Author's Note: Okay, I feel somewhat blah about this chapter. But it's needed to get on the path I want. There's a huge possibility that the nine day stretched I just worked has made me a bit bitter and exhausted. A tad bit moody. And dare I say it, bitchy. I want to thank you for the follows and feedback. It lifts my spirits while my work life is imploding.


Wednesdays were the absolute worst.

As far as Evie was concerned, she'd take a Monday over a Wednesday any day of the week. In her experience, nothing good had ever happened in the middle of the week. Her parents had died on a Wednesday in a horrific car accident. When she was eight, she'd broken her left arm falling out of a tree after Jason had thrown her favorite comic book up into its branches. She'd gotten her first period on a Wednesday. So basically, the day was cursed, and she always anticipated the worst to happen.

Stopping just inside the entrance of the library, Evie paused and let out a low irritated growl. The large space, typically filled with empty rows of long wooden tables, weren't as empty as she'd like them to be. Truth be told, it also wasn't quite at full capacity. That didn't typically happen unless midterms or finals were approaching. But it seemed her peers had remembered they were there to get an education and were now occupying her silent sanctuary.

Of course, it would happen on a Wednesday.

Finding the last available table, and she moved as quickly as her converse let her over to the hardwood flooring to claim it.

Sharing a table was always awkward and she'd rather blow chunks then deal with the inevitable small talk. Dumping her bag down in one of the empty chairs, she took a seat and started fishing around the contents inside the messenger bag for her typical study essentials. Ear buds, to block out the whispering voices of her peers who were not doing much studying. Books she ordered online, knowing she'd never find them on any of the library's shelves. Notes for a paper she due in a few days, and contraband which would undoubtfully make Ms. Flournoy foam at the mouth.

Flipping the cover open of one of her books, she skimmed through the pages, trying to locate the section she needed. The paper was practically already finished but she was desperate to find something to occupy her brain. Three days had passed since she'd seen Bill and his guests, and so far, she hadn't been able to force herself to drop by Fangtasia. She'd been close to caving a few times, but each time she'd found some random reason not to.

Monday night was laundry, to be fair she was getting dangerously close to running out of clean clothing. Tuesday, she bullied Thea into going with her to get a mani-pedi. She hadn't had her nails done in years, and decided it was high time to do something about it. Tonight, she was determined to waste as much time as she could in the library, finishing a paper that wasn't due in week.

The truth of the matter, she couldn't shake the feeling that by reporting to Eric would somehow put her on a path she might never be able to escape. It was like being stuck at a fork in the road, knowing she had to choose, but there would be repercussions either way. It was stupid and she wasn't a stupid person. She knew the only person able to make sure Gran was safe from Bill's new play pals, was the one person she was trying to avoid.

Her hesitation didn't have anything to do with Eric being a vampire. She didn't have anything against his kind, honest to god she didn't. When they had come out of the coffin two years ago it hadn't shocked her as much as it should have. Unlike her Gran and Sookie, who thought it would be exciting to meet a vampire, like meeting a celebrity or something. They gushed for days over the possibility of meeting one, the questions they'd want to ask, and even the possibility of already knowing one.

Evie felt almost numb. As though her future had suddenly developed a huge dark gaping hole of uncertainty.

When the news broke, and the nation stared in shock and disbelief, Evie had felt the bottom of her world slipping out from underneath her. It was stupid, insane even. But for days she hadn't been able to shake the feeling her future was up in the air and waited for the other shoe to drop. But for two years nothing happened, and she went on with her life.

Like humans, she also didn't blindly trust vampires either. Always the cautious one, she took a more wait and see approach to everything in her life. Unlike Sookie who jumped in with two feet, Evie was the type to stand back and watch, analyzing everything before committing herself. She was that way with people, new situations, and environments, and didn't see any reason not to do the same when it came to vampires.

Bill hadn't given her warm fuzzy feelings when it came to the undead. She'd disliked him at first sight.

Eric, well the jury was still out. He didn't give off a sick, toxic vibe Bill Compton secreted from his pours. There was an evasiveness about him that put her on guard. She would never say he was good, but she also couldn't tell if he had bad intentions. He confused her, and though she liked a good puzzle, something told her he was way out of her league.

That's why she hadn't made an appearance at Fangtasia yet.

Well one of the reasons.

