happened and about just what the hell I was going to do now. Every ounce of water I'd had to cry was gone, but I could still feel that tingle in my eyes that told me my body could find a way to make more. I couldn't bring myself to breakdown and let Eric see me in tears right now. He was dealing with the fallout from his big reveal as well and that would not make things easy for him either.

As we pulled up to the house I saw Pam standing on the porch. Arms crossed, foot tapping; she was not known for her patience. A sharp look from her maker and her posture loosened up.

"You'll be glad to know, Sookie, that I took care of the sheriff and the detective working the case of the missing shooter. They won't be asking you any questions."

"Why would that make me happy, Pam?" I turned to Eric with daggers in my eyes, knowing he would be responsible for such an order.

Placing his hand on my shoulder before I could move it away, "She didn't kill them, just altered the events in their memory a little bit."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have expected the worst of you." With all the emotions swirling around in me I was grateful to have one less worry, but I was on raw nerves and about to break.

"Well, they would've made a nice snack, but Eric said no blood." Pam grinned at me, a little fang showing. That's it, I thought, no more!

I had made it clear to Eric that I was not in the mood for Pam's games and I meant it. Storming past both of them into the house I slammed the door behind me. Neither of them challenged it. Pam's car started up in the distance and I was alone. Again.

A knock startled me from my sleep. I was about to shout at the returning vampires, when I noticed the sun coming through the windows. My rumpled suit from the day before still on as I lay face down on the couch. The spoon and empty ice cream carton on the floor in front of me. The knock came again, louder. Scrambling to dispose of the evidence of the previous night's indulgence I rushed to the window for a peek.

Agent Horowitz. Ah hell. Gathering whatever energy I could muster I threw up my shields and opened the door for my guest. He was alone, and looking very serious. Naturally, being the southern lady I was raised to be, I offered him a seat and after checking the clock to confirm the hour for the appropriate beverage, a glass of sweet tea. He accepted and I noticed a slight Texas drawl I hadn't before. Once settled I asked him what it was I could do for him.

"Let's cut the bull, you know what I can do, and I know what you can do." He was abrupt, but not rude in his manner.

"I'm not quite sure I understand how any of this is useful to you." Remain calm, I told myself.

"I can offer you something beyond the help of the FBI's interest in your stalker case."

"Let's just say that I acknowledge your abilities, how is that going to help me?"

"I'm not offering my services to you, I'm offering my knowledge."

I was getting a little sick and tired of all this dancing around myself, so I dropped my shields and jumped in feet first. He didn't fight me this time. In fact, he took my hand, entwining our fingers as he directed me through his mind. His voice was clear and the Texas accent came through much stronger, as though he only attempted to hide it in his speaking voice.

I have been in your position before, the desire of a king. For years as a child I served in the secret world of vampires. But, I escaped. I am free now.

Images of a male vampire with glasses flashed, as did that of Barry. He was no older than Hunter when he'd been discovered and removed from his household. His parents glamoured into believing their child had gone missing at the local shopping mall. Just one more unsolved missing children's case. The boy learned to control his ability out of need. Every time he did well he was rewarded, if he did poorly he was punished. As a teenager, less than a decade ago, he met a girl he wished to be with. Stan, King of Texas, had her made vampire to keep Barry inline. She was as loyal as she could be to her sire while still loving the telepathic boy, and so she helped Barry to fake his death. The king was furious with her for allowing his prized possession to die while on her watch that he forced her to meet the sun.

The boy worked odd jobs all over the south, doing anything he could to avoid giving himself away. Until while working as a bellboy in D.C he stepped onto an elevator with a man who intended to blow up the hotel, killing an important group of international delegates. Barry made an anonymous phone call to the FBI, who were able to stop the bomber in time, unfortunately they found Barry too. They grilled him for hours over his involvement. When they realized all he truly knew, they offered him a job at just twenty years old.

The rush of reliving Barry's pain and fear of those years struck me and I gasped for a moment as he released my hand. I nodded silently in understanding and even attempted to offer my condolences for his loss, but he stopped me, knowing what it was I was about to say.

Suddenly my life didn't look so bad. Sure, a half a dozen people and vampires were trying to kill me or kidnap me, my roommate was missing, and I'd just lost my job, but that was a walk in the park compared to what the man across from me had lived through.

"I'm still not exactly sure what it is you can help me with."

