Drop Dead, Gorgeous

by InuNekoLexi

Sloan Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's got a small circle of friends. Not because she isn't nice, she is. But she's got more than just a secret, she has a gift. She can read minds. But along came the Revelation, and now she's found a group of people who she can't hear, Vampires... [Starts just before DUD] Rating subject 2 change

5. Four

Drop Dead, Gorgeous.

Disclaimer : Drop Dead, Gorgeous, is a piece of fanfiction modeled from Charlaine's Harris's Southern Vampire Mystery Series starring Sookie Stackhouse with a few liberties taken from TrueBlood, a show based off the same books. All recognizable places and characters belong to C.H. As a reminder, I earn no money from this fanfiction.

Author's Note: Reviews and Criticism are appreciated.

[4]

HALF THE PATRONS OF MERLOTTE'S THOUGHT BILL HAD HAD A HAND IN THE MARKINGS ON THE WOMAN'S BODIES. The other fifty percent thought that some of the vampires from the bigger towns or cities had bitten Maudette and Dawn when they were out barhopping, and they deserved what they got if they wanted to go to bed with vampires. Their thoughts had made me think of a bar they'd likely have patroned, given it's close proximity to Bon Temps. Fangtasia. And I began to plan to find out if that were true.

I stopped by the kitchen on my break, and shared my plans with Lafayette, hoping he'd accompany me again. It wasn't to be, though. He was on schedule.

"What about that vampire you been getting close with? He should get a look at you, all dolled up."

Bill hadn't struck me as the club type, but neither was I and I was going. After our visit in the evening, during which he called all his repairmen and put his plans in motion, I asked if he'd like to go with me. He seemed surprised, my inviting him. Maybe it was forward of me?

He recovered after a moment but declined. The rejection I felt was surprising, since I hadn't intended it as an actual date. He looked away, "I would not feel comfortable among my peers, as I am." He meant to say since his contracting the Sino-virus. Though I had seen no visible signs, yet, maybe it was just too subtle for me to tell.

"Has it started so soon?" I asked. I looked him over a little closer but could not detect anything.

"It is slow, but it has begun." He admitted. "The meeting is tomorrow?" he asked for clarity.

I nodded. Gran had been angling for the Community Building at a further date. But it wasn't available any night but tomorrow. This had caused quite a stir, Wednesdays were for mid-week prayer, at least for the heavily religious (which were many here) but Gran had opted to hold the meeting afterward. "So many of our members will already be riding together and they'll already be dressed up. We'll put on coffee and I'll spend the day baking. Maybe I can get Caroline to bring some of her cake." When Caroline agreed to serve her heavenly blue ribbon winning cake – everyone agreed. "Yes. It'll begin at 9:30." There was no need to say PM, he could not possibly attend an AM meeting.

"Good. That is good." He sipped from his synthetic, still in the bottle and then took my hand, "There are some things I must tell you, before you go since I cannot escort you." At this point I shared I'd been once before. It seemed a night of surprises for him.

"I went with our cook. Lafayette?" I wasn't sure if he remembered my mentioning him. His brow smoothed, and I knew he did. I wondered what it was that made him relax.

"Yes, his tastes lay more with men?" Ah, there it was.

"Exclusively." I advised.

"Still, what I told you – that you are mine," I nodded showing I understood, "It would be hard to enforce given that I will not be there." This was a frustrating point for him, "I do have someone I was going to ask to guard me, at night. If you could wait, a few days…"

I shook my head. "It has to be tomorrow."

He spoke so quietly I couldn't hear, and then looked at me, "Then when you arrive, I want you to tell the person at the door that you are there as my human, state my name, and that you have questions for the Sheriff."

"There's a Sheriff?" My wonderings about a possible vampire justice system hadn't been unfounded after all. My interest was piqued.

"Yes. His name is Eric…" and so I had a crash course in vampire etiquette and the barest overview of politics. And I mean, bare. Other than that there was a Sheriff, and the he was very old, Bill was very closed lip about the questions I had that followed.

