Author's Note: Okay so here's me playing. I have determined in my demented little mind that Shreveport and Bon Temp is two hours away. I know in the show they seem to pop back and forth in a blink of an eye, but its the way I want it. Also a little side note, I once lived in Louisiana years ago. The state is amazing, and really loved it. Also, in my mind LSUS is a much bigger campus for this story. Eric/Evie will be a slow burn, and will build into something. There will be angst and misunderstanding and personal growth.

I am trying hard to post once a week, and apologize for any mistakes. Working a fulltime job, married to a man who doesn't understand writing takes concentration and have a real life that interrupts my free time I don't have time to thoroughly edit the story.

I really want to say thank you for the feedback!

"Any word?" Eric snapped tersely as he passed by Pam at the door and made his way through the crowd to the office. Fangtasia was unusually packed for a Thursday night, and he knew it had nothing to do with it being Lady's night. It seemed no matter the century, young adults would always do the opposite of what was being asked of them.

Though he should be enjoying a packed house, his disappointment over the lack of information on a breather was starting to really annoy him.

Wanting his suspicions confirmed, he'd sent out several runners to nose around Bon Temp, and report back with any news regarding Bill Compton or of the Stackhouse family. The information sent back consisted mostly of small town gossip.

Trivial and uninformative.

Sookie Stackhouse might have the ability to read minds, but she was known as a nutcase by most of the town. And that was what the town thought before she started hanging out with the local vampire. Twenty-five, still living at home with her Grandmother, Sookie worked as a waitress in a dive that served subpar food and cheap liquor.

It was also unfortunately run by a shifter who was starting to get suspicious of all the new faces.

Her brother Jason Stackhouse held no value. He worked on a road crew, drank, whored and did it all over again the next day.

Adele Stackhouse had her hands full over the last two decades raising three grandchildren. Her bank accounts were more in the red than the black and had taken out an equity line out on the family home to put the youngest Stackhouse through college. The town seemed to adore her or had before Sookie started dating Bill Compton.

The only helpful information his hard earned money bought, was that it seemed Sookie Stackhouse could indeed read minds. Or at least that's what the town drunks and a few local gossips had claimed.

"Nice to see you to." Pam drawled as she followed him into the office. "Me? I'm fine thank you so much for asking. I'm really enjoying the fresh blood we've seemed to attract."

"Pam." Sending his companion a look, Eric moved to his desk and took a seat. "Please tell me there's something useful."

Holding his stony gaze, Pam was the first to back down. "Nothing that's going to make you happy."

When she didn't elaborate, Eric rolled his eyes. "Well?"

"Nothing new. We still don't know why Compton is mucking it up in that hellhole."

"Unless we want to believe his ancestor conveniently died, freeing up that dump Bill once called home, just so he could relive the good ole days." Eric muttered. "What of the brother."

"Besides being the town's manwhore?" Looking terribly unentertained, Pam exhaled when Eric glared at her. "Nothing. There's nothing off about him, other than his unusual ability to get laid and being about as dumb as a box of bricks. Your first assessment was on point. He's useless."

"Anything new on Miss Stackhouse?"

Pam's mouth twitched. "Which one?"

"The older one." Not amused, Eric shoved the stack of paperwork away and gripped the edge of the desk. Pam was still rubbing in his failure from the other night. Tired of not getting any tangible information, he thought he'd be able to wrangle it out of the younger sister. Evie proved to be harder to crack then he'd anticipated, and Pam found his frustration amusing.

He wasn't as amused.

"Again, nothing new to report. She's a few fries short of a Happy Meal." Pam frowned. "There's gossip that she's telling everyone who can tolerate her voice that she and Bill Compton are no longer . . . dating."

Eric's head snapped up, enraged she hadn't led with this development. "He no longer has claim on her?"

"Look at you getting all perky." Pam rolled her eyes. "No, he hasn't retracted his claim. He's still lurking about, keeping an eye on her. Most likely they got into a tiff. You know these breathers are. So quick to forget their grudges."

