A/N: Thank you all so much for the fantastic response to this! I'm just as excited to show you what happens next as you are to see it. Hope it doesn't disappoint! Once again, thanks to FarDareisMai2 for being the best beta there is :)

Chapter 2 – The Vampire

Three hours later Sookie was standing outside of Fangtasia in a white dress with red flowers on it, snorting at the absurdity of the name of the club. She looked at the regular club goers in their gothic and "badass" getups, and felt a bit like a sore thumb, or a chick in a white dress in the middle of an Apocalyptica concert. That was the point though, to stand out, to be noticed.

She took a deep breath, threw her shoulders back, and walked up to the line. Luckily, it was moving pretty fast since the night was still early, and soon enough she was at the front door. A stunning woman in a black corset and hair in a tight bun was checking ID's, and gave Sookie quite the once over.

"You sure you're at the right place, pumpkin?" she asked.

"Quite," Sookie replied, handing over her ID and cover charge.

The woman checked her birth date, raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow, and handed the ID back to Sookie, as she gestured for her to go on in. Sookie took a quick dip into her mind as she walked past and got one distinct thought: He will love that one.

The bar was fairly full, and filling up quickly. Sookie found a low traffic spot and took it all in. The bar was decorated in dark tones with a ton of red and black. There were dancers up on platforms with poles, dressed in corsets, fishnets, and black heels. The waitresses wore short black skirts and black, v-neck shirts that said 'Fangtasia' on the front in red letters and 'The Party Begins At Night' across the back. There was a vampire-like man behind the bar with tattoos showing since he only wore a vest on top, and a scary looking disposition. Sookie scanned the room for any sign of The Vampire, but when she didn't spot him decided that the best place to start would be the bar.

The man behind the bar looked at her when she walked up as though he wanted her to just say what she wanted. She found it rude, but told him anyway.

"Could I just get a Coke please?"

The corner of the man's mouth twitched up in a condescending smirk when he filled her glass.

"One Coke," he said, setting it on the bar in front of her. "Sneak out of the house tonight or something?"

"Excuse me?"

"We don't get people like you in here. You look like you just left a church lunch in that dress, and you don't order alcohol? The people here will eat you alive little girl."

If anything could make Sookie blazing mad, it was someone calling her 'little girl' and assuming she was just some sweet, innocent, demure southern lady. Perhaps she was some of those things, but she didn't like to be pre-judged. Sookie knew better than anyone why you should never judge by appearance.

Taking a quick dip into the man's mind, she decided to mess with him a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry Gary, whoops, I mean 'Chow'. I came here looking for thrills and maybe a little sex, and seeing as how you think my breasts look like 'ripe, juicy melons' that you'd like to bite into, so original, by the way, you could have been the lucky guy. But since you'd like to keep pretending that these goth, emo, vampire wannabe women actually turn you on even though they don't; you really wish girls like me would walk through the door more often. I'll just take my soda and my juicy melons elsewhere."

With that, she set the money for her soda down and walked off, leaving a stunned, and slack-jawed bartender behind. She found an empty spot in a corner and focused, opening her mind slightly to see what the typical bar patrons of Fangtasia thought about.

I really need to get laid tonight. These vampire loving sluts are so easy.

I wonder if this vampire guy is like Edward. Twilight vamps are the best ever.

This place is so stupid. The people here are stupid. Why the hell did I let my friends drag me here? No one will like me.

Looks like another busy night. I love this job. If only it guaranteed that we could meet the man himself. He's so hot.

How the hell did she know my real name? How did she know what I was thinking?

Sookie immediately looked at the tattooed bartender and found him staring at her. She threw her shields into place and glanced around the room again. This time, she saw the person she came to see.

The Vampire was sitting on the throne in the middle of the stage. He was pale, with long blond hair. He reminded her of one of the men on the cover of the romance novels her Gran was so fond of. With a bored, yet still menacing look, he scanned the crowd slowly, and when he came across the area Sookie was standing he stopped, his eyes raking over her body before he locked gazes with her.

It didn't escape Sookie's notice that the lyrics of the song playing, Corrupt by Depeche Mode, fit the moment perfectly. Because this man was surely thinking just that; he could corrupt her.

Knowing that an invitation from him was the only way she'd get him alone, she kept up the staring contest, and then pretended like she suddenly realized she was staring. She smiled nervously, and looked away as though she were embarrassed. When she glanced back up at him she found that he was still staring at her, and this time … he was smiling.

Done, and done.

