I own Anya. Nothing else. Reviewers: I can't appreciate you guys more. As always, feel free to shout out comments or concerns. The freedom of speech is highly enforced.

Oh, and as a bonus, the first five reviewers get the privilege of asking me any question about the story, as long as it doesn't spoil anything in the future. So, cheers!

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A lot can happen in five minutes.

For example, in the last five minutes of finding out that Sookie and Bill were captured, some major events occurred.

As in...

1. Russell got a good laugh at me and Sookie being related. Great...

2. Eric totally dissed humans, sucking up to Russell, and I had to go along with the whole 'I'm your mortal pet" attitude. Suckers...

3. Bill staked a guard, and tried to do the same to Russell. Fail.

4. Russell is apparently almost 3,000 years old. And I thought Godric was intimidating...

5. Russell sentenced Bill to go die in the slaves' quarters. How quaint. Unfortunately, I was too focused on Sookie's safety to really register this.

6. Oh, and idiotic Lorena turned up again from who knows where. She apparently has to kill Bill.

Haha, Kill Bill. Like the movie. Get it?

Yeah, okay, it's not that funny, but Bill's pretty resourceful, right? He can get out of tight squeezes. Usually.

Hopefully.

Poor Billy Willy.

Anyways, that leads us to the now present.

"Do you care nothing about our home?" Talbot screamed suddenly out of nowhere, directed at Russell, "You bring home business, and now look! It's ruined!"

"Talbot," Russell cooed, trying to calm him down.

"No, NO!" Said consort-boy stormed up the stairs like a petulant child, muttering curses in Greek. Someone wasn't gonna take it anymore.

No, we're not gonna take it! ...Sorry, song reference there. I was a little zoned out by everything right now.

Russell stared a few seconds in his partner's direction, before trudging up the stairs after him. He turned back to us a moment later.

"Eric, please escort Miss Stackhouse and your human to my study," he spat, looking a little teed off, "I should like to talk to them."

"Yes, my liege." Eskimo mindlessly aquieseced, shooting me a dangerous look. A kind of look that said if you screw up, then you screw me up. And then I'll screw you.

Only, in the bad type of killing-screwing.

I gulped. Why was he so interested in me being related to Sookie? Unless he found out that she was telepathic..or something..

"Your Majesty?"

Eric, Sookie, and I all turned to see a pained-face looking Lorena approaching the King.

"About William Compton..." she stumbled, completely at odds with her fancy-pants self, "Is it truly necessary-"

"DO NOT DISOBEY ME!" Edgington screamed, getting off his rocker, just wanting to go see Talbot, "I AM YOUR KING!"

She bowed, ever subserviant til the end, "Of course." Her ugly pretty face was smeared with sorrow. She would regret killing Bill. But she would do it.

Now, see, if that were me...

Nope. Nah. Nada. I would SO not. Especially if it were...

Nevermind. Off topic. Let's continue.

After his screaming fit, the short King scampered upstairs to his anxious lover. Ick. Talbot. How he could stand him for 700 years beats me.

Maybe for his hair. I have to admit, despite my dislike of the consort, he did have very spiffy locks on his noggin. I wanted.

Sookie abruptly stepped forward towards Lorena, a fierce look on her face, "If you do kill him, I will KILL you."

Ooooh, nice Sook. I like this scary side. At least when it's not directed at me, that is.

"Oh, please; try," Lorena edged closer to Sook, leaning in. Me and Eric both, as a response, naturally backed up our blondie, curling our lips.

"Without that sanctimonious prick Godric around...I'll wear your ribcage as a hat."

Eskimo snarled at the Godric reference. Sookie looked slightly intimidated.

"And if you even touch her," I moved forward to almost touch noses with the bi-otch, "I'll rip you apart so fast you can't even blink."

I smiled evilly at Lorena's raised eyebrow, feeling my eyes burn with the redness to come, "And P.S., you stole that line from Buffy."

