A/N: I'm just posting this short intro chapter to see if anyone's interested before I get really into writing it. It's gonna be plot-driven, not driven by romance because that tends to make the story burn out faster. But don't worry, it'll be full of M-rated blood sucking and fangbangers. ;) This is A/U I guess. It takes place after the 4th season and Sookie chooses Bill. Godric is also alive in this. Sorry, but he's my second favorite character and he needs some justice.

Pairings: Eric/OC, Bill/Sookie

Rating: M because it's fricken True Blood.

Disclaimer: I do not own True Blood or anything affiliated with it.

-MalRev

Sunshine & Freedom

1: Bon Temps

The last time I had been in Bon Temps, Louisiana was nearly ten years ago when I had just turned eight. I told my mother the only thing I wanted for my birthday was to visit with our unorthodox Southern family and she grudgingly agreed. That visit was the last time I saw my half-sister Sookie Stackhouse, who I shared a father with, and we fell out of touch after that. After a while it seemed awkward to call her up and ask to come down again to catch up.

Unfortunately, things change. My father died years ago when I was young and mom passed away a few months ago, luckily just after I turned 18. It only took a few nights of sitting alone in our big, empty house for me to decide that New York just wasn't my cup of tea any more. So I sold the house and chose to relocate to the Deep South so I could be with the remaining members of my family. I hadn't bothered to give Sookie a call before hopping on a plane, but she was pretty welcoming. I'd be in her house a week; tops. Then I could buy my own house and live comfortably.

The closer my cab brought me to my half-sister's house, the more nervous I became. I started sweating and primping my hair in the rearview mirror, hoping she would recognize me. We didn't look very much alike—she had blonde hair, mine was brown. She was beautiful while I was a bit plain. The only defining feature I had was my set of glasses that never left my side. I took a deep breath and checked my cell phone for any new texts but there were none. Of course. She had no idea I was coming.

The driver stopped outside Gran's house and started unpacking my bags so I could reintroduce myself to Sookie. She inherited the house when Gran was tragically murdered and it seemed to be in better condition than the old days. She could have come across some money, maybe from Gran's life insurance, and used to fix up the massive farmhouse. That or she had friends in high places.

It was fragrant in the South, especially in the backwoods area where Sookie lived. The air was clean and fresh; not yet tainted by the big industries and pollution the North struggled with. Being in my ancestral home made me feel oddly at peace. I was leaving my old life and beginning a new one. Bon Temps offered a clean slate and I could stop blaming myself for my mother's untimely death. She had me when she was my age. It was unlikely she died from a heart attack.

I knew vampires were involved when the doctors wouldn't let me see her body.

Still uncomfortable beyond belief and seeing no way to escape it, I knocked on the door just as the taxi driver dropped my bags beside me. I hastily gave him cab fare as the door was pulled open, revealing my long-lost half-sister. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and she had a uniform on of some sort; the name above her left breast read "Merlotte's." I realized with horror that I had interrupted her getting ready for work. What a good impression I made.

"Phoebe?" she asked uncertainly.

"Uh, hi, Sook." I shrugged and jammed my hands in my pockets. Jeans weren't appropriate in the boiling Southern heat. "I should have called before, but—"

Sookie suddenly pulled me into a bone-crushing hug and I couldn't say another word. She knew why I was here without me having to say anything. I reached around her and hugged back fiercely, struggling to keep the tears from pouring out of my eyes. When we finally broke apart a few minutes later her eyes were puffy and red. I suspected mine looked the same. She wiped away her tears and put a big smile on, then leaned down to pick up some of my bags.

"Make yourself at home," she said, gesturing around the huge house. She put my things in the living room and I followed suit. "I've gotta get to work down at Merlotte's but you're welcome to anything in the house. I can't wait for you to meet everyone! Once you're all settled in you can come down and see what you've been missing down here. I bet Sam would love you to bits."

"Don't worry, I'm only filling up space here until I can find a house. My mother left me the house so I just sold it and figured I had to move on." Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. "Is that wrong?"

"'Course not. We all deal with grief differently, Feebs. I just went out last night to get cold cuts and some bread and jam with Bill, so help yourself to it. I'm sure you're hungry after a journey like that. I'll be back around 1:30 if you're even still awake then."

I nodded quickly and rubbed my eyes to quash the rebellious tears as Sookie gave me another intense embrace. She held me at arm's length to survey my appearance then kissed me on the forehead. Not much had changed about Sookie. She was still gorgeous and had the heart of a saint, though I knew she could quickly become just the opposite if she wanted to. Yet another thing I had to feel jealous of.

Sookie left a few minutes later and I was once again exactly where I didn't want to be in life: alone. I had roughly $200,000 in my bank account and I was seriously considering donating it to charity just to be with someone at night. The loneliness and grief I felt for my mother was crippling. But maybe it was just a passing emotion. I'd be able to move on and feel happy again. The only way I could do that was living on my own so I could forget all the wonderful memories.

Since my sister had been a bit preoccupied, I decided to give myself a tour of the house. I grabbed some of my things and lugged them upstairs while the sun set outside, hoping there was still an empty bedroom for me to stay in. Sharing with Sookie would be kind of awkward.

There was a small bedroom just past the staircase that seemed to be set up for a guest. A relieved sigh passed my lips as I collapsed on the huge bed and closed my eyes, happy to finally be resting. Unpacking could wait until the next morning. There was bound to be a place hiring in Bon Temps so I didn't worry myself too much with it. I had more than enough money to support me until I found something stable.

The prospect of buying my very own house was exciting. I'd go for something a bit cheaper so I had enough to get a passable car. All I needed was a one or two bedroom near Sookie's. I didn't have kids and had no intentions of having them for a while, so something small was preferable. A smile broke across my face, crusting the dry tears on my cheeks. This was my home now.