A/N: Thanks to my betas - deiticlast, leathon, murg, SariLane, and Satsuma, and thanks to Aimeeuth, eliseth, kerrykhat, Keshkreature, and tigerfanfrv for the recs. And last but not least, thanks to everyone who reviewed!
Also, based on the feedback I received, people's familiarity with the SVM books vs. True Blood seem evenly split, so I've decided to stick more closely to the books. I will explain the differences in either Author's Notes or within the story.
As I mentioned in the disclaimer way back in the prologue, I really won't be following the plot from either the books or the show, but this will affect the characters, most notably Sookie who is quirkier in the books. And of course Jessica, who doesn't exist in the books.
At first, Eric assumed that she was driving this poorly as a power play, to assert herself. After all, that's what motivated her to demand driving in the first place, wasn't it?
It also could've been because he had insisted that the 'Council lackey' – as she called him – be transported in the trunk. This clearly was an excellent move on his part, as the chances of getting pulled over for reckless driving were extremely high.
Or perhaps it was because she was still angry that her friend couldn't come, even though it was Violet's decision. The newly turned vampire did not want to risk being around all those humans, though now this explanation seemed suspect.
Any of those reasons would have been acceptable. But Eric sensed no smugness or anger in the Slayer, only blithe unawareness.
The bald truth was that she was just a terrible driver.
This alarmed him more than he would ever admit, because it meant that neither of them had control over the situation. This was chaos, plain and simple.
As she swerved to avoid a pothole only to narrowly avoid a jersey barrier, Eric tightened his already considerable grip on his seat. He was fairly certain his leather seats would permanently have hand-shaped imprints on them.
Buffy glanced over at him. "That's a pretty impressive chokehold you've got on the seat there," she observed, ignoring the anxiety that was emanating off of him in waves.
She thought she heard Eric say something in another language under his breath. From the intonation, it sounded like curse words. So not necessary. She knew she wasn't the world's best driver, but she wasn't thatbad.
"I was under the impression that Slayers have extraordinary coordination and enhanced reflexes," Eric said casually, as if he were commenting on the weather.
"We do. What does that have to do with driving?" Buffy replied flippantly.
Because she was in the process of passing someone on the right, only barely missing their front fender, she missed the way he almost imperceptibly clenched his jaw.
Instead of answering, Eric fixed his gaze on the road ahead. They drove in silence for awhile, except for when he gave the occasional direction. In his opinion, it was safer that way. Unfortunately, she didn't agree.
"You know, there was a time when I would be very uncomfortable with this," Buffy said, the silence finally getting to her.
Eric glanced away from the road to give her a look of amusement. "What? Driving in a car with a vampire or holding a human hostage and former colleague of yours in the trunk?"
"Umm... both?" she replied.
He shrugged. "Times change," was all he would say.
"You can say that again," Buffy muttered under her breath.
Then she bit her lip; something had been on her mind all night, and this seemed like as good a time as any to bring it up. Better, even, because she had a captive audience.
"So… tell me about our little blood bond."
Eric narrowed his eyes. So she knew that they shared one. He wasn't surprised, but he wasn't happy, either. These were not the conditions he envisioned when he explained the intricacies of the blood bond to her. He was in an untenable position, though.
He turned to look at her closely. "Do you feel anything - any different - after drinking my blood?" he asked, gauging her reaction.
"Other than the need to brush my teeth again? No," she replied casually, determined to give nothing away.
There was a moment of silence. Buffy knew he didn't believe her, but she didn't care. That wasn't the point.
Eric studied her for a moment before replying. He could dance around the issue – and it was very tempting - but what purpose would that serve, aside from aggravating her? No, he had to focus on his larger goal.
"Essentially? You can sense where I am, and I am attuned to you… and your feelings," he explained.
Buffy expected something like that, but it was still a shock to hear it. They were connected. He was tuned into Buffy Radio all the time. This put her at a distinct disadvantage.
Flying, hypnosis, and now this? The hybrids definitely got the short end of the vampire stick.
Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, Buffy remembered that she drank Dracula's blood, too. That meant that she was bonded to him as well, because, hello, he was so obviously one of these vamps and not a hybrid. In fact, that was probably how Buffy managed to stake him that night in his castle; she could sense where he was going to materialize.
Great, two bonds. Of course, she had died since drinking Drac's blood, so maybe she was back down to one. Death was usually a pretty good way to end just about anything.
Unfortunately, she was reluctant to stake the Sheriff without good reason - and until she knew what the repercussions would be for Vi. Since she really didn't want to die again, either, she hoped there was another way to end this bond.
"Okay, now for the most important question: how do I get rid of it?" Buffy demanded.
"You can't," Eric replied bluntly. As she turned sharply to glare at him, taking the entire car with her, he decided to elaborate. "It's a mystical tie, but it may fade and disappear in time. Each bond is different. It depends on the amount of blood ingested, the strength of the vampire, and the strength of the human."
That information made Buffy feel a little better. "Well, here's hoping. In the meantime, will I explode or something if I get too far away from you? Or will you?" she asked hopefully.
She said this more to annoy him, as Dracula had obviously cleared out of Sunnydale without setting off a Buffy bomb.
