Hi everyone! I know it has been a little bit since I posted. I'm inconsistent, but I'm really trying. So, I appreciate your patience!

This chapter will probably be a little sensitive for some people. I ran it by two of my friends and, since the danger is only brief, they gave me the go ahead to post. However, I have split the chapter in two parts. I just wanted to put up a brief warning so you could be a little cautious in the second half of this chapter.

(The chapter title comes from "Live in the Dark" by Jeff Beck. I truly hope to hear from some of you in the reviews! Don't be surprised if I update a time or two more this week.)

- lightinside

06.| Live in the Dark

Two weeks. Birdie had seen Eric for seven out of fourteen days that had passed since the first night she spent at Fangtasia. Every other day, if they could – there were times when Birdie's friends paid a little too much attention for comfort. She couldn't escape to Shreveport, no matter how much she thought of it.

Today was one of those days. It was nearing sundown and Birdie found herself stuck at Sookie's kitchen table, being fussed over. As Birdie absently circled her finger around the rim of her water glass, too far gone to hear her friend clucking, a sandwich was plopped in front of her.

Birdie started, halting her ninth rotation around the glass. "What's that?"

"Food." Sookie rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. "Honestly, Birdie, what is with you lately? You aren't present. When Tara told you she quit her job yesterday you said, 'sounds nice.'"

"Just tired, I guess." Birdie murmured. It wasn't a lie. She was very tired, just not for the reasons Sookie would assume.

"Do you need one of us to stay with you?" Sookie asked. Birdie watched her slice a tomato with no small amount of dread. "It can't be easy staying in that house alone."

"Why not?" Birdie asked. It was an effort to keep a defensive edge out of her voice. "You stay here alone. And you seem to get on just fine." She took a bite of her sandwich as Sookie turned around, knife in hand. A full mouth meant more time to come up with something to say if Sookie asked any pointed questions.

"I'm just sayin'." She sighed, looking Birdie over in such a way that Birdie suddenly couldn't remember if she'd washed her face that morning. Did she look that bad? She frowned and moodily took another bite of her sandwich.

"Well stop it." Birdie said. "I'm alright."

"And when you're here, you eat like a wolf." Sookie shook her head and kept slicing tomatoes. "I'm worried about you. You're buyin' enough food, right?"

"For the love of all that is holy, Sookie Stackhouse, you don't have to mother me." Birdie half growled. "I'm alive and healthy and nowhere near starved. I just don't cook the way you do – Mama never taught me a thing. And you better watch that knife before you lose your thumb."

Sookie put the knife down with exaggerated grace, just to grate on Birdie's last nerve. It was working. For the first time in her life, Birdie was truly irritated. Always in a fuss about nothing, never content. She suspected it was because she finally knew what true contentment was. And some part of her would never rest as long as it remained out of her reach.

Birdie sipped her water again, longer than necessary. As if I might quell the itch rising in her blood. She caught Sookie staring as she put down her glass and glared. "And before you ask me if I'm drinkin' enough water, you can kindly shove it."

Her friend laughed and went back to her work, but Sookie was far from being out of questions to ask. There was a long silence – the deep breath before the plunge. "Bird?"

Birdie braced herself. She got the feeling that she was about to have to lie very well. She resumed her dance along the rim of her glass. "Mmm."

"Are you…" Though Sookie wasn't looking directly at her, Birdie could have sworn that she started sweating. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there was that thing with Tara. You're saying strange things. And you're hungry… all the time." Sookie peeked over her shoulder, smiling conspiratorially. Oh, no. "Is there a guy?"

Birdie nearly knocked her glass right over into the floor. "No!" She cried, a little too loudly. "Of course not. Not after the debacle with – you know. Anyway. You'd be the first to know." Carry me straight to hell, she thought. She could just imagine the flames eating away at her. It was terrible to deceive Sookie, especially when she was so sincere about everything.

"Well, good." Sookie said, never losing her smile. She looked suspiciously like she knew something that Birdie didn't. And that made Birdie very nervous.

