In the office of Felipe de Castro, Eva sat on a high backed red velvet chair. There was a large fireplace and large portraits of women on the wall. The oil paintings were not erotic, but the women were beautiful and sultry looking. Their eyes were vividly painted and Eva almost expected them to blink – they made her uncomfortable.

Felipe was sat across the room from her, a false smile etching itself slowly.

"You want me for something specific?" she asked as the silence stretched into uneasy realms. Felipe laughed in retort, and sat back in his chair like an old man watching television, but smugly.

"Look Miss Hunter…Eva, may I?"

"Yes, whatever."

"You were my employee and I appreciate you were turned by a vampire from another state, but you willingly left his care. I can only assume you will return to my ranks."

Eva felt the threat beneath to polite demeanour and carefully chosen words. She sat upright in her chair, matching his perceiving gaze with her hard strong stare.

"I didn't leave his care," she lied, "I took a temporary leave to do something I needed to do. My travels have led me to you."

"Don't kid with me, I see you for what you are."

"You don't know me," Eva snapped. Felipe rose from his chair and took a large step towards Eva, his fangs appearing.

"What you are," he repeated, growling through his fangs, "A little girl who doesn't know what she wants, running from place to place, man to man, in a vain hope of finding an easy life. Let me tell you, your easy life was shattered the minute you stepped foot in that hotel."

"I know what I want, and right now I want to leave."

Eva was trembling inside, but she put on her brave face and rose from the chair to stalk towards the door. She had never been looking for an 'easy life'; she'd been following her emotions rather than her brain and her instincts. 'What you are.' What she was, was a teenager.

Felipe appeared in front of her before she could grab the door handle. His face was calm again; he put one hand on Eva's arm to gently push it away from the handle. His changing expressions freaked Eva out; she was beginning to wonder if he had a split personality.

"Let me make you a proposition."

Eva had a feeling it would be more of a threat.

"You shall stay tonight, as it is almost dawn. I realise you probably intended to run scared back to your maker, a Mr Northman of Louisiana if I'm correct?"

Eva nodded vaguely. He knew who her maker was, from Victor. They'd probably researched his whole existence in the time of finding out and that point. Nodding wasn't required to confirm the facts, simply to move the conversation on.

"I have business with Mr Northman so…"

"Business…what business?"

Eva's brain was suddenly screaming red alert, and she took a step back to look his square in the face.

"Business, business between one vampire king and one vampire sheriff, not the business of vampire children."

"Vampire child of the vampire sheriff," Eva pointed out.

"Well…"

"…and vampire employee of the vampire king."

"Stop," Felipe snarled. "You are not born into trust in this world, we are not a monarchy. My point is you can travel with us to Louisiana tomorrow."

"I can travel, I have legs."

"You also have a brain, and if it has any sense it will listen to me."

Eva had realised a while ago she wouldn't be leaving that vampire den that night, and wondered whether she should put up some sort of fight in case he thought her submissive. After a moment of thought she realised she really didn't care anymore. Sighing, she followed the young boy outside the door to a room without a window.

Felipe watched her walk away gleefully. Sometimes, he just couldn't believe his luck.

The room Eva was presented with had tacky gold drapes, and a thick cream carpet. The walls were salmon pink, and the bedding was a gold that matched the drapes. There was a door on the far end which led to a bathroom, Eva presumed. She slid her feet out of her boots, and ran her toes through the thick tufts of carpet. There was a gilded mirror on the widest wall, and Eva saw her dusty weathered self. The room was tawdry and Eva felt silly sitting on the giant bed in her scuffed dusty dress and wild raggedy hair. It all felt a little strange, her situations were never quite right these days.

She was glad she was regaining some of her former spirit. She was almost excited to think she could become less vampire and more Eva when she put her mind to it. With a small smile on her face, she slipped into the bathroom.

She wiped her dress down with a wet towel until it was dust free and slightly more presentable. She turned on the taps and perched on the end of the large footed bath. She ran a comb through her tangled hair until it rippled down her naked back in knot-free tresses. Her skin shivered as she ran her fingers across the hot rippling water of the bath she drew, and when she finally climbed in smoothly, her body was in bliss. The hot water washed over her like a wave of calm, and she lay in the water until it went cold and icy in the stagnant air.

A house without windows can become stuffy, and although the other vamps didn't seem to care (they weren't breathing it after all), Eva didn't like the difference. She wished she could fling a window open and air the room in the short time before dawn. She was tempted to flex her new strength and kick a hole through the wall. She could push the wardrobe over it for the day. It was tempting and she smiled naughtily at the thought, but she was sure knocking a whacking great hole through his wall wouldn't help her grounds with Felipe.

When she finally rose from the now chilling bath water and wrapped a large towel around her, she re-entered her bedroom to find Lucio stood statue still on the far end of the room in perfect posture which no human could keep so wonderfully for so long, staring angrily at the wall.

Shrieking slightly, she drew the towel further round her. He looked up, then looked at the floor, and then looked at the door – his eyes scavenging for a place where he couldn't see her out the corner of his eye.

"Sorry…sorry…" he mumbled, eventually turning on his heels to stare at the wall.

Eva giggled, sighed and walked back into the bathroom to don her still damp dress again, all in good humour. Lucio biting his lip, moved over as awkward as a vampire can get to perch on the end of the bed. When Eva came out again he was twiddling his thumbs and staring anxiously at the wall. Eva, shaking out her wet hair, sat on the other end of the bed, drew her knees up and folded them.

They looked at each other nervously. Eva wasn't sure what their situation was now, and Lucio didn't know where to start.

"You were waiting for me?" Eva eventually questioned after a pregnant pause.

"Who else would I expect to come out that bathroom?"

