Okay people, there will be some mature writings going on here in this chapter, some smutty tingles if you will, not much, but a few. What kind of True Blood fanfic would not have at least some, right? Well, disclaimer here… I'm not used to writing that kind of stuff, so I apologize in advance if it's crap. And please, please, please leave me some reviews… what you like, don't etc. I hate to beg, but I really want to know what ya'll are thinking. It helps to know what's working and what may not be. Thanks!
And, a special shout out to chibichibi98, TykiPyon and HauntedMonster! Thank you so much for your recent reviews!
….
The next morning, or at least I thought it was morning, it was hard to tell being in a dark room with no windows, I stretched to find no one was sleeping next to me. I had hoped that Eric would slip in during the night and be by my side when I woke, but sadly that was not the case. I begrudgingly moved my body closer to the nightstand closest to me and flicked on the lamp, knowing that I had stuff to do, like check to make sure my sister was okay from her bull-person attack, get my new purchases from Bill's store folded and ready to be packed, steel myself up for whatever I had to face in Dallas… you know, typical morning stuff, right. Turning back to face the bed, I saw that the only disturbances to the wonderfully soft down comforter was my indentation on the side of the bed I slept on and a hand print (from my search for Eric) the only mark on the other. It was a lonely and pathetic sight to see. Sighing, I decided to take a much needed shower. Luckily, I had all those new clothes to wear and I knew that Eric would have shampoo and stuff in his shower that I could use. Maybe I could wash away these feelings I was having. I knew that I could be, and probably was, just overreacting, but something in my gut said that that something was amiss between me and Eric. I just didn't know what or why. Realizing there was no use wallowing in self-pity now, especially not in his bed; I got up, stripped off my clothes and headed to the bathroom.
…
I felt goosebumps in anticipation of the warm water hitting me as I turned on the jets of his oversized and well-equipped shower. Every drop felt like heaven as they enveloped me in an intimate and much needed liquid embrace. There really is, at least sometimes, nothing like the feeling of a good, no, make that a great shower. Eric had certainly spared no expense on gizmo's; his shower being no exception. It was amazing, what, with the six prong spray head system on two walls and the raindrop shower heads hanging from the beautifully tiled ceiling. And, lucky me, it was all mine… at least for now. After standing there for what felt like forever letting the warm water ease my cares, I finally reached for one of Eric's soap bottles. Opening the bottle and smelling its contents, I closed my eyes and felt a rush of emotions. It smelled so like him, musky… male… potent. Thinking about what it would be like to have him in the shower with me right now, to feel his hands on my wet body, caressing it, craving it, claiming it, I could feel my nipples harden excruciatingly so. I dropped the soap bottle and brought my hands to my breasts, cupping them and pinching them, imagining him doing that to me. A loud moan and then softer ones escaped my lips as I backed up against the cool glass surface behind me while one of my hands started to venture south to the wettest part of this shower.
….
Eric had decided it would be best to avoid resting with Arabella today. So instead, he entered the coffin he kept in a hidden side room off of his office not to long after Arabella had woken. He knew he needed to figure shit out. He recognized he still needed her assistance in finding Godric, but the emotions she was rousing in him were complicating matters; and he didn't want, no, he couldn't have them cloud his mind. Godric had to be found; his hunger for revenge needed to be satisfied. Whatever he was feeling toward her had to be put under a rock, at least for now. With everything weighing heavily on his mind, he was finding it impossible to rest. So, to pass a little more time, he turned on the security monitor that he had installed in the top cover of his coffin to make sure everything was secure before making another, and probably futile, attempt to rest again. Not many vampires could claim having such a high-tech coffin, but, having lived as long as he, he had accumulated such a massive fortune that enabled him to afford all that money had to offer. Upon seeing the screen coming on, showing all the areas of Fangtasia, he was pleasantly surprised to see Arabella strip her clothes off in the bedroom and walk into his bathroom. He couldn't believe his luck. He wasn't one to normally take sneak peeks at the unsuspecting, but, this was his club and she was in his private rooms. Beyond all that though, she was still his. Being that she was his, that made him entitled to the view and this was still technically keeping a distance, or so he told himself. And besides, if he was going to deny himself her physically, well, he could use this show to satisfy his hunger for her. He hit the zoom for the camera covering his bathroom so he could see the show better. Her body was amazing, he knew that, but seeing her body fully nude now, he mentally thanked the salesperson who pushed him to buy the color, high definition security monitor with sound; and Eric thanked no one but Pam. He could feel himself get achingly hard and his fangs pop out automatically as she let the water caress her perfect body while she stood still for what seemed like the longest time. He cursed the water droplets that were able to touch her everywhere; as he desperately wanted to switch places with them. Then, after smelling one of his soaps, which she dropped to the floor, she lifted her hands to her now fully erect and succulent nipples. Soon after, one of her hands began to reach for her core, her sweet moans calling to him. Unconsciously, Eric lowered his own hand to his cock and started stroking while watching the scene unfold. It had been a very long time since he had to self-pleasure himself, as there was usually some stripper or waitress willing and able around, but that was not the case now and there was no way he was going to be able to ignore the staining of his cock in the state it was. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to be the one touching her, it would be the exact opposite of what he was trying to accomplish. 'Maybe this wasn't the best of ideas', he thought to himself. The passion he was feeling for her now just reiterated that he needed to dilute the growing… fondness… he was feeling for her. However, as much as he knew he really should turn off the monitor and forget the images he was fortunate to see, he could not bring himself to move anything but the hand that was now really working his manhood.
….
