Disclaimer: I do not own True Blood or any of its characters.

I have received quite some reactions so since I am on a roll, I just keep going. I don't know how this is gonna play so if you have any suggestions, let me know. ;) However, don't worry about Eric being the all round good guy but I do have a surprise.

Chapter 1

Sookie stepped out of the cab in front of her brother's home and walked onto the porch. The lights were still on so she hoped that Jason was still up. Jason lived on the Hills with a fantastic view of Los Angeles. He had made quite the fortune a view years ago when buying some stock exchange in some company, specialised in navigational systems. Sookie knocked on the door and soon her brother's friendly face greeted her as he opened the door. Of course, Sookie couldn't get her emotions under control and teared up again.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jason asked concern in his voice. They walked inside and once settled on the sofa with a steaming cup of tea, she started telling about the cheating, the dancing, the assault and the rescue. By the time she was finished, Jason was pacing the living room, muttering obscenities under his breath.

"Ok, Sook, here's what we are going to do. Tomorrow we go back to that club to ask the owner for that guy's name so we can file a charge at the police office and then we go to your apartment to get your stuff."

"Jason, that's not necessary. I am fine," She said calming her brother, all the while wondering when he got so … mature and grown up.

"No, this is not fine. You're not fine. Some guy wanted to rape you and you do not have anything else, expect the clothes on your back! You're not fine!" Jason grew more agitated with every word he spoke.

"That's not true! I have a bag full of clothes!" Sookie shouted back, letting all the anger that she had been holding back out, only to remember that her bag was still in the club.

"Oh shoot! I forgot my clothes at the club…" Jason looked satisfied by this because he knew that they had to go back.

"Tomorrow, we're going to that club and then to your apartment." Jason said with a final tone that meant this discussion was over. Sookie wondered how on earth that happened twice on one evening.

Meanwhile at the club the crowd was thinning and Eric knew that the clicking heels nearing his office was trouble on legs. The door was thrown open and a furious Pam came storming in.

"Where is he? I will fucking kill him! How dare he coming here and throw our hospitality right back in our faces! If he thinks he can get away with that, he has another thing coming!" Pam blazed walking around Eric's desk. Eric knew better than interrupt his partner and sister.

"Pam, sit down, please…" Eric finally spoke after several minutes. She did what he asked but was raising one eyebrow in question, signalling to Eric that she was waiting for him to explain.

"Alcide has kicked him out and beat him up badly, I believe. However, you know very well that we need him if we want to get a lead on the drug trafficking." He told her without beating around the bush.

"Eric,… we can't just let him get away with it… He almost raped that girl. If you hadn't found them…" Pam said quietly, all the fight leaving her, "I… I just don't know how much more I can take…"

Eric walked up to his sister and hugged her tight.

"I know… I just hope that the undercover team is moving on the leads that we give them. It's not just us, Pam… The whole operation is taken much longer than anyone expected." He said softly to her, trying to comfort her.

"Yeah...but two years…" She whispered, "I can't even remember the last time I went on a date." This made Eric smile because his sister had been a chronic dater without ever finding the right woman.

"It's going to be all right." He said pulling back and looking her in the eye. Pam nodded and just then someone knocked on the door. One of the servants entered with a backpack.

"Sir, this has been left in the cloak room. I took the liberity to look for a name and found a wallet. It belongs to the girl, who.. Eh… was found in the cloak room…"

"You mean Miss Stackhouse?" Eric inquired, the girl nodded, "Leave it here, I'll make sure she gets it."

Sookie woke up on the couch with a blanket around her. When she focussed on the clock and saw it was already half past 2, she shot up and sprinted to the kitchen, all the while cursing.

"Jason! Why didn't you wake me?" She shrieked only to find him, sitting at the kitchen table.

"Relax, I called Sam and explained the basics and he said it was fine this time." Jason said to her seemingly non-plussed by the fact that Sookie had come in screaming. She huffed and plopped herself down on a chair. She grabbed some toast and munched on it like a petulant child.

