A/N: I haven't quite mentioned that this story's supposed to be taking place after the second season. I'm basing it mostly off the show, but getting most of the story line from the third book. And thanks so much to everyone who's reading! I woke up this morning to see all sorts of reviews and subscribers!
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Kennedy surveyed the building in front of her, looking around at the empty parking lot she was standing in. She could see a flashy, expensive looking red car sitting beside a more plain look black one and knew Eric, and most likely Pam, was inside. The red car screamed Eric, it was just the kind of thing he bought to show off. She walked past the two cars and up to the door, reading the sign that read 'Sorry, we're dead' and rolled her eyes. This place was probably more tacky on the inside than she'd imagined. She knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer, when no one did, she gave the door a hard yank, smiling widely when the lock broke and the door opened. She walked inside, nearly gagging when she saw what was around her. All her eyes could focus on was the red and black that seemed to be covering every square inch of the room. She noticed the throne like chair that sat in the corner of the room, and knew it belonged to Eric. She'd never seen someone take the fad people had for vampires as far as he had. The place almost made her ashamed to be a called a vampire.
"What are you doing here?" an annoyed voice asked, making Kennedy turn from the nightmarish bar. She smiled widely at Pam, almost making it look as if she was happy to see her. Pam had her hands on her hips, the heel of one of her pumps clacking against the floor. She hadn't changed one bit. She still had the same blond hair that Kennedy had always been jealous of, and she was still making sure she dressed along with that seasons fad. Pam had always taken a lot of pride in what she'd looked like, it seemed that it'd gotten worse as the years went on.
"Oh you know…just here to see Eric. How've you been Pam? Still unpleasant as usual? Terrorizing humans with that frown of yours?" she asked sweetly. Pam rolled her eyes, pointing to a black couch in front of Kennedy. She took the hint and sat down, placing her feet onto the couch along with her, making herself right at home. Pam left without another word, probably going to find Eric. Kennedy took the time to study her surroundings a little more closely, feeling a wave of annoyance as she took it all in. There was an actual souvenir booth not ten feet away from her. She almost wanted to slap Eric upside the head when she saw him.
"What brings you to Shreveport at such a late hour Kennedy?" Kennedy jumped at the voice, turning to see Eric standing five feet from her. She could feel a rush of memories come over her at the very sight of him. The feel of his lips on her collar bone, his fangs scraping gently against her neck, his icy cold hands on her thigh…if she'd been human, she was sure her cheeks would be an annoying, bright shade of red. She froze, noticing the corner of his mouth tugging upwards in a smirk. She forgot he felt everything she did.
"Just thought I'd visit…it's been awhile," she said with a small shrug, trying to keep her fangs hidden. She hated that even after nearly two centuries of being away from him, he still had the same effect on her. She watched him carefully as he took a seat across from her, his eyes never leaving her. "And I thought I owed you some sort of explanation, you left before I could tell you the whole story. It wasn't like you, running off with your tail between your legs," she knew it would make him angry, but then again she never really cared if she upset him. It had been sort of a hobby, pushing his buttons to get a reaction. It made her feel accomplished that she could still do it.
Eric leaned forward, his jaw clenching only slightly. His steely blue eyes boring into her. Kennedy fought the urge to flinch away. He was scarier than she'd remembered. "I don't think your one to judge Kennedy. How did you find me?" Kennedy smiled thinly, sitting back as she rested her hands behind her head. She couldn't let Eric intimidate her, he'd walk all over if she did.
"That's for me to know. I have to say I'm pretty impressed Eric, you managed to keep yourself hidden for a hundred and seventy years. Were you really that upset with me?" she nearly cringed as she realized what had just happened. Eric had successfully changed the subject, and Kennedy had fallen for it. She glared at Eric, her fangs retracting. It annoyed her that he could anger her so easily. Eric smiled slightly, his eyes darting somewhere behind Kennedy as he watched Pam walk into the room, looking bored with the both of them. Kennedy wished she would let her and Eric alone, without trying to ruin it with her sour attitude.
"I hate to break this up, but the sun's coming up soon. We need to get out of here now because I don't plan on being stuck in here with Ginger," she said dryly, her hand resting on her slightly popped hip. Kennedy would have asked who Ginger was, but she was too busy trying to figure out how she'd get home. Bon Temps was too far for her to get there in time, not without burning to a nice crisp. She looked over at Eric with sad eyes, something she did to get her way. She only hoped that it would still work on him.
"There's no way I'll be able to make it all they way back to Bill's before the sun comes up…whatever am I going to do?" she asked with a small sigh, looking down at her lap sadly. Pam scoffed, walking out to her car without another word to either of them. Eric frowned, his eyebrows coming together. Kennedy blinked up at him, batting her eyelashes as she waited for his answer.