"I'm offering you a job. Protection, security. We can arrange to have you legally dead, and after some training you'll become part of the team. No more Sophie-Anne Leclerq after you, no more Fellowship of the Sun. We are watching them closely by the way."

"Why would you think I would accept? I have family, friends, things I intend to live for. Hell, if I just wanted to be free of those problems I'd become a vamp myself."

"I'm sorry, I just thought..." He stopped dead and I picked everything up mentally instead. He understood what it was I wanted and let me know that he hadn't told anyone else at the FBI about my abilities. He had not told his partner of his intentions to visit me or of the offer he was making. My gift, as he called it, would remain my own. "Is there anything else I can do to help you, Miss. Stackhouse?"

"Think you could find my roommate? Or nail those Fellowship bastards for trying to set me up, and for shooting me? That would be great." I had let a bit more harshness seep into my words than I had meant to and instantly I wished I could take them back. It was his job to deal with those things, and from our connection, I knew he had been doing his best. "I'm sorry. It's been a bad week." I put on my best shame face.

"No need to apologize, that is my job. I think I understand better than anyone what it means to lose what is important to you."

Holding back the swell of emotion that was prepared to break the damn, I nodded in response. The lump in my throat was preventing me from making any sounds that didn't come off as animalistic. Agent Horowitz stood and I followed him to the door. He opened it, stepped through, and then turned to me.

"Would you have a drink with me sometime, Miss. Stackhouse?"

I was floored. I think I began to stutter something, but he cut me off with a "never mind, bad timing" and left my porch. It was obvious he was disappointed by my lack of enthusiasm at the chance to go out with him.

Closing the door, I headed to the kitchen to rummage through the cupboards for something more substantial than ice cream to eat. As I spread the peanut butter on my sandwich I replayed Barry's story, reminding me of the promise I had made to myself about committing to Eric being a part of my life.

He would still be asleep for another four hours, but if I didn't tell him what I had to say soon I feared I never would. Picking up the phone and dialling his cell phone I waited for the voice-mail to kick in. Oddly enough it rang seven times instead of the usual five before I heard the click of the pick up.

"Hello?" A woman's voice said. Oh great, I dialed the wrong number. I was about to say as much when the voice repeated its greeting. I knew that voice. Wow, in my emotional haze I must have dialed blindly.

"Sorry, Hadley, I must have called you by accident."

The voice on the other line was silent for a moment, then her sputtering came back on, the worried tone was too much to ignore. "N-no problem, Sook. See you later."

"Hadley, what's wrong?" I was talking to dead connection.

Automatically hitting redial I listened closely, wishing I had the ability to read minds through the phone. One, two, three rings, click. Eric's calm voice came over the line and I was about to hit him with a barrage of questions, until I realized it was his message. There was no chance I had dialed wrong. What was Hadley doing answering Eric's phone?

With three and a half hours until dark I had no other choice. Digging through a stack of papers I found the contact information for Bobby Burnam. It was true he was not my biggest fan, but if something had happened to Eric he would know about it. As the line picked up and he answered by simply stating his name I jumped in allowing him no time to put me on hold.

"Do you still have a master?"

"Excuse me?" He shot back, rather strongly.

"Eric, is he alive?"

"Miss. Stackhouse?"

"Yes, you idiot. Is Eric OK?" There was a split second of silence before I barked at him again. "If you even think about putting me on hold I'll beat you senseless, now answer me!"

"I didn't hear from him before he went to ground last night, I suspect he is still well."

"Really? I suspect not. Someone very dangerous answered his phone when I called it just a minute ago. I don't know how much you know about the mess we are all in, but I suggest you find him, fast."

"I'll look into it."

"And call me back. The second you know anything." I hung up.

Wearing a hole in the floor with pacing I decided the best thing to do was to shower and change out of yesterday's clothes. If there was even the slightest chance I could get him back I needed to do it with clean hair. My paranoia over missing Bobby's return call had me leave the door open to the bathroom so there was no chance of missing a knock at the door, and turning up the volume on my bedroom phone up as loud as possible. Still, every few seconds I was sure I could hear something and turned off the water. It took a very long time to shower that way, and as it turned out every sound was imagined.

As I stood in front of the closet in nothing but a towel my relief came at last. Diving across the bed I snatched the phone and breathlessly answered.

"What?"

"It doesn't appear there was a struggle, but he was taken, by who I can't say. He was at his daytime rest."

"Where's Pam?"