"I wish you could display my mark." His hands brushed my skin along my neck. My flesh broke out in goosebumps where he touched. It was more intimate contact than we'd had before. I knew he couldn't bite me now, although the sino-virus transmission rate from vampire to human was less than the guaranteed transmission from human to vampire, the chance was still there.

I didn't even know why I was entertaining it as ok. Did I want Bill to bite me?

My heart ticked a little faster. The core at my thighs heated. His eyes darkened. Oh, I did. I was finding things out about myself all the time. I licked my lips. I struggled to remind myself we weren't actually dating, not that dating was necessarily… necessary. But there were other conversations to be had before anything happened between us. "Is there anything else?"

He looked up at me. There were many other elses there. He looked away and I knew it wasn't tonight. "No. If you have any trouble, I will know. And I will come if you have need of me."

I promised to come by after, both to share what I had found, and at his insistence, to assure I was safe.

JASON CAME BY GRAN'S TO ESCAPE THE RUMOR MILL AND HELD FORTH FOR A WHOLE HOUR WHILE GRAN AND I ENCOURAGED HIM TO KEEP WORKING LIKE AN INNOCENT MAN WOULD. For the first time in my memory, my handsome brother was worried. I followed him out with a soda and stopped him as he started his truck.

"Jason."

His key was already in the ignition, the alarm pinging since the door was open. Usually once he was on his way, he'd get impatient being held up. In this moment I could tell he expected I had waited to kick him while he was down, out of ear shot of Gran. This wasn't entirely without base. I had always been quick to tell Jason when he was in a heap of trouble. And he was for sure now. But I knew he had nothing to do with this.

"I'm going into Shreveport tonight, to listen at Fangtasia. I'm going to find out who is doing this." I said, determined.

Jason stared down at me, his hand around the steering wheel. And then he was back out the truck, hugging me. I couldn't remember the last time he'd hugged me without an audience to benefit from it, Gran included. He asked if I needed him, to back me up.

"Thanks, but… I don't think you showing up at a vampire bar is going to be very helpful. Specially if we're trying to prove you don't have a connection to the place.

He shoved his hands in his pockets, "Yeah, that makes sense."

I hit his shoulder, "Alright now, get."

I DRESSED IN DARK JEANS AND A DARK BLUE SCOOP NECK TOP. While my hair dried – wrapped into coils kept in place by pantyhose, I tried to remember how the lights had been set in the bar. Carefully, I lined my eyes, dusting my cheeks with the lightest shimmer and brushed my lids a blue as close as possible to my shirt. An hour before I planned to be on my way, I pulled the nylons out of my hair and ran my fingers through it. The effect was mesmerizing.

I turned my head, this way and that in the mirror. Lafayette would be proud. I wondered what Bill would say, since he'd never seen me in makeup. I wondered if Pam would remember me. My heart raced a bit knowing I'd be seeing her again. Of course, I'd be seeing her again, she worked there after all.

Gran's eyes opened wide when I came down the stairs. I could tell she didn't know what say. My foray into makeup was few and far between, so she wouldn't want to put me off it, but I knew that the club look was not to her liking. I could tell in the hesitancy of her smile. She went with what she did like, "You should do your hair more often, dear."

I hugged her. Rather than lie, I had shared my plans with her. She wasn't sure I should be putting myself out there – whoever it was that had hurt these women, might set their sights on me, but I couldn't sit by while Jason was looked at as a suspect. If the real killer did approach me, I wasn't going to let what happened with the Rattrays happen again.

SHREVEPORT WAS ONLY 22 MILES FROM BON TEMPS, AND I FOUND MYSELF PARKING MY LITTLE CAR BEFORE I KNEW IT. My nerves hummed under the skin of my arms, and my stomach clenched. I folded the sun visor down. I wasn't checking my makeup, though I was relieved to see I hadn't messed it up between home and here, I gave myself a quick pep talk.

"No one in there can do what you do. No one else is going to come out here and find out about Maudette or Dawn." I knew Kevin and Kenya were good cops, but the investigative part was up to Andy. And Andy was not going to drive out here. He might call. "Do you want Jason going to jail?" I glared at my reflection like I was suspicious of her. "So let's get in there, show these pictures, and listen." I snagged the pictures Gran had gotten for me and strut to the line that was forming alongside the grey building.

