Sunday morning was refreshing. It wasn't muggy and I had dreamt of dancing with Eric Northman. Real dancing, with steps and in a ballroom. Pervs.

My day consisted of mostly errands and housework. I sang along to rock music while I was just finishing up. The task of the hour was going to be answering one question. What the hell do you wear when you have no idea how you are going to spend your evening?

We were meeting at Fangtasia but did that mean we were staying there or just that it would be familiar ground to convene at? I decided the most versatile outfit I had consisted of black jeans, a maroon cotton shirt with some cut outs on the back, and booties. It was too hot for a jacket this far into June. I pulled my hair around to do a low side braid. My ash blonde hair was long, but I hated it getting into my face so I rarely wore it down.

I looked at the clock. I was running right on time so I got in my Saab and headed West towards the club. There was a lot going through my mind. Molly knew where I was going, but that really didn't mean anything. Though it had never been done to me before, I believed the stories about memory altering and being controlled. By showing up, I was admitting to a certain amount of trust. What was I thinking?

My hesitance flared as I pulled in the lot and parked towards the side of the building. A lot of doubt about my circumstances were circling my brain when suddenly there was a figure blocking the light from the security flood on the building.

"I see you didn't have any trouble finding your way back." Eric chimed from outside my car. I put the window up, killed the engine and unbuckled. With my purse strap in hand, I exited the vehicle and stood beside my vampire escort. Beep beep.

I smiled up at Eric after depositing my keys in my bag. "Not at all. But I did realize I had no clue what your plans were- so I hope I dressed appropriately." I shrugged.

Eric wore black jeans and a fitted charcoal gray tee enveloped in a black leather jacket. Way to fit the stereotype. "I think you look perfect for tonight's agenda. Do you like cars?" He asked.

A chuckle escaped me. "I enjoy a good sunroof." I offered.

"I'll take that as a 'no.' Good thing the trip is worth it." He smiled.

I thought about that as we got situated in his Ferrari that was parked in the center of the back lot. It was red.

Eric had chosen some metal band with a hurdy-gurdy. It was fairly impressive. After about ten minutes, I felt my body relax from a tension I hadn't realized was there. My chauffeur looked over at me then, and I was sure he could feel it too. It was embarrassing to think about all the things a vampire can tell about you. Things that you may or may not recognize about yourself.

"What are you thinking about?" Eric inquired.

My reply had no hesitation. "How observant you are." I looked at him across the console as he continued to speed us down the blackened country road. "I'm unnerved by your powers of perception. It isn't natural for me to be relaxed around you yet." I paused for a moment before deciding to voice my next thought. "I've never considered myself racist, but I have to admit there is a subconscious apprehension with vampires."

"That's called 'self-preservation.' It's a good thing to have." He kept his smile facing the road.

I knew what he was saying was true, but it seemed wrong to think it just. "So you believe humans should always fear vampires?" I asked.

"They should... but they don't. Humans are too domestic. They crave trust." Eric glanced at me to gauge my reaction.

"I've shown you trust."

"And I, you." He countered.

My head tilted in a questioning look. "In what way?"

"I have not searched you." Eric's face was stern and I wished I could read him the way he read me. "Jo, you brought a weapon into my establishment. Am I to believe that is the only time you have carried one on your person?"

My gaze dropped as I had an internal debate about exactly how much I trusted Eric Northman. "Actually, I didn't bring anything." I sighed. "It seemed rude."

"Rudeness hardly seems a factor in a life or death situation."

I turned back to Eric with surprise. "Is there reason for me to believe I am in danger Mr. Northman?" My voice shook in the slightest and I was so mad at myself for it. "Because I have informed multiple people who I agreed to meet this evening."

Eric scoffed. "Good for you."

I sat shocked; dumbfounded at where our conversation had led. The silence after was welcomed as we drove down the long dark road with the trees whizzing by. Where the hell were we headed? Maybe he really was going to kill me.

