A/N: SVM is owned by Charlaine Harris.

It would surely be unmannerly
to ignore dear FiniteAnarchy.
Though her name is hard to rhyme,
I appreciate her time.

In the last chapter:

A lot of Brenda's recent stress has been caused by the continued presence of Ghellert in Louisiana. Mintah's agent has been monitoring the business and reporting to the owner.

Sookie seems happy about her growing friendship with Pam. Eric arrived hot and bothered after his first evening back at the club, and Sookie welcomed him with open arms. They finally got the chance to just enjoy each other's company, all thoughts of his most recent misjudgment set aside.

Sookie's landlady informs her that she intends to sell the house (much) later in the year, causing Sookie to debate the possibilities of buying a home of her own.

Chapter 33 - A Vampire in Her Cap

"I will buy this house as an investment."

Did he think I was asking him to do that?

"Eric, that's a terrible idea."

"Why? You can still live here. You can even continue to pay rent if you like."

We were naked and in my bed on Wednesday night. He'd turned up to bring the news that Bill Compton was back from New Orleans. Henrik Feith had been sent to Area 2 for safe-keeping, and the Queen was electing to let Arkansas stew in total uncertainty while everyone waited for Threadgill to make his next move. They ended up saying not one peep about the assassins.

Eric had praised her patience. I was just glad I wasn't a vampire. I didn't think I could deal with participating in the constant strategic game-playing. It was bad enough on the sidelines. He gave me an odd look when I said that. Afterward, the subject had gradually changed, leading us ultimately (and predictably) to bed, after a brief detour on the couch.

Immediately following sex turned out to be the right time for the current conversation. I could easily see myself getting annoyed with him if I hadn't been so blissed out. Orgasms make it much easier to take things in stride. That was a valuable life lesson.

"First of all," I answered, "I thought we decided a while ago that it was better if our relationship doesn't have a financial component." He didn't dispute that, so I continued, "Secondly, if a vampire owns the house, then all bets are off as far as me being safe inside it from other vampires."

"That's not true. If you live there, then the same rules should apply. You do not own the house now, but you were able to banish me from it."

"But it's not owned by a vampire either."

"It doesn't matter," he insisted.

"Are you willing to bet my life on that?"

"Right," I said, unwilling to give him more than a moment to consider that. "Anyway, it's more complicated than just who owns the deed. Otherwise vampires would never own any properties under their own names, so they could be protected from other vampires."

"No, that doesn't work," he agreed.

"I know. There's some kind of intrinsic link between humans and the concept of home that goes beyond the circumstances of occupancy or ownership. Magic isn't about loopholes and technicalities, it's about broad intent. The thing is, I don't think that I would be able to feel like it was my place the same way I do now, if you were the owner."

"Then I will just give you the money."

I was shaking my head before he even finished speaking.

"I just said, about us and money. Besides, what if something happened and I couldn't pay you back? I'm not going to do that to you."

"I said give. Sookie, it really isn't that much money."

"Yeah, I'm sure your accountant would love to hear you say that. Seriously Eric, I get that you're way wealthier than me, but if your money really meant nothing to you, then you wouldn't work as hard as you do to earn it. So cut it out."

"I think you are being unreasonable," he said mildly. "Even in this day and age, it is not uncommon for a man to provide for his..."

"No. No, no, no. Don't," I cut him off, putting up my hands to halt the words.

"What?"

"There's only one acceptable word to end that sentence, and since I know you weren't about to say 'wife,' I don't want to hear it. I'm not your mistress. I won't be some kept woman."

"That's not what I was implying."

"But it's how I would feel. I don't exactly have a lot of freedom in how I have to live. I'm not willing to give up what little autonomy I do possess. Surely you of all people can understand that."

If we'd been arguing, I was pretty sure I would have just won. Since this was only a discussion, the abrupt silence that followed was wholly anticlimactic.