She also didn't like having so many vampires so close to Gran, vampires who really didn't fit in with the Bon Temp crowd. If she knew for certain that going to Eric would result in having Bill limit his late night visitors, she wouldn't hesitate ratting Bill out. Eric may be sheriff, but Evie doubted that gave him the right to tell vampires who they could socialize with.

A round of snickers pulled her from her thoughts. Looking up, she found Jack staring at her from fifteen feet away. He was sitting across the table from Grady, who appeared to be trying to charm yet another underclassman. When their eyes connected, Jack gave her a dark sneer, before turning his attention back to the little groupies at their table.

"Fuck me." Muttering under her breath, Evie briefly considered leaving. So far she'd done a splendid job of avoiding Grady, and by doing so avoided Jack as well.

"Interesting proposition." The voice came from out of nowhere, and Evie nearly shrieked, but a hand swiftly moved to cover her mouth. "Shh, we're in a library."

Blinking at Eric's smug expression, Evie waited for her brain to jumpstart, but it seemed to be filled with molasses. He shouldn't be there. She really shouldn't be there with him, and yet, here he was, and she couldn't force her brain to do anything about it.

"I'm going to let go." He warned with a smile before removing his hand she swatted it away. "You really are a jumpy little thing, aren't you?"

"Stop scaring me." Evie hissed. "It's not funny."

"But it's so entertaining." Eric smirked. "And you smell delicious."

"You can't be here." The shock of seeing Eric wore off, about the same time her brain realized the entire library was staring their way. "And stop talking about how I smell, its kinda creepy."

"It's a library, anyone can go to a library." Eric reasoned.

Brows pinched in frustration, Evie leaned forward and hissed. "You know what I mean."

Leaning forward as well, his face only a few inches away, Eric's amusement faded. "I wouldn't have to resort to tracking you down, if you would've dropped by the bar."

"I don't have anything to report." Evie lied, and the second the words left her mouth, she watched as Eric's brow lifted in challenge. Freaking heartrate. "Fine, I'll come by the bar later."

Shrugging, he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. He wore a black leather jacket, that made her warm just looking at it. Though she supposed not feeling heat or cold must have its advantages. "I'm here now. I would like to hear what you found on your visit back home."

This made her sit up, and Evie stared at him. "Are you having me followed?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Eric sighed. "But I do have people in Bon Temp, you were spotted at a greasy bar and grill."

"Can't these people spy on Bill for you?"

"Who says they aren't?"

"Then you don't need me."

"I don't know about that." Eric smirked. "Besides, our deal was that I wouldn't punish your idiot of a brother, and you'd give me information on Bill. Am I to assume your word is no good?"

From the corner of her eye, she watched as Grady turned in their direction, and she swallowed a groan. She was stuck, and as much as she wanted to be angry at him, she knew she brought this on herself. "You're right. I should've come to the bar."

"I know." Her attention snapped back to focus on him and was shocked to see he didn't look smug when he spoke.

"Honestly, there's really not a lot to tell you." Evie admitted. "He's the main speaker at a DGD meeting this Sunday."

"What is a DGD?"

"A group my Gran is a part of." Not seeing any reason not to tell him about the group, Evie shrugged. "Decedents of the Glorious Dead."

A slow smile spread across his face. "A vampire fan club?"

Unable to stop herself from huffing out a laugh, Evie shook her head at his overblown ego. Of course, he would think it would be a club focused on him, or at least his kind.

"No, it's a club who gathers information on their ancestors. Most of the members have generations of family who lived in or near Bon Temp." Feeling they were still being watched, Evie leaned forward. "He agreed to speak when he and Sook were dating."

"So, it's true. They're still on the outs?"

"I guess." Evie shrugged. "She's going to the meeting with a friend."

"Anything else?"

Evie paused, then thought hell why not, perhaps he could do something about the increased vampires near her Gran's house. "I was driving back from Merlotte's and passed by Bill's place. He had three visitors."

The less than satisfied expression on his face made her feel foolish, and she suddenly wished she'd kept her mouth shut. Backpedaling, Evie shifted her gaze over his broad shoulder. "It's probably nothing."

"Then why tell me?" Watching her closely, Eric leaned forward in again. "You think there's something odd about these guests, other than people wanting to be around him."

Licking at her lips, she froze when Grady caught her gaze and scowled her direction. Yeah, this little impromptu meeting was going to bite her in the ass. "They were vampires."

"You could tell this, just from driving by?" His skepticism was grating, and the expression on his face made it clear that he was mocking her.

Stupid effing vampire.