Once my hand reached between my legs, I spread my lips, revealing the swollen center that needed my immediate attention. Working myself into a fever pitch, I could feel my body tightening and all of the emotions that had been weighing so heavily on me centering there, at my core, waiting for release. Feeling like I was about to be overcome and might just fall, I released the hold I had on my breast and braced myself against one of the glass walls with my hand, all the while increasing the speed and friction between my legs, and cursing the fact that it wasn't Eric's tongue doing the work. As I was finally building my ecstasy to its apex, I threw my head back and came, shouting the name of the one who should have taken me there, "ERIC!" And, in that release, I was able to let go of all the tensions that my body had been feeling. Even with the lightness I felt at the release of those stresses, my legs soon betrayed me as I fell to the floor of the shower, relieved, panting and spent.
….
Upon hearing her scream out his name at her climax, Eric too had his own, amazing climax, shouting out a thank you to the gods in ancient Swedish while doing so. If she could make him feel this good by just watching her pleasure herself, he could only imagine what she could actually do to him. Deciding that he would consider the show he just seen a wonderful gift and nothing more, he turned off the monitor, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long while. Thankfully, this release allowed him to be able to slumber for the remainder of the day. He'd have to clean up the mess he made, both in the literal and figurative sense, later.
…..
'God, that felt amazing. I sooooooo needed that.' I thought as I picked myself off of the floor and finished up my shower.
After toweling off, drying my hair and getting some clothes on, I decided to join the living, or the dead, I was in a vampire bar after all, and see what was going on. As I entered the bar area, I saw a guy that I was unfamiliar with.
"Hello Miss Stackhouse. I'm Bobby, Mr. Northman's day-man. He thought you may be hungry when you woke, so he requested that I bring some items for you eat.
"Oh, thank you Bobby. It's nice to meet you. Everything looks delicious." I said as I drooled looking over the spread before me: bagels, doughnuts, fresh strawberries, melons, oh the list could go on and on. "You really outdid yourself here. I don't think I've seen breakfast buffets that had this much food with this much variety." I said with a chuckle.
"Well, I didn't know what you would want, so I got a little of everything." He said flatly and then continued, "Mr. Northman wanted me to tell you that you should be ready to leave here at 4:30pm. I will drive you to the airport then. If you need anything else, I'll be in his office working on some stuff. I'll let you know when I leave to pick up lunch and your toiletry bag."
"Thank you for getting this stuff for me Bobby. I'm sure you usually have more important things to do. I really appreciate it though." I said with a genuine smile. I wasn't used to having someone around to attend to my needs like this. It was weird but kinda neat… to see how the other half live.
"No need to thank me Miss Stackhouse, it's my job. I do whatever Mr. Northman tells me to." Bobby said with a small polite smile.
While Bobby was polite and said all the right things, the right way, something told me that he wasn't exactly pleased to have to serve me. So, out of sheer curiosity, I opened my mind to him. Oh, I know I shouldn't, but this guy knew Eric and I needed to know what was going on.
'He certainly knows how to pick pretty ones. She doesn't seem like the typical fangbanger though. While she's good looking and has a great body she's not as rude or haughty as the others; and, she's not dressed like a two dollar hooker. Sometimes it's better to have something left to the imagination. It's nice to hear thank you from one of his whores though. Too bad Eric will probably use her up like all the others anyway.'
"Miss Stackhouse?" Bobby said as my face turned crestfallen. "Are you alright?"
Being brought out of my stunned inner moment I replied, "Huh, oh yes; just spaced out there for a second." But, as the anger hit me from his inner monolog I added, "Listen, while I appreciate your efforts and promise to be ready at 4:30 I need to make one thing crystal clear here, I am not one of his whores." I said in a terse tone as I didn't feel like spending any more time with this man who obviously thought I was nothing more than one of Eric's two-bit tricks. I wondered if Pam thought the same of me, or worse, did Eric really see me in that light? But, didn't being one of his whores involve actually having sex with him. Well, I so obviously and unfortunately was not, so whore I definitely was not.
"I never said you were Miss Stackhouse." Bobby quickly said, somewhat shocked by her outburst.
"No, but you were thinking it." I replied.
"No I wasn't." Bobby lied.
"No Bobby, you were, and yes, I can read minds, because I'm a fricking telepath. You want more proof; I never have and never will dress like a two dollar hooker." I said as I walked closer to the food, leaving Bobby with his mouth agape. I needed to get away from him and his thoughts, so I started putting food on a plate for myself and then on another for Sookie. I had hoped that she would be up, and more to the point, healthy. I was really beginning to dread going to Dallas with Eric on my own and was praying for her miraculous recovery.
…
When I got to the bottom step of the basement, I turned my eyes to take a look around. There were jail cells, some sort of weird circular contraption on the ceiling that had chains hanging down, for what reason, I couldn't fathom and a wall full of... torture devices?. Oh, just chalk all this up to more shit I didn't want or need to know about. That list was getting bigger by the day.
After walking around for a small moment, I found the room that Sookie, Bill and Jessica were in. Well, I assumed Bill and Jessica were in the room; judging by the fact there were two coffins off to one side of it. Sookie was lying on the king-sized bed, resting peacefully.
I hated to wake her up, but I really wanted to talk to her. So I placed the plates on the bedside table and while gently shaking her arm said, "Sookie? Sookie?"
"Huh. Wha… Arabella, is that you?" Sookie said, rubbing her eyes while rousing slowly from her deep sleep.
"I'm sorry to wake you Sook, I just thought you might need some food, you know, build your strength up, after all that happened to you last night. Are you okay?" I said, truthfully, but knowing that I really wanted to talk to her as well.
"Oh, thank you sis. It all looks wonderful." Sookie said as she slowly got up to sitting position and picked up a scone off of the plate I brought her. Before biting into it though she added, "I'm alive; can't ask for more."
I smiled at her description of her health. She couldn't be more right and I couldn't be more grateful that she was going to be okay.