"Come here," he suggested. In all my wild gesticulating I'd managed to move away from him on the bed. I inched back into his arms. "You will find the answer. You have plenty of time."

That was all I really wanted him to say in the first place.

The following day, I was browsing the real estate section of someone's newspaper at lunchtime when Tray entered the break room. He set down a pizza box and a brown bag containing two bottles of tea and a po'boy sandwich before dropping heavily into the seat across the table. He said hello and I watched in mild astonishment as he devoured the entire sandwich in about three minutes flat. It didn't seem as though he even stopped to breathe.

He glanced up at me with a sheepish grin when I asked, "Hungry?"

"Yeah," he agreed, and flipped open the box to reveal the small pizza inside. It was the size which two women would split if they were in public, but which one woman could easily polish off by herself in the privacy of her own living room. Tray wasn't offering to share.

"How's your day so far?" I asked him, before taking a bite of the sandwich I'd brought from home.

"Little boring, but I can't complain," he answered. I heard that. I went back to my examination of the paper.

"You moving?" he asked, carrying on the conversation.

"My landlady is selling the house later this year. I can stay on for a while yet, but she kind of hinted she wouldn't mind if I left any time now."

"Huh. I thought you owned that house."

"No, I rent. I have to rent."

"Bad credit?" he asked in a low voice. He managed to sound kind as he asked, and I got that from his mind as well. He knew people who had that problem.

"No!" I said quickly, shaking my head emphatically. "No, it's just in case I have to...go," and I gestured to some unseen 'away.' "In a hurry. It's easier to walk away from a rental."

I looked away while he processed that. Tray was aware of my entire situation, but it was clear he hadn't really given it much consideration until right that minute. I hadn't made my confession to garner his sympathy. I spoke freely because it happened that I could. I regretted it as soon as I got the wave of pity off him.

"So if you happen to hear of anywhere in town, keep me in mind. I'm looking for something like I have now," I went on.

"I'll keep an ear to the ground," he promised, and I thanked him.

Brenda popped her head in then to inform me that the delivery truck was pulling up, which was my cue to finish eating quickly.

Evidently, some land developer in Ireland had unearthed an old fairy fort that might actually have been inhabited by real fairies at one point. Management had sent a part-demon agent to secure the site, and some of the findings were being sent for me to process and catalog, for somewhat obvious reasons. At least, they were obvious given that the first and only organization the developer had contacted about his discovery was Splendide International, as opposed to, say, the Irish Office of Public Works, the National Museum, or one of the universities there.

It was dicey territory. Even if that country's laws did allow property owners to take the stance of finders-keepers, (and I wasn't entirely sure they did) it just seemed wrong. This was the kind of site that you donate to the public good so that students and field archaeologists can spend the next twenty years adding to the universal stores of human knowledge.

Instead, it would be cleared out and then plowed over.

He was probably building luxury condominiums situated too closely together to accommodate a telepath, too.

The fairy component was the saving grace. Keeping these things separate from the human population was one of our primary functions. We were lucky it had been Splendide that was contacted, although maybe it wasn't just luck. To put it politely, even in the human world we had a reputation for the utmost discretion. Either way, it was done. At this point I could only be grateful that Management thought of me, and I'd get a chance to examine the cache.

Brenda and I oversaw the unloading of the truck, and then began moving everything down to the lab. When Ghellert arrived later that afternoon, he stationed himself down there with me and watched silently as I went through all the preliminary checks and measures implemented to ensure we were not storing anything dangerous, reactive, or otherwise nefariously enchanted in the vault.

There was enough work to keep me busy for at least a couple of weeks.

My dinner date with Gran that night was interesting. She was the only one at Jason's house when I picked her up.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Hadley started her new job tonight," Gran replied, sounding pleased.

"Oh yeah? Where's she working?"

"She's the new waitress at Merlotte's. Jason's having dinner down there with some of his friends."

"Did you want to go there instead of LaLaurie's?"

