"Are you sure you don't mind comin' with me tonight, Y/N?" Sookie Stackhouse asked as she ran her hands down her dress, making sure it was laying right.

You glanced over and gave her a soft smile. "I wouldn't have offered if I minded, Sook." You'd overheard her having an argument with Sam about heading to the vampire bar in Shreveport and you immediately offered to go with her. You had a rather extensive history with vampires and knew all the ins and outs. Not that Sookie would listen to you or she would have worn something else. Still, you were reluctant to send your friend to Fangtasia with only a vampire for backup. "When's Bill supposed to get here?"

You'd no sooner asked the question than there was a knock at the door. Sookie opened it with a smile. Bill returned the gesture until you stepped up behind her and his gaze fell on you. "Y/N. I wasn't aware you would be accompanying us."

"Surprise," you said with a smile you didn't mean at all. You and Bill tolerated each other but it was clear you didn't care for one another. You didn't trust him and he knew it.

He moved his gaze back to Sookie. "You look lovely."

"Thank you." She gave a little curtsey and beamed at the compliment. He offered her his arm to lead her to the car and you trailed behind. You pursed your lips as you ran your eyes over the both of them. Bill seemed to thrive on your friend's innocence. With him it wasn't about Sookie being dressed in a manner that would help her blend in at the bar. No, it was about him being able to walk in and show off the pure, sweet girl on his arm. As if he would win some sort of prize by being deserving of her. Or at least having others think he was.

You slid into the back seat and kept your opinions to yourself. Nothing was going to happen to Sookie. Not as long as you were around. You were nearly to Shreveport before Bill spoke up. "Now, Sookie, you will be fine this evening as I am accompanying you. Just follow my lead." His gaze darted to the review mirror to make contact with you. "Y/N, it is imperative that you do nothing to draw attention to yourself. Do not make eye contact. Do not appear too interested in anything that may be happening around you. Vampires value their privacy. I will not be able to claim both you and Sookie."

"I believe I've mentioned before that I know vampires, Compton. It's why I offered to come with Sookie tonight. I don't need a lecture on vamp etiquette."

Your friend glanced over her shoulder with a frown. "He's just trying to help, Y/N. He wants to make sure you're all right is all."

You answered with an arched brow and a hum, biting back the other things you wanted to say. You'd try to tolerate him for Sookie's sake.

***

As you approached the front of the bar, Bill wrapped an arm around Sookie's waist to steer her inside. You trailed behind once more, hands in your pockets as you took in the chaos around you. Wow. This place was goth central. The vampires were really playing up the whole creature of the night persona. Of course, that's how places like this made money. They sold the fiction of vampire life. Showed people the parts they expected to see.

"Bill," a voice greeted. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm mainstreaming."

"Good for you. Who's the doll?" By this point you were grinning. You knew that voice. And you also knew she was just giving Bill a hard time by feigning interest in Sookie. Or perhaps she actually was interested in your friend, but she was wasting her time there.

"Pam this is Sookie. Sookie this is Pam."

"Pleased to meet you," came your friend's bubbly response and you bit back a laugh.

"Can I see your ID?" Pam asked.

Sookie was stunned for a moment before she began babbling. You cut her off with a hand on her shoulder. "She's good," you announced.

Pam arched a brow and shifted her gaze to you while Bill growled your name. The irritation slid from her face to be replaced by a smirk. "Y/N Y/L/N. What brings you to these parts?"

You shrugged and glanced at your two companions. You didn't really care to discuss your past in front of either of them. Fortunately, Pam was smart and simply gave you a nod. She turned a smile on Sookie. "You should have said you were with Y/N. Come on in."

The three of you stepped past her and her hand slid along your arm as she leaned into you. "You and I should talk." You looked at her. The tone of her voice said more needed to be discussed than your change in locale.

"Sure."

You followed her through a door, the music becoming infinitely more tolerable when it shut behind you. "How do you listen to that shit all the time?"

"I simply think of the money the sheep bring in." She smiled as she leaned against a desk. "What are you doing here?"

You could understand her wariness. The two of you hadn't met under the best of circumstances. "I retired. Sophie was always one of the better options so I came here." Sophie-Anne ruled Louisiana. Well, the vampires in it at any rate. "I wasn't aware you were living so close to me or I would have been in sooner."

Pam tilted her head in agreement then crossed her arms over her chest. "And the girl? Why is she here? Bill's not the type to flaunt what he is simply to impress."

You pursed your lips. "She's a friend. Sweet but a little naïve. Thinks someone here will tell her something about a couple of women that have been killed. They both had bite marks. I would have asked around myself, but they were strangled not drained. Besides, every vamp I know is better about cleaning up after themselves. But that's not what you wanted to talk to me about."

There was that smirk again. "Eric is here."

"Your sire? That Eric?"

She rolled her eyes. "What other Eric would I possibly be referring to?"

You slumped against the wall behind you. "Well, shit." The first time you met Eric Northman, the two of you had been instantly insanely attracted to one another. You had been on a job for the Authority at the time. Once Eric discovered that, no amount of arguing or pleading from you would convince him that your relationship with him had nothing to do with it. It was one of the many reasons you had finally quit. It was hard to maintain friendships if they were always afraid you were spying on them.

A member of the Authority had taken you in off the streets as a child when it was discovered you couldn't be glamoured. When you proved to be faster and stronger than your human counterparts all the better. Add enhanced hearing and vision to that and you were just about the perfect spy. No vampire would suspect a human was gathering information for the Authority. And on the off chance you were caught, you were more apt to be able to get yourself out of trouble.