When he shook his head, she sighed. "Too bad," she said. "Well, what about if one of us dies? Will the other?"
Eric raised an eyebrow at her line of questioning, but he answered again with a shake of his head.
Buffy pursed her lips, deep in thought. "So, other than you being a Peeping Tom of the mind and us having our very own LoJack, this blood bond is really no big," she summarized.
This got a reaction; he was miffed. Though he didn't intend to share his blood, Buffy could tell that it still wasn't something to be taken lightly, and it definitely rated higher than a 'no big'.
Still, he didn't show his irritation, which she grudgingly gave him props for when she felt how annoyed he was.
Then it hit her. He said that she would be able to sense where he was; he never mentioned anything about feeling his emotions, though, which meant that this normally wasn't a part of the bond.
For a moment, she wondered why she never felt Dracula's emotions but then quickly dismissed it. It probably had something to do with the distance between them. After all, this nifty little trick didn't start until she went to Fangtasia a few hours ago.
Anyway, it wasn't important. All that mattered was that she had one up on the Sheriff. She didn't even try to hide her grin.
Eric sensed her pleasure before he saw her smile, and it convinced him to broach a particularly sensitive part of the blood bond – in his own way, of course.
"Have you ever thought about us becoming lovers?" he asked casually. Because he was expecting the car to swerve dangerously, it didn't alarm him.
He knew that this was a dangerous path to tread, one that could end in a fiery crash that would even put immortality to the test. He simply couldn't resist, however.
Buffy didn't even try to formulate any words until she was sure she had the car under control. She had to admit, this wasn't totally unexpected; she had been getting the occasional feeling from him all night that wasdefinitely not PG-13. What had caught her off-guard was the way she initially reacted to his question - because it wasn't with disgust and loathing like she would hope. Nope, instead her traitorous body felt a thrill run through it. She did not need this right now.
"I'm sorry. I must be hallucinating," she said as calmly as she could. "Either that, or you have a death wish."
He leaned in closer to her, enjoying the reaction this got from her. "I only ask because sometimes a human feels a… connection to the vampire she's bonded to," he explained with an innocent expression, though there was no mistaking his meaning.
In some ways, Buffy was relieved by this information. At least these feelings could be explained away. Of course, it also meant that it might get worse or more… intense.
Then she narrowed her eyes. He could've exploited this much more than he did. In fact, by telling her, he pretty much guaranteed that nothing would ever happen. She didn't know what to make of this at first. She quickly settled on being deeply suspicious, however, because it was much safer than the alternative.
"You know, of course, this just begs the question; why are you telling me all this?" she asked.
"Because I'm learning that secrecy is not the best approach with you?" he offered blandly.
She gave a snort of derision. "Yeah right," she shot back, clearly not buying this. "You could've just let us go our separate ways and not run the risk of me staking your ass. What is it you really want?"
"You're leaving to find your girls," Eric stated matter-of-factly.
Buffy frowned, wondering what he was getting at. "And your point is?"
"Not every vampire will show restraint toward a Slayer in their territory," Eric explained. "If they know we share a blood bond and they have my assurance that you will not harm them, however, they will leave you alone. I may even be able to arrange limited help, though you may have to avoid revealing your identity."
"And if they had something to do with it?" she asked pointedly.
Eric smirked. "It's highly doubtful. Most of our kind doesn't even believe you exist. It's difficult to believe they would make such a coordinated effort," he replied.
Buffy fell silent. As much as she hated to admit it, he had a point; several, in fact. She was dreading the prospect of starting from scratch all over again. And then there was that little issue of time. Still, she knew he wasn't offering to help out of the goodness of his heart.
"And what do you want in return?" she asked warily.
"Once you find your girls, you will come back to Shreveport," he replied without hesitation. "The… skirmish last night, it was just the beginning."
"And so you want me to be your little attack Slayer? I don't think so," she said. "I protect innocent people. Period."
"Who do you think will be the first to suffer? Us?" Eric scoffed. "And what do you think will happen if vampires lose their rights?"
Damn the Sheriff and his use of logic, Buffy thought to herself with a scowl. It didn't mean she was convinced, though.
"And what about the blood bond? You wouldn't want me around to make sure that sticks, so you can keep tabs on me?" she asked.
Eric gave her a sidelong look. "It would have advantages for you, too," he reminded her.
"How very Vader-ish of you," Buffy commented dryly. "But I've heard this whole 'come to the dark side' routine before."
"My apologies. I thought you wanted to find your girls," he said lightly.
She sucked in her cheeks at the low blow. "I'll think about your offer," she replied in a tight voice.
They drove without speaking for a little while longer. Again, it was Buffy who broke the silence.
"No matter what I decide, I wouldn't count too much on this whole blood bond thing," she said nonchalantly. "I mean, I broke the bond with Dracula, and I think he had some magical mojo going on at the same time, so I sure as hell can break it with you."
She was banking on the fact that Drac was known among these vamps, too. Otherwise, it was wasted name-dropping. She wasn't disappointed.