"His claim is flimsy." Sitting back in his chair, Eric contemplated how he could use this to his advantage. "You said she's publicly renounced him."

"What the fuck?" Her eyes going wide, Pam took a step toward his desk. "You can't seriously be considering making claim on that insipid breather."

"Don't be stupid." Eric scoffed.

"Then why go through all the work?"

"Because Compton is up to something." Eric snapped. His typical calm expression slipping. "Most likely at Sophie-Anne's bidding. She's unraveling, and I can't tell who exactly she's willing to sacrifice to avoid losing her throne."

"And you seriously think this backwoods hick is part of the Queens evil plans?" Pam asked.

"I don't know." Eric growled.

Huffing, Pam folded her arms over her chest. "Are you sure baby Stackhouse doesn't share her sister's unique ability."

"Unlikely." Running a hand through his hair, Eric sighed. Remembering his second encounter with Evie, he was certain her superpower was avoidance. Unable to glamour her to get the answers he needed, he'd been reduced to asking her the old fashion way, and it had been frustrating and fruitless. He'd left with more questions than answers.

"Pity."

"Don't tell me you actually like a breather."

"I may get sick." She responded dryly.

A knock at the door paused their conversation, as Longshadow stuck his head in. "We got a problem."

"Let me guess, coed hijinks?" Pam scoffed.

"Some piece of white trash is out there looking for V." Longshadow mumbled, his permanent scowl even more prominent. "Dumbass isn't being very subtle about it."

Sharing a look with Pam, Eric sighed and stood up from his chair. Following the Native American back to the bar, he looked in the direction that the Indian nodded.

Pam stopped just behind him. "Oh, for fucks sake."

Pulling out his phone, Eric scrolled past several pictures, stopping at the one supplied to him from one of his runners in Bon Temp. Looking up to the sweaty mess of plaid sitting in one of the booths with some tree hugging reject hippy. Clearly going through some sort of withdraw, Jason Stackhouse looked like death.

Even from where he was standing, Eric could see the beads of sweat dripping down the boy's forehead and neck. His hands shook while his eyes shifted around the crowd before returning to the girl sitting beside him. Under the table his leg bounced uncontrollably. He was in a bad way, and it astounded Eric that none of the other vampires had reacted.

"Boy has a death wish." Longshadow muttered before moving back to his busy bar muttering under his breath about stupid breathers.

"It's like we're infested." Pam muttered in his ear. "I think I'd prefer cockroaches."

"Hush now." Eric chided as he quickly took a picture with his phone. "This is going to work in our favor."

Ωβπ

Skit night had been an utter disaster.

Thea had been wrong. Talk of the infamous body shot had not died down, not even after one of the Pi Mu's had a wardrobe malfunction that resulted in her flashing a large portion of the student body her baby maker. People were still looking at her funny, while talking in hushed whispers about her walk on the wild side. Geez, a girl has one measly body shot with a vampire and the earth seems to stop spinning.

The second round of Rush week hadn't improved their pool of prospects. Somehow the DZ's had become the 'it' house for partying with vampires. It didn't matter they'd been ubber conservative and played the part of perfect Southern debutants since that night. One night had decimated their image, and no matter how obnoxious Kara got in her quest to undo the damage, it seemed to only make things worse.

Pulling her leg up behind her to stretch out her muscles, Evie took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Switching to the other leg, she tried to ignore the anxious feeling trying to consume her. The meds were barely keeping her from combusting, and she needed another outlet before she overdosed. It was a wonder she hadn't buckled under the pressure, the last time she went running was the night before returning here.

Putting an earbud into one of her ears, she scrolled through her playlist until she found one that would hopefully get her juices flowing. Taking off down Greek row, she tried to concentrate on anything other than the dismal night. Well dismal nights really.

Wanting the second round to go off flawlessly, Kara had insisted on reusing one of their past skits. Dressed as the Pink Lady's from Grease, it was horribly embarrassing. Well at least embarrassing for the sisters involved. Kara had done at least one thing right, and insisted Evie stand in the back. But it really hadn't mattered, she could feel the weight of the crowd's stares weighing down on her. It made her feel uncomfortable and itchy. By the time they'd gotten rid of the last freshman, she was a mess and didn't care how close to curfew it was. It was either she went for a run or lose her mind.

