Chapter One: Sweet Young Thing

"All things truly wicked start from innocence."

― Ernest Hemingway

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed the prologue to this story. I appreciate each and every one of you for reading and giving feedback. I have decided to continue with this story because I have some very interesting ideas on where to take this and it seems that there is some interest for it which I thank you so much for. For those skeptical on how this could ever work out, or is this just going to be dark and crazy…well I do like dark but I am a romantic at heart and this story will be very multi-faceted. So, enough babble, thank you so much everyone for reading, onto the next!

Three Years, One Month and Four Days Earlier

Eric's POV:

She had been dancing in my club for the past hour and for that hour I had not taken my eyes off of her once. I watched as she has moved across the dance floor, sauntering her hips and biting her full bottom lip whenever she caught the eye of a man admiring her as if she were too naive to realize what her body was doing to him. I watched as she ran her hands over her skin and giggled at the sensation of her own touch mixed with that of the five beers she had drank and I cannot lie, I could have watched her all night.

When she first arrived at Fangtasia shortly after midnight, she seemed slightly on edge and uneasy about being in a place such as this, but as I watched her now I realized that feeling must have passed. She now moved around the dance floor light on her feet, laughing with the woman that she arrived with and entrancing nearly every vampire that had come near her. She was so hypnotic even I could not look away.

"How long do you plan on watching her before you send me after her?" Pam questioned from beside me in her usual sarcastic drawl.

"After whom?" I asked casually as I kept my eyes on the woman that had began dancing with a brunette that I recognized as one of my regular human patron's.

"Don't play with me, Eric. You know exactly who I am talking about. That pretty little blonde with those innocent eyes and luscious lips." Pam whispered as she moved closer to my ear. I rolled my eyes at my child as I raised my hand to my temple and scanned the woman on the dance floor once again. Those innocent eyes and luscious lips did not even begin to describe what I had been watching move only a short distance away from my reach.

"She came with the brunette only?" I asked of Pam as I kept my eyes ahead of me.

"Yes. Apparently, it is that little sweetheart's twenty-first birthday and her friend thought that bringing her here would help her let loose and have a fantastic time." Pam mocked with a laugh. I smiled slightly at the information I had been given. So young….

"Have you ever seen her here before with anyone else?" I asked as I ran my eyes over the tanned flesh that the woman's short white sundress revealed and could not help but lick my lips. She looked so delicious.

"If you are asking me if she belongs to anyone, the answer is no. I had to listen to five minutes of how excited she was to be in a vampire bar for the first time, and how she was raised to believe that all God's creatures are good, not just the livin' ones." Pam mimicked in a thick southern accent as she impersonated the woman in question. I laughed to myself…First time in a vampire bar, perfect.

"Bring her to me." I finally ordered as I heard Pam laugh before she moved from my side and began to descend down the few steps that led from my seating area to the dance floor.

"I thought you'd never ask." She drawled sweetly as she pushed a handful of her blonde streaked hair over her thin shoulder and then disappeared into the crowd.

It took longer than I expected for my progeny to return to me with the woman that I had summoned. From what I could gather from where I sat, the birthday girl was having far too much fun dancing with her friend to meet the owner of the club she was dancing in. It wasn't until she received some encouragement from her friend that she finally turned and followed Pam back to me as asked. I had assumed that Pam would simply glamour her if she were being difficult, but for some reason she did not. I would have to speak with her about that later as I am not a patient man.

"Have I done something wrong?" The woman asked as she made her way in front of me and tried to catch her breath. I looked up at her from my chair as she breathed and cocked my head to the side as I studied her.

"Now, why would you think that?" I asked in a concerned tone as I tried not to stare at the tantalizing sight of her pulse jumping under her delicate skin nearly hypnotizing me.

"Umm…I just figured since the owner of the club wanted to see me that I must be in some sort of trouble. If I did something wrong, I do apologize sir." She said sweetly as she ran one of her hands through her long blonde hair, sweeping it out of her face and over her shoulder.

"May I ask your name?" I questioned as I watched a bead of sweat run down the sun kissed skin just between her full breasts. I swallowed as I caught the sweet scent coming off her body that made me want to suck the sweat off of her smooth untouched flesh.

"My name is Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse." She said in a bubbly voice as she reached out her hand to me. I did not meet her hand with mine. I do not bow to human traditions as I am no longer human.

"Well, Sookie aren't you sweet?" I whispered as I ran my eyes over her once again, taking in every inch of flesh that was not covered by her dress. Her skin looked so soft, so supple and appetizing. I wanted to run my fangs over every inch of it.

"Well, thank you Mr…?" She questioned as she began to shift her weight from one foot to the other, and look anywhere but in my eyes. She was nervous…I fucking loved nervous.

"Northman, Eric Northman." I said and ran my index finger over my bottom lip as I watched her move. Something about her called to me, but I couldn't place what.