I didn't stick out as much as I had in my dress, but I was still not as darkly dressed as the others in line. As I waited I noticed many of the other women, and some men, had purposefully lightened there skin with powder giving them a pale look. Before the Revelation, I wouldn't have thought much about it, it was something you would see of anyone playing vampire. Now that we knew they existed? I wasn't sure why they didn't see it as another form of blackface.

Did the vampires see it that way?

"No dress? I'm disappointed." I looked up and found myself at the front of the line in short order. Pam's sarcastic humor suggested a smile but only the tips of her mouth moved.

I reached up, smoothing my hands down my covered midriff and jeans. Her blue eyes followed. On point! I reminded myself, "I'm here to see the Sheriff." Pam's eyes snapped up, losing any friendly quality and I realized I was maybe speaking to loud. No one behind me had heard, but I lowered my voice again, "I'm here as Bill Compton's human, and I need to ask the Sheriff a few questions." Did people really do this? I definitely did not feel comfortable announcing myself as someone's.

We stood there another moment as Pam gave me look that made me feel small and I added quickly, "Please."

Eyes cutting to the side she looked put out. She turned her head and spoke sharply, the word too quick for me to hear, and another vampire appeared as though they had been waiting. The vampire was burly, and free of hair with dark eyes. He looked at me as Pam as she advised she was taking Bill Compton's human to the back (nope sure didn't have a name no more I guess) and to watch the line while she was gone. After that I was gestured to follow her, and in we went.

It was as I remembered it, but no less foreign. The number of vampire minds peppered in the crowd was still 13 not including Pam's and the one outside. The music a blend of trap-rock. Pam was striding through the dance floor, her black dress pants and white ruffled blouse catching the lights as they swung overhead. What she wore was classier than the other vampires I could see, but she was not out of place, she was vampire and the tourists and groupies either got out of her way or got run over. Most were smart enough to move. One nervous looking man that didn't move fast enough was shoved unceremoniously to the floor with a careless flick of her wrist.

I glanced back as he nursed his elbow. I checked his thoughts quickly, to see if this had caused any kind of immediate reaction – hate, anger, rejection. None of those. He felt shame for his stupidity and weakness.

I just didn't get it.

There was a small platform that Pam stepped onto. It was empty except for a male vampire, just as lovely as she was, occupying a large straight back chair. It gave the impression of a throne from sheer size and placement but as I looked at it, I noticed it was also intricately carved. Maybe it was a throne, and it had simply moved from a castle to this bar in Shreveport at it's owner's discretion.

The male, Eric I presumed, moved his fingers just enough that when Pam's hand brushed over his, they touched. I stopped short of the platform as Bill had mentioned, so I was too far to hear what Pam said as she leaned forward, her hair forming a thin barrier hanging alongside her face. The blonde man's eyes were still surveying the dance floor until finally the settled on me. Pam stood straight up, and raised her chin, "Sloan Stackhouse, Bill Compton's human."

I took this as my queue to step up, stopping after a few short steps. It wasn't a large space and I didn't want to be on top of them. I bowed from the waist, shoulder blades pulling together, and extended my head forward. It wasn't very deep, but enough that my hair fell forward around my face and along the tops of my breasts when I straightened, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Bill sends his regards."

"I would appreciate they be provided in person," he said curtly, "But his messenger is most pleasing. Tell him we look forward to seeing him shortly." None of his movements were wasted, and so he moved very little. Beside him, Pam had gone still, but her eyes, like his, were on me. "Pam tells me you have questions for me." Statement.

I nodded, and pulled the photos of Maudette and Dawn out, holding them out. Pam leaned forward to take them, angling them so that Eric could see, "I'd like to know if you've seen either of these women in this bar."

Eric looked at both with a blank face, then tapped on Dawn's picture. "I have been with this one," he replied cooly, "she liked pain."

Pam was surprised Eric had answered, I could tell by her eyebrows. She gave the photos back to me, "I have seen both of them. I have never been with them." When I held the photos in hand again she tapped the top of Maudette's picture, "This one was a pathetic creature. She offered herself to many."

