A/N: Hey all! I'm back with a new multi-chapter story. I wasn't planning on posting this until it was complete, but I've got an itch. I have 11 chapters done, and that's about half of it, so this means there will hopefully be no stalling. I'm planning to update once a week.

This idea has been stewing in my brain for over a year now, and at the urging of Zigster I finally started writing. I've had an awesome group of girls who've been pre-reading bits or all of this, and you all have been wonderful. Huge thank you to FareDareisMai2, my beta! You'll have to poke her if I get behind on updating. But don't, really, cause I'd feel bad.

This chapter is on the short side, as many of them are, but I went the organic route. Some later chapters are much, much longer.

Chapter 1 – A Lead

The Vampire was spotted getting into his cherry red Corvette and speeding out of the parking lot of the popular vampire-themed nightclub, Fangtasia.

"He was approached by a reporter when he exited the building, but did not speak to the reporter, or even acknowledge his presence," a witness told us exclusively.

The Vampire's elusive and private nature has made it impossible for any news outlet to get an interview with him. Perhaps, he is waiting for the right opportunity. Or, maybe he's afraid someone will slow the secure flow of income that being "The Vampire" brings him.

Sookie rolled her eyes at the gossip column of the local newspaper, and tossed it on the bar.

"More news about The Vampire?" her boss, Sam asked.

"If you can even call that news," she huffed. "I don't get it. I write a perfectly good article about organic food, or the use of animal testing within major companies, or hell, even why it's bad to shop at the Wal-Mart, and they won't publish it. Yet they'll publish that garbage?"

"Well, Sook. No one really wants to read about someone telling them what to buy or where to shop. It's a bunch of poor folks around here. Wal-Mart is the only option. Heck, you shop there."

"That's not the point," she grumbled. "I just think the whole obsession with vampires is silly, and the fact that this guy probably makes more money in a couple months than I do in a year just by sitting on a throne and pretending to be one chaps my rear end."

Sam chuckled and leaned forward to rest his forearms on the bar. "You know, some say he really is a vampire. He's never come out and said so one way or another, and he's awful pale and vampire-y. Maybe," he whispered, leaning in so close she could smell his toothpaste on his breath, "he's Dracula."

Sookie stared at him with wide eyes for a moment before she realized he was screwing with her. She let out a frustrated growl, picked up the newspaper, and smacked him in the head with it.

"What?" he asked, laughing at the look on her face as she got up and grabbed her apron.

"Don't 'what' me, Sam Merlotte. I'm agitated, and you know what happens when I get agitated. I can't focus. It's a Saturday, and I need to be focused."

"Sorry, chère," Sam said, truly apologetic. He was one of the few people that knew about Sookie's ability, and he tried to make it as easy on her as possible.

"It's okay. I think I'll take a minute out back before we open," she said, reassuring him with a smile, before she walked down the back hall and stepped outside.

Sookie walked a short way into the woods and closed her eyes. She opened her mind and let in all the voices, all the thoughts of people nearby.

Why can't anyone remember to pull the meat out of the freezer? Nobody better be ordering any burgers right away. Lazy ass motherfuckers.

Please, please let me at least make forty dollars in tips this afternoon. Gotta pay the babysitter today.

Maybe it's finally time to just ask her out. Her shields are better now.

Slowly, she put up her mental shields, blocking out voice after voice, until the only sounds remaining were the sounds of the nature around her and the distant cars on the highway.

"There, much better," she said aloud to ground herself, took a deep breath, and headed back into the bar.

The lunch shift was hectic, but Sookie got through it without a problem. She'd been working on her shields a lot lately, and found that it was taking less and less energy to maintain them than it used to. Her tips had also increased with her skill because the patrons weren't thinking of her as Crazy Sookie anymore.

She almost felt normal. Almost.

Just before the dinner rush came in, Sookie's replacement arrived. She filled Holly in on her tables, and as she did she began to relax. At times, she relaxed enough that her shields would go down without her knowing it. They did that night, and a very interesting stray train of thoughts from one of her co-workers filtered in.

Gotta go back to Fangtasia soon. He was so hot, and he kissed like a God, and his hands were magic. Maybe next time we won't get interrupted and I can get him to fuck me. If there is a next time. I hear he doesn't do the same girl twice. Well, technically he didn't do me. I barely had time to get off. Didn't even get to look at the…

"Sookie? Hey, Sookie?" Holly asked, snapping her fingers in front of Sookie's face. "Where'd you go? You were telling me about the refills on the pool table group and then you just spaced out."

"Oh, right. Sorry Holly, it's been a long day and I didn't sleep well last night," Sookie laughed, and then finished out the turnover. After saying a quick goodbye to Sam as she got her purse from his office, she high-tailed it home.

She was unsettled. At first she didn't think much of the thoughts running through Dawn's head, but Dawn was a projector; like the clearest radio station you could find. Dawn projected pictures. While Sookie's first impression was that her fellow waitress met a hot guy at Fangtasia, through Dawn's images, she saw that it was The Vampire himself she was thinking of.

The words from the gossip column repeated in her head. The Vampire was the "ungetable get," and if Sookie could land an interview with him, it would open a ton of doors for her. If Dawn could get this guy alone, who was to say Sookie couldn't? She knew from the minds of bar patrons that she was considered attractive, she'd just have to appeal to that side of him and get him alone, then she could delve into his head a bit to see how to play out the interview thing. Maybe even blackmail him into it.

She looked at the clock when she went inside her house and made the quick decision. After a shower and a strategic outfit choice, Sookie would be on her way to Fangtasia.

A/N: Just want to reiterate that this is an All Human story. The only thing "other" about it is Sookie's telepathy, which Charlaine Harris has always maintained has nothing to do with anything supernatural.