He levitated over the flood waters, his eyes scanning the mass debris for any signs of life. He had relentlessly searched the ruins since the sun went down, bound and determined to find his maker alive. However, as the night wore on, his hope began to waver and he found himself conceding to a search for remains.

Hurricane Katrina's destruction had been great. The surging waters had ripped through the complex, bringing down the walls into a massive sea of rubble. Broken coffins littered the water, most empty, but some containing the bloody remnants of their incarcerated prisoners.

"Eric, the sun will be up in half an hour," his only progeny said delicately as she levitated by his side. "We need to take shelter." She had been tireless in her own search efforts, knowing the pain that her maker was feeling and the turmoil that this loss would cause. He would never be the same again.

"Leave me," he snarled. His icy blue eyes met hers with a fierceness so intense it sent a cold chill down her spine. Never before had she seen him so furious, but also hurt and… vulnerable. After being with him for over a hundred years, she knew when to give in to his wishes and leave him be. She bowed her head in recognition and whisked away, out of his sight, leaving him to his solitary thoughts.

He closed his eyes, imagining his maker's final moments. Even in his depleted state, a gory carcass left to rot in an eternal slumber, he would've known his time was up.

It was then that he saw it - hope. A granite casket lay partially waterlogged, just a few yards from where he lingered. He shot over to it and surveyed the damage. One end of a stone pillar had come down on the lid, cracking it into shards. The bottom half of the lid had been washed away with the flood waters, leaving only the plaque at the top which signified who resided within. He briefly ran his fingers over the ancient markings carved into the brass, his blood pulsing with anticipation and fear of what he might or might not find underneath. With desperation now overwhelming him, he wrapped his arms around the concrete pillar and surged ahead with all the force he could muster, driving it off the rock-hard surface.

His eyes shone with one last hope as he then pried the remaining shards of lid off the semi-submerged coffin, only for his worst fears to be realized. The flood waters had washed out the red silk interior, flushing his depleted maker out to sea. He slumped forwards over the broken coffin, his fingers tracing silver chains that were still stained with blood, not caring that it burned at the touch. He felt his dead heart open in sorrow and anguish as red tears streaked down his porcelain cheeks. He was gone, and nothing could ever replace whom he had lost.

"Godric…"

Around One Year Later

It was dark, very dark, but the clear sky above them let the stars and moon illuminate their path enough for them to see where they were going. Her heels clicked against the stone paving as the pair made their way down a narrow street. She was so excited, her body was almost shaking with anticipation as she kept her eyes on her goal.

'So you're sure about this?' she asked in her thoughts as they came to an even narrower alleyway. 'I've never been to a private club before.'

'Trust me,' her friend replied, opening her mind to her. 'You're going to love it; I know there's a vixen buried deep in you somewhere.'

As she looked to Rose, she was taken back by the devious expression on her face. Her smirk alone was enough her grab her attention, but it wasn't that so much that startled her. It was the look in her eyes; the way she gave her uncanny attention to her with such depth and intensity it almost put Sookie on guard.

There was something hidden behind it. She scanned her inner thoughts, searching for whatever secrets lay there, but found nothing. Either Rose wasn't allowing her to see the private parts of her inner self, or there was nothing to be discovered. However she had a gut feeling it wasn't the latter.

With her suspicions now raised, she forced herself to look away as they came to the end of the alleyway.

'Stop for a moment?' Rose asked, and she complied.

The raven haired woman reached into the small bag she was carrying and began rummaging through it. As she was doing this, Sookie curiously peered around the corner, watching as a small group approached the invitation only underground club. Something within her began to stir, something she'd never felt before.

She was compelled to look, unable to help herself as two of the company's eyes peered at her. They were filled with the light of the moon, shining like glass in the emptiness of the night.
A part of her knew she should have felt some sort of fear, but she didn't, as evident by her inability to pull her gaze away as she watched the small band open the entrance to the club and proceed inside.

'I know you're not big on mind altering substances because you can't keep the thoughts out, but you won't have to worry about that where we're going. I want you to have fun tonight; let loose. You deserve a break.'

She finally removed her hand and held it out in the distance between them, opening her palm to reveal two small pills and two ready shot glasses.

