((Warning: Story contains strippers and brief mentions of nudity in the first few posts. Sorry! It's really not *that* bad. It's the long awaited (or not) backstory of Jade and Eric. Read at your own risk.))

It was thirty years ago to this day we met... that my life changed... that our lives changed.

Date: October 16th, 1977

Eric and Bill pulled into a small, packed parking lot. Neon signs of half naked girls and XXXs flashed on a nice sized building right outside Chicago, dantily called "East Side's Girls Girls Girls". Bill cut the motor and looked to Eric.

"This is the place? Are you sh*tting me? You dragged us this far for this? This better be good," Bill huffed.

"I've heard quite a lot about the main attraction. I want her on our side," Eric smiled that devious smile.

"You want a stripper on our side? Great. Next you'll want a whore."
"She's not just a stripper."
"A frikken magician too? Can she pull bunnies from her bra?"
"No, she's a vampire."
That caught Bill's attention, "Oh?"

Eric smirked at that, "She's of a high interest of Section Five. I hear her origins are of the Bon Temps and Shiverport area before you were even born. For the usual reasons, like you, she left. Information isn't very good on her, we don't even have her name. We only have a description. Long black hair, startling bright jade green eyes, and full crimson red lips. She's trim and fit, very short."

"Huhm, she was in Bon Temps even before I was born? Wow," he paused, "How short we talkin'?"
"Close to five foot, we don't know the exacts."
"Well, it's not that bad. So why are we so interested it her?"

"You'll see," he smiled that smile again, "Pam says she has a good feeling about her, and you know how Pam is. We need as many allies as we can get. Plus, she has a very strong glimmer, that I can tell," he motioned to the packed parking lot, "Come on, look at this dump. You really think that any of the human girls could bring in a crowd like this?"

"You got a point there," he looked over the parking lot, running a hand through his course short, thick dark brown hair.

"Of course I do, it's me after all. Now let's get this show on the road. I'm excited to see if her glimmer can match mine," he gave his short arrogant laugh as he pushed out of the car.

"Oh don't get cocky," Bill did the same as Eric. He looked over the car roof at him, talking low as he shut the door, "So the plan is just walking in, going up to her, and be like 'I'm Eric Nie'Lin snd this is Bill Compton. We're vampire and we know you are too. You show great interest for us and Section Five in the Bon Temps and Shiverport area. So we're taking you back with us even though we have no friggin clue who you are'."

"Yea, something like that," Eric smirked over his shoulder at Bill. He was already half way to the door. The gravel of the parking lot barely gave a crunch under his feet as he swiftly walked.

Bill had to jog to keep up, "Hey, wait up!" He muttered 'God, sometimes he makes no sense. She'll never come with us.'

Eric pulled the door open and held it for Bill. They were hit with a wave of disco. Eric upturned his nose at that. They made their way in and a scene of a dark main room of topless dancers dancing on tables surrounded by drooling men filled their eyes.

"Nice," Bill muttered just loud enough.
"Is this really what men are into these days?"
"Seems so."

They stood there a moment taking everything in. There were two hallways on either side of the front door that led to rooms that could only be guessed to be the 'Show and Tell' rooms. A bubbling blonde in a knock-off verison of a Playboy Bunny outfit greeted them.

"Hi! You two aren't usuals are you? Oh! Welcome to East Side's Girls Girls Girls. I'm Molly. What can I do you for? A seat at a topless table? A Lapdance? A private show?" she bounced as she spoke. How in those high heels, one could only guess.

"We're here for the main attraction," Eric smiled down at her.

She seemed almost hurt by that, "You and the rest of the guys here. You're just in time too. She'll be on in about four. Follow me."

Molly led them into the main room, her hips swinging. Bill couldn't help but crack a grin. Eric just rolled his eyes. They noticed a stage in the front of the room, a shiney pole smack dab in the middle. A nice velvet blue curtain behind it. The men barely gave a glance to them before looking to the stage then the girls on their tables. Molly led them to a empty table near the end of the stage.

