Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries 1. Chapter 1

a/n: I know… I owe chapters on my two other stories I left incomplete. I came across some spare time and wanted to work on those but the files of where I left off are on my other laptop. So that meant starting another idea I had.

Sookie's POV

I had been friends with Eric Northman since the second grade. We grew up together in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana and he was the only person that was a real friend to me besides Tara Thornton. I still remember the day I became friends with him all those years ago.

_Flashback_

"You're a freak Stackhouse, you can't play with us." Little Arlene Fowler demanded out on the small playground of my elementary school.

I had slipped up one too many times with answering questions people were thinking rather than saying, now my classmates were afraid of me. I had no idea why I could hear thoughts but it had always been this way.

"I won't bother anyone I just want to play tag too." My eyes were beginning to burn up with tears but I fought them off.

"Nope, my Mama says to not play with the devil's child!" Arlene pointed at me and the other kids around her all snickered.

Fine, I would spend recess alone. It was better than being with a bunch of kids who hated my anyway. I turned away from their laughter and started walking towards the far corner of the playground. While passing by the sandbox a voice spoke up.

"You can play with me if you want."

I looked down to see a blonde boy kneeling in the sand making a mountain or something. He had floppy blonde hair that was rather messy and had some sand stuck in it. His name was Eric and he was in my class but for some reason we had yet to speak to each other.

"Um, okay, what are you making?" I had no interest in the sandbox but I also had nothing else to do. This was the nicest anyone had been to me in awhile.

"A volcano… I like the explosions they make." He explained while tediously working on his masterpiece.

I sat down on the edge of the sandbox and watched him work.

"Don't listen to what those other kids say, they don't seem very nice. You might be different but you're always nice to everyone at school. I've never seen you be mean to anybody." Eric explained as if this was common sense. I didn't know he even paid attention to me.

"Well my Gran says two wrongs don't make a right. I'm starting to wonder though…" I sighed, I just wanted to be normal and for the other kids to like me.

"She's probably right, old people know lots of stuff. Wanna help me put some sticks and leaves on this to be the lava?" He started gathering up bits of orange dried up leaves and crunching them up.

"Sure" I smiled a little and started helping. I wasn't a huge fan of sandboxes but I was pretty happy to have one potential friend at school.

After that day I met Eric at the sandbox throughout the rest of elementary school. Through him I even made a few other friends and got to participate in regular games like tag and jump rope. But I always knew Eric was the only one who truly accepted me because whenever he was home sick I never got invited to do anything with his other friends. They were nice to me because they liked hanging out with Eric not because they really wanted me around.

Things continued that way into middle school and right through high school. I became friends with Tara freshman year and finally found one other real friend. Eric remained my friend as well and almost always ate lunch with us and her cousin Lafayette. Lafayette was gay and totally open about in by sophomore year which made him an outcast like me. It was unfair but at least we all had each other.

Eric could have been popular but for some reason he avoided it. He would spend time with some of the popular kids at school but usually he declined invitations to their parties. He was also approached by the football coach to join the team but he politely declined. He had a million friends at school but for some reason he chose to spend his spare time with me.

He even let me dig through his thoughts once when we were 17 and I could not fathom why he still hung around me. His thoughts were shocking and flattering to say the least. Eric Northman thought I was the nicest, most genuine person he had ever met. He found it easy to read people and knew most of the people at our school were shallow and not worth having as friends. He thought I was one of the few different ones that would actually be there if he ever was in real trouble. I also heard that he thought I was beautiful but he was worried about anything more between us because of my telepathy.

Now you would think that last thought would hurt my feelings but it didn't. It's hard to describe but I can sense a 'feeling' to people's thoughts. Eric's had not one ounce of fear towards me, he was just concerned about the general awkwardness such a relationship could bring about. I couldn't blame him because that was the same reason I never tried to even ask him to a dance. Just thinking about knowing exactly what Eric was thinking if we were fooling around made my cheeks burn red. There were just some things that should be left to be a mystery and that was one of them.

Our senior year of high school Eric suddenly decided my telepathy could be something to work through and adapt to. He had spent the second half of our junior year dating a cheerleader named Isabelle. She was nice enough to me and not a total ditz which was nice. However I could only like her so much since I was insanely jealous. I'd like Eric since we were old enough to have a real crush and now she got to have him. It felt unfair but I did not blame Eric. Neither one of us was daring enough to ruin our friendship by trying a relationship involving telepathy.

But the day after he broke up with Isabelle he kissed me on our walk home from school. I had never been kissed before but I seemed to be a quick learner. Unfortunately our make out session against a tree was rudely interrupted by Eric having a very loud thought about both of us naked and him behind me….. well you know… and for my little virgin mind that was far too much to take. I pushed him back a few steps and tried to will my face to not be on fire.

"Sookie? What's wrong?" He was confused and I just felt terrible.

"I-I heard…" I stammered to try and explain but it only made me blush more.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking about my thoughts I was just…caught up." He seemed to remember what he had been imagining. "This could work though, I just have to take it easy on the dirty thoughts. I didn't mean to freak you out." Eric words were rushing out of his mouth. It was as if he could see this was his chance slowly slipping away.

"But you shouldn't have to do that Eric. That's the whole point! I'm not mad about your thoughts that's what you're supposed to think I guess… but I can't block everything out 24/7 and you shouldn't have to be controlling every thought all the time. It's not fair to you." Maybe if I was in my thirties and a sex expert this would not bother me. But I was 18 and had never been kissed up until ten minutes ago. Therefore Eric's graphic thoughts were enough to make me want to go crawl under a rock and hide my blushing face.

Eric sighed and stepped back. He did not seem happy with this resolution but he could not argue against it either. It was a very strange situation and we had no other real life examples on how to handle such a thing.

So that left us as friends once more even though neither one of us was completely happy with that.

_End Flashback_

I'm now twenty seven years old and since my Gran passed away I live alone in her old farmhouse. My parents passed away when I was young so my brother Jason lives in their former home just up the road. He's in my kitchen right now sitting at the table with Eric while the both of them inhale turkey sandwiches and soda. It's a Sunday so neither of them have work to rush off to.

Jason works on the road crew for the parish while Eric is helping to run his father's automotive shop. He's a mechanic but also in training to take over the family business. He went to a local college for a business degree and has plans of expanding the business once he is in full control of it. I'm sure it will work out for him, Eric has quite the mind for business and a charming personality to persuade anyone.

"Can you believe these fuckers?" Jason said with a mouthful of food as I sat down at the table with a diet coke.

"Jay you can't be so negative about it, not everyone is the same." I turned the volume up on the tiny TV sitting on the edge of the table that is pushed against the kitchen wall. We've never needed more than three seats in the kitchen so one side has always been against the wall to save space.

"Sook I know you're all sympathetic because you're different, but trust me you ain't like them." He shakes his head.

A lot has changed in the past five years. Vampires came out to the human race as being real. It's pretty crazy but true. They now walk among us at night and are trying to become a part of normal society by drinking TrueBlood instead of people.

I'm the most accepting of them out of our little group of friends, Eric being second since he is fairly open minded, but he does have some reservations about them. Tara and Jason are on the opposite end of the spectrum and refuse to believe a vampire could be anything but a killer. Of course none of us have met one yet so who knows if any of us are right.

"I don't care what they do as long as they don't hurt anyone. I will say this Nan chick is annoying as hell though." Eric rolled his eyes at the TV screen while Nan blabbed about some amendment for vampires.

I pulled my eyes away from him in order to not get caught staring. I had a tendency to just watch Eric because even though we had never dated I was still head over heels for the guy. He had grown up into a very handsome man. Eric was over six feet tall with broad shoulders and nicely tanned skin from being outside all summer. His blonde hair was cropped very short in almost a military style haircut but a bit longer. There was always a layer of blonde stubble on his face which I found extremely attractive along with his perfect blue eyes.

Luckily he was single right now so I did not have to tolerate a girlfriend coming around to drool over him. Deep down I knew if I just said the word Eric would give us a shot but I felt like it was bound for disaster with my telepathy.

We'd had a couple arguments over the years about thoughts I had overheard from him that weren't exactly nice. I know he did not mean them because at the time we had both lost our tempers about something or other… but that's thing… normal people can think whatever they want then go apologize and smooth things over. With me I can hear all those nasty things a person might not mean but at the moment they can't control their anger. It sucked and it forced me to lead a lonely life.

We eventually changed the channel and watched some sitcom and chatted for awhile until Jason decided to head home.

"Later Eric, don't steal all my beers!" He hollered as he went out the back door.

"Those are not even his I bought that beer for myself." I shook my head and cleaned up the few dirty dishes from dinner.

"Really I thought they were mine, I know how you like to get me drunk and take advantage of me." He wiggled his eyebrows as he started washing dishes for me. Eric was as comfortable here as he was in his own home.

"Oh yes, that's definitely the plan." I winked at him as I started drying the plates and putting them away. We practiced harmless flirting on a regular basis. There also had been a night of drunken fun once or twice with him but things never got very far. When I was drunk it was very hard to block out thoughts so I ended up getting a rush of all of his thoughts and it was enough to kill the mood.

The dishes were done in minutes and I offered Eric that beer. Surprisingly enough he declined.

"Sookie… we need to talk, like a serious talk." Oh boy this was not going to be good.

"Okay, about what?" I knew where this was going but I wanted to avoid it. I just wanted my best friend and if that was all I could have my entire life I had decided I was okay with it.

Eric did not sit down instead he paced around my tiny kitchen running his fingers through his hair. "You know what, us."

