Author's Note at the bottom for some explanation. Let me know what you think, and enjoy!

Chapter 1

(Somewhere in Season One)

Eric sat on his throne, staring absentmindedly at the lingering patrons –a few humans with even fewer vampires. The dancers shook their bodies on the poles, half naked if not completely. Human men swooned over beautiful vampire women, and human women did the same for unnaturally attractive vampire males. It made him sick in many regards, but this was simply the way things were. He had to admit though, with the passing of the Great Revelation, it did make some things more fun. He liked hearing women's hearts beat erratically within their chests even though their bodies, in truth, were unable to facilitate him completely in all his glory. Even if he didn't actually sleep with some of them, so many swooned and crooned over being so close to the vampire Viking that it tainted their blood with delicious desire.

A wicked smile curled his pale, dead lips at the thought. He knew he'd have to find one for the night, someone with whom he could pass the time.

The slight pleasure the thought brought to him was broken, however, when there was commotion coming through his front door.

His keen eyes shifted, ignoring the words from the patrons and their shock at what was happening. Five large men, vampires, came storming through Fangtasia's front door. Eric scowled at the arrogance of it, but couldn't hide his curiosity at what they were hauling in with them. His finger lightly traced his lips as they walked forward, four of them carrying some kind of metal crate, close to a coffin in appearance with three tiny holes drilled in the top. Surely they weren't big enough for breathing holes.

The man in the lead was Anthony, someone who was indebted to Eric at the moment, and owed him quite a bit in the ways of either money or favors. Eric hadn't decided which yet and preferred to keep his options open.

"And the meaning of this rather rude intrusion is, Anthony?" He asked in an even, eerie voice. He was seriously considering making an example of the vampire who dared to interrupt the festivities in front of paying customers.

Anthony shifted uncomfortably for a moment, ringing his cold hands before speaking.

"I've found something that will settle my account, or at least part of it, Sheriff."

"I will decide what will or will not settle any part of the debt you owe me." he corrected. Anthony shrank away at the stern tone before nodding subserviently. "Still," Eric sighed, his eyes falling back on the metal coffin. "I would like to see what you would think worthy."

"Of course, Sheriff." He turned and motioned to his men to set the object down.

"Not here, you idiot." Eric sighed. He stood and motioned for Anthony and Pam to follow him.

The group of vampires did as told, carrying the impressive and curious case behind them. Eric walked leisurely through the back halls of his bar and to the familiar steel door that led to the dank basement below. Unlocking it quickly, he flipped a switch and descended the stairs. Pam's heels clicked behind them as she followed, annoyed at the newcomers, but doing her Maker's bidding regardless. She was always annoyed when people came to call with business because it rarely ended favorably for them. It was generally just a headache. Eric had to agree.

When they reached the bottom of the concrete stairs, Anthony motioned for his men to set the coffin down on the damp floor, and they obliged.

Pam joined Eric's side, each sharing a bored expression before Anthony went about flipping the rather impressive hooks and locks that kept the steel box closed. His men stood guard behind him, seemingly ready for whatever might pop out.

"There a reason the coffin's locked up so tight?" Pam asked with a mild sneer. "Who are you trying to keep out of that thing?"

"With all due respect," Anthony replied, obviously annoyed by her tone as he knelt down beside the prison. "It's not to keep anyone out. It's to keep her in."

She perked. "Her?"

Anthony said nothing more as he flipped the lid over effortlessly. The thick steel hit the ground with a tremendous 'clack' before settling. Eric felt his brow arch at what lay within.

It was indeed a her, a young woman no more than twenty years old by the looks of it. She was bound tightly in place by thick steel chains wrapped securely around her body. Her arms were crossed over her chest, held in place while her hands were wrapped in what appeared to be, and smelled like, old leather mitts.

