EN: ATS, Chapter 14

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After glamouring her version of an appropriate story into the dazed pilot’s mind, Pam gracefully led a trio of laden, also-glamoured humans who followed her like ducklings down the small aircraft’s narrow stairs and over to the nearby limo.

Trust her grandMaker to remember the small things, she smiled to herself.

Godric and a vampire she recognized from her Kingly Uncle’s retinue stood leaning against the side of the long vehicle, legs and arms crossed as they had apparently been chatting while waiting for de plane to land.  Pam suddenly concluded that if this had been a noir flick she wouldn’t have been surprised if both had flicked away used cigarettes and adjusted their fedoras in unison.

She directed her unwitting “staff” to deposit her few small bags of necessities in the vehicle’s trunk…and the rear-facing section of the back seat.  With a negligence that made Godric roll his eyes, she informed the trio that they had actually spent the last several hours napping but that when they returned home, they were to immediately join a decent gym as all that huffing and puffing had gotten on her nerves, dispose of all clothing with horrid floral designs as she was on the verge of eyestrain from the crap they were currently wearing, and to eat more red foods because they were the healthiest because, obviously, she cared.

Godric raised a brow at the last bit.

The three vampires then waited until the craft left the runway before entering the vehicle.

Once they were en route back to the Palace, Godric raised the privacy window before whispering freely.

Although not known far and wide for her discretion, Pam was actually quite intelligent and knew when a serious moment was approaching, and so she simply sat and watched the Maker of her Maker as he searched for the words he seemed to want.

Finally, he said, “Your Maker has fallen into some sort of emotional situation with the shortened fairy version of Helen of Troy only most of the names are more pronounceable.”

Pam tongued a couple of left-over blood cells from a tooth – she really should have suggested a slightly lower-fat diet, too – and waited.  The twinkle in Godric’s eyes warred with a more serious expression and she couldn’t wait to see which won.

“Her name is Sookie, and she is the true fairy that dreadful woman based those books on, and to an extent she does resemble the actress who portrayed her in that,” he shivered unintentionally, “show.”

Pam nodded, then waited for more information. She knew that asking questions would often gain the specific facts she wanted, but she also knew that simply allowing the other person to talk could bring forth all sorts of interesting things.  Patience could, after all, be faked.  She’d learned both from both her Maker and the Maker sitting beside her.

“The Fairy Invasion will likely continue for a while as these things are settled. I will fill you in as we go, but for now you should know that they have been housed in what used to be that oddly purple wing of the main building.”

Pam nodded again; it wasn’t as though she cared about where the Tinkerbelles slept.

“Stan is now mostly Richard,” he continued and inclined his head wryly when Pam’s brows shot up, “and he has placed the Palace complex under lockdown. That is why I’m escorting you in. That, and the fact that the Fae realm’s own Breandon is actively searching for this Sookie. He wishes to make her his somewhat related broodmare.”

Pam reached for her purse.  Although she had never met any full fairies, even she knew of Breandon’s reputation.  This situation called for lipstick.

Godric spent rest of the trip explaining the situation to Pam, and both had chortled with glee over Stan’s new puppy-love dog. While Pam vastly preferred the female of most species, she couldn’t wait to meet Preston. He sounded…delicious. Honestly so did this Sookie person but if her Maker had already called dibs…

From what she knew of Niall, the old geezer was flighty and fickle but had apparently finally figured out that he was flailing and failing with the fanatic fairy faction…Pam huffed at herself.  The same as her grandSire, she sometimes found herself slipping into alliterative syntax during situations such as this.  Perhaps it was an inherited tendency?

Once safely parked in the underground lot, Godric shook his head as Pam ordered some handy minions, also known as Elite Palace Guards, to haul her luggage up to her quarters before hooking her arm through Godric’s to ever so politely tow him toward the nearest elevator.

Obviously she was in a hurry to see Eric, but Godric suspected she was more interested in seeing for herself the vision that was Sookie.  Pamela truly loved her Maker but she was incurably – fantastically – nosy.

He adored his grandChild and affectionately permitted her far more liberties than perhaps he should, but then, the Royal Niece, as his Youngest had dubbed her, was quite spoiled for a reason.

True, she was often a tad high-handed, usually a bit arrogant, more than a little snobbish and as opinionated as a drunk, but she was almost as talented with logistics as Eric was and she was a fraction of his age. She was also every bit as fiercely loyal as any vampire could wish for in a progeny, and was far more courageous than was actually good for her own health. Her skills could more than, as she would say, “cash the checks that her mouth regularly wrote”.

That she was caustically witty, bold as brass, and could hold a grudge for eons were simply icing on the Pamela cake.  Godric wouldn’t trade her for the world although he did frequently wonder about most of her choices in life. And her version of style. He often felt her style needed a…stylist.

During the ride he had felt a strong burst of mischief from his Youngest and wondered what Richard, or Stan as his current mood suggested, was up to, so he wasn’t surprised to find said Child missing from their preferred meeting place when he and Pam entered the study.

Niall was missing as well, but he suspected the antique fairy needed to rest. The evening’s revelations had not been easy or kind to the elder male.

Eric and Sookie had been sitting on the sofa but stood when they entered, and to everyone’s surprise Pam flew into her Maker’s hastily opened arms.

After a hug that would have crushed human bones, she stepped back, glared up at him, then slapped his firm stomach with her flat-palmed hand.

Hard.

