Disclaimer: I do not own True Blood or the Southern Vampire Mystery Novels. I make no money from writing this.
Author's Note: This one took a while for me to write; it's long. I didn't proofread it really… so if there are any problems, I apologize. A little more Eric and Alice bonding in this one. I wanted to give Alice a little more information, because I feel like I haven't really had anyone tell her what's going on. And a little drama too. Hope you like it, and thank you for all the awesome reviews!
Stepping out from Isabel's room with a bewildered look, Alice gathered a sequined purse that was borrowed from the female vampire, as well as an interesting outfit. When she had been told that Isabel had some eclectic garments, she wasn't lying. Alice hoped to just find a skirt and shirt; something simple that would look acceptable among her college bound peers. People walking the halls of her campus barely put any effort into their outfits anyways, often going to class in whatever they slept in the night before. Therefore, her outfit for tonight was bound to catch a few eyes, but whether or not she actually wanted the attention was another question entirely.
Lifting her head higher in hope to look confident, Alice began her short walk to the foyer of Godric's home, supposedly where Eric, her escort for the evening, was waiting for her. Isabel was a very confident lady, and her wardrobe reflected that. She helped Alice with a gleeful smile and a handful of compliments, and a few "Sorry that I don't have anything to your tastes. Current human fashion is hard to keep up with" excuses. Alice was grateful she just didn't have to go to class in her panties.
The delicately beaded black clutch was held in her hand tightly. She was determined not to damage any of Isabel's nice, and probably expensive, things; Alice would guard this purse with her life. Inside the purse was a pen and a rolled up stack of paper that she could use to take notes on. It wasn't her preferred method for classes, but her regular purse was either in her car or her apartment. It would do.
Her feet were strapped up in a pair of strappy black heels. They weren't too tall, only about two inches, but they were the shortest Isabel had; she deeply adored high heeled boots and any sort of promiscuous looking shoe. Isabel did have a few pairs of flamboyantly colored flats, but they were too big for Alice's little feet. At least the heels had some straps and buckles that could be adjusted to fit her feet a little better.
Among the countless racks of clothing in Isabel's walk in closet, Alice was finally able to find something that didn't look like she was going to an elegant ball or business meeting. Alice slinked into a red velvet mini dress with a scoop back and long sleeves. It was pretty and she could probably go to a bar in it, but it was warm, and it was supposed to be a little 'nippy' as Eric had said.
It was tight against her perky breasts, slender waist and curvy thighs, which made her feel a little out of place, but it would be okay for a single class. At least she would be the hottest thing studying the stars tonight. Alice laughed to herself while she made her way down the hallway slowly in the strappy almost-too-big for her heels.
Acting as the resident dress up doll tonight for Isabel, the vampire insisted she allowed her to do something with her long locks of soft brown hair, but Alice also insisted she wasn't going to any sort of gala. They compromised and put it in a high ponytail, so the scoop back of her dress was visible, but it was also sensible and acceptable for school.
With a light touch of makeup, Alice was finished, and she made her way to the foyer where Eric was standing by the door, hunched over his cell phone and rapidly texting someone.
Alice stood there for a moment, waiting for him to take notice that she was ready to leave, but he was too engrossed in his text messages and didn't look up.
"Ahem," Alice coughed discreetly to get the show on the road.
Eric looked up as if he had known she was there the entire time. When he glanced at her attire a smug smile crossed his features, "Where are you going? A gala?"
Lightly hooding her eyes in a glare, Alice attempted to defend herself, "Shut up. Take me to class, escort." Stomping away from him with as much grace as she could muster in the unfamiliar heels, Alice walked out the front door and to the only car sitting in the driveway. It was a sleek red convertible with the top currently down. Good thing her hair was in a ponytail.
Just as she reached the car, she screamed and jumped back in horror as the alarm went off. The car's bright lights and whooping alarms sounded loudly in the evening air. Alice threw a hand over her jumping heart and turned around to hear Eric's laughter.
The tall vampire was holding the key fob in his hand with his thumb over the 'Panic' button. He could barely contain his laughter, "Ah. What a pathetic little thing you are."
The car switched from yelling "Whoop! Whoop!" to "Wee Wooo! Wee Wooo!" Alice threw her hands over her ears and yelled over the noise, "You're an ass! I'm telling Godric."