Another long, thick braid of iron curled around her legs from waist to ankles and back again. She looked as though her petite frame would have been crushed underneath the weight of the massive chunks of metal alone. And as though that weren't enough, two chains crisscrossed over her body, attached to the corners of the coffin to keep her from sitting up, another across her midsection from left to right.

Eric marveled at the way she was being held, hearing a distinct heartbeat within her chest and knowing immediately she was human. A smile touched his lips as he surveyed her body. Tattered clothing, dirty and beaten, was all she had to wear. Her jeans were covered in tears, dirt, and blood stains and her long-sleeved black shirt fared no better. Everything was shapeless and old. Eric doubted Anthony rarely, if ever, removed her from the box to be cleaned.

His gaze traveled languidly over what was meant to be his new meal before finally meeting her face. Fluorescent green orbs, unnaturally bright in appearance, glared an animalistic hatred out at all that stood in the room. They were an odd color, and one that drew him in as much as the rage within. He had trouble deciding what to call the shade of green, trapped somewhere between emerald and the neon color used for bio-hazard signs. Whatever it was, it made them almost glow.

Her delicate brow was knit in anger while everything from her nose to her chin was covered with a thick leather strap. Before he could stop himself he laughed, much to the shock of all around, including his progeny.

"I must say," he smiled. "It doesn't appear as though you have spared any expense. Why is she bound like that? Are you scared she might hurt you?" he mocked.

Anthony bristled. "It became necessary over time." He answered in as strong a voice as he could, though the shame was still there. "I wanted to ensure she couldn't move."

"Clearly." he smiled as he advanced on the young woman.

Eric knelt down beside her near her shoulders and stared at the young woman that seemed to vibrate with anger. His hand came out and lightly touched her forehead, the only real flesh that wasn't covered with either metal, leather or clothing, and felt her smolder beneath his hand. He marveled at it and that she didn't even shy away. There was no fear in her, only rage.

"Is this meant to satisfy our debt?" he asked as he stood.

"Her blood is unlike anything I have ever tasted before." Anthony said, almost gushing about the concept. "I want to give her to you, as a partial payment."

Eric cocked his brow to the vampire before hearing something that sounded like a hiss coming from the woman in the casket. He turned with surprise on his face and, still smiling at the circumstances he found himself in, tilted his head to the side. Eric inhaled her scent deeply. Through the dinge and damp of the basement, and through the dust, dried blood, and the smell of others on her body, he smelled her. She smelled fresh, like the open air of some beautiful world, something lacking in any place he had been to in the past few hundred years. He had to admit, it tugged at him, gripped something in his chest, his stomach, and his groin. He wanted it, but wasn't foolish enough to show the fact.

"Show me." he finally said.

Anthony nodded obediently. He stepped to the prisoner's side and reached for a knife in his pocket. Before he cut her, he snapped his fingers at one of his men who instantly produced a small shot glass from his pocket. Apparently, Anthony anticipated the demonstration.

Anthony approached her carefully while Eric and Pam mused over how delicately he touched her, rolling back her long sleeve as though she would burst free and kill him. When the fabric was far enough back he jabbed her forearm, twisting the knife to open the wound further as he filled the glass. She moved violently, the chains clanking and shifting as she fought fruitlessly. Anthony finished filling his glass and pushed her sleeve back down before standing.

"Spirited isn't she?" Pam asked sarcastically, smiling despite herself. It really was quite funny to her.

Anthony said nothing as he handed Eric the small, clear glass of red liquid. He took it. Eric felt the fire of her blood through the thin glass, felt like he was holding a burning piece of coal in his fingertips.

Interesting, he thought to himself. Blood generally cooled quickly once it left the body, but not in her case.

Eric proceeded to treat the sample like a fine wine, even going so far as to lift the shot glass to his face as he swirled the thick crimson around inside. He could already smell it, but felt as though he smelled it anew when it was directly beneath his nostrils. It was a medley of scents, many of which weren't familiar to the humans he ate. He could smell hints of open air, the ocean, dirt from the cleanest land. All were things the Industrial Revolution squeezed out of existence. Humans had begun a centuries-long campaign of polluting not only the planet, but themselves. It was rare indeed to find someone beyond that to feed on, someone who didn't possess the familiar tang of the modern world.