"Mmmmmmm. Oh my God, this stuff tastes soooooooooooooooooooo amazing. Oh, these scones have just the right amount of vanilla, almond, sugar, oh, and if I'm not mistaken just the tiniest bit of lemon zest and… wait… mint. Yes, mint. It's ever so slight and unexpected, but soooo delicious." Sookie said as if she just had an orgasm in her mouth like I did in the shower earlier.
"Uhhhh Sookie? When did you become a commentator for the food channel?" I asked, dumbfounded. I knew Sookie was a good cook, but she never talked about food… like this. Curious, I took a bite of the same type of scone and couldn't pull half of those flavors out like she just did. My eyebrow went up, indicating to her that she needed to explain herself.
"Ha, yeah, well." Sookie started. She hadn't told her sister about the effects of vampire blood. "Bill had to give me his blood last night or I would have died." She said, selectively skipping the part of also receiving Eric's blood. She knew it would destroy her sister if she found out. Sookie didn't have to read her sister's mind to know she was completely taken by that gigantic asshole. And, as much as she would love to let her sister see what an ass he really was, this blood thing was probably not the way to do it, especially not after she finds out what the bond entails.
"His blood? Why? I don't understand, and ewwwww, gross." I said, putting my plate down on her bed.
Sookie took a deep breath and then said, "Actually you'd be surprised. It's not as vile tasting as you'd think. But anyways, vampire blood isn't just a means to get high, like the V users use it. When it comes straight from the source, it has healing powers beyond anything modern medicine can come up with. It also makes you look more attractive, while heightening your senses; your vision gets clearer, better, smells become more noticeable, your taste buds taste… everything…"
"Oh." I said softly, thinking back to all the times that Eric could have offered me his blood to heal me. Was I not worth the effort to him?
Sookie, seeing my dejected look, quickly added, "Arabella, it's not something vampires want to get out to the public. You can imagine what could possibly happen; vampires taken by the government to give 'voluntary' donations of blood to cure the masses. Nobody can know. But besides that, vampires don't give their blood out lightly, even to those they know. I was as close to death as you can get last night without actually dying. Bill only gave me his blood to save me. You understand, right?"
I knew where she was going with this and said, "Yes, I get it. A run of the mill head injury or being beaten to an inch of my life is not enough to warrant getting this wonder drug." My mood that had improved with the shower had been quickly heading south, with more momentum as the morning dragged on.
"Look, I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong sis. You are so strong. You survived everything that happened to you because of that strength. You didn't need the blood to get better." Sookie said, hoping to drop this conversation soon.
"No, I guess I didn't, but look at you; you look as right as rain now. Yesterday you were almost dead; today, you're a fricking food connoisseur." I said rolling my eyes.
Sookie then spoke telepathically to her sister. "Arabella, there are other… consequences to receiving vampire blood. A blood bond is created between the vampire and human. The vampire can feel your emotions, everything. You can't lie to them. The vampire will also be able to track you, wherever you are, know when you're in trouble. That can be good, or bad. And the dreams; Lord the dreams. Not that I've never seen a porno, but I would bet the house that these dreams would make a porn star blush. Look, do you really want Eric to know everything you're feeling, know where you are all the time? Bill and I have been together for a while and are in love. Do you want that kind of connection with someone that you don't really know what's going on with?" Unfortunately, Sookie had no choice in the matter. She and Eric would have that bond; for how long and how strong, she didn't know and quite frankly was scared to know the answer.
I hated that Sookie was right. It still stung nonetheless that he hadn't offered. Not knowing if my voice would allow anything but a squeak in response given that I was fighting off tears something fierce and not really wanting to respond telepathically as I was afraid all my walls would all come down and allow Sookie to see too much, I just nodded in understanding and acceptance. It was what it was, and nothing more. I had to convince myself of that.
After taking a sip of water from the water glass on Sookie's bedside table, I cleared the lump in my throat and asked, "So, do you think you'll be up to go to Dallas?"
"I don't know Arabella. I really want to help find Jason, but…" She said as she tried to stand up, but only could for a moment before falling back on the bed. "I don't think I'm fully healed yet."
"No… it doesn't look like it." I said with a sigh and then added, "I don't want you to worry Sookie; I'll find Jason and bring him home." I had to cling onto that belief. Too much bad shit had happened to us to have something bad happen to Jason too.
"I know you will Arabella. I know you will." Sookie replied, and for some reason, really believed it herself this time.
"You look like you need more sleep. I'll bring some food down and check on you at lunchtime, okay?" I said as I took her plate from her to bring back upstairs.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks Arabella. I don't say it enough, but I love you sis." Sookie said to her sister, who looked like she needed some comfort.
"I love you too. Now get some rest. Okay." I said while getting up and heading back upstairs.
…
After dropping off the plates in the bar sink, I didn't know what to do with myself. So, I returned to the bedroom from the night before, grabbed the remote, laid on the bed and turned on the TV. Zoning out to the morning news, talk shows and other mindless drivel the TV had to offer sounded infinitely more appealing then reflecting on all the shit going on in my life right now. Although, if I had to venture a guess, the guests of Jerry Springer and Maury Povich had nothing on my wackadoodle life.
…
Evidently I had fallen asleep watching one of those shows as I was awoken in a rush by the bedroom door being banged on.
"I'm coming! Hold on!" I shouted as I sprung from the bed and opened the door.
"I didn't mean to startle you Miss Stackhouse, but you didn't respond to the lighter tapping." Bobby said in a much nicer tone than before.
Skeptical of his change in demeanor, I asked, "Is there something you need?"
