So this is a re-write of a fanfiction I uploaded ages ago, one I never finished.

It starts from Mid-Season 1, and though some events will occur as they do on TB, there's going to be a lot of differences due to the addition of an original character, especially in the way of ships. It also starts with the OC in question being in a relationship with another canon character, but don't worry, this is an Eric Fanfic at heart. Please just read it with an open mind.

Anyway, I'm going to stop talking now. I hope you guys enjoy!

Louisa Murphey didn't hate her home town as many girls her age did. She rather enjoyed the quiet life, the promise of simplicity. There was no clichéd dreams of moving to the big city with her. She was perfectly content with things exactly the way they were. Bon Temps to her was kind of perfect in it's own dysfunctional way.

However, the people could leave a lot to be desired for.

"Lou, will you get your ass out here?" Sam Merlotte called from the front of the bar, earning a low groan from the girl in question. She'd been sat on the cold counter tops in the kitchen, legs folded and with a dinner plate in her lap.

"It's my break!" She shouted back in a less than composed manner, having no intention of cutting her time short for the sake of a few drunkards who needed serving. Tomorrow was the night of Arlene and Rene's engagement party, meaning the poor girl had been reeled into working all day. Therefore she didn't think it was too much to ask to eat her dinner in peace just once.

"Well, we need you out here!" Sam replied, and Lou could easily imagine the scowl that was now gracing his features. She'd been working in the bar and grill since she was seventeen. The pay was bad and her boss was grumpy as hell, but it was nice in a way. Besides, her co-workers made the time there bearable.

"He ain't gonna stop hollerin'." Lafayette warned from the cooker, he being one of the favoured cooks in question. Lou practically grunted in turn, shoving a few more fries in her mouth before she discarded her half eaten dinner to the side. As she jumped to her feet, she gestured between Laf and the plate.

"No one touches that, y'hear?" She warned with an almost playful smile.

"Baby girl, I'll protect it with my life." He chuckled, crossing his heart as he did. Before skipping back through to the bar she leant over and placed a kiss on his cheek, her subtle thanks for the free food. After wrapping her apron back around her waist she headed out.

Merlotte's was busy every night, and this particular Friday was no exception. The buzz of people rang in her ears and brought a small smile to her lips. The majority of the locals were assholes, that was undeniable, but they were her people. Plus if she smiled they tipped better.

"Thank you." Sam sighed as she wandered over to the bar, smiling just slightly as he did.

"You're a tyrant." Lou replied with a raised brow, but she couldn't stop the chuckle that followed. Once her waves of dark hair had been pulled back she went about her business, serving almost everyone by herself as Tara sat staring at her nails. It seemed the girl never did anything other than sit around looking pretty, but thankfully it wasn't long before Sookie finally walked in.

"And where the hell have you been?" Lou demanded before Sam had chance too. The blonde looked tired, more so than usual, but that was nothing new as of late. With the company she kept it was easy to see why she wouldn't get much sleep.

"I'm sorry, real sorry, I just had to sort some stuff out with Bill first." Sook replied as she grabbed an apron from the rack. The two girls had been near inseparable since they were kids, always laughing and joking and whispering in each others ears. Sookie was just that kind of that person, the girl with whom you could entrust everything. Hell, Lou even made an effort to be nice to Tara for her.

Things had been a little strained as of late though. Since Bill Compton walked into her life it seemed Miss Stackhouse didn't have much time for anyone else, a fact that left a bitter taste in Lou's mouth. Don't misunderstand, she'd never had any qualms with Vampires. They'd not hurt her so what reason did she have to hate them? If Bill was human she'd dislike him just as much, though it was arguable things wouldn't be anywhere near as complicated if he were.

She just wasn't fond of all the trouble he'd brought into the her friends life.

"It's fine, Sook." Lou lied with a small smile, walking over to tie her up at the back. "I'm here if you need to talk, y'know?" She asked as she pulled the chords tight, before taking a small step back. The offer was always there, but she knew it was futile. Sookie never talked about what was going off between them. It was like the guy had made her take a vow of secrecy.

Just as she was about to reply, a familiar figure caught Lou's attention from the corner of her eye, making her turn with a smile that was reserved solely for moments like this. Any thoughts for the girl in front of her soon escaped and turned to him.

Jason Stackhouse. Asshole, womanizer, and the man who was in complete possession of Louisa's heart. Their's was a turbulent relationship, one that began when she turned fifteen and blossomed into womanhood, meaning young Jason finally paid notice to her. It was a whirlwind romance, one spent under the stars of summer nights and wrapped in tender embraces, but like all things that beautiful it couldn't last. If he wasn't off drinking with his jock friends, then he was in the bed of another woman whenever Lou wasn't there.