Eric stopped the alarm with another click of the button before unlocking the doors, "What's a little bit of fun before I have to sit through an amateur astronomy lesson talking about things I already know? Besides, babysitting a human-excuse me, nymph is the last thing I'd like to be doing in my spare time." He opened the driver's side door before gracefully sliding into the seat, Alice following in suit.
Eric sped out of the driveway and up onto the highway, barely listening to Alice's few directions.
The car ride was quiet. Eric sat with one elbow leaned against an arm rest, and the other arm steering the wheel, his eyes were glued to the road.
Alice sat firmly in the passenger seat, the fancy beaded clutch was parked on her lap while she watched out the window. She decided to break the silence and get a chance to ask Eric a few questions, "How long have you been living with Godric?"
Without looking away from the road in front of him, Eric asked back in an indifferent tone, "Right now, or on the grand scale?" He tried to clarify the question.
"Both."
Thinking to himself for a moment, Eric lifted a hand to himself to playfully count. He lifted one, two, three, four fingers, then answered, "About a thousand years. Give or take a few hundred."
Alice widened her eyes for a moment at the figure, but stayed quiet for him to expand on his answer.
"Godric turned me about a thousand years ago. We lived and hunted together for centuries. Eventually I moved off to build my own life. Recently I have ended up in Shreveport, Louisiana to build a vampire bar."
Contemplating his words, Alice supplied a, "Hmm."
"'Hmm'?" Eric raised an eyebrow at her reply.
Fidgeting with the purse in her lap, Alice bit her lip and then spoke, "What kind of bar is it?"
"A vampire bar." Eric answered with a smart-ass tone.
Alice rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I heard it the first time. I mean, what kind of things go on in the bar? Do only vampires go?"
"No, humans are allowed as well, though any blood drinking is not allowed on the property."
A confused look came over Alice, "Then… what's the point for you?"
Eric smiled and turned to the girl to his right, "Money."
Alice turned away and looked back out her window, "Thought it would be something like that."
Eric pulled off the highway and onto the correct exit to her school. There wasn't much traffic, only people driving around town for late dinners. She had about fifteen minutes until her class started. They had enough time to get there.
Alice broke the silence again, "I know that Godric is your maker, but did you make anyone into a vampire?" She watched the familiar landmarks that let her know she was almost at her destination.
"Yes. One. Her name is Pam. I called her back to me to help start my club. She is the one who is seeing to it while I visit Godric here," he paused and then glanced over to Alice, looking at her outfit again, "In fact, you may get along with her quite well. She is a fan of fashion…and ladies. Perhaps you two should be introduced." He stifled some laughter at Alice's odd look she was directing towards him.
"You want me to become a lesbian with your vampire gal?" She watched him incredulously.
A sly grin came about Eric's features, "Yep, that would be about it."
Eric pulled into the parking lot that Alice pointed at from her seat. She rolled her eyes at his suggestion, "Yeah, sure. I'll think about it," she spoke sarcastically.
Grabbing her small clutch, Alice stepped out of the car and started walking towards the science building where her class takes place. As soon as she was about to open the door to the building, a big white hand opened it for her. Confused, she looked up and saw that Eric was following her to her class, "What the hell are you doing?"
Leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed smugly, he responded, "Going to class."
Also crossing her arms, Alice looked at him like he was an idiot, "My class?"
"I thought that would have been obvious. I've been charged with the task of watching you this evening. I plan to follow you everywhere you go. It will be straining on my personal agenda, but I'm sure I can find… something to amuse me with."
Lightly smacking herself on the forehead from her bad luck, Alice shook her head and stomped down the hall, her heels clacking on the stone flooring with every step. Without looking back, she lightly mumbled, "You're the frickin' bane of my existence."
"Glad to hear it, little nymph."
When the odd pair arrived at the science lab, all of the students in the room stared. It wasn't a large class, as astronomy wasn't one of the most exciting subjects to most, and the majority of the people in the class were men. Alice often found that to be the case in some of the more specialized science fields. Women were slowly making their way into subjects that used to be exclusive for men, but it was a very leisurely process.
Ignoring the large, blonde Viking vampire behind her, Alice walked over to her regular seat off to the side of the classroom. Some of the guys in the room were ogling her in the skin tight dress, but she was able to ignore it and open the clutch. The paper was slightly rolled up, but she managed to flatten it and begin copying the extensive amount of notes on the white board.