"Well Mr. Northman, it sure was kind of you to introduce yourself to me as I am sure you are a very busy man, but if it's all the same, I would really like to get back to dancing with my friend." She said quickly and blushed lightly as her eyes dropped to my mouth just before her heart sped up once again. Fuck me…

"I am not quite finished with you yet, my dear Sookie. Why don't you have a seat and we can get to know one another." I said as I kept my eyes locked on hers and my finger resting just on the side of my mouth. She let out a ragged breath, this was just too easy.

Sookie's POV:

I didn't know who this Mr. Vampire Eric thought he was, but I was starting to get really sick of being sweet to him. It was my twenty-first birthday and all I had wanted to do was dance. Actually, all I really had wanted to do was spend time at home eating ice cream and watching TV, but it seemed that my kind of sort of friend Dawn had planned something else entirely.

I had known Dawn since we were kids, but this had been the first time in my entire life that I had done anything with her outside of work or school. She and I were just very different people and I was not exactly as socially…active… as she was. I had only agreed to come here tonight with Dawn because it seemed to mean so much to her. She had said she wanted me to enjoy my birthday and since she was trying to get back in my brother's good graces, I figured it couldn't hurt to come out for a bit. It was actually kind of exciting being in a vamp bar for the first time. Before tonight I hadn't really even ever met anyone that I was sure was a real vampire, so it was kind of exhilarating to be there with them.

Now, I'm not going to lie, most people don't think meeting vampire's is nearly as exciting as I do. Most people are either scared of them and think that they are evil or are spellbound by them and want to do nothing but screw them. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle because they seem pretty natural to me. I mean vampires were once human just like us, and it's not their fault this happened to them. Ever since they came out of the coffin they have been doing a real nice job of fitting in with our society and being kind to us, even when some of us don't exactly return the favor to them. Now, all of that being said I am still not really the kind of girl that would come to a bar like this without being coaxed. Dawn, however, is exactly one of those kind of girls.

Everyone in town knows that Dawn and a few other girl's come out to Shreveport every weekend to "dance" with the vampire's. Those girls just also happen to always come back home on Sunday looking awfully pale and wearing a whole bunch of makeup in places you don't usually wear makeup. Now, I am not judging them and I think it's just fine that this is their sort of scene, but it's just usually not mine.

"So Sookie, what brings you out to Fangtasia this evening?" The vampire in front of me asked as I sat down in the chair to his left. I smiled as I tried not to laugh at the name of the club and insult him, but come on, who names a bar that?

"Um, it's my birthday. I just turned twenty-one." I told him as I met his aqua eyes. His eyes truly were beautiful, I couldn't lie about that. The soft blue of them seemed to draw me in like they had their own gravity and held me to him whether I wanted them to or not. It took my every strength to look away, but I did.

"Ah, twenty-one. Such a tender age. I hope that you have been enjoying yourself then this evening." He said with a smile as his eyes roamed over me once again. I did not care for how he looked at me. Something in the way his stare moved over my body made me nervous. All my muscles tensed and my heart began to jump faster in my chest.

"Thank you and yes I am. I am quite thirsty though, would you mind horribly if I went and got myself a drink?" I asked trying to find a way out of this creepy conversation with a complete stranger that looked at me like I was his next meal.

"You do not enjoy my company, Miss Stackhouse?" He asked me with a smile as he tilted his head to the side, letting his shoulder length blonde hair fall away from his neck exposing his perfect ivory skin. I licked my lips as I felt my mouth water and I quickly dropped my eyes to the floor. What was wrong with me?

"It's not that and I apologize if I offended you. I just…I would like to get back to my friend." I said quietly. I heard him laugh low in his throat and I looked up just as he leaned slightly closer to me and felt myself begin to hold my breath. The proximity of his face to mine was unnerving to say the least. I felt my hands begin to grow slick with sweat as goose bumps broke out over my skin. Something about the way he looked at me scared me in a way that felt very unfamiliar.

"Do I make you feel uneasy, Sookie?" He whispered against my skin. I tried to swallow, but a lump had formed in my throat that prevented me from doing so. I shook my head as my heart seemed to drop so low that it made me feel light sensations in my lower stomach.

"No, I just need a drink." I whispered as I felt the air being sucked out of the room. He stared at me for a moment and seemed suddenly confused or surprised about something that I must have missed. He quickly leaned back in his chair and whispered something in another language to the woman that had retrieved me from the dance floor, who had been standing beside him in silence during our entire conversation. She nodded her head at him as if taking an order and whispered a response back to him quickly before she smiled half-heartedly at me.

"Alright, let's get you that drink birthday girl." She said in a long drawl as she out stretched her hand to me. I reluctantly took it, but kept my eyes on the vampire that still watched me from his chair.

"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Northman." I said softly before I felt myself being led back to the dance floor by the female vampire.

"You will come again, Sookie Stackhouse." He said casually, and it was far from a question.

By the time I had got my drink and shared a few awkward moments with the female vampire that I was guessing was definitely not Eric Northman's girlfriend, the club was beginning to close. I looked everywhere for Dawn, but it seemed as if she had disappeared with one of the vampire's she had been rubbing against all night. I let out a sigh as I moved out into the darkened parking lot and tried to figure out my next move without looking as afraid as I was beginning to feel.

