"You need to let go of this guilt," Nora says, staring into Eric's bright blue eyes, "Pam can handle the bar without you." She adds, placing a hand on his. He looks down at her, a troubled look in his eyes. Pam isn't the only reason why he feels guilty. But Nora doesn't need to know that.
"I should go back," Eric suddenly says, ripping his hand away from the woman beside him. She narrows her eyes, offended by his rejection. She wants him to stay with her here in London. She's never liked Pam much. Nora thinks she's rude, arrogant, and lazy. And she takes too much of his attention. Nora has no problem getting rid of her if Eric decides to return to Shreveport.
Eric stands up from his seat on the leather couch, running a hand through his blonde hair, "Brother," Nora calls in an exasperated tone. She stands up as well, approaching the older vampire. He doesn't look at her, even when she grabs his arm, "Stay here with me. Godric would want us to stay together." She pleads with him, eyes beginning to water.
At her use of Godric's name, Eric finally looks at her. But his expression is an unexpected one. Instead of looking calm or worn out, he seems angry, "You don't know what he wants." He scoffs, pulling his arm out of her grip.
A single blood-red tear slips out of her eye, sliding down her cheek. She doesn't wipe it away. She wants him to feel guilty for making her cry, "Please stay," She begs him, reaching for his arm again so he doesn't walk out the door, "Don't leave me, Eric. Not again." She grabs ahold of him, tugging him away from the front door.
He frowns down at her but doesn't pull away. Instead, he wipes the tears off her cheeks, "I won't leave you, but I'm not staying here," He says, watching her expression shift, "Too many bad memories here. Come with me back to Shreveport." He suggests. The uneasy smile fades from her face. She seems disgusted by the idea, and Eric understands why. But he has to be closer to Pam. That's the only reason why he's suggesting this, no other reason.
"You want me to go to Louisiana?" She asks with a scoff, "Me?" Another scoff, "Eric, you can't be serious. You know I hate the South." She doesn't just hate the South. She hates America in its entirety. Eric expected resistance, but his loyalty to Pam outweighed his desire to stay in London. Before coming to London, he hadn't seen Nora in decades. He's much closer to Pam than he is to her.
He tucks a strand of brown hair behind her ear, "There will be plenty of people for you to eat, sister. And you'll love my bar. You can stay in the basement with me," He promises her, running his hand through her soft hair, "We'll have to notify the Authority first, considering you're a chancellor." He adds. He hates her connection with the authority, but he understands it. It's her only hobby, other than eating and fucking. And they need to be notified if she moves away. They need to know where to find her if she's needed.
"A basement? I'm not living in a bloody basement. I've got a mansion right here," She steps away from Eric and holds her arms out, referring to the house they're standing in, "I don't need your bar." She says.
"If you want to stay with me, you'll come with me," Eric says, crossing his arms over his broad chest, "If you don't come with me, I promise this is the last time you'll see me." He threatens, watching her eyes well up with tears again. But she's not sad. No. This time, she's angry. How could he say something like that?
"Then I guess this is the last time I'll see you." She growls, storming out of the room. Eric watches her storm out of the living room, torn between his loyalty to Pam and his sister. But Pam isn't the only reason why he wants to go back.
He came to London to find Nora and bring her to Shreveport. And he won't stop until she's back in Louisiana with him.
Eric hurriedly follows Nora, catching up with her in the hallway just before she reaches the front door. Gently, he places his hand on her shoulder. When she turns around, he can see that even more bloody tears have escaped her eyes. She looks at him with a mixture of anger and sorrow.
"You have no right to make ultimatums like that, Eric," She hisses, her voice quivering, "You can't just force me into doing something I don't want to do." She wipes the tears off of her cheeks.
Eric's eyes soften as he looks at her, "I'm sorry," He says, "I just want you to come with me. I don't want to stay here." He's never liked England much. He was only ever here because of King Charles II. Charles wanted Nora in his bed, but she was busy helping those infected with the black plague. He asked Eric to retrieve her. And when he did, he found her on her deathbed.
Nora considers this, very hesitant to give him an answer, "I don't know." She says, looking down at the marble floors beneath her feet.
"We'll stay for a week," He says, grabbing both of her hands so she'll look up at him, "And if you hate it, we'll go somewhere else. Please just come with me." He begs, pressing his lips against the top of her knuckles. He pulls her hands away from his face, waiting for a response.
