A/N: Hello everyone! Just a quick disclaimer: as implied in the last chapter Kat went through some bad things and here she goes a bit more in-depth into it. It's not explicit and she doesn't go into detail, but I know this is a sensitive topic for a lot of people, so I wanted to warn you about it.

"Katherine Hale." She nodded, feeling agitated. She had no doubt that if her heart was still beating and her lungs still needed air, she'd likely be well under a panic attack at this moment. She probably was having a panic attack and just wasn't feeling all the signs. They were more psychological than physical, after all.

When she arrived in Bom Temps she had expected things to be somewhat simple, yet her night went from decent to bad to terrible to horrifying. And now she wasn't sure exactly where things were. If the blond man in front of her was telling the truth, and she knew he was, maybe things were hopeful.

She just didn't know for how long.

She debated telling him everything but held back. Even if he was the Gaul's progeny, what she did was still against the rules. Was still taboo. She had hoped the Gaul would understand, having been in the same situation as her or, if he didn't, would grant her a quick death. Others would try to torture the information out of her, and the Authority would make an example out of her if they found out.

"His name is Godric. He uses Nervii as a last name nowadays." The Sheriff offered the information and pulled Katherine out of her thoughts. She knew that he was hiding something from her, but it didn't feel malicious. It felt almost hopeful to her. She had a feeling that he would probably try to use her to his advantage but not in any way that would cause her harm, which was more than she could say for her interactions in the last couple of years. She was under no illusions that he would do this out of the goodness of his heart. He had an interest somewhere in her connection to his maker. But she was also aware that in the world she was a part of everybody used everybody in some fashion. So, why not be used by someone who didn't have ill will towards her?

"I will tell you what I can," she whispered, feeling tired. She wanted to further this connection, knowing that it would help her, but she knew he would ask about things that made her feel agitated and wild, like the waves of the ocean reacting to a big storm. She used to find being in the water so calming. Now, she couldn't find the peace she once did. Probably because there was no peace to be found inside of her.

"You said you would wish your cousin better luck than you had with Bill Compton and Sophie Anne." He waited for her to nod. "Would you care to expand on that?"

She stared at the two vampires for a moment. The younger one, Pamela, had a blank look on her face that likely made people uncomfortable. From what she'd gathered from their initial interaction, she was peaceful enough as long as the sentiment was reciprocal. She seemed to be taking her cues from her maker and there was a deep love between the two of them. Katherine felt jealous but didn't resent her for it.

The older vampire, Eric, had her nerves frayed. He was all aggression in the beginning, but it quickly changed to understanding and compassion with her reaction to him. She hadn't even truly looked at him during that conversation. He registered as old and powerful and aggressive, and it took all in her not to try and run from him. Even when the aggression disappeared and his voice became low and calm, she still couldn't take him in. He had made a very conscious effort to make her comfortable, though. He was careful of his words and gestures, and she wasn't relaxed in his presence, but she didn't feel like a feral cat ready to bolt or strike anymore.

"Compton moved in next door to my mother and me. We lived in the surrounding area of LA. It was far from most things, but the mortgage of the house was paid for, and we only had to worry about the bills and the upkeep. My mom was in the last stages of leukaemia and after Hadley ran away, she had no fight left in her. She refused her treatment and decided that if she was going to die anyway, she'd do it on her terms, without suffering so much. He introduced himself as our neighbour and tried to get entrance into the house. It was before vampires were public knowledge, but I've always loved myths and old stories, so I thought it was a bit weird how he seemed to be forced to stop at the doorstep of our house. It felt very… Fright Night. So, I didn't invite him in. He seemed frustrated with that." She grinned as she remembered. "I generally worked days at a makeup store in one of the malls in town, so I could look after my mom during nights. She was always worse during the night. And like clockwork, he'd always show up and try to charm his way in."

"And you weren't interested?"

"You seem surprised." Pamela snorted at her response, and Kat had the distinct feeling that William Compton wasn't on her good list.

"I don't find him particularly compelling, but vampires tend to be irresistible to humans. Especially once they are targeted."

"Hm…"

"What was it about him that you didn't like?" Pamela interjected, looking eager to badmouth Compton and the Sheriff gave her a look. If she hadn't been monitoring their emotions, Kat would've probably reacted badly to his admonishment. But it felt playful and lighthearted.

"The timbre of his voice and his accent grated me. The sideburns don't do him any favours, he dresses like somebody's half-blind grandpa. And he's kinda short." This time even the ancient snorted a laugh at her response.

"You didn't give in to him because of his height?"

"I'm generally attracted to men who are taller than me, yes, but it's not a deal breaker. It was an amalgamation of things. His height was just another thing to put on the growing con list. At the point his height became a problem for me, I couldn't find a redeemable quality in him if my life depended on it." She shrugged. "To be honest, his voice and the way he talks were enough to make me dislike hearing him speak. And speak he did." She sneered, looking increasingly tired. "He kept pushing. Just enough to unsettle me but not enough that the cops believed something was wrong. Let me tell you, it feels great to hear 'sorry, we can't do anything until he does something' from the people who are supposed to protect you. Anyway, on an off chance, I was working the night shift at the mall. Carol, the manager, was very understanding of my situation and so were the other girls. But there was an emergency with one of them and my mom had just passed away a couple of weeks prior. So, I was there for the night shift. Compton's attention caught the interest of the king. Apparently, he asked for clearance to live in Nevada for a couple of months for a job and was granted permission. Except the king knew it was bullshit, that Compton was a procurer for the queen of Louisiana and just wanted to see what had caught Sophie Anne's attention. And then I caught his attention."