"Look, I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot earlier. I'm used to Mr. Northman's… friends… being more uncouth, rude and honestly more temporary. I would like to start over. So, here is your toiletry bag, your suitcase, your lunch, which Mr. Northman said would be a favorite of yours, and a little light reading." Bobby said to Arabella truthfully. He didn't know what she meant to his boss, given her ability she could very well just be another employee like him, albeit in a nicer package, but in any regard, she was different and had been in the picture a lot longer than anyone else he could remember. His boss definitely had taking a liking to her, so he knew he needed to placate her or his job (and quite possibly his life) could be on the line. He knew how Eric could get. He'd seen it.
My anger from before towards him softened (I know, I'm such a sucker sometimes), but he really did seem genuine in his effort and apology. "Okay, well, thank you for the stuff and for the apology. I should apologize to you as well though."
"For what?" Bobby asked confused.
"For reading your mind like I did. A mind is a personal thing and I invaded yours with no good reason other than morbid curiosity. I promise I will not do that to you again, especially if you promise not to tell anyone about my ability." I said with embarrassment. Even though his thoughts were eye-opening, I shouldn't have read them because really, the reason why I did didn't warrant it. I was clearly in the wrong. I could slap myself for telling him my secret though. That wasn't something I normally just blurted out, especially to someone I just met, but I've been on such an emotional rollercoaster lately. I think I just snapped a bit. I'm really going to have to keep it together in Dallas. Jason's life could depend on it.
"Thank you for that. And, of course, your secret will be as safe as any of Mr. Northman's are with me. He's had my loyalty for over 15 years now. I would not want to jeopardize that relationship and something tells me he would not appreciate me causing you ill will. Well, I'm sure you're going to want to eat, so I'll be heading back to Mr. Northman's office." Bobby said, but before stepping away he added, "Oh, and by the way, that's a good read. I'll leave the food for your sister in the bar fridge. If you need anything, you know where to find me."
Once he left, I shut the door and plopped down on the bed with the bag from, oh no he didn't, ahhhhhh! It was a bag from Bad Daddies Burgers! Oh my God that place was the bomb and so on the other side of Shreveport that I never got there. How did Eric know? Oh, who cares… I'm going to enjoy this big beautiful burger and tasty fries. Oh, and a red cherry shake. Heaven. I'm in Heaven! While taking a huge bite out of the gooey cheeseburger, I turned my attention to the manila folder that Bobby had also passed on to me.
After licking my fingers before opening the folder, I flipped through a few of the papers. It appeared that everything in there was about the Fellowship of the Sun church. Truthfully, I didn't know much about it, other than it was run by Steve Newlin and his wife Sara; but that I only knew from watching the news… well, that and that they hated vampires. So, figuring this had to do with the Dallas trip, I delved into the documents and absorbed all I could about that crazy group. The more I read, the crazier that group looked. Great… this should be fun…
…
After finishing my food and 'light reading', I retrieved Sookie's lunch from the bar fridge and headed down to the basement to see how she was doing.
Sookie looked like she was sleeping again when I entered the room. I debated not disturbing her and thought it may be better to just return upstairs, but she must have heard my movements because she said, "No, don't go. I was just getting up anyway."
"I'm sorry to wake you, again. I brought lunch." I said while waving the bag in the air.
"Oh no, don't be sorry. I'm actually really hungry. Thanks!" Sookie said as I sat down next to her and gave her the bag of food.
As she opened the bag I noticed it was just a normal turkey and cheese sandwich, chips and a pickle. Nothing fancy, or more to the point, nothing Sookie would ever gush over.
"Does it taste as good as breakfast?" I asked, remembering her description of the scone.
"It's okay. Oh, by the way, I wanted to tell you that your dress makes you look so pretty. That shade of blue really works off of your eyes." She responded and then took a bite of her sandwich.
"Thank you Sook. It's one of the things I got while out with Pam. She really knows her stuff about fashion. She picked it out." I said.
"It's really nice. Where did you guys get it?" Sookie asked, thinking to herself that it didn't look like anything she'd seen at Kohl's or Walmart recently.
I hesitated in responding for a brief moment, not knowing if I should tell her what I found out, but decided she'd want to know. "She took me to a store called Wilhelmina's Wardrobe."
"Huh… I've never heard of it. Was it nice?" Sookie asked in-between more bites. She was ravenous.
"Well, yeah; the clothes were real nice; the saleslady, not so much. She was actually a real bitch. But, I noticed when I was paying that the owner was someone we knew." I said, now wondering if this was a good thing to divulge or not. It was too late now though.
"So who is it?" Sookie asked curiously, after taking a sip of her soda.
"Bill." I said quietly.
"Bill? Are you sure?" She asked as she slowly lowered her sandwich down to the paper wrapper it was in.
"Yeah, Pam confirmed it." I replied, now seeing that she had no idea was it didn't sit well with her.
"Oh. He never told me." She said, her appetite now gone.
"I'm sorry Sook. I didn't know if you knew or not. I mean, I knew I didn't know until I saw the sign, but you never mentioned it, and…" I started rambling.
"Arabella, I'm not upset with you. Thank you for telling me though. You were right in thinking I'd want to know." Sookie said while she threw the food in the garbage.
"Sookie, you need to keep your strength up. Let me get you some other food." I said while watching her throw her food away.
"No, I'm not as hungry anymore. But thank you for the offer." She replied while lying down again.
"Sookie, if I knew you were going to be upset like this, I wouldn't have told you." I replied truthfully.
"Arabella, honestly, it's okay. Bill and I love each other, but we're certainly not perfect, as people or as a couple. That's why it's important to talk. I'll talk to him when he gets up. I don't know much about what he does for a living, and I probably should. Anyway, I don't want you to worry that you've upset me. Okay?" She said while pulling her blanket over her.
"Okay. Look Sook, It's getting close to when I have to leave for Dallas. I just want you know I'll do my best there." I said getting teary-eyed.