Just then, Eric eased the brake and took a dirt road to the left. It was a short, poorly maintained road that led to a clearing. Eric whipped his sports car in one smooth move to face it back towards the main road.

Once he killed the ignition, I unbuckled and looked to the vampire, who had of course never buckled up to begin with. "You must alway carry a weapon." He said as if he were softly reciting a code of sorts. Then he exited the car.

I took a breath to collect myself and did the same.

The clearing was shaped like a football with the outer edge being a complete drop off. I followed my escort towards the edge and gaped at the vast view. It was absolutely beautiful. Dense woods completely lined the opposite side, with the exception on the dirt road we came in on. This left the openness even more impressive. I looked out, creeping closer to the edge to see just how steep the drop was.

"Watch your footing." Eric commented from a few feet behind me.

I had the sudden realization this would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of me. The view showed that the land underneath was more forest with the light of the city in the distance. No one lived within miles of where my body would land. I would forever be missing.

If that was what he was going to do, there was no preventing it in this moment. I stood straighter and tried to see as far as I could in the night light. The moon was out and though it wasn't full, the clear sky let the scenery glow. It was the perfect evening to be out here. And that didn't sound, to me, like the setup for a murder.

I turned to Eric to see he hadn't moved. "Why are we here?" I asked in a quiet voice. There was a peacefulness in the night air that I did not want to disturb.

Eric approached, stopping so that he was parallel with me but facing opposite. "I want to test your trust in me." He smiled wide.

I felt my gut drop as I met his gaze. He chuckled and grabbed my shoulders. I was spun so that we were shoulder to shoulder facing the edge. "I want you to jump."

My heart was pounding. This was ridiculous. He couldn't be serious.

"I promise no harm will come to you." He added. The look on his face seemed sincere, for a guy I'd known one day. That thought made me pause. We stared at each other for a minute, blue on blue, before I could fully formulate the idea that had sparked.

"That's ridiculous. You commend my intent to protect myself but you want me to trust you enough after a couple of heart-to-hearts to save me from plummeting? You already expect me to be smarter than that, so why not just tell me what is really going on."

Eric thought for a moment before shrugging. "Touche. I meant what I said about protecting you. It is easier than you can imagine for me to perform such an act. My lineage has given me... certain advantages." He beamed. "I can prove it to you."

Eric turned from me to scan the edge of the woods before striding over to lift a medium sized boulder. The vampire heaved the rock over his head before throwing it over the both of us to plummet over the edge of the drop off. He zipped past me just as the boulder left my sight and before I knew it, he was hovering in the air above the cliff's edge.

"Did you time me?" He joked as he floated down with the boulder still over his head. He tossed it towards the treeline and I shook myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

I stared at him with amazement before settling myself. "Do you want me to jump now?"

Eric's eyes met mine. "Yes."

I was off before he finished the word, running the short distance to the edge. Just as I hit the last step of solid ground, I launched off into the abyss.

My body went straight forward before I leaned back so that I was facing up. The constellations filled my view as I fell. I was only slightly aware of the rock face zooming past before I felt something hard surround me.

Eric's arms had wrapped around my torso and legs to cradle me against his chest. He descended gently into the trees at the base of the cliff and set me on my feet. I felt myself wobble before righting my balance. Not only was my adrenaline at maximum overdrive, but I was pretty sure some bruising was going to form where Eric had caught me.

I could feel myself breathing heavily while I could barely even see my savior. "Don't tell me I have to climb back up or something." I chuckled. My body was calming now, but the excitement from free-falling was still strong.

"No." He reassured. "But I thought I might let you catch your breath." I could tell Eric was walking towards me but his face was indiscernible in the lack of light. "You were so ready to go..." His voice trailed off in a musing kind of way. He stopped right in front of me and I tried to stay still. "What else are you ready for Jo?"