She seems less angry now. And maybe she'll agree. Leaving her comfortable life in London isn't appealing, but the thought of losing her brother is even worse.
"Fine," She concedes, "A week. But if I'm miserable, like I expect, we're leaving."
_
"What do you prefer, the neck or the wrist?" He asks, shedding his denim jacket. He drops it onto the floor. You're more nervous than you anticipated. You've been drinking blood bags for a week, and he's your first donor. Pam got him for you. His name is James, and he's attractive, but you're not attracted to him. You still find yourself thinking about Eric, even now. Eventually, you'll get over him, but it'll take a while.
You begged Pam to tell you where Eric went. And she finally did yesterday. The information is fresh in your mind. He went to London. That's all she told you. Even when you asked why, she didn't answer. It pissed you off, but you didn't tell her that. No. But she knew you were angry. You want to go to London yourself and find him. She advised against it before you even mentioned that.
The neck or the wrist. Neck or wrist. You don't have a preference, not yet. But the wrist seems less intimate. James waits for you to respond, "The wrist, please." You say, trying to be polite. He seems enthusiastic about this process, probably because it's his job.
The man beside you smiles and extends his arm. When he presents his arm to you, you feel your fangs descend. Slowly, you scoot closer to the man. You're sitting on Eric's couch beside James, staring at his arm. You're sure Eric won't mind seeing as he's gone. James's smile remains. He trusts you, even though you're a stranger. You could kill him if you wanted to. And honestly, you're not sure you won't.
You bend over slightly, sniffing at his wrist. He smells amazing. Like sunshine.
When your fangs pierce his skin, he doesn't make a sound. He must be used to this. The metallic taste of blood fills your mouth, and you nearly groan in satisfaction. Fresh blood tastes far better than refrigerated blood. You don't think you'll touch a blood bag ever again, not after this.
As you feed on James, your mind drifts back to Eric. Why did he leave after escaping from Russell? Why didn't he stay? What is he doing in London? You wonder if he'll come back. It's been a week and a long one at that. You miss him, but not more than Pam does. She never says it, but you know she does. She's been moping around, yelling at anyone she can. Especially Margot. You try to stay out of their fights.
If Pam is your vampire mom, would that make Eric your vampire grandfather? The thought disgusts you. You detach yourself from the man, licking your lips. He seems unphased by the wound on his wrist, "Thank you, James." You say to him.
"Of course." He answers with a nod, smile widening. You take a quick look at his wrist. The bite isn't deep or large like you thought it would be. There are two shallow holes, slowly filling with blood. You hope he doesn't ask you to heal him. You haven't fed a human your blood. And you're not sure you want to. That would connect you to him. He would have dreams about you.
He wipes his wrist on a towel you brought from the bathroom. And then he leaves without another word. You didn't get any blood on Eric's couch, unfortunately. Maybe next time.
Those blood bags are nothing compared to fresh blood. You finally feel full after days of being left unsatisfied. You don't know why you started with those bags in the first place, but you're glad you did, even if they don't taste as good. Because of them, you didn't murder an innocent man. You hardly drank from him at all, actually. You're surprised you didn't drink more. You drank enough, though. That should keep you going for a day or two.
Eric's bedroom door opens, and Pam peeks in through the crack, "Finished already?" She asks. She seems surprised. You don't know what she expected.
You nod at Pam, wiping the remaining traces of blood from your lips, "Yeah, thanks, Pam." You say with a smile.
"You're doing better than I expected," She says, entering the room and closing the door behind her, "How'd you stop without killing him?" She asks in a sort of suspicious way. Oh god. Should you tell her? Well, she did ask.
"I realized Eric is my vampire grandpa," You shrug. A chuckle escapes Pam, a loud one. You look at her in surprise, maybe even a bit of disgust, "It's not funny, Pam. It's disgusting. Isn't that like incest?" You groan, frowning at the amused expression on her face.
Pam scrunches her nose up, "Ew, no," She shakes her head, "Vampires aren't like humans. We're not exactly a conventional family. Your real grandpa is your grandpa. Not Eric." Well, you're glad vampires are different. But you're still uncomfortable with the idea.
