Finished for study leave today and am happy happy happy so need to remember my characters and tone of my story before I have Eva skipping down corridors, or Eric humming show tunes. I know right, why is she sat in writing a fanfiction, does she have no life. I'm just very tired, I fell asleep in a car before and awoke to find it parked in asda car park with kids giggling at me sleeping while the driver of the car had buggered of to do some shopping! But I have a masquerade ball party tomorrow, ;) but ENOUGH of my social life. By the way, thank you reviewers.

One last thing, SHOULD I raise the rating? I think M may need to be in place for later chapters. What do you think?

"Get offa me!" Eva huffed as she was tackled to the ground.

"Shut up, filthy fangbanger," snarled a voice filled with hate and anger. She couldn't tell how many men we're on her; it could have been one or two, or five. Eva grunted in defiance and struggled against them, as they viciously shoved a rag or some form of material into her mouth, then wrapped another strip round, tying it tightly. Two pair of hands we're on her, one pair round her legs (upper thigh to be precise) and another wrapped under her arms and held her torso, more loosely than his friend at her thighs.

"You promised, no harm," hissed a low familiar voice.

"You promised she was trying to stay away from vamps. Temptation to big for you, ey, whore?"

Eva wasn't happy with the name calling she was receiving, and she was even less happy about the man handling. That was an understatement. She was furious. Not scared, just plain pissed off. Eva was the kind of girl who never immediately comprehended any danger she faced. She squirmed as the men dragged her awkwardly down the back alley.

"Grips slipping," teased thigh man, as he groped her upper leg harder. Eva screamed through the gag and kicked her calf up, which the lecherous abductor had left vulnerable. She delivered a blow hard in his face, while releasing muffled screech after screech.

"Filthy bitch," he snarled, before slapping her with considerable force. Her head span sideways and hit the stone paved floor with a thud. Eva coughed and choked through the rag, and tried to ignore the searing pain in her forehead. Then one kicked her brutally. She rolled into the foetal position, gasping in the breath that had been booted out of her and cradling her stomach as tears welled in her eyes.

One minute the men we're stood craned over her, next minute they were being flung through the air.

Eva lolled back on her back, concentrating on breathing steadily again. A warm splattering of blood suddenly hit her left arm, but she ignored it. There were muffled screams and vicious sniggers, but she ignored it. The dizzying pain in her head, she could not ignore. Her world faded in and out, then went completely black. After she felt strong cold arms slide under her, and lift her from the bloody and dusty ground.

…

Everything slowly slid into colour and focus once more, and she felt the recognisable softness of bed sheets beneath her. Blinking quickly, and taking short nervous breaths, Eva tried to sit up. But her world span and she had to admit defeat and lie back down.

"Where am I?" she whispered to the cream coloured ceiling of the dimly lit room.

"You are in my hotel room," answered an aloof voice.

"You being…?" She didn't dare try and sit up again.

"I being Eric Northman. You being very lucky you are here, on my bed."

"Not many girls experience Eric Northman's bed do they?"

"I will put your personal joke down to mild concussion."

"Yeah you do that," Eva muttered absentmindedly. Her mind was swirling, she felt a numbing pain and her body ached.

"For the record I meant here in my room alive …may I lick your forehead?" asked the wintry voice, in all seriousness. Eva had to sit up; she just had to pull herself up and look him in the eye and be sure he was serious. He was, his expression confirmed he was deadly serious and Eva couldn't restrain her laughter.

She laughed like an idiot, ignoring his frosty glares.

"And you say I'm making personal remarks?" she snorted.

"I am being…"

"Yeah, serious, I can tell."

"There is more blood on your forehead and it's taking all my willpower not to pin you down and take more than is what being bled."

Eva shuddered, and then noticed the flaw in the sentence.

"More blood?"

"Yes, more."

"And the blood from before…" Eva had a feeling she shouldn't bother inquiring.

"Oh, licked clean while you we're unconscious."

"You licked it clean while I was out cold?"

"Yes, that's what I said, with a slight change of phrasing. Oh and that noun, you. They licked it clean."

Eva shook with disgust. She knew she'd regret asking, she just knew it but she could help herself.

"Who are 'they'?""

"Lucio, the Nevada vampire, and others. I did try and get a taste, but it was hard when I was the one holding you" There was a strange tone to the end of that sentence, like Eric was suggesting something. Eva ignored this.

"The others weren't from Nevada?"

"Please let me lick your forehead. It's unbearable."