The oppressive heat of the day had relented slightly, but it still wasn't as cool as Evie would have liked. The sky was clear, and the moon was full and hung heavily in the sky. The stars were out, but weren't as bright as they were back home in Bon Temp.

By the time she left Greek row behind, she made her way toward the heart of campus. Her lungs burned from not breathing right, and her legs were starting to feel the burn. Slowing down her breaths, she pushed past the pain and kept going.

If sorority drama wasn't enough to deal with, Gran had called earlier that day. Wanting to know if she'd be home that Sunday for family dinner. But Evie knew why she was really nosing around to see how her granddaughters could be fighting when one was two hours away. There was no way in hell Evie was going to tell her sweet hearted Gran that it all started when they'd accidently bumped into one another in a vampire bar. Or that Sookie had left her high and dry. It'd taken a promise of coming home for dinner to get Gran off the phone.

Running past the quad, Evie ignored the small crowd of students milling about, getting ready to return to their rooms before curfew. But she couldn't help but notice the increased security. In past years, the campus only had a handful of guards who typically were retired police officers. Painfully out of shape from a diet of doughnuts and coffee, they'd resorted to using golf carts to get from one side of campus to the other. The new crop looked fresh out of the military. Young, strong, fit and hair kept impossibly short, they were all dressed in the same black uniforms.

Running past a small group of them, Evie ignored their interested gazes. Letting her feet guide her to the path that led to her second favorite part of campus. Finally feeling the strain lift from her shoulders, she felt the tension in her shoulders and neck relent. It was the release she'd been craving and pushed herself further.

The north side of campus was bordered by a forest. Thick, dark, and mysterious, its solitude pulled at her. It reminded her of home, and she'd spent a lot of time here when she felt homesick. The cement path was nicely lit, and eventually circled back to Greek Row.

Passing under a lamp pole, Evie paused when the light flickered up above. But it only happened a few times before it righted itself again. Her stride broken, Evie tried to regain her footing, only to stop again when there was a loud rustling sound to her left, somewhere beyond the tree line. Not wanting to stick around to see what kind of wildlife could possibly make that kind of ruckus, Evie took off, pushing herself a little harder.

The closest lamp to her, about six feet away started flickering just like before, but then the other lamps further down the path started flickering in synch. It was a nightmarish light show, and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Great." Stopping again, Evie watched as the line of lights down the path started to act up. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that path behind her was still brightly lit. Apparently the malfunction hadn't affected all of them. Turning back, she contemplated her options.

She could either continue, and chance the lights going out. Which would suck, but she was only a few minutes away from the house. Or turn back the way she came, and chance getting back after curfew.

A loud crash from the woods made up her mind.

Sprinting down the path to where the lights seemed unaffected, Evie prayed the noise coming from the woods was a work of her overactive imagination. Because if it wasn't just in her head, it sounded as though whatever had made all the noise was following her.

A snorting sound came from the dark, sending chills down her spine, and turned her leg muscles to mush. Unable to stop herself, even though she knew better, Evie looked over her shoulder. It was a shock to her system to see nothing there. Turning her focus back to where she was headed, her feet faltered as she collided against a body that hadn't been there a second ago.

A blood curdling scream ripped from her lips, as a strong set of arms wrapped around her, preventing her body from crashing after making impact. Struggling, Evie kicked out, and tried to squirm her way out of their hold, as past lectures of campus rape taunted her terrified mind.

To her amazement, the hold on her let go and she was shoved behind the immovable body.

"Stop fighting me." A familiar voice snapped, and Evie's head snapped up to look up at the back of Eric's blonde hair. Anger flashed through her, and before she could think, her hands punched at his broad back.

"Was that you?" Hitting him again, her heart thumping painfully in her chest, Evie felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes.

With a sigh, Eric dropped his gaze from the tree line and turned. "Was what me?"

