Chapter Seven: Well, Damn

Jenny's POV

Holy shit, I'm dating a hot vampire! I think wildly as my girlfriend takes me to her home in Ohio after having been reintroduced to her family that I now know is also partly vampires.

Her house is a very non assuming, two-story, blue suburban. The houses around it look nearly identical, but in different colors of siding, trim and stone facade. Honestly, the exterior doesn't really scream 'PAM' at all. In fact, it kinda screams Family of 3.5.

"How are you handling all of this new information?" Pam asks me in a very cautious way as she opens the front door and drops our bags in the entryway. It's weird to hear her being all careful with me.

"Can I ask you something?" I decide now's the best time to get this out of the way.

"What do you want to know?" That's Pam's way of saying I can ask, but she might not be able to tell me. She's used that phrase a lot when I ask her about her work. Since she's usually in the middle of business deals, she doesn't like to have too much of her tactics out in the open. She doesn't say it to me nearly as much as when we first started dating, though. I guess I've earned enough of her trust that she doesn't care what I know about her real estate opportunities.

"Since you're a vampire, does that mean you have super strength?" I ask.

"I do," Pam nods.

"So you can, like, throw me around?" I ask, resisting the urge to test out this new information. After all, we got a lot to talk about, and despite what an absolute goddess Pam is in the sex department, I need some more answers.

Pam smirks. "Would you like me to?" When her response causes me to smile excitedly, she starts closing the distance between us.

"Wait!" I hold my hand up. "How old are you?" Pam deflates at being stopped, but lets out an agreeable sigh.

"I am chronologically 190 years as a vampire, but my speed, strength and experience are much greater than those of vampires equal to my age," Pam tells me. "It is a perk of being a daywalker."

"And Sookie and Camilla are older than they look, but they aren't vampires?" I ask. That part I find the most interesting. After all, vampires have been out of the coffin for over two decades now. Sure, I hadn't met a real vampire before, but I knew they were out there. I guess the real phrasing of that would be I didn't know that I had met a real vampire before…

"That is correct. They are technically in their forties. Camilla is a witch and has enchanted jewelry for all of the family members so that we may appear to age. Until you came along, no one has brought it to our attention that they could see through the enchantment other than vampires," she explains.

Learning that makes me feel kinda special. But what the heck are Sookie and Camilla? I wonder curiously. Is Camilla such a powerful witch that she's given eternal youth to herself and Sookie so they wouldn't have to be turned? If Pam and I work out, would Camilla give me the same enchantment? Do I have to be best friends with her first?

I can't stand to ask any of those questions, though. I would feel awful if Pam thought even for a second that my relationship with her immediately got reduced to the perks of being with her. Still, I'm burning with curiosity, but I am doing my best to avoid questions that make me feel like a gold digger. Or would that be an immortality digger?

"After discovering your spiritual heritage has provided you with such sight, do you think you would be interested in practicing musok?" Pam asks, jarring me from my curiosities regarding Sookie and Camilla and the implications their existences bring.

I shake my head, "No. It's just like anything else I inherited from my family. It just is what it is. I wasn't raised Korean. I was raised Korean-American. I wasn't raised to practice musok either. I'm happy just being me." My response seems to please Pam for whatever reason.

"I see," is all she says, but my answer definitely doesn't seem to disappoint her.

"Back at Eric and Sookie's house, you said you wanted me to join you here in Ohio," I remind her in an attempt to gather more details on just what I mean to her.

"Have you changed your mind?" I can tell Pam is trying to hide her disappointment now. Her voice always goes really flat and bored when she's trying not to put pressure on me.

"It's not that my mind has changed," I assure her. "Only, I don't know when I'll be able to officially join you. You know that my family is still forging ahead with my whole arranged marriage, and I need to make sure they understand it's just not going to happen."

"I see."

Pam says that a lot, too. I haven't really managed to dissect what it means when she uses that phrase. It never seems to be a bad thing because her voice doesn't sound bored when she says it. It always sounds light and… nonintrusive. Oh, maybe that's her neutrally supportive phrase? Like, she's not trying to give away what she thinks the right answer is and wants me to make my own decisions.