"Damnit Dawn." I said under my breath as I looked around for Dawn's beat up Jeep, but found it nowhere in sight. This was just great, I was alone in a dark parking lot of a vampire club. Sounds perfectly safe to me.

"Well hello there, sweet heart." I heard a man's voice say from behind me in a sickening tone that made my stomach knot immediately. I took in a deep breath and slowly turned around to find one of the vampire's that had been attempting to dance with me half the night, standing about two feet in front of me.

"Can I help you?" I asked trying to sound annoyed rather than scared. He smiled a twisted grin and moved slightly closer to me. Yep, I was scared.

"Yes, you definitely can. Seems to me you are all alone out here and in need of an escort. I would be happy to oblige." He said in a thick southern accent that I was pretty sure was fake. I shook my head quickly as I took a step back.

"Nope, I am good. I'm just waiting for my friend to come out of the bathroom and then we're gonna get going. Thanks for the offer though." I lied quickly with a smile as I turned and started walking the other way as quickly as my legs could manage. It didn't take but a second before the man was in front of me once again. I gasped as he stopped me in my tracks.

"Don't be scared honey." He said as he moved forward, backing me up closer to the club. I swallowed as I felt my body begin to shake.

"Please, I just want to go home." I whispered as I continued to move backward. He laughed and in a flash he had me up against the side of the brick building and his fangs eagerly in place.

"This will only hurt a little." He said with a smile as he turned his head and then dropped quickly toward my throat. I wanted to scream, but before I could I heard the scream of someone else as I felt a pressure released off of my body. I opened my eyes, which had been clamped shut in fear, and noticed that the vampire was no longer in front of me. I turned my head only to find his body lying on the pavement next to a fancy town car and him moaning in pain. I saw a blur of movement from some other creature speaking so fast that I could not understand as I pushed myself away from the building.

"I apologize Sheriff. It will never happen again." He said with fear lacing his voice. I turned my head and looked around. When did the police get here?

"Go or this will be reported to the authorities and your punishment will be severe." I heard a familiar voice say, but as I turned around to see who it was, the parking lot was empty once again. I let out a sigh of relief as I took a few steps away from the building wall, but then nearly jumped out of my skin as I felt a cool hand on my shoulder.

"Jesus Christ!" I screamed as I turned around to see the blonde vampire that had interrogated me earlier standing in front of me. I suddenly felt incredibly small as I stared up at him. He must have been six foot five at least and had broad shoulders that made him look even more powerful than he had inside the club. I cleared my throat as I looked at him and tried to regain my composure.

"I am sorry I frightened you. Are you alright?" He asked me in a genuinely concerned voice as he scanned me for injuries. I nodded my head and let out another breath.

"Yes I am…" I started, but just as I spoke the vampire caught my hair in his hand and threw it over my shoulder. He looked at my throat with a dazed look in his eyes that lead me to believe that I must be bleeding. I quickly moved my hair back over my shoulder in fear that he had only saved me so that he could kill me himself.

"You are hurt." He whispered in a strained voice as he continued to stare at me. I shook my head and faked a smile.

"I am fine, really. He just nicked me. Thank you for your help, I really should be getting home." I stuttered quickly as I tried to move forward, but the vampire did not budge.

"You smell…different…" He muttered as a confused look came over his face and he licked his lips. I felt my body begin to shake as I saw the hunger in his eyes.

"Umm…thank you?" I said in almost a question. He smiled and shook his head slightly as to wake himself from a dream and then took a few steps back recomposing himself to his cool demeanor.

"I apologize for this. We do not permit feeding on humans in my club, and I assure you that he will be dealt with. What happened to your friend you were so eager to get back to?" He asked as he took another step back, but I noticed that his eyes still drifted to my throat as he spoke.

"She apparently left with someone, but it's alright. I am just going to call a cab and so I can get home. It's getting pretty late." I said as I reached down to my purse to search for my phone.

"One of my driver's will escort you home. I would like to know that you have returned home safely, and since it is so close to dawn I unfortunately cannot take care of you personally." He said as he nodded toward the main entrance to the club. I followed him reluctantly.

"You really don't have to do that." I muttered, but I didn't fight too hard since I really just wanted to get the hell out of there. The vampire smiled as he opened the door and nodded to someone inside that I presumed to be his driver.

"It is my pleasure, Miss Stackhouse. I do hope that I will see you at Fangtasia again very soon." He said as a man dressed in black walked out of the club and toward a black town car parked just to the left of where we stood.

"I guess we will see." I said softly. He nodded with a smile.

"Indeed we will."

Alright, so there is Chapter One! They have met and so it has begun! What does everyone think? I know there wasn't too much action in this chapter, but I have to set the scene for big things to come. Please let me know what you think and thank you to each and every one of you for your reviews and for reading this story. I appreciate your time. Please read and review, it means a lot to me. Take care!