Everything had happened so fast that I needed a moment to let everything sink in. Not only had one of my best friends been bitten by a vampire, I also seen one get killed right before my eyes, and potentially given away what I was. All in one night.

It took me a good few seconds before I dared to open my eyes, and when I did I wished I hadn't. The vampire's head was floating right before me, a cloud of blood forming around it in the water. I was very glad we had been saved, but I knew this image would be etched in my mind forever, not to mention the fact that I owe a vampire now.

I looked up to see the tall blonde man. From the ground, he looked even bigger than he truly was, and with blooded splattered over his torso and his fangs extracted, he was menacing.

"I want to apologize for the behavior of this particular vampire," he spoke, his voice deeper than I had expected.

Footsteps were approaching, and the vampire who had checked our ideas appeared in the bathroom.

"Eric. What the fuck happened here," she said, her voice equally dry as it had been, almost as if she wasn't surprised something like this had happened.

"Someone couldn't control their hunger," the vampire, whose name apparently was Eric, responded.

"And you had to kill him?" the woman said.

"It was self defense," Eric replied immediately.

"And in your rage you broke all the plumbing as well?"

My breath got stuck in my throat as I averted my eyes to the ground. I cradled Jade in my arms as I focussed on her completely. They couldn't know it was me, but there weren't a lot of other reasons to explain the phenomenon. Combined with my high pitched shriek and Eric's years on this planet, he had to know what I was, right?

"I don't know what happened with that."

Vampire's were notorious for showing little to no emotion, but I dared to say I heard a little uneasiness in his voice, as if he knew what had happened but didn't feel like sharing it with his companion.

"My question is, what are we going to to with them."

Since I was the only one of us three who seemed to be the least traumatized, I felt like he was addressing me. I slowly lifted my gaze as I kept my arms around Jade,

Eric's brows ruffled as our eyes met. I couldn't tell if he knew, or if he was simply intrigued. Either way, he knew something was up, and that was bad.

"Glamor them," the female vampire shrugged. "Give them a change of clothes and send them on their way."

Fuck. This meant I had to put my acting skills to the test. Glamoring would work on my friends, but it wouldn't on me. If they noticed it didn't work, it would only confirm every suspicion they already had.

"No!" I objected. "Please, don't. Let this night be a lesson for us."

I got his attention. Eric turned himself to me again, and the other woman shuffled closer. I must look a right mess about now. My hair clung to my face, my dress was soaked, and I had stains of blood on my skin.

"You can see how scared we are. We will never return here if you let us go. I won't press charges. No one will ever know."

The woman placed her hand on her hip as she rolled with her eyes.

"Ah, how cute, she doesn't know how glamoring works. Honey, we can get all of that by just looking you in your eyes."

I turned my gaze to Eric. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I felt like I could trust him. He knew there was something more to be than just human, and perhaps I could spark his curiosity just enough for him to let us go. If more than one vampire knew what I was, the news would spread like wildfire, and I counted on him to want me all to himself.

The vampire stepped forward, but Eric put her hand on her arm, stopping her.

"Pam, no. I think this might be good. Let them spread the fear of what they encountered tonight."

His eyes briefly met with mine and my heart was full of hope that this was actually working.

"Perhaps it will get rid of all those pesky tourists coming here just to take pictures of us."

The combination of alcohol and adrenaline made my head spin. This just took a positive turn, and I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We would get out of here, and above all, my true identity was somewhat protected. I made a mental note to not leave my home during the night for the next couple of weeks. Thank god it was summer and the nights were short and the days long.

"They are traumatized enough. Get them some clean clothes and let them go home."

"Eric? You're letting them go?" Pam said.

He turned himself to her and his gaze intensified. "Pam, do as I say. And call a plumber before this entire place floods."

In the meantime I had taken the liberty to stand up, I extended my arm to help Jade up. I couldn't take my eyes off the bites wounds, wondering how long it was going to take before they would disappear. I knew vampire blood would help heal it so much faster, but I also knew that wasn't common knowledge and I couldn't suggest it without giving myself away. She would have to make do with wearing a scarf.

I wasn't sure what to say to Eric, so I just thanked him. He didn't respond, and he didn't look grateful either, but then again, vampires were hard to read.