Her reputation was taking a serious hit just sitting there with him, and now she felt foolish for telling him about Bill's late night visitors. Deciding she was done, Evie quickly started to gather up her things to shove back in her bag. His amusement faded when he reached out quickly to pull a book from her hand before she could put it away. "How could you tell they were vampires?"

"You know what? I'm probably wrong." Trying to ignore he had one of her books in his possession, she glared back at him. "It was dark, I was driving. I must have just assumed they were."

His eyes narrowed. "You're lying again. What did they look like?"

Once again her stupid heartrate was giving her grief.

"One female, two males. Looked like they were confused over what decade it was." Eric lifted his brow to this. "The woman was dressed like she'd been clubbing at studio fifty-four. One of the guys was bald, the other dressed like a reject from the seventies."

"I will look into it." Eric murmured unconvincingly.

"Fantastic." Still angry at his previous mocking, Evie tried to take her book back. His hold was unbreakable, and she gave up with a huff.

"You're angry with me."

"Can't get nothing past you." Evie fired back from her side of the table.

"You're kind of adorable when you get angry." Amused again, Eric smirked. "Kind like a tiny angry kitten."

"See, this is why I didn't come to you." Wishing he'd just give her back her book, Evie glared at him in frustration. "There was nothing to say."

"You had a lot to say." Eric corrected. "For one you confirmed your sister isn't with Bill Compton."

"And I wish you all the luck in the world with my sister." Evie smirked. "I'm sure you two will be extremely happy with one another. Now can I have my book back?"

Looking at the cover, his smile slipped, and his features turned serious as he noticed the title. "Slavic Mythology? I thought you were a History Major."

"I am." Not in the mood to explain further, Evie snatched her procession back. "Now that I'm done narking on Bill, I think I'll just scoot."

Standing, Evie shoved the book in her bag and was preparing to flee when he spoke. "I will look into Compton's guests."

Hesitating for a moment, Evie bit on her lower lip and sat back down. "I know I shouldn't ask this, but I really don't want them anywhere near my Gran. I can't help but feel that they're trouble."

"And yet you didn't come to me." Eric tossed back, and Evie felt horrible. She really should have just gone to him, told him the little she knew about Bill, mostly about his guests.

"I know." God, she felt like she'd let Gran down.

"All vampires are required to check in with me when in the area, and none have in the last week." Eric spoke slowly, his eyes narrowed in thought. "If I take care of these guests for you, do I have your word you won't hesitate to come to me in the future?"

Not needing to be asked twice, Evie nodded. For one, she really didn't need him hunting her down on campus. For another, Eric had kept his word and hadn't punished Jason.

"Fine." Nodding at her he stood. "I will see you Sunday."

Jumping out of her seat, Evie stopped him before he left. "Wait! Why will you see me Sunday night?"

"Are you not going to your Grandmother's meeting?" Eric asked.

"Yeah." Unable to picture Eric sitting in Bon Temps Baptist church, Evie shook her head. "You aren't seriously going?"

"It sounds delightful." Eric mocked her again before growing serious. "A vampire in my territory is speaking in front of a group of humans unsanctioned, requires me to look into it. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to take care of your little vampire problem."

Ωβπ

"Child what's gotten into you?" Setting a cold glass of sweet tea down in front of her, Gran gave her an odd look before moving back over to the sink.

"Nothing." Her voice sounded strained to her own ears, and Evie ducked her head to hide her face. Eric may be able to tell she was lying because of her heart, but Gran always knew because she blushed.

"Everly Lynne, you only bite your nails when you're nervous." Shaking her head, Gran turned on the faucet.

Evie wasn't just nervous, she was completely stressed out. The days following Eric's unwanted visit, had been pure hell. Unsurprisingly Grady had run to Kara about the visit, who in turn lost her mind and had raked Evie over the coals for hours. Never in her life had she been called a stupid twat in so many different ways.

Eric's visit had also caused a backlash on the bids placed for prospective sisters. Many had backed out. Most because their parents refused to pay the costly annual fee for a sorority whose reputation had was in tatters. The vampire bar was bad enough. But now there were rumors that she was getting cozy with its owner, mostly spread at the curtesy of Grady and Jack.

This hadn't made her overly popular at the house.

Instead of waiting for Sunday to come, Evie took off Saturday morning before anyone in the house woke up. Leaving a note for Thea, Evie was off campus just as the sun was rising.

A night in her own bed had done nothing to help with the anxiety. A bad feeling settled in her stomach like a lead balloon, the moment her eyes pried open. As the day progressed the feeling only intensified.

