A/N: There will be a lot of things explained here. Some things will be left a little ambiguous for a few chapters, but the clarifications are coming soon.

Venom, Fangs, and Fairies

*Chapter 3*

Eric's Point of View

The evening had certainly taken an interesting turn of events. I had been dealing with the monotony of sitting on my throne feeling nothing but boredom from Pam outside the front door, complete with her usual intermittent bouts of anger, until there was an inkling of interest which rapidly grew into something extraordinary. Whatever captivated her attention had suddenly bloomed substantially, finally resulting in a brief state of shock from my historically stoic Child; one that caused me a great deal of vicarious excitement.

I was about to text her to inquire about what was happening out front when she entered the bar with a delectable little treat in tow. While remaining outwardly unaffected, I had to wonder if the young girl was any relation to Sookie. The unique sensory overload created from being in her presence was just as extraordinary and so similar that if I did not know any better I would have assumed Ms. Stackhouse herself was in attendance.

Despite watching the mahogany-haired goddess crossing the dance floor nestled protectively between Chow and Pam, something else caught my attention. Unfortunately the little temptress' scent did little to lessen the blow I suffered at the realization the lifeless body being carried by my barman was that of Jasper Whitlock, my most trusted friend who was not linked to me by blood.

I did not need to see his face to recognize him by scent alone. Not only was he not moving, but by the amount of his strange venomous blood in the air I knew he was severely injured. It was difficult not to run after them as soon as I made the realization, but I managed to contain myself not to seem overly concerned about the state of affairs Pam was already busy attending to with Chow.

Resolving to remain on my throne for another moment, a horrible looking woman with a pock-marked face and a too-tight skirt waltzed up to the dais to ask if she could sit on my lap to take a picture with me like I was goddamn Santa Clause. I took that as a sign from Oden himself to take my leave as I growled at her and used my full preternatural speed to reach the basement stairs just as the group began their slow descent.

Already troubled with thoughts of my missing Maker, I knew once my comrade was healed I could seek his counsel, knowing he'd understand the complexities of the situation and Godric's significance to me. Jasper could also help me with the situation with that lesser vampire annoyance, Compton, and the little telepath that had so completely captivated me. Sookie had been all I could think about until tonight when the delicious morsel following my 'brother's' body came into view. Between her kissable red lips and flawless ivory skin, I was instantly mesmerized by the effervescent creature who had clearly been responsible for bringing my dearest friend back to me.

Speaking of the little treasure in question, I found myself behind Pam and the brunette taking the steps at a torturously slow pace. Surprisingly, I registered Pam's emotions to be uncharacteristically ones of understanding and concern with only a sliver of her normal impatience. I had no idea what happened to Jasper, but whatever it was had rattled the human-ish woman so completely she could barely walk; somehow Pam both knew and felt compassion for the human because of it. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or shake in fear at whatever had come over my Child that caused her unprecedented regard for this delectable human. For now, I decided to chalk up Pam's reaction to my friend always making an entrance in the way no other immortal ever could.

Of course, the Major's reputation always preceded him - much like my own. As soon as my name appeared on a list, it was a guarantee I had everyone's attention by the time I entered the building. Everyone was always happy to have me there for the sheer novelty of entertaining one as notable as myself. With Major Jasper Whitlock, however, things were very different.

Jasper was an anomaly between the two species of vampires. Feared and loathed as he was a strange mixture of both, something that few knew the origins of but was an undeniable fact nevertheless. He had finally revealed the circumstances of what he knew about his unique turning to me after almost a decade of friendship. Needless to say, it was a story I would never forget even if I lacked a flawless eidetic memory.

There was something that bothered me from the first time he told me his tale; a missing element that would never be revealed to him as only those who were there to witness his change truly knew how he ended up as a hybrid between both species. The most powerful vampires on both sides had desperately tried to understand how it happened to Jasper in the first place. They wanted the information to either replicate or prevent the creation of another race of vampires if the results were deemed too dangerous. The best they could reason was that he got the best of both worlds, something he suffered for greatly.

