Let's Plan a Party

After a long exhausting night in New Orleans, seeing Eric again and escaping the Authority Pam held onto Tara's hand as they walked out the last doors of the building, no looking back. Tonight had been a definite turn around in their relationship, now where it would lead-who knew? She gave her one last kiss before climbing into the coffin and closing the lid for transport back to Shreveport. Home...at last. Eric looked as if something was bothering him, but she let it go. All she could think about was Tara and that kiss.

The next night she awoke and rose from her coffin fully rested and an idea in her head. Seeing Tara still asleep, deciding against waking her she went to Eric's office and knocked on the door, awaiting an answer. It had all come to her like a dream, a way to get Fangtasia back on the map. For good.

Eric was in the office, getting more frustrated by the minute. They'd lost a ton of money while he was gone. "Enter" he said as he kept typing away numbers. With receipts all over the desk, some delivery orders and a half drunk true blood.

"Pamela... and here I thought you'd be getting to know your progeny better" he said, not looking up, knowing it was Pam. Jessica had been MORE than willing to spill the beans on Pam's kiss but Eric didn't care. A maker/progeny relationship was complicated so he wasn't surprised they were hot for each other.

Pam entered the room and closed it behind her quietly as he was counting receipts at a speed only vampires can. She walked over to his desk her arms folded across her chest as she took in the sight of his frustration. "Eric...I.." She was interrupted by him saying something about getting to know her progeny better. She stared at him not smiling. Jessica...of coarse. She cleared her throat and sat in the chair in front of his cluttered desk.

"He nearly ruined the club, but Tara had his head. Literally." Her dry sense of humor showing as she showed no signs of remorse or humor. Crossing her legs, she sat up straight and began. "I know how we can get the club back up to par."

Eric took a pause, looking up from his calculations. "Oh? and what is it?" he asked as he leaned back. Wearing just his usual black tank top and leather pants he looked too at ease to be a business owner.

With Nora on his heels, Bill going crazy and Pam going lesbian on her progeny he had a lot of his plate and the bar almost going under was weighing heavily on his mind.

She spoke with ease and a carefree nature, a bit more lax but still her normal self. She was unsure if she should bring anything about Tara and the certain changes to their relationship just yet. So instead, she began to explain her idea. "Well, what about a party? Not just any kind of backwoods hillbilly party either, something grand. Extravagant. A Masquerade perhaps." Her lips curved up to a smile. "A chance to regale in the times we'd spent throughout our lives, different times, eras and fashions." She looked into space as she thought of the early 1900's when she was first made. Things had changed so much, but she did enjoy remembering those times. Looking back to him, she dropped the smile and shrugged. "Just a thought, for business."

He thought for a moment. It did sound like a good idea. Bring in some revenue, some out of town people, would give him a wonderful excuse to redo the bar and write it off as a tax deduction.

"Alright Pam...I can consent to this idea, however we're low on true blood and we don't want to go down the path of religion, so we'll have to get some legit donors for any vampires coming" he said, giving her a pointed look. "And not just women" he added.

She gave a curt nod and stood. "I shall see to it that we have donors, and I know just the person to call. I take it everything will be claimed on this years taxes?" She said with a smile in her eyes as she walked around the desk and took a seat on the edge next to where he sat.

"I can tell something is on your mind, Eric. Speak." She knew he was worried about losing the club, so was she. She knew Kiara would have the supply of donors (she hoped) and knew just the person to call for planning and arranging such affairs. She may even be able to get her hands on some Celtic warrior blood.

He sighed. He hadn't told Pam what had happened to Bill and he wasn't about to. For now Bill was out of the picture.

"Pam... shit has hit the fan... in worse ways than any of us can imagine" he looked at her and touched her cheek. "When I heard you were taken a part of me broke inside, I couldn't bear the thought of you being killed. I don't want that anymore...I don't want to not know when you're in trouble" he said softly, standing up and kissing her forehead.