Eric slid into the empty seat next to her with a smirk. His broad shoulders stood out amongst the other young men in the room, and he was proud of it. Sitting tall in his seat, Eric slid one of his hands over the side of his hair and lightly made sure it was still in its coiffed appearance. When it was too his liking, Eric took out his cell phone and began rapidly texting to some unknown receiver.
Glancing upwards towards the ceiling and sighing, Alice sunk in her chair and remained attentive throughout the entire lecture, while ignoring any strange glances she got, or the imposing vampire texting loudly next to her.
About halfway through the class, Alice felt a tap on her shoulder. She ignored the poke, and stayed focused on the information the professor was giving them. School work was serious to Alice, and she genuinely was interested in the anatomy of the stars they were discussing.
A few second later, there was another tap. She turned around discreetly, trying not to catch the attention of the professor, but attempting to keep listening to him at the same time. Eric continued to play his game of Spider Solitaire on his phone, and therefore was thoroughly immersed in it.
Alice turned to face the poker. It was a scruffy looking boy who was probably about twenty. She didn't remember him at all, but she usually just rushed to her seat and after class rushed out the door, never talking to anyone. He had a light beard around his face, but it was probably just due to a lack of shaving that day. The two eyes that were focused on her were a steely yellow color. A bright smile spread across his handsome features. He lifted up a hand off his desk and gave her a small wave.
With eyebrows raised in confusion, Alice shook her head, trying to get him to tell her why he tapped her shoulder.
The boy whispered quietly, "Hi. I'm Casen." Some of his black hair hung into his face, but most of it was jelled into a slight faux hawk.
Alice gave a polite smile and waved back before turning back towards the professor and resuming her note taking.
Apparently the boy named Casen wasn't finished, because he tapped her again. Annoyed, Alice turned back around quickly and stared at him expectantly.
"I've been wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee after this," he whispered again.
Alice was surprised this guy was giving her the time of day. After all, she had never even spoken to him before. It was a little forward of him to presume that she would be comfortable meeting up with a guy in the dead of night to get some coffee. Besides, she wasn't even attracted to him, and he was probably only asking because he liked her slightly suggestive outfit today.
She shook her head and gave him a tight lipped smile, trying to be polite in her rejection, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm interested." Without even staying to see his reaction, Alice turned back around and listened to the rest of the lecture. He didn't tap her again.
Once the class was let out, Alice rolled up her many pages of intense notes and stuck them in her clutch along with the pen. She stood up and looked down at Eric, who looked bored to death.
"Is it over, finally?" He looked around the classroom with a detached glance, severely uninterested.
Alice nodded, her purse in her hands, "Yeah, let's get out of here."
Eric swept up out of the seat that was a little too small for his large and masculine body and darted out of the room, Alice in tow.
Before she walked out of the classroom completely, Alice looked back to see if the boy Casen was still there. He wasn't; he must have already left.
Eric and Alice walked outside, away from the small amount of students cramming in to each other to get to their dorms. It was a brisk night, and Alice was glad she had the warm sleeves of the velvet to protect her from the wind. Eric had a grey suit jacket that he had grabbed before he left, and he was a vampire anyways, so she was sure he was fine.
While they were walking towards Eric's flashy car, Alice's stomach rumbled loudly, reminding Eric to something.
"I'm supposed to feed you. I forgot," he noted with no real concern.
Alice placed a hand on her stomach, "I'm starving. Feed me something more than an apple, please."
Rolling his head back over his shoulders like it pained him to do something as ordinary as buy a girl dinner, Eric dropped into the car after Alice and drove off towards somewhere with food.
"So where should I take you? One of those 'super' markets? Or can you just eat something from those vending machine things?" He drove down the road quickly, pushing the speed limit a little.
Rolling her eyes at his annoyingness, Alice answered, "Just take me down the road to a diner. You can get a True Blood or something. I'm sure some waitress would fall into your arms if you wanted."
A small smirk appeared over his lips, "Hmm. I'll consider that."
Alice shook her head and continued to direct him to the twenty-four hour diner nearby. It was popular among the students who went to her school, and she had been there a few times. Around this time there would be quite a few of her peers drinking at the bar or getting a platter of chicken wings. But it was the closest place that she knew of, and she didn't want to linger around with Eric for any longer than necessary.