"And besides," Pam starts, "Eric likes to fuck his vampire sister. That's a whole lot worse." She seems disgusted even when mentioning it. Pam hates Nora just as Nora hates Pam. She never understood why Godric saved Nora. Eric probably begged him to.
Vampire sister? He never mentioned her before, "Wait, what?" You ask, eyes wide with surprise, "Is that why he's in London?" You pry for more information.
Pam narrows her eyes, "I don't know why he's in London," She tells you, "But I think I know why he left Louisiana," She says, settling next to you on the couch. You adjust your position to face her, eagerly waiting for her to continue. You've been wondering why he left for the whole week,
Just as she opens her mouth to speak, Eric's bedroom door slams open. The doorknob connects to the concrete wall with a loud crack. Pam immediately stands, fangs bared and eyes dark.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Pam's face softens when she sees him, and her fangs retract, "Eric!" She breathes out a sigh of relief. You're not as happy to see him. Pam rushes toward Eric, arms outstretched. She pulls him into a tight hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding tight.
He can't see you just yet as you're out of view. And he's too focused on Pam and her embrace. His expression softens as he returns her embrace, "I've missed you, Pam."
Pam pulls back slightly to look at him, a rare genuine smile crossing her lips, "I've missed you too, you big oaf," She glances back at you and adds, "And look, she isn't dead. Well, not as dead as you thought."
Eric's gaze finally shifts toward you, and you can see a mixture of emotions in his eyes. Surprise, relief, and something else. Something you can't identify.
"Who's not dead?" You hear an unfamiliar voice ask. She's not American, judging by the accent she has. You see Pam's face fall as soon as she hears the voice.
Pam pulls away from Eric completely, allowing him to enter the room. A woman follows him, immediately looking at you. She seems curious. Who is she? Why is she with Eric? Is this his "sister"?
"Uh, me." You say, making eye contact with the stranger.
"My first progeny," Pam answers as well, looking down at you with a comforting smile, "Eric didn't tell you about his human assistant? She turned just last week." Eric's eyes widen in surprise at the new information. His sister's eyes narrow and darken with her anger.
Nora considers you carefully, looking at you like you're an alien or something. There's a tense silence in the room as she processes this information. You break eye contact, growing uncomfortable. Finally, she looks at Eric instead of you. But Eric isn't looking at her. He's glaring at Pam now.
"You could've called to tell me," He says in a low voice, "You knew where I was," Eric says to Pam. Despite yourself, you're angry. Why would Pam have bothered to call him? He left after he escaped. He didn't even bother to see Pam in the week that he was free.
You scoff, and every head turns to look at you. A humorless chuckle escapes you, "You could've called her. She's not the one who left without a word. You are. You don't get to walk in here and yell at Pam, you fucking prick." You mumble the last part, but you know he heard it. And so did Nora because she dropped her fangs. Why is she so protective of him? They're not married, and they're not even dating. And anyway, he never mentioned her to you. He obviously doesn't care about her that much.
The atmosphere is even more tense after your outburst. Nora, as beautiful as she is, manages to look scary. Pam, though surprised, smirks at your boldness. Eric seems frustrated.
Nora directs her anger at Eric, "Care to explain why you didn't mention any of this?" She crosses her arms. Pam's watching all of this like it's her favorite TV show. All she's missing is a bucket of popcorn.
"I didn't have the time." He says with a casual shrug. Pam snorts, catching everyone's attention. She covers her mouth to hide the grin on her face. Nora purses her lips and glares at Pam. You can't believe Eric would say that. It's so hurtful.
"Pam, leave," Nora demands angrily, glaring at your maker. You scoff, and her head whips around to lock eyes with you, "You too. We've had a long night, and we'd like to sleep. So get out." God, this woman is a bitch. You want to be friends with her. But she's sleeping with Eric, something you want to do.
You look around the room, the one you've been living in for the past week. You're not keen on leaving, actually. Eric left, so this is your room now. They can find another place to live for all you care. Finders keepers. And if they don't like that, then they'll learn to. You won't give this room up without a fight.
Pam doesn't budge. She stands there with an amused look on her face. You expected as much. She isn't afraid of Nora. You aren't either, even if you should be. Maybe that makes you dumb. Perhaps it makes you brave.
"No, you two leave. Me and Pam have some things to talk about," You say, standing up from your spot on the couch. Nora's baffled by your audacity, "And I think I'd like to keep this room. It's nice. Find somewhere else to sleep." You don't think Nora will agree to this. But you don't care.
