Season of Mists

Chapter One

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?

Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—

--John Keats, "To Autumn"

I woke up to a cool arms sliding around my waist and a cool body pressed up against me. "How much sleep did you get?" my vampire murmured into my ear.

"A lot if you're awake," I replied, rolling over to look at Eric and his unfair perfection. The hidey-hole was rather cramped for his large frame but you couldn't tell by his appearance. It's hard to find a vampire with a case of bed head. On the other hand, I probably looked like hell after all of my tossing and turning.

"I know the days are shorter Sookie, but you've been sleeping a lot," he said, as concern crept onto his face. He was looking down on me while propped up on his arm, twirling random strands of my hair using his free hand.

"I didn't go to bed immediate after you did," I said defensively. "I got up, had some breakfast, did boring human things. It's nothing. It's just staying up with you has messed up my sleep schedule is all," I tried wave off his concerns. I attempted to roll over to look at the clock, but I could feel that pull at the stitches in my leg. "What time is it now?"

Eric noticed my wince, and he scowled. "It's 5:10. You're still healing. You shouldn't be back at work yet. If my being here is disrupting your life so much, I'll just have Pam watch the house and I let you get some sleep."

"Don't go. I like it when you are here." I held on to his arm a little tighter. "It relaxes me."

"A month ago, you didn't like it when I was around because you couldn't be sure of your feelings. This last week and a half you have had me over every night."

"If you have other things you need to do, don't let me stop you," I muttered. Gran would have whacked my knuckles if she had heard my surly tone. Truth was, while I didn't like that our weird bond mucked up my feelings for Eric, it did make me feel a whole lot better and gave me some peace. Who needs painkillers when you have a mystical blood bond?

"Don't worry about my affairs, lover. I'm taking care of what needs to be done." Eric was still playing with random strands of my hair. It contrasted oddly with his chilly tone. Lately, there had been a lot of odd tones in Eric's voice. I was getting the feeling that there was something big going on that Eric wasn't telling me…or maybe he was just being a vampire. I honestly didn't care.

Eric and I laid there for a bit, just enjoying the little bit of peace that came with him, but eventually he rolled onto his stomach to look directly down at me. I rolled on to my back to look at him. "If my understanding is correct, most humans in a relationship share their lives equally with each other."

"Yes…" I replied, unsure where he was going with this.

"On your next night off you should come to Shreveport instead of me driving down here."

"Or not...I don't wanna spend my time with you in Fangtasia," I grumbled. Sue me, but I know few people who like to spend their time watching women-and men-throw themselves at their boyfriend (or husband, or whatever the heck Eric was).

"We could just spend the evening at my house." This was the second time I had received an invitation to Eric's house and this time it was under better circumstances. It sounded almost like a proper invite.

"Maybe…" I evaded. Things had been wobbly between us at best, and I was trying my damnedest to keep everything easy and relaxed, which meant not making any future plans.

Eric was giving me a rather scrutinizing look, as if he knew my thoughts and feelings and wanted to poke a stick at them; he said, "Sookie… about that night…"

I knew exactly where this conversation was about to head and nope, not going to happen, not now. "Eric, don't worry about it," I brushed him off.

"I just want you to know that we will talk about it, soon. About everything. I just want you to focus on healing right now, dear heart."

"Eric, really, it's fine. You don't owe me an explanation. You don't owe me a thing." Despite the lightness of my voice, I did my best to avoid eye contact with him. It still hurt (literally and figuratively) that he hadn't come, and I didn't want him to see that.

He gave me a good hard look, but whatever he wanted to say, he let it drop, for now. But I got the feeling it wasn't the last I had heard of this.

"We should get up," I said trying to move along. "We both have work."

"I wish you would take some more time off."

"Stop it," I said with my voice trying to tell him to leave it alone. "You sound like Sam."

"Then, for once, the shifter and I are in agreement."

"Eric, don't start. He's already put me on a restricted schedule and won't let me work anymore than two nights a week until my stitches come out. If I keep being a nuisance to him, and the other waitresses, I won't be surprised if he fires me."

"You don't need to work. You have the money from Rhodes."

I sighed, tired of the same argument we had been having since I went back to work two days ago. "I do need to work. I need a reason to get out of the house, otherwise I'll just lock myself up in here, and I'd never leave."

