Eric took a moment to study the farmhouse in front of him. It was somewhat dilapidated, but he could see the care that went into it. He opened his senses and registered as much as he could around him. The area smelled of Sookie about as much as she smelled of the area. It was as if she was a part of it, like the grass, the trees, and the house itself. He caught a new scent, but it fit almost as well as Sookie's. It led from the house to the Chevrolet in the driveway and he smirked.

"Nice car…" Pam purred near him, and he nodded. It was a Corvette like his own but in black and vintage. "1963. Revamped." She informed him, checking the plate number on her phone.

"Who does it belong to?" He could feel her hesitation and took his eyes from the car towards her. "Pam?"

"It was purchased by Felipe de Castro." She stopped when Eric growled, knowing well of his hatred for the King of Nevada. "But it's in the name of Katherine Hale. She was reported missing by her boss over two years ago. Her mother had just died. A missing sister too, Hadley. No other immediate family, apparently."

"So, a vampire from Castro's retinue is in my area. Inside the house of a human I covet…" Pam hesitated again, knowing Eric was working himself into a cold rage. "What is it, Pamela?"

"They're still alive. Whoever's inside the house is still living. There is the scent of blood but it's not overwhelming. Not like what we know Castro's style to be." That caused Eric to resume his study of the area.

"It could be a trap…"

"As if Castro knew the meaning of subtlety…"

"Let's see then." They made their way towards the house slowly, Pam one step behind him, for her protection. Eric didn't know who this vampire was but if she had been from Castro's nest, she would've been brutal, and he wouldn't risk his progeny as such. He was thankful for his Child's forethought in sending Compton back to his house too. His vampire upbringing was almost as volatile as the vampires from Castro's retinue, and he didn't need two vampires out of control instead of just one. Especially since he couldn't enter the house the vampire was in and that put her at a disturbing advantage. He stole a glance at Pam before knocking on the door.

"Oh, for the love of- What now?" He almost smiled at the exasperation in the voice behind the door. It sounded like she had had a long night and it was only ten o'clock. He wasn't sorry that he would make her night even longer.

She opened the door with a frown that quickly melted into horror at the sight of him. She took several steps back, almost tripping on the bottom of the stairs and lowered her head in submission. Her hands splayed out in front of her, her eyes never leaving his form. Eric almost frowned at her reaction to him, recognizing it from a much older time.

His entire body language shifted as he took her in. It had been a long time since he last saw a vampire like this. He had still been at Godric's side on the old continent. Aggression and intimidation would get him nowhere with this vampire, it would only work to send her into a panic or to an apathetic mindset. Right now, she was likely more instinct than reason and reacting to his age and the aggression he had been posturing. It also added to his layer of suspicion of Compton. From his memories, she would've only tried to defend herself. She wouldn't have gone out of her way to antagonize anyone.

"Good evening." His pleasant tone caught Pam's interest and she seemed to take her cue from him. Not that Pam was much able of being pleasant. It wasn't in her nature. "I've received a call about an unregistered vampire in this area. Is that you?"

"You're the Sheriff of the Area?" Her voice was barely a whisper and the only movement in her body was the subtle shaking of her hands. Her eyes were rebellious, though, even when her body offered submission and Eric was intrigued.

"I am."

"I'm not unlawfully here, Sheriff. I arrived this morning in the Area. Just around daybreak. I still have time to register and would've done so in a timely manner." He stole a glance at Pam who nodded after checking her phone.

"What stopped you from registering first thing tonight?"

"I-" She hesitated, her eyes leaving him for barely a moment. "My grandmother's funeral was this afternoon. I came this way to see if my family needed anything. I should've gone to you first. It was a bad call on my part."

"Your family? You're related to Sookie Stackhouse." Eric enjoyed the way her body shifted at the mention of the telepath. Her eyes became sharper, and her body stilled. Her family was a touchy subject.

"You know my cousin?"

"I've met her once."

"Yes. Her father was my mother's brother." She offered no more.

"My condolences on your grandmother's passing." She nodded slowly, in acceptance. "And where do you come from?"

"West." Eric raised his brow and she hesitated again. "From Nevada."

"From LA, to be specific. You know, the King of Nevada is not very much liked in this region."

"I wouldn't imagine he's very much liked anywhere." The fire was back in her eyes, leaking through her voice and Eric was more and more intrigued. Pam nudged him through their bond, curious at his behaviour but he ignored it for the moment.

"So, you came from Nevada to visit your kin? I can't imagine your King allowing that…" She frowned at him and for the first time since she saw Eric, she looked down. He caught a hint of panic in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "You didn't have his permission to come."

