It was a typical night at Merlotte's Bar and Grill, the Louisiana heat was hot as hell and it was getting busy fairly early for a Thursday night. The drunks were starting to drink a few too many and Sam Merlotte was cleaning beer mugs. This was one of his favorite nights at Merlottes, it was one of the nights that Sookie Stackhouse worked.

"Hey Sam, I need two glasses of beer for table five." Sookie said as she made her way to the bar, Sookie's presence instantly lightened up Sam's mood. "Sure, Sookie." He said as he got out the fresh case of beer they got that morning.

"Sam, can you turn the volume up?" Sookie asked as Real Time with Bill Maher came on, it was another one of those vampire right's specials, they were on all the time lately… ever since vampires "came out of the coffin" two years ago.

"You watch too much vampire propaganda, Sookie." Sam said as he handed her the beer, "Trust me, you don't want to meet a vampire. You remember they drink blood, right?"

"C'mon, don't you think they're interesting Sam?" Sookie said with a smile on her face. "Just think about it, some have lived for hundreds of years; think of the stories they could tell. And besides, since True-Blood came out they don't need to drink blood anymore." Sam couldn't help but chuckle; of course Sookie would love vampires. Sookie always had her head in the clouds, that's what he loved about her; she always saw the good in everything…even vampires.

Maybe the reason Sookie liked vampires were because they were different like she was. Most people thought that Sookie was slow, but Sam was one of the people who knew about her "disability". Sookie was telepathic, or in other words…she could read minds.

"I'm not saying I don't support vampires, Sookie. I'm just saying I hope I don't meet one. As long as they stick to True-Blood I'm ok with them." Sam said as he turned the volume up.

"Alright." Sookie said as she walked away. Sam's heart was still beating from just talking to her. Sam had loved Sookie ever since she started working at Merlotte's He knew that Sookie thought that life in a small town was boring, but he could make her happy. Sometimes he thought that she was the only compatible mate he had, after all they both had…"gifts". He loved how Sookie saw the good in everyone…even vampires.

Sam sometimes wondered if Sookie read his mind, surely she must know about how he really felt about her. Everyone in the damn town knew for Christ's sake. She had to know, which meant that she must not feel the same way about him, which killed him inside. He also knew that Sookie would jump at the first chance she had to leave Bon Temps, which scarred the shit out of him.

"We want the same rights as everyone else." The vampire spokeswoman said on TV.

"Now that the Japanese have created True-Blood, that's all we need to survive. No one should be frightened."

"You do realize you are technically dead, right?"

"I'm here now, aren't I? Think of it as a virus, time has just stopped for us."

"The Catholic Church is saying you are an abomination, what do you say to that?"

"I say that we want rights, just like everybody else."

"You watching that vampire crap?" Arlene said as she filled up the tray for her table. "Them things give me the creeps, they should have just stayed in the coffin if you ask me." Arlene was fixing her fiery red hair and her makeup while looking in a compact mirror.

"As long as they stick to True-Blood I don't have a problem with them." Sam said.

"And those fang-bangers are just as bad…" Arlene said in a whisper as she put on her lipstick. "Ya know, I saw Dawn had bite marks on her neck, I think she's one of em'." Arlene said as she tilted her head toward the other waitress Dawn as she was taking orders.

"Now stop gossiping Arlene, you can do that on your own time." Sam said.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't tell you so!" Arlene said before she strutted to her table.

Sam didn't worry about vampires, he was positive he would never have to meet one. What kind of vampire would want to come to Bon Temps, Louisiana?

A few minutes later, Bill Compton walked through the bar door, Sam would meet a vampire sooner then he thought.