Vivienne Cooper is a gifted young woman trying to escape her past; just looking for a safe, normal life. Pity she chose Bon Temps. SxB, eventual ExOFC or SamxOFC (not sure yet). K, but will be MA
Hey guys, this is my first ever fan fic, so constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! Be gentle xo
Set during the first season of True Blood, and I warn you, some situations may change. Hope you don't mind. And sorry to all her fans out there, but Tara doesn't exist in this world.
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Vivienne sat in the cab of her old red pick-up, watching as people drifted in and out the front door of Merlotte's, the only bar in this quiet little hamlet. 'Another town, Viv, another state,' she chided herself, dragging a hand through her hair with a sigh, "It's gettin' tired, girl...' As if sensing her unhappiness, her golden retriever, Ziggy, whined and shifted closer to her master's side. Vivienne grinned, and threw her arm around the golden, scratching the faithful pup behind the ears. "I love you too, Zig," she said out loud, her attention drawn to the door of the bar again as a group of raucous men exited. "I guess I'd better head in and see about a job, huh?"
Turning off the engine, the loss of air-con immediately noticeable in the truck, she leaned across the dog to crack the passenger window before doing the same on her side. She was lucky enough to have scored a parking space in the shade and there was enough of a breeze to keep Ziggy cool on this stifling day. She flipped the visor down, using the mirror to check her appearance, then grabbed her handbag from the floor. After receiving a sloppy kiss-for-luck from the golden, she slammed the door shut and made her way across the parking lot, her sneakers leaving a trail of dust in her wake.
Even in the short walk from her truck to the door, it felt as though the sun was blazing a hole in her back, and it was a welcome relief to step into the dark, cool interior of Merlotte's. Setting her sunglasses on her head, she quickly scanned the mostly-empty tables before making her way to the bar.
"Wont be a sec!' a pretty little blonde called out from her left, her tray loaded with dirty plates, and she bustled around the room, almost colliding with another woman.
"Oh, Sookie! I nearly lost my tray!" she half scolded before making her way to the last full table, her fire-engine-red curls bouncing against her back.
Vivienne grinned at the exchange, giving the small blonde a 'no worries' wave. She turned her attention to the menu in front of her, the small selection not taking long to peruse.
"Sorry about that," the blonde gushed, hurrying behind the counter, "the lunch rush has just ended, and we're short staffed today. What can I getcha?"
"It's no problem," Vivienne replied with a smile, "I was actually wondering if I could talk to the manager? I'm new in town and looking for some work..."
"Oh that'd be Sam... well, he's not the manager, he's the owner, but he's here all the time, so I guess you could say that he kinda manages the place too!" she rambled before smiling ruefully at the bemused expression on Vivienne's face. "I'm sorry. I tend to babble every now and then. I can't help it. I think it's a condition..."
Vivienne couldn't help the laugh that escaped her throat. "No, no, it's fine. I like chatty people," she grinned at the blonde relieved expression. "Uh, would Sam be here at the moment? I'd really love to see about a job."
The blonde shook her head, glancing towards a long hallway. "I think he's out back, helpin' unload the deliveries, but he should be done in ten minutes or so, if you wanted to wait..."
"Great," Vivienne replied, "in that case, I think I'll grab some chicken strips and a Coke."
"Sure thing," the blonde grinned, tearing the order from her pad and clipping it to the kitchen hook, before making her way back to the bar. "I'm Sookie, by the way," she continued as she poured the Coke, "Sookie Stackhouse."
"Vivienne Cooper," she replied, holding out her hand (old habits).
A wide smile split Sookie's face as she shook Vivienne's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Vivienne. What area are you from? You sound a little southern, but there's something else, too..."
Vivienne grinned, taking a sip from her drink. "Please, call me Viv... I grew up in Austin, but I've been travelling around for a long time, and I guess I kinda lost some of the twang along the way."
Sookie nodded, leaning against the bar. She figured she had time to talk, as the full table had disappeared, and Arlene was sitting at another table talking to her latest boyfriend. "Well, I think you might be in luck. Sam's been runnin' the bar since the last bartender left, so he might appreciate the extra help. Or, maybe on the floor with us. Have you ever waitressed before?"
"No, but I've worked behind plenty of bars," Vivienne replied. Sookie broke her gaze to bid goodbye to some customers, so she turned her attention to the various funny posters strewn over the walls. She was so engrossed, she missed the intense look of concentration from the blonde, quickly replaced by one of shock.
"Wait, I can't hear you!" Sookie exclaimed, her mouth gaping.
"I didn't say anything..." Vivienne replied absentmindedly, her attention still on the posters.
"...Oh, sorry, I thought you did..." Sookie recovered quickly, as the cook rang the bell.
