A/N: Sorry I'm a bit behind on this update. I usually post early, early Wednesday morning before I go to bed, but I completely forgot. Big thanks to FDM for her beta skills!

I've still been getting a few reviews from people who are curious about who's a vampire, or if there are other supes, so I just wanted to clear that up. This is definitely an All Human story. There are no vampires, no werewolves, no fae, no supes of any kind. These characters just live in a world that's obsessed with Vampires in pop culture. Hope that helps, and I'm sorry if it's been confusing!

Chapter 4 – Different People

Four days later, Sookie was sunbathing in her yard when the phone rang.

"This is Sookie Stackhouse," she answered when she didn't recognize the number.

"Sookie, it's Pam."

She sat up quickly and grabbed her notebook in case she had to write something down.

"Pam, hello. How are you?"

"I am well. I am calling to inform you that Eric and I are ready to go over the contract at your earliest convenience."

"Well, I don't have to work until tomorrow evening. Can we do it in the afternoon?"

"Absolutely not. We would prefer it be done at Fangtasia after sunset."

"He really takes this pretending to be a vampire thing seriously, doesn't he? I mean, I guess it's smart since anyone seeing him out and about during the day would take some of the mystery out of it."

"Right. So, when will you be able to meet with us here?" Pam asked, and Sookie got the feeling that Pam thought Sookie might be able to read her over the phone.

"I can see if I can get tomorrow night covered. Can I call you back in a minute?"

Pam sighed. "I don't have all day."

"Okay then, I'll make it fast and call you right back," Sookie said, and hung up so she could call Dawn. She quickly agreed to cover the shift, if Sookie would work her shift next Saturday. After that was settled Sookie called Pam back.

"I can be there tomorrow. When would you like to see me?" Sookie said as soon as Pam answered.

"At eight. We open at ten, so two hours should be sufficient."

"Okay, see you then," Sookie said, and then Pam hung up.

Sookie was vibrating with energy that night at work. She was beyond excited that her big break was finally around the corner. It didn't escape her that there were people all across the world that would pay a huge amount of money for this story, but the money wasn't as awesome to her as the exposure. It was possible that she could get a job with a major publication over this.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Sam asked her as they were closing up. "I've never seen someone smile so big while filling ketchup bottles."

"If I tell you, you gotta keep it a secret, alright?" she said.

"'Course I will."

"I went to Fangtasia after work a few nights ago, and I used my ability to get me in with the vampire guy. I helped him out, and in return he's going to let me interview him! Isn't that fantastic?"

"Are you insane?"

"Excuse me?" Sookie asked, taken aback by his harsh tone.

"First of all, you went to a bar like that alone? And then you used your ability? Then you let a man who thinks he's a vampire know about it? Again, are you insane?"

"Do not raise your voice to me, Sam Merlotte," Sookie said firmly, pointing her finger at him. "I was perfectly safe the entire time I was there. My ability is mine to use and tell people about. My choice. And I don't think he thinks he's a vampire. I think he knows how to make money, and this happens to be what he's good at."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I just don't think you should be going there alone."

"Sam…"

"Fine, but please keep your cell on you and put me or your brother on speed dial."

"Sam…"

"Alright, alright," he said, holding his hands up in surrender as he backed away.

Sookie finished up her work, and when she went into Sam's office to get her purse, he apologized again.

"It's fine, Sam, really," she insisted.

"No, I should have been congratulating you on landing such a big interview. I hope it goes well for you, Sookie. I really do."

"Aww, Sam," Sookie sighed, and threw herself into his arms for a hug. Almost as soon as she touched him his thoughts hit her.

She's so warm. Smells so good. Feels so good. Think I'm falling for her.

She quickly pulled away and threw a mental shield into place. Sam was her boss, and not only did she not feel that way for him, she knew she shouldn't get involved with him. It would never work. Not with anyone.

"Thanks, Sam. I'll see you in a couple days. Dawn's working for me tomorrow night so I can go work a deal out with Eric and Pam."

"Who are Eric and Pam?"

"Eric is 'The Vampire' and Pam is like his second or something. They're making a contract and we're going over it tomorrow."

"Don't be afraid to get a lawyer to look at it. I don't want you getting the short end."

"I won't let that happen."

The next night, Sookie arrived at Fangtasia at the designated time, and was promptly met at the door by Pam, who looked completely different than the last time Sookie saw her. Instead of a black corset, Pam was wearing a pastel sweater and a pair of dress slacks with loafers. Her hair, which had been in a tight bun before, was now down and slightly wavy.