Kat swallowed needlessly, trying to keep a neutral expression on her face. She hated it because it felt like a porcelain mask, she put over her feelings. Glassy and hollow. But it was the only way she found worked to keep her emotions off of her face.

"And he took you."

"That very night. Then he proceeded to try to brainwash me about the kindness he was showing because Sophie Anne would've shared my body and my blood with just about anyone who'd pay for it, and he would never do that. To be fair, he kept his word. He only shared me sparingly." She knew the smile on her face looked like a grimace, but she did find a measure of humour in the situation. It was just the same type of humour she found when she made jokes about her father leaving. It hurt but she'd rather laugh at the trauma. "He called in Compton to punish him for trying to unlawfully acquire a human from his area. He…" The ever-present burning in her eyes stung a little more than usual and she felt her throat closing up. "He asked Compton about Sophie Anne's plans and said he would allow him a taste if he were truthful." She paused trying to gather her thoughts and her emotions. She didn't often think about it and there had been no one she could talk to about it. This was the first time she had said any of this out loud. She wanted to pretend it didn't affect her like it did, but she couldn't. "The queen's new favourite pet, my sister, had told her everything about me and my cousins to curry favour in her court. And Compton was sent for me first because Hadley would just love to have her older sister with her. Then he would come here and acquire my cousins, so he could be released from his debt with the queen." She tried to keep her voice even but the hatred she felt for her sister felt like acid in her veins.

"And you're still planning to move here? Swear loyalty to Sophie Anne to help your family?"

"I'm the dependable one." There was a forced, defeated smile on Kat's face. "The king took great pleasure in letting Compton have his taste and sent him off with a message to Sophie Anne that she had lost. That's when I found out about the Gaul – Godric – and you. He wanted to acquire Sookie and Jason too, but he was scared of even crossing both of your territories. So, he stayed his hand and sent out scouts to check on them." She felt Eric's rage flare out and stilled herself. Tina's purring got louder, and she dug her claws into Kat's leg as if to call her attention.

"Do you know their names?"

"They are no longer here." This gave both vampires pause but Kat was adamant to avoid their gaze. She wasn't comfortable in their presence, but they had proved themselves peaceful enough. She didn't want to be looking at anyone for the next part of her story. She didn't regret what she did, she was surviving the only way she could. But it didn't stop her from feeling ashamed.

"How come?"

"I'm- To be perfectly honest I'm a little shit. And I knew he was getting frustrated with me. I thought what's the harm in seeing if I can push him into killing me? That's what he did when a pet wouldn't come to heel. There was very little he hadn't done to me, and the pain was something I'd grown desensitised of. So, I did, and he lost control. He drank too much."

"But he changed you instead."

"He figured the maker's command would make me more manageable."

"But it didn't."

"I pretended it did. It was almost easy, my mind was so clear, and everything seemed so simple."

"You seduced him," Pam said for the first time in a while and again, Kat could feel a sort of understanding coming from the vampiress. "And he fell for it."

"He fell in love with me. An overbearing, toxic, suffocating kind of love. The only type of love I think someone like him could feel. But yes. He fell in love with me."

"And you pretended you fell in love with him."

"I had nothing else to offer." She repeated herself with a dry chuckle.

"And you used that to your advantage. You got him to let go of his interest in your family."

"Yes."

"How did you get him to release you?" She looked at Eric again. He looked neutral and calm, but she could feel emotions warring inside of him. She could sense he felt a lot of caution towards her. If she could tame a savage like Felipe de Castro, who else could she bring to heel? He felt disgusted but not particularly aimed at her. And then there was hunger and lust. It was the only thing that made her uncomfortable. There was nothing to make her think he would act on it but still. Her relationship with sex was twisted and toxic and they were very much not on speaking terms at the moment.

"I will answer but may I ask both of you something first?" Eric nodded and looked at Pam who shrugged in acceptance. "One of the things the king loathed about you and your Maker was your relationship. He said you were very loyal to each other and that one would lay down their life for the other without hesitation. Is that true?" She could feel him bristling at the question. He felt offended by it.

"My bloodline is my life," his voice was rash and devoted. There was an almost obsessive tone to his faith in his bloodline.

"Does that follow through?" She turned to Pam, who studied her for a second.

"I would walk into the sun for Godric and Eric. They are everything to me." Again, the same type of faith from her Maker. Which was good. These were probably two of the few vampires she didn't have to worry about knowing what she did then. "How did you get released?" Pam asked when Kat didn't say anything. The younger vampire sighed and looked out the window over the sink.

"I didn't. He would've never released me. I would have been his slave for as long as he existed. So, when the opportunity presented itself, I tore his ribcage open and ripped his heart out."