"I'm sorry, all the good seats in the house are all filled. Will this do?" Molly asked as she pulled out two seats.

Eric judged the distance, looking from the seats to the stage. They could still see perfectly, "Yes, this will be perfect."

As Bill and Eric sat, Molly nodded, "Alright then. May I get you two a drink while you wait? Would you like a dancer?"

Bill looked to Eric then to Molly, "A bottle of Jack and two shot glasses, Ma'am."
"And no dancer, please."

Molly nodded again at the two then almost on cue as she walked away, an announcer boomed over the speakers and the lights dimmed. A big beam of light focused on the stage.

"Alright, Boys, the time has come! It's the time we've all been waiting for. Is she naughty or is she nice? It's our own Little Miss Jade!"

And the velvet curtains parted, revealing a lone girl on stage. Her lips curled up, that grin on those crimson lips.

Bill popped up at that, wide eyed, "Eric didn't you ever hear the saying 'Never fall in love with a stripper'? Man, think this through."

"I'm not 'in love'. That's for fools. But there's something more about her... different," Eric gave almost a puzzled look to Bill as he said it. Bill only gave him the 'you idiot' look. Eric sighed.

"Plus, she only came onto you because you used your damn glimmer. So don't go gettin up your hopes. Without it we would have been some guys watching on the sidelines," Bill smirked at that. He looked around, not noticing until then that all the other guys in the room were giving Eric looks to kill, "Man, look what you did now."

"Your right..." then looked around, "Sh*t..."

Molly bounced back over to them with a broom and started sweeping up the bits of broken glass that was formally the whiskey bottle, "Wow! Miss Jadden really likes you guys! I've never seen her do that before! I'm sorry she broke your bottle though... you didn't even get to have a drink or nothin'."

Bill smiled to her, "Ah, it's alright. I wasn't really in the drinkin' mood anyway."
"Did you say Jadden? I thought the announcer just said Jade."

Molly beamed at them both before answering Eric, "Yea, Jadden is her real name. Jade is her stripper name, ya know. Like you know how half of the strippers' names are 'Star' or something corny? Well the boss decided to shorten her name to 'Jade', like her eyes. Did you see how bright jade green they were? Really pretty. So her name suits her."

"Does Miss Jadden have a last name?" Eric smiled that smile to Molly.
She blushed and nodded, "I think it's Rogue or something weird like that."
"Jadden Rogue, how pretty. Thank you, doll. I think I've decided I want a private show."
"Really?" She beamed again.
"Yes, with Miss Jadden."
She was nearly heartbroken at that, "Oh... Well... I think she's all booked up for the night."

Eric pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and pushed it over to Molly with a wink, "Check again, would ya, doll?"
She went wide eyed at him and took the money, "I think she just got an opening." And she went to the other side of the room, to talk to someone that looked like a manager.

Bill was wide eyed at that too, "What the hell, man? Do you carry cash on you like that all the time and why haven't you told me?"
"Only when I need to... and I knew I would need to for this trip. And why would I have to tell you anyhow?" he shrugged and smiled up at Molly as she returned.

"Is this just for you or the both of you?"
"Bill is coming with."
Bill just gave a look but said nothing.
"Okay, if you two will just follow me," She nodded and led them back to the main hallways where that came in. All eyes were on Eric as they got up and walked past them.
Bill whispered to Eric in a tone only Eric could hear, "I see we've gained a fan base here..."
Eric only smirked at that.

Molly pulled open a door and led them in. As they took a seat on one of the over stuffed couches she smiled faintly, "She'll be in momentarily." And she went out the door, shutting in behind her.

Bill grinned seeing a bottle of whiskey and a few shot glasses on a side table, "Oh thank the lord!"
Eric grinned too as Bill poured two shots, "I thought you said you didn't didn't really want to drink."
Bill handed one to Eric, "I lied." And he downed his.
Eric quietly chuckled before downing his too.