'Here.' Rose handed her one of the shot glasses.

'I suppose I could do with a little fun,' Sookie accepted the invitation as she took the glass and peeled back its seal.

Rose did the same. 'We will have a good time tonight,' she promised as she gestured for her friend to take one of the pills.

Sookie held it up to the light for a moment, studying it, before bringing the pill to her lips. 'To a good night.' She popped it in her mouth, knowing she could trust Rose with her life.

'To a good night,' Rose agreed as she did the same.

They tossed back the shots together, swallowing the pills all the way down.

"Woo!" Sookie exclaimed out loud, her brown eyes crinkling at the strong flavour of the alcohol.

'Come on,' Rose laughed as they tossed the now empty glasses into a nearby bin. She entwined Sookie's arm in hers and led her towards the building.

Sookie glanced at her friend for a moment as they drew nearer to the establishment. They were both telepaths, both abominations, both outcasts of society. But somehow fate had brought them together despite the odds against them.

She let the thought pass as they reached the building.

Rose opened the heavy door. The thumping of a bass and a glowing dim light was suddenly released. Smoke from strong incense and burning candles poured out into the night and absorbed them.

Sookie swallowed any doubt left in her and followed Rose into the club.

She was greeted by low lights and the mixed scent of musk and people. Some seemed to be in a trance as they practically levitated around the room in obvious intoxication, their eyes in a different universe.

Her body suddenly froze as she saw something that couldn't possibly exist. A woman was resting on a long leather sofa in the middle of the room, her eyes closed as two pale persons embraced her. One, a woman, was crouched between her open legs, her lips pressed against the tender flesh of the woman's inner thigh as she engorged herself on her blood. The other, a rather handsome and muscular man, was at kneeling at her side, his face pressed against her neck as blood dripped from a deep wound his fangs had impaled on her. And all the while, the ginger headed woman seemed to be in ecstasy, her eyes rolling to the back of her skull and a subtle moan escaping her lips as they engorged themselves on her blood.

The man pulled away for a moment as he licked his lips, savouring the sweet taste.

Sookie's eyes connected with his briefly, feeling her heart sink as she realized her friend had brought her to some sort of vampire nightclub.

Though as strange as it all seemed, she wasn't afraid, nor put off by the sight of them drinking blood from their human companions. She found it oddly intriguing and somehow inviting, though she did not know why. Perhaps the pill she took earlier was beginning to kick in.

'Don't be dismayed,' Rose noticed her watching them as the vampire male went back to the neck of his willing victim.

'I'm not,' Sookie thought as she continued to observe them, even as they approached the bar 'I'm… intrigued.'

'Told you so,' Rose grinned.

'I thought vampires were just a myth.'

'My dear Sookie,' they perched themselves at the bar, 'there are many things on this Earth we would like to think are fantasy, but they're not; they're real'

'So I'm learning.' She couldn't take her eyes off the scene before her.

Dotted all over the place were men and woman and everything in between. Some in the middle of a dance, some sitting or lying down on various resting spots and furnishings, some engaged in conversation, but all were deeply enthralled in each others company.

After a while of observing and wishing she was amongst it, Sookie finally dared to turn her attention to the bartender who was waiting patiently for her order.

"I'll have a margarita," she said as the bartender poured her drink.

"And I'll have a rum and coke," Rose ordered.

They skulled back their beverages as soon as they were made and ordered another round.

Sookie gestured to her already empty glass "I'm gonna need another one of these."

"Make that two." Rose pulled out her wallet and slapped enough dollars to cover it on the counter.

'Hey at least let me pay for some of it,' Sookie insisted.

'No.' The grin on Rose's lips widened. 'The night belongs to you, enjoy it, and let me pay for the drinks.'

The blond sighed in surrender, 'Fine.'

'Good,' Rose flicked her excessively long dark hair behind her shoulders. 'I think it's time for a round of shots, don't you?'

'Agreed.' Sookie gave into her instincts to just let go for once. She didn't know what had overcome her all of a sudden. From the moment they'd stepped through the doors she'd felt like she just walked into her own home, it was if is she was meant to be here amongst these creatures.

"Give us some Kahlua shots," her friend asked of the bartender after polishing off her drink.