"Wait." Birdie said, trying not to stammer. "What do you mean? Why is that good?"

"It's very good, because I have someone very interested in going out for a night on the town with you." Sookie squealed and bounced away from the counter to rip a number off the fridge.

Birdie couldn't seem to breathe. "No, no. That's okay. I'm not really – I shouldn't – I don't really do blind dates."

"It wouldn't be a blind date, silly." Sookie said, handing her friend the number. "You know him."

Birdie couldn't hide the surprise that flickered across her face before she glanced down at the number. Austin Caudill. Oh, hell. "Sookie, I haven't seen Austin since high school."

"I know." Sookie said, waving her hand in dismissal. "Which is why I told him you would love to catch up."

Birdie was going to scream. This couldn't have been real. Sookie wasn't serious. She looked up from the ten-digit number to her friend. Sookie was beaming. She was absolutely serious and one-hundred and fifty percent excited about it.

Birdie's mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. "Um… great!" She forced the word from her mouth. "Fantastic. But, you know, I sort of like things to happen naturally? If it's meant to be, it will be – that shit."

"Well, you will naturally be seeing him tonight at dinner." Sookie said, avoiding Birdie's eye.

"You didn't."

Sookie shrugged. "If I did?"

"I would have to kill you?" Birdie asked, and it didn't sound like a joke. She didn't know if she meant it to. "You didn't. Right?"

This time, Sookie had the decency to look apologetic. She turned to face Birdie, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. Something within Birdie snapped and she stood up from the table, abandoning the rest of her food. Her appetite had gone in an instant. "I did. Alright, you look upset. Are you upset?"

"You know I just – the thing with – Portland, remember? I moved here to get away from someone? Does any of that ring a bell with you?" Birdie demanded, trying not to lunge for Sookie. For the first time ever, she could imagine throttling the little blonde. There were a lot of firsts happening as of late. Maybe hitting Sookie over the head with a thick magazine would relieve some of the pressure building in Birdie's head.

Also, I might be consciously not involved with someone you hate? There's that, too.

"Ringing." Sookie said, still chewing on her lip. "I just thought it would be good for you. You don't have to like him or even be serious about it. It's good to date around – to mess around, even. You should try it, it might loosen you up some."

Birdie's mouth opened and closed. She was doing exactly that. Messing around. Sookie just didn't know it. She stood there, gaping like an idiot, trying to think of something to say that didn't sound like an outright lie. The only thing she could do was agree to dinner. If she started acting too squirrely about the whole thing, Sookie would know something was up. "Do I need loosening?" She asked finally, forcing herself not to spit the words through her teeth.

"Don't we all?" Sookie asked. "It isn't that I think you need help getting a date, Bird. I just think that if you don't get back out there now, you'll keep puttin' it off." She narrowed her eyes, taking in Birdie's murderous expression. "And you said there wasn't a guy."

"No guy." Birdie repeated. "And it was thoughtful, but honestly I think I'll pass." She looked back at the number. "Austin Caudill?"

"He's really a nice guy, Birdie." Sookie promised. "He's on the police force now. A real hot-shot."

"In my experience, hot-shots are the ones to avoid." Birdie mumbled.

"One dinner. If you don't have a good time, I'll never try to set you up again." Sookie smiled, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work exactly the way she wanted. "Scout's honor."

"You were never a Girl Scout." Birdie reminded her.

"Birdie."

"Alright, fine. One dinner." She stabbed a finger toward Sookie. "And you'll never set me up again. Not ever."

Sookie squealed, throwing her arms around Birdie's shoulders. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." When she pulled away, Birdie made a show of smiling even though she didn't much feel like it. "I solemnly swear I will henceforth stay out of your business."

"Thank God for that." Birdie said, shaking her head.

"You might like him." Sookie sang, returning to her work at the counter. Birdie watched as she began to roll out a large section of dough, as though she were going to make a pie. Of course she would, if someone new was coming to dinner.

