Author's Note: I am very sorry about the huge delay with this chapter. I actually started writing it before I published Chapter 11, but it has caused me a few problems. This chapter is largely dialogue and I have a little bit more trouble with dialogue than action, so that in itself made this chapter a little harder than most. That, on top of the fact that I have been super busy with work, interviews for a second job, and my birthday this past week, has made my life pretty full. However, no more excuses, here is the product of my hard-work. I hope you like it and the next chapter should be out soon.

Disclaimer: I own Gemma Leland and part of the plot associated with her. The rest of the characters and plot belong to Alan Ball, the creator of True Blood, and Charlaine Harris, the author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

Chapter 12

Eric Northman

Sophie-Anne had sold me out, just as I thought she would.

Early in the evening, the Magister, a terrorizing little buffoon who claimed to uphold the "laws" of our kind through torture and death, had come with his minions to ransack my establishment. In the time it took me to arrive after Pam's troubling call, the heathens had torn through everything. They destroyed bottles, merchandise, and everything they could lay their hands on.

Unfortunately, they had found what they were looking for.

I had hidden a small cooler of vampire blood in my office, not thinking to hide it somewhere else or give it to Lafayette. I had been foolish enough to believe that possibly, selfish Sophie-Anne would not give away my role in the V sales, considering it had all been under her orders. Conveniently, she left that part out when she leaked the information to the Magister. But, of course, she is the queen, so to speak out against her would be treason, an offense that would result in my meeting the True Death.

He had made his discovery when I was away, so Pam faced the full extent of his rage. By the time I arrived, he had chained her up in my basement and was waiting for my presence to begin the torture.

I watched in horror as the Magister dragged the silver-tipped cane along Pam's chest, making her skin burn and peel away. Her screams pierced me to the core, making me want to rush forward and rip the despicable vampire's self-righteous head right off his shoulders. I was much older than he was, it would have only been too easy. But even with my strength, I could never have overpowered all his lackeys.

Pam, in the midst of her pain, screamed out that Bill Compton had been the vampire selling the blood. I knew the Magister would not believe this, but thinking on my feet, I did my best to convince him that I had already begun an investigation, with Bill Compton being my prime suspect.

I was given two days to find him before my progeny would be executed.

Frantic, I ran out to my car and, remembering Gemma, drove as fast as I could to Bon Temps. I had to tell her to stay away from Fangtasia while I was gone, to stay in hiding if she could.

As I drove down the highway, I could think of nothing other than how to save Pam from the Magister's clutches. To do this, I had to track Bill down. Bill had been taken by the Weres to Jackson, Mississippi, at the orders of a vampire, I had no doubt about that.

And I had a very good idea who that vampire was, but if I was going to get information and hopefully find Bill, I was going to need to put on the performance of a lifetime. Somehow, I needed to get inside and gain the King's trust so I could snoop around and find some clues while he was not looking. If I did somehow find him, though, I had no idea how I was going to get him back to Fangtasia to trade his life for Pam's.

My master plan: make it up as I go along.

As I pulled up to the cemetery, I saw Gemma sitting on a stone bench near the mausoleum. She was clutching something in her hand, turning it over in her fingers, before she looked up to see my car. I pulled up beside the entrance and threw open the passenger door, sending a wordless message for her to get in. Though it wasn't sound-proof, it was the best place to talk in the current circumstances.

She did as I wanted, bolting over to the vehicle and sliding into the passenger seat. She looked beautiful in a blood-red blouse and tight black pants, her emerald eyes locked on mine with concern. I quickly turned away.

My jaw involuntarily clenched as I stared out the windshield. Her eyes were too hauntingly beautiful for such a horrifying night.

"Eric, what happened back there? Who were those vampires?" she asked, her voice betraying fear. Sighing, I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

"I have to go away for a few days," I muttered, ignoring her question.

"What?" she asked, though I knew she heard me perfectly.

"I have to go away, out of state, for the next few days. I need you to stay here. You must stay safe; you cannot go to Fangtasia," I warned, my head too filled with turmoil to look her in the face. "Do not draw any attention to yourself."

"This is because of what happened at the bar," she stated. "They have Pam, don't they?"

I hung my head, unable to speak. That was all the answer she needed.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go to Jackson," I answered shortly, already weary of the questions. I was wasting time sitting in that car, not flying to Jackson as fast as the machine would take me. "Now, you need to go. Stay in Bon Temps as much as you can. Do not go to Fangtasia under any circumstances."

"I am not going anywhere," she answered stubbornly. "I am staying in this car. Take me with you to Jackson."

I turned and glared at her, shocked by her demand. "Absolutely not."

"Jackson is where the werewolves are from. I am going with you," she answered obstinately.

"How do you even know that?" I challenged. She knew more than I had hoped.

"I heard the werewolves in the forest mention that they had to return to Jackson. I have since confirmed that information," she explained vaguely, irking me. "Now, either you can take me or I will find my own way there, but either way I am going to find those werewolves. There is no way I am staying here and waiting for you."

Fury flared up within me. I snarled savagely at her, my fangs fully extending with a click as I leaned in, nearly nose to nose with her. Gemma jumped back, looking frightened. "You will not threaten me, Gemma, if you know what is good for you."

"I am not threatening you, Eric, I am promising. You are going to Jackson. That is where I need to go, too. I will stay out of your way and I will not let anyone know we are affiliated at all. Please, make this easier on both of us and take me with you," she begged. Her face was imploring, filled with immense desperation. She looked so pitiful, so full of despair, it tugged at my heartstrings. I wanted to tell her no, it was too dangerous, she could never survive.

I wanted to tell her that I could not let her go. But the words would not leave my lips.

I glared at her for a few more seconds. I was wasting precious time arguing with her, time I could not afford to give up. With a huff, I retracted my fangs. Wordlessly, I turned back toward the windshield and put the car in gear.