The door opened and Jade walked in, shutting the door with her hip.
"Okay, what are we in for tonight?" She paused looking over the two as she stood infront of the two on the couch, "Oh great, you two."
"What do ya mean 'Oh great, you two'?" Bill huffed.
Both Eric and Jade ignored Bill and Eric spoke, "Miss Jadden... We want nothing more than to talk to you."

"Ah, weird... but it's not like I haven't heard that one before. But jus remember I ain't no theripist," she pointed at Eric, "And you, Mister Fancy Pants Glimmerer, turn that sh*t off."
As she moved to another side of the room to a duffle bag, Eric started to talk again with a huge grin on his face, "Oh, I'm sorry about that."

She pulled out a shirt, a bra, a pair of panties, and a pair of Daisy Dukes of the duffle bag, "You guys don't mind if I change do you? I wasn't really booked, the servers jus say I am. And since we're jus gunna talk I dun think I'll need to wear all that get up," She pulled the same wad of cash Eric had given Molly and a few more singles from her g-string, "Thanks for the cash too."

Bill looked to Eric with wide eyes and Eric looked equally as shocked back before looking to Jade, "Oh... no problem... And uh... no we don't mind at all."
She gave a laugh, "Of course you don't," she pulled off her corset and looked them dead in the eye, "So you mind tellin me why two vampires such as yourselves come into a stripper joint and one of them uses their glimmer on me? I mean, vamps come in all the time but they don't really use their glimmer on me," She paused sighing as she undid her bra, "Of course they do, but it never works, ya know?"

There was a gasp that came from the two as the bra came off... and the fact Jade was so comfortable with it. She smirked at that. There was a mumbled 'There is a God' that came from Bill.
"God, you two act like you've never seen a girl without her top off before," she grinned at them as she pulled on her other not stripperified bra and pulled her shirt on. She started working off the g-string and into the panties and Daisy Dukes.

It took Eric a minute to compose himself. He gulped and cleared his throat, "Well... we were going to ask you if you would like to come with us to --" and Jade cut him off as she plopped into the chair infront of them.
"Ooooh isn't that rich. I've heard it a million times. Men askin me to come run away with them. Fuuuuuunny stuff there," she laughed in there faces.

Eric sighed, knowing this was going to happen, "No, we want you to come with us to join Section Five of the Bon Temps/Shiverport area."
Her eyes flew open at that, "Did you say Bon Temps?!"

Jade leaned forward in the backseat, pointing ahead in the car, "Up there is my appartment. I dun have much stuff up there; it won't take me a few minutes anyhow to get all the stuff I need. Ain't nothin up there worth a damn."

Bill and Eric both turned to look at Jade. She blinked, "What?"

"There's nothing that you'd really like to bring with you?"
"Nah, a bag or two of clothes... maybe a picture... an' my weapon."
"Weapon?"
"Hell yes, weapon. Ya forget we're in Chicago 'r something?" She gave a light laugh at that as they pulled over infront of the appartment building. "If ya'd be so kind enough to let me out now..."

Eric and Bill looked between themselves and her. Bill made a face.
"You think one of us should watch her?"
"Wha? Am I some sort of baby now? Do you even know how old I am?!"
"Yes. I'll go with her," with that Eric moved out of the car, pulling the seat down so she could get out. He held a hand out for her, "Come now, Miss Jadden."

She huffed in the backseat, "I'm startin to hate you both." She took his hand and her bag, getting out of the car. Once out and on the street, she released his hand glaring at him. He gave a slight smile back and she huffed once more, "Men!"

Jade stomped up the stairs of the building, Eric trailing her every step. She lost her fuel as they went up two flights of stairs and finally got to a room labeled '4A'. She sighed and reached into her bag, pulling out keys. Jade slid the keys into the lock and unlocked the door, pushing it open. She stepped in and dropped her duffle bag, going her own way as Eric stood there looking around.

The appartment was terribly drabby. Nothing like he would have though she would have had, or even came near. The walls were bare, a couch, table, and a chair here and there. Other than that... it looked like no one lived there at all.