That seemed to shut him up.

We finally got out of bed, got dressed, and I started making myself presentable for work. When I got out of the bathroom, Eric helped me make the bed.

"I wish you would just let me have Bobby help you with this." Eric was not big on manual labor. He paid people to do that for him.

"No, Bobby hates me, and I don't want to be left alone with him in my house." I felt an odd sense of resignation and protectiveness. Must be through the bond. I think I may have put it in a way that I've won this one. Go me!

My injuries definitely helped break Eric of some of his bad habits. When he realized that he couldn't talk me out of many of the habits my Gran had hammered into me about keeping the house clean, Eric would help me or flat out do it for me (sometimes making it a bigger mess that I would just have to deal with when he died for the day). I think I finally taught him how to make the bed though.

His help and company these last couple of weeks resulted in creating odd domestic moments between us. We got up for the day (or night in this case), got ready for work, grabbed a bite to eat (bagel for me, O positive for him), a kiss goodbye with murmurs of seeing each other later and going off to catch my carpool. I felt like we were living like normal people did.

Night was the only time I felt comfortable being outside the protection of my house, and in a small town like Bon Temps, Merlotte's was one of the few things that was open at night. I was just lucky that my job wasn't a standard nine to five and that my boss was pretty understanding.

Sam had arranged it so Holly and I shared shifts so she could give me rides into work since my hand-me-down Malibu was in the shop. Pam, Eric and my great-grandfather needed to sell the idea that I had been in a car accident and this resulted in the destruction of the best car I had ever own.

Holly preferred parking in the front of the bar since it was better lit, so we walked in through the front door and were greeted by Terry Bellefleur tending.

"Hey, Terry! Where's Sam?"

"In the back, working on the books." That was code for stay the heck away from the office if you could help it.

"Thanks for the warning. How's it been tonight?"

"About average for a Thursday. Sookie, how have you been? Since the…accident?" He hesitated on the last word, like he didn't buy the story I had been telling everyone to explain my bruises, stitches, and limp. I certainly did look like I had been t-boned. I just wished that was what really had happened.

I gave him the crazy grin I get when I'm nervous. "Fine, Terry! Thanks for asking." Terry had been treating me differently since my stint with the fairies. He hadn't been holding me out at arms length like he usually does with everyone. It was like he saw something in me that made him think we were kindred spirits. I was just guessing on most of this and didn't "know" the way I usually "know." I did everything I could to stay out of Terry's head. My own head these days was dark enough.

One thing was for sure, I couldn't stand that I was seeing pity in Terry Bellefleur's eyes.

I walked into the back and put away my cranberry coat and purse, saying 'hi' to Sam. He grumbled his hello with his wild hair even more out of control, like he had been tugging on it. Looking over his shoulders, I saw he was trying to work on tax forms. Peachy. I'd have to make sure to have the CPA's number on hand.

Merlotte's had the usual flow that it would for a Thursday night. Not packed, but a few people starting to gear up for the weekend. It was mostly regulars, but we had two college boys who came in shortly after I had and were in my section. We didn't see to many people pass through during the workweek, so the regulars took notice of them.

I liked Merlotte's like this. It kept me busy enough that I didn't have to think about everything that I didn't want to think about, but not so fast pace that it taxed me too much. It helped me focus on keeping everyone's thoughts out.

I walked over to the two college boys table. They were kind of a lively bunch.

"What can I get you?" I asked.

"You can tell this idiot that he's not going to find any snow in the south," one said. He had a little bit of a beard that should have made him look unkempt and shaggy, but he seemed to make it work. He was wearing a maroon hoodie that said 'Arizona State University.'

His companion was rather baby faced and a very loud broadcaster. My shields had been shot to hell by my recovery, so just being near him was giving me a headache. "Come on, with how far north we are?" He said to his hairy friend, while looking up at me. "Tell him, you guys get snow up here right?" He was pretty eager.

"Sorry. We do once in a while, but nothing you can predict."

Babyface looked pretty disappointed, but then perked up a bit. "But it does happen. You guys do get snow here, right?"

"Sure, every so often."

"See told you, dude."

"Why are you guys hunting for snow in Louisiana?"