They used him to turn countless others with mixed results, never achieving another one such as him. The progeny he created were all destroyed as evidence of their pseudo-scientific endeavors. And as was the way with my kind, Jasper felt and still carried the pain of each of their deaths in a way no Maker of even one individual Child would ever want to experience.

That was unfortunately not the only thing that made him unique since he was considered a day-walker by the fanged vampires, someone to be envied as having immunity to the God-forsaken Sun which threatened all our immortal lives. However, he was not completely accepted by the Venom Vampires either because he had retractable fangs and could use glamour. Without the vulnerability to stakes and silver, there were few who could overpower him and even less that knew how to truly end him. He was a legend for his existence alone, and that was without his involvement in the notorious Southern Vampire Wars.

Though he was stronger than most without age playing a factor as it did with my kind, Jasper was never impervious to the teeth of the Venom Vampires. As a result, he had hundreds upon hundreds of scars from those who had challenged him and lost their immortal lives over the years. My brother in arms was always an excellent fighter and a formidable person for me to claim as an ally. That was until he met that little psychic day-walker who forbade him from contacting any of my kind ever again, saying she saw a future that led to only death if he was involved with any fanged vampires in any capacity.

He sent some letters over the years, but I could tell he was under pressure not to, having his decisions monitored like some parolee for whatever reason his woman thought necessary. I had no idea why he tolerated her - my once great brother in arms - but he had endured that treatment for decades before suddenly showing up at my front door this evening and ruining every ounce of anonymity he had tried to create.

There were a few vampires old enough in the club to recognize his scent as being laced with venom. Whether they knew what or who he was exactly by the slightly odd smell of his particular hybrid venom and blood mixture was not something I fathomed to guess. Whatever had driven my friend out of hiding from the powers-that-be was enough to cause a stir, something he would have avoided at all cost if it wasn't completely necessary.

He had gone through such painstaking efforts to disappear completely that I could only assume was the singular reason he agreed to take a backseat to Alice. Why else would the "God of War" himself attend high school and drink blood from bunny rabbits in order to survive if not for a secret identity - off the grid like the Uni-Bomber?

None of my kind associated with what they automatically assumed he was because you could smell the sun on his skin, despite his limited exposure to it directly. And the Venom Vampires tended to steer clear of the Cullens altogether, thinking their "vegetarian ways" were undignified and self-loathing. I happened to agree with the self-loathing part, so when Bella said he would have issue later with feeding off of innocents in his depraved state, knowing he would drain them dry, I pieced together another part of my empathic friend's issue. I could understand his "veggie" motivations much better since they had to do with his very impressive gift, feeling the last fleeting moments of his victims' lives every time he fed would be a great burden to bear.

There was never any doubt in my mind that I would do whatever I could to assist him, but when Bella had insisted we help with such conviction I simply had no words to describe her oddly outspoken request. Of course that was until she began conversing with Jasper's head as if his inability to talk was simply inconsequential.

It became perfectly clear why she was so ferocious in her care of the Major. She was his mate. The fact that she implied she had some kind of sexual contact with him despite his headless body at some truck stop in Utah was both slightly disturbing and a complete and utter turn-on. I had to give Jasper credit, he found a fiery, horny girl who cared for him deeply yet still managed to look angelic and pure even after he had gotten his filthy hands on her.

I knew he was as insatiable in bed as me, if not more so due to his gift. I could easily admit with no shame that on the several occasions we shared a woman in the past, I reached a level of sexual satiation that I had long since yearned to duplicate. Although, after looking at Bella's creamy skin and expressive brown eyes, I would understand if he was interested in keeping her to himself.

There was little doubt in my mind that he intended to turn her as soon as it was safe after watching their very limited interaction, I just wondered what made him wait this long. I also wondered what their relationship would be like after she was turned. Would they stay together for a while and split off as Maker and Child like me and Pam, or were they the type to stay together with the occasional tryst thrown into the mix. If only they could be persuaded into the latter, Pam and I would be quite pleased for a long time to come.

