Even in the tight grasp of Eric's arms, Sylvie Stackhouse could not have felt more alone. Her heart was heavy but to her surprise Eric could still hold her up. Her vampire companion flew at top speed through the dark black sky into what looked like emptiness. Sylvie found it fitting, considering she felt empty, too. The two were headed for Shreveport and, if Sylvie could convince Eric, maybe even Bon Temps. They were going home. But Sylvie had to wonder - what home was there to go back to? The fate of Bon Temps was in the hands of a maenad who was said to be unstoppable. But whether Sookie and Bill saved the Southern town or not, she wasn't sure if she even wanted to return.

Ever since Sylvie walked through Gran's front door, Hadley never left her mind. Ten years and she still couldn't forget. No matter what obstacles she faced, she always thought of her sister. Finding Hadley became her mission in an otherwise confusing world; one she wasn't certain where to belong. When she'd found a lead on the internet she was more determined than ever to find her, even when others had given up. She hoped to see Hadley again and she refused to let that hope go. Finding her in the queen's mansion was supposed to make Sylvie feel complete. Everything that was wrong with her life was supposed to fade away. She was supposed to hurt less. So why did she come out of that mansion hurting so much more?

Sylvie thought if she found Hadley alive, her world would be good again. But she was wrong. Seeing her sister didn't make things right. It only made things worse. Hadley turned her down. In this new world, an age of vampires, Sylvie was beginning to realize the term 'flesh and blood' just didn't mean what it used to. Hadley was the missing piece to Sylvie's puzzle but her little sister no longer fit. She'd become someone else. Her shape was different. She was jagged and no matter how hard Sylvie pressed, Hadley was no longer the piece that fit. Sylvie was forced to leave Baton Rouge empty handed and return to a place that had little to offer.

All she was left with were two cousins who were too consumed in their own lives to give her the time of day. She couldn't blame them, of course. Sookie and Jason had plenty on the plates. Sookie was just as wrapped up in the consequences of vampire loyalty as Sylvie was. Most of those consequences consisted of blood, danger, fear, and a lot of scrutiny from friends. Jason's story wasn't one of vampires, but it too had a trail of blood behind it. With the cops breathing down his neck, he'd been spending his time lying low or fighting to prove he wasn't a serial killer.

Aside from her busy cousins, Sylvie was left with a job where people looked at her like a freak and dangerous vampire acquaintances who probably couldn't be trusted. One in particular had done nothing but lie to her since she first laid eyes on him. How could he do this to me? Eric knew where Hadley had been and failed to mention it. Sylvie felt her eyes tear up. She wanted to tell herself it was the wind but she knew better. How long did he know? The question made her want to jump out of Eric's arms. Eric, seeming to have sensed it, stopped his flight and placed Sylvie in a clearing.

"Where are we?" Sylvie hastily wiped her eyes. "And why?"

"I believe it is a park," the vampire offered. His tall figure was leaned up against the trunk of a tree as his voice droned on. "You are upset. I thought you needed a moment before we continue to Shreveport."

His ability care and not care at the same time had her even more angry.

"I don't need a fucking moment, Eric," her voice faltered. After pacing for a few seconds, she decided to rest and sat down. "I need my sister back. So unless you can make that happen, why don't you just go away?"

"I would go away, but I made a promise to your cousin to keep you safe." His patience was dwindling.

"Ha! Now that is funny," Sylvie snorted. "Eric Northman, promise keeper. Give me a break."

"Stop being childish," he crossed his arms. "It is not my fault your sister denies you."

"No, it isn't," hot tears escaped from the corners of her eyes, "but it is your god damn fault for not telling me about her. You knew she was there the whole time!"

"I didn't know for sure."

"Oh my god, just stop already!" she hollered and raised her hands in the air. "Do you know how I can tell you're lying? Your lips move! You knew Hadley was in Baton Rouge. How long did you know? Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I didn't know for sure," he repeated. "When we met I did some research on you and your sister. I knew you were searching for her. I found her driver's license photo. I remembered I had seen her in the queen's court once before but I was not certain if she was still there."

"So, let me get this straight," she frowned. "You were just going to lie to me about it until...when? Until you got your facts right?"

"Until the time was right."

"Were you waiting for a rainy day or what? Jesus, Eric. There is no right time! I swear to god, the minute I found out Hadley went missing it killed me inside. Do you even know what that feels like?"

When Sylvie was met with silence her blood began to boil. "Y'know, I wish I'd never met you. You are nothing more than a heartless, backstabbing liar. Just when I think I can trust you, you prove me wrong."