"I don't need his permission to do anything." She barked, baring her teeth, but not fangs, before lowering her head again. She seemed to be fighting her temper to remain submissive to him. It had been instinctive at first, driven by fear but the more time he spent not showing aggression towards her, her fear started to shift into agitation and weariness.

"That's not how Castro's rules his retinue."

"A good thing then that I was his whore and not part of his retinue." It seemed to pain and anger her in equal parts to say it. But it made sense now, why she wasn't behaving as a part of Castro's nest. Eric almost wished she had. He had heard about what Castro did to his pets and how he treated them. For her to be a vampire now, she would've likely to have caught his eye and that was the worst thing that could've happened to her.

"I am truly sorry." He was sincere. "I will not hurt you. I am just investigating a report." She nodded and studied him for a moment before sitting on the second step of the stairs behind her. She was slowly coming back to herself. Sitting on the steps allowed her to be below him and somewhat vulnerable. It seemed like a calculated choice on her part. "Bill Compton claims you stole his human." Eric's eyes went to the ceiling, indicating the sleeping human inside and she snorted.

"He is a moron on top of being a pathetic piece of shit. It's not my fault he didn't explain what claiming entails to her." She bared her teeth again before lowering her head and Pam smirked. Anyone who disliked Compton had a point in her book, after all.

"Do you mind explaining what happened? He said you ignored his claim and cast him out of the house."

"Sookie started to have a panic attack or something of the sort; he almost broke the door getting in. He saw me over her, 'cause I was trying to get her to drink some water, broke a chair and came at me with its leg. I fought him off and held him down and Sookie yelled at him. He told me I could let him up and I said no because I may look young and stupid but I'm not and he kept saying 'Sookeh is mine' like an idiot. Like I hadn't heard it the first time. Then Sookie said I was her cousin and if anything, she was more mine than his." She huffed, frowning at the memory. "He hadn't explained to her how claiming works and that it needed the human's acknowledgement in front of a witness to take hold. I imagine what she said, coupled with how she was feeling was enough that her claim shifted to me. I told her to withdraw his invitation to the house, so I suppose I did cast him out, but it was after she was mine, it was within my rights." She was fiddling with the hem of her pants, not looking directly at him at all but aware of his position at all times.

"Would you mind if Sookie came down here and told me herself?"

"She's sleeping right now. I don't know if I can wake her up after everything that happened tonight, she was very strung out…"

"Try it." She nodded and moved upstairs while Pam and I listened to her movements.

"What was that?" She was curious about Eric's reaction to this vampire. She had seen her Maker around many of their kind and he had never been gentle with any of them, except herself and Godric.

"She was Castro's slave before she was turned. After too, probably. You've seen how he treats the ones around his court. Believe me, she had it ten times worse. The way she reacted to me… Reminded me of Godric…"

"How so?"

"I've never seen him behave like that but from what he told me, that's very much like he was when he got free before his rage consumed him. She wasn't made a vampire when she disappeared. She was brought into his court and likely groomed by him and everyone around. Imagine what Lorena and Compton did with your girls tenfold and focused only on her. And then, the bond between them being perverted for his pleasure." She grimaced.

"He made her his Renfield. Before and after becoming vampire. Hasn't that been illegal for, at least, half a century now?"

"He is powerful enough to stop any questioning or speculation. Not a lot of people would want to be on his blacklist." He looked at her, seeing her frowning. "It's not looked kindly upon but it's impossible to completely eradicate practices like these. The Revelation just made them more careful about hiding but it didn't stop the most powerful ones from doing it..."

"She asked for a moment to wash her face." Eric was surprised by how quiet and fast the vampiress was. He nodded and looked at his progeny when she signalled.

"Do you plan on staying?"

"I... I wasn't, but it seems that my family has gone off the rails and will need some help. So, probably. With your permission, of course."

"Okay, I'm up now. What is it, Kat?" Sookie climbed downstairs a bit unsteadily, with a grey cat in her arms. She stopped and frowned at the sight of him, pulling the cat secure to her chest, as if she thought he would hurt it, given the chance.

"Good evening, Miss Stackhouse."

"What are you doing here, Eric?" Before the Sheriff could make a quip at her distaste for him, her cousin hummed roughly.

"You will be respectful, Sookie Stackhouse, or so help me."

"But he is-"

"He is the Sheriff of this area, and my staying here is entirely up to him. On top of that, he is over a thousand years old and that demands respect if not a good dose of fear from you."

"Bill said-"

"I don't give a fuck about what William Compton has to say and after our talk neither should you. Apologize." Her tone brokered no disagreement and Eric found himself surprised, accepting Sookie's halfhearted apology. "Like you mean it."

"Kat!" Her cousin glowered, making Sookie lower her head with a pout and bury her face in the cat's fur. "I'm sorry for being rude, Eric."