I concentrated on the way beautiful Isabella spoke with such reverence for Jasper, yet still remained so lively despite everything that had happened to them. Her positive attitude kept me from slipping too far into my seductive mode, which wasn't an easy task as that seemed to be my default setting. She was just so amusing and methodical in her logical thinking for a human that I couldn't help but think I would enjoy her for more than just a cheap fuck, especially after she called me out on it directly.

After giving her a lesson in piecing together vampire body parts, I had her come with me upstairs. The last time I encountered a Venom Vamp who was coming back from being torn apart, they drained two humans dry without even realizing it and that guy had only lost his arm and leg, suffering far less damage than the head and other appendages that my brother had endured the pain of for at least the last day and a half.

Though I wouldn't admit it directly to Bella just yet, I was eternally grateful that she had taken such good care of the Major. He truly deserved someone to look out for him the way Pam had always looked out for me. My second in command, however, also now had interest in Jasper's human as well. I knew the Major would feel Pam's emotions towards Bella as soon as he awoke. I feared he might have mistaken them as a threat against his woman which could have caused him to attack all of us without a second thought. His urge to fight was already going to be heightened after being attacked and that was yet another reason I wanted Bella out of that basement. There were no other options knowing Jasper would wake up soon looking for blood and a brawl without the added need to challenge those he saw as a potential threat to his claim on her.

"Bella, let's go to my office and discuss a few things. Then we'll get you a drink and make other arrangements. Alright?" I asked her as politely as possible while leading the way. It had been a long time since I treated a human so respectfully - if ever - and I knew she would respond well to my efforts after undoubtedly having been exposed to others of my kind with little to no manners at all.

She nodded and sat down on my leather sofa, stretching out a little on the very comfortable couch. "Why don't you lie down and relax a little, and then you can tell me your story?" I stated with authority to make her comply. Without hesitation, she maneuvered her small body as I had directed and put her feet up on the side of the couch. I sat in my desk chair after wheeling it closer to the arm of the couch where her feet were, resisting the strong impulse to run my hand up her slender thighs.

"I feel like I'm in therapy and you are going to ask me about my mother," she chuckled. "Okay, actually," she said thoughtfully, "You know what? That's actually a good place to start - my Mom. She sent me to live with my Dad in Washington where I happened to become aware of the fact that the Cullens were the other kind of vampires when my shape-shifting friend of the giant wolf persuasion accidentally gave me one too many clues. A lot of drama ensued after that. In no particular order, I was chased halfway across the country by a sadistic crazy vampire playing a vicious game and then his vengeful mate came after me with an army of blood-thirsty newborn vampires seeking revenge for his death.

"I was in danger of being killed by the Volturi for my knowledge of the Venom Vampires, which they only found out about because I had to come to the rescue of my overly dramatic ex-boyfriend, Edward, who went to them to be destroyed after Alice, the Major's ex, thought I jumped off a cliff and killed myself. I have no idea why I even bothered since all of that Volturi drama was after he had forced everyone out of my life under the guise of keeping me safe - the ass."

"How does Jasper figure into this? What does that have to do with him ending up in pieces? What is this message that is of the upmost importance I know?" I asked in quick succession, interested in her backstory, but worried about wasting time if her female brain got stuck on some Oprah-type tangent about feelings and lost ambitions. There was danger on the horizon, a horizon which would soon be intruded upon by the Sun. Being forced to sleep while all of this mess continued on during the day when I could do nothing about it was a very troublesome prospect, something I wanted to avoid if possible.

"I'm getting to that. So Edward was truly a moron if he thought I wanted to be with him after everything he put me through. I went through the motions for a while, but my heart wasn't in it at all. Jasper and I had gotten much closer, fooling around a little whenever the rest of the family was away. That was until one day when we were playing cards and I sliced my finger on the edge of the deck when I was shuffling. He licked the blood from my finger and well… things got very serious very quickly from there. We made any and every excuse to be alone after that, taking huge risks by going away as much as we possibly could.