She wanted to place the blame at Eric's feet. That his impending attendance at Gran's meeting was the root cause of her problem. But even that couldn't explain away the imminent doom that was currently eating her alive.

"I was thinking you should wear that pretty violet dress." Putting the last dish in the rack, Gran moved back to the table. "You know the one I got you last Christmas."

Caught off guard, Evie looked across the table at Gran's eager expression and faltered. She knew exactly what dress she was referring to. It was currently shoved in the back of her closet. Along with all the other dresses Gran and Sookie had given her. None were exactly her style. They all resembled the dresses Sookie typically wore.

Disney princess meets Southern Belle.

Unlike her sister, she didn't need to wear clothing to prove she had boobs.

"I thought I'd wear what I usually do to your DGD meetings."

"Jean shorts and a t-shirt?" Gran frowned.

"No." Evie argued back. "I was thinking about a tank top. It's still kinda hot."

"I was hoping you would dress up tonight." Gran sighed, her hopeful expression slipping.

Feeling a little guilty, Evie gave in. "I suppose the dress would be better in this heat."

Perking up, Gran smiled widely. "And you should put your hair up in a twist. I'm sure Sookie would love to help."

"Okay, now you're pushing your luck." Pushing herself away from the table, Evie headed toward the stairs. "I'm gonna jump into the shower."

Moving past Sookie's room, she heard her moving about, and rolled her eyes. All day she'd been smothering them with fake enthusiasm for her 'date' with Sam, and the more she tried to pretend to be excited, the more embarrassed Evie was on her behalf.

After her shower, she searched the closet until she found the dress. Studying it, she couldn't say it was hideous. She liked the light purple color on the top half, that darkened down toward the hem. It was the sweetheart neckline that gave her doubts. But if it made Gran happy, then she'd wear the damn thing, before burning it later.

Half tempted to just leave her hair down, she decided against it, knowing the church's AC was questionable at best. Pulling it back into a loose Dutch braid, she applied some light make-up before shoving her feet into a pair of sandals. Standing before the mirror, she rolled her eyes at her reflection.

She looked like a mini Sookie version. Ready to frolic with forest animals while playing coy with all the boys.

Grabbing her purse, Evie felt a shiver run down her spine. Still unable shake the feeling something bad was about to happen, she took a deep breath and prayed she was simply over reacting.

πβΩ

To Gran's utter delight, most of Bon Temps had made an appearance.

To Evie's utter dismay, most of them were there for the potluck and potential fodder for their gossiping tongues.

From the hushed whispers, Evie gleaned many were only there out of morbid fascination. Some were half hoping Bill did or said something to confirm their suspicions that all vampires were evil. Others, mostly those from Gran's club, came to see if Bill had just a small kernel of information about their ancestors.

She was only here to support Gran, especially after witnessing the steady stream of phone calls throughout the day. Bon Temps may be home, and sure, there were several wonderful people who lived here. But unfortunately, they there were outnumbered by the closed minded twatwaffles in town, and Evie going to make damn sure they left Gran alone.

Closing her eyes, she could practically feel the swirling mass of emotions within the church. Curious, cautious, intrigued, and there was a dark whirlwind of grisly curiosity. Everyone played their perfect roles as a unified community, but underneath the surface there was darkness. Making this day all that much harder to deal with.

"What are you doing here?" Stunned to see Tara walk in, Evie felt her brows rise in surprise. "I didn't take you as a Bill supporter."

"I'm not." Tara scowled. "But your Gran has always been there for me. Some of the townfolk aint too happy about this."

"Yeah." Eyeing the crowd, Evie stopped on Hoyt and his mother whispering harshly to one another. "Gran's phone has been blowing up all day. She tried to play it off, but I know she'd been dealing with some real charming asshats."

"I hate this fucking town." Shaking her head, Tara glowered at a few people before finding a seat.

Moving back to where Gran was greeting the Mayor and his wife, Evie nodded to them as they passed. "Oh, never in all my years have I seen this many people at one of our meetings."

"To be fair, you've never had a vampire at one of your meetings." Taking her arm in hers, Evie leaned her head on Gran's shoulder. "Are you sure about this? You can still back out you know."

"Why in the heavens would I do that?" Gran exclaimed. "Besides, I wouldn't want to disappoint Mr. Compton."

"Oh, gee." Rolling her eyes, Evie stood up. "I'd really hate to disappoint him."