"Would you like to know why I lied?" The vampire let out a pestered sigh and stepped away from his shadowed perch beneath the tree. "I lie because, sometimes, not everyone deserves to know the truth. Of course I was going to tell you," he crouched down beside her. "But only when I knew you were ready."

"No one is ever ready to hear the truth, Eric," she glared into his eyes. "Especially when it hurts. I've lost most of my family. Grandaddy, Gran, my parents...Sookie and Jason are always away and now Hadley is gone too! I'm losing the people I love most. I'm losing them left and right, and there is nothing I can do about it. Sometimes I can barely find the strength to go on anymore. I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand that."

"Do not speak to me like I know nothing of loss," the vampire quickly pinned her to the ground. He'd lost a lot over the centuries, but one in particular was still an open wound. Memories of Godric plagued his mind. Their thousand years of friendship turned to rubble with one sunrise. The thought of it sent his fangs through his gums. "I know it very well."

Sylvie's body lay weak beneath Eric's. Usually, she'd find herself worried that he might kill her, but such a thought didn't even cross her mind. She was too tired to be afraid of him anymore. Without Hadley, living or dying didn't seem to matter. She looked to her attacker with sad eyes. "Then you know how much pain I'm in right now."

"I do," he said. Eric did know. He knew it so well, the pain of losing Godric never escaped him - not even for a second. He retracted his fangs. "And I would do anything to make it go away."

"But it won't go away," she sat up when his grip loosened. The two sat side by side as Sylvie leaned into his shoulder. "Will it?"

"No," he admitted, allowing their bodies to touch. There was no point in lying to her then. She was right. No one was ever ready to hear the truth, especially when it hurt. When Godric died it tore Eric apart, but day by day he knew he would have to mend. He'd make sure of it. "It won't go away, but it will hurt less."

"Gosh," she sighed and began to fiddle with a blade of grass. "I feel terrible. I couldn't even tell Hadley about Gran. I didn't have the courage."

Sylvie was brave for a human, any vampire could see that. Eric came to her rescue many times but in his eyes, that didn't make her weak. She'd faced the odds better than most humans would in her case. When vampires came out of the coffin, most humans were eased into the idea. Sylvie was pushed into it. One night she had a family squabble at dinner, and the next, she was walking beside the dead. He knew that Sylvie saw things differently than many humans who stumbled into his club night after night.

Fangbangers wasted their lives just trying to exist. Their only dream was to be noticed. Sylvie was nothing like that. She held a spark inside of her that many humans simply let die with time. She spent her life trying to live. She was searching for her place in the new world and wouldn't stop until she found it. Eric knew she would go after whatever she wanted, regardless of what others thought. She searched for her sister when everyone, including himself, did not. She'd been ridiculed, scratched, kidnapped, hunted, and bombed all because of loyalty to vampires like himself. She was no coward.

"You're wrong. You have courage," Eric replied. He locked eyes with his human friend in a moment of true honesty. "You're one of the most courageous humans I've ever met. Stubborn," his lips twitched to a smile. "But courageous."

If there was anything to admire about a human, he would admit he admired Sylvie's strength. Of course, Eric was physically superior - he could snap bones like a twigs. He could crush any object that fit in the palm of his hand. But this was not the strength Eric was thinking of. He admired the strength Sylvie held within. The thoughts she heard could drive a person mad, but she and her cousin managed their abilities. The Stackhouse women were a rare breed. It took a lot to surprise a vampire of his age and at times, they caught him off guard. But what Sylvie did next surprised him most.

She kissed him.

The taste of Sylvie's lips sent Eric into a frenzy, sweeter than any blood he could ever have. What he'd craved for so long was finally his. If he didn't have a weakness before, he knew he'd found it. There was no pulling away from her. With their lips locked, he could feel her heart beating faster and faster with every second. He'd been with many women in his time, but the simple act of sharing a kiss became intriguing to Eric all over again. And just as he wanted more, she broke away far too quickly.

"Wow," she breathed. Somehow, Eric Northman had managed to touch Sylvie's heart. Whether his words lit a spark deep within her or caught her in a moment of weakness, she wasn't sure. But she was sure of one thing - she was embarrassed. "I can't believe I just did that! I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Eric ditched his suit jacket and pinned her to the grass. "Do it again."

Eric didn't wait for her to make the first move. Instead, his lips crashed into hers once again for a passionate kiss. His fangs were longing to come out but he held them in for fear of ruining the moment. When Sylvie's hands grabbed the back of Eric's neck, he gladly let her pull him in tighter. He allowed his hands to roam her small frame until he found the hem of her dress, where his fingers began to graze her thigh in hopes of slipping beneath the fabric. Sylvie's heart was pounding. Being pressed against Eric ignited something in her veins that she'd never felt before.