You had always been paid well for your efforts. The man you called father insisted on it. But you yearned for relationships outside of the scope of the Authority. Losing Eric had nearly broken you. So, you quit. Your father had been less than pleased with the decision. Hence, the relocation. The two of you were in the process of making up but you had no intention of running home to daddy as the case may be.

You cleared your throat and focused on Pam again. "Maybe it would be better if I left."

"Don't you dare," she snapped. "You two have been behaving like children long enough. It's past time for you to put this behind you."

"Me? He's the one that flipped his shit, remember? He refused to listen to anything I had to say."

Pam shrugged. "Yes. And you left. You could have tried harder."

You sighed and ran a hand down your face. Damn vampire logic. "Does he even want to talk to me?"

"Who cares? Make him listen. I'm tired of him moping." She reached past you to open the door and you placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

"I haven't seen him in three years, Pam, but I do remember that Eric Northman is not the moping type. You can't expect me to believe that he even cares enough to think of me, let alone be affected by my absence." You'd love to believe that. You really would. Eric was it for you. He was your first everything. Your only, if you were honest and you'd had every notion of him being the last. You'd kind of hoped that would be from the two of you being together forever as opposed to your heart not being willing to move past him.

"Believe what you want, Y/N, but I know my sire. He may appear to be his usual uncaring self, but I know better. If you leave without speaking to him, I will see to it that he sets his sights on your little blonde friend." She disappeared through the door without giving you a chance to respond.

***

You found a seat that hid you from the view of Eric's throne on the stage (which was a bit much if you were honest) but allowed you to keep tabs on both him and Sookie. She'd frowned when you didn't join her and Bill, but you waved her off. Later, you mouthed and she'd simply nodded. You sipped at your drink and ran your eyes over the Viking where he slouched in his seat. He'd let his hair grow out and you couldn't decide if you liked it or not.

A man groveled at his feet and you rolled your eyes when Eric kicked the man sending him flying through the air. Eric hated shit like this so you found it odd he was playing the role. He could just as easily order his minions to hold court.

Movement from Sookie's direction caught your eye. Bill took her hand in his and led her toward the stage and Eric. Shit. You turned back to your Viking and saw Pam standing beside him, a smirk playing on her lips. Apparently, she didn't like your dallying and had decided to force your hand. Fuck.

You moved along the edge of the room, getting close enough to hear, but not close enough to draw attention to yourself. Not yet.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sookie told Eric and you bit back a chuckle. She was nothing if not overly polite.

"Well, aren't you sweet?" Disdain dripped from Eric's words.

"Not really," Sookie snapped back and Bill gave her a warning tug.

But you, well you laughed outright at that. There was a reason you and Sookie were friends that went beyond her not being able to hear your thoughts. You liked the sharp tongue she didn't let everyone see.

"Do you find something amusing, human?" Eric's voice rode the line between irritated and bored. Though he still hadn't seen you, he had evidently heard your laughter.

"I usually do when Sookie's around." Bill turned to scowl at you. Pam covered her mouth with a hand to hide her smile and Eric moved Bill to the side so he could see you.

His eyes went wide as he sat up in the chair and his mouth gaped slightly. "Impossible," he breathed.

"Apparently not." You tilted your head and took the opportunity to look him over again. "Hello, Eric."

"Bill, why don't you and your friend take a seat. We need to catch up, you and I." His eyes never left yours.

"Indeed," Bill answered.

"Why are you here?" he finally asked you.

"Sookie's my friend."

Eric's eyes narrowed. "You don't have friends."

You ignored the spike of hurt that accompanied the words. Pam barked something at him in a language you didn't understand and he turned to speak with her. After a moment, he turned back to you, looking even more surprised than before.

"Is it true?"

You lifted your brows in question. You had no idea what they'd said to one another.

"Are you no longer under the thumb of the Authority?" He'd dropped his voice so no one beyond you would hear him. Bill's head jerked to you in surprise and his jaw went tight.

"I don't work for anyone at the moment. They paid well, but the cost was too high." You left the fact you were referring to him unspoken. That was a conversation for another time with different company.

He sat silent as he studied you. He seemed uncertain of what to say and you didn't push him. You were taking the fact he hadn't already tossed you out of his bar as a win.

"We need to get out of here," Sookie said suddenly and you all turned to look at her.

"Sookie," Bill snapped.

"Stuff it, Compton. What is it, Sook?"

"A raid."

"Tell me you're not an undercover cop," Eric ordered your friend.

"I'm not, but the man in the hat is."

"Regardless, we do nothing illegal here."

"One thing I have learned in the short time I have known her is Sookie always knows what she's talking about," you told him. "We should go."

Before anything else could be said, police swarmed into the club.

"This way." Eric wrapped his hand around your wrist and pulled you along with him. He led you to a back door. Bill swept Sookie up in his arms while Eric pulled you more tightly against his side. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Stackhouse. You will return."

"Y/N!" Sookie called after you.

You shook your head. "I'll be fine. I'll call you later."

She started to protest to Bill but he quickly quieted her. Eric put you in his car and told Pam he would see her later. Moments after Sookie warned of the danger you were all a safe distance from the bar and the raid being conducted. As you glanced over at Eric and took in the set of his jaw, you had a feeling your evening was just getting started.