Shaggy replied, "We're not. We're on our way to a wedding in Florida for a friend. We stopped in your town to get gas and decided to grab a bite to eat so we didn't have to make a second stop. This kid here has never seen snow fall, so he's been driving me crazy about it, even making us go a few hours out of our way so we can stay as north as we can get."

Babyface's thoughts showed that he was really enjoying this road trip with his friend and was glad they also had the ride back with each other. He really admired Shaggy, and thought of him fondly. He didn't mind that their trip was taking a little longer than planned, even if he was missing classes. The strength of his thoughts made my headache worse.

"Well, we might not get snow, but we do get ice out on the road sometimes, so I would be really careful out there." The warm weather that we had been enjoying earlier this month had been brief. Now we had a nasty cold spell. It felt almost like Mother Nature was punishing us for getting our hopes up for an early spring in January.

The boys ordered, and I looked down to write on my pad.

You're really pretty and sweet. And that accent is adorable. I wish your t-shirt were a bit more suited to you.

"Well, it's my work uniform, and I don't have a choice as the cut of shirt."

I realized what I had done before I even looked up at their faces. He was just such a loud broadcaster, and the headache was so bad I just wasn't focused like I should be.

I just laughed it off and rushed off to get their drinks. I had intended for the laugh to breeze over my mistake but instead it made me sound like a lunatic. I hadn't been this poorly focused since before Bill came into my life. And Sam and Eric wanted me to take more time off.

I walked backed over with their two Budweisers, and my distress must have been evident on my face. Babyface placed a hand on mine and asked me, "Hey, are you okay?"

I yanked my hand away from his. "Don't touch me."

He recoiled, concern written on his face. "Okay, I'm sorry. You just seemed a bit freaked out and, I don't know…disoriented? I just wanted to make sure you were okay since you have all those bruises. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm fine." I walked (or maybe stomped) away. There went my tip, and on my first table for the night too. Oh well. I didn't care. I don't need their money anyway.

I walked over to the bar where Terry Bellefleur was pouring a rum and coke refill for one of Holly's tables. I stood by with my back against the wall. My only real blind spot was the doorway next to me and that was just a simple turn of the head. I had a view of the whole bar.

"You okay, Sookie? Those boys say something to you? Do I need to deal with them?"

For a moment I thought about having Terry throw the boys out on their asses, but then I knew this wasn't my bar and that there was nothing more to back up my bitterness at the boy than my extra sense. Kicking people out with no hard proof as to why would not be good for Sam's business.

"No, Terry," I sighed. "I just have a headache. It's giving me a bit of a short fuse."

"Yeah," he replied. "I get headaches like that too, sometimes."

The night dragged on. My headache went away when the out-of-town boys left. I was surprised to find that they left me a 20% tip. It was actually the best tip I had all night. Shaggy had signed his check with a 'Take care of yourself.' Crap. They were probably a lot nicer than how I treated them.

Even though my headache was now gone, the work was taxing me. My painkillers had worn off, and I didn't want Sam see me go back to grab some from my purse. If he did, I might loose the few hours of work I had won. I did my best to hide my limp from Holly and Terry in case if they went and said something. In addition, my feet, shoulders, and jaw were sore. My stitches in my right thigh were pulling; it would soon be time to change my bandages. I was ready for the night to end.

I grabbed a ketchup bottle that I had walked over to the bar for and turned back around to deal with the few tables I still had.

I knew Eric was coming before I saw him. The contentment of the bond washed over me, and I basked in its relief for a moment.

When I watched Eric as he walked in, he didn't take a seat in my section and wait until I was available to come over. You know: the polite, normal thing to do. Instead, he walked directly up to me and kissed me thoroughly. I just melted into his arms. Before I was completely liquid, Eric broke off the kiss and walked straight to the back to Sam's office.

The kissed all but literally knocked me on my ass. It was the toe curling, desperate kind of kiss that lasted for a little longer than was publicly decent. It was also the most intimacy we had had since the night Bill and Quinn had gotten into the fight on my porch. This was not our quick goodbye kisses in the beginning of the evening. It wasn't even our sweet, almost chaste kisses we shared when we both got off work. This was a frantic "I need you" kiss. In my lustful haze, the last of my mental guard fell.

