I hope you guys like this little fiction. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you really long chapters, but if it helps I tend to be a pretty fast updater, that is if anyone is interested. A big thanks to easy_to_corrupt for her help and read through of the story. Hopefully this doesn't disappoint, and I would love to know what you guys think. Any and all comments are appreciated!

Chapter 1

"I'm so glad you're here. I need a huge favor."

Sookie Stackhouse glared at her friend, nothing good ever followed that. "What is it this time, Amelia?"

"I need a break, or I'll go insane. Could you please take over my shift? I have the worst damn patient waiting on me. She only has a twisted ankle, but she acts like it's the end of the world or something. Chick is hot as hell, but I'm starting to think murderous thoughts, which goes against all of my training. I'm afraid of what I might do if I don't get some air," the brunette finished in a rush.

"Fine, but this is the last time," Sookie replied.

Amelia gave her a quick hug. "You're the best, Sook; I owe you a lot for this."

She watched her run off, not even bothering to wait for a response. Sookie shook her head in amusement; it must be pretty bad for Amelia to run scared like that. The girl was usually not afraid of anything.

"Lord, where's the morphine when you need it?"

Sookie laughed. "You, too, Lafayette? She can't be that bad."

He gave her a pointed look. "Enter at your own risk, girl, but beware of the pure evil lurking in that room. That's one crazy ass bitch."

This was getting ridiculous now. How bad could one patient be? Sookie had been a nurse at Merlotte's hospital for almost five years now. She had seen some pretty scary things, but no one could be as bad as they were making this person out to be. Before she entered the dreaded room, she overheard a woman screeching, walking in to see a poor orderly moving away from her as if burned, scared out of his mind.

"Get your filthy hands away from my ankle! Can't you see I'm in pain here?"

He scurried out of the room, like he couldn't get away fast enough.

Sookie cleared her throat. "What seems to be the problem here?" she asked the woman, seeming to just take notice of the large man standing against the back wall. Her jaw nearly dropped at the sight of him. He was big, very well muscled, with long, blond hair that was tied back in a ponytail. The phrase Greek God actually passed through her mind, but she focused back on her patient, who graced her with a scowl.

"Oh, look, another pretty nurse. I guess the last one couldn't take the heat."

Sookie matched the woman's scowl with one of her own. "She's taking a break right now. I've checked your chart and everything seems to be fine. Your ankle isn't broken, it's just a sprain, and you should be able to leave soon. The doctor wants to check you over one last time first. There's no reason to be so rude to everyone, your injury isn't fatal."

The man chuckled, turning to the irritated woman at his side. "I told you, Pam, those pumps would soon be the death of you."

She rolled her eyes. "You're fucking hilarious, Northman. I can't believe you brought me here in the first place."

He shrugged. "I was just looking out for your best interests. You did trip in the middle of my bar."

"Please, Eric, you just don't want a lawsuit," she retorted.

"Okay, I'll just be going now. My name is Sookie Stackhouse, if you need me for anything. Don't give my staff anymore trouble, you hear me? They're hard working people, and I'm not against getting forceful if I have to," with that said, Sookie took her leave.

Pam grinned in admiration. "I like her."

Eric Northman stared after her retreating back, a slow smile forming on his face. "You're not the only one."

She heard someone yelling for her, stopping to see the tall man chasing after her, wondering what he could possibly want.

"Is everything all right?"

He nodded, taking in a breath. "I just wanted to apologize for my friend's rude behavior. Nearly thirty years of age, and she still hasn't grasped the concept of tact."

Sookie smiled. "That's okay, I've seen worse." She could tell that he seemed nervous, which was not something she would have expected from a man who looked like him. "Was there something else you wanted?"

Eric rolled his eyes at himself, deciding to just get it over with. "I don't normally do this. After all, we just met, but would you like to possibly go out some time?"

Sookie raised her eyebrows, that being the last thing she expected to hear. "I'm flattered, but I don't know if that would be the best idea. I don't really do the whole dating thing. It's just been a long time for me; right now I'm more about focusing on my job. I have a pretty hectic schedule, and it seems like you might as well."

He shook his head. "I own a bar; it's nothing that needs my absolute attention. I have other people around who do most of the hard work. I'm just more of a supervisor, but I understand where you're coming from. If you have a minute to spare, don't hesitate to call me." Eric handed her a business card, with his name and phone number.

"Valhalla?" Sookie commented, her eyes widening. "I've heard of that place, didn't a fight break out there last month? I remember, two people were severely injured and brought here. They were lucky to even be alive."

"Yes, but the brawl was a complete misunderstanding. It was taken care of, and the ones responsible are not allowed entry ever again. I take very good care of my customers, Miss Stackhouse. There is a rare occasion where something like that might happen, but I guarantee it doesn't often. If you wanted to stop by after work one of these days, I promise you would be perfectly safe."

Sookie thought about it, giving him a smile. He seemed very determined to prove that he was worthy of dating her. "I'll keep that in mind, but I really should be getting back to work now."

He took her hand in his, placing a kiss to the back of it. "I shall let you do that, but I must ask for something in return."

She felt shivers up and down her spine from the feel of his warm lips on her skin, trying to focus on what he said. "What would that be?"

Eric stepped closer to her, breathing in her scent. "Painkillers? Something that would knock Pam out for at least an hour or so, she's going to drive me crazy once we leave here."

Sookie couldn't help the laughter that burst forth. Of all the things she imagined him asking her, that was definitely not on the list. "I'll get the doctor to prescribe something for her. Is that all you wanted?"

He grinned, moving over to her ear. "For now," Eric whispered, and with a swagger to his step, made his way back down the hall.

Sookie knew she was in trouble.