"I cannot believe I am doing this," I growled to myself. "You will not make me regret this. Both of our lives are on the line."

We both sat in tense muteness as I drove out of Bon Temps. My mind was screaming at me to stop and kick Gemma out of the car. I cared too much for her, I could not throw her to the wolves, literally and figuratively. She had no idea what she was getting into.

She is going to get to Jackson whether it is with me or on her own, I thought. At least, this way, I can try to watch over her and keep her safe.

"What happened in there?" Gemma asked softly, breaking the silence. I contemplated ignoring her question again, but it seemed she would keep asking until I finally answered.

"The Magister raided my establishment," I explained angrily.

"Magister?" she asked.

"A self-righteous maniac, a relic from vampire history, who enforces our laws with incredibly archaic violence and torture," I grumbled, gripping the steering wheel so hard, I was amazed it did not break into pieces. "He claims I have been selling vampire blood, a crime punishable at the least by extraction of my fangs, and at most, True Death."

A look of realization washed over Gemma's face. "Is that what was in those vials?" she asked, catching me completely off-guard. I nearly swerved off the road. My eyes, filled with fire, shot to her.

"When did you see those vials?" I demanded, my temper beginning to rise again.

It became quickly apparent that she realized her mistake. Shaking, she answered, "When I accidentally fell into your filing cabinet, I saw the cooler. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have looked inside. But I promise I did not say anything to anyone."

I fell into an enraged silence. Staring at the road ahead of me, I tried to calm myself. Risking a glance over at Gemma, I saw that she was staring out the windshield, her body pressed back into the seat. Her light red hair looked like fire against her white skin, lighting up her skin, falling in front of her vibrant eyes. She looked terribly lost and broken.

I could not stand to see her that way. Huffing a sigh, I began to speak.

"The Magister has arrested Pam in an attempt to light a fire under me. He has given me two days to find Bill Compton or he will kill her. Pam is my progeny, my child," I breathed, trying to hide the emotion behind my words. "I cannot let anything happen to her."

"Bill Compton is Sookie's Bill?" warily she asked.

"Yes," I answered flatly.

"Why do you need to find him?"

I paused. "He was the one selling the V."

"Then why was it in your office?"

I lost control of my anger. "Stop asking questions!" I shouted, slamming my fist into the steering wheel, eliciting a sharp crack from the plastic. A fracture now cut through the top of the wheel. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gemma nearly jump out of her skin, huddling back into her seat as if she could escape from sight. I immediately felt guilty.

"I do not like that you are scared of me," I said softly, wearily. I could feel her surprised stare on my face, but I did not meet it. "It is just…the last thing I want to do is put you in more danger than you are already in. You are already walking into a lion's den against my wishes, but I cannot stop you. I will not place my own peril on your shoulders, also. The less you know, the better."

Deep quiet followed while we both began to digest the severity of our situations. The engine roared as I zoomed down the highway at breakneck speed. I turned onto the interstate, flying by cars at an unbelievable speed. At that point, I did not care if a police officer dared to give chase. He would never catch me.

Gemma turned toward me, her body language and expression drenched in calm vulnerability. "Will Pam be okay?" she asked.

I tensed. The truth was I did not know if Pam would survive. The Magister had given me two days to return, though I wondered if I would be able to find him in that time. I had a suspicion that the king of Mississippi had hired the werewolves to kidnap Bill Compton, but there was no hard evidence. There was the possibility another vampire had hired them, or, even less likely, that they had done it for their own purposes. The only reason a Were would want to kidnap a vampire would be for their blood and it did not make sense that they would travel all the way to Louisiana just for a kidnapping and draining. And even if the king had kidnapped Bill Compton, I had no idea of what his motive could be. There was also the simple fact that if he was keeping a hostage, it seemed unlikely that anyone would admit to knowing he was there, let alone where exactly he was hidden.

But I could not tell Gemma that.

"She will be if you do exactly as I say," I declared sternly. "I am fairly certain of where I will find Bill Compton. The vampire king of Mississippi lives in Jackson on a large, lavish property. He is well-known for hiring Weres to guard his estate during the daylight hours. If werewolves from Jackson have something to do with you being brought over, that is the place to start. You will need to listen without being seen, heard, or smelled. That means you should stay in the woods surrounding the mansion."

"Where will you be?" she quickly inquired, sitting up in her seat.

"I will make my presence known. I need to talk to Russell Edgington directly if I will be able to find the information I need."

"Wait, Edgington?" she interjected, her whole body turning to face me. "He is the one who hired the werewolves to come after Sookie."

I looked at her, stunned. "How do you know this?" I questioned levelly.

"When I went to find the werewolves in the forest, I heard them mention that name, that he wanted Sookie unharmed. They also mentioned that they couldn't do anything else to make him mad because they had already lost a vampire. I assume they meant me."

That was enough to confirm what I already suspected. So it really was Russell Edgington who had sent for Sookie and Bill. And it seemed he also knew about Gemma, but the extent of his involvement in her situation was beyond my comprehension.

It seemed every answer rendered three more questions.

"So you think Russell Edgington is the one behind all of this? The kidnappings, the wolves?" she asked.

Cryptically, I answered, "It would seem so."

"And you are willing to face him in order to save Pam?"

I nodded sadly. "Yes, I would risk anything to save her."

"I did not realize you cared so much for her," she answered softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"She is my progeny. I have a duty to her, I must do anything I can to save her," I answered, looking over at Gemma's face. Her eyes were on the road ahead. Her petal-pink lips were pressed together, as if they were damming up a river of words she did not want me to hear. With a turn of her head, she looked up into my eyes.

"When will you ever admit, Eric Northman, that you are capable of love, just like the rest of us?"