"Don't bet on it." Birdie sang back and sauntered over to the sink. Very soon, she was elbow deep in suds and silverware. She had hoped that helping Sookie with her dishes would make her forget about going to Shreveport.

It didn't.

Sookie went out of her way to create a spread that rivaled a banquet. There was salad, pecan pie, potatoes, green beans and a duck that could have fed five people easily. But when prompted, Sookie insisted that dinner would only consist of the two of them and Austin. She'd invited Jason but had yet to hear back with a solid answer.

"That's why all the extra food." She said as she set the table with Birdie. "You know how he eats."

Birdie nodded. "I remember." She looked at the dining table, lined with dish after dish. It was completely insane that Sookie had done all of this – had been in the process even before she warned Birdie about her little arrangement. Birdie felt guilty for even considering telling her no.

Sookie left her to finish the table arrangements so that she could call Jason one last time. In the meantime, Birdie checked herself over. It wasn't that she didn't look nice. But who thought they looked perfect before a date, anyway? No one. Not ever.

She fussed over her hair and straightened her dress, and then became frustrated that she even cared at all how she looked. Dinner hadn't been her idea. But it was Sookie's arrangement – Sookie's house. How Birdie behaved toward Austin would reflect on Sookie. And she already had enough working against her. Being the town freak was a full-time occupation.

Birdie took a deep breath and began milling around the living room. She could hear Sookie on the phone with Jason. It didn't sound like it was going too well.

"You've barely seen Birdie since she's been home." Sookie was clearly attempting to keep her voice down, but the kitchen was just off the living room. It was nearly impossible to keep someone from hearing every detail of a conversation had over the phone. "I know you're upset about – I know, Jason. It's been hard on everyone. Just… we're here, you know? I'm here."

Birdie stopped trying not to listen and opted to turn on the TV for maximum conversation drowning. She flipped from channel to channel, skipping Hallmark and TNT before landing momentarily on the news. Birdie never watched the news. It was almost always horrible – there was no point in looking to see what part of the world was falling to pieces next.

The headline caught her eye. And it seemed that it was her part of the world that was on the chopping block – TRU-BLOOD FACTORIES SHUT DOWN, HUMANS FIGHT BACK.

Birdie dropped the remote. Her hands flew to her mouth as she stared, hardly seeing or hearing what was said. But Sookie did. A few hurried words later, she flew from the kitchen and landed right in front of the television, gripping Birdie's arm so hard that it hurt.

"No." Sookie murmured. "That isn't possible. That's the governor."

The governor, Truman Burrell, stood at the podium proudly. Birdie didn't know what to think of him – a small, balding man in his fifties who seemed as though he would be fodder for any determined vampire. He was publicly against them, Birdie had seen him on television before, but it couldn't be possible that he could have spread his influence so far. It couldn't be. "Humans will fight back. As of now, vampires have no rights in the state of Louisiana. Following a conference tomorrow, it is likely that vampires will have no rights in the South."

Sookie had to sit down. Birdie felt the absence of her iron grip but never turned around to see if Sookie was ill or if she'd needed to take a moment to breathe. "They can't do this." Birdie said, more to convince herself than ask. "They can't."

"They are." Sookie said. "No rights. I have to – I don't know, I have to get to Bill. I have to warn Bill." This caught Birdie's attention. She turned from the TV in time to see Sookie get up from the coffee table and start getting her things together.

"No way. You can't go out there." Birdie insisted, catching her arm. "There's no telling what it's like. Vampires have no rights. There are going to be riots in the streets – mobs. It'll be open season."

"Which is why I have to go get him." Sookie yanked her arm back and picked up her cell phone. "He's one of the first one's they'll go for. Bill is more in the public eye in Bon Temps than you realize. People like Maxine Fortenberry? They'll be exactly the type to grab their guns, buy some silver bullets, and find a vampire to use them on."

Birdie felt sick to her stomach. "Just… be careful." She looked toward the door. "I'm going to go home."

Sookie's eyes widened. "What about Austin?"

Birdie swore. "What time did he say he was coming?"