As he spoke she brought her brows together as she tried to understand what he could mean. They all escaped, everything could go back to normal now. His sweet words of care as he touched her cheek meant more to her than ever. Eric was her best friend, the only person...maybe besides Tara, that she could be herself with. She placed her hand over his that touched her cheek and looked into his eyes. "Eric, I'm safe now...it's all that matters." She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead.

"Guess that's the price you pay for no longer being tied to your maker." She said in a low whisper. She opened her eyes and looked back at his.

He nodded and ran his fingers through her hair. "We'll have to rebuild parts of the bar, cleanse it from the blood. Also since our family is growing we may have to extend the cabin, unless you want Tara to have her own place. I don't even know where I'll accommodate Nora" he said as he looked down at the receipts. "If we can keep the bar from going under, you're more than welcome to throw your masked ball"

"The profits from the party would put us back on track more than anything, it's finding a way to throw it I suppose." Her nerves were more calm as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I can pull it off. I know I can."

She was confident that they would get revenue from the party, hopefully humans would attend even with what was happening in the world. The Authority had seriously fucked vampires who actually did mainstream and mean no harm. Well, aside from the occasional draining.

He nodded as he sat back down "We'll invite some investors...human investors as well. The authority fucked up our image and we need to fix it" he said as he leaned back.

"Pam is our cabin secure?" he asked suddenly, having a quick idea that he could do with the money he'd stashed away in the bar and was now carrying around with himself and Nora.

She nodded, "Yes, they did. Damage control is what we need to focus on, show people we aren't like them. You should make a statement. We've been bombarded with news crews all week, I hear from Daniel."

She watched as he leaned back in his chair as she crossed her legs. "As a matter of fact it is. No one knows the location but us." Pam knew about the money he'd stashed in the bar for emergencies and if anything she knew he'd taken it when she was in the Authority headquarters. It was money they'd stashed for years, never being used unless for emergencies. "What did you have in mind?" Pam said with an arched brow.

He placed his fingers near his face in a pensive pose. "I'm thinking a few needed remodels... fortify things, make it more secure, probably hire weres for security. Humans are too easily compromised" he said as he looked at her.

"I don't want to say too much, but things are bad Pam... and they're only going to get worse around here. I want our family to be able to escape to a secure place if needed" he said, sounding calm, but his eyes betrayed alarm.

"We'll need to start amassing blood, seeing as how true blood won't be back on production for a while"

Eric never panicked, and when he did things were bad. Real bad. She remained calm and acted as if none of it bothered her, when deep down she feared losing Eric. And Tara. Eric's sister was never her number one fan, only seeing Pam as a minuscule whore who didn't deserve Eric or to be his progeny. She nodded as he suggested things, knowing she could count on certain people, but amping up security at the cabin and the club wouldn't hurt.

She looked up at him with a small grin,"I know just who to call....John Quinn, Weretiger. He runs the E(e)E...don't you remember his reputation? While you were gone, he came here...wanting to invest. Big and flashy and definitely one for electronics. I'm sure he would know the best and strongest weres. For blood, Kiara still runs her business I'm sure."

He nodded "Alright... we'll set up a few things" he said as he leaned back "We'll also purchase some more coffins so we're not using those travel ones from the AVL" he said calmly.

"think you can handle calling Quinn and Kiara then? I still need to figure out how far into shit creek were in right now" he said as he went back to counting receipts.

She stood and nodded. "That I can." She could feel Tara near and awake as she focused hard not to show any emotion, since she hadn't talked to Eric about what has transpired with her. She gave him a small smile. "I'll leave you to it then and...check the bar supplies." She turned on her heel and headed for the door, before stopping and looking over her shoulder.

"Thank you...for coming back for me." Then before he could answer, she sped out of the room, papers on the bulletin board flying up as the wind she caused disturbed their immobile places. A list of things to do, but wanting to speak with Tara about what had happened. What was she to say? She was no good at things like that. She sighed and rolled her eyes knowing it had to be done.