"Were you in the woods trying to scare me?" Still not satisfied, Evie hit him one more time, but his large hand stopped contact.

As if on cue, another loud crash came from within followed by an animal sounding noise.

πβΩ

This was not how he envisioned how getting the upper hand would play out.

After catching Evie's faint scent at her school residence, he followed it until he found her jogging alone. He hadn't intended to frighten her, though it wasn't above him to pull such a stunt. He would've made himself known sooner if she hadn't made such a delightful distraction.

He wouldn't have pegged her for being athletic. Not with how clumsy she seemed to be. But in her shorts and sports bra, a long loosely bound braid down her back, she made quiet the sight. Taking a moment to enjoy the imagery, Eric closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of honey trailing off her.

Planning to head her off further up the path he watched in puzzlement when the lighting above her started to flicker. She seemed to notice at the same time and came to a halt. Watching from a distance, he saw her hesitate from moving further on, but suddenly came to life and turned back the way she came, sprinting as though being pursued. Her scent spiked, and fear now mingled with her sweet scent.

He'd heard a noise from the woods and grew ridged as the light show flicked above her once again more several feet ahead of her on the path. Jumping into action, Eric closed the distance. Keeping most of his attention on the forest, he prepared himself for whatever form of beast was making creating the noise. A new scent now was mingling with honey and fear, and a low growl erupted from his chest.

The predator inside of him recognized the hidden threat, and he raced to reach Evie before the beast revealed itself. A groan of annoyance ripped from his throat when the little idiot looked over her shoulder as an animal snort echoed through the night.

She would be lucky if she didn't break her pretty little neck.

Knowing she was about to collide with him, Eric stopped and braced himself for impact. He could've easily gotten out of the way, but the sooner he got her out of whatever danger she'd gotten herself into, the sooner he could use her brother against her as leverage.

She was a feisty little thing, and it only made his mouth water. Stopping her from falling, again, he was going to tease her when another loud noise came from the dark. Any humor he'd felt quickly fled, when a strange smell hit him.

Shoving her behind him, Eric scanned the area, trying to locate the danger. But it was hard to concentrate when Evie's anger rolled off her in waves.

"Was that you?" She snapped before hitting him again.

"Was what me?" the noise seemed to have ceased, and the scent was fading. The lights above stopped flickering. Whatever it was, it seemed to be leaving. Turning around his hand easily stopped her tiny fist from connecting with his chest.

"Were you in the woods trying to scare me?" She demanded; her face flushed as her large eyes looked up at him.

"No." Turning back to scan the area, he turned back to her disbelieving expression. "Come."

Looking ready to argue, Evie's gaze slipped past him, then abruptly made up her mind. "Fine. But can we not fly?"

Smirking, he took her hand and raced them to the safety of the backyard of her sorority. Letting go, he put enough space between them so her scent would stop being a temptation. "You're not going to throw up again are you?"

"I don't think so." Getting her bearings, she leaned over and rested his hands against her knees. Taking a few deep breaths, she looked up at him. "Why are you even here?"

"Apparently saving your life." He murmured.

Standing up, her hair coming loose from its bindings, she looked skeptical. "From a wild animal?"

"Whatever that was, it was supernatural." He corrected.

"A vampire?"

"No." He wasn't there for a quick lesson on the supernatural world. "Your older brother stopped by Fangtasia tonight."

"You came here because Jason went to a bar?" A chuckle escaped her lips, and if she hadn't been laughing at him, he may have been in a state of mind to admit it sounded rather pleasant. "There isn't a day that ends in Y when my brother isn't getting wasted in some bar."

"Is he typically withdrawing from the effects of V?" Not liking that the conversation wasn't going the way he anticipated, he took a step toward her. "Are you aware it's within my rights to punish any human in my territory who uses it?"

This stopped her laughter, as the seriousness was dawning on her. "Jason wouldn't take V."

Pulling out his phone, he scrolled to the picture he'd taken earlier and handed the device over. She hesitated before taking it, but after a moment her shoulders slumped. "Jason you stupid freaking idiot."