Vivienne turned back to the blonde with a smile, as she set the plate before her, the aroma of the chicken engulfing her senses. "Mmmmm. Smell's good!" Her smile faltered as she caught the look Sookie was giving her. "What? Do I have something...?" she asked, her hands coming up to touch her face.
"What? Oh no," Sookie seemed to shake herself from her daze, "no, sorry, just a little lost in thought." She smiled, but to Vivienne, her smile seemed a little strained. "Uh... I'll be back in a jiffy!" she said, before practically running down the hall and disappearing from sight.
Vivienne watched the retreating blonde with amusement. "Okaaaay," she murmured with a shake of her head, before diving into the strips.
**Meanwhile, elsewhere...**
"Ohmylord, ohmylord, ohmylord, ohmylord," Sookie chanted as she darted down the hallway in search of her boss. She almost collided with him as he stepped out of his office, and he gave a surprised yelp as she shoved him back into the room and slammed the door. "Oh Sam, the most amazing thing just happened!" she exclaimed, bouncing around the room.
"Hold on, Sookie, just calm down a second, would ya? What are you talking about? What's so amazing?" he asked, setting his hands on her shoulders to keep her still.
Sookie grinned, excitement bursting out of every pore. "A girl came in and we got talkin' and she asked about a job..."
"Ok. Girl. Askin' about a job..." he grinned, "what's so amazi-?"
His question was cut off as Sookie slapped her hand over his mouth. "I can't hear her, Sam," she said.
Sam looked confused for a moment, before apprehension dawned. "You can't hear her? Like with Bill?" Sookie nodded, beaming from ear to ear. "Well, obviously she's not a vampire, but... how? Think maybe she's a shifter?"
Sookie shook her head, chewing her lip in thought. "Nope. With you I get waves of emotion. With her... nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada. It's fantastic."
"Has this ever happened with a human before, Sook?" Sam asked, receiving a shake of the head in response. "Wow... So you said she's lookin' for work? What kind of work?"
"Bar work," Sookie replied, herding him out the door and down the hall. "I think you should give her a chance. She nice and I've got a good feeling about her."
"Not to mention its silence-city around her for you, huh?" Sam added wryly.
Sookie grinned and pushed past him. "Viv, this here is Sam Merlotte. Sam, Vivienne Cooper."
Vivienne smiled and held out her hand. Sookie turned on her heel and left them, not before giving Sam a pointed look.
"Nice to meet you, Vivienne," he grinned, taking her hand in his. "Sookie tells me you're looking for work. You been behind a bar before?"
"It's Viv," she smiled, "and yes, I have. I've been workin' them since I turned 21. I'm constantly travelling, and it's always something that's in demand..."
Sam nodded, as smile on his face. "Travelling? Bit of a nomad, huh?"
"Just seeing the sights," Vivienne replied with a laugh. "Last stop was De Ridder. before that. Looking to settle in though, I need a holiday from travelling..."
" I hear ya," Sam laughed. He placed both hands on the counter and leaned forward, his eyes scanning the bar. "Well, Viv, I think we oughta give you shot. How does tomorrow sound?"
"You're on," she smiled and they shook on it, eliciting a small squeal from Sookie. "Oh, by the way, would you know of any motels around here that allow pets? I have a dog, but I she's really well trained."
"Well, The Happy Wanderer is the only motel in town," Sam said, scratching his stubbled chin, "but I don't think she allows pets."
"Oh," Vivienne replied as her face dropped.
"I'll tell you what," he grinned with a twinkle in his eye," I normally rent out a cottage and at the moment it's vacant. I don't usually allow big animals, but if your dog's as well trained as you say, then I'll make an exception. You can rent the place on a weekly basis until you get yourself more settled or find you wanna move on. What do you think?"
Vivienne was too astounded to think. Not knowing why, she glanced at Sookie for affirmation, receiving an excited nod in return, before turning back to Sam. "Sounds great! Thank Sam. Really."
"Well, I'm just about to clock off, so I can always lead to you the house, if you like?" Sookie smiled between Vivienne and Sam.
"Would you mind? That'd be a big help..." Vivienne replied, as Sam pulled out a key ring and started flipping through.
Sookie nodded so hard Vivienne thought her head might fall off. "Oh sure! Just give me a few minutes and I'll meet you out front." With another beaming smile, she turned and hurried to finish cleaning her tables.
Vivienne smiled after her, shaking her head at all the enthusiasm. When she turned back to Sam, he was holding a shiny key in her direction. "Again, thank you so much, Sam. For the place and the job... it's more than I'd hoped for, I tell you..."
"Don't mention it," he smiled. "I gotta head out back now, but I'll see you tomorrow, say, around eleven?"
"You got it...boss..." Vivienne laughed, before grabbing her handbag from the stool beside her. She was almost out the door when she heard Sam call out from the bar.
"Welcome to Bon Temps, Miss Cooper."
She walked out with a smile.
.