"I can't keep doing this Sookie. You know I want you, I always have, but you keep me at a distance. I can't imagine being in your shoes and hearing all of my thoughts. But don't you think it scares me to know you can hear anything I think? You could know all of my thoughts about you good or bad. You could end up hating me or thinking I'm a creepy pervert. Who knows… but I'm willing to take that risk." He stopped in front of me, his eyes on mine.

"I want to be with you and I think it would be worth risking everything."

Oh god, this was the kind of thing that happened in a romance movie. I had a perfect guy in front of me asking me to just let him in… but part of me could not let go and do that. I was too worried about losing him or not being able to handle one of his thoughts.

"Eric… I can't…" How could I explain that I was in love with him but this wouldn't work?

"Forget it Sookie" He muttered and started to walk out the back door.

"Eric wait!" I grabbed his arm to stop him.

He half turned back and the hurt look in his eyes killed me. "No, I've tried multiple times to tell you how I feel, but every time I get shot down. If you can't try then I can't do this anymore."

"Do what? Be friends?" My heart was pounding, was I going to lose him without ever taking a risk? I thought by not taking the risk I would get to keep him in my life.

"I don't know… I need to think." He pulled away and walked out the door to his red truck.

I watched him sit in the driveway for a few minutes just staring at his steering wheel. He looked so upset and I knew I was to blame for it. Then he pulled out of the driveway and disappeared into the night.

I hoped things were going to be okay between us. Eric had never approached me so blatantly since our first kiss in high school. We flirted and he certainly made his interest  
in me known but in much more subtle ways. This was a big deal for him to just come out and say everything like that. It made me worry he might not show up after work everyday anymore looking for free food and a friend to talk to.

I might have lost him without ever giving him a real chance.

I went to bed with this horrible thought in my mind and could not sleep. I rolled over a million time but could never get comfortable. Finally I sat up and got out my old photo album. It was full of pictures of Gran, Jason, Tara, Lafayette and mostly Eric. I had pictures from freshman year of high school and up since that year I got a film camera.

As I flipped through the pages there were pictures of Eric and I fishing in the summer at a pond in the woods. There were some of Eric and his first car which was a beat up Beetle that he could barely cram into. There was a picture of us at prom dancing together that Tara had taken. I was not Eric's date that night but somehow he spent the entire night with me and my friends instead of her.

I slammed the book shut. Eric was right. He was worth the risk and I refused to lose him before I had even tried for something more. I picked up my cell to call him and realized it was 1AM… okay I could wait until tomorrow morning to tell him. I was still worried things would not work out in the end but I had to give it a shot. I fell asleep with pleasant dreams of Eric and little blonde babies in our future.

The following day I tried to call Eric several times but he never picked up. I assumed he was ignoring me and let him be for now. However by the end of my shift at Merlotte's I decided to just stop by his work. Yes… I never went to college and was stuck being a waitress. My telepathy did not get along well with lecture halls full of students.

"Hey Jack, is Eric here?" I walked into the automotive shop and Eric's father had quite the frown on his face.

"No… he didn't show up for work today and he hasn't answered his phone all day. I was actually going to call you in hopes you knew what he was up to." He checked his cell phone and shook his head before replacing it in his pocket.

"I'm getting worried. Did you see him at all yesterday?"

"Yes he was at my house until about nine, I thought he went home after." I was getting worried now. It was unlike Eric to miss work.

"This isn't good…." Jack called Eric's cell again but got no answer.

"I'll go stop by his apartment maybe he just skipped out on work today." I offered since I was getting really worried.

"Okay, call me when you get there. Maybe he'll show up here in the mean time." Jack attempted a smile but failed.

I booked it out the door and sped towards Eric' apartment which was on the edge of town. He could have been pissed off enough at me to get drunk and blow off work. Maybe that was all that happened and he was throwing up in his bathroom.

When I got to the apartment my heart plummeted. I found Eric's cell phone laying on the driveway with a cracked screen and what appeared to be blood on it. His keys were on the ground just outside his door. So he never made it inside…. I didn't touch them in case of fingerprints but luckily I had a spare he had given to me. I unlocked his door and went inside to be sure.

"Eric? Eric?!" I checked every room but he was not there and his belonging seemed untouched. Something happened last night right outside his door.

I quickly dialed 911 then called his father. Police arrived on the scene right after Jack and they quickly started investigating. They asked both of us a few questions but we could not provide too much information. They took the cell phone and informed us they would test the blood and also the entire scene for prints.

We ended up at the station answering more questions until just after 9 PM, when we officially filed a missing persons report. Eric's father was devastated, his son was the only family he had left after losing his wife to cancer three years ago. I dropped Jack off at his house since he was in no condition to drive then drove myself home in tears.

What if Eric was dead? What if he was being held hostage and tortured? And I was too much of a wimp to take a risk and be with him. I felt like an idiot and full of regret for not telling him how I felt.

For the next week Jack and I printed up missing person posters of Eric and put them up all over Bon Temps and in neighboring towns. The picture was one I had taken of him three weeks ago. He was standing in my backyard smiling. Right after that he had stolen the camera from me and decided to try and take pictures of my ass. I smiled at the silly memory and stapled the poster to another telephone pole.

That Friday night I curled up on my couch to watch television, hoping it would distract me from worrying about Eric. The police had no leads and each day my hope he would come home grew dimmer. At some point I fell asleep on the couch and my mind finally got some rest.

There was a loud rapping on my front door that startled me awake. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I clicked my cell phone to check the time. It was just after midnight. Who was here? As my brain started to focus I jumped up and my heart raced. Could it be Eric? Had he somehow made it home? Was he kidnapped and got free?

I raced to the front door and yanked it open without even checking through the curtains to be sure it was not a killer. The person standing there was Eric and a rush of relief went through my body.

"Eric!" I jumped forward and wrapped my arms around him. "You're okay, we were so worried about you." I hugged him even tighter, not wanting to let go. "What happened?"

I stepped back when I realized he was not responding at all. I looked up at him and realized his skin was covered in muddy smudges of dirt and what looked like… blood? Someone had to have done something to him and he got free. I put grabbed his hand to lead him inside and it was ice cold.

"Oh my god, you're freezing! Come on you can take a shower and warm right up. Then we can talk." I started to walk but Eric was not budging. "Eric? What are you doing?" Was he in shock?

"Sookie.." His voice was completely smooth despite his disheveled appearance. "I can't, you have to invite me in."

After a couple seconds the words sunk in and a turned to face him with my jaw hanging open. Eric was a vampire.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You're a…. are you sure?" I stammered.

"Yes" He replied and pulled his hand free from mine then took a step back.

It seemed like neither of us could actually say the word out loud.

"How? What happened? Who did this?" I did not think for a second that Eric chose this. He seemed happy with his life.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Can you step inside please? I'll know you're safe there. I don't want to hurt you."

I wanted to scoff at him, like he could ever hurt me! However the serious look in his eyes made me take two steps back so I was within the threshold of my home. I got a much better look at him now. He had on the same clothes as the night he left here a week ago. A grey tee with blue jeans and black shoes. It was all covered in dirt and stains like his skin. I noticed the blood stains around his mouth and tried not to think about how that got there. He could have been hit but likely that was not the case.

"I left your house the other night and when I got back to my place someone jumped me from behind while I was getting my keys out. Whoever it was bit me and started drinking.. I tried to fight them off but eventually I blacked out. When I woke up I was buried in the ground. I had to dig my way out…I was all alone. I don't know who did this." He explained with sadness.

So Eric had been a vampire for almost a week. Where had he been all those other nights? "They buried you alive? Are you okay?"

"I guess that's how they turn you." He shrugged. "I didn't have anyone to explain it to me. They just did it and left me there."

This was overwhelming. What were we going to do? "I should call your dad." I turned to grab the phone.

"No!" Eric's very blunt command stopped me in my tracks.

"Why? He's so worried about you." Jack was barely sleeping or eating these days.

"Because I barely have control of myself right now, I don't want him to see me like this. I didn't even want you to see me because I'm scared of hurting you. I stayed away all week… but I need someone to talk to. You're the only person I can trust."

I just wanted to hug him. Someone did this to him and left him all alone to handle it. What a bastard.

"Why don't you just come in Eric? We can talk and try to figure out our next step." I guess I would not be professing my feelings for him tonight. There were much more pressing matters at hand.

Eric darted in the door faster than lightning. It was all a blur and his nose was against my neck inhaling my scent. I squealed and jumped back a few steps, startled by his quick movements.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… you just smell so good." He licked his lips while he stared at me and it was not in a sexy way either.

"Are you going to be able to control yourself? Maybe I should go buy TrueBlood?" I hated not trusting him but I knew nothing about vampires just like him.

"That's probably a good idea." He looked ashamed of himself.

"Okay I'll be back in a sec" I quickly hopped in my car and went to the Quickie Mart.

I came home with three six packs of TrueBlood. I had no idea how much he would need for one meal. When I walked into the house Eric was sitting at the kitchen table looking much more cleaned up. He must have taken a shower. He had on fresh clothes too but I didn't know where he got them.

"Where'd you get the clothes?" I asked as I read the instructions and began heating up the TrueBlood.

"I ran home and back in under two minutes." He stared at the kitchen table in some kind of daze. He was probably still in shock. I know I was.

"Wow…. Okay, well here's your TrueBlood…." I popped open the cap and handed it to him.

Eric took a sip and grimaced. "This doesn't taste anything like blood. It's terrible."

"You've tasted blood?" My voice was just above a whisper.