I had to offer, but was glad when Gran refused. The quieter environment of Bon Temps' one nice restaurant was more suitable for a serious conversation.

"But maybe we could stop in for a night cap?" she suggested.

"Sounds good," I chuckled.

With that plan in mind, I had unsweetened tea at dinner, which was akin to sacrilege unless you happened to be dining with someone on a restricted diet. In the same vein, I ordered the sea bass, blackened not breaded. Gran got something with chicken. Once our salads were served, I dispensed with the chitchat and got right to the point.

"A vampire is moving in to old Jesse Compton's place?"

"Apparently he's Jesse Compton's antecedent."

"Is that so?"

"That's what he says. His name is Compton too. William Compton. He goes by Bill."

"Hm hm hm," she murmured.

"The thing is Gran, he's not here just for no reason. He's sort of here to spy on Eric."

"Your Eric?"

"Yes."

"Well then why is he moving way out here? Why doesn't he move to Shreveport?"

How to pare down the entire vampire hierarchy without actually revealing anything?

"Think of vampires like a fraternal order, like the Elks, only with women too. They don't seem to have any issues with women in positions of authority. Anyway, the nearest lodge is in Shreveport. So everyone from around here, Minden, Ruston, they all meet in Shreveport. So, him moving to Bon Temps, it's a really convenient excuse to get a foot in the area. Into Eric's lodge."

"And he's spying? For who, other vampires?"

"Yes."

"And why would that be?"

"Eric is a... long time and respected member of the group. You might even say influential. Other people are naturally curious about what he gets up to."

"And what is he getting up to?" she asked sharply.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "He's a good person Gran. As far as the lodge is concerned, he's totally above board – except for one thing."

"And that is?"

"Me. They don't know about my condition. He keeps that from them."

"I see."

"The thing is, they do know of me, through work. And they know that Eric and I are... attached, and this Compton guy knows you're my family. Our concern is that maybe when he realizes there's nothing to find out about Eric, he'll start looking at me, which means he'll start looking at you, and Hadley, and Jason."

"So what do we need to do?"

"Hopefully, nothing more than be careful. Try not to be out alone after dark. Never, under any circumstances, invite him inside the house. If he manages to get in, if he puts the whammy on Hadley or Jason, and they invite him, you rescind the invitation."

"Sookie, you sound really worried."

"I am."

"We'll keep away from him. We won't invite him in."

"If something happens, and you do end up alone with him, don't look him in the eye. If anything goes wrong, or you ever find yourself with a weird sense of confusion or lost time or anything like that, you need to call me right away."

"I hear you," Gran assured me.

"Good." I said, and let out a long breath. "I'm sorry to be putting another burden on you."

Gran slid her hand across the table to cover mine and give it a squeeze.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Sookie."

I smiled sadly, in the full knowledge that she was utterly powerless to prevent any of my worries from coming to pass. Nonetheless I was grateful for the sentiment. I squeezed her hand in return.

"So," she asked, giving me a final pat and returning to her food. "Things are going well for you and Mr. Northman otherwise?"

"I think they are," I smiled. "It can be difficult sometimes."

"All relationships can be difficult sometimes, Sookie," she admonished.

"I think it's safe to say that many of our problems are unique."

"Oh tosh. Tell me."

It was as good a segue as any to bring up the subject of the house, so I explained that, along with Eric's proposed solutions. Naturally Gran extended the offer for me to move back in with her, but she accepted in good grace that it wouldn't work for me.

"Well I'm proud of your decision," she concluded. "It might be different a few months down the line if you two are talking about getting more serious, but I agree it wouldn't be smart to accept his offer now."

"So you think it would be okay to let him buy the house if we were more serious?"

"Now that's not what I said. But if you two were talking about moving in together or something, that might be different."

"Gran!" I said, pretending to be scandalized. "Are you suggesting that we would live in sin?"

"That would be between you and the Lord. Far as I know, you couldn't get married even if you wanted to. I doubt God would count you a sinner on a technicality like that."