I was glad I had extensive practice in facial control, and minded what Bill had said about not reacting to anything they said that might be... rude. It was easy to remember after seeing how unceremoniously Pam had treated the man earlier, and he hadn't even said anything. Probably better not to run off at the mouth. "Did they come alone? Leave alone?"

Bill had said I might not get an answer to this, that Fangtasia, any vampire bar really, would not likely report on the coming and goings of it's customers. Pam shifted forward, Eric held his hand up and she settled back into place. "Before we continue, maybe you should take a seat." He snapped his fingers and a blur separated from the crowd, setting a short chair from one of the low tables near the walls. Was the vampire below Pam? Was that beneath her? What was her position in relevance to Eric?

I thanked him and sat down. Crossing at the ankles would be the proper thing to do, best I could manage was setting both feet in the same direction and off to the side as I sat upright.

He was bare chested except for a vest, so his broad shoulders were on display as he leaned forward, "Why do you want to know about these women?" He asked, serious.

"They're dead." I said matter-of-factly.

Pam looked over the crowd, but I knew we still had her full attention. Eric's gaze sharpened and I could feel a race of something arch along my brain, "Tell me, do you think a vampire here is responsible?"

"No. But I think someone has followed them here. Seen who they've been with, or what they've done, and they don't like it. I don't know if it's because of these women specifically, or who they've been with."

His eyes, an intense blue I don't think is even produced anymore, searched my face. I felt another tendril roll over me. I didn't bat it away, but it didn't have any effect otherwise. I forced myself to stay relaxed. I could see Pam's head was tilted just a bit and though she wasn't looking directly at me I knew she was paying attention. Did she think Eric's age had given him an advantage where she and Long Shadow failed?

"Tell me about their murders."

I told him about both deaths as I knew them. "Are there any suspects?"

"My brother… and Bill."

Pam made a crude noise. She didn't think much of Bill it was clear, but she doubted he was capable. She spoke to Eric, not giving my presence any thought. Eric dismissed Bill's involvement as well, "And your brother, do you think he is capable of this?"

"No." He broke eye contact with me, sitting back as though I shouldn't know what took place.

"Pam, do you remember?" He seemed a little bored, asking her to answer my original question.

"They arrived alone. The one you entertained left on her own. The other had no dealings. If one followed her home later, I do not know."

"Are there always the same number of vampires here? The same ones? Could I ask?"

"Any questions you have, you direct to me only." Eric spoke firmly. I nodded my head, acknowledging.

I ran through a list of questions I had had worked out – did they have any disgruntled customers? Any humans that opposed their business? Male clientele that had been kicked out after being rejected by human women? None of their responses were very useful. The vermin that were upset did not matter to them, they came to see cruel vampires – they got cruel vampires. The only humans that picketed their business at the moment were of a large 'church' organization called the Fellowship of the Sun. Their members were known, they were not allowed inside.

Again I thanked them for their time. "Would it be ok if I stayed to see if I recognized anyone from Bon Temps?"

Eric looked around the room, and then spoke to Pam quickly. The words were foreign but pleasing. Whatever he said was about me as Pam gave me a glance and then away, discreetly. She said something back, looking miffed and Eric laughed. Then he leaned forward and I could feel him reaching again for my mind, "You have no more questions. You found no answers here. You are however very interested in my progeny; you wish to spend the night with us."

I dropped my smile and batted the power away. "I was attracted to your progeny," I looked at Pam, "But I find the abuse of glamour" I bit my tongue from saying disgusting. That was definitely an insult, and I was not supposed to do that, "appalling. No thank you."

I stood abruptly. Eric did as well, Pam flanking him. I looked up, and up and up. If he hadn't been a vampire, I still would have been intimidated. I could feel the focus of the bar swivel to us. The blank spots where the vampires resided moved minutely, but they placed themselves first blocking the human's views and then I felt a mass calmness cover the audience of roughly 35 to 40 people. I was scared to death.

Only one person seemed to be unaffected by the sedation. I found this was because they weren't in the main room – they were in the bathroom, and

"Before you do anything, you might want to know that you won't have time to clean up."

"Oh, we're very quick," Eric said, grinning. Fangs extending.