"Umm…." Eric forced down some more TrueBlood before he started talking. "I sort of attacked his guy the other night. I was so hungry and I even tried forcing myself to eat food but it smelled rotten to me… I hadn't eaten anything and I just cracked…. It was like someone else was in control of my body. I bit him Sookie and I hurt him."His head was in his hands and I wondered if he was going to start crying.

"….I killed him… I didn't mean to I swear." He was definitely crying now.

"Eric…" I had no idea what to say. Was this normal behavior for a new vampire? Hell he had no one to teach him what to do. I heard through people's thoughts at Merlotte's that vampires had makers that raised them sort of like a parent would. Eric's had ditched him.

When he looked up at me I almost screamed. His eyes were red rimmed and there was a trail of blood running from his left eye. "Oh my god! Are you okay? You're bleeding!" I rushed to grab some tissues.

"I'm fine… I think it's normal. It happened a couple days ago. I guess our tears are different." He took the tissues anyway and wiped his face clean.

"Is the TrueBlood helping at all?" I handed him a second bottle since he forced down the first.

"A little… not much…" I thought this crap was supposed to be a blood replacement. Why was it not making Eric feel better?

"Where have you been staying during the day?" I asked as I started heating up a third bottle.

"In the ground" He replied between long chugs of the gross looking drink.

"What?" I couldn't imagine sleeping in dirt.

"I dig a hole and cover myself up. It's the only thing I know of that's safe right now." He frowned and took the third bottle of blood from me.

"Oh… well I would offer for you to stay here but I wouldn't want to risk messing up the light-tight space thing." If I made one mistake and a blanket covering a window fell down during the day Eric would burn to a crisp and truly be dead.

I would much rather have vampire Eric than no Eric at all. For now I was also not thinking about the man he accidentally killed. It was definitely an accident, he obviously felt terrible. My only worry was that he might hurt me by accident too. I wished we had more information… I could always snoop into people's minds for more right?

"It's okay. I wouldn't want to stick around too long anyway. I could hurt you if I get too hungry." He polished off the third bottle and seemed a bit calmer for the moment.

"We will figure this out Eric, I promise. I'll help you. Tomorrow at work I can eavesdrop on people's thoughts. I know Dawn has had sex with vampires before… I'll just ask the right questions and listen in. She must know something." Dawn was one of my coworkers who had no problem letting any man or woman into her bed. She came to work with fang marks on her neck one time.

Eric still looked pretty down in the dumps.

"And you can stick around here as long as you want. I'm not afraid of you just like you were never afraid of me." This was my chance to be a better person and return the favor Eric had gifted me with since the second grade. He gave me a chance when everyone else thought I was a freak. I would not give up on him now.

"You're stupid to not be afraid…" He muttered and stared at his feet.

"Am I little nervous about how you might not be able to control your instincts? Sure… but I know you would never intentionally hurt me. We just need a little more knowledge and we can figure this out." Yes I had thought about him draining me but I was not going to push Eric away right now.

He was silent so I decided to peek into his mind. I rarely did that since it seemed like an invasion of privacy, I spent most of my day trying to block out thoughts. However no matter how hard I tried there was just silence. I stepped over and touched his hand quickly and still nothing.

Eric pulled back, obviously not wanting to test himself with physical contact. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to read your thoughts… you were so quiet." I admitted with a hint of shame. "But I can't hear anything. You're brain is silent. Is that a vampire thing?"

"I don't know but you've got to be fucking kidding me if it is. This is a sick fucking joke." He stood up and pounded his fist on the table, which proceeded to crack into three pieces and collapse on the floor.

Holy shit… he was strong.

"Fuck… I'm sorry. I'll pay for that." He knelt down and started picking up the pieces. "I keep forgetting how different everything is…stronger… faster…. And now I'm finally silent to you, but only after my life has been ruined. This is all one big twisted joke."

If this silent brain was a permanent thing then I could see his frustration. It was something we both wanted for a long time. I never thought Eric's mind being silent would be how it could work, I only ever thought about my telepathy one day magically turning off. His life was a big price to pay for a fix to our problem.

Plus neither of us could look at this as a fresh start, Eric had no idea if he could control himself right now or how to live life as a vampire.

I assume Eric buried himself in the dirt again last night. As I filled ketchup bottles in Merlotte's the following morning I tried to go over everything from last night. It felt like a dream I would wake up from any second now.

When Dawn came waltzing in I immediately smiled at her and said good morning. I was always polite so she wouldn't think it was out of character.

"Morning!" The greeting was a little too peppy so I tried to regain my composure while she put her purse in Sam's office.

"What do you need me to do? Looks like you already got quite a bit done." Dawn said as she walked up, flipping her perfectly shiny brown hair over one shoulder.

I always found it unfair how perfect her hair was, even in the humid southern summers it remained smooth and fell in perfect waves. However those waves were not enough to cover the fresh fang marks on her fair skin. This would be my chance to get some intel on vampire living. Hopefully Dawn paid attention to whatever her lovers said.

"Some silverware needs to be rolled up if you'd like to get started on that." I said with a smile.

Dawn grabbed the bin of silverware and some napkins to roll them in. She sat across from me and quietly hummed while working.

"So… are you seeing anyone these days?" I usually stayed out of her personal life. Lucky for me Dawn was the type of person who thought the world revolved around them. Therefore she was delighted I asked and it gave her the opportunity to blab about herself.

"I do have a new late night lover, if you know what I mean." She winked and pointed at her neck shamelessly. It was like she was fifteen and proudly displaying her first hickey. "He's tall, dark, handsome… amazing in bed."

As she mentioned this I opened up my mind to her thoughts. I needed to hear any information she had on vampires. The first images were all of her vampire sexcapades with this new guy. It was a bit gross simply because it was someone else's experiences and far too adventurous for me… but apparently this guy lasted for hours. Would Eric be like that as a vampire?

No! Not what I was supposed to be focusing on! I shifted my attention back to Dawn's thoughts. She blabbed on with little encouragement from me. I only asked a few key questions to trigger some thoughts besides sexual ones.

_He says he sleeps in a coffin but I dunno if I believe that._

_I don't know why he doesn't stay over longer, he's probably lying about meeting with his boss._

"Do vampires have real jobs?" I asked curiously since her last thought peaked my interest.

"Oh, I don't know. On the TV they claim to and my guy says he has to go see his boss all the time… but who knows." Dawn had only rolled up one set of silverware. She was a slow worker.

_Who has a boss named Godric anyway? That ain't even a real name._

Godric? Who was that? At least I now had a name. I spent the rest of my shift repeating it in my mind so I wouldn't forget.

When I arrived back at the farmhouse in the evening it was not completely dark yet. It was late summer so days were still fairly long. If Eric was around he was not awake yet. I had a few things to talk about with him, coffins and Godric.

I took a quick shower and changed into some shorts and a t-shirt while I anxiously waited for Eric. I didn't even know if he was coming over but I hoped he would. Fielding a call from Jack Northman proved to be quite difficult and I hung up the phone feeling insanely guilty about lying to him. He was still distressed over his missing son.

As the sun started to set I busied myself with cleaning the house.

"Sookie?" Eric's voice came without the usual clamber of his boots on the porch. He moved silently now.

"Hey!" I turned to open the back door for him and was happy to see he was blood stain free. "Did you sleep in the ground again?"

"Yes, it's the only thing that's safe." He looked clean so he had to have showered before coming here.

"How come you can get into your apartment? " Did the human ownership no longer exist since Eric was turned?

"I don't know, I guess because technically no human owns it anymore…" He shrugged and went to the fridge for TrueBlood. He took out four bottle and put them all in the microwave at once.

"Have you… you know… fed on anyone?" I felt bad asking but it was pretty important to know if he hurt someone else.

"No not since the one I told you about. But this stuff is barely getting me by Sookie, I'm starving all the time." The looks in his eyes was one of desperation and helplessness.

I wished I had the answers.

"I'm sorry…. I don't know how to help you there. But I did catch a name from Dawn's thoughts, there's a vampire named Godric that is some kind of boss around here. Maybe he could help you." I assumed if he was a boss or business owner he would have more connections. Maybe he would know who turned Eric.

Eric pondered this while he consumed three bottles of TrueBlood in less than five minutes.

"I also had another idea today, we could go to that vampire bar and ask around about Godric." It was the only place I could think of where we might run into other vampires and not get killed on the spot. We could ask our questions and hope someone could direct us to this Godric guy.

"I don't know… that sounds like a recipe for disaster. What if you get hurt? Or I hurt you? Or someone else does? You smell better than all the other humans Sookie. That might just be me, or it's like that for all of them. They'll try to go after you." Eric shook his head and took a few steps back until he was completely on the opposite side of the kitchen. He liked putting distance between us these days.

"What? How?" I was not normal but how could my blood be different?

"All the other humans I've been near so far smell like a cheeseburger, you smell like filet mignon." Well that was one way to put it into perspective. I don't know how much I liked Eric comparing me to food.

"That doesn't matter." I shook my head "This is the only plan we have to help you with being a vampire. Do you have a better idea?"

Eric was silent and stoic.

"Ok then, we're going to Fangtasia. I'll change into something more appropriate for a bar, you probably should too." His sneakers and tee were not going to cut it.

An hour later I headed to the front door in skin tight black jeans, heels and a sparkly dark grey tank top. We needed to sort of blend in with the crowd out for a fun night. As I opened the door for Eric my heart felt a little pang of sadness. This felt like the beginning of a first date that we never had, probably never would have now.