I got Allison up as well, who was looking as pale as vampires themselves, and I pointed to the large leather couch that stood in the middle of the club to sit down.

"Can I get us some water?" I asked carefully, suddenly fully aware of how my dress was sticking to my body. It must not leave much to the imagination, and I hoped Pam would return soon.

"Behind the bar," Eric waved, and I continued to fetch it.

There was an awkward tension in the air, as we both knew the other knew more than they should. I gave both of my friends a glass of water as I sipped from mine. I could really use something stronger, but I promised myself I got to drink as much as I wanted when I got home.

Pam finally returned with what looked like Fangtasia merchandise. She handed us all an oversized red t-shirt, with their logo on the front. I asked if it was okay if we could get changed in private, which was granted. The vampires disappeared into an office, and the three of us were finally alone.

"I'm so sorry," Jade then said, as tears began to stream down her cheeks again.

"Don't be sorry," I said, taking her into my arms again. "It was my fault for letting you out of my sight."

I released her from my grip, surprised how I was still so emotionally calm, before telling them to get changed.

"When we get home we'll put this behind us, okay? We'll never come back here again."

They nodded, and we got changed not much longer after. The dry cloth was a welcome change on my skin, and it even managed to warm me up a little. I knew the vampires could hear us, and as soon when we were done Eric appeared again.

I felt his eyes scanning my body, but it wasn't in a lustful, sexual way. Rather, it was a look of intrigue, curiosity, and in this moment I wasn't sure which one I would rather have wanted.

"Thank you for saving us," I said, deciding it would be best if I did the talking. "Like I promised, you will never see us here again."

Eric didn't respond, and I figured that was our cue to leave. I spun on my heel and took Allison and Jade's hand, guiding them towards the exist.

The closer we got, the more I felt like I could breathe again. Today had been a close call. Jade could have been killed, and if not for Eric, everyone in the bar would have known there was something more to me than just being human.

I felt grateful, yet scared. He had helped me, but I knew he had done so for his own interest. He knew I was different, and looking over my shoulder one last time, finding his eyes glued to me as I left, I realized that while I vowed to never set foot in Fantasia ever again, I knew this wouldn't be the last time I would see Eric.

We drove home in silence—welcome silence. We all needed to think about what had happened, and I found myself worrying about the days to come. While I was glad Jade and Allison wouldn't care for vampires any longer, I was still scared their recovery. What happened was traumatic, and we all needed some time to get over what happened.

I raised my thumb to my lip as I kept one hand on the wheel. I protected myself from being glamored, but perhaps it had been selfish. In the rearview mirror I saw Allison, staring outside, a pained expression on her face. She was still deathly pale, and Jade sitting besides me didn't fare much better. Maybe it would have been better if Eric had glamored them…

Allison and Jade decided they wanted to stay together for the night, so I dropped them off at Jade's place. I just really wanted to be alone, and process what had happened, but once they were gone, the car was eerily empty, and I found myself get spooked by every sound that came from outside.

To make myself feel safer, I pulled the pepperspray from my bag and kept it in one hand as I continued driving home. My house was situated behind the local bar Merlotte's, deep into the woods. I would rather stay in town, for my own safety, but the nearby bodies of water were definitely a luxury I didn't want to miss.

I was glad I left the lights on, and after looking around for a moment before I stepped out of my car, I knew I was completely alone. It was still dark, and now one vampire knew I was different, it could only be a matter of time before others knew as well.

The moment the door closed behind me, I felt like I was finally safe. Vampires couldn't enter without permission, and I would never grant it to one of them. My home was old, older than most buildings in Bon Temps, and there were lots of things I needed to refurbish, but the most important things was that it felt safe, and right now I needed nothing more than that.

Well, except maybe for a drink as well. I dropped my stuff on the couch and shuffled to the kitchen where I had hidden a bottle of vodka in one of the cupboards. I didn't particularly enjoy the taste of it, but I did enjoy the feeling it gave me. Without thinking too long about it, I put the bottle to my lips and took a swig.

It was already deep in the night, but I couldn't go to sleep. My head was still spinning and the alcohol added some extra fuel to the fire. I was also scared to close my eyes, fearing what I'd might see.

I was almost settled in on the couch when the doorbell rang. I shot up, dropping the bottle of liquor on the ground. My heart rate started to increase, as I already had a suspicion who it might be.