"We really didn't want to hurt anyone, and Alice and Edward seemed like they would be destroyed if they ever found out about us. Oh how wrong we were," she said with a dark chuckle. "Anyway, Jasper and I knew we were going to be together eventually so at first we only stayed with the family until we could figure out a way to make a clean break from our significant others. We planned our escape, slowly moving our most important stuff into boxes and hiding them in a shed so that they wouldn't notice. When we realized what they were up to we had actually already been planning on leaving them later that same week to stay with Peter and Charlotte. That was when Jasper noticed some strange things going on after looking for his important financial paperwork. We realized that we had been so distracted on hiding our own deceitful behavior that we completely overlooked theirs. We did a little digging and were shocked by what we found out."

I made a hurry-up gesture with my hands, something she rolled her eyes at and barely paid any mind to unlike most humans who were automatically afraid to anger me. "This is the part which concerns you, Eric. As far as we can figure and with Peter's annoying two-sense, while I was in Volterra with her to save Edward, Alice decided she deserved to be in a position of honor like the Volturi. She brought Edward in on it and together they secretly approached the Italian leaders about acting as their American Ambassadors, taking a figurehead position when the day-time vampires were inevitably forced to come out to the world like you all did.

"With advancements in modern technology like surveillance satellites and various 'big brother' type monitors all over the country, there simply isn't a way for their species to stay hidden much longer. Alice proposed a way to spin things that made their 'Coming Out' party a bit more successful than yours. They plan on using you all as cannon fodder against any potential human reprisal."

I didn't interrupt her, but couldn't stifle my chortle at that profound statement. There were advantages to not having to hide ourselves, but the drawbacks were quickly outweighing those. Among other things, the Great Revelation seemed to take all of the thrill out of the hunt, something that bothered me to no end. Not to mention that since the humans knew of us, they believed they could define themselves in a role where they still had their idealized version of superiority. Somehow forgetting that we had existed right alongside them dating well before historical records were kept, they believed we needed human supervision. The notion of it was utterly preposterous and comical in the same vain as a child wearing their daddy's over-sized shoes, feigning maturity and distinction in their costume.

"Jasper explained things to me from your perspective on that which I hadn't considered, Eric, and I get why you feel that way. Anyway, since those two mind-fucks love status, envy, entitlement, and crave nothing more than a way for vampires and humans alike to revere them as the gods they think themselves to be, they propositioned the Volturi with an offer they simply couldn't refuse. Using the vampires of the 'Vegetarian' variety, the Cullens and the Denalis to be more precise, they'll wait for the world to become accustomed to the most politically correct of their kind to lull them into a state of passivity. That way they could present themselves to the humans as not only being no threat, but also as the saviors from your kind. The idea is to wait until you all get enough bad press and then they'll swoop in as another breed of immortal, coming off to the public as 'hunters' of the worst of your kind. Of course, there are pieces of information that Jasper has which I do not simply because living with a mind-reader and a psychic didn't allow for us to speak freely all the time. Hell, it was hard enough to find time to fuck properly and cover our tracks for the last year and a half, let alone thwart their takeover of the entire world."

I smirked. I didn't want to show any humor given the gravity of the situation, but the phrasing of her last sentence made me realize just how strange the world she and the Major had been living in must have been. "I see, but what happened to Jasper and how does this coup involve me directly?"

"So the night we ended up running away together started like any other. We were sorting through our rooms discreetly, packing while spying on those two backstabbers when Jasper crashed through my door. Without explaining he picked me up and threw me into my truck where he had a few of our bags and his motorcycle. We took off like a bat out of hell and he revealed that he had put a program on his computer which tracked key strokes in an effort to get more information. Edward and Alice had been looking through some sample version of a vampire database thing that they had heard about. It was made by a vampire named Bill Compton. He lives in this area apparently and the Major wants to either destroy or move all of his original material to a safer location. Do you know him? If you do, you need to get his ass here immediately since the dynamic duo is probably on red alert now."

I sighed. "I do have the misfortune of knowing Compton. Please hold on a minute, Bella." I didn't want to startle her, but I had a bad feeling I knew where her story was headed given the revelation of the plot afoot. Beyond everything happening with the Queen's finances and all of the sudden interest Compton had in mainstreaming in backwoods Bon Temps of all places, Bill was certainly more involved in this situation than I thought any of us could have ever conceived, whether incidentally or not. I wanted answers and pulled my phone out to summon the fool who could provide them.