"Eight-thirty." Sookie checked her watch. "It's eight-fifteen now."

"Go." Birdie said. "I'll stay and wait for him. Get a head start on all the madness – and stay in touch."

Sookie took off without another word. She never said that she would come back. Birdie could only hope everything went without incident. Birdie tried to keep it together. The one person she worried for most was the one she couldn't mention. It wasn't as if she could go to him. Could she? What would that mean?

Nothing. He was nothing. There was no they. Eric could take care of himself – he had Pam. They would be fine. She looked back toward the television just as the governor raised his arms and the crowd around him erupted into cheers and applause.

She was running to the bathroom to be sick just as the doorbell rang. Birdie lost the contents of her lunch from earlier in the day before she gathered herself and went to answer it.

Austin Caudill was just as she remembered him. Muscled and tall, just like Sookie's brother. Brown hair, brown eyes, and a goofy grin that didn't at all match the hot-shot policeman Sookie described to her.

Birdie smiled. "Hi, Austin."

He dipped his head. "Birdie."

"So, change of plans." She said abruptly, blinking at her own audacity. "Sookie had to go. And I need… a ride."

"Is everything okay?" He asked, furrowing his brow. Ever the gentleman. Never once acting put out by the new turn of events. Birdie could have kissed him for being so gracious.

"Fine, fine." She lied. Another smile. "I just need to, um, meet someone in Shreveport. I forgot. You know, before the – this – dinner. Before dinner." Birdie turned and grabbed her bag and phone, wincing at her own awkwardness. "Is that okay? I could call a cab, but that would take a long time and I'm – it's late."

Austin narrowed his eyes, even as he fished his keys from inside his pocket. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Mmhmm." Birdie said chipperly. "Absolutely. We can catch up on the way, maybe? Unless this is a total bummer and you would rather never speak to me again since I've denied you dinner."

He laughed, a rich, warm sound that made her think he hadn't a care in the world. "While you have denied me dinner, you are providing me with your undivided attention. I think that makes up for it." He gestured toward the car. "After you."

"Really?"

"I would never deny a lady a ride." Austin said. "And it isn't too safe out tonight. I would feel better escorting you."

It isn't too safe out tonight.

Birdie's heart sank. It was already getting bad, then. She got ahold of herself and nodded, heading for Austin's police cruiser that sat parked in front of the house. Before Austin could open the door for her, Birdie had hurled herself into the front passenger seat and was buckled as he slid in the drivers' seat.

Without a word he cranked the car and pulled away from Sookie's house. Birdie never looked back.

It was worse than Birdie thought it might have been. So much worse. She could barely hear Austin talking for all the noise – the yelling, the gunfire, the fireworks. He sat easily, chatted as if there was nothing for Birdie to worry about. But she could see that wasn't the case. Austin's eyes were aware, always shifting around to assess the situation around them. And his hands were tight around the steering wheel, as if he were channeling all his anxiety into it.

Birdie chose to ball her hands into fists and shove them in her lap. There was no point in telling him to drive faster – how could he? Lines and lines of people crowded the streets leading into Shreveport. Most were drinking. And most had guns.

This had been a very bad idea.

Around the time a pathway cleared for Austin to ease the car through, a bright light caught Birdie's eye to the left of them. She looked in time to see a man, no older than twenty, throw what looked to be a Molotov cocktail into the shop-front of a Vampire Rights office. Birdie screamed just as the window exploded, folding in on herself to become smaller as the remnants of wood and glass hit the cruiser. Austin reached out a hand for her, steadying her, and stepped on the gas.

"Damn, Birdie." He murmured when they cleared most of the crowds. "I'm not sure I should have brought you all the way out here."

"We're almost there." She breathed shakily. "I didn't expect it would be this bad. Not so soon."

"When the world goes to hell, it doesn't much take its time." He said, removing his hand from her back as she sat up. "Are you alright?"

"Startled."

"Yeah." He said grimly. "I can't say that I'm not." He looked toward Birdie as they once again hit a stretch of open road. "Where is that place you're goin' again?"

