Hi All,

Apologies for the delay. I had a lot of deadlines lately but will have more time now. Just give me a bit of time to sort out the ending to this and the start of season two will be right behind it.

**More added to this chapter! hope you like!**

Please read and review!

The images flashed and shook and shocked my mind with deep black and harsh light, raging fires and burning ice. And hands. There were hands all over me; stroking, pinching, smoothing, scratching. All different sensations that mixed with the images to make me completely disorientated in my own skin. Shapes and faces flashed and swirled in front of me, changing, melting, spinning away and into my line of sight. It was only when I saw one particular face and felt a particular grasp around my neck that I was able to shout out. And then everything went black.

But that wasn't a bad thing. The blackness was better than what I had been enduring. Of course, his name echoed in the dark, making me feel like I was in a huge space, all alone.

But I wasn't alone. I could feel him. I knew he was there even if I couldn't see or hear him. I wanted his touch, his assurance, approval even. I wanted him to tell me I was going to be ok, we both were. Together.

He made me jump when his hands came down on my shoulders, but the slow movement down my arms soon relaxed me. He stepped closer so I could feel him pressed into my back, and I leant against him. His arms circled my waist, and his head dipped to kiss my shoulder lightly. No, it was more like he was breathing me in rather than kissing me; a simple and gentle touch compared with the maddeningly over stimulated feelings of earlier. He moved further up, this time he pressing down, moving his lips against my skin and I moaned at the new sensation. He seemed to approve of this as he moved to my neck and gave a moan of his own. I felt his fangs and shivered, waiting to feel him embed them in my skin, needing it. But he didn't.

Instead he whispered in my ear, "Look at me Lover". His voice made me bite my lip in excitement. He had let go of me so I was free to move, and spun around so I could look into his sexy eyes that I swear would send me straight to hell.

Only they weren't his eyes and it wasn't his face.

Long Shadow smiled down at me before he exploded all over me.

I woke up with a start. It felt like I was still dripping in him and I stood up from the sofa and looked down at myself. Although it was a blood red colour, it was only the Fangtasia T-shirt and not any remains of Long Shadow that covered me.

I sat back down on the sofa heavily, and waited for my breathing to become normal again.

Looking out the dark window it looked like this was the start of the fourth night in the house on my own and the fourth night I had had that dream. Each time was as scary as the first, my dream self never remembered how it would end and upon waking I felt exactly the same. I took another shuddering breath before getting up and padding over to the kitchen.

As expected there was a parcel waiting for me. One had been waiting each time I had woken up, and I guessed the delivery person, whoever it was, had been instructed to wait until I was asleep before dropping anything off.

The first pack had been the biggest as it contained not only food but everything I would need for the bathroom and clothes. Not my clothes, but clothes none the less. No Pjs though, thus I was still sleeping in the Fangtasia T-shirt.

I had been grateful for the pack as, after exploring the house, it turned out it was completely empty, as in nothing at all except the fixtures and fittings. I happily found places for everything and proceeded to have the longest shower of my life in the huge walk in shower in the main bathroom. I also took advantage of the equally large roll top bath - well, there was nothing else to do except get thoroughly clean.

After that I slept soundly all through the day, waking up to early evening outside and another package on the kitchen counter. This one contained more bathroom products which was a bit excessive, but they were the honey and milk flavour that I like the best, so I didn't argue. Not that there was anyone to argue with.

The third parcel was exactly the same as the one that I was now faced with; 3 partly frozen microwave meals. All macaroni and cheese.

It was frustrating because I had not had any contact with anyone for all this time, but then, hadn't I asked for that? And though it was agonizingly infuriating, Eric was true to his word. I was being 'safely looked after' but sometimes the situation was so ludicrous it made me laugh; but that might still be the effect of the blood in me...

Anyway, I put the meals in the fridge, walked silently up to the main bathroom and started running a bath. That would kill a few hours.

I was safely ensconced in a mixture of steaming water and hot bubbles when I realised he was there. Although I didn't scream, I did take in a shocked gasp of breathe, and then scrambled to get bubble coverage on strategic points of my body; I suddenly felt extremely naked.

All he did was laugh while he lounged effortlessly against the door frame, looking like a stupidly handsome male model "Will you lose that ridiculous scowl if I were to join you lover?"

I ignored his comment and simply said "four days Eric."