All the signs were clear that she should leave him, wash her hands of the boy who thought so little about destroying her time and time again, and in the past she had. Yet a few weeks after every break up they found themselves back together, right back in each others arms where they thought they belonged. So with a grin she ran over, his arms opening wide, ready to hold her as a smile pulled at his lips to match hers. Lou's body was wrapped around his in an instant, legs hitched onto either side of his waist and hands locked behind his neck.

"Fuck me, I missed you." Jason said in an instant, his fingers threading into the back of her hair to pull her lips down to his in a kiss. Lou chuckled as she returned the gesture, her mouth lingering for a few moments more before she pulled back again.

"I missed you." She replied brightly. If you were looking on as the two embraced you'd think that they'd been separated weeks, months even, when it fact it had been three days since the young lovers had last seen each other. Jason had been working a job with Hoyt in Shreveport, some construction work that had snatched them up last minute. Lou didn't exactly know the details, but she found it best not to ask.

"Do you guys mind?" Sam called from the bar, obviously not a fan of his staff jumping on his patrons whilst they're on shift. With a roll of her eyes Lou unwrapped herself, but remained toe to toe with the man in front of her, who didn't miss the opportunity to steal another kiss.

"And Louisa, I need a word." Her boss added loudly as Jason pulled her closer. Outright groaning against his lips now, and hardly in the way he might have wanted, Lou pulled away to look into his dark eyes.

"I'll be right back, okay?" She asked, earning herself a small smile, the kind that still made her stomach flutter. After pecking her mouth to his once more she marched over to Sam with a sort of venom in her glare that the small brunette was rarely capable of.

"This better be good Merlotte or I swear to god-"

"How'd you feel about getting a pay raise for tonight?" He interjected, which most certainly got her attention. Everyone knew she was in need of the money, what with her plans to finally move out of her Father's house.

"... Keep talking." She eventually said as she leant forward onto the bar.

"Well, y'see the thing is the law says we have to have at least so much Tru Blood on the premises, what with this being a licensed restaurant, and we gave our last bottle to Compton a few nights back..." He trailed on, seemingly reluctant to get to the point. When Lou failed to fill in the rest herself he continued.

"The shops are gonna all be closed now and we got an inspection in the morning 'cause of Arlene and Rene's party, and I need someone to go to Shreveport to pick some up." Lou nodded as he spoke, seeing no problem with heading out and grabbing a load.

"Yeah, yeah sure I'll go get it for you." She said with a smile, almost tempted to tell him to keep the pay rise. It really wasn't needed for such a small job. "Where am I grabbing it from?"

"Fangtasia." He said, eyes dropping from hers as he did. Suddenly it seemed a lot more clearer why he was prepared to offer her money. Louisa bit her lip for a moment before the laugh escaped, an outright cackle at his proposition vibrating around them.

"Y'think I got a death wish?" She demanded with wide eyes. That seemed the only logical reason why anyone would wander into that place. "Thanks Sam, but I don't intend on getting fucked against a bathroom wall by some Vampire or having my throat ripped out, so I'll pass." As she turned to walk off, he followed her.

"I'm desperate here, Lou! I'll give you fifty for it."

"Wow Sam, no need to push the expenses, I mean christ! We wouldn't want you going bankrupt!" She mocked, going to rejoin Jason who'd since taken up a seat in one of the booths, or at least she planned to until Sam's hand gently took hold of her wrist to pull her back over.

"A hundred! I'll give you a hundred dollars to just go and pick up one little box of Tru Blood." He said in a pleading tone.

"Get Sook to go." Lou said as though that would be the obvious choice, gently pulling her wrist back as she did.

"You don't think I already asked her? She said that something's going off with Bill and the guy that runs the place, that it'd be stupid of her to go. Just- please, Louisa." His voice was tipped with a little bit of frustration now, like he couldn't quite believe she was refusing so venomously. It was no secret that Lou was in need of money, especially if she was to ever find a house of her own, and the more she thought of this the more tempting the offer sounded.

"You'll pay me a hundred and fifty." She said, more to push her luck than to inadvertently accept his offer, though that seemed to be how he took it. Smiling brightly, Sam clapped her shoulder.

"Yeah, of course I will. It'll be ready and waiting for you the second you get back." He promised, but before she had anymore chance to protest he turned and headed back over to the bar.

It looked as though she was going to Fangtasia tonight, whether she wanted to or not.

"This is so fucking stupid." Louisa murmured as she sat watching the people file into the small bar. Each wore more latex than the last, all of them seeming to think that gothic was the way forward. It almost made her chuckle, thinking of these people in comparison to the only Vampire she'd ever known, that being Bill. If all Vampires dressed like that the world would be a far weirder place.