Sookie smiled and looked away again, and then started to walk around. Other men looked at her, but the only one that mattered was the one on the stage, and every time she glanced at him he was still staring at her. When she had seen the images in Dawn's mind, she could tell from the surroundings that they had been in an office of some sort, so she made her way towards the hall with the bathrooms. Noting the extra doors in the hall, she turned to see that The Vampire was sitting up a bit, still staring intently at her. She gave him a wink, and walked down the hallway and into the ladies room.

There were a couple of other women in the bathroom fixing their makeup, and they left quickly. Sookie took the moment alone to collect her wits, then she checked her hair, makeup, and boob placement before going back into the hall.

He was there, leaning against the wall opposite of the bathroom, waiting for her. She looked up at him and smiled slightly before turning to head back out to the bar. It only took a second for him to stop her.

"Sookie Stackhouse," he said. His voice was low and deep, and it washed over her like a cool breeze on moist skin, making goose flesh rise on her arms. "It's an interesting name."

"How did you know my name?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Pam told me." At Sookie's confused look he added, "The lady working the door. She never forgets the names of exceptional women."

"And what's your name?" If he said 'The Vampire' she knew she'd probably just turn around and walk away.

"Eric Northman," he smiled, and Sookie wondered if it was the first time someone had ever asked him his real name. "I own this club."

"It's very fascinating."

"That it is. May I ask why you came here tonight?"

Sookie took that moment to try to delve into his mind and see just what he thought of her, if he was suspicious at all. She tried, and failed. His mind wasn't blank, it was blocked. She'd never met a person whose mind she couldn't read. Sure, there were people who were more difficult, like a radio station full of static, but this wasn't like that. It was like he had his own mental shield, a message flashing 'access denied.'

"I can't hear you," she blurted out without thinking.

"I asked why you came here tonight," he repeated.

"No, I heard you, I mean…" she stopped and shook her head. "I'm a journalist."

Eric looked visibly disappointed for a small second before he fixed a hard look on his face, and took a step back.

"I don't speak to reporters, and I'm assuming everything we just said is off the record," he stated, and began to walk past her, but she put her hand on his arm. Physical contact always made the signal clearer, but with him it did nothing. More of the same silence.

"I'm not that kind of journalist, Mr. Northman. I'd like to interview you, fairly. No gossip or bull from me."

"Oh? And what's in it for you?"

"To be honest, the paper won't publish any of the serious things I write, and this would be huge for me. There are people all over the world who are curious about you."

"I see. I'm still going to decline. Please enjoy the rest of your night."

With that, he strode out of the hall and Sookie was left alone, her mind reeling. She couldn't believe she couldn't read him. And then she royally screwed up getting an interview with him. He seemed to have an interest in her, a genuine one, until she revealed what she wanted. She went back into the bathroom and into a stall so she could think. If it had just been the interview rejection she probably would have simply left, defeated, but she had to know why she couldn't read him.

Eric seemed to like all the different things about her. The way she dressed, that she acted shy and embarrassed at his attention, that she asked him his name. Different was interesting to him, and if he wanted different, she would show him.

Sookie went back out into the bar and started making a round, shields fully dropped. She didn't look at Eric, who was back on his throne, and did what she did best. After about five minutes, she hit the jackpot and narrowed in on the voice.

If they catch me, I'm so screwed. Need the money. Need the drugs. Tips don't cover it. Joey said he'd take my dog if I didn't pay him next time. Shit. Just gotta make sure Pam don't find out. A little off the top of souvenir sales every night ain't gonna hurt nothin'.

She spotted the girl by the souvenir cash register. Sookie delved into her mind a bit further to pick out her name and some images of where she was hiding the cash, and then she went straight for Pam, who had just stepped down from the stage. If Eric had asked Pam what Sookie's name was, then she knew they must be close.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Sookie said confidently, her shoulders thrown back.

"I'm sorry, I don't talk to reporters," Pam said, and began to brush past her. Sookie touched her arm to stop her and got some thoughts right away.

He seemed like he actually liked her. Haven't seen him that human in a while. Such a shame, it would have been amusing to watch. Why can't reporters just leave him alone? If they ever found out…

"Let go of me," Pam said, breaking Sookie from her trance.

"I'm so sorry. I need to talk to you."

"As I said, I don't talk to reporters."

"Has there been some money coming up missing?" Sookie asked, finally getting the reaction she needed. "I know who's doing it, and I can prove it."

One of Pam's eyebrows rose, and she glanced back at the stage for a moment.

"Please come with me, Miss Stackhouse. I think Eric will want to talk with you after all."