Eric was standing there in all of his 6'4" glory, wearing dress shoes with dark jeans and a black button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The only thing that gave away his vampire state to me was the sudden disappearance of his summer tan. His short hair was even styled with some gel or whatever hair product men used these days. I tried to not think too much about the long lost first dates.

"You look…" Eric's tongue darted out and licked his lips while his eyes scanned over my body.

Then the next thing I knew I was screaming. Eric had me pushed up against the wall and his face buried in my neck. I heard his fangs click down.

"Eric… please don't…." My voice was shaky and I could feel my entire body trembling with shock. He had completely taken me by surprise.

He leaned into me more to the point that his weight against me made it hard to breathe. I felt his fangs scrape against my skin and then he was gone.

Well… not gone… but on the other side of the room.

"Eric?"

"I'm so sorry…. I can't be around you. I'm going to hurt you, it's just a matter of time." He was obviously very distressed over his behavior.

He definitely scared me but he stopped himself. That was what was important. The Eric that was my best friend was still in there.

"It's okay Eric. You didn't hurt me, I'm fine, just a little surprised." Before he could announce he was leaving and this plan was shitty I ran into the kitchen.

Once I was there I did something that grossed the hell out of me but might help us get through tonight. Eric seemed to need real blood to satisfy his hunger so I carefully gave myself a tiny cut on my arm. By the time a small amount had drained into a cup Eric had zipped into the room and his fangs were back. It was strange to see him with those…

"Wait!" I commanded as I quickly wrapped up my arm to stop the bleeding. "Here, maybe this will help you." I slid the cup across the table and without questioning it he lifted it and drank.

It was a very small amount but hopefully it would help him with these urges. Watching Eric lick the cup clean of my blood made all of this very real. He was no longer human, he was a predator.

"You taste amazing." He licked his lips and tossed the cup into the trash.

My cheeks reddened at the comment while his eyes were still on me. I had thought about him saying that to me before but in an entirely different context.

"Thanks? Um, do you feel any better?" I carefully cleaned the small cut on my arm and placed a bandage over it. Hopefully this would not cause an issue with going to Fangtasia… then again, human women must go there when they have their period right? And they did not get murdered on the spot. This tiny cut should be nothing.

"Yes, much better. It's strange… when I attacked that man it took a lot more to feel anywhere near satisfied. But just a small amount of your blood and I almost feel not hungry. Do you think it has to do with your telepathy? Genetically you're different somehow?" Eric stepped closer and examined my arm.

This was the first time he had voluntarily been close to me. His cool fingertips left a trail of goosebumps on my arm. He seemed satisfied with my patch up work.

"I really am sorry about before, and I'm sorry you had to injure yourself. I hope someone can help me tonight. I don't want to be a burden to you." Eric dropped his hands to his sides and headed for the door.

"You're not a burden Eric, you're my best friend and I'm here for you." I gave him a small smile and headed outside.

I drove to the bar in my yellow Honda while Eric chose to run. He was still worried about being in a small enclosed space with me.

I could only hope Fangtasia would hold some answers for us.

**a/n: Hope ya'll enjoyed! Next chapter we get to see who is running Fangtasia and maybe find out a little more about how Godric fits into this AU.**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying this twist on SVM! Thanks for the great reviews. Also I bumped this up to an M rating so I don't have to worry about language/violence with a T rating.**

Chapter 3

I got out of my beat up yellow car and found Eric standing in the parking lot already waiting for me. It had just rained so the pavement was damp and the red glow of Fangtasia's neon sign reflected in a puddle next to Eric. It cast an eerie crimson glow on his face and I wondered if that was some kind of bad omen.

_Stop being paranoid!_

I shook off the silly thought and headed over to Eric. He seemed a bit more relaxed since having a small amount of my blood.

"Ready?"I glanced towards the door where there was a short line to get into the bar.

"As I'll ever be" Eric surprisingly held out his arm for me and I gladly took it as we took up a spot at the end of the line.

The line moved quickly and after paying a $5 cover fee we were in the door. The bar was dimly lit with loud music pumping through hidden speakers. Every wall was a dark shade of red that reminded me of a very ripe strawberry. The effect was likely meant to be in reference to blood, but hey, my mind had never been normal.

Fangtasia was filled to the brim with vampires and the humans that were fascinated by them. The new term for them was 'fang bangers'.These were not people who had found a relationship and it just happened to be with a vampire. These folks thrived off the dangerous lifestyle they perceived vampirism to be, they were thrill seekers. Everyone was dressed in black ad many of the outfits look like skin tight plastic. I was glad I had chosen a darker outfit so at least I somewhat blended in amongst this unique crowd.

Eric's arm slipped around my waist and he pulled me closer. I was not so sure that was a good idea considering his lack of control but when I tried to inch away he kept an iron grip. Someone was being over protective.

We walked towards the bar together and I opened my mind up while Eric ordered a couple drinks.

_I want someone to bite me, anyone. Fuck I just need someone close._

_These vampires won't pay attention to me, maybe I need more cleavage…._

_She's perfect, maybe tonight she will take me home._

The thoughts in the bar were plagued by lust and loneliness. It was rather depressing to be honest. However it was also frustrating since none of these humans seemed to know anything.

Wait…humans... I focused on the minds in the bar again. Now that everyone was together in an enclosed space I was able to sense a human brain versus an odd void. Eric was one of those silent voids and I quickly learned all vampires must be silent to me.

"Eric…I can't hear any of you. Just the humans." I whispered as he handed me a martini. I noticed he held a wine glass full of TrueBlood.

"So it must be a vampire thing then… I guess you could've dated a vamp all these years and you didn't even know it." His voice was bitter as the words left his lips.

"I didn't want a random vampire…" I mumbled, not wanting to get into the details of our past right now. "So they serve the TrueBlood in a classy way here, much better than the Stackhouse kitchen." I changed the subject.

"It's not TrueBlood, it's something called Royalty Blended and it was the most expensive thing they had. I don't know what's in it but it tastes a hell of a lot better than the other stuff." Eric explained as he sipped his drink.

"Damn, you must be a newbie." An unfamiliar man walked over to us chuckling. His head was shaved and he had tattoos on either side of his head. His complexion was pale like any other vampire but his features spoke of an Asian background.

"Yeah, I guess so." Eric paid little attention to the other vampire. I could tell he wanted him to bug off.

"Royalty Blended is real blood mixed with synthetic, that's why it's so pricey. The real good stuff is straight from the source if you ask me." He gave me a fangy grin and his eyes roamed over my figure.

I was uncomfortable but did not let it show. Apparently vampires hit on women in just as creepy of ways as human men. Lucky me, I could not read his thoughts.

"I'm Ichiro, what might your name be blondie? You look like someone I'd like to get a taste of."He smiled again and took a step closer.

I automatically took a step back and now had my back against the bar. Eric put his drink down and stepped in front of me.

"Back off, she's not interested." His fists were clenched at his sides and I was regretting coming here. I did not want Eric getting into a fight with another vampire. What if he killed him?!

"Eric just ignore him. And I am definitely not interested."I leaned around Eric's hulking shoulder to give Ichiro a glare to make sure my point was taken.

"Come on Eric lets just mind our own business." I gave him a light tug on his arm and he reluctantly turned back towards me.

"I'll take whatever I want. Some damn baby vamp is not going to stop me." Ichiro's fangs snapped down again and he growled, this time walking forwards and trying to push right by Eric to get to me.

Maybe I was like cat nip to vampires, jesus Christ!

Eric moved so quickly it was hard to see. He whirled around and had his own fangs down in seconds. His arm shot out and he had Ichiro by the throat.

"You try to touch her one more fucking time and I'll kill you." He snarled at the older vampire. It was like Eric transformed into some other creature and not the loveable guy I knew. His face was crinkled into a grimace and his lips were curled up exposing his teeth as he growled like a caged animal at Ichiro.

"She's mine, now back off." He released Ichiro with a good shove that sent him back a few feet.

Holy shit.

But Ichiro was not done, he yelled what I assume was a profanity in another language and launched himself at Eric. He got in a good punch and Eric's nose was bleeding in seconds. My own heart was pounding and I knew there was nothing I could do to help right now.

However before the brawl could go any further a tall blonde woman appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Ichiro by the back of his shirt and lifted him right off the ground. The woman was thin and Ichiro had to weigh twice as much as her yet she lifted him like nothing.

"What have I told you, you dumbass piece of shit?" He was silent until she shook him around some. "What's that? I can't hear you?"

"To not fight in your bar…" Ichiro spat out like a toddler in trouble. This woman must have some authority amongst vampires.

"That's right, obviously you remember, you're just too stupid to behave. Get the fuck out of my bar and don't come back." She tossed him on the ground like a ragdoll and security was on him in seconds.

She turned to us then and a shiver ran down my spine as her cold blue eyes analyzed us.

"You two, come with me." She turned on her very high heels and led the way towards an employees only doorway.

I wondered if we were in some kind of trouble, did Eric break some vampire law?

The door led to a narrow hall that had a few rooms branching off of it. The tall woman, dressed in a once piece black catwoman type suit, brought us into an office space. She took a seat behind a desk and gestured for Eric and I to sit down. We did as we were told but Eric boldly reached over and pulled my chair closer to his. I was 100% okay with his over protective streak now, it made me feel a little safer.

The woman eyed our interaction with interest and maybe a hint of boredom. She was a very difficult read.

"Now, you must be new…. I've never seen you in Area 5 before. Who are you?" She questioned with offering now information about herself.

"Who are you?" Eric was not one to be pushed around. That was a great trait as a human but as a vampire I was worried it would get us into trouble.

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse and this is Eric Northman" I blurted before anyone could get angry.