"There's going to be a raid." I looked at Pam, who placed a hand on Eric's arm.

"How do you know this?"

Bill had been very clear about keeping my telepathy a secret from Eric and any vampire under him. But between my life and secrecy, I was all about getting out of here alive. "The guy in the bathroom, he's a cop. And he's just given the ok for his team."

"You're bluffing." Eric snatched me up, pain blossoming in my arms and I cried. There wasn't even a flicker of awareness from the humans under the vampires' control. Suddenly, several men stormed in through the front of the club. I could feel they were a mix of vampire and humans. That was one way of ensuring the officers wouldn't be glamoured out of reporting an incident I guess. One of the vampires was in charge of holding onto the vampire that had taken Pam's place at the door.

I was moving, but my feet weren't touching the ground. Eric had passed me to Pam who, thankfully, was not trying to break my arms. I had just enough time to realize we were heading towards a set of double doors, and then we were on the other side of them, outside. Eric was present again, standing beside his car, a corvette. He opened the passenger door and Pam slid in with me, angling me on her lap. Then the Sheriff was in the driver's seat and we were off.

THE DRIVE WAS FRAUGHT WITH SILENCE. I was anxious, but my fear had dropped a few levels from when Eric had lifted me off the ground. Could Bill feel it? What constituted need of him? Was he on the way? I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. Since it was just me and the two vampires, I didn't waste any energy on pulling my shields back up. I tried to move into a more comfortable position and two hands slipped over my thighs, "Be still."

I looked at Pam, her lips were pressed tight and her face was sharper than it had looked in the club. She looked hungry and… I would not be attracted to her after her – whatever Eric was to her. Progeny was child, I thought, so her…? I knew vampires couldn't have children, Bill had told me they couldn't procreate, so father wasn't the right word. Sire. That was the term in the supernatural genre at the book stores. I wasn't going to act on any attraction to her after she let her sire try to hypnotize me into a threesome.

I stopped moving, and caught Eric's profile, lit by the dashboard. He looked the same way. When the car stopped, Pam's hands squeezed again and I made a little sound in the back of my throat. I got a throaty chuckle in response. Eric turned the car off and suddenly the interior was dark. I held my breath.

There was quiet, quick conversation between the two of them. The language wasn't any I was familiar with from tv or movie, but I had only heard a little French, German, and Italian. There were so many more. Probably more that weren't even still spoken today. Bill had mentioned Eric was very old – centuries his senior. I didn't know about Pam.

When they'd finished, Eric turned to face me and Pam swept me to the side so I could look at the both of them. I hooked my legs over Pam's knees so my feet didn't stretch into Eric's reach. "I shall spare you."

I knew the possibility of my death had still been on the table. Hearing it removed was a relief I didn't think I'd ever have to deal with. When in doubt, be polite. "Thank you." I kept my attitude in check.

"Bill would not send us an undercover cop." This was statement and question. I nodded affirmative. "So how did you know there was going to be a raid?"

Pam's left hand was on my leg, her right behind my back, fingers resting along the curve where my neck met my shoulder. I was hyper aware of her to the point I realized she was not breathing. I knew it wasn't a necessity, being undead, but it was disconcerting. "I read the policeman's mind." I felt the barest pressure of Pam's fingers and then it was gone. She reached to play with the strands of hair over my back.

"Interesting," Eric said thoughtfully. "I had a psychic once. It was incredible."

Pam's fingers were still running through my hair, along the nape of my neck and then would start again. I was surprised I was able to relax. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to find out? I can promise the experience is one you wont find elsewhere." Her mind slid against mine weakly, expecting to be batted away.

I sighed, "Please stop that." She withdrew and she shook her head. The hand along my neck and back stopped and she leaned back slightly, pulling the swell of her breasts away from my side. I'd almost think of her as pouting, but she only looked annoyed.

"Bill knows what you can do." Eric spoke again, question and statement. If I said no, I may as well be advising I didn't trust Bill with a secret I'd given them. An obvious lie.

"Of course."