Huffing with what [none] dignity she had left, the coiffed, elegant, bitchy vampire took her leave, regretting her choice of words. At least that's my interpretation.

You don't steal from Buffy, fool.

My eyes started to really prickle now as I knew they were bright maroon. Crap. Sook's here; she can't see this.

I held my hands across my eyes, massaging them as Sook supposedly gave me a curious look.

"Thanks for that, An," she sighed, "You get some of her shredded dignity in your eye?"

"Uh, something like that." I rubbed my eyes more vigorously. Go away, red eyes! Don't need you right now! No one to look evil for!

Eric put a large hand against the small of my back, "She's fine. Let's go." I was guided forward by his hand, because of my blindness, hearing our echoing steps dance across the empty entry way.

The slight scent of anger reached my nose. Very spicy, that one.

"Now what the hell are you guys even doing here?" Sookie snapped, presumably ignoring my eye situation. She poked my shoulder, "You are supposed to be back at Fangtasia, and you're supposed to be looking after her!"

I guess she poked Eskimo's shoulder too. I wouldn't know. No sight right now.

Please leave an image message after the blink. Blink!

"I am looking after her," Eric snarled, a little offended, if I do say so myself, "In case, you are too blind to notice, she is fine in my care!"

"And he couldn't just leave me in Fangtasia all alone. Hello!" I piped in my bit, still rubbing my eyes. They still felt very red.

"For now!" Sook hissed right back, ignoring my contribution to the conversation, "But being in the man-who-kidnapped-Bill's house isn't helping!"

"She is under my watch 24/7," he growled, "He won't touch her."

"He better not." I practically could hear Sook's pout in the silence that followed.

"I'm right here, you know." No one answered.

Great to know I'm appreciated, guys.

I continued to rub my eyes which wouldn't calm down at ALL. Stupid demonic genes. Why can't control come naturally?

Eric's fingers slowly stroked my back, calming me slightly. Ahh..

"Anya, what is wrong with your eyes? Let me see..." Sook finally piped up at the wrong time. She tried to shoo my hands away from my face, "Come on, An.."

I held them even tighter. I had to calm down to get these babies back to normal. Eric stroked my back faster, still trying for the soothing aspect.

Fingers crossed.

I took a deep breathe, and...dropped my hands.

Opened my eyes.

To see a confused-looking blond cousin in my face.

"Did you have something in them?" she arched a brow as she gently touched my face.

SUCCESS! I could totally do this! No demonic eyes for MEEE!

"Uh, yeah, I guess," I scratched my head, hiding my estatic happy internal dance, "An eyelash."

My blond-ponytailed cousin gave me an odd look, "Uh-huh."

Oh, yeah, she was trying to read my mind. But could she? Nope. Just that demonic static going on there.

Hehee.

She finally dropped the subject, looking away, "So who is Russell Edgington anyways?"

"Unfortunately, Miss Stackhouse," Eric kept his blue-eyed gaze ahead, towering above us both, "This is not the time or place for those sort of questions. So I suggest you shut up."

"Excuse me?" Sookie turned, outraged, up to him, "I don't thin- Mmghgm!"

Eric had wrapped his hand around her head, covering her mouth. I giggled, remembering in the old days when he used to do that to me.

Shooting him a grin, I laughed, "Hey, Eskimo-"

Only to have his opposite hand do the same to me. Muffled.

I glared at his impassive face as we finally found ourselves inside Russell's office. Taken us enough time.

The tall Viking released us, practically hurtling us toward two armchairs next to each other. Oomph. Comfy armchairs. Nice and roomy. Yet oddly squishy.

"So why does Edgington want us here again?" I queried to the room.

"Because, sweetheart, I want to see what you two darlings are."

Double snap. Edgington himself appeared in the doorway, buckling his belt back up from recent...activities. One word. Talbot.

Dangit, Talbot, couldn't you have occupied him for a second longer? Stupid consort. You fail.