Wow, my own decisions about my life. What a novel idea!

"Would it be burdensome if I were to visit you in Korea while I work on the move back to Ohio?" She asks me carefully. Her question makes my heart pound excitedly.

"Please! Please visit as much as you can! I don't know how long it will take, or how much I'll need to dig in my heels before my family understands this wedding isn't happening. Seeing you as much as possible will be the only thing to give me strength and sanity," I assure her, opening my arms expectantly for a supportive hug.

Pam doesn't disappoint as she wraps me up in her strong arms. Her embrace feels a lot sturdier than before. It makes me wonder if she isn't hiding her strength as much now that I know what she is.

"If you need anything, let me know," Pam whispers against my ear.

"I will," I promise her. After she holds me a beat longer, I ask, "Pam?"

"Hmm?" She hums against my ear.

"… Wanna throw me around a little?"

I can practically feel Pam grin against my ear. The next thing I know, she answers by picking me up and tossing me over her shoulder.

Guess I'll have to learn the route to the bedroom backwards.

Jason's POV

I'm the only one still at Eric and Sook's by the time the kids start comin' back from their dates. Lex is the first one to get home, and I wave at Quigley as my niece tries to squeeze through as small of a gap as possible. The Irish vamp gives me an acknowledging nod before the door snaps shut. I'm a bit confused because he seems to be spamming me with a buncha random thoughts. Normally he don't give a shit if I hear him.

Ugh, I frown as I smell a soft trace of blood in the air. Eric looks up too and is staring at his kid in surprise.

"Alexis," Eric calls as she tries to place a foot on the staircase.

"Yes, Daddy?" she squeaks back.

"Why do I smell Quigley's blood on you?" he asks grimly.

"It was totally an accident! It wasn't even a mutual exchange," she tells him quickly, her face growing redder and redder as she tries to explain.

Eric raises his hand to stop her, and I think he knows just as well as I do that her fangs probably popped while they was makin' out. Can't fault the kid for gettin' turned on.

"That is enough," he assures, giving Lex the chance to scramble upstairs to bed. Eric's probably just relieved it wasn't a mutual exchange already. At least she didn't bang on the second date.

That thought is abruptly pushed from my head as Diedre rolls up with Leif, and she is on cloud nine. Well damn, I think in surprise. They got a mutual exchange and Leif punched his V-Card. Apparently he didn't do too bad for his first time because Diedre is replaying the whole thing over and over.

"Ugh," I grumble and grab Eric by the wrist for a reprieve. It's one thing to know, it's an entirely different thing to see.

"What are you-"

The door opens and Eric can smell sex just as easily as me. Although, he ain't plagued with the visual aide, so his face splits into a proud grin. Still, he don't shake me off 'cause he knows exactly why I'm reaching out for him. Sook does the same thing when human thoughts get to be too much- she'll grab onto the closest family member for dear life.

"Leif," Eric calls before his other child can make it upstairs either.

"Yeah, Dad?" Leif calls from the stairwell.

"You did an exchange," he doesn't ask.

"It was an accident," Leif mumbles even as he staggers toward the den.

"That seems to be a theme tonight," Eric frowns, trying to keep the fact he's pleased for his kid separate from the fact he's peeved that he did a mutual blood exchange already.

"Dad," Leif whispers, "why didn't you tell me 'bout my fangs?"

"You knew you have fangs," Eric frowns.

"I meant what happens if someone… touches them when they're down," he explains urgently.

"Oh," Eric looks surprised. "You do not have anesthetic. I did not think you would get that trait."

When one of the kids bites, it fuckin' hurts. They don't got no numbing agent to their spit. True, even vampire spit only has a little bit of help taking the pain out. It doesn't really numb, but it makes things tingle- so if you're turned on, you really don't feel the bite even if there's no glamour assist. Eric has said it's because it don't work topically and only works on open wounds like scratches and cuts, or in a vampire's case- as the point of the fangs penetrates the skin. Which is great when you think about it, otherwise oral sex would be the worst.

