Universal Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with True Blood or the SVM universe. I don't even own the title... that is a song name that belongs to My Chemical Romance. I do, however, own Annabel and any other original characters.

Hey guys, hey! I'm still angry about Godric's death, so here is yet another Godric/OCstory so I can keep him alive. But I'm hoping that its different than the rest because it took me forever to write and revise this first chapter... Haha, I'm such a perfectionist. Please review if you like it or have any suggestions. I would really appreciate it! :D

Enjoy, my fellow fangbangers!

Dallas, Texas is the land of cowboys and the hub of professional football. In other words, it is all-American Southern fried goodness. It is also a mecca for vampires. Strange, considering a more sordid location such as Transylvania would better suit the undead. Don't get me wrong, plenty of the vamps live there but in this day and age, they are literally everywhere. You could travel to the most obscure country in Africa or go down the street to your neighbor's house and come face to face with one.

It all started with the "Great Revelation" aka the vampires "coming out of the coffin" and announcing their presence. Every person of the human variety thought they were just some made-up Dracula legend. Well, turns out that they have been walking amongst us in the dark since before recorded history. Or so they like to claim. Needless to say, the mass coming-out was easily one of the most historical events of the century. And one of the most frenzied. Many people went hysterical, arming themselves with crucifixes and garlic, fearing they'd be attacked. Of course, the "methods" to be used against vampires do not work, they are just old Eastern European legends.

I, on the other hand, didn't feel a need to fear our bloodsucking friends. Two years ago, a team of Japanese scientists invented synthetic blood to be used for medical reasons. The Japanese are so progressive, aren't they? Well, the vampires, who were still in the dark, pun intended, at that point, got their hands on it and used it as their main source of nourishment. Soon after, the blood was bottled up and sold under the name TruBlood and the vampires came out in droves, living, working, and talking with humans. Nowadays, it isn't unusual to come across the creatures we used fear and read about in novels.

So what does this have to do with me, a twenty-two-year-old college graduate and former waitress? Lets just say that I've spent plenty of time with the immortal and I have many stories to tell.

For as long as I can remember, I'd always wanted to live in an exiting city such as Dallas. My hometown of Bon Temps, Louisiana, right outside of Shreveport, just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, I love the close-knit feel of the community, but I'm young, and I need to explore the world. So you could imagine my excitement when I scored an entry-level position in the marketing department of the Dallas Cowboys NFL team. I jumped up and down with joy when I read the letter telling me that. I was thanking my lucky stars because I found a job right after graduating from college.

With that new job came incredible change, and I had to say goodbye to my town, my family, and all of the locals I'd known since I was a little girl. Before I departed for the Shreveport Regional Airport, I made a pit stop at Merlotte's Bar and Grill, the favorite local hangout and the place where I used to work at as a waitress for the last few years.

"We're all gonna miss you so much!" said my good friend, Sookie Stackhouse, also a Merlotte's waitress, as she hugged me tight. "You make sure to call me and tell me how everything is going, alright?"

"Of course, Sookie. And give Bill my best regards." I was referring to Bill Compton, her vampire boyfriend.

"Sure thing, sweetie."

I turned to face Tara Thornton, another one of Sookie's and my friends and the bartender. "Now Tara, don't you go and throw this job away like you do the others. You better still be here when I get back."

"Bitch, I think I can do a hell of a lot better than this shit hole." She smiled and winked at me then pulled me into a hug. "Have an amazing time in Dallas."

Next came Jason Stackhouse, Sookie's older brother and my unofficial surrogate older brother. "I want you to be careful out there, Annabel and make sure to came back to Bon Temps soon!"

"You know I will, honey!" I said, then embraced him.

"Oh darling, Merlotte's won't be the same without you!" said Arlene Fowler, the redheaded waitress. She started to cry, which made me shed tears too.

"Arlene, you're making me cry! I told myself I wouldn't do that."

"I'm so sorry. I'm just getting so emotional because our baby girl is leaving the nest!"

I gave her a hug. "You're making it sound like I'm moving halfway across the world. You guys know I'll be back to visit soon."