"But it's gross…oh…oft."

Within a second Eric had moved across the room and was poised above her, his faces inches from hers but his eyes desperately darting from her hairline to her eyes for confirmation. Eva's breath was warm against his neck and his fangs shot out.

"Oh hell, go for it. No biting."

Eva was amazed at how calm she was, then it dawned on her she took a heavy blow to the head…

What ensued for Eva was one of the strangest moments of her life. As she lay there, the vampire she'd barely had a conversation with lapped in a dog like yet sensual way at her head. His saliva wasn't cold, but it was hardly hot and heavy like humans. It also had a strangely calming effect.

Most people just find a massage therapeutic, she thought, amused.

When she was sure he must have got every last fleck of blood, and it started to get really weird (not that it wasn't quite weird in the first place), she pushed against his chest gently. Eric felt like he was made of stone as she tried to shove him, and she had to put in a more considerable force before he got her message.

Raising his head over hers, he smiled in a content way, his eyes fixed on hers.

"I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no. No no and no to every last perverted thought in your mind."

"I may just be smiling in gratitude."

Eva snorted and shuffled out from under him, she didn't like his dominating position.

"Yeah right."

Eric looked at her somewhat perplexed.

"You know, most women would move closer to me."

"Most women would feel lucky to be on Eric Northman's bed. Record my arse, you didn't just mean lucky to be alive."

"That is irrelevant."

Eva almost laughed at how seriously blunt he was. It was almost childlike in her eyes, which was incredibly ironic as he was about a millennium older than her. Eva was trying to smile mockingly, but had to turn away. As she did a pain flashed through her face, and as she raised her hands to her face a harsher pain seared through her belly. Eva's breathing grew unsteady again and Eric moved swiftly to kneel beside her.

"So, tell me who my unlucky abductors were," she gasped as she held her stomach.

"The fellowship of the sun, I am surprised you didn't guess."

Eva sighed, and looked at her savoir. He was crouched down with his hands holding the bed beside her. She took note of his high cheek bones, and intense eyes. The muscles in his arms were noticeable as he wore a white vest top that hugged his body.

"You managed to… well I don't want to even imagine what you did to those poor souls, and you didn't get a fleck of blood on your shirt?"

"Poor souls? They tried to abduct and grope at you, and you sympathise with them?"

"I suppose so. They we're bastards, but I imagine you gave them more than they deserved. Can I inquire as to who 'you' all were by the way?"

"I changed my shirt, while you we're unconscious."

"Oh. That's vain."

Eric glared at her. Ever insolent, he snarled in his mind.

"Well I suggest you change too before you walk out this hotel."

Looking down she saw her pants were incredibly scuffed and covered in dust from the pavement. Her blouse was in a worse state sadly enough. It was ripped and frayed at the edges, and covered in dust and nicks, and a few of the buttons we're missing. Her midriff was visible through a gap, and she could see a reddy-purple bruise already forming. She didn't want to think about what her face looked like.

"I'll have to make do; I'll find a bathroom and dust myself down a bit. Hopefully no policemen will notice me leave the hotel all battered and bruised."

"I'd offer you blood to attend to the marks but I don't imagine you'd take it kindly."

Eva made a face.

"No, you know me well. Thanks for the offer though." She was sure it wasn't serious though. Eric Northman offering blood to a random girl he just picked up from a scuffle, heavens no.

"I didn't think so."

He stood as Eva did. He loomed almost a foot over her. Eva was taller than the average girl, standing at five foot eight inches, but Eric still craned above her. It's quite sexy, she thought mischievously.

There was a long pause while they stared at each other. Not awkward, more hesitant.

"I see no reason to stay," she said honestly, "so I'll be on my way. But thank you very much for saving me."

"You are welcome."

Eva slowly made her way to the door, trying to ignore the dizziness or the pain.

"By the way, how did you all find me?"

"We are vampires, we are not deaf. You can be a noisy little child even when gagged."

"Oh…"

"And I smelled you."

"Right…"

"Your smell is incredibly mouth-watering, very soft and feminine and floral yet…"

"Meaty?" Eva offered, sighing and moving towards the door faster. Eric gave a low chuckle.

"Yes, that's one way to put it. Meaty."

"Right…"

She opened the door and paused for a moment. They'd passed each other, snapped at each other; he'd saved her life then licked her head. Did they have some sort of friendship now where she was required to call him later to arrange drinks or something? What protocol was required here?

"Bye."

