The next day after the dinner at Merlotte's I was at my house doing some yard work; it was overrun with weeds and tall grass. I decided to start pulling weeds at the mail box and work my way back to the house. It was still early morning and I had just finished pulling the weeds in the immediate area around the mail box when Sookie came by, bouncing along on her way to work. "Hey Em!" She called to me.

"Hey Sookie. You on your way to work?" I asked standing up from the area of the yard I was working on while brushing the dirt off my hands.

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you real quick." Sookie's demure changed; she all of a sudden became fidgety.

"Ok, you want to come in for some tea or water?" I asked. She nodded in response and then I lead her up to the house. "So what did you want to talk about?" I asked getting the tea from the fridge and placed on the deep red round kitchen table.

"Well this is going to sound crazy…" She began, as I grabbed some glasses from the shelf above the sink. "But, well I'm different from the people around here."

'You don't say?' I asked myself as I drank from my now filled cup. "Ok…"

"Well, I'll just say it. I can read peoples' minds." She stated as if the sky was blue.

"What?" I sputtered my drink.

"Well, most people I can hear. I can't hear vampires and some people I have trouble hearing. Like you! You're different too. I can hear your thoughts but it's like they're muffled." Sookie spoke eagerly. Leaning closer to me.

"Uhhmmm what?" I asked leaning back whipping my mouth.

"I can prove it if you want?" She said smiling with that wide grin on her face. "Gran always said I had a big smile." She stated out of the blue. I looked at her confused. "You thinking about how my smile was big, right?" I nodded slowly not entirely sure what to think at this point it's a lot to take in. "Think about something anything and I'll repeat it."

'I like steak and the color purple' I thought.

"You like steak and the color purple." She repeated my thoughts. "I know it's strange and weird and I don't fully understand it myself. But it is what it is." Sookie smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

I took a deep breath in "Ok… well if vampires are real then other things can be real. Like telepaths." I reasoned. She smiled at me. "So you said my thoughts seemed muffled to you?"

"Yeah it's like you're whispering or something like I can hear you but it's like you're talking through a pillow. I've never met anyone like you before. I wonder why it's hard to hear you."

"I don't know maybe it doesn't work well on everyone… or you're just more tuned into the people around you."

"Maybe…" Sookie took a sip of her tea and glanced at the clock. "Oh look at the clock, I need to get going. You should try coming by for lunch or dinner. I get off at six thirty." She smiled and ran out the back door of the kitchen before I could answer.

"She sure does have a habit of running off before people can answer." I mumbled tossing the now empty glasses in to the sink and returning the pitcher of tea to the fridge. "Time to get back to work."

It took me three days to get the yard looking nice again, or at least what I considered nice. No longer was it overrun with weeds and tall unmanageable grass. I had found an old push mower in the shed on the back of the property along with some other guarding equipment.

A few days later after Sookie told me about her telepathy, she came knocking on my door. 'What does that girl want now?' I asked myself getting up from my new couch I just got yesterday. 'I know there's shit going down with her brother and that Dawn girl from Sam's bar.' Opening the door I was greeted by Sookie in yet another sundress this one was a white with a red orange floral print and with her was Bill in in dark gray button down shirt.

"Hey." She greeted, Bill inclined his head as a silent greeting. "I know it's late and this is really last minute but I was wondering if you would mind joining Bill and I in going to this vampire bar in Shreveport. I want to ask some questions about Dawn see if anyone knows anything."

"Uh, Shreveport?" I asked not sure how far way it was.

"Oh it's just about the next parish over. I was asking mainly because I've never been to this kinda bar and I was hoping for some extra company. You know as in human…" She glanced at Bill. "No offence. I would ask Tara but she's not too keen on the subject." As she finished Sookie stared at me with these puppy eyes that both begged and guilted me.

"Fine. Just let me change really quickly. Stay here." I shut the door with a sigh and ran upstairs. "What to wear to a vamp bar? Leather maybe…" I questioned myself. Shaking my head, what was I thinking putting thought into this? I went to dresser and grabbed a dark red long sleeve shirt that hung off the shoulder. I traded my boy short pjs for dark acid wash jeans. I was heading toward my red Converse when I changed my mind and went to my closet to dig out a pair of black leather boots. Zipping them up over my pants I grabbed my wallet, keys, and phone of the night stand that was next to my bed. Exiting the bedroom I snatched a small black purse from behind the door to put my stuff in.

"That was quick." Sookie stated as I opened the front door again. I just smiled. "We're taking Bill's car. He knows the way." I just nodded as I followed them to the dark car I assumed was Bill's. Hopping into the back seat as Sookie took passenger I began to wonder why I said yes to this. I decided on boredom halfway through the drive.

'I've been here almost two weeks and I need to resort to tagging along on adventures to vampire bars.' The drive wasn't that long it took all of thirty minutes. Stepping out of the car my boots met pavement. Nothing like Merlotte's I thought this place was white stone, blacked out windows, one door that was underneath a red awning. On the window next to the door "Fangtasia" was written in neon cursive. There was a crowd of vampires and humans at the entrance socializing all of them were clad in some sort of leather or fishnets. Making are way though the entrance I saw red painted walls, filled with vampire centric art, red neon light lined the bar.