"She is one of the most unique and purest sources I've ever tasted."

Eric cocked his brow to the vampire, annoyed he had spoken. Anthony shrank back again.

"I'll decide for myself."

Despite the words being polite, they were stern and cautionary. Satisfied that the man wouldn't speak again, Eric brought the glass to his lips and drank. The moment the blood touched his tongue, he felt heat surge through his body. Savoring the blood was no longer an option. Eric swallowed the liquid greedily and it radiated through his body. He felt it move through every vein, every muscle as though he were still alive. The surprise was written across his face as he relished in the taste. True to Anthony's words, she was unique and surprisingly pure. She tasted almost farm grown, never eating any of the processed junk in the world, like she was organic. Finally, his eyes went back to the woman in the casket.

"Astounding." he muttered. "She will suffice."

Anthony seemed to breathe a sigh of relief that caught in his throat the moment he noticed Eric approaching the prisoner. Anthony paused and waited with bated breath. At first, he assumed his Sheriff simply wanted another taste. It wasn't until Eric's long, pale fingers reached for the shackles that Anthony felt panic rise inside him.

"Sheriff!" he snapped quickly, forcing Eric to pause whether he meant to or not. He turned a dangerous eye to the vampire. "Sir, it would be best, for everyone, if you kept her shackled and chained."

"And why is that?" he growled. Eric's frustration and annoyance with Anthony grew by the second.

"She… she has a tendency to escape."

"How many times has she run off on you?" Pam asked with a beaming, sarcastic smile. She could clearly hear Anthony's disappointment and disgust with himself, and to her, it only added to her enjoyment.

Anthony glared at her before answering.

"A few."

None believed him and before they could ask him to clarify, the woman in the box did something they hadn't expected. She began to laugh. Eric turned his attention back to her as she laughed, almost hysterically, beneath her gag. The sound may have been muffled, but it was distinct and it was at Anthony's expense. The vampire Sheriff was intrigued.

"I take it, it was more than a few." he said to her.

"Mh-hmm." she giggled, seemingly proud of herself at the memories.

He cocked his head and noticed the buckle on the side of her jaw. Moving with his speed, perhaps just to show her he could, he undid the gag and freed her mouth. The young woman in the box yawned, stretching her jaw and moving it from side to side before taking a deep breath and grinning. It was the first time Eric had seen her face and he wasn't disappointed.

She had deep black hair that he almost hadn't noticed, the waves resting on the bottom of the box around her head looking softer than silk. She had a delicate, almost childlike face with pronounced cheekbones, a round chin, and full pink lips that matched the hue in her cheeks. She was surprisingly beautiful.

"Oh, Anthony," she sighed in a delicate voice, possessing an accent muddled by different regions. Eric couldn't immediately identify it. "No need to lie around your…" her eyes fell to Eric as she looked him up and down with clear disgust. "Sheriff." The word was spoken with a level of distain that didn't escape Eric, though he didn't react as her gaze shifted once again to Anthony. "Tell him the truth."

"Perhaps it was a bit more than a few." he muttered.

"A bit." she repeated sarcastically with a defiantly happy smile.

"How many times have you escaped?" Eric asked her.

Her brilliant eyes went to him once again. "Seventy-four times."

There was obvious shock written across both Eric and Pam's faces.

"That's quite a bit." Eric replied.

"I'd say." Pam mumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest, her weight shifting to the side. Her fun with the situation was beginning to dwindle.

"Every chance I got." She said. "Is it my fault they couldn't keep me? Who am I to deny the opportunity to exploit their faults?"

"You seem proud of yourself." Eric said, ignoring the hisses and growls coming from the men behind him.