"Down the road a way." Birdie replied, avoiding his question. "Not far now."

Austin didn't say anything to that, just kept driving. But Birdie could see him looking at her out of the corner of her eye. He was curious about something – it was eating away at him.

She sighed. "Ask me."

He cleared his throat. "What?"

"You've been starin' at me for the past five minutes, Austin. I think I can handle whatever it is that's eatin' you up so bad."

"Well…"

"Ask me." Birdie repeated.

"You're going to see a vampire."

"That doesn't sound like a question."

"Are you?"

Birdie hesitated. "Yeah." She said finally. "I am. Does that bother you?"

"Only thing that would have bothered me is if you'd have tried comin' out here alone in all this." Austin said earnestly. "So, no. I'm not bothered a bit."

"That's generous of you. All things considered."

He raised an eyebrow. "What things?"

"The uniform, hot-shot." Birdie laughed. "Mr. Policeman come to save the day."

Austin snorted. "You know better than that, Birdie. I'm still the same guy I was in high school. I don't much care for politics. Just for what's right." He looked in the rearview, at the smoke that was staining the sky as it bled orange from the fire. "And this ain't it."

Birdie nodded, thinking. And she was so lost in her own mind that she hardly noticed when the car slowed down again. She looked up from her lap and gasped. "Oh, no."

They were two minutes down the road from Fangtasia. And between them and the nightclub, there was a mob, armed to the teeth. Birdie could see fire and the beams of flashlights, each playing off of lines and lines of silver that were draped over the would-be attackers like silk. She hadn't gotten ahead of anything, just walked right into the middle of it all.

Birdie steeled herself, clenched her jaw, and unbuckled her seatbelt. Austin started next to her, hand shooting out to grab her arm. "Oh, no. No way." He said. "No way are you goin' out in that."

"If you want to stop me, you're going to have to handcuff me to this cruiser." Birdie said calmly, looking him right in the eye. "I don't think you would do that. Not after we came all this way."

"Birdie, this is crazy. Bringing you here was one thing. I can't let you go into that." He sounded as though he were on the edge of panic. So was she, but she refused to let it surface. Birdie wouldn't be controlled by it or allow herself to be distracted.

The first rule of safety was awareness.

"Let go of my arm." Birdie coaxed, keeping her voice steady. Getting upset over him trying to keep her in the car was just as likely to cement the fact that Austin wouldn't let her go. "It'll be okay. I'll be fine."

"What if that place is already up in flames?"

Birdie looked toward the nightclub, insides roiling. She was nearly sick with relief to see that there were no flames. Not yet. "It isn't."

"What if it goes up with you in it?"

"There's a basement. Concrete." Birdie told him, though she wasn't sure she should have. "I promise, I've thought this through. You can let me go." That was the lie, but he would never know it.

Austin looked between her and the mob, still unconvinced. "Damn it. You owe me dinner, Birdie. Nothing can happen to you while you owe me dinner."

It was clear he was kidding, and Birdie laughed even though he didn't. "I do owe you." She leaned over slowly and kissed his cheek, surprising him. And so, Birdie took her opportunity. She yanked her arm out of Austin's grip and threw herself out of the cruiser, landing on her feet. She didn't bother closing the door.

"BIRDIE!"

Before he could try to follow, Birdie hurled herself into the middle of the mob and began to make her way forward. Within minutes, she was completely out of Austin's reach. There was no way to find her, not this far in. And before Birdie could let that thought send her spiraling, she shoved it from her head and kept moving forward.

One foot in front of the other.

Pushing and shoving, breathing in and out, never meeting the eye of anyone around her. Head down, eyes forward, don't stop. She repeated that in her head over and over, drowning out her anxiety. She remembered what Penny told her. No matter where she was, Birdie should act like she belonged. There was no room to show an ounce of weakness, not in this environment.

Not when she was so close to the front door. She could see the velvet rope just beyond the front of the mob. It had been knocked over and cut, the building was spray-painted with a message in red.