"Hush now." Lightly swatting her backside, Gran wagged her finger in Evie's face. "He's a proper nice gentleman. I don't understand what you have against him."

Knowing when to bow out, Evie placed a kiss on her cheek and scurried away. Waiving hello to a few of Merlotte's regulars, and to her fifth grade teacher, Evie nearly ran into Sookie when she arrived on Sam's arm.

"Hey there Evie." Nodding his head, Sam looked as happy as a pig in mud standing next to Sookie.

"Sam." Forcing herself not to look back at him in pity, Evie could almost taste his nervousness. She could also feel his hope. Hope that this would be the first of many dates with her sister, who stood next to him with a forced fake smile on her lips.

God, Sookie really could be such a bitch.

"That's a real pretty dress." Continuing with this farce of a conversation, Sam swallowed thickly.

"Uh, thanks." Nodding, Evie gave Sookie a look.

"Where's Gran?" Sookie asked with an air of impatience, apparently done with the small pleasantries.

"She went to check in on Bill." Just saying Bill's name sucked the joy off Sam's face, and Sookie twitch with unease. Quickly excusing themselves, they went and found a few empty seats near Tara.

Seeing that the chairs were filling up, Evie made her way to the last row and took a seat. So far, she hadn't seen Eric, and she half hoped he wouldn't make it. Though it would be amazing to see Eric make Bill squirm, she didn't need any more stress added to the feeling of doom she was already enduring. And as much as she tried to deny it, Eric gave her a major case of anxiety.

Not that she'd let him see how he affected her.

"When does this farce start?" Like a bad omen, his voice came from the right of her. Jumping, she was on the verge of shrieking, but was quick to recover.

"Will you stop doing that?" As soon as she could speak, Evie glared over at him. Hating the smug, entertained look he had for scaring the bejesus out of her, again. Her nerves were already raw.

"No." He simply answered, leaning back in the chair. "It amuses me too much to stop now."

"Can't tell you how much I don't care."

"You're cute when you pout." Eric smirked.

Wanting so badly to tell him she wasn't pouting, Evie bit down on her tongue instead. Doubting there was anything she could say to wipe that smug look off his face.

"Everly Lynne can I burrow you for a minute?" Gran eyed Eric in confusion for a moment, but the overwhelming worry she was feeling couldn't be missed.

The excited gleam in her eyes was gone, and Evie felt the bubble of dread expanding inside of her chest.

"Gran what's wrong?"

"There's just a little . . . hiccup I need your help with." Wringing her hands together, Gran cast a quick look toward the entrance.

Not needing to be asked twice, Evie nodded enthusiastically before rising from her seat. Ignoring Eric's penetrating gaze, Evie followed Gran to the meeting room and came to a halt when her gaze landed on her brother.

Even from across the room she could notice there was something off about him.

Standing near one of the snack tables, his features were somewhat slack as he stared unseeingly at a plate of cookies. It was almost like he'd never seen food before. A movement near the large window on the other side of the room pulled Evie's gaze from Jason to where Amy was swaying, as she stared at her reflection in the glass panes.

"I think they're on something." Gran muttered softly.

Swinging her attention to Gran's nervous expression, Evie had no idea how to procced. Replying no shit was out of the question, but it was the only thing that came to mind. There was also not a chance in hell she was going to try and explain to her sweet grandmother that Jason and his newest acquisition were mostly likely under the influence of V. Or that there were two vampires in close proximity, who were not going to be pleased.

Like at all.

As if he knew her thoughts strayed to him, Eric appeared at her side. This time she was too stunned to care.

"Something I can help with?" She wasn't an expert on Eric, but she was fairly sure she could sense his undeniable anger.

"Oh, there's no reason to inconvenience you." Gran quickly responded, her words filled with mortification, and Evie felt her heart sink. It was the same look she would have when Sheriff Dearborn would bring Hadley home. Shame, and regret mixed with heartbreak.

Looking up at Eric she felt her Gran's emotions and wanted to spare her any further indignity. "We're good."

Jason picked up a cookie and stared at it, before tilting his head to the side. He looked to be in deep thought, but she knew better, Jason was cooked and by the murderous glint in Eric's eyes, he knew it too.

"Oh, Gran." Touching Gran's shoulder lightly, Evie tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Why don't you go back to your meeting, I can take care of this."

"Are you sure?" Casting a look over her shoulder to make sure their ugly family issue hadn't been noticed, Gran turned her attention back to Jason. "He just hasn't been acting himself lately."