"Quite."

"And yet, they caught you each time?"

Her smile fell as she cocked a delicate brow at him.

"They kept me half-starved and drugged so I would be weak. I was never able to gather enough strength to get far enough away." she answered begrudgingly.

"And I doubt being human helped." Eric added with a smile.

"I have the feeling an infant could have escaped if it so chose."

"Bite your tongue, you blood sack." Anthony hissed.

"Eat shit, corpse." she shot back without fear.

Anthony lunged for her but Eric was older, faster, and launched him effortlessly across the room. His back hit the concrete wall hard before he fell to the ground. When he stood, Anthony charged once more, though made no attempt to go against his Sheriff again.

"I should drain you dry or let you starve, you bitch."

"Ooo, such language." she hissed.

"You killed my men!"

"They deserved it!" she yelled back. "And given the chance I'll gladly rip your head from your shoulders, you useless fuck!"

"Oh, I like her." Eric laughed. "She has… spirit."

Pam laughed under her breath.

"How many of his men have you killed?" Eric asked her.

"Only a few."

Anthony spoke, "That's why she has to be tied up and drugged most of the time. She's unpredictable."

"Are you telling me you couldn't control your food?" Pam asked sarcastically. "Pathetic."

The young woman in the box rolled her eyes to the staggeringly tall vampire woman. They drifted up and down her length, something Pam noticed. Her thick lips curled into a smile as she set a hand on her hip.

"See something you like?" She teased in a sultry tone. Pam may have had no intention of touching the creature in the box, but she adored being admired.

The prisoner didn't reply. Instead, her neon eyes drifted back to Eric.

"So, are you to be my new… keeper?" she asked the Viking.

"You were sold to me, so yes. I own you now." he replied simply.

"Do you think it best we keep her?" Pam suddenly asked in Old Swedish. While the taunting was all well and good, and she enjoyed hearing about Anthony's faults, it was clear the woman in the box was a handful and likely not worth the effort. "She's already admitted to escaping and killing some of Anthony's men."

Eric's eyes still moved over the woman's face, watching her and committing her to memory. He liked her lack of fear and sharp tongue. Not many made him smile, but she did, wickedly.

"Yes." he told her in the same language. "I think I will have fun breaking her."

"And if she escapes?"

"We'll kill her." he sighed simply, though it was obvious it wasn't his first choice. "Besides, we can always keep her locked in the box, too."

"I will make you a deal."

The new voice caused Eric and Pam's backs tense, making them stand a bit more rigid than before. The smile had faded from the Sheriff's mouth as he stared at the woman in the box.

"I will make you a deal." she repeated in Swedish. And though it was the recent dialect, not a great deal had changed since Eric taught Pam, so all three understood one another with little difficulty.

"And what could you possibly have that I would want?" he asked in English.

"My blood."

Eric raised a brow to her while another smirk curled the corner of his lips.

"It's good, but not that good." he said, almost tasting the lie. He would very much like to have her as a constant, willing blood supply. And if she tasted as good as she did half-starved and dirty, he wondered how much better the blood would be if she was properly nourished.

"If you allow me to take revenge, I promise I won't run away or attempt to escape. I will do whatever you want as long as I can kill them all." she almost growled. He could see the anger when she spoke and delighted in it.

"Intriguing." Eric mused. "And how long would this go on?"

She paused for a moment, seemingly measuring a decent amount of time that wouldn't tie her to the vampire for too long. If he was truly on board with her plan, it would make things exponentially easier than being locked up indefinitely.

"A week per vampire." she began, keeping to the Swedish so the increasingly nervous onlookers couldn't understand their deal.

Eric couldn't keep from laughing and Pam scoffed at the insubstantial amount of time. If they permitted her to kill vampires, in his district, they would have to get more out of it than a week.

"A decade per vampire." he countered.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth feel open in shock.

"A month."

"A year."