Taking his phone back, he tucked it away. "He's been not so subtly asking about where to obtain more, inside my vampire filled bar."

He almost felt bad for her when her face drained of any color as the implications of her brother's actions became clear. Sighing, she shifted before speaking. "What are you going to do?"

Tilting his head to the side, as though he needed to think about her question, Eric eyed her. "At the moment, nothing. I've made it clear he's currently off limits."

"Because you want something."

Pleased she wasn't going to be difficult, Eric nearly smiled in victory. "So, you really are the smart one."

"Doesn't take a brainiac to know you're here because you want something." The color was returning to her face, and Eric decided she looked better when her cheeks were flushed. He wondered briefly if her entire body would be the same light pink color after being fucked. "Well, that does make negotiating a lot simpler. I want information on your sister."

"No." She all but rolled her eyes at him.

"No?" Stunned, he tilted his head.

"Why in the world would I sell out one sibling to save the other?" Perhaps she had a point, and Eric was starting to see that maybe this wasn't going to be so simple after all. Her loyalty was commendable, but it was also becoming quite annoying.

"I can see your point." Pinching his lips together, Eric studied her for a minute, before quickly changing tactics. "Fine, I need information on Bill Compton."

"Why do you even care what Bill is up to?" Looking up at him from under her lashes, Eric considered her words. "I might be new to this vampire thing, but even I can see the two of you aren't playing on the same ballfield. Besides, wouldn't any information on Bill just lead back to Sookie?"

"My issue with Bill has nothing to do with your sister." Forcing the words out of his mouth, Eric contemplated strangling the little creature. Any sense of victory had evaporated. Protecting her ignorant brother should have her thanking him. Instead, she was being difficult.

Huffing, Evie shook her head. "Now who's lying?"

Once again, she was evading him. "I think you've forgotten that you currently owe me. I don't owe you an explanation."

His words seemed to have the desired impact, as her shoulders dropped. Chewing on her lip, Evie seemed to think about this. "Jason stays out of trouble?"

Laughing, Eric shook his head. "I'm not a miracle worker." She didn't look as humored. "But if you agree to relay any information on Bill Compton back to me, I won't act against him for taking V."

"What about the other vampires?"

"Anyone tell you you're amazingly annoying for such a little girl?" Gritting his teeth, Eric took a step forward.

"Plenty." Evie shrugged. "I have two older siblings."

"You might have one less if you don't stop pushing the matter." He grit out in frustration. "You are trying my patience."

"Fine." Throwing her hands up in the air, Evie gave in. "I'll give you information on Bill Compton."

"Now, was that so hard?" She gave him a forced smile.

She stared at him for a second before asking. "How?"

"How what?" Confused, he watched as she huffed in frustration.

"Do I call you? Text? Or perhaps you're more familiar with a penned note." Perhaps he shouldn't have saved her neck. And he would've said so, if he hadn't left out how she would be communicating back to him.

"You can come to the bar." His words caused her heartbeat to spike and any bravado she'd been feeling quickly fled.

"Nope." Shaking her head, she turned her back on him and started heading to the backdoor.

"You'd put your brother's life in danger because you don't want to come to Fangtasia?" Stunned, he watched her retreating.

"Oh please." Stopping she turned around. "We both know you weren't going to do anything to my brother. Because that would seriously piss Sookie off. And then you'd never get a chance to take her from Bill."

There was no way she could know that.

"I'm only agreeing because Bill Compton is up to something, and it has to do with my sister." She tossed out; anger etched on her face. "I can't do anything about him because I'm no match for a vampire. But if you're able to get him out of Sookie's life then why not?"

With that she spun back around and stomped her way up to the backdoor. Eric watched in amazement, his previous assessment of Everly Stackhouse utterly wrong.

"Wait." Stopping her before she slipped inside the house, Eric waited until she turned around. "How will you communicate the information."

A slow smile tugged on her lips. "Well seeing how he lives two hours away, and Sookie broke up with him, I don't really see that I'm going to have a lot of information to report back." Slipping inside before he could stop her, Eric let out a snarl before taking to the sky.