His brows knitted together and he spoke up as he shut the door behind him, "Jadden... why don't you have... any more stuff?" He slowly walked into the room she ran off to.

"Dun need to. I was plannin on splittin in a year anyway after I saved up some cash," She looked up at him as she opened a suitcase then another. She moved to a tiny closet, her hips bumping into a bed that consisted of a baseboard, mattress, and sheets. The window of the room was duct taped completely to block out any sunlight that may pass through during the daylight hours.

"I can imagine what you've saved up, doll," but he paused thinking, "But why are you saving money? Why don't you just tap into your family's old money. It must be worth millions. You could do anything you wanted to... or so I've heard."

"I don't ever tap into that. It's dirty money," She shook her head as she pulled out clothes and laid them onto the bed then turned to get more clothes out of the small closet, "Ya think what I'm doin is bad... I ain't nothin like my mother. I use my powers... she wasn't nothin but a human... a highly thought of and a well paid whore."

Eric blinked. In all the records or anything he had heard while he was in the Bon Temps area, he had never heard of anything like Jade was telling him, "What?"

"Ya heard me. It's the blunt truth too," She paused as she went to pull off her tank top... as if she was going to ask him if it was alright. Then she remembered that she had already did this dance earlier and pulled it off, "No one will ever tell you the truth about it, but I will. I lived it. Mourned my loss, my arse." She huffed. Yea, she had been there a time or two to hear the stories, read the papers. "Crock o' s**t. Mourning the loss of the money she lost when I never married into that... family... when I died. That's what she missed."

It took every bit of will to focus on her than her... assets. He took a deep breath. He could have swore she was teasing him, "Yea... records just say after your father died she took up his business, hosted parties that promoted business deals, and arranged your wedding, which you disappeared shortly after the announcement." Eric tried to keep his head tilting at a low, but he failed.

Jade shook her head at the staring before she slipped on the new tank top and slid her booty shorts off, "You're well read for a man that had to find me with nothin ta work on."

"What can I say? Your family history is interesting to say the least. The old Rogue Manor is that spooky old house the kids talk about. Apparently your ghost still haunts the halls because your mother killed you for your beauty."

She couldn't help but laugh at that as she tried to pull up her jeans, "Oh... oh now that is rich. I wouldn't doubt it either! Oi! That's..." she snickered as she tossed the clothes she changed into a suitcase, "That's good. Why haven't they torn down that manor?"

Eric grinned, "They claim it to be the starting point of Bon Temps.... which is a lie. It was the Colvors in 1804... and...." his grin widened, "Throw in something sexy while you're at it."

Jade just looked up and stared at him, her hands stilling as she packed. Two thirds of the closet already in one bag, "Pervert.... go into that dresser and gimme that gun." She pointed at the dresser next to him.

"You shouldn't be beautiful then..." He turned, hands going for the first drawer, "Which drawer?"

"If I wasn't a stripper, that'd have more impact than it does," she zipped up one suitcase and started to put what little she had left of her closet into the second suitcase, "The second drawer."

By that time, Eric's eyes had found the prize inside the first drawer. His blue eyes widened at the undergarmets and he just pulled out the entire drawer. He put the bulky drawer on top of her suitcase, "Here... you bring... all of these." He gave her the general 'I'm a male, forgive me' look before he opened the second drawer to pull out the .45 revolver there. He studied it, all the bullets were in place and the safety was on. He grabbed the case and put it in there before handing it to her.

But, she was just staring at him... yet again... as she took the case, "Ya won't see me wearin any of these." Jade made a face at him as she put the gun case on top the few clothes in the suitcase then dumped the drawer into it. She reached over the dresser and snagged a old faded picture in a frame and stuffed it in the bag as well before zipping it up.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."
"I wouldn't have that attitude iffin I was ya."

They both looked at each other with a grin before she shook her head and pulled down a small box from her closet. She pointed at the suitcases, "Be useful an' carry those." She slid on some flip flops and looked into the closet once more, throwing heels and such into the duffle bag.