Eric looks exasperated. He's been silent during this entire interaction, "We can discuss it tomorrow," He says, not interested in escalating the situation any further. He steps in front of Nora. She's frustrated. You can see it on her face. She won't let this go.
Eventually, Nora directs her gaze away from you and at Eric. Her eyes soften, "Fine," She concedes, her voice softer now, "We'll talk about this tomorrow." With one last glare in your direction, she turns away and leaves the room.
Her footsteps are loud and angry-sounding. You don't need to strain yourself to hear them. Poor Sarah and Margot. They're upstairs now, where Nora's heading. You're relieved that she walked away. You didn't expect that. You honestly expected a fight. Or more of a confrontation.
The moment she's out of sight, you turn your attention to Pam and Eric, "Why did you leave?" You ask him, getting straight to the point. Pam immediately sits on the couch, settling in to listen. She's eager to hear his explanation. She's been waiting a week.
You remain standing, arms crossed. Whatever he says better be good. Eric's gaze remains locked on the floor. He's struggling to find the right words. You're getting a little impatient at this point. And so is Pam. She decides to answer for him.
"You know, he left because of you," Pam says. Your eyes widen at the revelation. She says it like it's obvious. But it's not, not to you. He came back with another woman. One that he obviously has a lot of history with. If he knew you were alive, would he have come back sooner? You don't think you want the answer to that, "But that doesn't explain why he left without telling anyone." She adds, looking at him with what you could only call disappointment.
Eric finally looks up from the floor, "I wanted to heal you, but I couldn't. Russell was in the way. I didn't think Pam would turn you. I didn't even think she heard anything. I thought you were dead. And then he took me," He clenches his fists at his side, "His fucking werewolf threw silver on me. Did you hear that, Pam? Werewolf. He has more of them, too. Lots more." Pam grimaces but doesn't respond. She knows how he feels about those creatures. You haven't met a werewolf yet. You're intrigued by the idea. But you don't appreciate the subject change.
"Okay, but why didn't y—" You try to finish your sentence, but Eric raises a hand to cut you off.
"I couldn't come back here and see you," He looks away from you and at Pam, "I didn't know if they were following me or not. I couldn't lead Russell or his werewolves back here. I didn't want to put you in danger."
Pam remains quiet as she listens to his confession. She doesn't agree with what he did, but she understands. Eric can be impulsive, especially when a woman is involved. He's an emotional person, even if he doesn't show it often.
After a heavy silence, Pam breaks the tension in the room, "Now that you're back, we need to figure out what to do next," She says, her tone businesslike. You hate to admit it, but she's not wrong. Russell's still out there, "We need more security here. Just in case Russell comes." Pam adds.
Eric nods, "Don't worry about security. I have that covered." He reassures her. You raise an eyebrow. More beefy vampires with sunglasses and earpieces? That could be interesting.
Pam looks at you, "And what about her?" She asks, "Someone needs to train her. We can't leave her vulnerable." You notice she doesn't offer to train you herself. But you'd prefer that. You'd rather not spend any time with Eric. Seeing him with Nora made you feel weird.
"Since you suggested it, why don't you do it?" Eric asks. He trusts her with this task, and you do too. She's your maker, after all.
She frowns. You're not surprised by the expression on her face. Pam's lazy. And she probably has other things to do. In Eric's absence, she struggled to run their business. It's a lot harder without a 1,000-year-old vampire around. He's more intimidating and older than almost every living vampire.
"Why don't you do it?" Pam suggests with a mischievous grin, "You were a Viking, weren't you? You're better at fighting than I am." Pam's trying to help, but you don't want this. You don't want to be alone with him. But she's not wrong. He's a more experienced fighter. He was a king for a short period before he turned.
Eric sighs, looking between you and Pam. He doesn't seem thrilled about the idea, either, "Fine," He agrees. He seems to realize that this is important, "But I expect you to take this seriously. It won't be easy."
"And you know you can't keep this room, right?" Pam asks you. You're surprised. You thought she was on your side.
"Wait, what?"
"There's a spare room next to mine, don't worry," She assures you, "And we have some extra coffins in storage."
What happened to "We'll discuss this tomorrow"? You roll your eyes.