"That means nothing to me. So I have a newborn and his human gal pal, wonderful." The blonde rolled her eyes as if we were really wasting her time. "Who is your maker newborn?"

Eric glanced over at me then back to the female vampire. "I don't know, I just woke up this way about a week ago. Now I've explained myself, who are you?"

The woman raised an eyebrow at him then calmly replied "My name is Pam, I am the owner of this bar and everything in it. Do not get into anymore fights in my establishment, next time I won't be so friendly."

Her icy demeanor made me wonder what Pam in a bad mood was like… I definitely did not want to find out.

"I am only being so nice because I could tell you were a newborn and Ichiro is an ass. You handle yourself well for someone so young and without a maker… " She seemed thoughtful for a moment as her eyes analyzed Eric. He held her gaze without ever wavering. "It would be wise to check in with the area Sheriff, he will want your name on the books, and maybe he will look into who your maker is."

"What's a Sheriff?" Eric asked.

"Ugh, I hate these dumb questions… this is why I will never be a maker myself." She sighed but proceeded to explain a little. "A Sheriff is the vampire in control of a certain territory, compare it to your human mayors if you will… with different laws and justice of course. Godric is the Sheriff of Area 5, which is where we are right now. Here is his address, I've already sent a text to get you in to see him tomorrow night."

Eric took the piece of paper Pam slid across her desk and tucked it into his pocket.

"And you, little miss sunshine, will not speak a word of this to anyone. You will not remember anything you heard here about vampire politics." Pam gave me a very intense stare and was ultra focused on me. It was down right creepy.

"Um, I think I will remember it, but I promise I won't say anything." I sat there and watched her expression shift to shock then quickly be covered up by her seemingly normal stoic expression.

That was weird.

"Let's put it this way, say anything and you will regret it." She growled.

I nodded quickly and glanced over at Eric, urging him with my eyes to not try and be the hero right now.

We both stood to leave but Pam had one more thing to say.

"By the way, newborn, do you know what you said out there?"

Eric looked confused as he stood by the doorway and so was I.

"You called that girl yours, that means something in the vampire world. It was a smart move even if you had no idea what you were saying. It'd be best to continue to insist upon that around other vampires if you want your blonde treat to be safe." With that she stood up and walked out a back door, leaving us with no other explanation.

Eric and I quickly left Fangtasia after that, although he did finish another Royalty Blended which was probably a good idea. It seemed to satisfy his hunger for now.

He felt calm enough to ride home in my car with me which I was thankful for. We had a lot to talk about.

"At least we know who Godric is now, and maybe he can help you find your maker." I adjusted the air conditioning since the humid air was causing a sweaty sheen to break out on my skin.

"I guess…" Eric leaned back in his seat and stared out the window.

He seemed depressed. It was confusing since for the first time I felt a tad hopeful. We now had a direction to go in and we even had some vague answers from that vampire named Pam. She was tough but who knows maybe if she got to know Eric better she would give him more information. Eric needed friends in the vampire world to help him.

"What's wrong?" I turned down the radio some which was on a local country station.

He was quiet for a few seconds and kept his eyes on the woods rushing by the window before speaking.

"I didn't want any of this. I didn't want to be a vampire and I don't want to meet some Godric guy and have to get my new existence explained to me. This is all fucking bullshit. Any plans I had for my life are gone now, I can never be normal again." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up in an array of blonde spikes.

"I'm sorry this happened to you Eric, I really am. But at least you're alive and not drained in a ditch somewhere. Things will be different but you still have a life to live. Plus now we can not be normal together." I gave him a small smile and saw him finally look over at me.

"I thought I understood how hard it was for you, being different, but now I realize I never had a clue. Your entire life has always been planned around your telepathy… I never had anything to plan around until now." He replied.

"It was never easy but the best thing I ever had in my life was you. You were always there for me and accepted me. I can be that same person for you Eric. So when everything seems like shit because you're different you can come complain to me about it." I turned into my driveway and slowed down as we hit the gravel. I really needed to redo the driveway.

"Thanks Sookie" He reached over the console and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I wrapped my fingers around his and enjoyed silence emanating from his mind.

**a/n: So what did you guys think? How do you like Pam's role so far and Fangtasia? Next chapter we will meet Godric!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**a/n: This chapter is shorter than others so far but it seemed like the most natural spot to break things off into a different chapter, especially since next chapter is in Eric's POV! =)**

I felt terrible that Eric had to go bury himself in the dirt again but right now we knew of no safer place for him to spend the night. I took the paper with Godric's information on it and stuck it on my fridge with a magnet in the shape of a frog. Eric had bought me that magnet six or seven years ago now. When I was in middle school I had an obsession with frogs so I bought frog pencils, erasers and even socks with frogs on them. Of course Eric remembered my silly obsession years later and bought the magnet as a joke for my birthday one year. He really was the perfect guy.

I smiled sadly at the magnet then opened the fridge for bottle of water. Eric was sitting at the kitchen table listening to voice mails his father left on my home phone. I really needed to call him. Since his son popped back into my life I had been MIA in the Eric search. He was probably worried about me missing too.

"Thank god your Dad texts, I'll send him something right now so he knows I'm alive." I sent a few texts to Jack to explain I had been very busy with work and in my free time hanging up more posters of Eric. I told him I would call soon.

"I feel bad not calling him, but I don't know what's going on right now. I want to figure things out more before I show up at his door. I have no idea if I'll work at the shop anymore, where I will live… I need to figure out how to live my life in the dark. Alone." He fiddled with a TrueBlood bottle cap sitting on the tabletop.

"Let's hope this Godric has some answers, if he isn't a total ass then maybe you will have a vampire you can go to with your questions." I was still Eric's friend but I was little help when it came to finding answers on vampire behavior or customs.

"I know, I'm trying to not drown in self-pity right now." Eric stood up slowly. It was early morning at this point and the sun would be rising soon. "And to think I finally got what I wanted… a mind that was silent to you… but now I have the wrong packaging." He frowned and checked the color of the night sky through my kitchen window.

"That's not true." If he thought being a vampire would keep me from dating him he was dead wrong. I realized now I was foolish to not try things with him in the past. I let my telepathy hold me back and potentially keep me from the best thing in my life. Now that Eric had his own 'condition' I would not let that stand in our way either.

I knew he was a vampire and potentially dangerous without a maker right now… but he seemed to be showing such good control. Even Pam had said that and I doubted she handed out compliments. If Eric was doing this well on his own I bet he would be perfectly fine with a little help from any vampire willing to step up and explain things.

Eric's eyes locked onto mine and he took a few steps closer, until there were only inches between us. His closeness forced me to look up to meet his intense gaze.

I spoke up first, somewhat nervously at first, but I did not want him to think I saw him as a monster.

"Eric, I didn't tell you because everything has been insane… but the night you left here and got attacked by some vampire… I spent the entire night awake thinking about what you said before you left. I finally decided I wanted to take that chance with you, the risk was worth it… but when I tried calling the next day you were already missing." I paused as I vividly remembered thinking he was truly dead and I lost my chance forever, that he would never know I was in love with him. My eyes misted over with tears I refused to let fall. "I thought you were gone forever but you're not. You showed up at my door with some extra baggage, but that doesn't change anything for me. I still love you."

Instead of smiling like I thought he would Eric looked down at me like he pitied me and there was sorrow in his expression.

"Sookie… I've wanted to hear that for so long… but things are different now. I'm not a human man anymore. I can't give you the life I always wanted to. Being with me now means no normal life, no sunny days at the lake, no enjoying a meal together and never having a family of our own." He explained sadly.

"I don't care, we can make it work. You always said we could, this is just another obstacle like my telepathy." I reasoned with him. Eric was always so stubborn about our relationship, why was he giving up now? My eyes were watering once more as I felt I was starting to lose him all over again.

"I shouldn't have involved you in all this… but I was weak and desperate for something familiar. The more I think about it the more I know I should've stayed away and found answers on my own. You could have been killed tonight if that Ichiro guy got past me or Pam. You shouldn't have to live a life like that Sookie." He looked down right depressed but somehow determined. Eric was just as stubborn as me once he got an idea in his head.

So instead of wasting anymore time talking I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. He responded immediately and his cool lips were warmed by the fire between us. I had kissed Eric before but it was never like this… this was perfect. I did not have to work to keep my shields up and I was able to just live in the moment.

His strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me flush against him. When his tongue slid across my bottom lip I eagerly gave him entrance. This was better than anything I had imagined over the years when fantasizing about Eric. He was an amazing kisser and his body pressed against mine made me crave more. My fingers were knotted into his short blonde hair and I heard him growl a little as my fingers ran over his scalp.

In a sudden rush of movement Eric had my back against the wall. But this time I was not scared or surprised, I took it in stride and let my hands wander under his shirt, feeling his muscles beneath his cool skin. One of his hands moved down to my hip, pulling me close so I could feel how hard he was. My finger nails scraped down his shoulders and then I heard a _click!_

Eric's fangs had snapped down and he quickly leaned back. I noticed a small amount of blood on his mouth before he quickly licked it away. Then I felt a slight sting on my lip, his fang had grazed my skin and give me a tiny cut.

I looked up at him to tell him it was okay but he was zoned out on my lip. Eric was completely focused on the bead of blood on my bottom lip and he looked like he was holding back a snarl. Uh-oh… he definitely looked like he wanted to step closer and have a bite or two.

"Eric?" My voice seemed to slowly get him out of his haze. "It's okay, I'm fine… I'm sure that's happened to a million other people in this situation." Kissing a vampire had its hazards I supposed.