"I'm sure." The murderous look vanished from Eric's face, turning somewhat tender as he gazed down at Gran. "We've all done things we're not proud of."

Though his words were probably meant to be reassuring, Gran still looked unsure. "Gran, you need to start your meeting. I can take care of Jason."

Gran frowned, before sending a hesitant glance to where Amy was still swaying. "What about Ms. Burley?"

The frown was immediate, and Evie sent a scathing glare to where the tree hugging lunatic was now staring down at her fingers. She didn't care what happened to her, but knowing Gran, she probably was under the belief that Amy's bad behavior would reflect poorly on their family.

Swell.

As soon as Gran shuffled away, Eric shoved his hands into his pockets. The corners of his mouth curved down. "You do realize this only puts you further in my debt."

With a scowl, Evie moved away from him to where Jason was sniffing the cookie

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" Snatching the dessert from him, Evie wanted to shake some sense into him. "You've embarrassed Gran, and you brought that drugged out twat with you. Seriously Jason, what is wrong with you?"

It was almost as if he didn't recognize her, as he looked down at her. After a second he blinked. "Baby Eves?"

"Everly." Their voices must have pulled Amy out of her stupor, as she practically floated over. "Can't you just feel the energy of life caressing your soul?"

Covering her face with both hands, Evie fought against the urge to scream. All day she'd been wound tighter than a two dollar watch and having to deal with this was pushing her to her limits. She was going to crack under the strain.

Feeling a hand rest on her shoulder, Evie tensed even more as her hands dropped away from her face to find Jason and Amy staring over her shoulder toward Eric with hunger.

"You're so beautiful." Amy practically sighed. "Like a Michelangelo statue come to life."

"And you're pathetic." Eric sneered.

To Evie's horror, Amy started to raise her hand. "Can I touch you?"

"Nothing would disgust me more." Taking a step away, his hold on her tightening as he pulled Evie along with him, Eric glowered at the pair. When he spoke, his tone was low and spoke slowly. "You two will go take a seat, you will not say a word, and when this is over you will return home."

Jason and Amy nodded in unison, and quietly moved toward the backrow of seats.

"Did you just mind meld them?" Spinning on her heel, she looked up at him, feeling torn. On the one hand she doubted having one's mind tampered with was safe, but if Eric's compulsion worked and got Jason through this night without getting his ass kicked who was she to argue?

"I'm a Viking, not a Vulcan." Not looking amused, Eric moved past her back to their seats.

He selected a chair a few down from where Amy and Jason were sitting. He looked utterly bored now, as if nothing had just transpired. Evie couldn't figure out if it were a vampire thing, or a male thing. Being able to let go of emotions like that was downright unnatural.

Tentatively, not entirely sure she supported Eric glamouring her brother, Evie moved past him to sit between him and her brother. A flimsy human shield of sorts. Careful to keep as much space between their bodies, she sighed when Bill took the stage. She sighed even more when he cheesed it up for the audience, trying to win them over. He was wearing a suit, but he still appeared to be messy and unkempt.

She knew he was a vampire. Just like how she knew Eric and his scary blonde female friend were. Other than him acquiring the Compton house, she hadn't really given any thought of him having a past. She should have assumed he'd fought in the Civil War, Sookie had mentioned he was older than dirt. But it was so strange to hear he'd once been married and had children together. Apparently, there had been at least one other woman, other than her sister, who could tolerate Bill for long periods of time.

By the time Bill finished answering questions, Evie let out a long sigh of relief. An entire hour devoted to all Bill, all the time, was a newfound form of torture.

"Well, that was illuminating." His words dripped with sarcasm, and Evie watched as Eric stood. His dark jeans molded to his butt and thighs in perfection. Maybe Bill should get some fashion advice from Eric.

Feeling the weight of his gaze, Evie's green eyes snapped up to his blue, and felt her face heat up in humiliation in getting caught staring at his backside.

"See something you like?" His tone goading, Eric refused to look away forcing Evie to be the first to back down. Hating that he once again got the upper hand, she stood and chose not to acknowledge his small victory.

Turning her attention to watch as Jason and Amy made their way out of their row on the other side, she was astonished to see that they were still following Eric's directions. Maybe Gran wouldn't have had such a hard time raising Jason if she'd been gifted with that nifty little trick.

Picking up her purse, she went to slip past Eric only to be intercepted by Arlene and her boyfriend Rene. "It's so good to see you."