The idiot answered on the third ring. "Compton speaking. What can I do for you tonight, Eric?" He must have thought he was being slick by using my name to alert Ms. Stackhouse or whoever he was with exactly who was on the phone.

"It's wonderful you are being so mindful of your superiors for once, Billy. I didn't think you had it in you. I need to see you, your Child, and your human at Fangtasia immediately. Something has come up and this is an order, not a request."

He huffed like a child and responded gruffly, "Fine. We were just having a romantic night in by ourselves, so of course we would love nothing more than to drive to Shreveport and see you. That's terrific," he replied sarcastically. I could hear Sookie rushing around the room and cursing about me being a tyrant as she went about getting dressed. It made me smile to think I could aggravate her so thoroughly without actually saying a word to her.

"Wonderful," I returned. "Do not keep me waiting or you will be required to do an extra floor shift every week for the next month as punishment for your tardiness. I don't think Ms. Stackhouse would appreciate that time spent away from you, so please, do hurry. See you soon, Billy."

Closing my phone, I looked up to see Bella smiling at me. "Um, you didn't mention the database, Eric. What's your plan? Some 'B and E', I'd bet," Bella said with a laugh.

"Ahh, I feel like we know each other so well already, Bella. I am going to get someone I trust to look around Compton's and Sookie's houses while they are here. At this juncture I cannot be certain to what extent he is involved. To be honest I have found him to be nothing more than a duplicitous simpleton every chance he gets to prove otherwise."

She laughed lightly and I began to reconsider the miscalculation of revealing my intentions to the tasty human. Bella would be vulnerable to my favorite little telepath who would be absolutely livid about my criminal undertaking at her home this evening. "Mind yourself around him and any information you might reveal in their presence. I should also caution you that Sookie is telepathic and will be able to read your mind, so you'll have to guard your thoughts as well."

"I seriously doubt that will be a problem for me, actually. I have a very strong mental and physical shield which apparently was another part of the Dynamic Duo's plot. With me as the Shield and Jasper as their Sword so to speak, they had all of their bases covered for complete domination. They thought by stringing things along with us that they could make us indebted to them through our own adultery, which they knew about to some extent all along. By giving us the opportunity to be together, they thought we would stay with them out of guilt and do their bidding just to make them happy like we'd always done before. They didn't realize it was more than just sex between us and that we had been on to their evil plan for months."

"Sounds positively diabolical," I said, smiling as she shifted bit and unwittingly unveiled a bit more skin at her waist. "What happened that caused Jasper to steal you away like that if there were such strategic plans in place to leave without a confrontation?"

"Edward is very fast and entered the mind-reading radius too quickly for the Major to adjust accordingly. Jasper was busy getting the last bit of evidence we needed to prove all of this to some supernatural 'High Council' or something and he wasn't monitoring his thoughts as well as he should have been. Thankfully Edward was still a few miles out when Jasper felt him coming and grabbed me. I'm sure Edward didn't need more than a few stray thoughts to realize Jasper and I knew at least a portion of what was really happening. We are fairly certain that he and Alice don't know the extent of knowledge or evidence we have on them or they would have done anything, even risked exposure, to stop us."

"If you were caught in sight of humans with them sparkling in the sun like they do, then I would think that to be an extreme complication for their plans on outing themselves under their own terms," I stated, hoping she would see how much power they actually wielded with their ability to alter the time table the Venom Vampires were depending on.

"You are right about that. We had discussed forcing their hand but felt the risk of backlash against us specifically would be too great. Anyway, we were a few miles from the border of Washington when my shape-shifting friends pounced on my truck. I'm lucky I made it here with the giant paw impressions on my hood. I thought for sure they did some serious damage to my engine."

In addition to the text I was planning to send to a human associate of mine who would be searching Compton's while he was here, I decided to send one to a nearby werewolf mechanic who could discreetly check out the damage to Bella's vehicle in the parking lot. It was really the least I could do considering everything she did to keep my friend safe from harm. Besides the fact I felt grateful to her, Bella could be quite a personal help to me in regards to a certain sheltered telepath who could use some extra common sense which the Major's girl had in spades.

