SJ61, you are very good at reading characters. I love developing characters, especially complex imperfections, so when people really notice quirks about them, I am delighted. Also, my Dog has ADHD; he accidentally bit the end of his tail off getting too excited chasing it. Sorry your review just reminded me of that Hahaha.

Eva screamed as Eric began to bite her for the second time. Then a pair of pale arms was around his neck pulling him back.

"Eric…You're overreacting…" shrieked the female voice behind him.

Lucio, who Eric hadn't anticipated recovering so quickly, grabbed a table led. Swinging it with ease as if it was a cat in a bag, he brought it crashing down on Eric and Pam.

Eva cried out, out of protest to her attack and to Lucio's defence. It was pure luck that the table broke cleanly; cracking into three parts as it came thundering down. Eric withdrew his fangs and he and Pam leapt deftly over the table Eva was lying on to get away from an area littered with sharp points of wood. Lucio lurched forward and grabbed Eva's arm and pulling her so forcefully she landed beside him in one leap, overstepping the vampire danger zone.

Eva looked up and Eric was growling at her, Pam clutching his arm to try and restrain him slightly. If Eric was really ready to bring the wrath of hell upon Eva, he could have shook of Pam and lunged with ease; but Eva was relieved to realise the worst of it was over. Blood matted Eric's hair, and Eva's stained his gums and normally pearly white teeth. Eva reached up to her throat where the sharp pain was diminishing to a dull ache as the wound healed.

Eric snarled again, baring his long fangs at Eva. She'd been at their mercy before when he turned her, but he'd been gentle and concerned. Now if he really savaged her, she'd know about it…

"Enough." Pam said with an air of finality. Eric growled a last soft growl, which rumbled from the back of his throat, and then retracted his fangs. Eva heard the familiar curious noise behind her as Lucio retracted his.

Eric began to pace, and Pam stood back to let him do so. His strong brow was creased into a frown and then relaxed. His eyes still stared cold and vacant into the distance. Eventually after he'd done dozen or so laps back and forth, he stopped and stared Eva in the eye directly.

"If you ever do anything like that again, I will rip your throat out fully."

Lucio's grip on Eva's arm grew tighter, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut for the moment.

"I told you this would happen," Pam chided in an exasperated voice, popping a cap of a bottle of True Blood she'd reached over the bar and got casually.

"Do not interfere," Eric snapped. "If you ever go after Sookie Stackhouse again, I will personally remove your vocal chords."

Eric shuddered at this, and Lucio felt it in his grip, which grew gentle.

"You should have told me," Eva murmured.

"I don't have to tell you ANYTHING," Eric bellowed, taking the three of them by surprise.

Eva's eyes grew blurry again, and nodding submissively, she turned and walked out. Lucio, after giving Eric a narrow look, followed her loyally.

"Spoken like a true Father to a teenage girl," Pam teased. Eric sat by her at the bar, taking a swig from her drink absentmindedly.

"Be quiet," he muttered.

"No really, you're doing a fine job of this second-time parent thing," she continued to mock.

"You turned out alright…"

"Better than alright," Pam retorted, "and completely different situation, you're hardly gaining her respect and admiration as you did me."

"I'm not fucking her either, as I did you. There's another vampire in actual apparent love with the girl, as there was not with you. It's two-thousand-and-ten and she's not been liberated from a life that's oppressive to women, as it was in the case of you. If anything, I think she's had more restrictions in her life from the day we met…"

"I still say you should just do her and cut the tension."

"Because that won't complicate matters…" Eric replied sarcastically. Pam feigned mock shock.

"Eric Northman? Considering sex with a girl a complication because of your situation. My, my, my – how you've grown."

Eric's nostrils flared and Pam walked away laughing. It was an emotional standstill between the four of them that was a dangerous place to leave things, but it became one of those situations that passed without more discussion; an argument no one can be bothered pursuing because there was nothing left to say. Eva went home to the house her and Pam now shared, and Lucio went back to his temporary nest in Baton Rouge. Pam eventually joined Eva, and Eric went back to his home. No more was discussed, everyone had got the message.

Eric knew Eva was cut deeply at his discovery of Sookie, but also knew it would take a lot for Eva to mean more to him in that way, but Eva was still his dear child (despite Eric trying to avoid affection).

Eva knew that if she went after Sookie she'd be asking for trouble, and she knew Lucio loved her more than Eric ever would.

Lucio knew it would take time for Eva to get over the emotions and instincts drilled into her blood when she was turned by Eric Northman, but eventually she would love Lucio the most.

Lastly, Pam knew Eric was her maker, Eva was her sister, and Lucio was the strange little boy intent on Eva's affections and none of these facts were revelations to her. Pam also knew, with her objective view of the situation, that the emotional worst was over. The order of things had fully been established.

Eva still had a few surprises coming her way though.