I let out a soft peal of laughter. I couldn't blame Gran for her hopes. Who knows? Maybe in six months time, Eric and I will be madly in love and his offer won't seem so crazy. It wouldn't have, I realized, if he'd suggested we move in together. It was still way too soon to take that step, but I knew that if he'd asked, I would have taken more time to say no. It was a moot point for now.

After paying the check I escorted Gran from the restaurant feeling happy. It was clear that getting Gran all to myself was going to become an even more rare occurrence in the future, so I had to enjoy it while I could. I found I didn't mind the idea of stopping in to see Hadley at this point. I think I would have been crushed if Gran wanted to eat there, but this was doable. We might chat with my cousin for a couple of minutes, but we'd still be on my time.

Merlotte's couldn't be less like Fangtasia if it tried. There was no one to check ID at the door, and no cover charge to pay. The décor reminded me of somebody's rec room, as opposed to the spooky boudoir feel of the vampire bar. We hovered near the door trying to figure out where we could sit so that Hadley would be our server. I spotted her concentrating hard on carrying a tray of drinks. She was dressed in a tight white t-shirt, tight black jeans, white sneakers, and a little apron. Reaching her table, she managed a weary, relieved smile as she successfully served her customers. I was glad she had finished before Jason hollered out, "Sook!"

There was a clatter and a blur as my cousin dropped and retrieved the empty tray, and then shot back up again with a wary look in our direction. Gran beamed and took off to say hello to Jason. I gave Hadley a little wave and pointed to the dining room with a questioning look.

She gestured in the general direction of Jason and then hightailed it back to the bar to retrieve the next round of drinks.

I came up behind Gran, peeking over her shoulder to see that my brother and his friends were all now sitting very properly, with hands folded on the tabletop beside their mugs of beer. I chuckled, guessing this was a far cry from their usual demeanor.

"You got Gran out bar-hoppin' on a Thursday night, Sook? Shreveport sure has changed you," he ribbed.

"Hey, it was her idea," I said, putting up my hands. "Clearly staying up with you and Hadley has been a corrupting influence."

Gran swatted at both of us and I smiled hello at Jason's friends, who I only vaguely recognized. When the playful banter died away, I steered Gran towards a nearby table.

She gazed around the place with interest, just as unaccustomed to the environment as I. We weren't temperance people or anything, though you still find plenty of those in the South (usually Baptists). Even before being saddled late in life with two young children, Gran never had a lot of extra money. I suppose not going out was as much a habit as going out. This was a novelty for both of us.

I watched as Hadley checked in on each one of her tables before coming to greet us. I was solidly locked down where my telepathy was concerned. It had become even easier to do that lately. I wasn't sure if that was an enhancement resulting from taking Eric's blood, or if I just had so much else on my mind anymore that I didn't notice the familiar strain.

"Welcome to Merlotte's," my cousin said, surprising me when she sounded almost shy. She set down two menus, and I smiled up at her. "Can I start you off with some drinks?"

"I think we're just here for the drinks," I told her, pushing my menu back. Gran had taken hers up with interest though, ready to play her part.

"Do you have any specials tonight, young lady?" Gran's eyes were twinkling with mischief. Hadley and I shared a smirk before my cousin informed our grandmother that they had chili with crumbled cheddar cheese tonight and Dixie Draft on tap.

"I'll have a Lime Rickey," Gran announced, with a happy smile.

"Sure," I agreed. "Lime Rickey for me too, please. Go easy though, I'm driving."

"I'll be right back," Hadley agreed, collecting my menu, but getting shooed away when she tried to take Gran's.

While she continued to peruse, I let myself open up a bit to try to get a read on Hadley. I told myself this wasn't invasive because I wasn't spying for a bad purpose. If she was uncomfortable with us being here; if we made her nervous or something, I'd make a point of our leaving quickly.