Bella seemed very resilient for a mortal and I had to wonder if it was her natural spirit or something else that pushed her to become so capable to deal with the supernatural world. Sookie would benefit greatly from meeting Bella, and that would vicariously profit me as well if the little blond could see reason like the Major's woman. It was really no matter to consider though since the brunette beauty would probably knock Sookie out because of some mouthy comment before any kind of friendship cemented between them. In either case, it would be worth it to have Bella stick around as long as possible.

"As pissed off as I was initially because of the damage they did, after they explained their reason for pursuing us I understood things from their perspective. Edward begged them to help track us down, claiming Jasper went crazy with bloodlust and decided to change me against my will to keep me for himself like some immortal sex slave – like I'd mind being chained to his bed for the rest of eternity." She chuckled, her breasts bouncing a little in the most tantalizing way. I was ridiculously turned on by the sight of her, let alone the evocative words she chose to highlight her sexual submission to the Major. I always enjoyed a feisty woman who was also sexually submissive – a perfect combination.

"Anyway, my giant wolf friends changed back to human form so we could talk on the side of the highway without causing a huge pile-up. With the Quileute's scent in the air and their high-strung wolf emotions, Jasper couldn't sense Edward and Alice approaching until it was too late. Edward took down two of the wolves before they had a chance to phase back. While the wolves grabbed their injured and retreated, Alice had already scraped her teeth down my neck to stop the Major from moving in to kill her," she said, lifting her hair again to reveal four matching red streaks down the column of her throat.

Without pause, my fangs came down, something I corrected just as quickly. To my surprise, Bella saw this and showed not even a flicker of fear, almost like she was expecting it. Having her around Sookie would definitely be a good thing, as I was certain I had seen Ms. Stackhouse flinch at the sight of my fangs on several occasions.

Nonplussed, she continued, "She threatened that unless he complied with their demands to come to Volterra peacefully they would end me right there. We already knew their end game was to have the Volturi bind us to them using a vampire named Chelsea who can create false loyalty. My best guess is that upon hearing Alice's demand Jasper instinctively made a decision to do something because Edward and Alice charged him simultaneously. In a flash, Alice threw me into Jasper's legs to cause a momentary distraction before she climbed up Edward's back and grabbed Jasper's head just as Edward pulled down on his arms. Jas fell on the ground, the pieces of his body strewn about. It was so horrible. They weren't paying attention to me anymore since they were discussing ripping him apart even more to keep him subdued while they bit me to start my change before taking us to the Volturi to bind us.

"As soon as I heard their intentions, I held Jasper to me and concentrated on protecting us with my shield. I can make a snow globe looking protective layer surround me when I concentrate. It was almost completely invisible, but was holding as strong as steel while they tried everything they could think of to get in. I didn't know how long I would be able to keep it intact though since we never tested it for stamina. I didn't even know how long we were in our stale mate like that, but I do know I had never before been so relieved to see the sun rise.

"My bubble may have shimmered slightly in the morning light, but those two Cullens looked like someone had bedazzled them. Of course I had seen them in the sun before, but apparently not when the light was quite as direct since our home in Forks was always hazy even on sunny days. Anyway, Alice had a vision that if they stayed they would be seen by a busload of tourists coming down the road at any moment to take pictures of the sun rising over the mountains. They would be capturing more than just the landscape they were anticipating if Edward and Alice didn't make a run for it right then. With that, they had no choice but to leave us alone since Jas and I were hidden beside what looked like an abandoned, broke down truck.

"I held onto Jasper for a while longer just to make sure they were gone. Then I successfully pictured expanding the bubble a little so I could see to getting our stuff. I dressed Jasper as best I could and used the daylight to get as far away from there as fast as I possibly could. I only stopped in really busy places and tried to stay moving. I called Peter and he told me that I had to tell you all of this tonight. That if it was tomorrow when I spoke to you that things would be too late. He also mentioned something about a vampire named… um, Rodrick maybe, but I might be wrong since I was slightly overwhelmed at the time."

"Godric," I corrected her quickly, my voice a little too gruff.