"What? No" Eric shook his head as he came back to earth. "I shouldn't have even kissed you back, I knew something like this could happen. All we were doing was kissing and I already hurt you. I can't do that to you Sookie."

"I'm fine it was an honest mistake." I reasoned with him and wiped the last bit of blood away with the back of my hand.

"No… from here on out I have to do this alone. I'm sorry." Eric didn't reach out to hug him or anything, he just used his vamp speed to poof out the back door.

I ran into the kitchen and looked out the window but saw no sign of him in my yard. The tears were streaming freely down my face as I turned around and noticed Gordic's information was also gone from the fridge. Stupid me had not memorized it either…

Damn it! That could have been the last time I would see Eric Northman.

I collapsed on my kitchen floor to cry. I cried for hours until finally sleep took over. When Jason woke me up on the floor the next morning I explained I just cracked over Eric being missing. He never questioned it and made me breakfast and promised to hang up more posters on his way to work.


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: I meant to include in my last author's note, to apologize for Godric not making it into the chapter. I had not expected that romance drama to weasel it's way in so soon, but Sookie was not listening to me! Anyway Godric is definitely in this chapter! Also I've started a WordPress, the link is in my profile! I'm going to slowly transition to that site but for now will continue to post here too. **

**Chapter 5**

**EPOV**

I raced off into the night putting a great amount of distance between myself and the old farmhouse. If I was anywhere near it I would hear Sookie crying and my resolve to stay away would crumble. Just the sound of her sadness would make me want to wrap my arms around her and insist everything would be fine. The problem was I no longer knew that.

Before all of this vampire bullshit in the last week and a half… I really did believe things would be fine if Sookie would just let me in. I knew the telepathy was a unique situation to work through but I had faith we could do it. Hell, I had loved the girl since the fifth grade, that was enough reason to take a chance.

As I started digging a hole in the middle of the Louisiana woods as a daytime resting place, I thought about how long I had known Sookie…how hard it would be to give her up forever.

We met in elementary school. I'm pretty sure I noticed her first. She seemed like such a nice girl and I never understood why the other kids teased her. Once I got to know her more I did realize she was different but there was nothing wrong with different. I accepted her because she was by far the kindest person in the entire school and a great friend.

By the time we reached middle school I had a total crush on her. I thought she was unique, like a diamond hidden in the coal mine that was Bon Temps. To me her telepathy proved even more what an outstanding person she was. She heard horrible thoughts all day but still tried to look at the brighter side of things. Plus she was absolutely adorable with her round face and smile. I also like the blue shoe laces on her sneakers, they matched her eyes.

As we grew older Sookie went from being my cute crush to a beautiful woman I would never get to have. Her round child face slimmed down some, while other parts of her figure rounded out in the best ways possible. Her blonde hair went from short pigtails to long and wavy locks that fell around her shoulders. She was better than any woman I could dream up in my mind as the ideal mate. Almost all of my high school fantasies consisted of Sookie and that continued on until the present day.

I moved the last bit of dirt over myself with frustration. The sun would be rising in minutes and I was safely buried for the day. However this small achievement did nothing to improve my mood.

Sookie had finally said she loved me, like she was _in love_ with me, and wanted to give us a chance. Yet of course the universe screwed me over and turned me into something too dangerous. The second I could have everything I had ever wanted, I was forced to walk away. I could barely control myself around her and my fangs flying out in the middle of our make out session proved that. I had not felt an out of control urge to bite her, yet they unexpectedly snapped down and cut her. I couldn't risk being around her and hurting her far worse.

My depressing thoughts were brought to a screeching halt when my body shut down as the sun rose.

Many hours later I dug my way back out of the ground. I looked around the dark forest and there was no one in sight. I quickly filled in the hole and ran to my old apartment for a shower. My entire body was covered in dirt and I was getting very sick of it.

After my shower I pulled on some jeans and a dark burgundy button down. I had no idea how formal my meeting with Godric was supposed to be. Then I stopped at the liquor store to check if they had Royalty Blended. It had done a much better job than the TrueBlood to satisfy my hunger. It ended up being in a locked case behind the register. The bottle is was in looked like a pricy liquor with the fancy design. I bought two bottles and watched oodles of my money disappear in seconds.

Sookie's blood had tasted a million times better and it was free… but I did not trust myself to safely feed from her.

My meeting with Godric was not until 1 AM so I wasted time drinking and then testing out how fast I could run from one side of Bon Temps to the other. When my meeting time rolled around I hopped into my pickup truck and drove to the address Pam had written down.

I was surprised when I pulled up outside a small office building in Shreveport. The place was very well kept and I noticed several businesses ran out of the building. The lit up sign said there were law offices, a non-profit charity, and a small web design agency all renting office space here.

I parked my truck and made my way to the entrance, pressing a button to be buzzed in. A voice crackled over the intercom. "Who are you here to see?"

"Godric, I'm Eric Northman." I tried to sound calm but doubted it worked.

There was another buzz then the sound of the door unlocking. I walked in and the lobby was small but very clean and well designed. Everything looked brand new from the tile floors to the receptionist's mahogany desk and Apple computer.

" , please follow me, I will escort you to the Sheriff's office." She stood up and started leading the way to an elevator. The woman was dressed in a black pencil skirt and blazer. Her dark hair was pinned up in a very professional manner. I suddenly felt underdressed.

"I am Isabelle" She said as we stepped into the elevator and she pushed a button for the second floor.

"Oh, nice to meet you, I'm Eric… as you know." I held my hand out to her but she just stared at it.

"I was warned you are new. We do not do that…. Human greeting…a name is enough." She said it as if shaking hands was a disgusting act.

I immediately dropped mine and stared straight ahead. So much for making a good impression.

We got off on the second floor and Isabelle led the way to a corner office. I read the name plate and was surprised to see Godric's name along with the title of 'President, United Charity'. It was the non-profit organization I had seen listed on the sign.

She knocked lightly on the door before opening it. A calm voice inside told us to enter. When the door opened I was shocked by the man behind the desk. He was barely a man and in fact a boy. He appeared to be no more than 17 years old.

"Hello Eric, please sit down." He gestured to a seat in front of his desk and nodded his thanks to Isabelle, who shut the door behind her.

I sat down across from the vampire who looked like a boy I would be coaching on the Bon Temps baseball team, instead of a vampire Sheriff.

"I am sure you have many questions. Pamela has informed me that you were turned and left to fend for yourself. I apologize for this, like humans, our kind has bad seeds as well." He shook his head and typed something into the laptop on his desk.

"They all seem pretty bad so far…" I muttered. Godric's lips quirked up into a small grin for a second.

"I hope I can change your mind Eric, Pamela spoke somewhat highly of you… which is saying a lot coming from her. She also might have a soft spot for you since I suspect you are siblings." He had pulled up a file on his computer and turned it to face me.

"I don't have any siblings…" I said as my eyes skimmed the screen. It was a file on someone named Appius Ocella.

"Vampire siblings are different from human siblings. I believe you and Pam share the same maker, which would make her your sister in the vampire world. Siblings share a bond and can feel each other's emotions to a certain extent. It is very minimal compared to that of a maker and child…enough that you might not have noticed it when around her, without knowing what to look for. Pamela noticed though which means this man is most likely your maker." Godric leaned back in his chair and let me read the file.

This Ocella guy was crazy old. It said he was born during the Roman Empire and that he was for the most part insane. Great. It also said I had quite a few other siblings besides Pam.

"Unfortunately Ocella is known for this behavior. I am sorry you had to suffer the consequences of me not realizing he was in my area quickly enough. He has a bad habit of turning any human he has the slightest interest in, then ditching the newborn vampire until he needs them for something. He could have liked something as simple as the color of your hair and decided to turn you. Ocella is not the most stable of vampires." Godric sighed and turned the laptop back towards him and shut it. "I am working to track him down and have him meet the true death, I dislike violence, but this behavior can go on no longer. If you have questions about your new life please come to me or Pamela. I am happy to help and hopefully improve your view of us."

This was all too much to absorb at once. I had so many questions and there was also a new seed of rage growing in my gut towards this Ocella guy. He ruined my life and apparently for his own fun.

"How come just Pam? I saw tons of other siblings listed on your computer." If I had so many other siblings from this psycho maker, why not ask all of them for advice?

"Pamela is the most successful of your siblings and one of the only ones that has survived. It takes a lot to survive your first week as a newborn without a maker. Most of Ocella's children have perished from making poor feeding mistakes when overcome with hunger and have been quickly killed off by enraged humans." Godric seemed saddened by this. He seemed too human to be vampire. "Nora is one of your only other surviving siblings but she's been all over the world and difficult to track as of late."

"Why are you running a charity?" It was a dumb question in the grand scheme of things but my mind was overwhelmed right now.

Godric smiled and stood up. He was barely Sookie's height. He walked towards the window that overlooked the parking lot, and pointed towards a dumpster.

"Years ago I matured as a vampire and saw the error in our violent ways. I was a supporter of the great revelation and mainstreaming, which means not feeding off of humans or at the very least only off of willing donors. Once I realized vampires and humans could coexist, I realized their problems were our problems. I came across a little girl near that dumpster ten years ago. She was homeless and starving. I did not like seeing that so I found an organization that could help and brought her there. That made me realize I wanted to start my own charity, because helping someone else made me feel more alive than I had in two thousand years." He returned to his chair. "I own this entire building and rent the space out to different vampires who conduct law abiding business and I know are mainstreaming. I promote peace and coexistence in Area 5."

