Saturday night in Fangtasia was by far Eric's favorite day of the week. It was a hotbed of gluttony, greed and lust. It was like a vibration in the air, he could almost taste the depravity taking place around him. Every so often a human would try and offer themselves to him, crawling on their hands and knees like the bottom feeders they were to his throne. Nothing pleased him more than to kick them away with a mere twist of his boot. "I am sick of these fucking fang bangers crawling all over this bar floor like maggots." His prodigy Pam said irritably in her feminine southern drawl. She always had a way with words when she spoke about something she truly detested. It was almost, poetic the way she could cut someone down to size with her words alone. "Now now Pamela, they may be maggots, but they are delicious maggots at least." He smirked.

"Oh slap me twice and hand me to my mama what does Bill Compton want now." Pam huffed as the sight of the surely vampire came into view. Bill had become somewhat of a regular around his bar in recent months. Ever since he started fucking that little blonde waitress he had been only short of asking Eric to wipe his ass for him. Right behind him was the blonde little doll herself. Her scent was still a smell like no other, as she entered the head of nearly every vampire turned... She smelled like she would taste like heaven, if Eric believed in such a thing. He was infatuated by her, she didn't smell human and her little mind reading abilities wasn't exactly a human trait either. No, there was something else there... Something... More. He knew Bill and Sookie had been having problems and he could not be any more pleased. He may get himself a slice of that southern pie yet.

"William, have you finally taken me up on my offer to become a dancer in my bar? I am sure Pam has a pair of hot pants that will fit you like a glove." He said casually as Bill came to stand before him keeping his little Sookie Stackhouse safely behind him.

"Is there somewhere we can talk in private Eric. It's serious." He said gruffly.

Eric had no question in his mind it was likely not serious at all but alas he would listen to whatever bullshit was about to pour from his mouth. After all how could he pass up an opportunity to be in close quarters with that sweet sweet scent.

"Pam, you have the floor." Eric said rising from his seat and walking towards his office, it was a pleasant surprise when he entered it to see no one feeding or fucking on his desk. He did not feel like tearing anyone's heads off their shoulders. It was much too early in the night.

He took his seat behind the desk linking his long pale fingers together as he did so.

"What is the problem Bill? Did one of those horrible humans out there call you a mean name?" He smirked.

"Can you stop being a smart ass for ten seconds Eric!" Sookie snapped in her awful high pitched voice.

"I am listening to your nonsense on my bars busiest night am I not? What is the problem? My time is precious and you are wasting it."

"A new vampire has arrived in Bon Temps."

"And I should care about this why?"

"Because, she's been talking... Talking about killing Russell Edginton..."

The name alone made Eric's left eye twitch in anger. He had only recently learned that Russel was the cause of his families demise. He had been quietly plotting his vengeance but the ever alluring Sookie Stackhouse had on occasion been blurring his concentration. He was usually not one for humans but this one... She had something inhuman about her too.

"Well then, the best of luck to her I am still not seeing an issue here."

"She got talking to Bill at the bar the other night, she was hunting for some information on him... She had a lot to say, especially about his actions during your human time period."

Now that... That peaked his interest, he tried to remain nonplussed by this statement but he did sit straighter in his chair, suddenly they had his full attention.

"Go on."

"She said that he raided a seaside village she lived in, one in Sweden... She said his wolves killed many people for their possessions... Ring any bells?"

Ring any bells, it was like fucking Notre Dame at noon in his head at that moment.

"So, she was a villager from my own little home. Small world. Still, you have yet to present a problem to me."

"Well, we told her about you. Seeing as we all want Russel to cook like a turkey on Christmas morning and she looked like we just told her the boogeyman was behind her. She asked us if we were sure like ten times, asked where the bar was and then she took off... But the weird part was, it was like I could sense her, she was weird... she was a vampire but not a normal one. I felt like if I concentrated I would have been able to hear her thoughts." Sookie explained.

Eric was perplexed. Even if it was a woman he crossed paths with as a human he never did anything that would warrant that reaction... At least he didn't think he did.

"And this mystery maiden... Did she leave a name before she vanished into the moonlight?"

"Yeah she said it was Ingrid, Ingrid Renouf I think she said? It was some fruity European name anyway."

If Russel Edgingtons name made his eyes twitch in anger that name made his blood run as cold as the seas of his home country. This was obviously something set up by Russel... He would kill him a thousand times over for using her name against him.

"You were tricked, I know for a fact the owner of that name died as a human. This is just one of Russel's little games." He said bluntly rising from his chair. "If thats all I have a bar to run."

"Eric come on how can you be sure. I felt something, this girl could be what we need to take that slimy son of a bitch down!"

"I will say this once Sookie, I saw that person dead on the floor with my own two eyes... Make no mistake, this is a trick."

"Humor me. What did she look like this girl. Because I am sure as hell Russel wouldn't go to the trouble to find a damn doppelganger vampire that talks with a weird accent and has a weird aura all to have a laugh at your expense!"

Eric could not possibly bring himself to speak a syllable about her. How could he, his still dead heart felt a pain in it at the thought of it.

"Follow me." He said turning on his heels he headed towards the basement where he and Pam slept. Eric had very few sentimental items but what he did have he kept in a chest in the corner of his basement in Fangtasia.

"When Pam and I spent time in Italy we came upon a painter, I made him paint me this picture from my descriptions. When you look at this portrait and see that Russel is once again fucking with all of us you both can leave and go back to your own shit hole bar." He said in a voice that sounded calm but also gruff and irritated. He unlocked the chest taking a medium sized picture from beneath a few small trinkets.

The woman in the painting looked no older than 28 years old. She had deep red hair with shimmering copper undertones, her hair was braided along the sides but the rest of her locks flowed free in vibrant fiery curls. Her eyes were an icy electric blue and her skin was soft and pale, her cheeks had a light blush to them that matched the shade of her plump rose tinted lips. She had a small scar on the side of her chin and a wooden necklace around her neck with runic writing on it. Eric barely looked at it, every time he did he felt a sadness that he thought would make his legs buckle from under him.

When he turned it to Sookie and Bill they did not turn and leave as he had hoped. Instead, they exchanged a glance... A worried... Almost disbelieving glance.

"Thats her." Sookie finally said softly looking at Eric now with pity instead of annoyance.

"Eric, there is no question, that is her. Right down to the scar on her chin... Even the necklace around her neck. This could have been painted this evening." Bill interjected.

"Who is she?"

Before Eric could open his mouth his ears picked up Pam upstairs

"Oh my fucking God." Her voice sounded, she sounded shocked... Surprised? Nothing surprised Pam. The devil himself could stand before her at the bar and she would tell him to use a coaster or get the fuck out.

He set the painting down and moved at top speed appearing above the bar and next to his prodigy in seconds. She looked like she had seen a ghost, he followed her gaze across the room and when his eyes landed on what she was looking at his own legs nearly buckled beneath them.

There she was standing before him like he had pulled her from his own memory. She looked just as startled as himself and Pam. Her mouth was hanging open, she didn't move an inch... Then again, neither did he. It was like the room had stopped moving. It was like time had stopped existing. After what felt like hours he finally willed his mouth to move... Could it be, was it truly her?

"Ingrid?"

/ OK, I know this is a cliffhanger but I do not know what way this will be received. If you lovely people like it we will continue on. I can assure you I do have some pretty damn out there ideas for this wee fanfiction. A lot of gore, darkness, sexy bits... You name it! So, let me know if you like or if you hate. A girls gotta know.