GOD HATES FANGS.

Birdie kept pushing forward. She could barely hear herself think through all the noise. Her fingers had just brushed the front door when a low whistle sounded from behind her. All the blood rushed from Birdie's face.

"Boys." The man laughed, taking a swig from his flask. "I think we've got ourselves a fang-banger."

Two others, presumably the idiot's cohorts, looked Birdie over. And suddenly being without Austin didn't seem like such a good idea. "Excuse me?" Birdie asked, having to raise her voice. It kept the tremor out of it. But she couldn't find the time to be grateful.

"I think we might." One of the two said, looking back toward the drunk. "Should we find out?"

"I think you're mistaken." Birdie managed. "God hates fangs." She repeated the phrase that stained the wall outside like fresh blood, even as she tasted bile at the words. "I'm no sinner."

The drunk laughed, coming close enough that Birdie could smell his stale breath. She turned away from it instinctively. He pinched her chin between his fingers, stronger than he looked. "I can make you one."

Arms were around Birdie's waist before she could move or make a sound. And suddenly she found herself in the alleyway next to the club, at the mercy of these three men who wanted to well and truly eat her alive, just as Penny had warned her. Birdie began sucking in air to scream just as one of them tore at her dress, but no sooner had one laid a hand on her bare leg to pull her down into the dirt than the side-door opened.

Birdie couldn't contain her shock. There stood Ginger, one of the human waitresses, with a shotgun that was nearly bigger than she was. Ginger was shaking, but not one of Birdie's attackers noticed.

"Leave her the fuck alone." Ginger said, forcing the words out as if they'd been fed to her. "Take your hands off her, and I won't have to blow you to hell."

"This ain't your business, little girl."

Ginger cocked the gun and swung it around so that it pointed right at his head – the leader. "Call me that again." She took a step outside, distracting everyone just long enough that no one but Birdie saw the blur leave Fangtasia. And then, she was free. The hands holding her were limp, as were the bodies connected to them.

Birdie thought she would faint, couldn't bring herself to move, but was swept into arms of marble and steel before she was spirited inside. Ginger stumbled in behind them, making a muffled sound that Birdie realized was screaming. And she also realized why it was muffled – Pam had dragged her back inside with a hand over her mouth.

Birdie was half-dazed. Unsure what to say as she was carried toward the basement stairs. "Clean that up, Pam." Eric's voice rumbled, vibrating against Birdie's ear as she swung in his arms. He carried her as easily as one would carry a child.

"With pleasure." Pam said flatly, snatching the gun from Ginger's hand.

Ginger was still screaming.

Eric carried her straight into the room nestled deep within the basement, far away from Pam and the noise of Ginger's high-pitched screaming. Birdie wondered to herself if Ginger would last very long working at Fangtasia. She didn't exactly seem like the type that was built to have daily dealings with vampires. And she was shrill. Very shrill.

Once the door was shut behind them, Birdie could no longer hear the mob outside. She could only hear her breathing, ragged as it was from all the excitement. "Explain to me what it is that you are doing here." Eric demanded, a dark edge to his voice.

He put her down, turning his back on her only for a moment before he produced a red shirt. Fangtasia, it read. Life begins at night. Without asking, he swiftly removed Birdie's dress and, before she could blink, she was wearing the shirt. It was long enough that it covered her – there was nothing to bring her embarrassment.

It was only as he threw her dress to the side that she saw it had blood on the neckline. Birdie touched the back of her head and winced.

He sounded upset. Almost angry. Birdie wondered at that for as long as she dared before she forced her mouth to start working. "I didn't know it would be this bad. I thought I could get here in front of the aftermath. The governor made an announcement – they aren't making – "

"I know that, Birdie." Eric almost hissed her name. "What I want to know is why you are here."