"Wow…. " A vampire that helped kids and had his own charity? This was not what I expected at all.

"I must warn you, not all vampires see things as I do. If you go to another area the atmosphere could be quite different." Godric's face grew solemn and serious.

I quickly nodded and decided I would stay in Area 5 for awhile to play it safe.

We spent the next hour talking and Godric let me ask all of my questions. I found out about vampire law, how Louisiana was broken up into five areas and what their boundaries were. I also learned I could order a sleeping coffin that just looked like a black travel compartment instead of something to be buried in. That would allow me to not sleep in the dirt. He even gave me a list of places where I could purchase donor blood or other varieties of synthetic blood.

It was hard to keep track of everything I learned that night but I went home feeling better. I had some knowledge now and would no longer have to sleep in the dirt for eternity. As I drove back to town in my truck I realized I couldn't go see the one person I wanted to tell all of this new information to. I had promised myself I would stay away from her.


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: I apologize for the slower updates on my stories. I had a business trip and right after that last week my mother went into the hospital in critical condition. She is on the mend now but will need a lot of help while she recovers, so my story updates will be much slower.**

**Chapter 6**

**EPOV**

I went into my daytime rest wishing that I could tell Sookie everything. I wanted to talk to her about how insane it was that Godric looked 17 but was in fact over 2,000 years old. I wanted to tell her I no longer had to sleep in the dirt and that Pam was my sister in the vampire world. I never went to her home though and kept the distance between us.

I knew nothing of this new world I had been thrown into and I could not risk her safety.

The following evening when I rose for the night I went to Fangtasia, since my sister owned the place. I had already decided I needed to establish myself in the supernatural world (yes, Godric told me there was a lot more than vampires lurking in the dark). There was a hierarchy in place and a vampire's age tended to rule their ranking in society. There were a few exceptions Godric had explained and I planned to be one of them. If this was my new life and I had to live without Sookie, it would suck, but I was going to at least kick ass at being a vampire. I had nothing else to live for anymore.

I spent the next two weeks going to Fangtasia every night and observing the vampires as they interacted with humans and each other. I learned most vampires thought of themselves as superior to the human race and also that many of them were just as superficial as humans. They dressed themselves the way they wanted to be seen and remembered. Some older vampires dressed in clothing that spoke of their heritage, whether it be Greek, Middle Eastern, or Native American. Others dressed in the leather badass outfits humans expected to see them in. It seemed those vampires had little plans for their existence and were only worried about feeding.

These nights at the bar alone gave me time to ponder who I wanted Eric Northman to be seen as. I wanted to be taken seriously and not just viewed as a newborn obsessed with feeding and fucking. I also wanted to do more than that. Pam and Godric both owned businesses… maybe I could do something similar. I still wanted to share things with Sookie but I accepted that was a bad idea. I had to figure out how to make my life mean something without her in it.

I arrived at Fangtasia during the peak hours dressed in a tailored black suit and black shirt. My short blonde hair was neatly gelled and I left the light blonde stubble on my face. My hair no longer grew so I refused to shave it off forever. This was the look that would be associated with Eric Northman, hopefully it went over well.

I walked into the bar without waiting in line. I was a regular and now publicly known as Pam's brother, that got me in the door without a wait. As I moved through the throngs of humans clustered near the entryway I felt their eyes on me. I could even smell the arousal from some of the females. However as usual this did little for me. None of these women were Sookie.

I heard a whistle up ahead and Pam made a twirling motion with her hand by the bar. I took that as my cue to turn in a slow circle for her fashion show. I did as requested then walked all the way over once I was facing her.

"Evening Pam" I adjusted my suit jacket and tucked my hands into my pockets.

"Well, well… now this is a brother I can be proud of." She grinned. Once she realized I was not a total idiot she actually seemed to like me. I did not tolerate her bullshit but I respected her and that seemed to be enough.

"I took your advice and decided to grab this new life by the horns. I don't want to be some 'fucktard vamp'". That was what Pam liked to call the vampires she saw as lazy or not good enough to be vampire.

"Good, it's about time I got some family member that isn't a complete cluster fuck. Follow me." Pam led the way towards the stage area.

Some nights the bar had live music but on the unbooked nights Pam sat up on some chair and let the humans gawk at her. I thought it was a strange practice at first but it actually worked. After observing the past couple weeks I watched in awe as humans just stared at her like she was god or they tried to approach her only to be rejected. It was a twisted form of entertainment they seemed to enjoy.

"Sit down, you can be my display for tonight. I have shit to do and you're pretty enough to look at for a man. Plus that broody attitude you have since leaving blondie only attracts the women even more." She motioned for me to sit and grinned sadistically when at least five pairs of female eyes landed on me.

"Do I get paid for this?" This was going to be boring as hell and I needed money since I was an unemployed vampire.

"Of course, you get a percentage of the cover charges we earn for the night, since you're the attraction and all." With that Pam drifted off to her office.

I sat there feeling very uncomfortable with so many eyes on me. It felt like a public speaking class where the speech never ended.

Pam coerced me into sitting on that damn throne for the rest of the week. What can I say, I was desperate for cash. Then surprisingly she informed that attendance had increased for the bar since I started working there. Apparently news of a new vampire had spread and the local fangbangers were curious.

"Get this" Pam chuckled as we sat in her office just after closing early in the morning. "The humans are fascinated by you. They think you're mysterious and brooding, they eat that shit up. So I've leaked the word that you might be a Viking. With your looks no one will question it and they'll be even more obsessed with coming to the bar for a glimpse of you."

I felt a bit like a circus attraction but it was kind of funny how easy it was to pull the wool over some people's eyes. I was earning more cash each night the way things were going.

"That's great but can I bar tend or something half the week? I hate sitting up there while people gawk at me. I feel like zoo animal." I took a sip of the donor blood I had taken from behind the bar. I had free access to the drinks now.

"Fuck no! Eric, people see you as the mysterious and regal being up on that throne. They either want to be you or fuck you. Seeing you bar tend will ruin the image that nice suit has developed for you. In this bar Eric Northman is above servicing humans or being a waiter." She explained as if this was all common sense. "If you want a change you can sit in one of the booths and mingle a little, or even come back here and help with this fucking paperwork."

"Okay…" That seemed like a decent deal. I guess this new image was not so bad. Even the other vampires seemed to respect me more now. "Thanks for helping me out Pam."

She just rolled her eyes. "No sappy bullshit okay?"

"Sure" I chuckled and got up to go home for the day.

I was now renting an apartment from one of Godric's associates in Shreveport. I gave up my old apartment in Bon Temps because news would quickly spread that I was a vampire if I kept going back there. Here the apartment complex was owned by a vampire and only rented out to vampires. Everyone minded their own business and I had not had any trouble yet. I even bought one of those nice travel coffins to sleep in.

A month had passed since I had last seen Sookie. I still thought about her all the time and my withdrawn mood towards women only seemed to attract them more. Along with the fake Viking heritage I was bringing in more customers every week and Pam was delighted.

I had settled into a routine of working the throne or just mingling at Fangtasia. When the fangbangers became too annoying I disappeared into the office and did paperwork for Pam. The rest of the staff treated me like Pam, as if I was their boss. I guess the sibling relationship really meant a lot to vampires. Besides a few scuffles with older vampires attempting to be jackasses simply because I was a newborn, I had no troubles. Luckily those scuffles usually ended with me overpowering them or at the very least holding my own. They were always shocked and I was quite smug with the reputation of strength and power I was quickly gaining. Pam suspected I was gifted with unusual strength since most newborns were not as powerful.

That night I strolled into the bar like every other. I learned to play my role while I was there. I acted indifferent to all of the humans and most of the vampires. I carried myself with an air of authority and definitely a hint of arrogance. As a human I would have despised my current behavior but I was learning it was a great way to survive amongst vampires.

My eyes glanced over the humans as I walked by them towards my corner booth. They all meant nothing to me and I merely raised an eyebrow at two brunettes fawning over me. I sat down in the booth alone as always and let my eyes roam the crowd.

One of the brunettes was daring enough to walk over to me.

"Hello handsome" She slurred and stepped closer.

I remained seated and only glanced at her.

"Wanna get freaky?" First off who said that and second she smelled like booze. I had no interest in her.

When she reached down and touched my leg my fangs snapped down and I snarled at her.

"Get the fuck away from me" I growled in a low voice.

She gasped and stumbled backwards. As I watched her friend gather her up I noticed a blonde head behind them. I immediately focused on the only woman I could see in the room. She was by the bar with her back to me, wearing a light grey top and black jeans that fit her ass perfectly.

It was Sookie.

**a/n: it's SOOKEH! =P**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

SPOV

I had gone weeks without seeing a glimpse of Eric. I thought giving him his space and time to figure his life out would be good and that eventually he would return. However after just over a month of not seeing him I could not take it anymore. I had to know if he was okay. If Eric did not want to be with me then I would suck it up and leave him alone. But at the very least I needed to know he was not truly dead and doing okay in his new life.

That night I got myself dressed to go to Fangtasia after work. I remembered how dark everyone's clothing was and chose the only somewhat dark top I had left for warm weather. It was light grey with a few narrow bands of sequins across the chest. I remembered Eric telling me in the past they made my amazing boobs stand out even more. I don't remember my reply to him but I wish back then I had acted on his flirting.

When I arrived at the bar I was nervous. My heart felt like it might jump out of my chest as I stood in line to get in the door. I heard a couple women and a man in front of me discussing 'the viking' and how they wondered if he was here tonight. 'The viking' was likely some vampire regular that they wanted to try and fuck. I could care less about him, I just wanted to see Eric.