"For the record," Leif grumbles, "I did get that trait. Are my ears gonna be worse or better than that?" he demands.

"It depends how you look at it," Eric shrugs. "Better in the sense of it more than likely feels even better, but worse in the sense that you probably won't last long, if at all." Ew, don't need to be reminded about my sister like that. Leif don't seem to put two and two together, but maybe he does and is just more immune than me to the idea.

Leif groans. "And you!" he points at me accusingly. "What do you know?"

I raise my hands defensively, "Only that you apparently did a very good job. I had to hold your dad's hand just so I didn't find out just how good a job. Diedre was about to give me a whole play by play she couldn't get you off her mind."

Leif looks pleased with himself for a split second, then the embarrassment kicks in and he mumbles that he's going to bed. I wave goodnight to him and look at my brother-in-law expectantly. "So, what we tellin' Sook?"

"Only that a first mutual exchange has occurred," Eric replies simply. "I am going to call Diedre and ask her to slow down, though. I do not want him Bonded before he is even graduated high school."

"That's fair," I nod. "Maybe once they're done growin'?"

"I fear that is coming all too soon as well," Eric confesses.

"The kids are sleepin' less and less," I realize that's probably a sign they'll be through growin' any further. "They'll be like their mama any minute now and not need so much sleep."

"Sookie was also a bit stunted by the time she Bonded," Eric says.

"Stunted?" I frown curiously.

"I think she stopped growing too soon," Eric answers. "She should have been taller."

"Nah, Lex got your height is all," I wave off his point.

"I believe-"

"I don't care what you believe," I snap and glare at Eric. For the first time, I think ever, Eric actually backs down. He knows I know if Sookie was stunted at all it was 'cause of me and how she spent her last growth spurt starving. He don't gotta rub salt into the wound none. Besides… "I'm gonna take off. Have a good night."

I leave my sister's house and start walking home. It's only eleven. I never go home this early. Now that Pam's home, normally I would go kill a few hours with her, but she's got Jenny. There wasn't even a hint of an offer to share, neither. That's never really happened before. The only time that happens, it was 'cause the human wasn't interested, but we'd always say something like, "sorry, you're not her type." Not this time though. There's no apologies with Jenny.

Well damn, this sucks. Even the kids are dating seriously. What the fuck am I doing?

When I arrive home, I go in and change, removing my ring from my finger so that I look in my twenties again. I put the ring in my pocket just in case, change my shirt and hop into my car to go to Columbus for blood and a fuck.

It doesn't take much time in a nightclub before I pull a girl for the night. I get her back to my car and we're making out. Pretty soon clothes are coming off, and she traces a scar I've got on my shoulder.

"What happened?" she mumbles as she kisses the old wound.

"I was shot," I tell her. "Stupid story." I really don't wanna think about that time in my human life any more tonight.

"What, hunting accident?" She teases.

"Nothing to worry about," I assure. "We doing this or what?"

"Yeah, let's get it over with," She agrees, and I feel something cold press against my skin. I look and see the silver coil snaking across my wrist.

Well damn.

"Really? I pulled a fucking drainer?" I demand annoyedly as I capture her gaze. "Got accomplices?"

"My boyfriend," she answers dully as I untangle my wrist from the silver chain.

"Get outta here. I gotta pulse," is all I bother implanting in her head.

I pull my shirt back over my head. I really don't even want to bother with blood or a fuck anymore. I'm fucking going home. Tonight sucks. My nephew got further than me tonight.

As I climb into the front seat of my truck, I put the key in the ignition. As I turn it, I hear a very distinct click.

"Well… Damn…"

Before I can determine my next move, the truck blows apart around me, and my body gets sent careening through the night. I follow the momentum of the blast, pieces of metal and spurts of fire falling short of me. The next moment, I'm staring at the carnage below, waiting for gravity to kick in, but it doesn't and I'm just staring down at the parking lot unsure of how to get back down.

"Well, hot damn. I can fly."

But how do I get back down?

TBC

A/N: Please remember to review!

-Andi