"Sook, just enjoy the rest of the day and tonight we go pick up your stuff at home and in Fantasia." Jason reasoned with her and forcing her to look into his big Bambi eyes.

"Fine," She said, "So the club's called Fantasia?" Jason just nodded continueing to read the paper. She knew he was deliberately baiting her and she wasn't going to fall for it.

She stood up and went to take a shower, only then did she see the bruises on her wrists and neck. She shuddered and quickly dressed. Sookie felt she needed some time alone to think things through. She walked into the huge backyard and sat down under a tree looking out on the buzzing city.

She knew that she could face Bill with Jason at her side. Jason wouldn't let Bill explain himself and keep him away from her. She was beginning to feel very grateful towards her little brother. However, Fantasia was a whole different story. When with the former she felt angry, she could only feel ashamed of her behaviour in the night club. It was partly her fault that the guy forced himself on her. She had done nothing to let him think otherwise.

Jason came to find her just before the sun set and they drove to her place.

When they arrived, Bill was indeed home and had trouble getting past Jason, just like she thought. After she finished packing, she asked Jason to take her bags to the car.

"There is nothing that you can say or do to make this better so I am asking you not to bother. This is what I want from you. This is my place. For now I am staying at Jason's but in a week I want you out. I can't stand this place right now but in a week I want to come home…"

"Sookie…." Bill started pleading and Sookie just shook her head.

"Just… just don't…" And with that she left.

Jason didn't ask but drove them through the busy traffic towards Fantasia.

"Gjeezz, Sook, you sure know to pick them.." Jason said after parking. In front of them was a huge complex, completely black with only red glass windows and a big red door. The line was short and within no time they sat down with a drink.

"So do you see the owner?" Jason asked her loudly over the music. She shook her head and since the confrontation with Bill had been more difficult than she had hoped, Sookie just wanted to forget his face. Again. So she ordered another drink. Again. And got up to the dance floor. Again.

She was dancing alone, bodies all around her, not noticing her. She shot a reassuring look to Jason and was beginning to feel liberated about this sense of anonymity when a pair of arms closed around her waist. She stopped and tensed. She wanted to turn around but the hands held her in place. She was frantically searching for Jason when a soft voice whispered in her ear.

"You shouldn't be here…"

Sookie felt a chill run down her spine but she had recognised the voice of Eric Northman. She visibly relaxed by swaying to the music.

"Yeah well, I came to retrieve my backpack…" She said stubbornly. She had great difficulty reading him and she was irritated by that fact. Eric seemed to enjoy her swaying because his hands were guiding her every so slightly.

"I'm sorry but we didn't find anything that's left behind, last night." She had to hand it to him because he stated the fact so clearly before she even had the chance to ask him about it.

"Liar." She said and finally turned, only to be met by the most clear blue eyes that held hers captured.

"You don't believe me, Miss Stackhouse?" He whispered dangerously close to her ear and she almost forgot why she had come back here in the first place.

"The guy… you know him… What's his name?" She clearly shocked him asking him that. Eric was becoming more and more intrigued in this woman. She seemed to hold her ground and before he knew it, he told her Ray's name.

"Thanks. It's easier to file a charge when you know a name, ya know?" She smiled and pulled away from him. Somehow he didn't want her to leave but he knew that he already was drawing too much attention to himself and therefore also her. There were many spies and enemies around here and he had thread very carefully.

"Well, Miss Stackhouse, you probably shouldn't have been walking around in a mini skirt, making eyes…" He let the rest dies in the music but he had the result he was hoping for. She stepped away from him like he had punched her and maybe in a way he did. She was already at risk just by being seen with him and he needed her to stay away. He made a mistake to come to her in first place but he just had to.

Sookie looked at him and was surprised to feel physically hurt by his words. He had seemed nice and caring but right now his features bordered on indifference and devoid of emotion.

"Oh.. Ok…" She stammered and turned away to Jason. Eric wanted her to look back so badly that he kept watching until they had left the club.