Chapter Notes: Time passing, this isn't the next night from the last chapter.
"Why did I need to come with you on your date again?" Kit asked when the car came to a stop.
They had pulled up to Fangtasia, Kit knew the way fairly well by now, having visited many times on their own. The bar was not someplace that Kit would think the couple would choose to go on a date, considering Bill's disdain for the vampire who ran it, but they weren't one to pass judgements so quickly.
"Fangtasia isn't a date. I mean, really, all those pathetic people who come here looking for sex with vampires?" Sookie scoffed at the idea.
Hypocrite.
"I know. It's despicable." Bill said dryly, though with most things, Kit couldn't tell if he was trying to convey another emotion other than the blankness he spoke with most of the time.
Kit recognized an argument coming up, so they left the car and the couple to their bickering. They were glad that the bar was closed for the night, they didn't want to deal with the crowd in addition to Sookie and Bill. Kit let themselves in without knocking when they found the door unlocked, it wasn't like Eric wasn't expecting the company this time.
"Eric? Why did you need us?" Kit closed the door behind them, looking around at the people in the room.
"I need use of your sister's talents." Came the answer from the blonde leaning against the end of the bar.
Kit took a seat on the barstool nearest to him. "That's not all the information, is it?"
"Will I ever be able to get anything past you?" Eric raised an eyebrow, head tilted towards the odd human.
"Depends on the situation."
Eric hummed. "I suppose so. To answer your question, I need your sister to help me find out who has sequestered $60,000 from my accounts. It is not a large enough amount to make a dent, but it shouldn't be happening at all. I will not have a thief amongst my staff."
"Oh. I don't think I could be of any help then. Do you want me to stay out here?"
"I would like it if you would stay out here." Pam slid into the seat behind Kit and they turned to look at her.
"Oh, hi, Pam. Sure, I'll stay out here." Kit gave a light smile, but it fell from their face as Sookie walked in the door with Bill.
"What do you want, Eric?" Sookie had her arms crossed over her chest, hip cocked, and voice laced with hauteur.
Pam stood and took Eric's place, while Eric moved away.
"Pam, Longshadow, and I are partners in this club." He stopped and placed his hands on the back of the chair a man was sitting on towards the center of the room.
The man, sweaty and startled, jumped when Eric's hands landed on the back of his chair.
"And we recently noticed that sixty-thousand dollars has gone missing from our books. And Bruce," Eric took a step back and gestured at the man. "Is our accountant. Perhaps you can start by listening to him."
Sookie took a seat in front of Bruce. "He's not saying anything."
Kit rolled her eyes and turned to Pam, ignoring their sister's annoying defiance. "So this is the type of bitchiness you don't like?"
"Yes, there is no real need for it, and this is an actual problem. There is no reason to be dealing out this level of bitchiness." Pam answered without moving any real attention away from the scene in front of her.
"I think I get it." Kit looked back to Bruce as he started crying. "Wait, I missed it, what happened?"
"Your sister cleared him. A good thing too, he was a good enough accountant. Though after this, I suspect that we will be getting a new one, Bruce should have caught the missing money before it got to what it is."
"You trust the skinny human to clear the fat one?" Longshadow's voice from behind the bar nearly made Kit jump, they had forgotten that he was there.
Eric ignored him, but looked to Pam. "Bring in the next one."
Pam forced down a blonde woman in the chair in front of Sookie, pulled the cigarette from her hand and put it out. "This is the last of our humans."
She stood to the side with Kit when Eric walked over, where they had chosen to stand away from Longshadow.
"What's wrong with her? She doesn't seem all there." Kit asked Pam quietly, not wanting to disturb the other conversation.
"She's been glamoured too many times."
"Hold her down." Eric brought Pam away from Kit.
Pam pushed Ginger's shoulders, forcing her hands on the table, one of which Sookie telepath began questioning her, and Pam released her shoulders when it seemed she was in compliance. Pam stood back with Kit once again, but Eric circled the pair, watching intently as if they were his prey before he too stopped and stood with Kit. Bill leaned against the bar, idly watching as Longshadow did the same but from behind.
Sookie looked up at Eric. "She didn't do it, but she knows who did."
Ginger jolted as if she had been struck. "What? Fuck you."
"Who? Who's going to kill you? Ginger honey, what's his name?" Sookie concentrated for a few moments more. "It's blank, like her memory's been erased."
"I don't know anything, I swear." Ginger was panicking.
"She's been glamoured." Pam voiced her thoughts.
"It's a vampire."
In the moment that Sookie had her revelation, Longshadow launched himself over the bar, fangs out, and lunged towards Sookie. Eric held an arm out, stopping any movement that Kit might have made. Ginger screamed. Sookie screamed, landing on the table with Longshadow over her. In an instant the offending vampire was a puddle of blood coating Sookie and the floor, and Bill stood by, having dropped the stake.