"I don't know, you could have got the wrong room…"

"I'm a vampire; I don't make silly mistakes like that," he scoffed.

"Vampires don't make mistakes, that's a bit pompous isn't it?"

"Whats pompous about it, it's a simple fact? We're much sharper than humans."

"Haughty supernatural!"

Eva kicked him playfully and he grabbed her ankle chuckling. Eva tried to pull away and shake him off, but he tugged on her leg. She flopped on her back and slid across the large bed towards him as he pulled her. Laughing, she rolled over and up to push him with some force. Stumbling almost off the bed, Lucio grabbed her arm to pull her down with him. She grabbed the pole of the four poster bed, and pulled backwards sharply. The pair of the flopped side by side on the bed giggling.

"I like arguing with you," he teased.

"And I like fighting you," she retorted, rolling onto her belly and waving her legs behind her in the air.

"You really came here to find me?"

"Yes, I wanted you to know I'm alive. You're really angry and think I'm a fool?"

Lucio was quiet for a moment, looking at her for a while.

"No I'm not angry and yes I think you're a fool, an amazing fool. I'm amazed you came all the way here, but you're a fool for leaving the safety of your maker."

"I have a question regarding that, I felt the weirdest shiver before. Eric filled my head and I suddenly felt like…like I needed to be in Shreveport."

"Shiver? Sounds like Eric was calling you."

"Calling me?"

"Summoning you, like reaching out to you and beckoning you urgently to where he is," he explained.

"Can I do it back? Can I call him or let him know where I am?" She asked fervently.

"No," Lucio laughed, "You're not a human telephone."

Eva scowled and pouted unintentionally at his mocking. Lucio smiled at her rather adorable expression and traced her cheek with his fingertips.

"You were so blunt with me before," she sighed, giving into his gentleness. "I couldn't understand it."

"I was a bit harsh I know, and curt, yes. But you need to leave; Nevada isn't safe for a vampire with ties to Louisiana."

"Why?" Eva questioned desperately in a low voice, closing her fingers around the hand on her face, and holding it against her cheek. It felt warm somehow, Eric or Pam, the only other vampires who had ever touched her face, didn't feel this warm.

"This is why I've come to you; they would have kept you in here until they needed you tomorrow night if not." Lucio paused for a moment, looking at her anxiously, and then continued. "Felipe is orchestrating a takeover of Louisiana, and you've stumbled into his paths perfectly on time for be useful…more than useful."

"I'm an idiot," Eva breathed, absorbing this information.

"You're Eric's child," Lucio went on. "To see you harmed or killed would be more than he could bear, and too see him killed would break your heart."

"He conducts negoigiations with me as a hostage…blackmail…"

"Exactly, Eric's a formidable foe and as well as needing him dead and not in his way, Felipe would be interested to keep him on. I know he see's Eric as valuable, and he values a valuable vampire. He'd think it a waste to kill him but would suffer greatly if Eric were opposed to him. Also, he'll threaten to go in guns a blazing with enough man power to slaughter Eric Northman if you don't help him in his takeover…tell him anything he needs to know, look at Eric with the sad pleading eyes that will make him succumb faster."

"Tell him things…like what? What do I know he'd possibly need?"

"The complete layout of Fangtasia, any dungeons, any secret entrances and exits, how many he has working with him in close contact, how many he'd have in numbers to rebel and defend himself. You will have seen enough in your short time there to be of interest, and Eric will have surely shared things with you. You're his child; he'd be trusting and open without realising it. You know more than you realise it."

Eva mulled this over. Lucio was right, she'd been there while he conducted business, tortured those who'd crossed his path in, yes, his dungeon. He and Pam had shown her every entrance, exit and hiding place within Fangtasia. She knew how many waitresses, bartenders, bodyguards, assistants, etc that was present within Fangtasia alone. She'd slept in Fangtasia but she knew where Pam and even where Eric secretly resided. They had instructed her where to go if they ever needed shelter. They had been more trusting than any of them had realised. Eva was the ultimate hold on Eric, the ultimate informant and she'd waltzed into the enemies den. She could have kicked herself but that would be neither useful nor constructive in the slightest.

"The situation is still highly salvageable," Lucio stated, seeing the shock and realisation dawn across Eva's face.

"How!" she exclaimed, panic stricken. They were now sat upright, tense and eager.

"There's still just over an hour until the sun begins to rise, you can get a good head start. Run, as fast as you can."

"Sleep in the ground for the night then continue my journey to Shreveport at sunrise tomorrow…"

"Yes. You can bring this whole thing crashing down or you can stabilise your position."

Eva was confused, but she was wading through the facts to form a solid plan.

"I warn Eric, he knows of the oncoming takeover and attack."

"He'll be ready; there'll be no leverage against him. I'm releasing you to go to him."

It all suddenly seemed very strange to Eva.

"Why are you doing this? Aren't you on Nevada's side?"

"I do things for myself, not for my state. I'm not a sheep like the other idiots who make it to the vampire side."

"They follow a hierarchy, and an allegiance."

"A state is a place, not a leader. Even Victor would go against his state allegiance to protect someone he cared about," Lucio told her.

Eva nodded gently.

"The takeover will happen, I'm not stopping the takeover, I'm simply securing you, and the maker that will care for you when I cannot, a position in the new regime."

"Even Eric saw this coming…"

"These are territorial times, and Felipe isn't a wicked man. He is just being strategic and while your Queen is invalid, a state will strike. If not ours, another. A state that may already be bonded with another state. A King or Queen, or couple, could rise to a power to take much of the south states."

"I understand…but how will I get out of here? I imagine the building is guarded?"

Lucio grinned widely, and taking her hand, led her out the room to construct her escape.