Hadley seemed to be doing okay. I overheard her explaining who we were to the barman, and it was at that point I realized he was a shapeshifter. Immediately I dropped my shields further and honed in on the other waitress and the cook in the back, both of whom were human. I must have got a distant look on my face because Gran asked if something was wrong.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed. "Just got a little distracted."

Hadley served our drinks but was quickly called away to tend to another table. The barman took the opportunity to come over and say hello.

"You're Hadley's family? I'm Sam Merlotte."

"Mr. Merlotte, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I just want to thank you for giving Hadley this opportunity."

I was glad for Hadley's sake that she was busy elsewhere. How embarrassing.

"Oh where are my manners? Adele Stackhouse," Gran said. She shook hands with Hadley's boss and began to pepper him with questions about the world of bar-owning. The conversation was eerily similar to one she'd had with Eric.

That parallel must have occurred to her at the same moment because suddenly she said, "Sookie's beau owns a bar up in Shreveport!"

"That right?" Sam asked.

"Yes sir," I said.

"What's it called again, Sookie?"

"Fangtasia," I answered, in a soft, clear voice.

"Fangtasia! Isn't that clever, Mr. Merlotte?" Gran asked Sam.

Sam fixed me with a hard look, making a noncommittal noise in response. That annoyed me. This guy had some kind of problem with vampires? Fine. In fact? Good. Maybe he'll keep the town's latest resident, so to speak, out of the bar and away from Hadley. I didn't want my perfectly good mood fouled up by this guy. I narrowed my eyes at him before turning my attention back to my drink. What was in that Lime Rickey? It tasted just like Sprite.

The other barmaid signaled for Sam's attention, and he excused himself with a smile at Gran and another wary look at me.

"This is delicious!" Gran exclaimed. I heard the slurping sound from her tiny straw as it hit air at the bottom of her glass.

I found myself smiling indulgently. After everything she'd been through lately, Gran deserved a good time.

"Do you think we ought to order another one?" she asked conspiratorially.

I laughed. "So long as your doctor wouldn't mind."

When Gran placed her order, I asked for a cup of coffee and a glass of water. I finished both quickly which sent me to the bathroom for a pit stop before we were ready to leave.

I was washing my hands when the knock came at the door. There were two stalls. It wasn't single occupancy, but I guess whoever was outside might not know that. I called, "Come in!"

Sam Merlotte slipped in to the ladies' room and quickly flipped the lock behind him. That wasn't good. I straightened up immediately, snatching for some paper towels.

"You gonna tell me why the vampire is sending his woman to my bar?"

I guess he did know Fangtasia.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't have anything to do with Shreveport, and I'm not under any vampire's jurisdiction."

"Okay..."

"What does Eric Northman want with me?"

"What the heck would Eric want with a shapeshifter from Bon Temps?" I asked with incredulity.

"How did you...?" he fumed, taking a step forward.

"You hold up there," I said, taking a step back. Thankfully, he stopped his advance.

"What are you doing here?" Sam demanded.

"I brought my grandmother to visit my cousin on her first day of work."

"And who is she? Who are you? What are you?"

"She's nobody," I said quickly.

"What do you people want with my bar?"

"Nothing!" I said. "My cousin just moved back with our Gran. She needed a job, that's it! If anything, I wanted to see if this was a safe place for her to be working."

His mind frame jumped from angry to defensive in a heartbeat.

"Of course this is a safe place!"

"Good then!" I hissed back at him.

"What's a girl dating a vampire know about safe anyway, huh? Safe is a town like this, with no vampires around for miles."

"Shows what you know. There's a vampire just moved in to town last night."

That caught him up short. "No shit?"

"No shit," I replied. "He's supposed to be a relative of old Mr. Compton. He just moved in over on Hummingbird Road."

"What's this got to do with me?" he asked.

"Not a damn thing," I replied baldfaced.

I watched the wind go out of Sam's sails as the rest of his anger seemed to ebb away.