Entering the room jauntily, Russell examined both me and Sook, appraising us, as it seemed. He glanced at Eric, "Leave us."

How demanding.

Putting on that cheesy-fake-suck-up-flirty smile, Eric bowed his head, "And my human?"

The King narrowed his eyes, "She will stay here. You may say your goodbyes if you wish."

The blond Viking nodded and strode his way over to me, to the edge of my armchair, and bent down to my level. I stared into his ever-glacier eyes, and he smirked just a bit, though not enough for Russell to see.

Dramtically [I could tell], he smashed his lips onto mine, his hands clutching at my waist. Thoughtlessly, I followed my instincts and kissed him back, not even thinking to wonder what this show was all about.

Kissing equals no thinking for me.

A few seconds later, I was released and felt like some part of me had fallen off. I looked up to see Eric staring down at me with an unfathomable expression on his face.

An odd scent came into the air then. Very sweet. Very...heartfelt.

And then it was gone the next moment when Eskimo put a smirk on his face, turning back to face Russell. Moment over.

"My liege," he bowed again, and took leave of the room. He really left. As in left-left.

He left us with a freaking 3,000 year old vampire King! What the-?

"Sooo..." Edgington began, seating himself on the opposite, more royal-looking, red velvet armchair, "I must inquire to the two of you girls..."

I raised an eyebrow, as Sook quivered a bit.

"What are you?"

I blinked. He couldn't know about me being a demon. He couldn't. It just wasn't possible. So where was he getting these suspicions from?

"What are you talking about?" I frowned, crossing my arms defiantly at him, "We're human?"

"Miss Sorenson, how exactly are you related to Miss Stackhouse here?" The King ignored my response.

Typical, arrogant, king-style.

"We're cousins," I glanced at Sook's tight-lipped expression worriedly. What had she done to interest the King of Mississippi?

"How close of cousins?"

I narrowed my eyes at the short, balding man, "Extremely close. We could practically be sisters."

He smiled a lazy grin, leaning back with all the power in the world, "So you tell each other secrets, yes?"

"That's an implication of being sisters. So, yes."

"So are you aware that Miss Stackhouse can shoot light out of her hands?" Russell leaned forward, smirking in his poncy chair, "A trait not normally associated with mere humanity?"

"What?" I turned to Sookie, who was gritting her teeth, "What is he talking about, Sook?"

"Yes, Miss Stackhouse," Edgington echoed me, "What am I talking about? What are you?"

"I'm a waitress," she replied, holding her head up high. Atta girl.

That's my Sook. Not giving in to peer pressure, that one.

"I am not playing games, Miss Stackhouse," he growled.

Oooh, ticked off Russell is NOT something I want to see again so soon. Evasion tactics commence.

"Sook-" I started, trying to avoid the obstinance to come.

"How about if you answer one of my questions, I'll answer one of yours," she sat even higher, trying to get to that metphorical higher ground.

So much for the evasion...

"Who are you?" she questioned, genuinely stumped. Seriously? You waste your first question on that? Getting to know that midget?

"Anya, dear," Russell drawled, lazing back in his chair, "Why don't you answer your cousin for me?"

Sigh. What am I now your pet too?

Internally, grinding my teeth, I pictured a mental Viking Eric scolding me on the importance of sucking up as much as possible. Never knew when it came in the long run.

"He's the King of Mississippi," I rolled my eyes, "And this is his mansion."

Sookie just looked confused at my termage. Bill probably hadn't informed her about vampire politics. At all.

"Excellent job, Miss Sorenson," Midget King now focused on Sookie, "Now what are you?"

"I don't know."

He snorted inelegantly then faced me, "And you?"

"Human?" I raised my own brow up at him, lying of course, "I've never known to be anything else."

Russell darted his gaze between the two of us, musing, "I just wonder if these powers Miss Stackhouse posesses passes through your same bloodline. It would be quite interesting."

