In retrospect, Sam Merlotte knew it had been a bad idea to hire Laney Birmingham. To her credit, she did have extensive waitressing skills, based on the number of restaurants and bars she claimed to have worked in. She was also cute and petite, with curly black hair, brown eyes, and a figure that brought to mind red lights and cheap motel rooms. Laney couldn't walk through Merlotte's without someone making a comment or pinching her rear end.

Sam's wife, Anne Marie, had hated Laney on sight. Even Sookie Stackhouse had trouble being civil to her, and Sam knew it had less to do with her buxom figure than with her wicked tongue. Laney seemed to come on to every man who passed through the door of the bar -- human, vampire or shifter. In fact, Sam had thought, if she didn't keep her round butt out of Bill Compton's and Eric Northman's lap, she might wind up with a black eye or worse.

Turned out, it was worse.

The night of Bill and Sookie's wedding had been unseasonably hot. Sam pulled at the collar of his shirt, wishing he could loosen his tie, but he was part of the wedding party and had to be in the photos. Sookie's oldest friend Tara was the maid of honor, with Pam, Anne Marie, and Peggy serving as bridesmaids. Bill had three groomsmen – Sam, Eric, and Lafayette. Sookie's brother Jason was the best man, much to Eric's obvious annoyance.

The wedding was being held at Bon Temps' one church, presided over by the very nervous Father O'Reilly, who had never before conducted a wedding in which one of the participants was a vampire. All the windows had been thrown open to keep down the heat, but Sam still found it stifling. The small, white church was filled with flowers, mostly some sort of orchids, Sam thought. The scent of them was cloying, clogging the air. A bead of sweat rolled down from Sam's forehead and made his chin itch. He fought the urge to scratch it as Sookie walked down the aisle.

She looked beautiful, Sam had to admit. It had been years since he had felt more than friendship for her, but he couldn't deny that she was a vision in white. Sookie wore her Gran's wedding dress, which had been painfully preserved and looked brand new. Sam felt a pang as he wished that Adele could have been there.

He glanced over at Anne Marie as Sookie reached the end of the aisle and joined hands with Bill, and the preacher began a long, trembly speech. The bridesmaids' dresses were pink and fluffy, but Sam barely noticed the dress compared to his wife's beauty, aside from noting that it was a bit more low cut in the front than he would have thought Sookie might pick. Anne Marie's vibrant red hair curled around her cute face, perfectly complimenting her green eyes and freckled nose. There was a tilt to her red lips that suggested she might smile at any moment, and those green eyes were bright with emotion.

Damn, he had never loved a woman this deeply before. Nor would he ever, again. Sam had everything he had ever wanted in Anne Marie. His life was perfect.

Anne Marie glanced over and glared at Sam. All right, it was almost perfect… but surely Anne Marie would forgive him. It wasn't his fault that Laney kept flirting with him, and when he'd gotten her the job of watching the small children at the wedding, it had been for no other reason than that he knew she needed the money, and that almost everyone else in Bon Temps, invited or not, had planned on coming to the church. After all, this was Bon Temps' first vampire wedding.

Sam bet it wouldn't be the last. Though Eric ran a vampire bar in Shreveport, he and Peggy were residents of Bon Temps. It was hard to think of Peggy as a vampire, though she had been one for over two years now, Sam realized. He wondered if she wanted to marry Eric. After all, she hadn't been dead very long. She might still have the hopes and dreams of a human woman. She and Eric seemed to have a monogamous relationship… not that this made Sam like Eric any better than he ever had.

Right now, Eric looked only moderately amused by the proceedings. At least he didn't looked bored, like Pam did. To be fair, Lafayette didn't look much less bored, and even Jason glanced at his watch as the preacher droned on and on. The Merlotte's cook ran his hands down the length of his jacket. Like Sam's, Eric's, and Jason's, it was black and fitted and flattering, but it sure as hell wasn't Lafayette's personal style. To make up for it, Sam saw he'd added a touch of gold eye shadow and a hint of lipstick.