She didn't even flinch, accepting my slight over-reaction as nothing more than that. She was a very good person to have around the Major who was prone to those outbursts too. "Yes, Godric. That was it. Do you know him too?"

"Yes. He has recently gone missing in Dallas under suspicious circumstances. I was going to get the Major's thoughts on that subject when he was feeling a bit better anyway. I am going to make sure Compton meets the True Death tonight if I have any reason to believe he had something to do with Godric's disappearance." Steadying my angry voice, I continued, "What else did Peter say?"

"Just that I needed to get here as fast as possible to help look for Godric since he is crucial and that I should not trust anyone other than you and Pam until he told me otherwise. Peter and Char are on their way and so are Emmett and Rosalie, the only other Cullens we could trust."

"Do you know their arrival times? I need to make sure Chow grants them entry. Under the circumstances, he might not allow any of the Venom kind in here. Not that we get very many, but it does happen on occasion, unbeknownst to the humans of course." She shrugged before yawning, opening up her mouth in a way which had my desire for her suddenly becoming an issue again. "Would you like to take a nap in here while I do some paperwork? You must be very tired."

"I am absolutely exhausted, but I drank so much coffee and energy drinks to get here that I don't think I can sleep for a while. I don't mind shadowing you as long as you don't mind my tagging along. I promise not to get in your way, so please just go about your business as usual and pretend I'm not here."

"First of all, you are way too interesting to pretend you are not here with any measure of success on my part. Besides, business as usual would typically mean I'd be back here with a woman by this time in the evening, so unless you're up for an explicit show I'd say we should go back out front."

She blushed a delightful raspberry red as if she were embarrassed, but her words did not convey the same message as she smartly replied, "How much do you usually charge for admission to your live office porn show, Eric? More than I have in my pocket I'd bet. Oh well, next time you're stuck babysitting me I'll be sure to bring my bank card so I don't miss out." She winked as she got off the couch and straightened out her clothes, heading towards the door.

I wasn't sure what the reason was that she rendered me speechless, but I could not seem to formulate a proper response to her enticing comment. Given their situation and her unique qualities I would understand if they weren't interested, but I really hoped Jasper wouldn't become possessive of her and refuse to share. She seemed like more fun than I'd had in a long time and that was completely without factoring in the intoxicating fragrance of her blood.

"Come sit with me on stage. The waitress will be by soon to get your order." I could see she was starting to get uncomfortable with the idea of being on display up there, so I pulled her next to me, offering as much support as my uncaring persona would allow given that the entire club was watching closely as we re-entered together.

I sat her down on the bench seat next to my throne and waited thirty seconds for my promptest waitress to appear. We paid them well for the shit they had to deal with from the various customers, but as valued as they were I truly knew none of their names. Though it didn't matter to me at all, they would relish in my use of their given moniker when I decided to care enough to glance at their name tag to use it.

Wanting to see Bella's reaction, I purposely stroked the serving girl's ego by using her name in a pliant tone. "Trish, please bring my friend, Bella, whatever she would like for the rest of the evening. Before you leave tonight," I practically purred at her, knowing she would think I was about to offer her a chance to come home with me, "make sure to see if she needs anything at all from the store. Whether it is some new clothes or some food, you will be greatly rewarded for the extra efforts you put into making her as comfortable as possible. Are we clear?"

Looking a little disappointed, she said politely, "Of course, Master. What can I get for you, Bella?"

"I'd like a vodka and orange juice please. And thank you very much for your help, Trish. I've had a really long couple of days driving here, so I'm sorry in advance but I probably will need a few things later on. I truly hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, Bella. I'll be right back with your drink."

Once the waitress left, I quietly remarked, "You are so polite with the help, Bella. I should warn you that I have a reputation to protect as a ruthless and cruel vampire, some attributes you might want to project a little of onto yourself to blend in better."

"Please, there was nothing cruel about your innuendo to Trish. She loved every bit of your attention. But I do have to ask, would you really pimp yourself out for me just to get some deodorant and a burger and fries? I didn't realize you worked so cheap. Maybe I do have enough loose change in my pockets to afford the office peep show after all," she replied with a smirk before standing up and handing me a quarter she fished out of the tiny pocket of her fitted black pants.