"Are you gonna fire my cousin now?"

"Is something gonna happen to me if I do?" he countered.

"No."

"Then I guess I won't."

I nodded. "Did you mean it about this being a safe place?" I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Yes," he said gruffly.

"You get other supes in here?"

He narrowed his eyes again. "Sometimes. Shifters mostly. Weres every now and then."

I nodded.

"Your vampire tell you all about us?" he said hatefully.

"I work for Splendide."

"I've heard of it."

"Then you know what we're known for. Listen Mr. Merlotte, you can hate vampires 'til the cows come home for all I care. In fact, if you can keep them out of your bar and away from my brother and cousin, all the better."

"I don-" he started to say, but then changed his mind. "I just want to be left alone."

"Tscha." The noise was out of my mouth before I even thought about it. "Yeah, don't we all."

He gave another little grunt, that I decided to take for agreement.

"I need to go take my grandmother home," I said, moving past him to unlock the door.

Gran had her coat on and was lazily stirring her empty glass when I returned to the table. I apologized for taking so long, then laid out some money, being sure to leave Hadley a good tip.

Gran was ready to go to bed, so I didn't stay after seeing her safely inside. On the drive home I reflected that working for a vamp-wary shapeshifter was arguably the best possible situation for my cousin. He was obviously saw other supes as a threat, which I considered a plus. He seemed concerned with protecting his interests, which I could only hope extended to his employees.

All in all, it had been a good visit.

I felt like a regular social butterfly when Pam called to invite me to get our nails painted the following night. I agreed immediately. It was another new place; Pam had clearly never returned to Lux Nails. I would never accuse Pam of being nervous about something so trivial, but I got the impression that she found comfort in the idea of safety in numbers. Her stated justification was that this sort of activity was a common ritual of female bonding in which we should be engaging. I just went with it.

It was shaping up to be a banner week on Friday morning when Tray broke the news that he heard about a house for rent on two acres in Bossier City.

"It's my ex-wife's aunt who is leasing it, but she's a nice lady," he assured me.

What an odd remark. If I judged everyone who had a relative that got divorced, I'd never be stopping.

I asked a few questions about it, and Tray answered as best as he could before giving me the aunt's contact information so I could get her to email me some pictures and maybe schedule a visit.

Ghellert was waiting in the lab once I'd checked my day's work load out of the vault.

"You are moving?" he inquired.

"I never figured you for an eavesdropper," I muttered. "Although I don't know why, since I've seen you do it."

"I don't think you should move."

"Well thanks. I don't think so either, but unfortunately my landlady doesn't agree with us."

"You should stay where you are for now."

"That's my plan," I agreed. "But I really do have to be looking. It'll take a while to find the right place."

"Don't make any agreements," he advised.

"Ghellert, is there something you need to tell me?" I frowned.

Rather than answer, he looked away.

"Ghellert?"

"You never know what will happen. You may not want to make a new commitment right now."

"Oh my god. Am I really getting fired?"

"Fired?"

"We know you're here to report to Mintah on how well we work here. Is this because I left early? I've more than made up that time. Ghellert, I really like this job. If I need to be doing something different, please give me the chance to correct it before you make your report."

"Mintah is pleased with your work."

"But then why are you saying...? What are you saying?"

He frowned again. "This is confidential until a decision is made."

"What decision?"

"Maybe you are not best utilized here."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you are going to be offered a position elsewhere."

"Where?"

"Edinburgh." Wow.

"What's going to happen here?"

"That depends on whether or not you accept the offer. Maybe this location will be human only, and 'eyes only' things will all be sent elsewhere."

"And if I don't accept?"

"Then maybe nothing. He will expect you to accept though."

"Why?"

"It will become the main branch, newer. Larger than here. You would have nonhuman staff. Your salary would increase. His offices will be there, and it will be more secure. Europe is a broader market, so you will be dealing with more and varied objects, especially fae. You will have the opportunity to travel with his entourage when need arises."