The bouncer at the door was an African-american male I did not recognize. I showed my ID and he ushered my by. Once I stepped into the crowded bar my eyes scanned for Eric. I could not see him anywhere, maybe he was not here. That thought brought down my mood quite a bit. Pam had to be around somewhere though and I could ask her if Eric was okay. She was one scary bitch but I'd get past that to know the status of Eric's well being. The band playing on the small stage area nixed my initial hope of Pam sitting up there on her throne. That would have been too easy.

I started walking around through the tables and did my best to look at each booth lining the wall opposite the bar. She had to be here somewhere….

_Shit_

My eyes settled on Eric in a back corner booth with some brunette running her hand up his leg. Before I could see anymore I whipped around and bolted to the bar. I ordered myself a drink when the bar tender asked simply because I needed something to do. I slid the money over to her with shaky hands and downed my gin and tonic in record time.

_Eric already moved on? Was that why he didn't want me around? He wants to be with other women? Or is this some newborn vampire stage where he needs to fuck everything in sight?_

I had spent hours reading up on newborn vampires and discovered many of them were obsessed with feeding and sex. I told myself Eric was the exception because he executed such control around me. But maybe that was why he took off, he did not want to have to control himself all the time. My heart felt crushed all over again at seeing my best friend with another woman. Life really sucked sometimes.

I stared into my empty glass thinking not only was Eric talking to some woman but he also was wearing a suit. He never wore suits unless it was a special occasion, had he changed this quickly?

"Sookie?" The voice behind me was deep and familiar. Eric.

I slowly looked over my shoulder to see him standing right behind me in his expensive looking outfit. He looked like he was ready for a GQ photo shoot. This was not the man I knew.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, obviously you're more than fine." I fought off the tears begging to spill over and headed for the door.

I did not get very far since Eric looped his arm around my waist and pulled me back.

"Wait, Sookie-" He started but I cut him off and pushed him away from me. I did not need him touching me after he just finished flirting with that fangbanger.

"Don't! I came here to make sure my best friend was okay. I see you're more than fine, in fact you're off tasting the pool of local women. You definitely don't need me checking on you, I see that now." A stray tear escaped the corner of my eye. "I'm going home, good bye Eric and good luck." I said the last part in a softer tone because I meant it. Even if Eric did not want me I still wanted him to be okay and live his life.

"That woman who just walked up to me? Is that what you're talking about? I just told her to get away from me. She's going out the door now." Eric pointed towards the exit.

I saw the brunette crying and her friend helping her out.

Oh…

"Sorry…." I mumbled feeling like a massive jerk. "I just…nevermind…" My eyes ran over him one more time. "You seem different, are you okay? Happy?"

Eric's eyes darted around and the open expression on his face morphed into arrogance and indifference. He shrugged his shoulders and glanced around the bar as if my presence was of little significance to him.

"I don't know, why don't you come in back with me for a bit?"His words sounded like invitation from some cocky asshole who thought he could get a piece of ass from anyone.

I glared at him and squared my shoulders. Eric seemed to recognize my stubborn streak and quickly changed his tune for a second and whispered "Come on!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the back door.

I noticed there were a lot of eyes on us and jealous stares as we disappeared into Pam's office.

"What the hell was that?" I asked the second Eric shut the door.

"I… have to maintain a certain image here. If the other vampires or even the humans saw me having some heart to heart with you it would ruin everything." He pulled off his suit jacket and hung it on the back of one of the chairs. I tried to ignore how well his slim fitted formal attire looked.

"Sorry I'm such a bothersome human to you then, why didn't you just let me leave?" I could be on my way home if I was a thorn in his side ruining his new 'vampire image'. This was bullshit. My Eric was never concerned with shallow things like this.

"Because" His voice softened as he stepped closer to me. "I miss you Sookie, everyday. I think about you when I rise for the night and when I die at the end of each day."

He was facing me now, standing only inches in front of me. His right hand reached over to lace his fingers with my left. "I thought pushing you away would keep you safe. I didn't do it because I no longer wanted us to be friends or because I don't love you. I still wonder if you being around me is dangerous… but now that you're right here in front of me all I can think about is how much I miss us."

My heart was doing double time as I noticed Eric's eyes dart down to my lips and then he started to lean down. I tried to absorb everything he explained but I'd process it later… right now all I wanted was him.

His cool lips met mine slowly at first. His hand moved up to cradle the side of my face as he tentatively moved his lips against mine. It felt like he was testing the waters and figuring out what was okay. I trusted him completely and I was not afraid he would hurt me, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Eric took my cue and his light touches became more confident, eager. He walked forward until my butt hit the edge of the desk, then he lifted me up and sat me down on the edge effortlessly, meanwhile sweeping a bunch of Pam's paperwork onto the floor.

She was going to be pissed about that.

We broke apart for a second and I glanced down at the papers. When my eyes met Eric's again he was grinning. That was my best friend, he was still there despite the mask he had to wear in public. He closed the distance between us again and his tongue swept into my mouth. I let my tongue slide over his and explore him. Our actions were eager but still slow and burning. My body felt like it was on fire as Eric's firm grip moved from my waist down my thighs. He pulled my legs up and I willingly followed along and wrapped my legs around his waist. Then his hands moved back down to settle on as much of my ass as they could reach in this position.

He pulled back a second and his fangs clicked down. I learned in my hours of vampire research and reading people's minds extra lately, that this happened when vampires were sexually aroused. It was like a boner but with fangs. Eric must have learned this as well because it was not freaking him out like the last time it happened.

His face was close enough his nose brushed against mine. I curiously leaned forward and let my tongue slide over one of his fangs. Eric groaned and his grip on me tightened as he grinded his hips against me.

"I've wanted this for so long." He voice was low and raspy.

"Me too, I'm sorry I was too scared before." I regretted letting my telepathy get in the way. Maybe we could have been together before and made it work.

"It doesn't matter, we're together now." He kissed me like the world might end any second and I felt my heart fluttering.

We both wanted to take our time but knew the location was really not the best for that. I debated for a second about continuing this since Pam could barge in or simply because our first time together would be on a desk. Then I realized I had been making excuses for ten years, fuck that, I wanted Eric and I wanted him now.

Eric made quick work of my jeans and tossed them on the floor somewhere. Meanwhile I unbuttoned his shirt because I absolutely wanted to run my hands all over that amazing chest of his. In between undressing our hands and lips were all over each other, becoming more frenzied by the second.

My hands ran down Eric's now bare chest. His skin no longer had a summer tan but he was still just as handsome. His body looked like it was sculpted from marble. I ran my fingers down his abs as his own fingers moved in between my legs.

His touch there made me shiver and not from the cold. I was already so turned on just being near him it would not take much to send me over the edge. He ran his fingers through my wet folds before sliding a finger into me. I gasped as he began a slow and steady pumping motion while pressing his palm against my clit. I was going to cum without him even being inside me.

"Eric" I don't even know what I wanted to say, I was out of breath and dug my fingernails into his shoulders as he pushed me closer to the edge.

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." His eyes were burning into mine and with one last twist of his fingers he sent me flying over the edge as my orgasm washed over me.

My arms were latched around his shoulders holding him close."Jesus Christ… why haven't we done this before?" I gasped and tried to catch my breath.

"Because we're idiots" Eric chuckled and started to kiss my neck, sending me back into horny mode and wanting him again. "We're going to do it all the time to make up for all those years of not fucking."

I grinned and reached between us to start undoing Eric's belt.

Then Pam came storming through the door.

"Shit!" I jumped and pulled my legs together to try and cover myself from my spot on the desk. Eric moved at vamp speed and gave me my jeans, then carefully positioned himself on front of me so I was mostly blocked from Pam's view.

"What the fuck Pam?!" He growled at her.

"Brother, you have company…. And you didn't think to invite me?" She smirked and tried to get a better look at me as I pulled on my jeans. Eric snarled louder like a protective pitbull and Pam focused her eyes back on him.

"Okay, okay, she's yours blah blah, I get it. I was just wondering where the fuck you were since you're supposed to be on the floor tonight. I heard some interesting sounds back here and figured I would come make sure you weren't being tortured." She waggled her eyebrows and I knew she really just thought she might catch some of the show. "Now get back out there, I don't care if your clothes are on."

With that Pam left and went back into the bar.

"I'm sorry about her. She's not so bad once you get to know her." Eric grabbed my shoes and handed them to me.

"That was… embarrassing…" I stood up and straightened my clothes out and put my shoes back on.

"But fun?" Eric's fangs were back in hiding and he had a hopeful expression.

"Yes before Pam ruined it, definitely fun." I smiled and watched with sadness as he put his shirt back on.

"Don't worry you can see it again whenever you want." He chuckled and grabbed his suit jacket.

"Why don't you stay with me for the rest of my shift? All I do is sit in a booth and pretend to be a Viking vampire that thinks he's better than everyone else." He held his hand out to me.

Damn, so Eric was the Viking those people were so desperate to see? Was he like a celebrity now? I'd ask that later.

"Okay, as long as you promise to come over once your shift is done." I wanted to finish what we started and just catch up with him.

"How about you come to my place? You can spend the night and I'll even pick you up French fries from Iggy's on the drive home."

"Mmm, that sounds perfect." I loved Iggy's fries and I wanted to see where Eric was living. I grabbed his hand and we headed back into the bar.

I ignored the jealous looks thrown my way and focused on being with Eric and looking forward to getting some alone time with my best friend.

**a/n: too bad they were interrupted... Pam was really hoping to catch some of the show!**


End file.