The two were almost unrelenting and she knew it wouldn't get much better. She didn't want to be tied for years, least of all to some arrogant ass like Eric Northman, but she doubted he would let it lie. She growled under her breath.

"Three months per vampire is the best I can do. There are more than the few in this room."

He arched a curious brow.

"How many more?"

"Nine total." she sighed, seemingly disappointed in the amount of time that would come to.

Eric felt a smile touch his lips. This meant that she would obey his every whim for just over two years. The thought made him almost giddy. He loved controlling and dominating people, women just meant there was more he could get from them. He adored it more than anything, really.

But, there was an issue. There was something more pressing and he couldn't ignore it. The smile faded as the cold calculating businessman took over his features once again.

"And what's to make you keep your word?"

"If you agree and we come to an arrangement, than I give you my word I'll honor it." she told him solemnly.

He could tell she wasn't overjoyed by the thought, which added a bit of validity to her statement, but it did little sway him. Pam laughed openly.

"You can't be serious." she scoffed.

"Sir," Anthony finally spoke, his eyes still darting around the room skeptically.

Eric turned his head languidly to the vampire. From the moment his eyes fell to him, Eric could see Anthony's worry and apprehension. He looked like a frightened animal, which Eric thought amusing.

"What?" he sighed in annoyance.

"Are we free to leave now that our business has finished?"

Eric could see the hope in the vampire's eyes and it bothered him, made him queasy.

"Yes." he answered, much to the horror of the woman in the box. "But remain in the bar with your men. I'd like to discuss any further business with you."

Anthony nodded and waved to his men to follow. When they were safely up the stairs Eric knew they'd breathe a sigh of relief. Any good fighter, vampire, or astute person could tell when their lives were being threatened. Anthony did too, and that impressed Eric, though he still had little to no respect for the man.

Slowly, Eric turned his face back to the woman in the box, who seemed to be vibrating with rage once again. He cocked a brow to her curiously as her eyes began to water with angry tears.

"You can't let them leave." Her jaw quivered slightly when she spoke.

"They're in the bar upstairs." he answered in a lighthearted voice, even daring to smile. "They haven't gone anywhere."

She slammed her eyes shut and released the tears, turning her head as far to the side as she could. She didn't want to look at the man before her, and felt her stomach turn at the thought of him even being there.

"Then go." she said with an angry, disappointed tone. "Leave me in the box and go."

Eric only turned his head to the side, still eying the curious woman in the crate that seemed to seethe with ire, wanting nothing more than revenge for the way she had been treated. He felt a twinge in his gut. He knew the feeling and not being particularly fond of Anthony, he felt his mind turn.

"Have you had his blood?"

Pam and the woman in the box shot him a curious look. The prisoner's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Beg pardon?"

Eric rolled his eyes. It was an upfront question.

"Have you tasted his blood?" he asked again, knowing that he would slam the lid down on her coffin if she asked once more because he wouldn't repeat himself a third time.

"No." she answered, clearly insulted by his insinuation that she had. "I've never tasted any vampire blood."

Eric perked. "You'll drink mine."

"What?!" she and Pam asked in unison.

"If you want out," he said, snapping his fangs out. "You will."

She looked the man up and down apprehensively. Eric could practically see her worry. He could tell she knew the gravity of the situation and knew she had only one way to escape it.

"Does this mean we have a bargain?" she asked cautiously.

"It would appear we do."

He could see her sigh her relief while Pam grumbled something under her breath. After a few choice words to her Maker about the whole ordeal, she turned and made her way upstairs to the club. Smiling his pride, Eric nicked his thumb, pushing a good stream of blood free before leaning over the prisoner. He could see her try her best to move back, but there was nowhere to escape. His smile widened.

"I will be able to find you anywhere in the world now." he whispered, his steely eyes holding her brilliant green. "And there will be nowhere for you to run."

She nodded her understanding.