"Four nights" he corrected which was annoying enough, never mind the fact that he was neither apologising nor suitably regretful for my liking so I imagined staring wooden stakes into him. Unfortunately this just meant that I had a reason to look him up and down. God, even in plain jogging bottoms and jacket he looked hot, all I had to do was take that zip down and his chest would be exposed... I swallowed and moved deeper into the water.

Not over the blood quite yet then...

Eric entered the room, uncrossing his arms as if he was inviting me to do just what I was thinking. But I had to have imagined that as he continued our original conversation.

"You were looked after. Provided for..." he gestured around the opulent bathroom

"Eric!" I shouted, not only at what he was saying but at the fact that he was coming dangerously close to the bath, and there were only so many bubbles.

"Alex" he sounded patronising now, making me look directly up at him as he stood right next to the bath, "you had water and shelter and food." He sat down on the lip of the tub and I quickly scooped some more bubbles over the essential areas, which made him smile more, and me scowl more. "The only thing you lacked was the company of someone you could complain to"

Ugh, I should have expected something along those lines, as well as the killer smile he had. I had the urge to pull him down into the water, just to ruin the stupidly casual outfit he was wearing, but knew it would expose more of me than I wanted to.

I glared up at him and noted he was not meeting my eyes; rather the rest of my body that i really really hoped was covered with bubbles.

"Get dressed. We're going to the bar" he said as lazily as his eyes briefly met mine and then he turned and was leaving.

"I'm not going anywhere with you" I laughed at his gall but stopped at his response, said over his shoulder as he left the bathroom.

"Then you will go nowhere."

I dressed as quick as I could, suddenly wanting very badly to get out of the house. I grabbed what I needed out of the 'dressing room' (meaning one of the four empty bedrooms I had put the bag of clothes in) and returned the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Just as I was unwrapping myself from the towel I stopped, pulled down the blind of the frosted glass window, just for good measure, and continued getting dressed. The only clothes that were vaguely wearable for me (a lot of them looked suspiciously like Pam's Fangtasia costume castoffs - all black leather, lace and invariably tight) was a short black pinafore dress that looked like a cross between a chic 1960's dress that Twiggy could have worn, and that of a manga character; it was short and straight but had an oversized white pussy bow right at the font.

I'm sure someone could have pulled it off well, but I just didn't think that someone was me. Also, as if that wasn't bad enough, whoever had stocked up on the bathroom essentials had forgotten that a woman's hair grows. Now, I know it had only been a couple of days but I've got to be honest and say if I know there is the teeniest bit of stubble then I would cover up. And my only option for covering up was a pair of black and white stripe hold up stockings.

I slipped them on and was happy to find that they reached right up to the crease of my buyt, so no vaguely hairy skin would be showing. After putting on sky high black heels I looked at myself in the mirrored wall which faced the roll top bath and sighed. No makeup and no hair products meant I felt completely out of my comfort zone but I couldn't do anything about it now. Man up Alex, I told myself and so I stood straight, squared my shoulders and walked down the stairs. Eric was waiting, though his attention was on his phone.

"Ready?" I asked, getting his attention

He looked me up and down and asked "are you?" the twinkle in his eye told me he knew I wasn't happy and was just taking the piss.

I stared coldly at him and tried my best to haughtily walk past but he stopped me, chuckling to himself.

"Hold still" he said, and I knew he was smiling when he said it. I wanted to ask why but his head bent down to my neck and his hair brushed against my skin, silencing me. His fingers were fiddling with the dress but I had no idea what he was doing. Then there was a loud ripping sound and he was slowly walking around me, taking the silky pussy bow neckline with him.

"What are you doing?" I asked and he passed in front of me.

"Making improvements. Do you want me to stop?" he let the half ripped off material fall down in front so I looked even more like an idiot.

I rolled my eyes and conceded, saying quietly "No"

"Good, then be still"

He picked up where he left off and I felt the last of the material be yanked off the main body of the dress. I looked at the neckline and was perplexed at how he had done that while only leaving a few stray threads, which I easily tucked down and away from sight.

He made me gasp as he pushed his arms under mine and began to wrap the white material around my waist, meaning that with every wrap, he found a way to press against my back and run his hands over my waist. He was such a God damn tease, and then I reproached myself for being so God damn susceptible to it.