"Arabella, you don't have to tell me that, I know you will." Sookie said, but then added carefully, "Sis, promise me you'll be careful, especially with anything Eric asks you to do." Sookie knew there had to be a lot more going on than a few people going missing. And, judging by the Longshadow incident, Eric would probably do anything to get the outcome he wanted.
"I will be extra careful. I promise." I said as I gave her a hug and said goodbye.
…
I was anxious, wanting to get this show on the road, while sitting in the bar area with my bags packed.
"Ahhh, Miss Stackhouse, I see you're ready. Good. Let's get going then." Said Bobby as he took my bags for me and started to lead me out the door.
"It's early. How's Eric going to get to the airport?" I asked, not thinking about that until now.
"He won't be on your flight, but will join up with you shortly in Dallas. Don't worry though; he's made arrangements for you when you get there." Bobby said, vaguely.
"Okay…. Well, let's go then." I said, uneasy about these turn of events.
….
I had never been on a plane before. All my traveling had always been by car, so I was pretty unprepared for the plane ride Eric arranged for me. It was beyond anything I could imagine. First off, I was the only passenger; the only one. I didn't even know you could get a plane like this, let alone for one person. Stepping inside, I gasped at the luxuriousness of it all; oversized individual seats, plush carpeting, wood paneling, and heated blankets at every seat… it was amazing and only got better.
After sitting in my leather, heated seat that seemed to mold exactly to my body, I buckled the seat belt and started trying out the buttons on my armrest. One reclined the seat to a full sleep position. After moving it back to sitting position I tried another button and out popped a personal TV from the ceiling. It was just about the coolest thing ever. I was just about to try another one when a stewardess came by.
"Miss Stackhouse, we're going to be taking off soon. Would you like a cocktail or a dessert before we do?" The petite stewardess asked as she rolled a gold plated cart to my seat with the most scrumptious looking cakes and pastries, champagne, top shelf liquours, etc.
I thought to myself, why not, but didn't want to partake alone. "You know, I won't tell your boss if you have some too. It seems like it would be such a waste to eat and drink this stuff by myself." I was hoping she would, because who really likes to drink alone?
"Oh, I really shouldn't." The stewardess said pulling down and touching lightly, but nervously, on her fishtail braided chestnut brown hair and shifting her feet while looking around.
I knew she was nervous about getting caught; I knew I would be too, so I said softly, "I promise, I won't tell a soul." I felt like I was being the devil sitting on her shoulder whispering to her to do something naughty, but really, I just felt like having some company with all the deliciousness in front of me.
"Oh, what the hell. Why not? The captain does this kinda of stuff all the time. By the way, my name is Kelsey Collins." My new friend said.
"I'm Arabella Stackhouse. Ummmm, just so you know, I'm not exactly of age. But, I turn 21 in a month and a half." I said reluctantly as I eyed the cart full of top shelf… everything. I thought that I should be honest with her about that.
"Well, we'll just have to throw an early birthday party for both of us then. I turn twenty in two months. " Kelsey said with a wink, looking cute as a pixie. To be honest, she looked even younger than the twenty she was going to be shortly.
"Sounds good to me. And, happy early birthday to you." I said smiling.
"Right back at ya! Now, what do you want to drink? I can make just about any drink you can think of." Kelsey said readying her shaker with ice.
"Oh, I don't know. I don't usually drink. Is there anything you'd recommend?" I asked. During the few times that I had alcohol, usually the drinks were chosen by the party host or situation.
"Okay… well, I love cosmos, so why don't I make some of those. Trust me, you'll love it!" Kelsey said grabbing the top shelf vodka.
"Okay, I trust you." I said, famous last words….
…
Well, two cosmo's later in a half hour and I was three sheets to the wind. What on earth was I thinking?
"Kelsey, I really think I need to sober up a bit. Wow! Those drinks were potent, but good." I said to my new friend.
"Yeah, they were good, weren't they? It really makes a difference, having the good stuff to play with." She said as she sat in the chair across from me with a piece of strawberry cheesecake in her hand. "I'm going to miss this stuff."
"Why do you say that?" I asked, curious.
"Oh, well, I'm going to be a vampire one day." Kelsey said like she was telling me it would rain tomorrow.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but how do you know that?" I asked, now confused.
"Oh, yeah, that would sound weird right… Anyway, I should probably start from the beginning." She began and then continued, "My brother was turned when he was twenty. He was our parent's only child at the time. As you can imagine, my parents were beside themselves when they found out the news… accidently, when he had take-out for his 'dinner' one night. He thought they were going to be out for the night. They were supposed to be… but, they had to come home for something. And they saw, well, everything. Amazingly enough, they were able to accept his fate; not that they could change it if they wanted to. But, even though they accepted it, they still wanted a 'mortal' child that could bear them grandchildren, carry on their legacy, blah, blah, blah. They were lucky to be able to get pregnant with me, everyone told them, because they were older. But, you know how cruel fate can be sometimes, and sure enough, their luck ran out. They ended up dying when I was just one because an old lady who couldn't admit that she shouldn't be driving anymore plowed into the restaurant that my parents were at. They died instantly though, thank God. My brother took me in and has been my parent, brother, friend, he's been just about my everything ever since. He raised me to know everything about vampires, their culture, and their ways so that one day I would be turned and we can be family forever."
"Wow." I said, taking in the story. "So is he going to turn you?"
"No, no. That would be too weird. He's never had my blood, and never will. It's a bit too close for siblings like us to do, or at least we think that. He wants me to find a vampire that I think would be a good maker. That's why I'm working here at Anubis Air. I get to meet all kinds of people, but more to the point, vampires. I haven't met the one yet, but Tyler says when I do, I'll know." Kelsey said finishing her cheesecake.
"Is that how it normally works?" I asked, absolutely clueless.