He put two shot glasses and a full bottle of Mexican Rum in front of them. Rose wore a slick smile on her lips as she filled the glasses till they were almost full.

'To everlasting friendship.' Her smirk grew as she took one of the glasses and raised it in front of her.

'To friendship,' Sookie agreed as she did the same.

They skulled back the sweet tasting alcoholic beverage.

'Again,' Rose thought as she poured them a second round and shot that one back too.

'Third ones the charm.' They repeated the process.

'Ok, no more,' Sookie thought. Her head was becoming heavy and her limbs were growing numb as the alcohol took over her body and the pill took over her mind.

They sat at the bar talking for a while as they let the substances sink in further.

Within half an hour she could feel herself losing control over her actions as her mind spun in an euphoric daze. She swung around in her seat, almost losing her balance as she looked out and scanned the crowd.

Watching several people holding each other in a dream like embrace, she was no longer content in just sitting there; she wanted to be apart of it.

'I wanna dance,' Sookie thought excitedly as she lay a hand on Rose's knee for encouragement.

'Then let's dance,' she replied just as eagerly as she threw back one rather large last drink, her turquoise eyes glazing over in bliss as she joined her friend in the enthrallment.

The two stood from their seats at the bar and made their way across the room to a place where personal space didn't exist and people were grinding against each other. Rose keenly took her hands in hers and began to do the same.

Sookie rested her chin on Rose's shoulder, her eyes coming to a close as she felt the woman against her wrap her arms around her torso and pull her in for a tighter embrace. Her head leaned to one side in intoxication as she let the deep bass of the music rock though her core, losing herself in the process. The dark glow of the lights moved through her veins and made her heart throb. Time appeared to slow. It seemed her entire body was pulsating in a numb abyss of drunken intoxication.

"Hi," a feminine voice suddenly appeared beside them.

They stopped grinding against each other and separated their bodies.

"Now why didn't I notice you earlier?" The pale woman, who was obviously a vampire, asked Rose as a man joined her from behind.

"You seem to have noticed me now," Rose looked the two vampires over.

The woman traced her neck with her fingers. "You have my full attention."

"Do I now?" Rose snickered as Sookie wondered just how often she came here.

"She smells fantastic," the man drew closer to her.

"I know I do." Rose turned to him as the undead woman took her hand in hers. 'Have fun,' she winked to Sookie as she waved with her fingers and let the two vampires lead her away.

Sookie suddenly felt slightly out of place as she stood alone in the middle of the club. She looked over the crowd as she tried to find what all women searched for when they needed to retreat for a few minutes.

Seeing a door about fifteen meters away from her, she took the opportunity and went for it, escaping from the madness as she retreated into the bathroom for a while. She emptied her bladder and freshened herself up in the mirror as best she could with her double vision. When she was done, she inhaled a deep breath and dared to step back out into the dream world.

She had been standing there for only a moment, long enough to notice a figure across the side of the room. His eyes were fixated on her as they captured her attention in the dark emptiness of the club. They watched her eagerly, studying her as she ran her fingers through her short golden strands of hair that hung just above her shoulders. He seemed divergent to the others, as if he followed an entirely different set of rules. Something about him was so compelling. She couldn't hold herself back, she had to satiate her desire to be near him.

He was a stranger to her, and yet she felt as if she had known him for a long time. She couldn't explain it. However she had a feeling he had the answers she was looking for.

Her feet agreed, as they developed their own mind. She floated across the room in a trance, everything else around her becoming a void until finally she was standing by his side.

"Hi," he greeted her.

"Hi," she replied, her cheeks warm as the substances in her system un-steadied her a little.

"I haven't seen you here before," he observed as he gazed up at her.

"It's my first time," she replied as she inched closer to him.

"Is it now?" his eyes scanned her body. "How fortunate… for me." He gestured with his hand for her to join him on the scarlet leather sofa. She gladly accepted the invitation as she perched next to him.

He leaned nearer to her. "May I ask of your name?"

"It's Sookie," she managed to reply, compelled to lean in closer as well. "And yours?" Their faces were inches away from each other.

"Eric," he replied. "And what brings you here tonight, Sookie?"