He made me gasp again as he gave the material a yank, tightening it around me. "I won't be able to breathe!" I said

"Pride is painful, lover" Ugh, he sounded like my mother. I felt his fingers moving the excess material until he had apparently finished, but I was wrong, this time his fingers were at the tip of the stockings, tickling the little skin that was not covered.

"Eric!" and I jumped away from him, turning to see him kneeling on the floor, looking like a peeping Tom who had been found out, and wasn't really too bothered about it.

"Yes?"

"Nothing THERE needs your kind of improving"

"Well, if I had a better look I could better judge that myself" he said while smiling and showing fang. Then he angled his head slightly, looking me up and down. He was at the front door in vampire speed, and holding it open for me "but you will do"

"Thanks" I said, somewhat ungratefully, tucking a stray thread into the dress and walking out of the house.

I was very glad to see that his car was parked out front - no flying tonight then, good.

But I couldn't help but pause at the passenger door, asking before I realised I wanted to know the answer "Why don't you lock the house?"

"There is nothing inside worth stealing"

"What about squatters?"

"Not in this area"

"Then why do you have an empty house in this area?"

He regarded me with what looked like slight annoyance that I wasn't letting up "for when I need a place to house unfortunates" my mouth hung open to respond but he interrupted me "get in the car."

Well, there went the conversation.

We arrived at the bar without any further consequence, or conversation. Eric went into his office and I followed him, not really wanting to show myself in the main bar (I know it's stupid but I like to know I look at least myself if not nice when out in public!). While Eric continued to ignore me and sit behind his desk, I spied my bag on his leather couch, left here from my last visit to the bar, so sat down and retrieved my phone out of it. It was still on, though very low on battery and to my disappointment I had nothing waiting for me; no texts, missed calls or panicked voicemails from Grace asking where i was. Nothing to show that she was even concerned with where I had been. I shook my head at the phone and dropped/threw it back in my bag

"Upsetting message?"

I looked over and Eric seemed to be looking intently at his computer screen, but I definately hadn't imagined him asking the question.

"Complete opposite actually" I mumbled and sat back in to the couch, crossing my arms and legs.

"It's not surprising when you consider how much Pam and Grace have been fucking each other. I don't think Pam has ever met a human with as much stamina as your friend."

I gawked at Eric's comment, delivered in a matter of fact way as if he was saying that they had gone food shopping or something equally banal. I snapped my open mouth shut and tried not to think of my friend in that way. It was just wrong.

This whole situation was wrong, and I couldn;t understand why I was just sitting here, taking it. with that I got my phone out again, scrolled through the limited contact list and called the only person I thought would half understand where i was coming from.

It rang three times before she picked up. It was obvious by her tone that she didn't recognise the number "Hello?"

"Hi Sookie, It's Alex. From Fangt-"

"Oh my gosh Alex. How you doin'? Sorry, I don't have your number in my phone" well, she seemed happy to hear from me which was good, considering what I was going to ask her...

"I'm OK" I swallowed. I was ok, but there was no harm amping it up a bit, was there? I glanced over at Eric who's attention I had caught. He was looking at me with slightly raised eyebrows and as though he thought that yes, it was a little bit cheeky. He didn't look displeased though. I scowled and added "I've kind of been on house arrest for a while-"

"What?"

"After... that night, Eric took me to a house to get over the affects of the blood-"

"He just left you there?"

Ok, the concern I liked but the interrupting was beginging to grate... I noticed Eric was smiling more broadly and I deepened my scowl at him.

"Yes, I'll tell you the details but I wondered if I could ask you a favour?"

There was silence on the end of the line so I knew she was listening and waiting for the question before she passed judgment.

"I was wondering if that invitation to stay round yours was still open?"

There was a pause and then a small 'oh' from Sookie, which launched me into over explaining mode.

"I just can't stay here" I looked away from Eric, feeling uncomfortable explaining under his gaze "Grace may as well be on a different planet and that just leaves..." I searched for the words to explain it without making too much of an admission over my feelings towards Eric. Never mind those feelings wavered between lust and hatred, I didn't want to admit I had any feelings towards him or his ludicrously annoying smile across the room.

"It's OK, I get it. Your're either on your own or with Eric. But I thought you wanted-"

"If I could stay with you that would be great!" I interrupted quickly, and loudly, earning me a beaming smirk from Eric. Great...