I was thankful for the darkness now. Even if his eyes allowed for perfect detail, it felt as if I had a little privacy. "What are you looking for Eric?" I asked, trying to find his gaze in the shadows.

There was a stillness for a moment before Eric picked me up again and shot up into the air. We landed back at the clearing and I went to step away from the hulk only to find that his grip remained on my arm. I looked up to meet his eyes.

"Why won't you tell me why you're doing all this?" I stepped back towards him to provide some slack. A big smile appeared before I blurted out, "Or is that part of the test?" I watched as Eric's expression became quite serious. Maybe I had hit the nail on the head?

If that were true, how would I have any understanding of what a vampire, any vampire, would want with me other than food? Eric had shown interest in trying to figure out my strengths and weaknesses. He wanted me to be clever and brave, but not blind. He wanted me to trust him but not vampires in general. Why was he invested in me?

The better question was- why would a vampire be invested in any human... No, that can't be right. The conclusion in front of me was absurd.

"Any guesses?" Eric asked. Presumably after reading the spike in my heartbeat.

I could never admit that the thought of him turning me had ever occurred. "No." I shot out.

I was sure that if Eric Northman decided he needed a new underling, he could have been a bit more selective.

The grip on my arm pulled me another step forward and out of my thoughts. "You seem to have some idea." He pried. His gaze burrowing into me like he could read my thoughts if he just tried hard enough. I was bound and determined he would never get there.

"Sorry to disappoint." I said, hinting at finality.

Eric pulled me in closer so that we were almost chest to chest. "I don't believe you." He said in a low voice. I kept silent with my gaze stuck on his.

Suddenly, there was a pulling sensation emanating from inside of me. I felt my eyes go slack and there was a hollowness in my head that had me confused. "Jo, do you know-"

Eric stopped mid-sentence. He closed his eyes for a minute before opening them again and giving a small smile. "Nevermind." He concluded and I was almost back to feeling myself. "Let's go."

I followed him back to the car and buckled up. "You were glamouring me." I stated. I didn't need him to confirm it was true, but rather wanted him to know that I recognized it for what it was. When he didn't reply, I pressed on. "Why did you stop?"

The vampire's mouth opened to reply but closed again as a look of distaste took him over. He retrieved his buzzing phone from his pocket and proceeded to answer it. "This is Northman." He stated.

After listening a moment, his eyes narrowed and he switched to a foreign language. I listened to his tone and deduced a curse towards the end.

"Grab your bag and get out of the car." He said exiting the driver seat. I did as he asked, finding Eric was on one knee with his back to me. "Hop on; we're flying."

"Okay..." I flung my purse strap across my body and took a deep breath before wrapping myself around Eric's strong torso. He stood as soon as I had locked both my arms and legs together. My body was wanting to react in so many contradicting ways until the wind hit my face and I realized we were flying. Then it was all down to holding on for dear life.

My eyes couldn't handle staying open so I kept them closed and leaned my face against Eric's spine. We were only in the air a few minutes before I was set down in the Fangtasia parking lot.

We had landed just in front of my car and I was getting the hint.

Eric looked me over for a second before fixing some of my crazy hair. I blushed realizing my braid had come completely undone, the tie long gone. "I have been summoned." He informed me.

"Well, thank you for the thrilling evening." My smile was true. It had been an amazing experience to test a vampire's unique abilities. I was still unsure how to feel leaving our conversation about why I was of interest to a powerful and old vampire but feigning ignorance felt like the easier option.

I nodded to Eric in a goodbye and turned towards my Saab. A strong grip took hold of my upper arm. "I'm not done with you." My body froze in place with his words. His chest met my back and I felt myself tense. "I won't be for a very long time." Eric had spoken clearly and softly into my ear. He knew exactly what he was doing to me and I wanted to curse him for it. "Expect me at eight tomorrow."

And like that he was headed to the back entrance. Quick fingers keyed in a code on a number pad outside the door which resulted in a click. The door was pulled open and my tormentor passed through without another word.