Eric parked eagerly, anxious to see if there was any human inside who was worthy of supplying him with a bloody meal this evening. He rushed Alice inside the mirrored interior of the Greek-style diner, most of the tables filled with chattering young people as she had suspected.
The diner looked like any other diner in the United States did. Booths lined the restaurant, a smoky plastic divider in between the separate tables, and at each a half broken music selector was attached to the plainly papered wall. Nineties hits like Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You and Ricky Martin's Livin' la Vida Loca were among the choices to be paid for with a few quarters. Alice contemplated turning on The Macarena a few dozen times just to piss Eric off, before she remembered she would have to endure it as well.
A portly waitress around the age of forty five seated them. She wore a black pair of slacks that had to squeeze over her thighs and a white blouse, her white brassiere painfully visible underneath the stretched fabric of her top. The buttons running down the front of her shirt were almost buckling, and also gave Alice and Eric an eyeful of her bosoms. She took their drink orders; Eric a True Blood, and Alice a glass of orange juice, then bustled away, her bottom slinking away in attempts to seduce the tall alluring vampire.
Eric looked towards Alice with a traumatized look; any hopes of getting a hot little waitress to feed from had flown out of his mind. He settled for the bottle blood immediately, but with a small amount of anger. After the chubby waitress got them their drinks and took Alice's order of a cup of hot chicken noodle soup, she was off and doing her job leaving Alice and Eric to talk once again.
Setting his warm bottle on the old laminated table, Eric looked over to Alice who was slowly nursing her orange juice with a straw, "So I observed your little admirer tonight during your class."
Alice laughed quietly and shook her head, "Yeah. Really annoying. I was trying to pay attention to the lecture." She took another sip of her drink before changing the topic of discussion, "Did Godric… mention anything about my… ancestry to you?" She tried to ask discreetly in case any other late eaters were listening in.
Eric understood where she was going, and answered quietly, leaning in a little towards her after making sure no one was near, "We spoke briefly when he figured it out. I know little of nymphs, but I have heard a stray legend or two." He leaned back and sat up straight when their waitress came back with Alice's bowl of soup. After setting it down on the table in front of the hungry girl, she walked away and sat another couple looking to grab something to eat.
Alice opened the complimentary saltine crackers and crunched them up before dropping them in her soup and mushing them around. With a smile she dug in.
Eric watched her strange eating habit before speaking again in a low voice, "There are a few things you told me that helped Godric come to his conclusion."
Looking up from her bowl, Alice held the warm spoon and leaned over to her glass of juice to drink a bit without picking it up, "Like what?"
The vampire looked across the restaurant, something catching his eye that Alice couldn't see, but he answered, "You parents' relationship intrigued us the most."
Furrowing her eyebrows Alice asked, "What do you mean?"
"Godric mentioned to me that nymphs were often bonded to supernatural beings because they shared similar natures. When a creature is bonded to another, the relationship is deep and unwavering. Godric and I assume that after your father died, your mother followed because the bond was broken. Call it 'heartbreak' if you wish, but the outcome is the same."
Putting her spoon on the paper napkin next to her plate, Alice looked at him with wide eyes, "So if I bond to someone, and they die, I die?"
Eric nodded curtly, "The opposite is true as well; if you die, they die."
Alice folded her hands in her lap over the beaded clutch. This was a little too much information. So getting into a relationship was pretty much signing her and his death contracts. She didn't know if she was comfortable with that.
The two fell silent for a few moments, Alice quietly chewing on a piece of carrot while Eric finished his B+ bottle of blood. After he set the empty bottle down, another one was slammed on the table.
Eric and Alice looked up to see an attractive looking girl leaning against the table, her hand clutching the edge and her other holding the blood. The way she leaned forward exposed her bosom to Eric's, and also Alice's view, though she was more disgruntled and he was more pleased about it.
The girl looked to be around twenty six, she was blonde, though it was bleached that way, and pretty. She wore a good amount of makeup focused around her eyes to give a bedroomy look.
"Hello, there," her southern accent drawled, "I'm Sylvia."