She returned to Fangtasia the next night to continue work and life as Eric's ward. Eric didn't acknowledge her at first as she took her place in the club (that night she was behind the bar, she liked bartending the best, she got to interact with people somewhat rather than sitting around being watched and silently adored by them). Eventually, a couple of hours into the working night, Eric walked out to discuss a shipping order with Pam, and Eva smiled merrily at him. It was an unexpected smile, Eric didn't think he'd get much out for her for maybe weeks and Eva didn't think she'd feel up to smiling at Eric anytime soon either, but as he walked out Eva looked up from pouring someone a gin and tonic, and out of nowhere beamed broadly at him. A bewildered look crossed Eric's face for a moment, making Eva smile more naturally. Then Eric nodded to her, a relaxed look on his face that was equal to an amicable smile for him.

The gap was bridged, and things relaxed around Fangtasia. Eric was more relaxed not worrying about Eva bumping into Sookie as he had been for so long, and Eva was relaxed knowing where she stood with everyone. Pam was relaxed a good ninety per cent of the time, and went about her business as normal.

The Saturday night, Lucio returned to Shreveport. He was looking happy and well groomed as he entered the bar, instantly seeking Eva with his eyes. Eva was sat in Eric's throne reading Cosmopolitan to annoy him. He'd instructed her she was too sit and look pretty for the night, and bored of spending hours doing nothing; Eva was biding her time with some good old girl reading material. Eric had glared at her numerous times in the night, but his control over her free will didn't extend to tell her to stop reading a magazine. So he had to put up with watching her lazily flick through and ignore clientele's gazes. Pam found it all very amusing, and was going to find her some back copies of Vogue when she was done.

Lucio smiled, and moved swiftly through the bar to perch next to her. On feeling his presence to her right, she looked up and was pleasantly surprised. She hadn't been expecting to see him again so soon, and she gleefully leaned up to give him a quick happy kiss on the cheek in welcoming.

"Is that all I get?" he teased,

"Oh, you need to learn to pace yourself," she laughed, closing the magazine and turning to sit sideways in the chair, her legs crossed in a childlike fashion so she faced him. As she was turning she made quick eye contact with Pam.

Pam gave her a disgusted look to show her what she thought of displays of affection, and Eva ignored her blissfully.

"How are you?" Lucio asked gently.

"Oh I'm fine; I need to spend some time away from this place. For a vampire spending her days in a nightclub, I sometimes feel like I have no life…"

Lucio laughed, standing up in front of her.

"Then let's go somewhere," he suggested, holding out one hand pleasantly. Eva smiled and took it, letting him lead her out the bar like a true couple. She waved goodbye to Eric who was hovering near the bar to indicate she was going out. Eric sighed.

Pam hopped up to Eric's grand seat, taking the magazine Eva had discarded by the leg of the chair and picking up where Eva left off. Upon noticing this Eric sighed again.

"I like having a teenager around the place, it's all a bit more fun," Pam laughed, pretending to submerge herself in crap sex tips to wind up Eric.

Running through the night with Lucio, Eva felt like she was fifteen again, staying out late with her friends and occasionally a boy when she should have gone home. The city was lit up and it was the first night Eva had really gone out since her bringing over.

Lucio looked antsy as they settled into a stroll and Eva had the feeling he had something to tell her.

"Where shall we go?" he asked.

"I don't mind."

"Would you like to come stay in Baton Rouge for a few nights?"

Eva's face lit up, being asked that was like a human boy asking her to meet his parents.

"I'd love too, how many of the Nevada lot are staying there right now?"

"Quite a few, Felipe's in New Orleans though so it's all a bit more relaxed, which is why I'm taking the opportunity to ask you now."

Eva leaned forward on her tip toes to kiss him slowly for a moment, and Lucio relished in the moment. He loved the feeling that Eva might begin letting go of Eric and truly opening up to him, and in return he resolved to share everything he had and knew with her.

Thinking along those lines, he drew back to say what he said next.

"I need to ask you, did either of your parents ever seem different?"

"What?" Eva laughed, baffled.

"Well, still human, but different?"

Eva stepped back from him and stared at him inquisitively.

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"Nothing major, just inquiring. Sometimes I wonder why we are ever so slightly different."

Eva nodded, as they began walking again. The air was crisp, a winter's night time where the lights illuminate the darkness in the most beautiful way.

"We have a greater self control; I think that's about it," she said slowly.

"And a greater consciousness, of what we are and so on. It wasn't our makers that told us to abstain from drinking was it?"

Eva nodded again thoughtfully.

"My Mother sometimes seemed different, when I consciously think back, somehow more upbeat. Almost glowing at times," he continued.

"My Mother and Father always seemed normal, until they split up."

"They divorced? That's tough."

"It was, very. I was only eight. My Mother had been having an ongoing affair apparently."

Lucio's eyebrows raised at this, as Eva stopped to gaze at the sky thoughtfully. It had been a while since she thought back that far.

"I was always pretty ashamed of my Mother for that, as I loved my Father dearly. I split my time between both of them, but when I heard that, my heart belonged more to my father."

"Your father took good care of you?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I'm lucky; I've always had a man that's been there to take good care of me."

They were paused on an empty street corner, and Lucio took her hand happily.

