Drink or Die
The Rattrays had beaten Sookie Stackhouse almost to death. She was in and out of consciousness when Bill Compton came to her rescue, killing the Rattrays and picking up her limp body, carrying her to a grassy knoll by a stream and licking the blood from her wounds. He raised her head up, slit his own wrist, and forced her to drink.
"Drink or die, Sookie!"
Afterward, Sookie felt better, felt great, in fact, and Bill told her that it was an effect from drinking his blood: vampire's blood, or V, as some people called it. There was a black market for the stuff, something the Rattrays were trying to get in on a few nights before, when they'd tried to drain Bill of his blood in the parking lot of Merlotte's bar and grill, where Sookie worked.
Thankfully Sookie had read their minds and stopped them, saving Bill's life; also thankfully, Bill had felt the need to return the favor.
He'd told her that they would be bonded together now, and Sookie thanked him.
She went home to get cleaned up, felt better than she ever had before, slept soundly and dreamt of Bill.
In her dream, he'd turned her, and she was now vampire.
They were at Fangtasia, at the sheriff, Eric Northman's, request, and Sookie was starving.
"Welcome to the other side, Sookie," Eric said, pleased, and Sookie smiled.
Pam brought her a Tru Blood and Sookie drank it, asked for another. Bill and Eric watched her as she guzzled the synthetic blood; Eric Northman was tickled pink at Sookie Stackhouse's new state, as he had secretly fancied her for a while.
"How do you feel?" he asked, after she'd finished her second bottle.
"Great, now!" Sookie said, and Eric smiled.
"Good. Welcome to Fangtasia," he said, extending his hand, and Bill nodded. Sookie took Eric's hand, wound up in his lap, his lips on hers, and then she woke. She wondered momentarily about her dream, and then got out of bed and got dressed, ready to go into work at Merlotte's Bar and Grill, where she waitressed.
A year ago she'd never have fathomed that she'd have anything to do with vampires. A year ago she was a year younger, a year less wiser, however, and she was pleased that she'd met Bill Compton.
After her shift ended at Merlotte's, Bill appeared, told her that the sheriff of Area 5, none other than Eric Northman, had requested her presence at Fangtasia, his vampire bar, she was only half surprised.
"I dreamt of you and him last night," Sookie said, and Bill looked at her.
"Of Eric?"
"And you."
"Well I hope you wound up with me," he said, starting the car, and Sookie was silent.
Bill smiled.
"Eric gets all the girls," he said finally.