"It's my birthday," she smiled.

"Is that so?" he ran a cold finger up the side of her bare arm, causing a shiver in her.

Her eyes trailed off to the side as a woman in a short cobalt blue dress walked past them, a few drops of blood running down the side of her neck from two recent puncture wounds.

"You do not turn away," he said, noticed that her eyes were fixated on the women's form.

"There's' something…" her voice trailed, turning her attention back to him, "captivating about it."

"Would you like me to show you?" he smirked at her as he held out the palm of his hand.

She blinked in allure as she took the opportunity. Connecting their hands, she gasped as he wrapped his fingers around hers and swapped their positions. She was now lying down on the sofa with him above her; he'd exchanged their places in less than a second.

He hovered perfectly above her, pinning her to the seat with his domineering position. He brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes as she gazed up at him, daring him to show her exactly what he meant by those words. Allowing his senses to run wild, he took in her aroma, her golden skin, her heart beat, as he trailed the flesh of her neck with his lips. Her eyes closed as he traced her jaw bone, losing herself to his touch.

Running his tongue across her upper lip, she eagerly opened her orifice, allowing him to enter her domain as he smothered her in lust. She wrapped an arm around his waist and the other around the back of his neck as she pulled him closer to her. He slipped an arm under her hips as he explored her skin.

In an intoxicated haze, she let herself get carried away.

Lifting her off the leather sofa, he got a better grip on her before quickly making them disappear underneath the club into its private rooms where things that wanted to remain completely secret could. The sound of the bass and ambience from upstairs could still be heard vibrating through the concrete floors, muffling out any noise that so happened to escape the rooms.

"Why do I feel like I know you?" she asked as he lowered her down onto a soft silk covered mattress. Her breathing sharpened as he began to peel back her layers of clothing.

"Perhaps… in another life, we did," he suggested.

For now, his answer seemed to satisfy her. In her intoxicated, blissful state, she lay back and enjoyed the freedom to stretch out in her now naked figure. He wedged a cushion under her back, giving her hips an erotic edge "Beautiful" He commented as he kissed every inch of her milky, sun soaked skin.

A groan escaped her lungs as he let a hand trail lazily over her chest, taking in her softness and comfort as he tenderly pressed his lips to hers. He left a thin trail of saliva on her skin as he made his way down her abdomen to her inner thighs. He held onto both her hips with his hands as he pressed into her. Her body melted into the mattress under her, her voice becoming lost somewhere in his touch as he skillfully taunted her flesh.

Her eyes came to close as he stripped down himself and rose above her, melding with her gently as she bit into the surface of his neck. Wrapping both legs around his waist, she leaned back into the mattress and allowed herself to relax as he ravaged and dominated her in waves of ecstasy.

She watched as his fangs clicked into their position. Reaching up with her hand, she traced one with her index finger, taking in its smooth texture before retracting her touch.

She stretched her neck in offering, groaning into the night as he gladly took it. Piercing her artery, blood seeped from the wound and poured into his eagerly awaiting hunger.

He drank her steadily but not too quickly as he wanted it to be just as enjoyable for her as it was for him, and for the moment to last as long as possible. He wanted to savour her, to experience her. He released a satisfied growl from deep within his chest as he fed on her life force, taking her heat into him as his body absorbed her blood.

He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her heart beat racing across his spectrum, as a wave of euphoria shot down their spines like a thousand hot needles. It made her toes curl and back arch as her blood was sweetened by a concoction of chemicals.

Finally, he released his hold on her, their brief encounter of need and desire reaching its end. He collapsed beside her, letting his body relax as his muscles stopped contracting and rested against her. Her breathing slowed down and grew deeper as she let the drugs in her system calm her rapturous exhilaration.

They lay for a few minutes in silence, letting the experience soak in.

But the moment of peace was soon at its end as knuckles banged against the other side of the door.

"Sookie?" Rose was behind it looking for her.

"Shoot," she sat up abruptly. "What time is it?"

"It's half three," came Rose's muffled voice.

He too sat up, admiring her naked form as Sookie stood from the bed and began to gather up her clothes.

"I gotta go." She put them on one piece at a time.

He stood and did the same. "I'll walk you out."