Evie doubted Arlene was glad to see her, seeing she typically spent a large portion of the summer bitching at her about something or another. She complained when Merlotte's was too busy. Bitched when it was too slow. Hated working Sundays, with the rush when church let out, and what lousy tippers they were. She whined when it was hot and gripped when the temperature dipped below eighty degrees. Arlene was never happy unless there was some kind of upheaval in her life.

The first year Evie had come back home from school, her coworker had added her to the list of things to whine about. It was as though Arlene took her leaving Bon Temps to get an education as a personal insult.

"Hey Arlene." Not entirely sure where this newfound comradeship was coming from, Evie was a little unsure what to expect. "Rene, how have you two been?"

"We're engaged." Flinging out her hand, Arlene beamed. "But enough about us." Her eyes moved to focus over Evie shoulder. "Is this the infamous Grady?"

Sucking her lower lip in between her teeth, Evie wanted to laugh. She should've known this show of friendship was all about getting information. Before she could speak, Eric's disgruntled grunt came from behind. "That's insulting."

"Oh." Blinking, Arlene's smile slipped. "I'm sorry. I just assumed he was your boyfriend."

"Grady and I broke up." Evie offered. Taking some pity on Arlene, but mostly not wanting her to run off gossiping about her being a big ole cheat.

Her smile returned, and Evie instantly regretted saying anything. "Oh, well I'm Arlene. This is my daughter Lisa, son Coby and this is my fiancé Rene."

It was Arlene's way of forcing an introduction. Feeling cornered, Evie swallowed uncomfortably. "This is Eric."

"Eric Northman." Eric spoke from behind her, his tone dry and unamused. Nearly dying when Arlene stuck her hand out, Evie wondered if this entire nightmare would end if she just walked away.

Not even needing to look, she just knew Eric was staring down at Arlene's hand in gross disgust. But to her surprise, after a moment, Eric reached out and shook it.

"Oh, my goodness your hands are so cold." Eyes wide, Arlene looked down at their clasped hands, until realization dawned on her. Snatching her hand back, she made a silly squeak of a noise in the back of her throat. "Heavens you're a . . . "

"Vampire." His hand came to rest on Evie's shoulder again, giving her a gentle squeeze. "If you'll excuse us."

Half shoving her forward, Evie didn't need an invitation to escape. Moving to where everyone was milling about, poking at the food, she easily located Gran and attempted to join her. Eric on the other hand seemed to have another idea, as he directed them over to where Bill was holding court.

Surrounded by many of the DGD members, all interested on piecing together parts of their past. He looked pained as he answered their questions. His expression turned even more dour when his attention fell on Eric.

"Eric." Excusing himself from his newest groupies, Bill closed the distance. His eyes turned suspicious when they fell on Evie. "What an unexpected surprise."

"I'm sure it's not." Eric murmured. "Public speaking? That's mighty brave of you Compton. I'm sure you're aware, that as your Sheriff, I should have been notified."

"My apologizes." Bill sneered. "I informed Queen Sophie-Anne, she said she'd pass the information onto you."

"Queen?" Stunned, Evie sent a look up to Eric. "Seriously?"

Eric gave her a scathing look that made her snap her jaw shut. "And your recent guests? Does Sophie-Anne know about them as well? Is this why I wasn't informed?"

Bill sent her a withering look, making Evie want to kick Eric in the shin. What an unbelievable rat. When he said he'd talk to Bill, she had assumed it would be a private one on one. Not a conversation that would include her.

"Don't look at her." Eric snapped. "This is between you and me."

Slowly, Bill moved his dark expression away from her, back to Eric. "Yes, I recently had a few uninvited guests. Though I must say I am not their keeper. As to checking in. I can't say if they checked in with you or not."

"Who are they?" Eric pressed.

Bill's eyes shifted again to where she stood, and Evie felt his deep boiling rage towards her.

"I said don't look at her." Eric voice was low and menacing. "Evie has nothing to do with this. This is you trying to be obstinate to my authority in Area five. Do you honestly think I'm so ill equipped as Sheriff that I rely on a college girl to get my intel? I've had people in this backwater town for over a week. So again, I ask, who are your friends."

Grinding his teeth together, clearly out maneuvered, Bill looked close to boiling over. "Malcolm Beaumarchais, Liam McKnight, and Diane Hardwicke."

Eric remained silent for a moment before speaking. "They have two days to present themselves."