Eric raised an eyebrow and gave a seductive smile, "Eric. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Sylvia grinned with her glossy lips, "Well, I was just going to freshen up in the ladies' room over there," she pointed behind her, "And I happened to see such a handsome man over here. Would you like to join me for a moment?"
Alice almost gagged. What a sleaze. Eric turned towards Alice, almost pleading with his eyes to allow him to disappear with the girl for a moment. Rolling her eyes at him for probably the millionth time that night, Alice waved him away, "I'll just finish up my soup."
Eric turned back to the willing lady, stood up, and grabbed her hand, dragging her discreetly towards the bathrooms. It would probably only be a few minutes before he was back.
Alice finished up her bowl of soup, making sure to get every last noodle before pushing it away from her. She nursed her orange juice out of the straw for a few minutes before someone sat down across from her.
The guy from her class sat across from her, where Eric had previously been sitting. Alice was extremely creeped out, but didn't do anything outwardly rude.
"Hey! Alice, right?" Casen greeted enthusiastically.
Alice nodded warily and finished off her juice.
"I'm just here with a couple of friends," he looked back towards a table with a few guys sitting around drinking beer. Instead of acting like any other group of college guys, they sat quietly and watched Casen warily. He continued, "And I saw you across the room. Thought I would give you some company. Can I get you anything to drink?"
Alice looked down to her empty glass, then back to the bathrooms where Eric had disappeared. If he was going to take off for a while, she might as well get a free drink out of it, "That'd be great. Just another orange juice would be great. I'm not old enough to drink."
A large smile spread across Casen's face and he got up to go grab her the juice from the front counter. Alice leaned her elbow on the table and her head in her hand. This was taking forever. Stupid horny Eric.
Casen returned a minute later with her juice. He slid it in front of her and Alice gave her thanks.
"So I saw your guy leave you here," he spoke in reference to Eric.
Alice threw up an uncaring hand, "He's not my guy. It's complicated I guess." She sipped down some of the orange juice though she wasn't very thirsty anymore. It would only be polite to drink it since he bought it for her.
Casen nodded with a caring smile, "I know all about complicated relationships; they suck."
It wasn't so much a relationship as much as a babysitting arrangement, but she agreed, "Yeah, well. What can you do?" She shrugged and took another sip of the cool juice.
"So what made you choose astronomy? Are you just using it as a requirement for your earth sciences?" Casen tried to keep the conversation going.
Alice shook her head, but it made her head hurt so she stopped, "No, I chose it for my major. I really like astronomy and things like that. It's hard, but I'm willing to do the work, I suppose."
Casen agreed, "Yeah, I barely understood anything that teacher was talking about today. It's tough. I'm only taking it to take care of my science requirement."
Alice took another sip of the juice, "Hey, is this a mimosa or something? It tastes a little different."
A guilty look crossed Casen's features for a moment, "Hah… Yeah, sorry about that… I thought you may like it better, since you're not allowed to drink and all."
Alice swayed in her seat a little. The drink was getting to her.
"Hey," he began, "Me and my friends were about to go to a club down on Main Street. It's really fun. Do you want to go with us?" he asked a little loudly.
Alice furrowed her eyebrows, but stayed quiet for a moment. Something was in that drink, and she wasn't sure it was just champagne. She felt herself slouching down slightly.
"Great!" Casen answered equally as loud, reacting to her lack of answer for anyone who might be listening in, "Let's get going then." He quickly stood up and gestured to his buddies, who followed in suit.
Casen walked around to Alice's side of the table and gripped the right side of her waist, pulling her off the cushioned bench towards him. Alice, not quite sure what was going on, tried to scoot away, but was not match for Casen. He pulled her up to a standing position while she clutched her borrowed purse in her hands while his five friends or so clustered around them, blocking Alice from the eyes of the restaurant.
A hand slipped around her waist and Alice felt herself going dizzy. Swirls of light from the sconces on the wall flashed around in her vision while her eyes darted around. The sounds of Elvis Presley's All Shook Up waved over her from one of the booths. She teetered in her heels, but was drug out of the restaurant by either Casen or one of his friends.
While they were walking out of the door she managed to call out quietly, "Eric!" Though her tone was quite distressed, the actual words were much quieter than she expected and probably lost over the chattering of the unconcerned customers around them.
Once fully outside and in the parking lot, one of Casen's gruff looking friends picked her up by the waist and rushed over to a car.