Spoilers: 5x01 but also veers off from what happened in the episode.

A/N - I've been intrigued by the thought of dark!Sookie for a long time now (as you can probably tell if you read Quid Pro Quo), and wanted to explore the idea in the TB universe which was presented in the premiere (which I LOVED, btw). I don't know, let's see where this goes.

Now...

Sookie was in the middle of locking up the bar when she sensed someone behind her. Considering this place was in the middle of nowhere, running into a vampire here was a rarity. Especially as many of them had stopped mainstreaming altogether after Russell Edgington's shenanigans on national television and the mass hysteria that followed afterwards.

She turned around and took in the slim, lithe figure standing a few feet away. The vampire had classically beautiful features, the dark silky strands of her hair falling below her shoulders. While Sookie had never met her before, something about the woman seemed strangely familiar.

Every instinct in Sookie screamed this was no ordinary vampire. She was old and powerful, and if her focused gaze was any indication, she had come here specifically for Sookie.

"Sookie Stackhouse. At long last," the vampire said in an English accent.

Sookie pondered her next move. Although she wasn't worried about her own safety, she was irritated about having her life disrupted. "You have the wrong girl. My name's Lainey."

It still surprised her how easily that lie rolled off her tongue. When she had left Bon Temps five year ago, she worried the name on her fake ID, Lainey Turner, would never be something she'd grow accustomed to. She'd been wrong.

"Let's not play games, Ms. Stackhouse."

The charade was up. Maybe it was for the best; the sooner Sookie found out what the vampire wanted, the quicker she could skip town. If one vampire had managed to track her down, it was only a matter of time before others followed. Fortunately for her, taking off in the middle of the night had become a routine.

"I know exactly who, and what, you are," the vampire continued.

"Doesn't seem fair you know everything about me and I don't even know your name."

"Nora Gainsborough."

"What is it that you want, Nora?"

"I was told you would be blonde."

"Hope you're not too disappointed."

Nora's gaze languidly travelled down the length of Sookie's body, consuming her with an intensity that was disturbingly familiar before returning to her face. "Not at all."

Sensing Nora's hunger and desire, Sookie crossed her arms. She knew the gesture would draw the vamp's attention to her breasts and exacerbate the emotions Nora was already feeling. Soon Nora would be thinking with her proverbial dick, and not with her brain, and that's when she would be easiest to kill.

With a subtle flair to her hips, Sookie strolled past Nora. Once behind the bar, Sookie popped open a bottle of beer and took a sip. "I would offer you True Blood but we don't have any."

"I wouldn't drink it anyway."

"Not a fan of mainstreaming?"

"I prefer my food to be..." A flirtatious smile formed across Nora's face. "Organic."

The woman was definitely beautiful, there was no denying that. Sookie returned the smile, keeping her gaze fixated on the vampire as she took another sip. "It'll be dawn soon. Why don't you tell me what you want?"

Nora sauntered forward, standing directly in front of the bar. In turn Sookie leaned on the counter between them, closing the distance that remained.

"May I call you Sookie?"

"Only if you stop stalling and tell me why you're here."

"I have a proposition for you."

"Not interested."

Nora didn't seem surprised by the rejection and reached out to tuck a loose curl behind Sookie's ear, her fingers lingering on Sookie's skin. "You don't know what I'm offering."

"Oh, but I do. Saying yes to you means signing my own death warrant."

For the first time, Nora's eyes glowed with menace. Instinctively Sookie knew the vampire was capable of incredible viciousness - which made what she was about to do much easier. Angling closer, Sookie brushed her lips against Nora's.

"Eric needs your help," Nora murmured.

Instantly, Sookie's inner focus crumbled.

8

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8

Then...

Sookie's whole life fell apart after Tara died.

Tara never woke as a vampire, her body still a cold, maligned human corpse even after Pam attempted to turn her, and that's when it finally dawned on Sookie that her best friend was truly gone.

While she cried endlessly for days and couldn't even get out of bed, Lafayette reacted in the opposite manner. He grew quiet, withdrawn, distancing himself from everyone including her. When she worried he was overmedicating and tried to read his thoughts, he told her to butt out of his mind.

A week after the funeral, Lafayette dropped off a set of books and insisted she start learning the chants and spells if she had any hope in hell of surviving Russell Edgington. As he bitterly reminded her, she was all alone in this fight and there weren't going to be any vampires to rescue her any more.

The next day Sookie found him submerged in his own blood in the bathtub, his wrists slit, his body pale and lifeless. This time, however, she shed no tears. She simply pulled him out and held him gently until Jason stopped by a day later and pried her away from Lafayette.

8

8

8

Now...

Sookie pulled away from Nora, reminding herself not to lose it as all the memories and feelings she'd kept buried came rushing back. "Eric? How the hell did he find me?"

"You can't be that gullible. He's always known where you were."

Sookie's eyes narrowed on Nora, and it dawned on her why the vampire seemed so familiar. Thanks to the blood bond she had stupidly formed with Eric when he was cursed, she could sense his every emotion - including when he was aroused. Every time he fucked someone, like the vampire in front of her, Sookie had felt it.

Over the years she'd learned to block him and his feelings, but the idea he was still privy to hers left her disgusted. Frankly, she refused to believe the link still existed. "I think you're lying."

"Are we really going to waste time discussing this?"

Sookie granted the woman an insincere smile. "Yes."

"He's in trouble. I wouldn't be here if he wasn't."

"What makes you think I give a damn?"

"You were his once."

A bitter laugh escaped Sookie's lips. "No, I was never his."

"Does it really make a difference? He needs you now."

"I don't care."

"I hope you realise I'm merely being polite when I asked. You really don't have a choice in the matter."

"See, that's where you're wrong. Because I definitely do."

"Is that what you think?"

"The only reason you're still standing in front of me is because I chose not to kill you when you walked in here. And the only reason we're still having this conversation is because I'm waiting to see how long it takes before Eric finally shows up."

Almost instantly, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

He was here.

It had been five years since he'd abandoned her. Fortunately, she only felt numb as she turned around to face him. As expected, he hadn't aged at all.

"I liked you better as a blonde," he said dryly, his gaze roving over her entire form.

"I liked you better when you were cursed."

"Guess we're even then." He swaggered towards her, cocky as he'd always been.

"No, not even close." She held up her hands. Lightning erupted from her fingers, striking him with such force that he was thrown back against the wall.

A/N - Like I said, let's see where this goes. I just want to explore a dark!Sookie.