"I can't see how this is my responsibility." Bill seethed.

Frozen, Evie watched the exchange in awe. It nearly chased away the foreboding she'd been feeling all day to see Bill put in his place. Eric's intense stare and clenched jaw spoke volumes of his displeasure. "I can't see why you're wasting my time. Two days."

"Fine." Bill spat, before turning to leave.

"And Bill." Eric's eyes narrowed. "Socialize with your friends elsewhere. Your friends are notorious for pushing the boundaries of the Authority. I have no desire to clean up their mess."

With a crisp nod, Bill moved back to the crowd.

"Did you have to do that?" Evie's exasperation was clear. "He knows I ratted him out."

"When did you start caring what Bill Compton thinks?" Looking down at her, his eyes connected with hers.

Good question. The short answer was she didn't give two shits what Bill thought of her. But still didn't like being called out like that.

"I don't." She finally relented.

"Besides, you have a much bigger problem than Bill Compton." Eric's posture relaxed marginally. "Bill's little playmates are bottom feeding predators. You were right to be concerned."

His validation took away some of the sting of being outed. Searching the crowd, she eventually located who she was looking for. "Gran needs to be safe."

Feeling the weight of his stare, Evie glance up and felt her shoulders tense under his scrutiny. "What?"

"You're very protective." He states. "It's an admirable trait."

Not sure what to say to that, Evie silently shrugged.

"Everly Lynne." Exhaustion filled Gran's features, but always the one for manners, she gave Eric a weary smile. "I don't believe you introduced me to your friend." Looking up at Eric, Gran's expression turned apologetic. "Excuse my earlier behavior. What you must think of me."

Holding her breath, Evie was on pins and needles, unable to determine how this would go. She'd seen a few sides of Eric in their short acquaintance. To her shock, the earlier hostility from his exchange with Bill melted away.

"Eric Northman." He was the first to extend out his hand, and Gran didn't blink an eye at his cool touch.

"This is my Gran, Adele Stackhouse." A flow of relief slipped through her veins.

"It's a pleasure." Polite, but not overly so, Evie couldn't feel an ounce of insincerity coming from him. Either he was one helluva fake, or he could honestly be charming when he put his mind to it. "Your acceptance to our existence is humbling."

"Oh." Gran perked up. "You're another vampire?"

A slow grin spread on his lips. "I am."

"How interesting." A little pep returned to Gran's expression. "Are you also from around here?"

"I'm afraid not." Evie smirked at his blatant lie, but still pleased he was trying hard to be respectful.

"What's he doing here?" Approaching their small group, Sam close behind, Sookie looked fit to be tied. Her sister's theatrics were unwanted. Not with most of the town still lingering.

"Manners." Gran scolded. "Mr. Northman is a guest."

"I know who he is." Jutting her chin up, a clear sign Sookie had zero interest in minding her P's and Q's. "He owns the bar Bill took me to."

Sam's expression turned dour as he pulled on Sookie's arm to move her away from Eric. It was a chivalrous move, but one Sookie wanted no part of.

"Hush." Still in no mood to deal with her granddaughter, Gran shook her head. "We don't discriminate in this family. We judge a person by their own merits. That goes for vampires as well as humans."

Still not satisfied, Sookie was on the verge of arguing when Sam interceded. "We were going to grab some coffee."

"You're not staying to help clean up?" They always stuck around after attending one of Gran's meetings. Her age was catching up with her, and Gran wasn't as spry as she once had been. During the summer they took turns dropping by right as the meetings were ending. Those weren't nearly as elaborate as the one tonight. And Sookie knew darn well that Gran would never leave unless she knew things were put to rights.

"I made plans with Sam." Tearing her gaze away from where Eric was silently standing, Sookie didn't even have the grace to look ashamed.

"You two scurry off." Waiving them away, Gran sighed. "I'm sure I can wrangle up some help."

Not needing to be told twice, Sookie tucked her hand into Sam's arm and pulled him out the door. But not before sending one more dirty glance back at Eric.

"Sometimes, I don't know what gets into that girl." Gran shook her head, watching the pair slip out the door and into the night.

"Gran, why don't I find you a ride home." Still shocked at Sookie's odd behavior, Evie lightly touched Gran's shoulder. "I can take care of cleanup."

"There's no need for that."

"I closed Merlotte's nearly every night this summer." Rolling her eyes, Evie started to search the crowd and found Hoyt's tall form standing next to his mother. "This will be a piece of cake."