A human would have shown some outward appearance of thought, fingers drumming on the wheel, a small hmmm of acknowledgement. Eric did none of these things. I looked off to the side in the direction of his ear as he continued to stare at me, through me. His nostrils moved minutely. I had seen this with Long Shadow and Pam. I thought to Bill's agreeing my blood was different and wondered how it smelled to them.

His eyes dropped to my neck and collar, lower to my shirt and above where Pam's hand rested on my thigh. I shifted uneasily and Pam's hand squeezed again. "Bill is lucky then to have you." He seemed to finish pressing, "I'm sure he compensates you for your talents, separate from being just his human."

Growing up, my ability was rejected so much by my parents and most everyone it scared I'd never given much thought to charging for anything I heard. And since Bill had become aware of it, he hadn't asked anything of me. I said as much and Eric's lips twitched, sharing a look with Pam. A crafty gleam a naïve person may have missed, "Really?"

"We are-" I nearly said neighbors, but didn't want to share where I lived in relation to Bill. It was fairly obvious were Bill Compton would live, on the Compton Estate. Gran's was in her and her husband's name. I may or may not live there, "Friends."

Eric's grinned and I realized I should have said lovers. I guess vampire's humans typically fell into lovers or employees. "Fascinating. I can't say I've ever befriended a human. Have you Pam?"

Pam spoke exclusively in sarcasm or dead-pan, "Oh yes, all of them. My personality draws them to me."

"I'm getting up now." When Pam put her hand along my back, I stopped myself just short of cutting my eyes, "Where am I going to go?" and swung the door open. The night air was warm for the time, but comfortable. I felt instantly better.

Eric and Pam did not get out right away. Surely speaking. Finally Pam stepped out of the car, the glow of her skin shimmering. Alluring. She crossed her arms and stopped just short of my personal space, "We will take you home. First, let me see your arms." I didn't move them and she sighed reaching out, "We cannot return you to Bill in less than the condition you arrived. Let me see them."

I pulled the sleeves up, wincing as my fingers brushed over where Eric had squeezed. Red hand fingers traced my skin on each side, clearly the large hands of the vampire in question. I winced, imagining how they would look in the next day or two. And how they would feel. Pam spoke quick and sharp and then looked up at me, "I will feed you." She bit down on the palm of her hand and held it out, then her eyes narrowed when I didn't lean forward, "If we return you injured, Bill will want to fight the vampire that accosted you, as is his right. Do you think he can stand up to Eric?"

She meant because of Eric's age. I knew she didn't know about Bill being sick, it was impossible, but she was right. Right now, if they did fight, Bill would not last. I reached out and took the hand she offered, nursing only briefly, watching Pam's face. Her lids lowered, but her eyes stayed on me. My aches felt better even as I finished.

Fingers flexing, she curled the thing digits into her palm and we both watched as my skin smoothed subtly. I could see the soft glow that emitted from her skin flush through mine. Reflexively I ran my hand over it, "It's so strange."

Pam's gaze raised again to me, and I could see that that question in them again. That What are you. "You can see the difference in our appearance." She realized, "How it flows through you when you've had our blood?"

I nodded and thought to myself that Bill would know too. And she had known it. Even if I wasn't bruised up when I returned, Bill would see I had been injured in some way to have had vampire blood. I hoped he wouldn't think I'd take it without reason. What other reason could there be?

Eric watched from the passenger side of the car, leaning against it's frame before opening the door, "Come. We will drop you at the Compton Estate."

"What about my car?" I asked, thinking of it still parked outside Fangtasia.

"It has been seen to," Eric said as he shut the door, after I was situated again in Pam's lap. I wondered how that had been arranged, did he have a cellphone? What kind of cellphone would a vampire use? Did they have a family plan, he and his progeny?

Pam's hand ran down my back and through my hair again as the car started. Eric spun around, coming back the way we came from and it was a short time later that we drove through Shreveport again, confirming we had been driving away from Bon Temps originally. I wondered if the direction had been chosen before they decided not to kill me. Was the plan then to bury my body and have my car parked outside my house like I'd gotten home safe? I shuddered.

Eric seemed amused as we drove into Bon Temps, speaking quietly with Pam, but not rushing. "What language is that?" I asked, curious.