She'd left Merlotte's near enough as soon as her and Sam had stopped talking. At first she was going to tell Jason where she was going, but it seemed wise in the end to just tell him when the job was done. If he'd have known where she was heading he might have wanted to come with her, and that was a risk she wasn't willing to take. He was the kind of boy who succumbed easily to the kind of temptation hidden behind those walls. She was stronger than him in that respect. She'd go in, grab the box of Tru Blood, and then make her polite exit.

Really when she looked at it like that there was no need to be scared at all. It was going to be fine, and that was what she kept telling herself as she climbed out of her busted up old Ford and marched towards the front door. Clad in her work uniform, she stuck out like a sore thumb from the word go.

"And who might you be?" The sultry voice asked, coming from a woman who was working the door. She was mature but nevertheless beautiful, with long golden hair and doll like baby-blue eyes. The floor length leather dress she wore however somewhat detracted from her innocent features.

"I'm a waitress from Merlotte's," Lou began. "I'm here for the Tru Blood. My boss rang up to check it was okay that I come pick some up-?"

The woman let her eyes drag across Louisa's body, an act that made her feel more than uncomfortable, but once they landed back on her face again a small smile pulled at the womans lips and she nodded. "Well then, go right on in."

Louisa's senses were bombarded the moment she wandered inside. The dark lighting made the bodies blend into one mass of writhing leather on the dance floor, that along with the heavy rock that played in the background and the slight tinge of iron that hung in the air made her feel cold. The quicker she got out of there, the better.

"Hey!" Louisa shouted to attract the barmaids attention. She was a meek little thing, not half as pretty as the blonde on the door, and she wore too much make-up.

"I'm here for the Tru Blood!" She couldn't hear the response that came over the music, but from how she scurried off into the back somewhere Lou could only hope she'd gone to grab the drinks.

Turning back to rake her eyes over the bar once more, she could see the basic appeal of it all. This acted a place in which people could carry out their most animalistic desires and not be judged. Just because it wasn't her scene didn't mean she was going to condemn those who thrived here. With her eyes on the crowd and the thud of music in her ears, she found herself swaying just slightly to the rhythm of the club.

It wasn't until she sensed eyes lingering on her that she pulled her attention away from the bodies on the dance floor, looking up to meet the cold blue stare that would come to haunt her.

There he sat, upon a make-shift throne fit for a make-shift King, over seeing everything that happened beneath him, but he had eyes only for her. He was tall even when seated, visibly lean even through his shirt, and with hair even blonder than Sookie's. For reasons unknown, Lou felt compelled to keep his gaze, something which no doubt prompted him to stand and move towards her in a blur of colour, being less than a few steps away from the girl in under second. She always did hate it when they did that speed thing.

Staring up at him, this figure that towered over her, she was left speechless. With no clue as to what he wanted, she wasn't sure what would be the right thing to say.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice low and only adding to his intimidating demeanour. She swallowed hard before righting herself, standing straight and sporting the very slightest of smiles.

"I'm a waitress, from Merlotte's in Bon Temps." She answered with a small nod.

"That isn't who you are, that's your job. If I wanted to know that I'd have asked." He said, taking steps forward and all but trapping her against the bar. Up until then Lou didn't mind his presence, but now she was beginning to feel gradually more uncomfortable. From his tone to his body language, everything about him read danger, and Lou just wanted to run.

When she failed to answer in less than a few seconds, he tilted his head to the side as though he was analysing her.

"You look familiar. Have we met?" He mumbled.

"Highly doubtful." She said a little too quickly, her voice carrying an edge of aggravation, or perhaps that was panic. At that point she couldn't define between the two.

"And why's that?" He leant forward further, a smirk twitching at his lips.

"Because I don't tend to associate myself with people who have very little consideration for personal space." As she spoke, Lou's hand came up to his chest as though to push him back, but of course he didn't move an inch. Fucking Vampires, she cursed internally, eyes narrowing as she did.

The act made him chuckle, his hand coming up to meet hers before he pulled her arm up a little too violently, bringing her wrist close to his lips as he did. Heart rate quickening and eyes going wide, Lou hoped someone might intervene, might stop him from doing whatever it was he was about to do, but before anyone might, he simply leant forward and breathed in her scent right from the pulse point.

"You're an odd little thing." He said with a smirk still in place, basking in the smell of her blood as he did. The first chance she had Lou ripped her hand back down, the other rubbing it as though he had actually taken a bite. However, it didn't escape her notice that if he had wanted to he could have kept her hand there, and sunk his teeth into her flesh. The fact that he had not didn't make her any more comfortable.