"Last time I checked, I didn't have light flowing out of my hands," I remarked dryly, "And are you sure you saw that in the first place? I mean, maybe a trick of the-"

"I am certain of my ability to see, Miss Sorenson, and I know what I saw. Now, what I find even more interesting than all of this is why Mr. Bill Compton was keeping a file on Miss Stackhouse, including a bloodline chart."

"Excuse me?" There goes Sook's polite/outraged excusal again.

Edgington, sure enough, lifted a file folder off of his side table and handed it to her. My blond cousin opened it gently and began to examine the contents wearily. Who knew if this had been tampered with?

I leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look.

It persisted of tons of pictures of Sook, even a few of me, some field notes, and a circled family tree. My name had decidedly not been circled. Well, I don't feel special anymore...

But everything, down to the dotted i's, was in Bill's handwriting. Both me and Sookie had seen it enough times on the various checks he mailed for TrueBlood.

"What is this?" Sookie gasped, at loss for words. I just wore a puzzled expression. Why would Billy Willy be holding a file on Sook? The woman he loved?

"I was hoping that you knew," the King smirked, "I suspect it is the bloodline that your powers stemmed from, Miss Stackhouse, tracing down the telepathy and shining lights down from one of your generations to the next."

I looked sideways to see Sookie barely holding back tears. Darnit, the freaking King is making her cry.

"Well, we didn't know anything about this," I spoke up for the both of us, "Is that enough for now?"

With jaded eyes, Russell cocked his head, "For now, ladies." He stood up, and gestured to the door, "After you."

Still in shock, Sookie somehow managed to make it through the door with a little cousinly help and comfort. Russell grabbed her as soon as she was out.

"I'll escort her to her room from here," he beamed, scheming to the extremes, "You remember the way to your room, yes?"

I suspected some extra interrogation was in order for Sook. I empathically caught her eye, which she smiled weaky at.

"Yes, your Majesty," I muttered, "I remember."

I blinked, and he and Sookie were gone. That was quick work. God, Sookie was going to be stressing a plenty tonight.

In a zombie-like state, my feet made their way to my room, and I arrived, opening the oval-shaped doorknob.

Don't you love those oval doorknobs? They're so different, and they feel really weird in your hand. But cool weird. Not bad weird. I want a house with all oval-shaped doorknobs.

They're so old school.

Entering the room, no sooner than I closed the door behind me, I was abruptly slammed against the same door in an iron hold.

"You're safe," Eric murmured, his blond hair slightly tussled. As if sensing my hair fetish at the moment, he tucked a strand of mine behind my ear, "Are you okay?"

"Physically, yes," I smiled wearily, "Mentally, mostly."

"Physically's all I need."

With that, he began to kiss the side of my face, starting with my ear, moving downwards. It created a ticklish trail.

I giggled, trying to yank myself away, "Eric, stop." I couldn't budge out of his grip on me.

Nevertheless, he continued until he reached my lips, finally locking them with mine in a heated war, trying to dominate me. Let's just say my demonic side doesn't like to be dominated.

A rich smell entered the air, nice and disorienting. Lust. Had to be it.

Our mouths continued to fight as I felt my eyes burn and my teeth sharpened. Oh, yeah, the demon is coming out now. Fine.

He hiked my legs around his waist and backpedaled to the bed, landing backwards with me on top. I grinned, hazy and drunk on the rich scent that permeated the room, and started to kiss my way down the side of his face for once. He groaned, pulling me tighter against him.

His eyes were hooded. "May I?" he growled as he stroked my neck possessively.

I nodded, baring my sharp teeth in a smile, "And I?"

He nodded too, flipping me over. The next split-second, he sank his fangs into my neck. I, euphorically, had my eyes rolled back into my head, before I remembered my own lust.

Oh, yeah... I felt almost as drunk as I had with those several vodkas before. But this...I was drunk on emotion.

Relishing in Eric's bite, I slowly opened my jaw and sank my own pinscers into his neck too.

Heaven.