Suddenly his hands didn't seem so cold anymore. They were soft and gentle, sending tingles throughout her body. When she first met Eric she thought she'd puke if he laid a hand on her, but suddenly she couldn't get enough. The weight of his body on top of hers left her head spinning. With her heart thumping wildly against his silent chest, she allowed him to slip his hand over the skin on her thigh. Pleased, Eric let a low hum ring against her neck and began to plant kisses there. However, when his smooth fingers attempted to pull off her clothes, she froze.

"Eric," she mumbled and put her hand against his shoulder.

"I know you like this," his low voice whispered in her ear. "I can feel it."

"Please," she whispered. "We really shouldn't…"

"Fine," he smiled wickedly and released his touch. "But you will change your mind. Soon, you'll beg me."

The vampire pressed his hips against her even firmer than before. His kisses became deeper until he decided to tease her by nibbling at her neck. Sylvie put her hand against his body once more but before she had to protest, Eric quickly stood up. He looked to the sky as his fangs finally clicked. With his fangs exposed, she wondered if she had upset him. Sylvie sucked in a breath and smoothed out her dress. She knew she was attracted to Eric, but he wanted something she wasn't sure she was ready for. When his lips pursed and gazed into the distance, she started to worry.

"Eric, what is it?" she brushed off a strand of hair that'd stuck to her lips. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," the vampire pensively stood before rushing to grab his jacket. "Come, we have to go."

Without explanation, the two took to the sky.

Eric's pit stop landed Sylvie in a peculiar area surrounded by tall trees. She was relieved to be on the ground once again; He had flown faster and harder than he did in previous trips. The smell of swamp sifted through her nostrils as bugs buzzed around her ears. From where she was standing, the land was clustered with old houses and sheds. Many of them seemed to be built long ago and the lumber had since become faded and rotten. Broken trailers and appliances sat in a pile near the woods as if they'd gone there to die. With the rusty old trucks and heaping piles of trash, a person might think they were standing in a landfill. The area where Eric decided to stop just seemed to be nothing more than a big, abandoned clump of dirt on a Louisiana map. But Sylvie's relief was short-lived. She knew where they were immediately. They were in Hotshot.

What happened between she and Eric just moments prior would have to be stored away for now. Sylvie couldn't think about it. Hadley, too, would have to be tucked away in her mind for another day. She knew she'd have to push her feelings aside and stay alert. Whether Eric realized it or not, they were standing in a danger zone.

Hotshot, known to many in Bon Temps, was the last place a person would ever want to visit. Torn away from society by choice, many of its inhabitants kept to themselves and rarely came into town. If any Southern stereotypes were true, they'd all be found in Hotshot. The families in there were racist, superstitious, rowdy alcoholics who certainly were not welcoming to outsiders. Most locals considered them to be inbred druggies who'd steal just about anything to make a buck. Sylvie remembered when Jason was a kid he got chased off the property with rifles just for riding his bike up the gravel drive. Gran threw a fit and would have marched right up to the property if Bud Dearborne hadn't stopped her. For the life of her, Sylvie didn't have a clue why Eric would stop in a place like this.

Her feet followed close behind as he headed toward noises behind one of the garages. There, a group of men were huddled together hollering and grunting like animals. When she caught a glimpse of what they were circled around, her heart dropped. It was Lafayette! She wasn't sure why he was in Hotshot, but it was clear that he was unwanted. Tucked in the fetal position, Sylvie's favorite Merlotte's cook was begging for the evil men to stop beating him. One man who looked like the ringleader, simply chuckled and lifted his foot for another kick. He was in Eric's hands before he could even try.

"Gah!" he grunted and contorted like a worm. After watching the veins bulge from his forehead, Sylvie realized the man was Calvin Norris - Hotshot's ring leader. "Get your fuckin' hands off me, dead man!"

The sheriff looked to Sylvie with an amused glance and took no time in letting his fangs show. "Take the deal."

It was only when her eyes traveled to the ground that she knew what her vampire escort was talking about. Next to Lafayette's feet was a small bag. To most, it would appear to be a lunch sack. Many parents would fill it with peanut butter sandwiches and juice boxes for their children, but this bag was filled with something entirely different. It didn't take Sylvie long to figure out what it was. Vampire blood: the nation's newest drug. Several red vials were spilling out of the bag, some broken while others lay in tact. Sylvie was shocked. Why was Eric allowing Lafayette to sell V? After finding him half dead in Eric' basement, she'd figured he'd never go near the stuff again. But as Lafayette began to pick up the bag's contents, Sylvie watched Eric help Lafayette do what he'd once imprisoned him for.