"I have no idea, I'm not privy to her activities the way I am to Mr. Northman's."

"Well, I suggest you find her, unless she has been taken too. I'm pretty sure I know who has him. And I'm going to get him back."

"Your funeral." He chuckled into the phone and hung up on me.

I was pretty sure Eric wasn't going to be too pleased when he learned about the loyalty of his human staff, but that was a concern for another time. I had to get to New Orleans. Fast. Sending a silent prayer to the heavens that Pam would put everything together on her own and meet me there was all I could do while I hurriedly dressed.

I took one last look around at the house and reached for my keys. The phone started ringing, but I didn't have time to answer it. I heard Sam's voice on the machine and I hoped it wouldn't be for the last time. Running down the steps and into the car I threw it in drive and headed for the highway.

Driving like Eric was a guaranteed way to get there faster, but it often led to being pulled over, so I took my time. Slow and steady wins the race I reminded myself as the scenery blurred past the windows. As the exit approached I realized I had no idea where I was going once I reached the city.

After Anne Rice's books made New Orleans a mecca for fang-bangers my best bet was finding the city's version of Fangtasia and hopefully listening in on someone who could direct me the right way. Turns out that wasn't necessary. As I reached the tourist district looking for a gas station with a phone-book or directions to a vamp-friendly bar I noticed the man on the corner waving around a map with famous vampire sights marked on it. Entrepreneurs had found a new market in the short time since the vamps had come out of the coffin. Twenty bucks later and I had a direct map to the queen's home. She even allowed for photo ops on her property, for a fee of course.

Walking up to the gate I knew that I would need to present myself calmly and carefully as a professional. I was the producer of a television show, after all; it was not like I had never dealt with a sticky situation before. A simple exchange was what I was offering. Me for him. I would agree to work for the queen- not like I had another job lined up anyways. Reading the minds of her human minions and those of other important vamps for her wouldn't be a party, but at least I might get to keep Eric. Standing a little straighter I took a final deep breath and reached out to press the call button for the guard house.

My fingers were slapped away with lightening speed and I looked up to find the most beautiful, and quite possibly the tallest woman I had ever seen towering over me with a huge grin on her face.

"Don't you do it Sookie Stackhouse."

"Excuse me?" I said looking up a good six inches to her face.

"If you do it this way you will not live to see next week, and I can't allow that."

"And just who might you be?"

"Oh, how rude of me. My name is Claudine Crane. I'm your fairy godmother." Her hand extended toward mine.

I actually burst out laughing, so much so it brought tears to my eyes. I sobered under Claudine's stare. If she had just been some crazy woman on the street how did she know my name? Her reply was to simply repeat that she was, in fact, my fairy godmother. I wasn't sure how one warranted the Cinderella treatment, but it would have come in handy a bit sooner.

"So, where have you been while my life as been going down the toilet?"

"I do my best, but trust me, it would be much worse without me. When I found out exactly what it was you planned to do I had to get here very quickly, and that is not easy."

"So, are you allowed to tell me why I can just negotiate with this vampire queen? Are you going to do something to intervene, get Eric back for me?"

She seemed to consider for a long time what it was she was willing to tell me, apparently, not that much.

"I can't go in there with you, too many vamps, but I can tell you that if I were them, this is how I would have gotten you to come to me, and once I had you, I wouldn't let you go. Or your boyfriend."

"Well, thanks for the chat, but unless you have another suggestion I'm going in." I reached for the call button again, but Claudine's strength over powered me and I was bound by her arms. "What's the plan?" I said, attempting to look behind me and catch a glimpse of her eyes over my head.

"We need power. And you just happen to have a friend with a lot of it."

Towing me along behind her I hadn't a clue who she could mean, besides maybe herself, but she'd already told me there was no chance of her going inside with me. The only person I knew in New Orleans was Amelia's father, and though he was quite wealthy I doubted he had much pull with the supernatural community.

We reached my car and the fairy instructed me with directions to a house that was on the outskirts of town. When we finally stopped in front of a little old house in need of some repairs I was told to just keep following and everything would be alright. Claudine knocked and the curtains pulled aside to reveal an elderly African American woman I had never seen before. Various locks slid open and a sickly sweet, yet spicy smell fell over me as the door opened. I tried to keep my stomach in order and resist the urge to cover my nose at the risk of insulting the woman inside.

