"You gonna be alright to get home this late Sookie?"

Sam Merlotte was finally locking up the front doors to Merlotte's, his bar, after what had been a long, and extremely eventful night. The pandemonium of Y2K had been less stressful than this night, he thought to himself now that things were finally quiet, and at least that night people had gone home at closing time. But of course the world hadn't actually ended at the stroke of midnight; tonight, well, a different fear had presented itself. Perhaps it would have been better if the power had gone out, then the TV's wouldn't have been able to broadcast the so-called Great Revelation. (Not that Sam hadn't known about the Vampires; he knew about a great many things, it came with the territory.) But the good citizens of Bon Temps had no idea, and Sam would have preferred it remain that way. Of course the choice hadn't been his, and he could certainly appreciate the gamble the Vampires had chosen to take. Not that he had any intentions of making the same choices; though if things went well for the Vamps he knew that his people might have to rethink their options.

The customers had stayed well into the night, he hadn't the heart to shoo them out, they needed the company, and the alcohol, and the sense that everything in their little world was still the same, when in fact, it was, and it wasn't. And of course Sookie had offered to stay with him to help; she'd been nearly as shell shocked as the rest at the announcement; but not as completely. There had been a wave of relief that he had sensed, coming off her once the fear had finished rolling through. Sam knew what it was all about. She'd only been working for him for a few months, and even without her admitting to it out loud, Sam knew that she had a supernatural gift of her own. Of course he had insider knowledge the folks of Bon Temps didn't. They chose more crude, and sometimes insulting labels for her talent, Sam knew she was a telepath, but he hadn't let on to her that he knew her secret.

And he now had even more than those secrets to consider. People were going to be more wary, and some, more afraid. And others, well he knew that others would more than embrace the new citizens who had suddenly 'come out of the coffin'. Most everyone would suddenly be more suspicious of everything that seemed out of place, which meant he was going to have to be more careful of his own activities. And of course there was Sookie. He followed her to the back, turning off the main lights in the building, considering what she must be thinking in the leftover glow of the taps and the dishwasher.

When the Vampires had come out Sookie could finally see that she wasn't alone in her otherness; at least that was what Sam saw in her expressions as he stole glances at her from behind the bar as the night had progressed. And he saw more manifestations of her courage, the thing he had always seen in her, as she stayed steady as others around her began to unravel. Sam had hired her because of her uniqueness, her innate intelligence and her innocence. And as he had come to know her, he had understood he needed to protect her from whatever would come looking (because someone would eventually come looking). The other feelings had come naturally.

But now it was nearly 3 am, the heart of darkness, the witching hour and he was alone, finally, looking at the beautiful blonde, her ponytail still pert, along with her sparkling blue eyes. Stowing her green apron in the laundry basket he had in his office (he washed them himself, at home, in the trailer across the parking lot) she was preparing to head home finally and he just felt as if he should say something to her.

"I can always drive you home if you want Sookie?"

"I'm okay Sam, not like any Vampires are going to be showing up in Bon Temps." She said with a happy lilt in her voice.

"I'll be up for awhile yet, will you at least call me when you get home?"

"Sure Sam."

"And say 'hi' to your Grandmother for me."

"I will."

He followed her to the rear door, and watched as she got herself situated behind the wheel of her old hatchback, waving at him as she turned the engine over, flipped on the headlights and started out of the graveled parking lot, at a sedate pace that only crunched the gravel in a comforting way as opposed to spraying it all about like her brother might have done in his pickup; the one with the ridiculous flames painted on the sides. His enhanced vision let him see her all the way to the road, bobbing her head along to whatever tune was on her radio just then.

"Such an innocent girl." Came the quiet voice behind him. He hadn't heard the being approach having been preoccupied, but he smelt him then, just like death.

"I was wondering when one of you might show up." Sam turned around slowly to face the Vampire who was now between himself and the dumpster that he paid to have emptied every Monday morning.

They were the same height, and even their eyes and hair were the same color, a quite normal brown (though Sam's did have a bit of a red hue to it in the right light). But the Vampire who stood before him, arms crossed, stock still, looked to be about sixteen years old, even though Sam suspected that he was far older than that.

"You could not have thought it would take us long, now that we have revealed ourselves?"

"No I suppose not. Though I hoped it might be a few more days at least." Sam turned half his mouth up into a twisted grin. He didn't really think anything about this Vampire's appearance was particularly amusing.

"A place like this, some kind of nexus for the supernatural? We have been watching it for years. The community of were-panthers not withstanding, there are other things here, the same things that likely drew you in Sam Merlotte."

"Oh, so you know my name, and what's yours? Just so we are on an even footing." Sam crossed his own arms over his chest and made an educated guess as to how fast he could shift to something quick and get to his front door in case the being lost his temper. His math didn't bear out the attempt.

"I see no harm in you knowing that. It is Andre. I work for Queen Sophie Ann."

"Any specific reason for coming to Bon Temps, besides curiosity?"

"Yes."

"But you aren't about to share that with me are you?"

"No."

Vampires were a cagey race; not that shifters didn't hold their own secrets close to the vest, but Sam had not really expected an answer.

"You should be careful, there are things about this place that even you may not be aware of."

"Indeed? But you may rest assured, I have no intentions of sullying our newly revealed presence with any dispersions against our characters of peace and inclusion."

"You practiced that line didn't you?"

The Vampire snorted with amusement.

"Never the less, it is true. I am simply here to observe."

"All the better for you then Andre."

"If I didn't know you better Shifter I would take that as a threat."

"You don't know me at all Vampire."

Sam kept his back straight and stared right at the Andre, who merely grinned at him. He was not stupid enough to try to convince himself that he felt no fear; but he wasn't about to let it roll off him in waves. He also had no illusions that his posturing was going to scare off this ancient thing in front of him, but if it gave him just a moment's pause about stirring up trouble in Bon Temps, Sam's town, it was worth the risk to himself.

"Perhaps our paths will cross again Shifter."

"You'll forgive me if I hope they don't. Bon Temps is a simple place; best left alone Andre. I do hope you'll relate that to your queen."

"She will have nothing but the truth from me." And with a very small nod of his head the Vampire was gone, hardly having disturbed the air with his rapid egress. Unfortunately though, he had disturbed the fabric of the place, and Sam was certain that nothing was ever going to be the same in Bon Temps.

He locked up the bar and went home, finally allowing himself the time to consider how he felt about everything that had just transpired, a strong drink being the first order of business.