"You look like a different woman, Pam," Sookie said by way of greeting.

"This is how I look when I'm off-duty. It's much more comfortable."

"I'd imagine so," Sookie smiled.

"Come on back, Eric's waiting," Pam said, gesturing for Sookie to go inside first.

Pam led her back to Eric's office, where he was sitting behind his desk. He stood and smiled when he saw Sookie enter.

"Good evening, Sookie," he said, nodding instead of offering his hand.

"Evening," she nodded back, and took a seat in the chair in front of his desk that he gestured to. Pam sat in the chair next to it, and picked up a bunch of papers from the desk.

"Wait, Pam," Eric said, and then looked at Sookie. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to have an off the record conversation with you privately before we go over the contract."

"I don't see why not, but may I ask why you want to?"

"I'd just like to get to know you a bit better before we begin this process."

"Okay then, I'm fine with it."

"Great. Pamela, please leave us. I'll call you when it's time," Eric said. Pam arched a brow at him, which made Sookie wonder if this was unplanned.

Pam got up and left, and then they were alone, and Sookie had no idea what to say. She was alone in a room with a man who had been pretending to be a vampire for the last five years. A man that was known the world over. A man that was insanely gorgeous.

A man whose thoughts she couldn't hear.

"Can I get you a bottle of water?" he asked.

"Yes, please."

She watched as he stood and walked across the room to a tiny refrigerator underneath a microwave. He pulled out a glass bottle of some of the fanciest water she'd ever seen, and brought it to her.

"Thank you, Mr. Northman," she said as she took the cold bottle from him. "What kind of things do you want to know about me?"

"Everything, but I have a feeling you won't be extremely forthcoming," he grinned.

"You're probably right about that," she smiled back. "But what about me? Do I get to find out anything about you?"

"Why don't we see where the conversation takes us?"

"Okay," she agreed, "but I won't answer anything I'm not comfortable with."

"Neither will I."

"Fair enough. Why don't you start?"

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Twenty-five, how old are you?"

"Twenty-eight."

"And how long have you been twenty-eight?" she asked with a giggle, unable to help herself.

"Funny. Do you have any family?"

"I have a brother, Jason."

"No parents?"

"They passed when I was little. My brother and I lived with our grandmother, but she died when I was ten. Jason had just turned eighteen and became my legal guardian."

"I'm sorry you've had so many losses," Eric said with a sad, understanding look on his face.

"It's alright. What about you? Do you have any family?"

"Just Pam. When did you discover you could read minds?"

"Ahh, I was waiting for that," she said, pausing to take a sip of the water. "I've always been able to, for as far back as I can remember. I can't even tell you when I realized I was hearing what other people were thinking. It's just a part of me."

"Have you always been able to use the shields you told me about?"

"Oh no, it used to be horrible. People thought I was crazy because I would plaster on this fake smile so I wouldn't show my reactions to their thoughts," she laughed. "I got to a point where I knew I had to figure out how to control it, so I tried to see if I could mentally block people out. I started small, went to the park where it was just innocent kids' thoughts. Took me about a week to finally accomplish a shield, and it took a lot of energy."

"So it drains you?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Very much. I learned that I was going about blocking the wrong way; making it more complicated than it needed to be. I was too focused on combating the thoughts as they were coming in, and it finally hit me that I should treat my brain like a fortress instead. If I had walls high enough and strong enough, then I wouldn't have to bother fighting the thoughts individually.

"At first, I had to concentrate constantly to keep the walls up, but just like building muscle I worked through the pain and, eventually, I was strong enough to have them up without a second thought. When I get agitated or upset it makes it harder, but for the most part I can function like a normal person now."

"Do you want that? To be normal."

"Kind of. I know I'll never really be normal, and I've accepted that. There's nothing wrong with being different. I just want for people not to think I'm insane."

"So you don't want the husband, the white picket fence, and the three kids?"

"Every girl wants that deep down, but I'll never have it."

"Why not?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

Sookie blushed, and looked away from his eyes, focusing instead on the red stapler on his desk.

"Because I can't be intimate with a man. I get too nervous to keep blocking and all their thoughts come flooding at me. You can't even kiss someone if you know exactly what he's thinking about you," she said, and looked back up at him. "So, I'll never have those things, but that's okay. I accepted that a long time ago."

He stared at her with a look of sadness, desire, and pure, predatory lust, and despite all those things, she could only feel pleased that he wasn't looking at her with pity.