Everyone's mental voice in Merlotte's that night flooded into me. I had to put down the ketchup bottle I'd been carrying so I could focus on getting the thoughts out. The bar was starting to clear out since we were on the other side of ten on a weeknight, so everyone had a clear view of what had happened.

My friend Tara and her new husband JB were off in the furthest corner of my section. Tara looked…I didn't want to say unhappy or disappointed about the encounter, but she wasn't exactly happy for me. She knew Eric. Though he had helped her in the past, she had a hard time being okay with Eric. She had some bad dealings with vampires in the past, and knew about my problems with Eric better than most, so I didn't really blame her.

Holly, who could appreciate a good looking man, alive or dead, was thinking I was a very lucky woman.

Jane Bodenhouse, our resident alcoholic, was thinking that I was going to burn in hell for trysting (her word) with a vampire. But she also wondered if she could get a vamp as good looking as Eric to come home with her to do…things to her. When she started envisioning those things she wanted Eric to do to her, I quickly scrambled to put up my shields and got out of her head. I was thankful that her son was already on his way to pick her up.

Regaining my mental (and physical, since my knees were kind of wobbly) balance, I put back on my "Crazy Sookie" smile. Sam better not have called Eric. I know I still hadn't told Sam about everything that happened in that terrible shack of a house. But, I had told Sam that it was because I didn't want to go over everything that had happened. He didn't have to call in Eric like he needed to know everything about me. It definitely wasn't a social visit, though. Shifters and vamps don't just become bestest buds. So, it was either about business or about me.

What business, I didn't know, but I didn't care either. I shrugged it off. If they wished to tell me, then fine. If not, then I just wasn't going to worry about what the two men were up to. For all I knew, they were discussing what to get me for my birthday-that was in six months.

After the last couple of weeks, I had bigger worries than what Eric and Sam did.

Like how most of my fairy kin had left this world never to be heard from again. All except for my crazy uncle who wanted me to die. Oh yeah, and no one knows where he is.

Like how my brother Jason was drinking himself silly every night since he has lost his unborn child, his wife, and his job, and a good friend was the cause of it all.

Like how I was having nightmares which caused me to wake up screaming. I was so lucky my roommate did have a nine to five job.

Yes, I had bigger things on my plate than Sam and Eric talking.

After a half hour (time spent barely focusing on my tables), Sam and Eric emerged from Sam's office. Eric came over to me. He wrapped one long arm around me and held me to him. He looked down at me with worry written on his usually well-controlled face.

"I need to talk to you. It's important. Have the other waitress cover your tables," Eric told me.

I paused, trying to think of what would have Eric worked up into such a state. While I was thinking of how to responded, Eric grew concerned about my lack of response and followed up with, "Please, lover. It's very important. I've already cleared it with the shifter."

I looked toward Sam who was out and behind the bar for the first time all night. He nodded toward the back door, signaling that it was okay with him if we stepped out. He looked rather serious and almost sad, which made me start to worry.

After I cleared it with Holly, I followed Eric out to the employee entrance.

He just walked out to the middle of the employee lot with only his side facing me. He looked like he was just enjoying the night air. I watched him for a moment, while he looked up at the ancient stars, and he looked just as old.

Eventually, he turned to face me. He breathed in unnecessarily and he was looking down at the ground; not at me. After he called me out here away from work, he wouldn't even give me the courtesy of giving me his full attention. I could feel the rage that I hadn't been able to let out at the college boys build back up and it was aiming for Eric.

When he didn't speak right away, I snapped, "This better be good Eric. I've already have taken too much time off recently and don't want to have to continue to be a burden the other waitresses. Also, I'm freezing my butt off." I had just followed Eric out and hadn't bothered to stop and grab my coat in Sam's office.

Eric was wearing a black leather jacket with his traditional jeans and t-shirt. He slid off the coat and put it on me because it was not like he needed it. When he wrapped it around my shoulders, I flinched. It was because there was a slightly disconcerting moment when I first put it on and it lacked any residual body heat that I was subconsciously expecting. Still, it was better than just my long-sleeved cotton Merlotte's shirt.

"We have to talk. And you just have to accept what I am about to tell you with very little squawking about it." Despite the somberness of his tone, some part of my brain cracked a smile at Eric Northman saying "squawking." It didn't make it to my face though. Very few smiles had lately.