"And you're just an asshole." She hissed without thinking. That was one of Lou's major flaws, not taking a moment to contemplate the consequences before she ran her mouth off. From how his expression sobered automatically, she guessed it was an unwise response.

"Why might that be? Because I'm not afraid to touch you?" He asked, grabbing both her wrists this time, holding them tightly by her sides. "Because I test what little boundaries you humans abide by?"

"Get your fucking hands off me." Lou demanded through gritted teeth, trying desperately to squirm out of his touch but to no prevail. Every time she moved his grip tightened until she could eventually feel her pulse pressing against his hold. No one around them so much as batted an eyelid. Apparently this sort of behaviour was normal for the regulars of Fangtasia.

"You've got a bit of bite about you. I like that." He said in a tone that wasn't quite mocking, but not entirely serious either.

"Oh yeah? Well lets see how much you like it when my bite rips your throat out." She said with an almost chuckle, one fuelled by adrenaline and fear. Lou was scared, terrified even. That much was obvious, but whenever a fight or flight situation presented itself to her, she always considered the latter to be the cowards way out.

"Just stop it." She eventually murmured as the aching in her hands became near unbearable. His expression remained cold and indifferent, but there was the slightest glimmer of something in his eyes as her pleading tone broke through. "Please."

And all at once, he let her go.

They stood there in silence, staring at each other with differing levels of emotion. There was Lou who seemed to be seething, her breaths laboured and body trembling, and then the blonde stranger who was entirely composed, not at all phased by what had just happened. It was only when the barmaid reappeared with Lou's order of Tru Blood that she dragged her eyes away, turning back to slam her money down on the bar and grab the box. Without so much as another word, she pushed her way past the bodies blocking her way and marched through the open door into the world outside. She certainly hadn't anticipated being followed.

"You never did tell me your name." The stranger said who was now walking by her side, the same smirk in place that had graced his lips when he spotted her across the room.

"And I don't intend to." Lou scoffed in reply, stopping as she finally reached her car. Upon going to pop the trunk a large, pale hand came down to keep it closed. His hand. Realising he wasn't about to walk away, she finally looked up to meet his cold stare again.

"Your name." He said, not as a question but a demand. Stubborn as ever, Lou just raised her eyebrows.

"Yours first." She retorted, a response that made him outright grin. It pained her to admit it, but the sight of his smile sent a shiver down her spine that wasn't entirely unpleasant. Thankfully all she had to do was remind herself of how she felt back in the bar and any pleasant feelings regarding the man in front of her disappeared.

"Eric." He said with the same small smirk. "Eric Northman... And now you." Of course she recognised the name. It was idiotic of her to have not made the connection before, what with Sookie rambling on about him so often. Everything she had said was true of course. He was as detestable as she painted him to be.

"My name's Lou, now get your hand off my car." He did so straight away, something which surprised her. His level of compliance was about as bipolar as his temper. She popped the trunk this time, dropping the bottles inside before she walked over to the drivers side of the car.

"Lou's an odd name." He said, digging for more as he ran to lean against her door, thereby blocking her from getting inside. Now being a thousand percent done with the situation, she folded her arms over her chest and glared up at him.

"I thought I was an odd little thing? So my name fits, no?" She quipped with a narrowed glare. Eric Northman smiled brighter now, an emotion flashing through his eyes that looked a little like intrigue. "Besides, Lou's just a nickname. Short for Louisa." Eric didn't respond to that, instead taking a moment to debate what he might say next.

"If I asked you to come back here tomorrow, what would you say?"

"I'd tell you to go fuck yourself." Apparently, Lou was yet to learn her lesson in the art of not pissing the giant vampire off, though his reaction wasn't nearly as adverse as to that which she experienced inside. Instead he just chuckled.

"Then I'm not asking. I'm telling. You'll be here tomorrow after sundown." He ordered.

"And if I'm not?" Louisa demanded with an evident tone of outrage.

"Then I'll come to you, and trust me, you really don't want that." The hidden threat was there evident, but not through his tone. If anything Northman seemed perfectly amused, though the girl in front of him was anything but. She reached around him and grabbed the door handle, opening it and hitting him in the ass as she did. He took the hint needless to say, and slowly stepped away.

"I look forward to it." She grumbled with a sarcastic smile, all but throwing herself into the drivers seat in a bid to put at least a bit of space between them. With the car roaring to life, Eric leant forward with a small smile.

"Me too." He murmured. Lou kept his gaze for a moment longer, before putting her car into drive and abruptly speeding away from that god forsaken bar. Much to her dismay, he then caught her glancing back at him through her rear view mirror, so as a result she just pressed her foot to the floor.

She could think of nothing finer in that moment, than never seeing Eric Northman again.

And there's Chapter 1. Chapter 2 is to be uploaded soon! :)