Hello, Navets again. So I've finally introduced an actual True Blood character into the story, and I'm really hoping I was able to capture Eric's "essence".

A few other things, Fern and Leo are not actual characters of True Blood. Imagine this being a side story of something that happens off the show- and Fern wouldn't have been introduced in the real show because, well...she has the appearance of an 8-year old. But Eric and Fern have been "friends" (if you could actually call it something that friendly) for more than 50 years. Eric is not her maker.

Warning: I do not own True Blood or Eric Northman. *sob*

Chapter 3: Brooding

"Hello Eric", she called, "you're looking rather wonderful and brooding tonight!"

Eric did not smile, as was such his personality, but Fern ran up to him anyway. Leo stood implacably rooted to his spot in the parking lot, staring with his mouth halfway open at the collection of vampire wannabees swarming around the main entrance of the club. Fern rolled her eyes. Perhaps all there is to this human is his good looks, she thought, though brains would surely later develop. She stood in front of Eric, having to tilt her head up to an uncomfortable angle to actually see his face. He looked as depressed as ever, the same familiar handsome attributes and short, slicked-back blond hair that only highlighted the paleness of his face and the pinkish circles under his eyes. He was wearing a ridiculous leather jacket again (with no shirt underneath, of course…the owner of a vampire bar must accentuate their deathly sexiness) and black pants to match. He looked right back down at Fern and tilted his head, as if inspecting a bug or, even worse- a human child.

"Fern, I see you brought a dish home with you tonight. How quaint. I do hope you're not planning on doing something illegal with it that could present a threat to this establishment", he said coldly, eyeing Leo with the same patronizing stare that he had just given to Fern.

She cleared her throat. "I…I'm just really drawn to this one…which is extremely rare seeing as how humans have only appealed to me as blood sacks for the past couple centuries."

The tall vampire continued to look rather disinterested and irked. "Fine. Bring him over here. This could be entertaining", he muttered.

Fern grinned and turned around to wave at Leo, her arm seeming to leave behind a white arc in the blur of movement. Leo's attention was still diverted to the aberrant scene in front of the club. So it was no surprise to Fern when he tensed up and practically fell over when she was right back in his face again in less than a second.

"Shit", he hissed, "You can't just shove yourself into people's faces like that! I don't give a crap how fast you are, I-"

"Leo, stop making a fool of yourself", Fern interjected. "I'm going to introduce you to the sheriff of Area 5 and I don't want you to open your mouth unless he asks you a question. Are we clear on this?"

Leo closed his mouth and nodded. He had the fair idea that it was probably best for him to not make any trouble with beings that could crush his neck bones with the flex of a finger. The sheriff of Area 5? Vampires have 'sheriffs'?

At a regular pace, Fern turned around and started walking back towards the 'brooding' vampire. Leo followed closely behind, focusing more on the cigarette butts littered across the parking lot than the stony face that was just a few paces in front of him.

"So you're the human that our little Fern has taken an interest in. I don't see the appeal", said the lightly-accented vampire voice.

Fern, so that was her name.

Leo lifted his head up and stared at the Sheriff of area 5. In Leo's eyes, he looked less like a sheriff and more like a gay male model. He wondered if maybe that was the requirement for vampire sheriffs. Fern kept smiling, and motioned towards the vampire.

"Leo, this is Eric. Eric-this is my human Leo."

"Your human?! I am not 'your human'!" Leo exclaimed, averting his gaze from Eric and over to Fern's.

But it was in Fern's sudden infuriated look that Leo remembered what she had just told him. Don't open your mouth unless he asks you a question. He tensed up at the sudden silence at stared down at the ground. You idiot.

Eric smiled smugly. "Oh? Fern-this human claims to not belong to you. Perhaps you should have warned him about the consequences of saying such a thing" he jeered.

Fern took a step forward in front of Leo.

"Eric, please don't!"