"Alex, of course you can stay" she almost laughed it, like it was the easiest thing to agree to in the world. "I was just worried you were gona ask something for Eric. You're not are you?" She suddenly got a lot harder tone to her voice.

"No! Of course not. And anyway, you'll be able to see if I'm lying as soon as I get over there"

"Then it's fine. When you coming over?"

"Um, now?"

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"Well, OK then. Call me if you get lost OK?"

"I will. Thank you Sookie" I let the utter sincerity come across in my voice before say bye and ending the call.

"I didn't realise I made you so uncomfortable" Eric said, his blue eyes incredibly bright and staring straight into mine.

I turned my attention to my bag and started riffling through to find my car keys. I honestly couldn't remember if they had been in my bag, but I had seen the car in the car park when I arrived.

"Yes" I said curtly "And I'm not going back to that house on my own" I looked up and smiled, very pleased with myself that I'd found my keys, and thus my means of escape. I stood and headed out the office and to the back door.

Eric's voice behind me told me he was following behind, but not stopping me.

"I could arrange company if that's all you were concerned with."

"Unless you hadn't heard I've made my own arrangements, thank you."

"And if I refuse them?" he asked in his strange intonation. This time he had stopped me, holding the back door in place where I had started to open it. It meant I was blocked in by his arm and body and there was no where for me to look except up into his face. The smooth and easy-yet-mocking smile had been replaced with a hard stare. I could feel eyes widen as I expected to be glamoured.

When I wasn't, and realised we were just in a staring match I stood taller and faced him squarely. I had the perfect line but then thought better of it - I didn't want to risk him taking HIS car keys away from me. "Why would you do that?"

He was surprised at that. I had actually surprised him! I knew this because he hesitated. It may have only been for a second, at most, but I knew 100% that it was out of surprise. Point Alex.

He was back to himself within said second and slowly shut the back door. I went to protest but he smiled and confused me. Was he being menacing? firty? both? He lent against the door once it was closed, completely blocking my exit.

"Eric" I sighed, all I wanted him to do was move out of my way.

"Pam has asked for time off" When my only response was to stare back at him blankly he had to continue to elaborate "She has a great deal of responsibility within Fangtasia and so I advised her it would not be possible without a replacement."

Why didn't I like this?

"She suggested you."

OK, that's why.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You have proven your cabability, you know the business, and I know you."

"Let me guess, that's as close to 'I trust you' as I'm going to get?"

He smiled and seemed to relax which was completly at odds to how I was feeling - I was totally on edge at this conversation. Eric was offering me a job?

"If you were going to betray me you would have done so by now."

I had to laugh "Just be honest Eric. You know I have far too much pride to do a bad job, and if i were to betray you would go after Grace whether she was Pam's or not."

He laughed at that; an honest Eric laugh that I hadn't heard in a while. It lit up his whole face and sent his hair shivering over his shoulders. "And you have the extraordinary ability to think exactly as a vampire would."

While he beamed and pulled my hand up to his lips, I had to swallow. Hard.

He looked into my eyes with his smiling, gleaming blue ones and said quietly, almost intimately "You'll have a wage. Independence. And you will be here when my progeny's affections wane."

I watched him sharply before responding carefully "You think it will?"

"I do."

I thought for a moment before asking "When?"

He smiled, brought my hand, which he still held, back to his lips and answered "I'm not sure. Frankly I'm surprised it's lasted this long."

I gave a single humourless laugh "Grace can be very persuasive."

"I've noticed."

I frowned, was going to ask him what he meant but then thought why am I still here?

"Eric, Sookie will be waiting for me." A weak excuse but I was glad when he nodded and moved from the door and held it open for me.

I noted he left just enough room for me to squeeze through but it meant I had to drag my body against his. I glanced up and saw him smiling down at me sinfully. Why was it I couldn't just frown? Why did I have to blush?

I made a small leap out of the door and teetered on the stupidly high heels, making me blush even more. Why am I so embarrassing?

I tried to compensate by strutting over to the car which I managed without any more cringe moments. I dropped down into the seat and sighed; I was free. At least for now. As if to completely contradict my relief, Eric was at the car door.

He smiled down at me, noted how much the mini dress had ridden up my thigh and smiled wider. "Stay in touch, lover" and he closed the door for me.

I concentrated on getting the car started and driving away without stalling - stupid heels!

I did however, glance back to see him standing in exactly the same spot, watching me leave.