Birdie gaped at him, staring stupidly. He'd said her name. Her first name – not 'Miss. Chapman'. And what did he mean? Of course she had come to warn them – it was the decent thing to do. It was the right thing. The dangerous thing. "I couldn't stay in Bon Temps not knowing – I just – I didn't come alone. I'm not here for – I – I'm –" Birdie squeezed her eyes shut. She forced herself to take a deep breath. "I wanted to make sure everyone was alright."

Eric looked downright murderous. She was sure it wasn't entirely because of her. It couldn't be because of her. "You should not have come." He pointed back toward the apartment door. "You could have been killed."

Birdie shook her head. "It hardly matters now. I made it."

"Did you?" Eric ground out through clenched teeth. "Who do you think sent Ginger to fetch you? Ginger – that stupid thing who can barely hold a tray and I was forced to send her out with a gun."

"Who are you to lecture me?" Birdie demanded, taking a step toward him. She was already looking up at him, was aware that there was hardly any dignity in having to talk up to someone. But she was upset now. She was angry. And she found that it didn't matter much to her. "You didn't have to send Ginger. You didn't have to do anything. You didn't have to kill them."

Eric grabbed her forearms, ducking his head as he moved closer to her. "Didn't I?"

Birdie was staring again, having forgotten how to speak. It seemed, after a long moment in which neither breathed, that he realized how tight he held her and let go.

"I…" Birdie tried to swallow her fear, but it was no use. She was trembling all over. Whether from the shock of the scene outside or from the surprise of Eric's show of temper, there was no way of knowing. "How will you get out of here? How will you eat?"

Eric's eyes flashed. He leaned stoically against the wall across from Birdie, watching her intently. She couldn't read his face, no matter how hard she tried. "We will make due."

Birdie fell silent, watching Eric as he watched her. She made no move to cross the room to him. Nor did he to reach her. That wasn't what this was, she reminded herself. By all rights, she shouldn't even have been there. It was a thoughtless thing to do. An emotional thing to do.

"You were right." Birdie never broke his gaze. "I shouldn't have come here." She paused, thinking carefully about her next words even as her heart fluttered in her chest. Reckless words, but true all the same. "I was afraid for you."

Something passed over Eric's face, much as it had the night he first laid eyes on her. And Birdie still couldn't put a name to it. She stopped trying and kept speaking, tried to get everything out before he could stop her.

"Before you ridicule me, or call me ridiculous, I just want you to know that I remember what this is. What we are. Believe me, I am not fooling myself into believing differently. But also, I – I just need to know that it's okay for me to feel that. To be afraid for you, just this once. Under these circumstances. I won't act – be irrational after this."

Eric paused. Some of the rage melted from his eyes, leaving only a small measure of relief. "Only if you allow me the same."

He had been afraid for her. He had been afraid for her. Birdie bit her tongue and forced herself to nod. "Of course."

"It seems that even I am not immune to human tendencies at times." Eric murmured. He looked her up and down, assessing. "Are you harmed?"

"Scraped." Birdie answered him honestly. "Nothing more than that."

Eric seemed doubtful but took her at her word. Something crashed upstairs, causing both of them to look toward the door. "Stay here." He ordered her.

"You're going back out there?" The words were out of her mouth before Birdie could stop them. She barely was able to keep her arms at her sides to keep from reaching for him.

"I will retrieve Pam and Ginger. If the humans manage to compromise the nightclub, it will be better if they are here, out of immediate danger."

"My friend –" Birdie started but stopped herself before she could say Austin's name.

"If your friend was smart, they would have turned around and headed for Bon Temps."

Birdie didn't say so, but she wasn't sure that Austin would have just turned around and left her. Especially not after she practically leapt from his cruiser and into the crowds that spanned two blocks around Fangtasia. He probably thought she'd been trampled to death. Which, Birdie admitted, had been a very real possibility. One that she had chosen not to consider beforehand.

Birdie looked back at Eric one more time. "Thank you." She said. "For… thank you."

"Do not ever put yourself in that position again."

Birdie nodded, at a loss for words.

Without another word, Eric turned on his heel and strode from the room. And Birdie was left to listen to the world outside go up in flames.