"To be honest, no. But, Tyler says that I'm not a usual case though anyway, given my upbringing." Kelsey said, starting to clean up.
"Well, I wish you luck in your… pursuit." I said to her while I started to help her clean.
"Thanks! You know, a lot of people would say that I'm off of my rocker." She said while wiping down the bar area.
"Probably, but most people don't have your history, or knowledge. I think everyone should follow their own heart. And, if this is what your's telling you to do, then who's to tell you it's wrong." I said throwing our garbage in the garbage shoot.
"Do you want to be one someday? You're with a vampire now; a pet, right?" Kelsey asked curious about my own situation.
"I am with a vampire right now, and I guess technically I am a 'pet' although I can't tell you enough how much I hate that word. But, how did you know that?" I asked.
"Oh, well, when your vampire booked the flight, it was noted, just in case there were any other vampires on the same flight. They would know they could not touch you or try to glamour you. It was really nice of him to do because some don't, and the situations can get a little… messy, if you get my meaning. I mean, they know they can't touch me because of our corporate policy, but passengers, well…" Kelsey said making an 'icky' face. Oh God, I thought, what has she seen?
As we prepared for landing, Kelsey asked me again, "You never answered… Do you want to be one someday?"
"I don't know. I've never thought about it one way or the other." I answered honestly. I really didn't know, and with the buzz I had going on, I really didn't want to think about it either. It seemed like it would be a buzzkill, one way or another.
….
Once the plane stopped in a small hanger and we could get out of our seats, Kelsey gave me a piece of paper with her info on it. "You've been a blast and I think we could be good friends. Listen, keep in touch, and, if you're ever in Dallas, give me a buzz. If I'm home, maybe we can hang out. It's not often I meet someone who understands this life, and more importantly doesn't judge."
I could sympathize with her. There really weren't a lot of people that knew half the stuff I knew. "Yeah, that sounds nice." I said with a genuine smile. "Good luck with your search."
"Thanks! Have fun in Dallas! Oh, and by the way, your ride is running a bit late, but should be here soon. I'd wait with you, but my ride has been waiting for a while and is getting antsy for me to get going; fifteen text messages already. But, you'll be fine here. It's secure. Only authorized personnel and outside limo services that have been thoroughly screened can get in." She said as she hurriedly walked to the crew quarters in the hanger waving goodbye.
….
I waited alone in the hanger for about ten minutes before my ride showed up. Having the buzz I did made the wait seem like nothing as I sat on my suitcase singing along happily to the music on my I-phone.
"Are you with the Northman party?" Asked a balding middle aged limo driver wearing black pants and a white button down shirt.
"Huh, oh sorry, I didn't hear you." I responded while taking my headphones out of my ears.
"Are you with the Northman party?" He asked again, but this time looking more nervous and actually starting to sweat a little. He was also looking around weirdly.
Now, I know that I swore I wouldn't poke into someone's brain unless need be, like I did with Bobby, but this seemed like a need be moment. So I did.
'I hope this is the right person. Shit. I don't even know who I'm looking for. If I don't produce someone, they'll have my neck for sure, and Joey's. Goddammit! I hate being in this fucking mess. Damn vampire bullshit. Stupid chuch. Shit.'
"Ma'am, uhhhhh, we really should be going. Can you please get off of your suitcase so I can put it in the car?" The would-be kidnapper said.
I sat there frozen in my spot. What the hell was I supposed to do? Run? Scream? Who would hear me? No one was here.
The guy was really starting to get even more nervous and fidgety as I sat motionless on the suitcase. I needed a plan and I certainly needed to avoid getting in that car with him under the circumstances. Why did I have those drinks? I prayed that the adrenaline rush I was now experiencing would sober me up a bit so I could come up with a plan. Thankfully, it did… somewhat.
"Ummmm, I, I, I really need to go to the bathroom. You know, alcohol just goes right through you. Do you mind if I go real quick before we leave? I don't think I'll make it." I said thinking, 'God I hope this guy buys it.'
"Yeah, sure, go ahead, but try to make it quick if you can. I'll put your bags in the trunk in the meantime." The driver said while picking up my toiletry bag.
'Shit.' I thought to myself. I may get out of here, but not my stuff. Oh well, if something's gotta go, better the clothes than me.
"Okay, will do." I said as cheerily as I could and quickly made my way to the women's bathroom, but then, when the guy wasn't looking, sprinted to the exit and out the door.
I ran and ran until I got to the next hanger. Luckily, the door was unlocked and there was a pretty older lady wearing a green polka dot dress working on paperwork inside the office area.
"Ma'am, oh thank God you're here. There's a guy after me. Please, can I hide out here for a moment? Please. I'm begging you. I don't know if he knows where I ran, but this is the closest building… please!" I blurted out clutching my chest, breathless from my run.
"Oh my, of course, honey. Listen, I've been there myself in my day. Go to the third door on the right. There's a closet there. Hide in there. If he comes here, I'll tell him no one's come in." Said my new guardian angel.
Well, you didn't need to tell me twice as I sprinted to the location she pointed out and hid. Thankfully I kept my cell phone on me and sent a text to Eric.
… Okay asshole… nice arrangements you made… some guy is trying to kidnap me at the hanger… hiding in the hanger next door... get your ass here asap if you still want a telepath that you don't have to dial heaven to reach…
Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but I was pissed that I had to deal with another dangerous situation, one I was placed in by Eric, and that I had to deal with alone. And, it didn't escape my memory what happened to me last time I had to hide under similar circumstances.
…
Eric was en route on another flight and close to landing when he got the text from Arabella. He was furious; furious because it was a stupid meeting with his queen that caused him not to fly with her, furious of the predicament she was in; and furious that he could do nothing to help her right now. The one thing that he wasn't furious about, and actually was slightly amused by was her attitude in her text. He loved her spunk. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do now other than text her back…
… I'll be there as soon as I can. Do not engage the man. Stay hidden….