I looked over at Sam Merlotte, the owner of the restaurant, who was leaning against the bar. "Sam, I'm trusting you to run this place smoothly without me," I jokingly said.

"I don't know if we'll manage without you, Annabel. But if you ever come back to Bon Temps and you need a job, we'll always have room for you here," he replied with a smile.

"Thank you so much Sam!" I hugged him.

I turned over to Lafayette Reynolds, Tara's cousin and Merlotte's own flamboyantly gay fry cook. "Lafayette, please try not to punch out any drunk rednecks while I'm gone."

"Only if they don't piss me off," he said after taking a sip from his glass of tequila. "Now go on, honey chop, you get on your plane and you take Dallas by storm and call it your own."

I nodded.

"And don't you ever take no for an answer or let anyone get you down. It's the only way to motherfuckin live!"

I glanced over at the clock on the wall. "Looks like I should get going. Can't miss my flight." I sounded melancholy.

I said goodbye to everyone and went outside to the parking lot where my dad and my grandparents were waiting in my dad's car. I took one last good look at the bar. Saying goodbye to the people I'd known for almost my entire life was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Sure, it sucked when I went to college for the first time but that was different because I came home during the summer. Now, I have a career and I can't come home for the summer months.

My new home was Dallas, Texas.

"You have everything you need right?" said my dad when we arrived at the airport.

"Yes. I double-checked before we left the house," I said.

"And your aunt Carrie and uncle Ray are picking you up?"

"Yeah, they'll be at the airport."

"Do you have your ticket and everything?"

"Dear Lord, daddy! I'm twenty-two years old! I think I know how to bring everything I need."

"I know, honey. I'm just being a dad. Worrying, you know."

"Oh, daddy, I'm gonna miss you!" I gave him a big hug. "I'll be sure to call you everyday."

"You better call us too, Annabel!" said my Gran.

"Of course, Gran."

"And be careful of those vampires out there, sugar. I hear they're mighty dangerous," my Gramp said.

I didn't know whether to laugh at my crazy, old grandpa or be frightened.

A few hours later, my plane touched down and I found myself searching for my aunt and uncle in the crowded terminal of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. I hadn't seen them in a while, so I couldn't exactly remember what they looked like. I panicked when, after about ten minutes of scanning the crowd, I couldn't find them. Mind you, this is the first time, not including college, that I was out on my own for the very first time.

"Annabel!" said a high-pitched female voice from a distance.

I turned to find the source of the voice and sure enough I saw my aunt Carrie, my uncle Ray and my cousins (their kids) Shawn and Claire. I quickly darted to their direction.

"Thank God you found me. I would have stood there all day," I said.

"I guess you'll have to get used to crowded, big-city life," she replied, pulling me into an embrace. Sure sounded easy coming from her, a glamorous brunette dressed in designer clothes who was in her early forties but might pass off for a thirty-five-year-old.

"How's it goin'? Did you have a good flight?" asked Ray, your typical upper-management type with a Bluetooth headset permanently attached to his ear. He is my dad's brother.

"It was just fine, thanks."

"You remember Shawn and Claire?" Carrie inquired.

"Of course I do. It's been a while, though. How are you guys?"

"Very good, Annabel," Claire said. I remembered that she was around seventeen years old and a senior in high school. She was also a pretty blonde with an air of uptown sophistication that a small-town girl like me would never achieve.

"You're gonna love Dallas!" Shawn added. "And you're in with the Cowboys. Man, I'm jealous!"

"It's only an entry-level position, Shawn," I reminded him. "But maybe I'll score myself some season tickets and if I do, you'll be the first to know."

"Now that would be cool! Not to sound like I'm using you or anything."

I smiled awkwardly.

My gut told me that something was off with Shawn's behavior. Way off. He was acting so jittery and antsy. I'd never seen him act like that, as I remembered him as being the epitome of cool and collected. But I told myself that it was just stress, as he was entering his freshman year at Texas A&M University.

Still, it was strange.

Sorry about the lack of Godric but I just wanted to introduce Annabel and give a little insight to her background. I promise he will bearound soon, though!