"Ginger, enough." Pam drawled, unaffected by the scene in front of her.
"Pam, figure out how to clean this up. Bill, I expect you in my office in twenty minutes, don't bring the human, I don't want a mess in my office. Kit, with me."
"Are you alright? You seem strangely calm."
Kit shrugged. "I mean, it was shocking to see someone turn to mush, but it wasn't anyone I cared about, so I guess so?"
Eric looked at them for a moment. "You are a strange human."
"You mean strange in comparison to my sister and Ginger, at least in this situation." Kit gave a small huff of amusement and sat down on the couch. "I have free range internet access and a weird mind. Murder is mild, at least the one that just occured."
"I hold to my previous statement." A notably human sounding sigh escaped Eric's lips and he sat down on the arm of the couch to face Kit. "You are welcome to stay in here while I deal with Bill, you just need to stay quiet. Or you may go out and join your sister and Pam. However, you need to make a decision now."
"I think I will stay in here, I don't feel like dealing with what looks like a supersized version of a period."
Eric shrugged but didn't say anything more, though Kit was unsure if he misunderstood what they said or if it was just the end of their conversation at the moment. Either way, he opened the door and called for Bill, sitting in his chair at his desk as the southern vampire walked in.
He made to sit in a chair in front of Eric's desk, but Eric tisked before he could. "Not closing the door, Bill? How rude."
Bill refrained from sitting down, and turned to close the door. He took the seat in front of Eric when the blonde gestured to it, afterwards bringing his hands to clasp in his lap and leaning back in his office chair.
Bill glanced at Kit, who was half paying attention to whatever was on their phone. "Can you send her away?"
"They will stay." Eric quickly refuted, noticing Kit's well hidden signs of discomfort at the reference to them. "They have every right to know what is going on after what they have seen. I see no reason to hide anything from them."
Bill seemed as if he wanted to say something more on the topic, but he refrained at the look his Sheriff had on his face.
"Let's cut to the chase. You killed a vampire, Bill. For a human. What are we going to do about this?"
"What do you have in mind?" Bill was weary.
"I will take the mind reader."
"No. You can have anyone. Why do you want her?" Bill was defensive where Eric was laid back.
Eric leaned back, propping his feet up on his desk. "Why do you want her? You're not in love with her, are you?"
"Sookie must be protected."
Kit rolled their eyes and mouthed Bill's words. If Eric was amused at their mocking, he showed nothing.
"That sounds like an edict." Eric shifted his attention back to Bill, but didn't move his position. "But it couldn't be, because I would know about that. Admit it. You love her."
"If I hadn't done what I did, would you have let his disloyalty stand?" Bill ignored the slight, trying to redirect the conversation.
"Whatever I did to Longshadow, I would not have done in front of witnesses. Especially not vampire witnesses. Not smart, Bill. Not smart at all."
Eric dropped his feet to the floor with an audible thud in the dull office. His face no longer held the teasing look that in once had. Kit watched, no longer trying to feign interest in their phone.
"You have killed a vampire Bill, under normal circumstances I might be able to deal with this, but this goes beyond my jurisdiction."
"So you're not in any trouble?" Sookie asked Bill, walking to the entrance of the house.
"A simple slap on the wrist, that's all."
"I still don't like leaving Kit behind with Eric." Sookie mumbled. "You swear…"
"So, what is going to happen?" Kit stretched out, some of their joints popping as they did so.
"Are humans supposed to make those sounds?" Eric almost seemed worried, almost.
"Yeah, it's just air bubbles releasing themselves from my joints. Now, my question." Kit waved off Eric.
Eric huffed. "To be honest, I am not quite sure. We have a general set of laws, one of which is against murdering another vampire, which in this case is Bill's fault. But the vampire he killed had also broken laws against me, thievery, so the situation is somewhat unique. Either way, the seriousness of the offence forces me to bring it forward to the Magistrate. He is of higher authority than me to judge on these matters. From there he might either deal with it through visitation to this area, or call a tribunal where he deals with several cases at once. Do you understand?"
"I think so. What would be the usual punishment?"
"Five years in silver, but like I said, the addition of Longshadow's offence makes this an interesting situation."
Kit hummed.
"Indeed." Was Eric's response to their tone. "Whatever happens, I will be sure to keep you updated. Wouldn't want you to come to the club to find me when I'm not here."
Kit gave a short laugh. "Are you going to replace Longshadow?"
"Yes. I already have someone in mind, you have met him before. I still don't know how you pick out the vampires to chat with when you wander the club. Anyways, his name is Chow Lin."
Kit's face lit up. "I like him. He promised to teach me how to play the game of Go. If he's going to be here more, maybe he can finally do that."
"I could've taught you that, you just needed to ask." Eric grumbled under his breath.
Kit simply laughed.