"Bye, thanks again for saving my life."

Then with that, somewhat sadly, she shut the door behind her.

In the bathroom at the end of the corridor, she tried to wipe down her trousers. Eva's seen her face and didn't like what she saw. Where she was slapped was red with a purple tint, and where her head had hit the pavement, the skin was broken and becoming bloody again. She was lucky she didn't half the hotel panting after her with an open wound like that. Then again, you could order blood on room service here.

"You have sustained some injuries?"

Eva jumped almost an inch in the air as Lucio sneakily strode into the light from behind her, she watched him via the mirror. His thick hair was slightly more unkempt than before, and his skin seemed a little more radiant – a fuller colour in his cheeks If that were possible.

"Isn't this a girl bathroom?"

"Meh."

"Okay…"

"You taste divine Miss Hunter, I must say." His fangs hung out in that doglike way as he grinned over her shoulder.

"Well, thanks."

"Would you like me to find you some new clothes?"

"No its okay, I'll just get a taxi. You can pay for that if you like."

Lucio laughed and nodded, then shrugged of his long black jacket.

"Here, if you leave the hotel looking like that the place will be being investigated within hours."

Eva smiled gratefully and pulled on the big jacket, buttoning it over her wreck of a blouse.

"Thank you."

"Would you like me to escort you home for your own safety?"

Eva thought for a moment. She hadn't stopped to process any thought properly since she'd walked in. She'd gone from business propositions to the victim of hate attacks to a vamp's bed. Yesterday she was serving these people drinks…

"No, I imagine you already have someone following me."

"Yes, but I would have liked to walk you home."

Eva pictured Lucio in her apartment, amongst her magazines and empty cups of tea yet to be washed on the table and the mundane humanness of it. It was quite a sweet thought actually.

"Thanks but I think I need some quiet time."

"Another time then."

"Right…"

When did I get to the point where I just shrugged of these vamps strange comments, within one night? Was I always this normal around vamps? Eva thought, worried.

"I am glad you are safe," Lucio said smoothly, swiftly tucking a lock of dark hair behind his ear. "I imagine Mr Northman didn't inform you in your brief respite in his room, but your aid consisted of himself, myself, Vincent – whom you met yesterday, and the King of Mississippi. We were doing business with him when I heard your muffled screams and the scuffle."

"The king of Mississippi? I'm sure attracting some classy names. Thank him for me?"

"Of course, he may approach you himself at some point though."

"Oh…how come you and Eric heard me but others didn't?"

"We have had contact with you; we are familiar with your voice"

Vampires have sonic hearing like a…vampire bat… Eva thought slowly. The vampire puns we're proving endless, if not enduringly bad.

"Oh…anyway, thanks for the jacket, I appreciate all this. Saving my life and all."

"We couldn't lose our pretty face now could we?"

"Right now it's more bruised than anything." She muttered.

"I could help you with that?"

"No thanks, I've already declined one offer tonight."

Again with the just going along with it, she thought.

"That reminds me, as much as I like chit chatting with you in this bathroom, I must remind you to remember who you work for."

"Eh?"

"We understand that Eric swooped in and grabbed you while we were busy tossing aside your abductors, but just remember you are loyal to us."

"Oh right, sure whatever."

"On that note, we will require your presence tomorrow night."

"Okay dokay."

Lucio paused and looked at Eva pleasantly.

"You know, you are wonderfully comfortable around us."

"Well mostly you, you're gentler than others I've encountered."

"So you'd count me among your friends?"

"Well my last friend I assume just set me up to be abducted, not high criteria required apparently, so sure."

"That is good. I will see you tomorrow," he said abruptly before slinking out the bathroom. Eva blinked in surprise then with a sigh, set off to depart the hotel.

Climbing out the taxi, wincing at the pain in her stomach, she fumbled with her keys. On the step of her apartment building was a white box, with 'E. Hunter' written on the corner in beautiful italic script. Involuntarily smiling, Eva prised the lid of there and then as she stood outside.

The gift box contained a long deep blue gown, beautiful and silky. Eva wondered whether it was from Eric, or Lucio. This is all quite exciting; she thought giddily, all these new characters and faces. The moment passed and she suddenly felt appalled at herself for being so thrilled by it all. You were attacked tonight Eva, she told herself.

Sighing some more, she rushed inside before she was assaulted again.

Sorry again if orders of the nights in the Pyramids of Giza are mixed up in my story, been a while since I read it. Ah well, another day, another chapter.