He spoke in a cool monotone, but each thing he rattled off sounded like a prize more enticing and elaborate than the last.

"When?"

"At the end of February."

"Why me?

"Why me?" Ghellert replied. "Why Hob? He likes you. You share his gift."

He shrugged. I guess not questioning Mintah is a habit that doesn't break even when you work closely with him.

"This is confidential," Ghellert repeated.

"When will he make the offer?"

"Soon. You must act surprised."

"He'll know I'm not."

"Not until later. I will explain."

"Wow," I breathed out.

"So do not make any agreements."

"Right."

He left, and I worked. You'd think I would have been distracted all day, with my head full of questions and worries, but I wasn't. Because Ghellert was right; this was a no-brainer. I left Splendide that evening with a spring in my step and a song in my heart.

It wasn't until I got home that it faded abruptly. Pam was waiting on my porch.

Oh right. Pam. My friend. Child of: oh right, Eric. My lover. Two things that had not been on Ghellert's list of wonders, along with: oh right, my family.

"Hurry and change your clothes, Sookie. We'll take my car."

"Oh. Right," I mumbled.

Mechanically, I did as she asked. I followed her to her car, then into the salon, then over to the comfortable chairs. She'd chosen my polish; a deep purple called "Vampsterdam." Her selection was called "Red Light District." We were on a theme, or the nail polish maker had been, anyway.

"Sookie," she snapped.

"Yes Pam?"

"Oh, there you are," she said, exasperated.

"Sorry."

"Something on your mind?" she asked. Duh.

"I guess so."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"I really can't," I said. It was confidential.

"Women tell each other secrets, Sookie."

"Okay, Pam, you go first," I said, lowering my voice so that she would do the same.

"I killed my neighbor's dog this morning."

"Oh my god, you didn't!"

"You're right," she sighed. "I didn't. But I swear, if that mongrel shits on my lawn another time..."

"Jesus Christ, Pam."

"Now it's your turn," she said happily.

"I mean it Pam, I really can't tell you."

"Can you tell Eric?" she asked.

"No."

"Is it about Eric?"

"Not really." And I wouldn't even let myself begin to think about what he'd say about it when he knew.

"Is it about any vampire?"

"No."

"Is it about your house?"

"Not really."

"Is it about your family?" I should be keeping count. Had we reached twenty questions yet?

"Not really."

"Is it about your work?"

"Yes."

"Hm," she said, studying me. "Is it about a client?"

"No."

"Then it's about your boss?" Ding ding ding ding ding.

"Yes. Which is why I can't talk about it."

I had known as soon as Ghellert told me that the need for secrecy pertained to Mintah's plans for himself much more than it did to his plans for me. Until the offer was formally made, which I guessed wouldn't occur until Mintah had finalized his own part in the business, it wasn't my secret to tell, no matter what.

"Is it something we should know?" Probably.

"You'll know when I can tell you. Please stop asking."

"Is it something to do with..."

"My cousin got a job as a barmaid working for a shapeshifter," I blurted out, reaching for anything that might distract her.

Thankfully, this got no more response from the woman rubbing my feet than "I killed my neighbor's dog this morning." She had headphones on and was listening to an audiobook about wizards. If she only knew.

"A shifter?"

"In Bon Temps. I think he hates vampires, which is a good thing, no offense. He knows who Eric is."

"Lots of people know who Eric is. The name?"

"Sam Merlotte."

"Interesting."

"You know him?"

"No. He hates vampires, you say? Perhaps I should pay a call."

"Please don't. He seemed skittish about unknown supes in general. I only say it's a good thing because it makes it that much less likely that Compton will approach Hadley, if she's working somewhere that vamps aren't welcome."

"Vampires are welcome in all publicly operated establishments. It's the law."