He hoped that she would heed his word and not get into any further trouble.
….
Eventually the balding driver noticed that the young lady from the Northman party was taking too long. He decided to check out the bathroom, only to find what he suspected, that it was empty. He knew he shouldn't have taken his eyes off of her or the bathroom, but to be honest, kidnapping wasn't his normal line of work.
'Shit.' He thought to himself. He needed to find her, and find her fast. He looked around the Anubis hanger for a bit, but after coming up empty, decided she must have left the building. Talking a quick peak around his surroundings, he saw the hanger next door and thought she may have gone there.
…
"Ma'am, did you see anyone come by here?" The balding driver asked the lady in the green polka dot dress.
"Honey, there hasn't been anyone here but me and this big ole pile of paperwork." The lady said, staring him right in the eye, daring him to contradict her.
"Are you absolutely sure ma'am, because I'm looking for my… daughter? She called me to say that someone was after her. I'm here to help her." Said the man hoping the lady would fall for it.
Thankfully, this lady was no fool. So she replied, "Oh, well then I hope you find her; I really do, but like I said, no one's been this way. Do you want me to call the police?"
"No! I mean, that's not necessary. I don't want to attract too much attention to the situation yet. I'll just check outside again." Said the man as he took a quick look around again to see if anyone was in there and then hurriedly walked out the door.
Once the guy was out the door, the lady called airport security. They would get there quicker than 911 and she wasn't about to let this guy get away if she could help it.
….
Luckily, airport security was really quick, so quick in fact that they had their flashing lights and sirens blaring while heading in the direction of the hanger within two minutes. The would-be kidnapper panicked when he heard them coming and decided it would be better to ditch the car and hide out until they left. He found a thicket of bushes that looked like a good place to hide and waited there.
Once they got to the hanger, the two security officers stepped out of the patrol car and walked into the hanger office.
"Oh, thank goodness you boys got here right quick. I don't know if the guy is still lurking about, but the girl he was after is hiding in a closet in back. I'll go get her now." The older lady said as she sprung from her chair to get Arabella.
"Miss, it's okay to come out now. Airport security just arrived." Said my guardian angel.
"Oh, thank goodness. Thank you so much!" I said as I shot up and gave her the biggest hug I could.
"Oh honey, it's nothing really. I mean, who hasn't been in a scrape or two like this in their lives?" She said with a twinkle in her eye to me.
"Well, I don't know, but I could use a little boring in my life right now." I said with a chuckle.
"Honey, you say that, but I can tell your heart says otherwise. You get used to the thrill after a while, ya know. Trust me; I know what I'm talking about. Just ask my five ex-husbands." She said while leading me to the front office.
"Hey Stella, Garret is looking around outside to see if the guy is still here. Is this the girl?" The other security officer asked.
"Yes, this is… Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, I never got your name." Stella said to me.
"I'm Lisa Stevens. Thank you for scaring him off." I replied, lying about my name. I wasn't sure exactly why I did. Maybe I've watched too many crime shows? Who knows? Anyway, too late now to take it back.
"Well, Miss Stevens, do you want to make a formal statement for the airport?" Mr. Security asked pulling out his little writing pad.
"Ahhhh." I stammered. I didn't know what to do. I've just lied about my name; I don't really know what the situation is, or who is after me; and, I didn't know what Eric would want me to do.
"Pete, why don't we just give this little lady some time to breathe first, okay?" Stella said while getting me some water.
In a moment of clarity, which came from where, I don't know, I said, "You know, if ya'll don't mind, I would really like to see if my bags are still around before we do anything else."
"That would be no trouble at all. Where are they supposed to be right now?" Pete asked.
"In the hanger next door for Anubis Air." I replied sheepishly.
"Oh. I see. Well, Garrett and I will escort you there. Stella, there's no need for you to come with. And, I don't think we'll have to write up a report. As long as you're safe, I think that's all that really matters, right?" Pete said to me as if we were speaking in some vampire secret society code.
I knew I needed to know where this guy stood, so I read his thoughts immediately…
'Good Lord we don't need any trouble with the Anubis people. Have to make sure this girl is safe and in one piece for… whatever… whoever… sent her on that airline. The last two guards to write up a report involving that airline were never seen from again, and that incident was only illegal blood dumping. I don't even want to know what would happen to us if we had to write up a potential kidnapping. Yeah, gotta make sure she stays safe.'
'Whew…' I thought as I allowed myself to finally take a breath and said, "Thank you Stella, for all your help. You are truly an angel in disguise. I'm ready to go get my bags now, Pete. Thank you for helping me out."
"No problem… Lisa." Pete said in a way that made it obvious that he knew I was lying about my name.
Then Stella chimed in, "Ha! I don't remember the last time someone called me an angel, but I'll take it. But, truly, it was no trouble at all sweetie. You just take good care of yourself, because honey, ain't no one else going to do it better."
….
Walking into the Anubis hanger with Pete and Garrett, I saw that the limo was still there, trunk open and luggage inside. 'Yeah me! My stuff's still here!' I thought to myself until I realized I had no idea what to do next. Eric didn't give me an itinerary, so I didn't know where I was supposed to go to next.
"Ma'am, is there somewhere we could take you?" Pete asked as he saw the forlorn look on my face.
"That won't be necessary boys. I'll take it from here." Eric said as he appeared from literally nowhere.
"Who are you?" Garrett asked as Eric sauntered up to the pair, his hands in his pockets, looking hot as hell.
"I am her… friend. Your assistance here isn't necessary anymore." Eric said as the officers got the message, bid their farewells, and hastily ran out the door.
"How did you know I was here?" I asked him.
"Your friend Stella next door informed me that you came back here for your things. I thought I told you to stay hidden." Eric said somewhat amused.