With a tilt of her head, she took it back and flicked the quarter up in the air with her thumb. She caught it in her other hand without looking before flipping it over to her on to her wrist, and covering it up. Still holding my gaze, she quirked her eyebrow, "Care to guess? Heads I win, tails you lose?"

"Nice try, little con-artist," I smirked at her antics. For a human who for all intents and purposes just drove for a day and a half to get here she was in a much better mood than I would have believed possible. Wanting to rile her up a little, I quickly added, "I don't think I'd lose either way with getting head or tail from you, Bella."

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed with a bright smile, slumping back down into the seat as Trish approached. The waitress delivered her beverage and left quickly after Bella thanked her. She seemed very busy with her other work in the crowded bar, I couldn't help but think that if things continued like this then we would need to hire another waitress.

After taking a big sip of her drink, she explained her reaction, "You, Mr. Northman, are exactly like the Major. Jasper can't help but make everything a sexual thing either. It's like a compulsion or something with you both." Although she missed it because she was stuck in a happy moment of reminiscence about Jasper, with the mention of the Major's name any vampire worth a damn looked up to the dais, slightly frightened and rightfully so.

A few more moments of quiet reflection passed before she continued, "My cell phone history looks like a library of the filthiest word-porn ever written. I bet yours isn't much better with the way these people are eye-fucking you."

"My phone reflects nothing of the sort. I do my best work in person. I figured the Major would have told you that."

"Oh, I know all about you, Viking," she said teasingly, taking another big sip of her drink which I noted was now almost finished. "What do you think the Major was writing to me about? The two of you have really gotten into some interesting situations together, that's for sure. I was actually contemplating asking you to pose like Fabio so I can make you my phone's screensaver. That way I get the complete romance novel effect to go along with the sexiest texts ever written."

As hard as I tried to keep my reaction subdued, there was something particularly funny about her comment that caused me to laugh loudly. I thought it might have had to do with the fact that Sookie enjoyed that type of smutty reading material. For some reason, the idea that I could get Bella to publish her re-telling of the Major and my sexual escapades meant that I could give it to the little telepath as a gift. That would be quite an enjoyable sight to see Sookie's cheeks blaze crimson as she shook with unrestrained anger over her inappropriate present. Flustering Ms. Stackhouse was turning into a favorite past-time of mine it seemed.

I held that thought for a moment before I noticed Bella swaying in her seat out of the corner of my eye. The effects of the alcohol from the single drink seemed to amplify her fatigue. She was ridiculously tired, but was forcing herself to stay awake since she knew I had to be out here now that I had returned to the stage. She was a very giving creature, young Bella.

Putting my cool hand on her warm thigh caused her to jump a little, eyes drawn wide in a panic before she realized who was touching her. I had to admit she had a particularly strange reaction to being touched by a vampire since she seemed to relax at the contact. She smiled dreamily at me through bleary eyes, leaning her body to the side as her fatigue finally gained hold.

Without invitation or a moment of hesitation, she eagerly crawled into my arms, lying peacefully against my shoulder as I stroked her hair despite my own surprise regarding my actions. How this amazing woman had warmed up to me so quickly I couldn't guess. I had a suspicion that my "brother" had meant for us to be as close as he had been with Pam in the past, having laid the groundwork to make that a possibility. Although to what degree of closeness remained to be seen, I certainly intended to explore that with great depth as soon as possible.

Within several minutes Bella's breathing evened out to indicate she was finally getting some well-earned rest. Her reaction to our kind was quite odd, finding comfort cradled in the arms of one of the most feared in vampire kind while waiting for her lover's head to be re-attached, a savage warrior in his own right. Yet she slept as if she was sure no danger would come to her. In a way that was an accurate assumption since I already knew I would not let any harm befall the girl for Jasper's sake, as well as for my own growing interests in her.

A/N: I don't make money from these characters or concepts, but will happily accept reviews on this story as compensation. Let me know if you have a question. I'd be happy to answer. :)

And a special thanks to all those who have reviewed! You have made me smile like a fool!