"And if you met a man whose thoughts you couldn't read?"

"I would have to love him, I'm sure," she smiled. "And he would have to be okay with what I can do. But really, I've only met one person I couldn't read, and that's you, and we don't really know if I can't fully read you."

"Maybe I should kiss you and we can find out that way," he said, completely serious, but with the tiniest hint of playfulness.

"Ah, but there's no problem on my end," she laughed. "I let all my walls down and tried to poke around in your brain, but it didn't work. You have quite the fortress of your own, Mr. Northman."

"Please, call me Eric," he grinned.

"Eric," she smiled, happy that he was finally comfortable enough with her to let her speak to him casually.

"It would be a valid test, you know," he pressed. "I'd be willing to bet that you've never been decently kissed. I mean, good and kissed. Maybe it would be so good that my own fortress would fall, and then, even though we wouldn't stand a chance, at least you'll have been kissed well once in your life."

Sookie swallowed. "You seem awfully sure of your kissing abilities, Eric."

"I'm sure of a lot of things, Sookie." His eyes raked over her body, drinking her in.

"Is that arrogance, or confidence?" she asked, enjoying the surprised look on his face.

"Maybe a bit of both."

"Do you take pride in those attributes, or do you ever find them detrimental?"

She watched his eyes come to life and seem to sparkle with the conversation. She wondered if he ever got to have conversations like this, because she certainly never did.

"Only when I wrongly judge someone are they a detriment, but that doesn't happen often. I have to admit though, that they may be a fault when it comes to you, because I did misjudge you."

"But it seems you are humble, or perhaps wise enough to admit your mistake, so now the question is whether or not I can forgive you."

"I should hope that you are a kind enough person that you can forgive an offence if it is admitted, and regretted."

"I believe I am."

"Does that mean I am forgiven?"

"I rather think it does."

They smiled at each other, big, natural smiles, and just as Eric was about to speak again, the door opened.

"You two have been in here almost an hour. We need to go over this contract before we get really busy. They crowd doesn't like it when Eric's not on display," Pam said, staring at Sookie, who still had a grin on her face. Eric's had fallen when Pam walked in.

"Don't you ever get tired of it?" Sookie asked Eric. "Being on display like that? Like a piece of art in a museum."

"No," he said after a moment. "Pam, please begin going over the contract. I'll be right back."

Eric stood and left the room, and Pam pulled a chair close to Sookie's and picked up the paperwork.

"This contract is very basic, and it's pretty much a list of things you cannot ask or reveal," Pam began, but Sookie's mind was still on the wonderful conversation she and Eric had just had. "We've decided to go with the vampire angle, you can start as creatively as you want, perhaps ask him about his day to day life, and he will answer as a vampire. We want him to stay as mysterious as possible, make people even more curious about him. You understand? Sookie?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said with a start. "Yes, I do understand. Would you mind if I read over the contract and just ask if I have questions?"

"Of course not," Pam said, and handed Sookie the papers.

Sookie was halfway through when Eric came back in and sat behind his desk again. He looked calm, controlled, and stoic, a far cry from the man who had just been flirting and verbally sparring with Sookie. She forced herself to pay attention to the contract once more, and as she finished reading it she looked up with a smile.

"This is perfect, really. You've detailed exactly what I'd like to do, and I won't have any problems keeping within the parameters you've set here."

"Wonderful," Eric said, still keeping his stoic demeanor. "Let's all sign and you can be on your way."

Sookie was taken aback by his sudden change of mood with her, and frowned as she signed her name to the contract. Eric signed next, and then Pam as a witness.

"Miss Stackhouse, thank you for coming tonight," Eric said, standing up from his chair. Sookie didn't miss that he called her Miss Stackhouse instead of Sookie. "Pam will be in contact with you regarding a date for the first part of the interview. I must go now."

With that, he walked out of the office, leaving an even more confused Sookie, and Pam with a hint of worry on her face. She wiped that emotion away quickly, and escorted Sookie from the building.

"What's with him?" Sookie asked as they stepped outside. "He was so different while we were talking alone."

Pam was quiet for a moment, studying Sookie, almost as though she was appraising her.

"He's not used to it. You're different, Sookie. You're like him in many ways, but you're still using him, just like all the rest. It may be for different reasons, but it's still the truth."

Pam turned quickly on her four-inch heels and strode back into the bar, leaving Sookie standing by her car. She was unsure why what Pam had just said to her stung so much. Since she couldn't do anything about it at that moment, she got in her car, and drove home.