"Oh I'll help the helpless damsel," he grinned, grabbing the suitcases - one in each hand, "Did you get everything, Jadden?"

"I'll give ya damsel iffin ya dun watch it," she swatted him in the back of the head before picking up the duffle bag in one hand and holding the trinket box in the other, "Yep, got jus 'bout everythin'."

"Shall we go now?" he winked at her and made his way out of the small appartment, "Need to lock up or anything?"
"Nah, let 'em pick through my things."

They packed everything in the trunk of the car and Jade found herself in the front seat this time, much to Bill's dismay.

"So... you think that you boss will be mad when he finds out you got the hell outta dodge?"
"Ohhhh yea, his business will tank and he'll lose everything. Mad isn't even the word," she started to snicker lightly.

And soon, the three were off.

They had to stop on their lonng drive from Chicago to Bon Temps. They could have made it if the dawn wasn't fast approaching. They were only hours away, but they didn't have that much time to spare. They were in the middle of no where. Jade was getting antsy because all she was seeing was trees and road. Eric assured her that a motel was coming up, that he had already had this planned out since he had gotten the orders.

She calmed, but was still edgey. She felt the sun coming. They all did. Soon, as promised, a small motel came into view. The Twilight Inn. Jade quirked a slim black brow at Eric for its name.

"Yes, it does cater to our kind. The vampiric government pays for these kind of services."
"Even way out here?"
"Never know when you're going to need it," Eric cocked a smile as he turned the wheel, pulling into the gravel parking lot - the small thing it was.

"Yea, plus Eric is all on the inside with that stuff," Bill yawned and leaned up in the backseat towards the two in the front, "He knows all the good under-ground vampire friendly places like this."

"In other words," Eric paused to pull the gear into park and shut the car off, "If any are betrayed, they are sure to suffer worse than death."

As Jade's brows shot upwards, Bill laughed, "As morbid as ever, Eric."

"Part of my charm," he gave Bill a wink and gripped the door, nodding to Jade, "Watch her while I get the rooming."

Before Jade could protest, Eric had already gotten out and was halfway to the door. As he slipped in, she turned in her seat to look eye-level at Bill. A huff to boot, "I'm still a prisoner, I see."

"Until you're safe with us in Bon Temps an' the Queen gives you clearing, then yes - you are," his lips curled into a small smile, not making a big deal over it. If there was one thing he knew already, she was temperamental. He wasn't going to take the risks Eric did, especially with Eric not there.

"Oh joy," there was a roll of her jade hues as she turned back in her seat to face the front, "You always pal 'round with 'im like this? Or is there somethin' else I should know 'bout ya two?" Even if he couldn't see it, you could just hear it in her voice. Though he didn't want to push her buttons, she wasn't afraid to push his.

His nose curled up at just the thought of what she was infering about them, "Oh Jesus! No!" He even made a noise that sounded half groan and half gag. "He is the 'sheriff' of section five, and I'm his second in command. If we have orders from the queen, I have to come along. Vise Versa for me." As he was explaining, you could just hear the disgust stuck at the back of his throat from the thought.

She was trying to hold in a laugh all the while, "So you're the submissive, I take it?"
"I already said it wasn't like that!"
"Is he pitcher or catcher?"
"Jade!"

The two were too busy fighting over the seats to notice Eric standing outside the car, staring blankly at them through the window. Not until he opened the door, "Ah hem, Children. I have the keys."

They both froze mid-swing at each other. Jade ungripped Bill's shirt collar and they both settled back in their seats. Eric just shook his head, "You two... Going to have problems already?"

"Yep," the two repeated at the same time, only to turn and make a face at each other.

"Anyway," he rolled his blue eyes, "One key for me, one key for Bill." He handed one to Bill as Jade narrowed her eyes, "Two beds, one coffin."

They spoke at the same time again.
"I don't want it." "I'll sleep in there."
"Take it." "I will."

Eric was just staring as Jade pushed her away out of the car, Bill doing the same only out Eric's way, "That woman, I swear it." Huff, groan.