The two approached the door, opening it to find Rose standing there, waiting patiently.

"Looks like you've been busy," she smirked knowingly as they exited the private underground and walked back to the main room.

Sookie reached up and kissed him briefly on the lips. "Thanks for everything."

He curled his fingers around her neck, not letting her get away so easily as he pulled her in for a deeper kiss. "It was a pleasure meeting you… Sookie."

A satisfied smile was on his lips as he watched the two women leave to begin their journey home.

'I knew you would have a good time,' Rose smirked as she teased her.

'I did, thank you,' Sookie grinned as she thought back to the experience.

She had been so absorbed in everything she hadn't even noticed that she couldn't read their thoughts.

'You know I come here quite frequently,' Rose admitted. 'If you want to come with me again, you're welcome to.'

'I'd like that,' Sookie smiled as they entered the waiting train to take them back to Bon Temps. 'I think I'll also start saving for a car.' She sighed in relief as they picked a seat and sat down.

'So what did you think of the place?' Rose asked as they began to move along.

'It was…' she pondered 'amazing and terrifying at the same time.'

'And Eric?' Rose asked curiously.

Sookie just grinned as she pictured his muscular torso grinding against her. 'Who is he?'

'He owns the club,' her friend reached into her bra and pulled out a joint.

'You're gonna light that up here?' She looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

'Why not?' she lit it. 'It's not like anyone's going to see, we're the only people here.'

'I guess you're right.' Sookie took note of how void the train was of life. It was very early in the morning after all.

'Want some?' she offered her the burning substance.

'Ok, but only because there's no one around.' Sookie took it between her fingers.

She stumbled down her driveway, her body still recovering while the world around her spun in an intoxicated dizzy spell. Somehow she made it to her front door where she tried to catch herself on its frame. She failed however as she miscalculated when to stand up and when to turn the door knob. As a result she collapsed onto the floor of the house with a rather loud thump.

"Sookie?" her grandmother's voice came from the kitchen. "Is that you dear?"

The old woman soon appeared, a look of concern on her face when she saw her grandchild was pressed against the floorboards.

"Sookie, are you alright?"she bent down and brushed the hair away from her face.

"Hi gran," she looked up at her and smiled. "I'm just fine." She took her time in finding enough balance to stand up.

"You don't look fine," her grandmother analysed. "What have you been doing all night? It's 5.30 in the morning. The sun's about to come up." She led her to the kitchen, which was already busy in food preparation, and sat her down at the table.

"Oh, Rose took me to this place." Sookie leaned over in her seat and let her forehead rest against the cool surface of the table. "I guess we stayed there longer than I planned…"

Adele fetched her a glass of water and a painkiller, well aware of her granddaughter's state. "Drink up," she said, placing it next to her. "I'll have breakfast ready for you in a jiffy."

"That's OK Gran, I don't really feel like eating right now," she said before skulling back the water and pills.

"I didn't ask if you were hungry," the old woman said, setting about her task. "A little food will do you some good."

Sookie gave in as a hot meal arrived in front of her. Even though she hadn't eaten in over ten hours, her stomach wasn't exactly screaming for food. However, she had to admit she could always find room for her grandmother's cooking skills. She leaned over the plate and inhaled her bacon and eggs with grilled tomatoes on top, letting the fumes awaken her appetite. It wasn't usually Adele's breakfast routine, but it was the best thing to eat after the night she'd just had. It was almost as if she knew she would be needing it when she returned home, and made it for her in advance.

She brought the first morsel to her lips and now hungrily chowed it down. "Mmm, thanks Gran." She swallowed appreciatively.

"You're welcome honey," she smiled.

Sookie finished the meal a lot faster than she anticipated, practically woofing it down.

What a night it had been.

As she finally collapsed on her bed, all she could think about was the creatures she had met. Was there any truth in what Eric had said to her? That they had met in another life? Surely not, but he seemed so familiar, right down to the sound of his voice and the scent of his skin. It was a mystery, however she brushed it off as coincidence for now and let herself fall into the land of thought and dreams, leaving the experience in her memories.

Just to clear things up a little, this is happening before vampires have come out of the coffin as you probably gathered. Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review! :)