"Well, I did… until Stella got the guards. You know, when I'm old like her, I hope I'm just as spunky." I said with a laugh. Stella was the bomb!
"Yes, she's quite the charmer. But, you could have gotten hurt." Eric said, turning more serious while thinking to himself that he needed her to find Godric, in one piece; but at the same time, ineffectively chasing the other reasons why he didn't want her hurt to the back of his mind.
"Well, I didn't. But Eric, do you think the guy could still be around here? I mean, the car is here… he could still be on foot…" I said looking around wondering just where the guy went.
"You have a good point." Eric replied as he zipped to the driver's seat of the limo to pick up on the driver's scent. Taking a quick peek at the passenger side seat, he saw duct tape and handcuffs. Knowing what could have happened to Arabella at this man's hands, he bolted even faster out the door of the hanger, wanting answers and payback.
Before I could say boo, Eric had the would-be kidnapper in his grasp before me.
"Is this the man?" Eric asked as the driver looked at me scared as hell.
I didn't have to answer because the driver, who was now crying replied, "Oh God, please, don't hurt me! I didn't want to take her, but they have my little brother. Please… I'll tell you anything you want to know."
"I hate the pathetic tears of spineless men like you. Of course you'll tell me everything you know." Eric said before starting to glamour the guy.
"What is your name?" Eric asked first.
"Leon Jones." The driver replied, as he was totally mesmerized by Eric.
"Do you know who you were supposed to kidnap?" Eric asked Leon.
"No. I was told to take any humans that arrived with the Northman party." Leon answered.
"Did you know how many were coming or whether they were male or female?" Eric continued.
"No. I knew nothing. I was only told to take the Northman party humans." Leon answered.
"Where were you supposed to take them?"
"To the Fellowship of the Sun headquarters."
"Is that who hired you Leon?" Eric asked, hoping this would all lead to more answers about Godric.
"I wasn't hired." Leon responded.
"If you weren't hired then Leon, did you volunteer for the job?" Eric asked angrily.
"No. They have my brother. I was called yesterday and told if I did this one thing, they would release my brother." Leon replied.
"And why do they have your brother, Leon?" Eric asked curious.
"He has a vampire lover. They wanted to make him pay for his sins, so they kidnapped him to deprogram him of his love for vampires." Leon answered.
"And, did they succeed?" Eric asked, still curious.
"I don't know. I haven't heard from Joey in two months. I didn't know about any of this until they called me and said I could get my brother back if I did this for them."
Eric thought about his next move with Leon and then said, "Is there a person you are supposed to contact at the Fellowship once you had the Northman party?"
"Yes. His name is Luke McDonald." Leon answered.
"Okay Leon, here's what you are going to do. You are going to call Luke up and tell him that the Northman party never arrived. They cancelled their flight and are supposed to come later next week. You will forget ever meeting me or the lovely lady standing next to me. To not do these things will result in you experiencing the most awful pain you've ever felt in your life, do you understand Leon?"
"Yes, I understand." Leon said, still under the glamour.
"Good Leon. You will make that call once the lady and I are out of the hanger." Eric said as he then grabbed me and my bags and flew us out of the hanger.
…
Eric must have called another limo agency, because there was a car waiting for us outside the hanger. 'God he's good.' I thought to myself as he quickly got my bags in the limo and I sat down inside.
Once Eric sat next to me and we were on our way I said, "I feel bad for him Eric."
"Why? He tried to kidnap you." Eric replied not wanting to have any sympathy for the guy that just tried to put Arabella in harm's way.
"Yes… he did… but not because he wanted to. His brother is in trouble. I can relate to that; to doing just about anything to help a loved one. I can't fault him for that, no matter how much I want to." I replied, hoping Jason was still okay.
"I suppose, but everyone has options. He could have tried to help his brother in some other way." Eric said, not ready to let go of his anger towards the guy just yet, irrational as it was.
"I think you forget that not everyone has friends… like you." I replied, letting that sink in for a moment. "Some people have no one but themselves."
Eric decided that he was done with this conversation. It was hitting to close to home. So instead of retorting to her statement, he changed the course of the conversation. "Why do you smell like a distillery?"
"What? Shoot, I only had two drinks on the plane." I replied as I brought my hand to my mouth and breathed into it in order to see if I truly smelled like I had just drank myself silly.
"What were you thinking, drinking Arabella? You should have been more careful." Eric reprimanded me.
"Yeah, because I should have known that I was going to have this kind of trouble, taking a flight, on one of the most secure airlines there supposedly is? Yeah, I should have been able to predict all this. Oh wait, shoot, I couldn't because I left my crystal ball back home with my magic wand and pixie dust." I said, getting pissed off again at him. What the hell?
"You knew that you weren't coming here for a vacation Arabella. You need to be clear headed and in good shape. Do you think you'd be able to look for your brother while drunk?" He said, knowing this would probably get her mad, but he wanted to make his point.
Tears brimming in my eyes, I turned my head away from him as I quickly and angrily responded, "Oh course not Eric. I know what's riding on me right now, but everything is on me right now; so heavy and so critical. I just needed a moment to let go of all that and breathe without feeling like I was breathing underwater, drowning."
Eric let her have a moment to regain her composure. He knew she was going through a lot. He was going through it himself, what with both of them missing loved ones. Once he could tell she wasn't going to give into crying he said, "Well, you seem pretty sober now."
A small sarcastic chuckle escaped my mouth before I responded, "Yeah, well, almost getting kidnapped would be a buzzkill to almost anyone."
"Yes I suppose it would." Eric lightly retorted.
"So, what's next Eric?" I asked, still not knowing what the plan was or where we were going.
"The Hotel Carmilla." Eric simply replied while looking out his window, thinking…