"Well... It seems like family is all it needs to bring her to heel..." They watched the cat struggle against her hold and mewl in protest, squirming to be let go.

"Of course, Miss Stackhouse. Now, if you don't mind, your Mr Compton called in a complaint about your cousin. She told us what happened tonight but, for the sake of leaving no stone unturned, would you mind sharing your side of events?"

"Do you go around settling squabbles or are you just that bored?" Eric hummed, with a small, cold smile adorning his lips. Normally, Sookie's fire intrigued him, but then again, normally, she wasn't impeding his job. He stole a glance at her cousin's reaction, mentally comparing the two.

"You know, Sookie," the vampiress' voice was soft and light. "I'm sure I can find that brown leather belt that belongs to Grandpa Earl somewhere in there. Since you seemed to have lost the manners Gran so carefully instilled in you, I'm sure you'll see the poetic justice in having your behind tanned by it like she did when we misbehaved."

"You can't do that!" Sookie was blushing, embarrassed at being reprimanded like that in front of a vampire she hated. "I'm not a child anymore!"

"You want to be treated like an adult then start acting like one!" Her voice was just a hair above her normal speech, but her rash tone made Sookie take a step back. "You said you wanted to understand the vampire world better. Here's your chance, shut up and listen. You don't have a say, you don't have rights and, right now, you don't have your freedom. I told you I'm not here to be your punching bag and you asked me to stay. If this is how this is going to be, make no mistake Sookie Stackhouse, I will leave. And you can deal with your lying boyfriend and his bitch of a queen all on your own. I'll even wish you better luck than I had." He exchanged a glance with his progeny, who sneered at the mention of Sophie Anne.

He noticed the cat returning and rubbing all over the vampiress' boots, taking notice of how strange it was behaving. Most animals were scared of their kind and steered clear of them. Cats were different. They had no care for vampires but tended to put a respectable distance between them as if they tolerated the undead but barely. His maker was fascinated by the creatures and spent some hilarious moments trying to coerce cats into allowing him close, always failing. And yet this one was treating the vampiress as if she were human.

"You promised to stay…"

"Then behave. Don't make me force you again, Sookie. I won't. I will break my claim on you before I force you to do anything, and it will hurt."

Sookie took a step back as if to stop an attack she wasn't sure where was coming from.

"It would hurt both of you. It's one of the reasons claiming it's not a common practice," Eric chose to interfere. The trembling on the vampiress's hands was back and her eyes seemed to become cold and hard. He could almost feel her emotions bottoming out and withdrawing and that wasn't the best situation for the human. Of course, the stubborn human seemed completely unaware of her cousin's struggle, too focused on herself. "I just need you to tell me what happened tonight with Bill Compton." Sookie glared at him but told much of the same story as her cousin, as he expected. A couple of details were added or missed but other than the vampire's apparent unusual strength, their stories lined up.

"Is that all?" Sookie's voice was light and pleasant but there was an acidic tone that made Eric sneer.

"With you, yes. I'd like to speak with your cousin further if you don't mind." He worded it in a way to give an illusion of a choice. He wanted to see how Sookie would respond. If she would continue to act like a spoiled child or if she would respect her vampire's word. "You can invite us in, and we can talk here, or I'll ask that Miss Hale accompany us back to Fangtasia and we'll carry our conversation there." She seemed to be afraid of not having her cousin near her, so Eric decided to press this new advantage to see if he could gain entrance to the house. Sookie was quickly grating on his nerves, but she was still valuable, and he still needed to understand what the vampire meant about the queen.

"It's up to you," the vampire answered her cousin's questioning look. "This is your house, and you have the last say on who you permit inside."

"It's your house too! You'll stay here with me! Right?"

"I can't- "

"Why not?!"

"Stop interrupting me," The snarl had a lot more venom than the situation called for. Another touchy subject for her. "I'm a vampire, Sookie. I need a light-tight space to spend the days in."

"We'll work something out!"

"We can talk about it later. I'm sure the Sheriff has other business to take care of." Sookie's eagerness and clinginess were wearing her out. Sookie took a pause and studied Eric for a second and looked at her cousin again.

"Won't you two please come in?" She decided and the vampiress inside the house tensed.

A/N: Hello everyone! I don't usually say anything because I don't really know what to say, but I'd like to let everyone know I didn't get the review alerts for the last chapter, for whatever reason. I think I answered all of them but if I didn't - even if it's from the previous chapter, give me a shout. I've always been a bit confused about how to keep track of the reviews and the answers here.

Well, that was it really. I hope you're all enjoying the fic and I'll try to be more consistent with updating it. I tend to forget to post when I finish a chapter. I won't promise anything, but I'll give it my best shot.