"Okay, I'm listening."

Eric seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts. "You have to come to Shreveport to stay with me for a while."

I just stared at him thinking he had gone mad. "Excuse me? Have to?"

"Yes, you have to. Felipe de Castro keeps talking about having you brought to Las Vegas. I have refused him and our laws dictate that he listens to me as your bonded. But he's powerful, and ruthless, and young, which has made him very arrogant. I don't think he will take you by force, but I would like to err on the side of caution. I would rather have you by my side angry at me than you abducted to Las Vegas with me none the wiser or even finally dead."

"But I thought that's why we did the whole knife thing, so that no one could do something like this."

"Yes, it was, but de Castro has been ignoring that. He feels that your life has been in too much danger lately and that I have done a poor job in protecting you. Since you are an asset to him, he can just commandeer you, since I am his subject." He said it like it left something distasteful in his mouth.

"But I saved his life! Doesn't he owe me?" I was quickly approaching hysterical. My life has too often been out of my control, and it was happening again.

"And unfortunately, saving him seems to have been the poor choice since it brought you to his attention."

"So, what? Because I saved his life, he's decided that my own life matter, or is too valuable to just let me live it how I see fit!"

"He doesn't have any legal claim here, lover. This has been tried before and it failed. I just want you to be protected until it can be sorted out."

"So now, I just have to uproot my life here and come away with you for a couple of days?"

"A few days is better than the rest of your life. And it could be as long as a few weeks. We have to go soon though. Now would be best if you want a chance to pack. You also need to ask your roommate to vacate your house if you wish for her not to be harmed. Madden had been talking up the wards that the witch put in place. If de Castro comes for you and instead finds a capable witch, it could be… difficult for her. Same should go for your brother. He should move out of your parent's former house. He should not associate himself with the name of Stackhouse for a while, just in case if de Castro wishes to kidnap him and blackmail you."

I just stared at him after this laundry list of demands. "So not only is this crap messing up my own life right now, but those around me too?" Anger tears were starting to spring up into my eyes. I felt guilty for putting innocent bystanders in danger-again. Eric knew that he could get me to comply if I knew others were at risk.

A frightening thought occurred to me. "I don't think Jason is in any condition for him to really follow through if I told him to get out of town." Images of a drunken Jason trying to start a fight with a vampire and losing. A terrible sob broke through my lips but I placed my hand over my mouth to keep any more from escaping.

"Then I'll send someone to protect him."

"Not Bubba." I didn't think it would be a good idea for Jason to see Bubba in the state he has been in the past couple of weeks. Bubba didn't like being reminded of his old life, and if Jason saw him in his inebriated state, I am almost certain that's exactly what Jason would do.

"No, not Bubba." He looked down at me, regret written across his face. "I don't like interrupting your life this much, but you do need protection. After everything that has happened, I'm not taking chances. I don't want you taken from me and I don't want you permanently taken from your life."

The last traces of the rage I had been building up seemed to pop, leaving behind only a dreadful sadness. Tears began to run down my face but I did my best to stop them. I have been through much worse recently. Suck it up, Sookie.

Eric wrapped his himself around me, and I let him.

After a moment of just holding me, Eric began again. "If you wish to have a chance to pack some of your things yourself, we need to leave-now. I'm sure there are things that you would wish to bring, arrangements to make that you would not want me to do for you. Your shifter boss is aware of what is going on and is willing to hold your job for you. In the meantime, if you want to be around people for your telepathy's sake, you can do that at Fangtasia. If you wish, you can work there filling in for the waitress who will be filling in here for you. I know it is not your ideal, but it what I can do with the circumstances."

Eric began tugging me towards his car. I noticed he seemed antsy, which was starting to pour into me, putting me on edge. I didn't seem to be moving fast enough for his liking, and I felt like he was moments away from just picking me up and carrying me to his car.

"Eric, what's the hurry? Why are you rushing me out of here, not even letting me finish my shift? What exactly is going on?"

"Not right now. I'll tell you soon. Later tonight, even."

Eric was tense. I could see his jaw was clenched, and he was constantly looking around. His tone reminded me of the one he used when he was telling me that Breandan's people were on their way. It was enough to get my butt in gear. There was something more going on here.