"It's the keep- away." She said to me, waving an arm in welcome as Claudine and I entered the house. The moment I was inside the scent was gone and I felt a rush to breathe the freshness into my lungs.

"Is she here?" The fairy asked.

"She's here. You got another one for me now?" The elderly woman gave me a quick up and down as I took in her thoughts.

She was concerned that Claudine was over-stepping her rights in asking her to take on more than her fair share of mentoring. She had already done her a favour by taking on the last one, even if she did turn out to be a natural.

"Octavia, this is Sookie Stackhouse." A sweeping gesture in my direction made me uncomfortable to think that I was somehow famous, but not for my work in television. I gave a polite but nervous wave while I waited to find out who exactly we were meeting with.

"I can see why you need my help." With that statement the woman left the room.

I rounded on the fairy to grill her about what this seemingly supernatural woman had to do with me and how exactly she was going to help me get my vamp back. Just as I opened my mouth she held up a hand in a gesture of peace and slowly a smile formed as she pointed at the addition to our group.

"Amelia!" I shouted. Practically trampling Octavia to get my arms around my friend. "I was so worried. Where have you been? I mean obviously here, but why? And why didn't you call me?" As I began to babble she squeezed me tighter and everything stopped.

My roommate had always been a very loud broadcaster and in my distracted state my shields were on their lowest setting. I could feel a warmth radiating off of her, and picked up her excitement and fears about seeing me at that moment. Holding me back at arms length she explained everything.

"Oh Sook, I'm so sorry I worried you. I just didn't know what to tell you. And with Claudine's insistence that this was more important she seemed to think you could handle it."

"I was frantic until I spoke to your father."

"I'm sorry. I really needed to do this."

"So, just what is this?"

"I'm a witch. Turns out I'm a natural, probably runs in my blood. Most likely on my mother's side. I discovered it by accident: after everything with Tray I was really upset and I found that I could make things happen. I was trying to avoid being around you so you wouldn't pick anything up about my freak abilities. After doing some research I found a coven in the area and went to a meeting with them. I met Claudine at the club that her brother and sister run and she agreed to help me with my mentoring. So, I've been here learning from Octavia since."

I was hurt that Amelia thought, me, of all people wouldn't be able to handle her being a witch, but I consoled myself with her thoughts of keeping me out of harms way. Another thought occurred to me.

"Why were you in the woods behind the house?"

"Oh, that was me," Claudine's voice floated in pulling my focus to her. "We went by the house to get some things, but I sensed the vampires nearby so I took Amelia through the portal in your woods for a quick get away."

Without invitation I plopped myself down on the couch in Octavia's living room. A portal? This was all becoming too much.

"The portal that leads to the fae world. We used it to pass through and came out just on the other side of New Orleans."

"Yeah, unfortunately for me I wasn't allowed to be awake for that part." Amelia added, with an eye roll directed at my fairy godmother.

I sighed loudly and balled my fists up over my eyes. Only a few hours until morning and I still didn't have a clue as to how I was going to get Eric back.

"What about the loan you asked your father for?"

"Experiment."

"Excuse me?"

"I was really upset about Tray so I decided to perform an ectoplasmic reconstruction of the night of the phone call. The loan was for materials, and of course I had to pay the coven for their services."

She took in my confused look and explained that using magic she could replay the events of the night she called Tray's phone and Debbie answered. She had to find the exact spot it all happened as well and that took more magic and therefore more money. But, at last she discovered that Tray was cleared on all accounts, even if he turned into a wolf at the full moon. She took it surprisingly well, but I guess finding out your boyfriend is a werewolf the same week as discovering you're a witch isn't such a big deal. She fully intended to make it up to Tray when she got back to Bon Temps, assuming he still wanted her. I picked that last part up from her mind and reassured her that he was still very much in love with her.

Quickly changing the subject to my love life, she pushed for details on Eric since she had left. Of course she wasn't living under a rock and so she was fully aware he had been outed on CNN by the footage of the shooting. My resolve cracked and I told her everything, ending with the vamp-napping of Eric. It took her a long time to move on from my being fired to really pay attention to the part where I needed her help getting him back.

"We'll get him back tomorrow. I promise."

I told her my exchange plan and hoped to find the support that Claudine had been less than willing to lend to the idea. No such luck, Amelia shot me down as well. Claiming that the queen had the advantage. She suggested magic. As I listened to her scheme unfold I was liking the idea of having a witch for a friend more every moment.