"Fuck that," Norris tried digging his fingernails into the vampire's forearm. It did nothing. "No deal. You'll have to kill me first!"

"No," the vampire eyed the group. Eric's shirt collar was crooked and his hair was a little blown from the flight, but it didn't stop him from looking smug. The men stood with their mouths hanging open, showing their crooked teeth. "I think I'll kill all your brother-cousins first. What do you think, Lafayette?"

"Uh," he swallowed and gratefully wiped the blood that had started dripping from his nose, "y-yeah, that sounds good…"

"Excellent!" he gleefully replied. Sylvie gasped when she actually heard Eric tighten his grip.

"We-" the man squealed, losing air, "we'll take the de-deal! Just let me fuckin' go!"

Sylvie watched in silence as he let go. Calvin fell, hitting the side of Lafayette's car on his way down. Eric didn't care. In fact, he grinned so big it seemed like he was about to chuckle. The side of Eric Sylvie witnessed was a side of him she never liked - the monster. When he became more vampire than human, it always sent chills up her spine. She wasn't sure if she'd ever understand it. One minute her body was in his hands, gentle and soft. And the next, those same hands wrap themselves around a man's neck just begging for an excuse to squeeze harder. How could Eric be so cold? The vampire continued to puzzle her as he began to step away from the crowd.

"And that," he looked to Lafayette, "is called closing the deal. Let's go, RuPaul. My companion and I do not have much time."

"Aight then," Lafayette replied. He took a few vials from the bag and handed it to another man nearby. Having regained his confidence, he puffed his chest at the men before happily heading to the driver's side.

After a quick come hither wave from Eric, Sylvie ran to the car and jumped in the backseat. She wasn't sure what had happened but she was glad to be leaving Hotshot. She couldn't shake the feeling Eric had given her in the clearing, and watching him turn into a monster wasn't helping her sort out her thoughts. The vampire sat indifferently up front and instructed Lafayette to take off. Lafayette almost died the last time he was caught selling vampire blood and Sylvie couldn't imagine why he was back in action, or what Eric was going to do to him because of it. As soon as they hit the pavement, Sylvie wanted answers.

"Does anyone wanna tell me what the hell is goin' on?" she asked, hoping to settle some dust. "Why the hell is LaLa sellin' V and where are we going!?"

"If it weren't for this here mo'fucka," Lafayette pointed to Eric. "I'd be dead. Now why you askin' all these questions? I didn't ask why you're all up in my ride dressed like a baby prostitute. Damn, girl."

"Lafayette!" Sylvie barked. "This isn't the time for jokes. Bon Temps is in trouble! Shouldn't you be off saving your cousin, not peddling drugs for a bunch of dumb ass hillbillies?"

After hearing mention of his cousin Tara, Lafayette slammed on the breaks. "What you talkin' bout baby doll?" The car screeched against the pavement. "What's happenin' to my cousin?"

"Silence!" Eric hissed. "Both of you. Lafayette, how much blood do you have left?"

"Oh my god," Sylvie placed a hand over her mouth. "He's selling blood for you, isn't he? You are such a hypocrite!"

"Miss Stackhouse," Eric bared fang a few inches from Sylvie's face. Everything he'd done and said in the clearing had faded and all that was left was an angry vampire. "What did I just say?"

Sylvie slumped into the backseat.

"Woah, wait," Lafayette stalled. Like a true dealer, he started to bargain. "I know you saved me from a crisis an' all, but I ain't tellin' you shit until you tell me 'bout Tara."

"You will tell me," Eric repeated the same scenario with Lafayette, though this time he added a growl. "If you would like to live."

"Ten," Lafayette blurted. It didn't take him long to decide on his life. "Ten mini-vials. Two large at home."

"Excellent," Eric leaned back in his seat and smiled. "Your cousin is being held captive by a maenad. Drive to Fangtasia."

"A what!?"

"A maenad," Sylvie leaned forward again. She knew how hard it was to take bad news when it came from Eric. She hoped she could ease Lafayette's worries if he knew the details. "I ain't sure what it means, really, but her name is Maryann Forrester. She is some kind of supernatural! She's got the whole town in a spell. She's really strong and powerful and no one knows how to kill her, but Sookie and Bill are going to try. They'll get Tara, Lala, I promise."

As the trio approached the exit for Bon Temps, Lafayette sped up and turned the car with a loud screech.