I gathered my thoughts. "Yes, I want to run home first. But I also want to run in and have the chance tell Sam goodbye and grab my coat."

I definitely wanted a chance to pack. I didn't entirely trust Eric to do it for me. Vamps just forget things that are necessary for human life, and God knows what would be in my bag if he made Pam do it.

I also wanted a chance to see Amelia, if I could catch her at home. This wasn't news you deliver over the phone. Things had not been good between us these days but I wanted a chance to say goodbye in case if this was the last chance I would get to see her. I couldn't imagine her wishing to move back in once she moved out.

"Just be quick."

Eric followed behind me, right on my heels. I swung by Sam's office. Eric helped me slide out of his coat and helped me pull on my own. He lightly stroked my check after he helped fix my collar. I pulled my purse out of Sam's drawer and I walked back to the front of the bar.

"Sam, I am so sorry I have to run out on you like this. This isn't fair to you, my life affecting you like this constantly." He was standing where I had been talking to Terry earlier, only his back was away from the rest of the bar.

"Hey, none of that," Sam admonished me. He turned and faced me, then tried to pull me into a hug. I put a hand up to stop him. Hugs hurt these days. "You took care of things here, when my personal stuff got in the way. You just take care of yourself right now. And you'll have a place here when things calm down. Use this time to heal like I wanted you to." Sam looked over my shoulders, and he glared at Eric. "You better make sure no harm comes to her, or I will stake you myself."

I look at Eric who seemed quite unruffled at the threat. "You have my word that I will do everything with in my power to make sure that she is safe."

"Thank you for being so understanding. You are the best boss anyone could ever want." Sam didn't say anything in reply, and I could tell he was getting embarrassed under the praise by the flush that started to spread on his face. "Can you look after Jason for me? We're going to try and arrange something for him but he's been in bad shape ever since Mel and Crystal. Keep him from getting truly stupid, okay?"

"I'll do that, cher."

"And can you explain things to Tara, and tell her I'll call her." Tara was glaring daggers at Eric.

"I can do that too."

"And take care of yourself as well." I kissed him on his cheek and said goodbye. I was surprised to find Eric's face completely neutral, but I felt suddenly very jealous of Sam. I need to figure this bond out.

"Ready to go?"

I nodded and Eric pulled me out front.

"Nice parking job," I told him.

Eric had parked just out side the door. Not in a parking space-exactly outside the door. If someone wanted to leave or come in, they were going to have to walk around (or over) his car. I got into the Corvette and as soon as my seatbelt was on Eric was tearing out of the Merlotte's parking lot like a bat out of hell.

When we pulled off of Hummingbird Road and into my driveway, Eric got out of the car quickly, and pulled one of his vampire moves, opening my door before I had had the chance to grab my purse. I let out a little yelp of surprise. I thought I had gotten used to vampires and their speed.

The living room light was on, so either my roommate was home, or Amelia forgot about turning off the light. I figured it was the first option. Amelia hadn't really left the house except to work.

I rushed up to the farmhouse that had been in my family for generations. I felt Eric at my back, and I felt comforted knowing he was there. The walk from the car to the house usually made my heart pound. I didn't know what would have happened if Bill hadn't been there when I got taken…

I had wanted to ask Amelia if it she could extend the wards around the house so that I could park in them, but I hadn't been sure how to bring it up.

"Amelia?" I called out.

I heard her shuffle around a bit upstairs. Eventually, she shambled down stairs. Amelia had been looking like a mess lately, and tonight was no exception. She developed a routine where she changed into her pajamas once she got home from work, and she often looked like a zombie. It broke my heart. But at least she was going to work and getting out of the house. She didn't have to work if she didn't want to, so I saw it as a good thing…even though she was probably doing it to get be away from me. Amelia knew she was a loud broadcaster, and I just knew she had to be blaming me for Tray's death.

Eric just walked past me as Amelia was walking down the stairs and went into my bedroom. I could hear him dig around in my drawers, so I assumed that he was starting to get my things gathered.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Oh, I hate having to do this to you?" I started to cry. "I'm going to have to ask you to move out."