She was correct, although businesses got around that by simply posting that they withheld the right to refuse service to anyone. It was a grey area in terms of civil rights, but even in the last couple of months there'd been a landmark case where a business owner had successfully proven that catering to vampire clientele would have resulted in a loss of other business. People had a right to defend their livelihoods. Maybe the world would be a lot better if everyone could judge vampires no differently than they judged anyone else, but until that happened, I could see both sides of the issue.

"I know it's the law," I assured her. "But you know what I mean, there's welcome, and there's welcome. Everybody knows you guys have places where humans aren't welcome unless they're on the menu."

"Actually, very few people know that," she said. "Besides, those are private clubs. The laws do not apply."

"Oh, speaking of private clubs..."

I relayed my explanation to Gran of the vampires as a fraternal order.

"So Eric is an elk," she grinned.

"Yup. You too."

"So Eric has horns."

"Yup."

"Eric has horns... Sookie, are you sleeping with your boss? Is that the secret?" For some reason she looked absolutely thrilled with the idea.

"What? Jesus Pam. No! I wouldn't cheat on Eric!"

"Too bad."

"Why?

"That would have been a very good secret," she said, sounding disappointed.

Thankfully by the time we left she had given up pressing me, and I had managed to snap out of my funk entirely. We carried on the conversation until she pulled into my driveway. The same feeling of uneasiness which had plagued me days ago crept over me and I didn't ignore it.

"Stop," I said, before she could get out of the car. "Drive away, Pam."

"Why?"

"Go, now."

We were already moving backward at a healthy clip when the car pulled in behind us. I lurched in the seat as the cars collided and Pam cut the steering wheel sharply to the side, rolling right over the lawn and the curb to reach the road. Once we were clear, she threw the minivan into forward gear and took off, only to find the way impeded as a car coming toward us turned broadside, blocking the street. The second impact came on the passenger side, my side, as she veered left around the obstructing vehicle.

"I'm never getting my fucking nails done again," Pam muttered, her eyes flashing back and forth between the mirrors and the road as we sped away. "Whose enemies are those?"

"They're vampires," I answered. It was all I had gotten, and all I had to offer her.

"Call him."

I was already dialing. I was thrown forward against my seat belt again as she made a hard turn. We were still being followed.

"Where are we going?" I asked as it rang.

"The bolt hole in Red Chute, if I can lose them."

"Hello?"

"Some vampires followed us or waited at my house and tried to trap us, but we got away and now we're trying to lose them in traffic. Pam's driving."

"You're in her car?"

"Yes. They've hit us twice." We hit them actually, but we weren't filing an insurance claim right now. It wasn't the moment for quibbling.

"How many?"

"Two cars. Three vamps I think. Maybe four."

"Come here."

"What? To the club?"

It was Friday night. There would be tons of humans there, but probably also a lot of vampires. Eric's vampires. They'd be crazy to follow us in or try to fight there.

"We're coming," Pam said loudly, making another abrupt turn.

Through the phone I started to hear Eric giving orders in a clipped voice. He wasn't talking to me. Looking back I saw two other cars making the same turn we'd just taken. Pam was giving her full attention to the road in front of us. I couldn't watch. I heard a horn blare as we blew past, and realized in the hind view that we'd just run a very red light.

"Are you still there? Where are you?" Came Eric's voice, louder again. I looked around but couldn't seem to get our bearings.

"We're two minutes away," Pam called out. He heard her.

We turned every head in the crowd waiting in front of Fangtasia as Pam blazed through the front parking lot and veered around to the staff entrance. Eric was at my door the instant we jolted to a stop, unfastening the belt and whisking me away inside.

Everything was a brief blur until he set me down on the couch in his office and I found myself suddenly alone in a room full of half a dozen vampires from Area 5.

A/N: I was pretty haphazard with review replies this last time. It makes me incredibly happy when people speculate, but it also makes it very tough to reply without giving things away. The point is; thank you very much. I am always grateful to hear from you, and thank you as well to those who continue to follow or favorite this story.