It was a slow night at Fangtasia. Pam was at the bar wiping down glasses just to have something to do. Eric was not himself tonight. For the first time in almost a millennia, he neither had to or wanted to do anything but just sit with his forehead resting against the cool wooden bar top.

"What's the matter with you?" Pam asked in her normal almost bitchy tone.

"Nothing." The vampire sheriff replied. "Just bored I guess."

"So go for a run. Or find some fangbanger to drink. Anything but sit here and soil the bar top that I just got finished wiping down." She scowled at her maker. Her hands on her hips. It was a rare few that could talk to Eric like that but Pam could. He stood muttering things to himself.

"I guess a run couldn't hurt." There was no pleasure in the idea at all. But at least it was something to do. If he happened to be out and about would it be so bad to drop by and see what his friends Sookie and Bill were doing? It seemed almost rude not to the more he thought to himself. "I think I might run up to Bon Temps and visit with some friends." A grin that could only mean no good spread across his lips. Maybe this night could turn out to be a good night after all.

He stepped out into the pitch black of the night. The toe of his boot hit something. Eric frowned as he heard the soft sound of a baby begin to cry. His expression turned to one of puzzled ignorance as he looked down only to find a wicker basket with something squirming underneath a warn towel. Carefully he moved the towel so that the most angelic face he had ever seen could look up at him. He could smell fresh blood on the infant. He could feel his fangs released in his mouth. But he had no desire to kill the infant. On the contrary something inside of him wanted to pick the child up and cradle it in his arms.

"Pam!" he called softy enough not to scare the baby but loud enough that he was sure that Pam could hear him. She appeared at his side within seconds. She grimaced at the sight of the baby.

"What the hell is that?" Obviously her question was rhetorical. Grinning Eric straightened up. The baby was cradled safely in his arms.

"What's the matter Pam? The sight of a newborn baby doesn't melt that dead heart of yours." His tone was teasing. "I thought that all women had some sort of maternal instincts."

"I do not like kids. I hate the way they smell, the way they sound ... everything about them." Pam seemed truly disgusted by the fact that Eric was holding the infant.

"You wanna hold her Pam?" Mockery filled his tone.

"Get that miniature human away from me this instant!" Pam exclaimed.

Eric laughed as she disappeared back into the club. "Don't mind her little one." The baby reached up and wrapped its finger around Eric's finger. "Where did you come from?"

Eric scanned the area but he could not see anyone around. It was rather cold out so he picked up the basket and brought the baby into the club. It was quiet now. He brought the baby to his office. He placed it back into the basket and began to pace. There could be trouble if people found out someone left a baby in his parking lot. The baby sneezed; Eric's attention went back to the baby.

"So little one are you a boy or a girl?" He asked. "Ah a little girl." He walked over to his office door. "Pam ..." he stuck his head outside the door.

"Yes Eric." Came Pam's annoyed tone.

"Call Sookie please." He requested pleasantly.

"Sookie? Why Sookie?" she questioned.

"Just do it!" he demanded.

--

Sookie and Bill rushed into Fangtasia. Neither of them took comfort in Pam's cryptic summons. Bill seemed less than pleased for Sookie being anywhere near Eric. But he knew enough than to ignore his sheriff's request for his presence.

"Pam is everything ok?" Sookie asked breathless.

"Eric is in his office." Was all she would say.

They walked with slight fear of what they would find behind the closed door. Sookie knocked softly and waited for Eric to tell them it was ok to come in.

"Hey guys" Eric greeted them. His eyes were wide with excitement. He was holding the baby.

"Eric ... what are you doing?" Bill asked carefully.

"I found her out front." Eric explained. He frowned at the look on both Bill and Sookie's faces. "I swear I did. Someone abandoned her. She seems to like me."

Bill and Sookie exchanged worried looks. "Eric you weren't like I dunno ... put under a spell or something?" Sookie asked.

"The only spell I am under is by her cuteness."

"Guys I am officially scared." Pam joined them in the office. "In all my years I have never seen him like that."

"So why did you call us here Eric? You don't look like you really need us."

"I need to know how to take care of her." He simply replied.

"You cannot be serious." Pam's mouth almost shot to the floor.

"Eric ... you are vampire you cannot keep the baby." Bill put to words what everyone was thinking.

"There is nothing that says I cannot."

"Well how are you going to take care of her during the day Eric? Babies they need to be taken care of at all time of the day?" Sookie asked.

"That was why I called you Sookie. You are human, you must know how to take care of miniature ones."

"They are called babies Eric." Sookie corrected him. Much to Bill's displeasure Sookie scooted closer to Eric and adjusted the baby in his arms. "She's beautiful I have to admit that."

"Will you help me?" There was an emotion in Eric's eyes that Sookie had never seen before. "Please" he added.

"Sookie may I have a word with you in private?" Bill gently took Sookie's forearm and guided her out of the room.

"This is ludicrous." Bill started off by saying. "He cannot be serious. Eric cannot raise a child. he is still a child himself."

"Bill did you see how excited he looked? It was like he was reliving his first Christmas or something. I have to help him."

"Sookie I know you have an amazing heart and that is part of the reason I love you but you cannot be serious."

"Bill have you ever seen Eric that happy in the long time you have known him?" Sookie asked.

"No ..." Bill argued.

"If he has something to keep him busy then he will leave us alone." Sookie ran a finger along the side of his jaw.

"So you are going to play house with Eric. Be the mommy to his abandoned baby." Bill growled.

"No ... I want to help YOUR sheriff out again."

"Sookie" he trailed off. But she had already made up her mind.

"Bill I gotta help him."