"Fine, you can spend the night. Follow me." Kennedy smiled widely, following him out to the parking lot to his car. She opened the door harshly, plopping into the seat and smiling widely at Eric. "Nice car…very you. Can I drive?" she asked as she looked around at the interior of his car. She might have given him a hard time, but she had to admit, if she had the chance she would have bought one just like it. Eric ignored her request, and took off down the street at a break neck speed. Soon, Kennedy gave up trying to watch the things around her through the window, and she decided to focus on Eric instead. She watched as he kept his eyes focused on the road in front of him, not moving an inch when he notice her staring. She could feel his annoyance with her, even a little ounce of happiness maybe. She fought a smile as she looked ahead of her, looking up at the huge, black building looming in front of her as Eric pulled into a parking lot, pulling into a space. She felt a swell of anger sweep over her when she quickly assumed it was a hotel. So much for thinking he was actually going to let her stay with him.
When she followed him into the building, her feet stomping in a stubborn manner, she realized they hadn't just walked into a hotel. They'd walked into an apartment building. So far, it'd been the only apartment building Kennedy had seen in Shreveport, and a nice one at that. They rode the elevator silently to the very top floor, and stepped out into an empty, eerie looking hallway. The red and black décor reminded her of Fangtasia. "You live in a penthouse? They have penthouses in this city?" Kennedy asked as she followed along closely behind Eric, only getting more aggravated when he didn't answer. Without looking back at her, he opened the door, walking into the pitch black entry way of his penthouse. Kennedy blinked rapidly when the lights came on, lighting up the room around her.
"Nice place…where's my room?" she asked, sauntering into the living room as if she owned the place. Eric grumbled behind her, setting his keys on a nearby table. He walked past her, walking down a longish hallway. Kennedy didn't need to be told that she was supposed to follow him. As she got further into the penthouse, she realized how bare it seemed. There weren't any photos anywhere, not even art. The walls were a dull off white, and the furniture matched along with the black seating that she'd seen in Fangtasia. She was actually a little surprised when she noticed there was a TV sitting in the living room. She did appreciate that he'd gotten the apartment 'Vampire proofed', something she'd really only seen in Vampire friendly hotels. This way she could move around the penthouse freely, without having to worry about walking in front of an open window that would make her burst into flames. She was glad she wouldn't have to keep herself locked up in a room until sunset. Though she did enjoy the fantastic view from the wall wide window, overlooking what she guessed was most of Shreveport.
"You can sleep in here. My rooms across the hall, if you need anything." she wasn't sure, but she sort of got the feeling that he hoped she wouldn't need anything. Kennedy smiled thinly in thanks, walking into the room and discarding her jacket on the end of the bed, plopping down next to it. The mattress felt so comfortable she wanted to sleep on it for days. But she remembered Eric was watching her, and hid the dreamy look on her face quickly. She cleared her throat. "Do you mind if I borrow your phone? I need to call Bill," she asked, not meeting his eyes. Eric tossed his cell phone to her and walked off down the hall without a word. She was really getting tired with his strong, silent act.
She searched through the contacts, pressing the green button when she found Bill's name. The phone only rang once. "What is it Eric?" Bill snapped, making Kennedy grimace slightly. So much for thinking Bill and Eric were friends. She was probably being a little more optimistic than she should have been.
"Uh…hey Bill. Look, I found Eric. I won't be able to make it to your place by sunrise, so Eric's letting me stay with him. I'll be back tonight as soon as I can," she didn't wait for Bill to answer, she hung up the phone and set it aside, bringing her knees to her chest. Her life had been pretty dull up until now. She'd done nothing but run errands for her maker, trying to pretend that they were both friends when they really weren't. When she'd been allowed to leave, even for a little while, she'd been thrilled to finally have the chance to get back her old life, if only for a few days.
"Finished?" Eric's voice brought Kennedy out of her thoughts, pulling her back into reality. She nodded, handing her phone back to him before kicking her boots off, tossing them into the corner of the room. As she pulled off her jeans, she noticed Eric still in the doorway, watching. She didn't really care if Eric watched her undress, it wasn't like he hadn't before. She had to hide a smile when she could feel his edginess. Clearly he hadn't expected her to be so open with him so quickly. She hadn't really expected it either. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight Kennedy," he muttered, reaching to pull the door shut behind him. As Kennedy crawled into bed, Eric paused, turning around to face her. "And no need to apologize for what happened…things don't always go as planned, I'm used to that by now." Kennedy gaped at the now shut door, looking at the spot that Eric had once been standing. What did he mean by that?
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A/N:Reviews make me update more often :D