"Good." he cooed, almost reassuringly which even the stranger could tell was false. "And let's make it six months per vampire."

She jerked back before his thumb could touch her lips, slamming her head into the side of the steel box with a loud thud. If she hurt herself, she didn't let on. Instead, she glowered up at him with the purest fury he'd seen thus far.

"You can't change the deal."

"I can." Eric didn't bother hiding his patronizing tone. "And if you don't like the new terms, I'll just keep you locked in this coffin, day in and day out, until you die."

There. Right there, he saw it. He saw the defiance waver and almost disappear completely. In that moment, he knew that she knew he held every card. Her spirit wasn't broken, but he put a sizable hole in it.

As soft as a whisper, she replied, "Fine."

He grinned arrogantly again. "Good girl."

Eric placed his thumb closer to her mouth. Hesitantly, she parted her lips, taking in the digit. The wound was closing and closing fast. Eric felt his stomach pull when she began to drink from his thumb greedily, his mind not above wandering to the thought of her repeating the action on another appendage as her eyes drifted closed.

Eric could feel the small slice finally close and without the blood flowing any longer, she opened her eyes. She stared up at him almost lovingly, her eyes half-lidded and filled with adoration and lust. It was a delicious side-effect. He began to pull his thumb back, smirking when he felt the tip of her tongue lightly flick across it before he pulled it from her full lips with a delicate and arousing 'pop'.

"There now," Eric cooed the words and chuckled internally when she cringed because of it. At least she wasn't stupid enough to believe the tone like others were. "Feel better?"

"Are you going to let me out now?"

Eric reached forward, then hesitated. He wondered, albeit briefly, if he should bother releasing her. While he knew he'd have an easier time controlling her than Anthony had, something aided by his age and remorselessness, he contemplated whether it'd be worth the effort or not. She seemed to notice he was having second thoughts, and immediately reacted.

"You gave me your word." she growled.

"Did I?" he asked with an arrogant grin.

From deep within her throat, he heard a sound that sent a delightful shiver down his spine. It was a hiss, but one so inhuman and hateful that even he felt the power behind it. It was impressive.

"Oh, calm down." he sighed, pushing past the uncomfortable feeling she had created. Eric began to unlatch the ridiculous volume of chains holding her in place. "I'm going to let you out."

She moved anxiously, wiggling from side to side as though it would help in the least. Eric understood the sentiment, but he found it irritating. So, with his great speed, he removed her confines.

The young woman in the box shoved herself to her feet and peeled the chains from her body, brushing them off her shoulders and letting them fall to the ground with echoing clanks.

"Finally." She growled to herself. She bit into one of the leather mitts on her hands and yanked it off before removing the other.

Eric eyed his prisoner. Standing, she was much less enchanting than she'd been inside the box. He was able to see just how dirty she was, how ill-fitting her clothes were, and how ratty her waist-length hair had become.

"When was the last time you bathed?" he asked indignantly.

She looked a bit shocked and embarrassed at his question. "Truthfully, I don't know. I wasn't really given a calendar to mark the days."

"Well," he didn't bother hiding his displeasure with it. "You'll have to change that. I'm not going to have some unwashed homeless person in my bar."

She growled under her breath at the man smiling as he ascended the stairs. He heard her mutter asshole behind him which made him chuckle.

AN: This is an old story that I decided to upload. I just want to say now, even though she doesn't appear until later, that I'm not a Sookie fan. I think the writers did a terrible job with her on the show. Maybe she's better in the books, I don't know, I've never read them, but the show was another story. Everyone else got these great story lines where you'd see their character grow and change, but -at least to me- she had the least development. Every time I started to get on board with the character and like her, the writer's made her do something that just sent it back to square one, so, not a fan. Don't expect too much of her in the story. It'll focus mostly around Pam, Eric, and the OC. I'll also put season/episode names at the top near the chapter for reference when they apply. Anyway, thanks!