The evening at Fangtasia was completely uneventful. There was nothing out of the ordinary, no out of hand tourists, no fang bangers throw themselves in front of him, no mindless chatter about someone trying to kill her. She sat beside him all night, resting her hand unconsciously on his thigh.

They were so comfortable with one another, they didn't even need to speak to fill the silence. She scanned the room and threw her mental net out at a few people that looked a little out of place. She quickly learned that they were just board, middle aged married men looking for a quick fling. Unhappy with their current lives, they were looking to take a walk on the wild side. She pulled her net back not wanting to get any further involved in their depressing states.

"Eric, where is Pam?" She rubbed her hand through his hair and twisted the blond locks in her fingers.

"She has the night off. She is working, just not here. She is working on our current situation." He did not need to elaborate on what the situation was. She tensed when she thought of Pam stalking her prey.

"Will she be alright?" She hated the idea of Pam out there alone, but she also knew that Pam was the best girl…vamp, for the job.

"I am sure. Pam is quite capable of taking care of herself." He looked at her and smiled at her concern for his child.

"Alright, I won't think about it anymore." She went back to scanning the room and watching the patrons. She placed her hand back on his thigh and felt the familiar buzzing vibration of his cell phone. She jumped a little when she felt it. Eric pulled it out of his pocket and didn't recognize the number.

"Private. Let's have a look" He answered the phone and gave her a very Eric wink. "Yes? I'm sorry, what did you just say? Pam, why are you calling from a private number. What is going on?" He paused and his face was unreadable. He nodded his head when it seemed appropriate, even though she couldn't see him. "I understand, that is quite a plan. I will agree, but if this gets out of hand I will not be happy Pam." He replaced the phone in his pocket and took her hand.

"Come, we need to go over this new detail." He led her towards his office and the crowd parted as he stalked his way through. They got to his office and he quickly shut the door behind him. Even though his mood was considerably down, he managed to grab her and kiss her, causing her to go weak in the knees. When he finally released her lips he smiled at her and hugged her to his body.

"Pam…she has a plan. I'm not pleased with it, but it does sound to be very convincing." He rubbed her shoulders and seemed to concentrate on the wall.

"What's this plan?" She could tell by the mood engulfing the bond that it was dangerous.

"Pam is going to try and capture William, that is Victor's second in command. She is going to weave a tale of betrayal and jealousy." He stiffened as he thought about the words that she spoke. "She is going to William and she is going to claim that she has decided to leave me in Shreveport. She will tell him a story of my allowing my love for you to put her in danger. She will tell him that she is sick of being cast to the side as I am no longer a good master." He was very sad, she could feel this through his body. "She is hoping that William will try and take the opportunity to lure her into his world. She is hoping that he will try and persuade her to give Victor fealty. She will make a very good case for feeling abandoned and feeling like she has been made a fool." He rubbed his face over hair and inhaled her scent.

"But what if this William figures out her plan? What if he realizes that she was just trying to get information?" Her voice was more than concerned.

"Sookie, if they realize that she still is faithful to me, they will kill her." There was no emotion in his voice. He was just laying the facts down.

"But, you can't let her do that. You have to stop her. It isn't worth it…I can take care of this guy myself." She knew that was not the case, but it sure felt good to say.

"I can't stop her. She called me from a disposable cell phone to let me know what was happening. She wanted to let me know that she was ready to fight, that she was willing to do anything to ensure our safety. She was tossing the phone after we ended our call. She does have her personal cell, but she will not answer it. She needs to prove that when I call her…she will not respond. It is a very punishable offense to not come when your maker calls. She plans on using that to show that she is cutting all ties with me. If she can show William that she is willing to be severely punished, it will make her story more convincing." He was still boring a hole in the wall with his eyes.

All in all it was a pretty solid plan. It was the best way to get to William and Victor, to gain entry into their world. Such a powerful vampire would stop at nothing to try and gain a rival's fealty. Pam was smart, sometimes too smart for her own good.

"Is there anything that we can do? I can't stand to think of her getting hurt. I know she's a vampire and all, and she loves this kind of thing. But, she is my friend. She is my friend Eric, and she is your's. How can you be so calm?" She was scared for Pam, and she was scared for him.

"It is best to keep a level head. I have great faith in Pamela, she will not let us down. I will need to keep my temper under control. I know if she gains entry, and if she can convince William to accept her story, the first thing that he will want to do is parade her under my nose. He will bring her here, making sure that I see that my child has a new master."

"But Eric, everyone knows that she would never turn on you. Everyone knows how loyal she is. Plus, wouldn't bringing her here just make it easier for you to punish her? wouldn't that be like bringing the lost child back home?" She questioned the plan.

"Not exactly…most of the vampires around here know that I do not require Pam to stay with me. They know that she is here on her own free will and not by my hand. Yes, in bringing her here she would be subject to my punishment, but that is what he would be expecting. William will want to see me punish her, even a little. It will truly make her look like she has betrayed me." He let his voice dip to that very low, very dangerous tone.

"So, Pam is expecting you to punish her at some point. She is willing to be hurt, by you in order to help save us?" She could feel her voice crack as she realized the devotion in Pam's plan.

"Yes, that is exactly the reaction she is expecting. She will be hurt by my hand, even if she knows that there is no true malice behind it." He walked away and sat in his office chair. He let his head drop back and ran his hands over his hair. This was hurting him, he was a ball of anger, fear, anxiety, and pride? Proud that his child was willing to go to such extremes to protect he and his beloved. He made a mental note to give her a very big raise when this was all over and done with.

"Eric, we need to go back to the bar. No one else is here to control the masses. Let's not think about it, OK." She tried to take her own advice, but she kept worrying about Pam. She took his hand and led the way back through the bar. They only had to make it another couple of hours. The bar would close and they could go home and relax.