"Why? I mean, I know you have been avoiding me, but I don't blame you for Tray, I promise. I blame the ones who did that to you." She pointed at my healing arm that still was covered in a bandage. "It's not your fault Sookie."

"No, no, no…It's not that." Though it was a relief to hear her say it. "Something is going on with the vamps and I'm leaving to stay with Eric. I'm not going to be too proud or stubborn to not get help early on this time and do my best to spare those uninvolved. I'm going to close up the house while I'm gone and I want to make sure that you won't get caught up in the middle of this whole mess."

"Oh my god, Sookie!" Amelia's brain was kicking into high gear. I can't lose you too. Ican'tloseyoutoo Can'tloseyou. She rushed down the stairs at that point. She moved to hug me but I just knew that would put me even deeper into her head, which I didn't need at this point right now. My headache was coming back. "Are you going to be alright?"

I made myself focus on what Amelia was actually saying. "I don't know, but I want to make sure that you will be."

She gave me such a look of frustrated sadness. I wish she would just talk to me like she used to, she thought. Instead, she said, "When are you leaving?"

"Now. I assume that Eric is packing up my clothes as we speak."

"When do I need to leave?"

"The sooner the better, but since I know your wards will hold, I'd recommend waiting till daybreak," Eric called back from the bedroom.

"Okay, I'll start packing tonight. Is there anything you need me to do? Get your mail? Water your plants?"

"I don't know. I don't know how long this will take and I don't want you to be doing that indefinitely."

"Okay, I'll do my best to clean some tonight and put a stasis spell on the house when I leave." Amelia was getting geared up for a cleaning frenzy. I was surprised that she hadn't one yet, but I could see from her head she had been trying to give me space since she thought I had been avoid her. Now that I wasn't going to be around, she was glad to have something else to focus on.

"Please don't work yourself to death over a house that won't be used for a while."

"I just want to do what I can. I'll be sure to be out of here before sundown."

"What are you going to do?"

Amelia thought about it for a second, indecision playing heavily across her face. "Back to New Orleans, I guess. See how long you're gone in case I have to find somewhere else more long term. That is…if you don't mind me moving back in, once you're back."

"No, I don't mind at all." I gave her a real smile.

"I think getting out of Bon Temps might be good for me for a while. It will give me a chance to get my head straight. And you call me regularly. I want to know that you're doing okay, and I'll need someone to talk to since I'll be dealing with my dad."

Eric came out of my bedroom then. "I have some of the things you'll need packed, but you'll want to do a once over to make sure."

I peaked into the bag he packed. It was just an old backpack that I had lying around. All of my good luggage had been destroyed in the Rhodes bombing, and I hadn't gone anywhere to prompt me to replace it. It had the basics: shirts, jeans, hairbrush, toothbrush, some make up in the front pocket. I also noticed that it had a few of my heavier sweaters, the kind I only pulled out on really cold nights.

"You didn't have anything bigger to pack in so I fit in what I could. We can get you more in Shreveport. I'm sure Pam would love to take you shopping." This was the first untroubled thing he said all night and there was even a hint of a smirk on his face. I had the feeling that shopping with Pam would be an experience I would be happy to miss out on if I could.

"It looks good but I'm going to grab a few things."

I grabbed the old quilt Gran had made, and one of the few pictures I had where Gran, my parents, Jason and I were all in it. I had been very young and I don't remember what the occasion was, but it was my favorite picture. I wanted to make sure if something happened to the house while I was gone, I would still have these things. I also grabbed the few True Bloods I had in my fridge. I didn't want them to go to waste and I knew someone who wouldn't let them spoil.

When I was ready, I gave Amelia a quick hug.

"I'm really sorry about this Amelia."

"Don't be. I'm going to try and put a few more protection spells on the house that can't be used if someone is living here. So you'll be sure to have a home to come back to. And I mean it. Call me as often as you can. Keep me up to date."

Eric was all but taping his foot behind me. It was time to go. I took one last look around my home and let him pull me out into the night.

…To be continued

My first adventure into the SVN universe.

So much thanks to s. meadows for helping me clean up this beast, pforte for cheering me up by letting me know when I'm right (and for not hesitating to tell me when I'm wrong), losille2000 for being with me through this whole mess and my dear mate Courtney for playing fanfic charades with me.