"As you know, I never knew my father," Lucio told her. Eva nodded. "And my Mother was an alcoholic. She used to disappear for nights at a time sometimes when I was young, and I grew very independent. I never questioned out loud where she went, presuming she was in a drunken stupor somewhere. I always worried of course. For the amount she drank though, she was never physically ill. She was never worn or ragged the way your usual alcoholic is."

Eva was slightly confused, but leaning against the wall, she listened to the rest of his tale.

"She was a very beautiful woman, and approached constantly, but she shied away from all men. Sometimes I wonder if she was scared of the consequences of being with another guy."

Eva was beyond confused now.

"She sometimes had funny mental turns though, ranting about mad things. Sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for hours on end. She spoke of abnormal things, the devil, demons and so on. I thought she was possessed one scary day, like the kid out of the exorcist. As I got older I just decided alcoholism made her mentally unstable…"

"Then the great revelation. Vampires, us, came out the coffin so to speak…" Eva added, catching the vague drift of his story now.

"Yes, now V had always been around, just the only way to get it before it was on the common black market was to have an affair with a vampire that would let you take blood in return. The only people who had the drug before it was widely known, was those with a blood bond with a vampire."

"I'm confused again…" Eva admitted. "Are you trying to tell me your Fathers a vampire or something?"

"No," Lucio snorted. "That's biologically impossible, don't be stupid. I'm suggesting that my Mother had a blood bond with a vampire, before or while she was pregnant with me."

Eva was quiet. She literally didn't know what to say.

"And I'm suggesting your Mother may have as well," Lucio added gently.

More minutes passed, and Eva stared at the foggy road with glazed over eyes.

"Eva, say something."

"I think I'm choking," she whispered through gritted teeth.

"You're a vampire, even if I strangled you, you wouldn't choke."

"Be quiet," she chided. "I'm having a moment."

Lucio nodded, struggling to suppress a smile, and leaned against the wall beside her while she entered downtime, her mind reeling.

Eventually, she showed signs of life again.

"My Mother had an affair with a vampire?"

"Possibly."

"My Mother had a blood bond…WITH A VAMPIRE?" she shrieked, startling some people on the opposite side of the street.

"Like I said possibly, a blood bond or ingest vampire blood…"

"This is madness…"

"Actually it's quite logical…"

"Who came up with this bright idea?" Eva demanded.

"Victor had the theory. After he turned me, he started doing some investigating into other vampires like me. It took a while, but eventually he found one who had known his Mother had shared blood with a vampire. Of course at the time it was a secret, the whole vampire thing was a secret. Now it's out in the open, individuals can come forward and say, I had an encounter with these creatures."

"Thoughtful of him, Eric just called me a freak and went on with life…or rather afterlife. So you're saying…I don't even know what to make of it…"

"Look it's just a theory; there could be whole other reasons behind it. We could just be weirdo's, but if it's right, it means that from the day we were born we had a little bit of vampire in us."

"We were…literally born to become vampires?"

"Yes, to fit in amongst them anyways. That's why we attract their attention I think, and why when we were turned it was a less difficult transaction. Although, born to be vampires; that's a very poetic way of putting it though."

Eva went quiet again; this took a lot of chewing over.

Lucio sighed and looked at his watch.

"We won't have time to get to Baton Rouge before dawn, but I'll pick you up tomorrow night, okay?"

Eva nodded silently.

"Right, I'll get you back to Fangtasia."

Lucio took her hand and walked her back through the streets in her shaken state.

Though, when they got back to the club, something was wrong. Neither could hear the normal buzz of people inside, and it was slightly before closing time. They normally had people in right until they closed, when they had to kick them out. There was a tension in the air and, shrugging of her shock, Eva became alert and walked in front of Lucio.

"No," he whispered, holding her arm and pulling her back. "I smell blood."

Eva nodded, she could smell it too. Her knees were weakening at the alluring scent. Gripping Lucio's hand, they leapt on the roof and clambered silently around the back, entering the bar cautiously. From the back hallway they could see some of the normal clientele were still in the bar, only silently huddled behind the bar top and tables and chairs. Eva and Lucio tiptoed into the main bar area, the scent of blood growing stronger.

In the middle of the dance floor, Eric was bent over one whimpering human, his fangs sunk deep in his neck. Pam and Indira, who had been bar tending that night, were bent over another female. Indira was drinking her by the neck, Pam from the inner thigh, which was a disturbing sight to see so brutally displayed. Eva gasped, and Pam rose from feeding, her eyes ablaze with lust and greed and anger. Her mouth was stained with red, and her fangs gleamed pink in the light. She looked truly barbaric.

Through gritted teeth she hissed to Eva before returning to her obviously way to engaging meal, "Track them."

Bottles on the bar were smashed, and tables over turned. There was blood splattered on the walls and alcohol spilled on the floor. Eva could detect the smell of a third body, pretty much fully drained somewhere in the building. It was an absolutely grotesque sight she hadn't been expecting and she had to consciously drag her eyes away. When Pam hissed her instructions though, she and Lucio nodded.

Exiting the bar, they smelled the air and the ground like blood hounds. After a moment, they looked at each other, and then ran eastward away from the city.