When Sookie made to intervene, Godric hastily stopped her and rested a soothing hand on her shoulder. With a shake of his head and a slight smile, he hoped to reassure the worried fairy.  He knew his grandChild.

“Eric Northman, I am very angry with you! How dare you go off and fall in love or lust or whatever the hell this is and then right away get involved in a war with another species when I’m not around to supervise? How do I know you followed the right steps? Ugh, Eric, what if you had skipped some important steps along the way?  What were you even wearing?  How would I know?  Dammit, if you’re going to declare war on fucking fairy freaks you have to let me know first so I can check my calendar!”

Eric sensed the true cause of his Child’s concerns and simply hugged her close, then with a booming laugh he lifted her up a little higher so that when he swirled around the room it caused her legs to leave the floor, something he knew she hated.

It was good to have his Child in his sights again…even if his stomach still burned.

Finally he lowered her so that her feet touched the carpeting, and kissed her forehead.

“Welcome home, brat. We will plan,” he stated, letting her know that they wouldn’t dare finalize any real plans without her valuable input, “but that can wait until we rise. Tonight, I would have you meet my Sookie.”

From the corner of her eye Pam had caught Sookie’s instantly defensive possessiveness of Eric during her rather rude greeting, and had heartily approved of the other woman’s reaction. She had also noted the blonde’s ability to listen to reason, also a plus especially considering how intently this Sookie had kept watch over their subsequent interaction. She seemed inclined to listen to wise council but would still follow her own instincts – always a bonus.

The blonde fairy truly was a pretty little thing, about her same height if maybe a tad taller and with softly luscious curves…big boobs – always a favorite of her Maker’s…nice ass she would guess…long blonde hair, also a favorite of her Maker’s…   All in all, a pretty pocket princess of the fairy persuasion.  Yes, she would do nicely.

Making a point to slowly approach his future conquest, she extended her hand while Eric made the introductions.

After shaking hands and grinning wickedly in response to the fairy’s wary smile, Pam stated quite clearly, “Hang on a second while I put my fangs away. What,” she replied to Eric’s automatic hiss, “she smells fantastic, what can I say?”

Eric turned his angry gaze toward Sookie when she unexpectedly laughed.

“Well, she’s right…we do.” When he decided that her negligent shrug appeared real, he gave up and stepped back. Sometimes trouble was better monitored from afar and if those two got along as well as it seemed likely, they would truly be…trouble.

Well, it was better than fighting he guessed.

Godric sensed that Stan, for his mood was definitely “Stan” at the moment, was waiting outside the door and listening for the right moment to enter and decided his best option was to sit behind the safety of his large desk.

He knew Stan, and when Stan was being “Stan”, sometimes a healthy distance was advised. He also had a better view of the entire room from that location, and he could work while the Children played, another bonus.

“Eric, your family is nuts. I love it,” declared Sookie as she traded smirks with Pam.  Eric’s Child seemed to be a true friend in the making. That attack of sorts on Her Eric had raised her hackles, of course, but from Eric’s description of his relationship with his own Maker, she knew that if Godric didn’t want her to intervene, she would give him the benefit of the doubt and at least listen for a moment before defending her vampire. A little ball of sunshine and if this Pam was a threat, she wouldn’t be for long.  It had taken her a minute to understand the subtext of what was being said versus what wasn’t, and Sookie was glad she had listened to the elder vampire.

This woman loved her Maker and so had been very worried about him. She didn’t at all appreciate being made to worry and was a touch hurt that he hadn’t contacted her himself but she almost understood why he hadn’t. And she wanted to be damn sure that she hadn’t been, and wouldn’t be, left out of anything important. This was her family and she wanted to be in the thick of things.  She was also categorically nosy.

This Pam, she decided, was a good egg. Her gut told her so and she always listened to her gut, immediate reactions notwithstanding.

“Allez.”

The growled command to duel came from the door, and with a resigned sigh Eric lifted a startled Sookie into his arms and returned to the couch where he again placed her into his lap. He whispered to Sookie about the dynamic between his younger Brother and his Child, and quickly had her smiling at their antics both past and current.

Pam turned in barely enough time to catch the lightly curved antique sabre with the decidedly sharpened point tossed to her by the shockingly serious Stan, his stern mien suggesting she be on her toes.  After a briefly shared salute, the duel was on.

Godric rolled his eyes and attended to miscellaneous bits of paperwork as the duo lunged and parried, advanced and retreated, feinted and reprised in a dancing blur all about the room not quite large enough for such practices.

Eventually the unnecessary battle cries gave way to a silence far more conducive to concentration, and he sighed in anticipated relief that the sport would soon be over. His Stan’s chosen method for helping The Royal Niece work off her frustrated worry might be unorthodox, but was, if somewhat loudly at first, extremely effective.

When both saluted to signal the end of their match, everyone breathed a sigh of relief that no blood had been spilled and only a few pieces of furniture had been toppled from their many and overly-athletic volts.

After Stan had collected their twin weapons and sent them away with the waiting guard to be cleaned and stored, he turned to Pam with a cocky grin and nary a blond hair out of place.

“Well it’s about time The Royal Niece decided to come back home – too bad it apparently takes plotting a war to get you here.  How was the dining in Barbados?”

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**A/N:  So, what did you think about Pam?  What about Stan’s way of helping her to work off some steam?  I definitely want a Stan of my own – tell Santa that I’ve been good…oy, stop laughing, you’ll hurt something…  Lol, so, what did you think?**

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