True Blood Not Tonight

"Time until bomb" the soldier set the device and walked away, followed by his two cronies.

"Our first sunrise together." Eric said, part sarcasm, part honesty. It would truly be a new experience. "I can mark this one off my bucket list." He chuckled at the thought. What a human concept. Vampires lived with the assumption that they would continue to do so forever. Humans lived knowing that it was all leading rapidly to death. They fretted about things so fervently. To the point they wrote lists of all the things that would never get done, the things they'd missed while worrying and regretting and 'surviving'.

Pam remained silent. She had shown a surprisingly lack of restraint to the entire conversation. At first, he had taken it for an understanding to not resist unless he gave the word. Now that they were alone, she actually seemed resigned. Peaceful almost.

"At least we'll die together."

The thought settled deep in his bones. Shockingly, it didn't elicit an uproar of rage in him. He expected to feel distress or an overwhelming need to save her. But he doesn't. He feels relieved. Even without the bond, Pam's pain is choking. It's all he sees in her eyes. It's threatening to drown her. He isn't sure what his death will do to her and it frightens him to even imagine.

What if this is for the best? It is better than her taking the responsibility for her own life after he passes on. She may think her intent is concealed but Eric knows her better than she could ever know herself. He has tried to explain how much her life can mean even after he leaves it. Whispering in her ear at night how much better the world is because she's in it. Slipping in bits and pieces in conversations about an event he wants her to attend next year or how beautiful Sweden is in the winter. She nods and smiles half-heartedly but none of it is budging her conviction.

Pam is going to die with him. He can see it in her eyes. Feel it in her touch. Sense it in her soul. There is no saving her.

Should he feel like a failure for not being about to keep her alive as he'd promised her so many times? Perhaps. But the thought of her agony, her heartbreak, changes his perspective. It is selfish for him to want her to continue after he's gone just so he can have peace of mind. It isn't fair for her.

So he'll give her this. He won't tell her knows and she won't tell him her plan. He'll pretend to be surprised by her declaration just before he's faded away completely. But he won't fight her. He will hold her in the end. He will allow her to make the choice to take her own life just as she chose to take it a hundred years ago.

But not tonight.

He still has a month at least. And he's not going to miss a moment of their life together, no matter how short.

"Not tonight." He says resolutely.

She glances over at him causing the chains to smoke.

"They aren't that tight. I know it hurts but you can get free."

Her eyes show doubt and reluctance along with surprise. All the serenity of death she had moments before are slipping away. It has been an uphill battle with him for the past week and now he is trying to pull her through? But, one look in his eyes shows her they are finally meeting in the middle - they are on the same page and the clarity of it makes her want to weep.

Pulling forward a few inches, a gurgle of a scream bursts from her smoking throat. Eric winces in concern. "You can do this, Pam. You are stronger than me. Not just now. You always have been." Tears are forming in her eyes as the silver digs past her flesh. Her wrists are making decent headway but the skin is searing away quicker than it would have if she were decently fed or rested.

"You have a tenth of my years but always manage to be wiser and braver. If I'd listened to you more, I wouldn't have gotten us into half the troubles we ended up in." The chain snaps on her right wrist. A smile plays on his lips. It's working. Could he have created a more impressive creature? She is everything he's ever dreamed of. Everything he needs. Now he just needs to ask a little more of her.

"It's almost over." He assures. There is blood streaking her face. The pain is making her writhe in the seat but she is forcing the scream down. If they make too much noise, there won't be enough time for this plan to work before those assholes come back to finish them both off. "Pull it off, Pam. Like a bandaid."

Her fingers hover over her left wrist as she braces herself. In one flurry of motion, she grabs the chain and pulls as quickly and efficiently as possible. The pressure of breaking the chain has dug it deep into her arms but one quick jerk sends it across the room. A noise like a wounded animal escapes her but it turns into a growl instead of a sob.

"Good girl." Eric smiles, his own fangs coming out in pride. "One more. Then we kill these gun-toting cocksuckers."

Pam smiles through her tears, her fangs fully displayed. In that moment Eric wants to freeze her for his memory. His perfect progeny. His legacy. So brutal. So elegant. Worth devoting everything he has just to hear her laugh.

"Fuck yes," She growls "I'm _so_ in." Grabbing both sides of the chain on her throat, Pam yanks it free and covers her mouth as quickly as possible. The gash in her neck isn't healing the way he would like but once she feeds it will disappear in moments.

Pam stands slowly, allowing herself a moment for composure. Before he can ask if she's okay, she turns to him with a joyful, sadistic grin "Come now, _darling husband_. We have some extravagant murders to attend. We wouldn't want to keep the guests waiting." Her "Republi-cunt" accent has him chuckling again.

"Well, we can't have that."

She looks him in the eye as her hands hover above the chains on his wrists. He gives a nod to let her know he's ready.

They won't die tonight. They are Eric and Pam. They are feared and fantasied. They are assholes. They are legendary. They don't get killed. They do the killing.

They will die. But not tonight.


End file.

True Blood, Angst, Hurt-Comfort