"I know you're in there," I heard from outside. My thoughts were confirmed—it was Eric.

I had two options. One: ignore him and hope he would go away, although he would probably stay outside of my house until dawn, and the thought made me uncomfortable. Two: face him, but stay inside so he couldn't do anything, and above all, don't invite him in. He wasn't in a position to glamor me, so that wouldn't be a problem.

The latter option seemed best. I held in my breath, and with a sweeping motion I opened the door.

"I didn't expect you so soon."

A smirk unraveled on his face, and that was the first time I had seen him smile, or be remotely amused for that matter. He had put on his jacket, but I could still see the blood stains on his t-shirt underneath.

"Oh, you were expecting me?"

"You let us go too easily," I replied honestly. "I knew you wouldn't really let us get away with it."

"Smart and pretty."

I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I was doing my best to keep my balance and keep my thoughts straight, but I had taken so many sips of vodka in such a short amount of time I began to feel tipsy.

"How did you know where I live?"

"I followed you. You know, that pepperspray stuff doesn't actually work that great."

I was surprised to hear it didn't work, but then I again I had no idea whether to trust a word that came out of his mouth. His intentions were still very much a mystery. Well, I knew he wanted to know what I am, but what he wanted to do with that information I could only guess.

"What do you want?" I said, cutting to the chase.

"There is something different about you. I know it, you know it, and it will not be long before other vampires will know it as well."

He took a step closer to the door, but I didn't take a step back. He couldn't enter, there was no reason to be afraid.

"I've managed it without anyone knowing for a long time now. I doubt it will change."

Eric leaned forward slightly, as that same smirk returned.

"So you admit you are different."

"I'm not admitting to anything," I defended.

"Well, the truth is," Eric began. "I don't know who you are, I don't know what you are, but your little stunt at Fangtasia will not go unnoticed. It will only be a matter of time before others will want to know exactly what went down, and I don't know how I am going to explain exploding pipes."

"Look, if it starts to go out of hand, I will move. You can't get to me during the day. I've done this for a long time now, I know how to survive."

It was the truth. I had often moved to protect my identity, and protect my friends. It was hard, creating a new life every time I moved, but it became easier the more I had done so.

"Know this: the moment you stepped through the doors, I knew you were something else. You can put on as much perfume as you like, but that scent is hard to mask. Your accent, while almost flawless, is foreign. Your voice isn't humanlike. It might be my age, but you can't fool every vampire you come across."

"I'll try," I nodded, confidently.

I placed my hand on the door, closing it ever so slightly to give him a hint I wanted him to go. I had to admit I was surprised that he had noticed all of it. The scent usually was masked very easily, and as for my accent, I never had anyone call me out on it. I had severely underestimated his age, and expertise.

"I'd like to see that," he said, almost as if it were a threat or a challenge, I couldn't decide on which one.

Before he was able to turn away, an idea popped in my head. I felt bad for suggesting it, but longterm I knew it would be so much better. I already owed him, and I didn't want to add anything to that debt, but this needed to be done.

"Eric? I need to ask a favor."

He licked his lips as he raised his eyebrows, awaiting my request.

"Could you please glamor my friends? They are traumatized. I don't want them to remember this night. You know where they live."

For a strange reason, I trusted him with this task. If he wanted to taste either me or them, he would've had the chance back at Fangtasia. I knew he would do this for me. Like many vampires after finding out there was something different about me, they couldn't contain their curiosity. And who was I to blame them? After so many years on this planet it's a rare occasion to be surprised by something.

"That is a disappointment. I hoped you wanted to show me what you are really made of."

He nodded slowly, and I could see his mind working. He wasn't stupid. Eric knew this would mean I owed him two favors. It was a bad position to be in, but I just wanted to protect my friends.

"I will."

Even though I trusted him, I felt the need to warn him nevertheless.

"Eric, I mean just glamoring. If I find out that you've hurt them, I will hunt you down."

He laughed out loud.

A/N: Thank you all so much for your support so far! Your messages were really sweet and I absolutely loved reading them. I forgot to mention that this story is basically set in a world without the Stackhouses, so they will not appear at all!

Please let know your thoughts and I will see you in a couple of days! :D