"Bill." Purred a female vampire, blonde hair pulled back into a bun and a leather corset. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been mainstreaming." Bill responded.

"Good for you." She said obviously not caring. Glancing to Sookie and I the women asked "Who's the Doll and Pixy?"

'Pixy?! I maybe short but I'm not that short.' I yelled in my head. 'I'm just as tall as Sookie… in heels… Sookie who stood all of five foot four in flats' Sighing, I was short.

"Pam this is Sookie and Emily. Sookie, Emily this is Pam." Bill introduced us.

"Pleased to meet you." Sookie said politely.

"Can I see your IDs?" Pam asked irritated. Fishing out my wallet from my purse I heard Sookie go on how it was funny being carded in a vampire bar to which Pam responded. "I can no longer tell human ages. We must be careful we serve no minors in any capacity." She paused and handed Sookie back her ID. "Twenty- Five how sweet it is." Bill began to lead Sookie toward the bar as I handed Pam my ID. "Twenty-three how cute, have fun Pixy. I'll be seeing you around." Pam purred with a smile and handed me back my card with a wink.

I found Bill and Sookie at a black table that could use a little cleaning 'I doubt vampires care though.' Bill with a Tru Blood and Sookie a gin and tonic. Bill asked if I wanted a drink when I took the spot next to Sookie I shook my head no. My eyes scanned the crowd of people not really caring for either what the humans or vampires were doing. I was just here to be support of for Sookie. My eyes landed on the stage where a pale man relaxing in a very old looking throne was positioned above everyone else. He had long blond hair that came to his shoulders, with a black button down shirt, along with matching pants and shoes as well as a nice leather jacket. 'I wonder if he likes black.' I thought sarcastically to myself. He was calm, hardly moving. I barely noticed his eyes scanning the crowd before him. His sheer presence commanded attention there was something about him that made me not want to look away: like a moth to a flame. We made eye contact for a second and everything seemed to freeze. Who was he? I knew he was a vampire but I wanted to know more, something was drawing me in. I noticed a smirk came to grace his lips and his eyes became that of a predators. 'Should I be scared?'I asked myself. I was abruptly brought from my thoughts when he kicked a man across the room for touching him. That's when I turned my attention back to Sookie and Bill.

"Oh, you noticed him, did you?" Bill asked, Sookie tried to tell Bill she he only just caught her attention not like she was interested in him but Bill stooped her. "It's ok. Everyone does, that's Eric he's the oldest thing in the bar." Bill stated.

'Eric.' I silently tested the name my lips. 'I like it.' I returned my gaze to him. Studying him trying to crack his code. I noticed Pam was up there leaning in against his throne talking into his ear. He looked back at us.

"Uh-oh," Bill said.

"Vampires aren't supposed to say uh-oh," Sookie spoke quickly.

"It's Eric. He scanned you twice; he's going to summon us." Looking up at Eric he gestured for us to come forewarned. Making our way to the stage I stayed a few steps behind Bill and Sookie. So they could do their thing and ask questions about Dawn and that other woman who died. I wasn't really paying attention till I heard my name called by a deep commanding voice; I turned to Eric who was point to the chair to his left.

"Please. Sit." Sookie sat down to his right and I to his left.

"So Bill are you quite attached to you friends?" Eric asked looking at Sookie.

"She is mine." Bill growled.

"Yes, I am his." Sookie confirmed.

"Well what a pity. I was not too interested in Miss. Stackhouse anyhow I am however interested in Miss. Blanchard." He turned his attention to me. "Sit with us, we have catching up to do." He commanded to Bill not even taking his eyes off of me, Bill sat down next to Sookie. "Now Emilia… I like that name." He purred. "Would you like to be mine?" Before I could even answer Sookie spoke up about how we needed to leave that there was going to be a raid. "Tell me you are not an undercover cop."

"I'm not, but the guy in the hat is." Sookie exclaimed while pointing to some man in a baseball cap and fishnet sleeves.

"It doesn't matter we are doing nothing illegal." Eric explained he began to turn his attention back to me.

"There's a vampire feeding on the guy you kicked in the bathroom." Sookie explained most likely using her telepathy. The next moment the front of the bar burst open with police yelling commands I could not hear over the crowd and music.

"Follow me." In one fluid motion Eric was up, grabbing my hand and lead Sookie, Bill and I off the stage and out a side door hidden behind a curtain with Pam close behind. As we exited the building I expected Eric to release my hand. "I will be escorting Emilia home, you have no need to worry." I turned to see Bill lift Sookie up his arms like someone would a bride. "It was a pleasure Sookie, you will come again." Eric pulled me closer to him till I was at his side. 'My god he was tall.' My head barely came to his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around my waist and lifted me off the ground with no effort. He positioned me at his side as one would carry a toddler. I felt his left arm running up my right leg resting underneath my thigh, lifting it to wrap around his waist.

"You know I could have just gone home with Sookie." I could hear Sookie's protests fade in the background as we speed away.

"Bill's only focus was on Sookie. He would have left you there to fend yourself Min Lilla Emilia."