"…and do you, Sookie Stackhouse, take William Compton as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Sam tuned back in, suddenly realizing that he was missing the vows.

"I do," said Sookie, smiling blissfully at Bill.

"Then," said Father O'Reilly, "By the power invested in me—"

The preacher's words were cut off by a happy shriek that Sam recognized immediately. Despite the glee in the tone, a warning light went off in his head. Anne Marie's eyes met his and he knew she had gotten the same message.

"Belle!" Sam's wife gasped.

A little girl in a pale pink dress came running down the aisle. She had curly red-gold hair, big blue eyes, and a mischievous smile on her face. Her two chubby little arms were stretched out in front of her, and her hands were dripping red. It was that red that caused Sam's mild alarm at the giddy shriek to escalate into full-blown fear. He seemed frozen as the toddler ran past her mother and threw herself at Sookie, clutching on to the skirt of the white wedding gown, smearing it with small handprints.

All four vampires in the wedding party, and the others scattered through the church who were guests of Bill's (or possibly of Eric's – Sam wasn't sure…) stiffened, and Sam knew his fear was not unfounded. Anne Marie bent and picked up their daughter, examining her hands and trying to tell if the blood they were covered in was her own.

"Oh my sweet Jesus," said Tara.

"—I now pronounce you vampire and wife!" the preacher snapped, but no one was paying attention to him now.

"Who suppose to be watchin' that child?" Lafayette demanded.

"Laney Birmingham," said Sam automatically, helping Anne Marie check over their daughter.

"Is Belle all right?" Peggy murmured. Sam saw a hint of fang in her mouth, and knew she was trying to fight her reaction to the blood. The older vampires didn't have this problem, he was relieved to note.

"I tink she fine," Anne Marie said. Her Cajun accent grew more pronounced, reflecting how upset she was. "But Laney Birmingham ain't gone be when I see her, me."

"Laney?" said Jason. "You mean the new waitress with the hot ass?"

"Jason!"

"Sorry, Sookie," Jason said, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe one of y'all ought to go and check on her," Lafayette suggested pragmatically.

"I'll go," said Peggy. She turned and hurried down the aisle. They all stood there stunned for a few minutes, Anne Marie hugging Belle to her chest. The baby laughed and giggled and kissed her mother. The blood on his daughter's hands made Sam's stomach turn, and he accepted a handkerchief from Eric to wipe them clean.

"You may kiss the bride!" the preacher suggested to Bill after an awkward moment.

Bill looked at Sookie. "Ahem…"

"Sam," said Sookie. "Can you go check on Laney?"

"But Peggy just—" Sam cut himself off. "Yes, all right."

"Lafayette, go with him," Sookie added as Sam started after Peggy.

"Girl, you plumb crazy if you think I—"

"Lafayette, just go!" snapped Tara.

Lafayette followed Sam, and behind them he heard Eric arguing with Bill.

"I can go after Margaret," said the Viking.

"It's not a good idea," Bill hissed.

"Then Pam—"

"No, Eric, just stay here."

Sam and Lafayette reached the church's small nursery together. A few other toddlers and babies were gathered here, and most of them were crying now. There was no sign of Peggy, but Laney was easily found. She lay dead in the middle of the room with her throat torn out. Lafayette uttered a choice expletive.

A feminine laugh echoed through the room. Turning, Sam looked for the source of the sound, and Lafayette turned as well. In the hall behind them stood a young woman who Sam had never seen before. She was a little taller than Sam and had hair that was slightly pink in color.

"Now who the hell are you?" Lafayette asked.

The young woman grinned and lifted her hand. She turned it upward and flat just in front of her mouth, took a deep breath, and blew. A glittery cloud rose up from her palm, engulfing Sam and Lafayette.

Sam heard her muttering some words in what might have been Latin, or some other ancient language.

Then darkness overtook him, and he knew nothing.