"Swedish." Eric answered, his eyes rarely on the road, taking in the businesses and homes as we drove in and through town. He seemed to pay a modicum more attention as we drove past Merlotte's and then we were turning down Hummingbird Road.

"Older than the dialect they use now." Pam followed up.

Eric had to slow down as we made our way along the old road. This saved his car from plowing into two pale figures as they blurred across the street, first one way and then the next. Eric stopped, just past the Prescott's and the farm opposite them. And frowned, "Always the dramatics." Then the driver's seat was empty and the two blurs were separated, held aloft in his long arms. A vampire I didn't recognize hung from one hand, and Bill in the other.

Pam let me out without argument and I jogged over. Bill watched, his eyes narrowing accusatory at Eric and I knew he had noticed the returned glow to my skin. "You forced yourself on her? That's against the law."

Eric looked to me, "Did I force myself on you, Sloan?"

"I was hurt leaving the raid," not untrue, "Pam healed me." Bill relaxed minutely and somehow managed to give Pam a curt nod as she stood behind me.

"Eric. If you please."

Eric set Bill down and ordered the other vampire to return to the club. He left quickly and without introduction. "I apologize for the delay in returning your human home Bill, that was not our intention. Though it is good to see you in person." Eric said, nodding in that acknowledging way vampires did. As I walked up to take my place by Bill, I felt like Eric was seeing too much when he looked at him and I slipped my hand into Bill's.

Bill didn't take his eyes off Eric but squeezed my fingers briefly. Both Pam and Eric glanced at the contact and then went back to business. "Sloan saved us from quite a mess tonight. Her gift is spectacular."

Though Bill's face didn't change, I knew this soured his mood further. His voice was as cool and pleasant as ever, "I'm glad she could do you the favor. Were you able to provide any answers in regard to her request?"

Though their conversation was polite on the surface, I was well schooled in Southern. Vampires might not use the same phrases, but it was easy to see they weren't fans of one another. Pam seemed amused with the two but otherwise didn't involve herself with their conversation. Both of us were bored quickly, and wished they'd conclude their business. At least, I assumed she was bored. Several minutes in, I yawned, the sound earning Bill's attention, "I must see her home."

"I can walk her." Pam offered, earning a look from Bill.

"No. It's best we let Bill take his human home. We've imposed enough." Eric smoothed over. I was glad he wouldn't be alone with Bill but kept my face to a small smile of thanks, "Sloan," he acknowledged, "Bill." He nodded again and escorted Pam back to his Corvette.

Bill stood beside me, waiting as they backed up and turned around, lights sweeping over the road. He didn't move until they turned off to the left and disappeared, back the way they came. Bill's shoulders drooped a little, and he took both my hands looking me over. "You're alright? Pam truly only healed you?"

I promised, and went over how my investigation had gone before the raid. I skipped how I was hurt specifically but suspected Bill understood what I left out. When I asked what had happened between him and the generic lackey vamp, he smiled but didn't laugh. "I had felt your pain, briefly. Then only anxiety but when it passed, I waited. I had only started for Shreveport a short while ago when I saw your car and followed it back." His face darkened, "The driver was not forthcoming with where you had gone to."

"Thanks for worrying about me." Our pace along Hummingbird Road was slow since I was tired. I worried too that Bill was as well. His face looked older than normal, though I knew it wasn't possible. "How are you feeling?"

Bill looked up, considering. "Not my age, but tired. I will rest before the sun comes up." He looked over at me, "I am sorry you did not find out anymore about Maudette and Dawn's murders."

"Just means listening at Merlotte's." I had thought about trying some of the other vampire bars when Eric said Maudette had not had much luck but I didn't have a death wish. I wouldn't go there alone again.

I realized I didn't know what time it was, but my body felt like it was close to being early. "Are you ready for tonight?"

Bill nodded, understanding I meant the Community Center and the meeting with the Descendants. "Yes. I will be sure to eat before… and may bring something for after. You are driving with your grandmother?"

"Yes. Unless you want me to wait?"

He shook his head, "No, I can find my way. Though maybe we can return together?"

"I'd like that."

"A date then." And he kissed my hand, waiting until I had let myself inside safely before disappearing.