With a smirk of immense satisfaction, Buffy saw Eric's eyes widen in surprise as he flinched ever so slightly, which was pretty much the vampire equivalent of falling off the chair. More importantly, she felt it.
Eric took a moment before replying. "Are you telling me that you drank Dracula's blood?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"Was that not clear?" Buffy said, raising an eyebrow in amusement at his sudden shift in demeanor.
Her amusement quickly died, however, as he turned to her with a gleam in his eye that made Buffy distinctly uncomfortable – and hot.
She could see that he had a thousand questions about this. Before he could ask a single one, however, her cell phone rang. She practically shouted in relief. This was about as far as she wanted to take this conversation, especially when he was looking at her that way.
The car gave a violent swerve as Buffy reached for her phone. Eric moved in a blur of motion, grabbing the steering wheel and steadying the car. At the same time, he plucked the phone out of her hand, despite her protests.
"Yes," he said into the phone.
Buffy rolled her eyes. He couldn't even muster a polite 'hello'? She heard Vi's voice and immediately grabbed for her phone.
Eric frowned as he held it out of her reach. "I'll put it on speakerphone," he offered as a compromise. After all, he was not going to sign his death warrant by letting her take one hand off the wheel.
Knowing that he would probably be able to hear anything Vi said in the close confines of the car anyway, she agreed.
"Hey Vi. What's up?" Buffy said, wondering why she was calling.
"Buffy, I think I figured out the Latin," Vi said, sounding agitated as she spoke. "I kept thinking about what you said about it being custard-y. I tried to think of all the Latin words that sounded like it, and then it came to me. Was it Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
"Yes!" Buffy exclaimed. "Vi, you're a genius! I know your Watcher made you learn Latin, but how did you ever get that from 'custard'?"
There was a pause on the other side. "It's a very famous quote, actually. And it always stuck out in my mind because…" Vi hesitated. "Buffy, it means, 'Who guards the Guardians' or 'Who watches the Watchers?'"
The car gave a shudder as Buffy partially slammed on the brake at this revelation. Luckily, they were off the highway by this time and it was late at night, so there wasn't anyone else around.
"Buffy?!"
"Yeah, I'm here Vi," Buffy replied quietly. "I- thanks."
She quickly ended the conversation, needing to think about what this meant. She barely ever registered the directions Eric was giving her, not until he pointed toward a restaurant and indicated that she should pull into the parking lot.
Merlotte's.
They had arrived at their destination. Buffy stopped the car with a violent jerk. Before she even had a chance to fully put the car in park, Eric snatched the keys out of the ignition and swiftly exited the car.
Buffy, however, didn't move. She felt a knot form in her stomach. She had to know Collins' secrets; she had no doubt about that now. Part of her was afraid of what she'd find out, though. And an even bigger part was worried about what she would do when she did.
Suddenly, a cool breeze washed over her. She looked up in surprise, only to see that Eric had opened the car door for her. This night couldn't get any more surreal.
Somewhat reluctantly, Buffy got out of the car. She looked at Merlotte's for one last second before she began walking purposefully toward the front door. There was no turning back now.
Sookie entered Merlotte's and looked around nervously, as if she expected someone to jump out at her any moment. But no, there was just the usual late-night crowd there, with nothing more alarming than the occasional hoot and holler from her brother Jason's friends.
She wasn't normally this jumpy, but she had good reason to be tonight. Bill had called an hour ago - interrupting her girls' night with Tara - to tell her that the Sheriff needed her 'services'. Well, didn't that just make her feel like a hooker?
Still, here she was. What could Eric possibly want from her now?
Spotting Bill sitting at a table by himself in the far corner, she quickly walked over to him and slid into an empty chair.
"Do you know what this is about?" she whispered.
Sookie didn't know why she was whispering; it just felt right. It definitely wasn't because anyone was within earshot. Though folks in town had warmed up to 'Vampire Bill', as they called him, they were obviously giving him an extra wide berth tonight.
She didn't blame them. When she first met Bill, she was ecstatic that she couldn't hear his mind. It was blissful, being with someone without knowing their every thought. Now, however, she would give her eye teeth to know what was going on behind that grim expression of his.
"No," he replied unhappily. "But if it involves Eric, I am sure it is nothing good."
He set his lips in a thin line, unwilling to say anything more.
Sookie frowned; she was hoping that he would give her a little more reassurance than that – because that was a very boyfriend thing to do, or so she imagined - but apparently he was fresh out tonight.
Perhaps sensing her disappointment, Bill put his arm around her. Ooh, and the store is open for business again.
Deciding to take what she could get – for now – Sookie settled back into her seat and waited. And waited. Whoever said patience was virtue never had to deal with vampires.
Her own well had just about run dry when the front door opened. In walked Eric - with a blonde that definitely was not Pam.
The whole bar seemed to take notice of their entrance, the buzz of conversation immediately quieting down as everyone stared at Merlotte's two newest customers.
Sookie was no exception; she, too, was staring openly at them. The two made quite the striking pair actually. Where Eric was all coolness and calm, this girl was fire and intensity - and human, if her tan was any indication.
That's why Sookie was shocked when she realized that she wasn't picking up a single thought from the girl – not a single blip.
