A/N: Well, someone has to tell Sookie to stop being an idiot! ;-)

I had one of those days when I started thinking about the future – really thinking. I didn't entirely like my thoughts, but I liked the thoughts about my present and past almost as little.

I realised I wanted to talk someone about a lot of the stuff on my mind, but the person I would have talked to – Gran – was long since gone. I'd have given anything for some of her good advice, a hug, and a slice of her pecan pie. Thinking and wishing wouldn't bring her back, though, or she'd have been sitting by me right now.

I considered my options. Pam and Eric, and Claudine and Niall, were all out – they were too emotionally involved, and I'd end up feeling in the middle of a supe tug-of-war. Amelia – well, she didn't like Eric, and neither did Sam, and I wasn't sure either would actually listen to me, rather than telling me what they thought. Alcide – ah, no, not since I'd killed his ex. Tara had problems of her own. Arlene was completely out, with her FotS sympathies. And I sure as hell wasn't going to talk to my exes, Bill and Quinn.

I realised just how sad it was that I really hadn't got anyone I could go to, as I scrolled miserably through the contacts list on my phone. Then a name caught my eye – I'd forgotten I had the number; we'd swapped numbers in Rhodes. Before I could think again, I called.

"HeySookie! Howyoudoing?" answered a chirpy voice, as if it was the norm for me to call.

"Hi Diantha. Not so bad, thanks. You?"

"Bored," she replied. "Uncle'soutoftown. Say… youdoinganythingtonight?"

"Ah… no. Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to meet up."

"Yup, wouldloveto. Pickyouupateight? Yourplace?"

"Sure. Dress code?"

"Ah… casual. Hitabar, orsomething. Chillout."

I grinned. Despite Diantha's slightly disconcerting speed of talking, this was the kind of thing I wanted and needed. The irony of the situation didn't escape me – that the normality I craved was coming from a totally supernatural acquaintance, not the humans I'd thought ought to be my normality. Well, my human 'friends' didn't want to do 'normal' stuff with me, because I was 'Crazy Sookie', and I didn't enjoy doing stuff with them, because I could read their every thought, which put a damper on everything.

I felt better when I hung up, and hummed softly to myself, off and on, for the rest of the day. I showered and shaved my legs when it started getting dark, and ferreted out a really nice pair of jeans and a floral top. I had a bite to eat, and got dressed; I heard the car pull up just before eight, and bounced to the door.

To my surprise, Diantha enveloped me in a big hug. "Goodtoseeya," she grinned. "Lovetheshirt."

Pam would have hated it, and that, as much as the compliment itself, made me smile. I loved Pam to bits, but felt a bit outclassed when it came to fashion. Not so with Diantha. "Thanks," I smiled, grabbing my jacket and purse.

Diantha and I sang along to the radio – both of us out of tune by about a mile, and neither of us caring – on the way to Shreveport. "NotFangtasia?" she checked.

"Nah. I'd rather go somewhere new, different, where nobody knows us."

She grinned. "Metoo. Iknowofaplace. Wanttotryitout."

We ended up at a place called Gino's. There were a few humans here and there, but most of the patrons were supes, so I wasn't being bombarded by unwanted thoughts. It was toned down; there was security, sure, but it was understated, and it was nothing like any of the supe bars I'd been to.

"OkaySookie, what'syourpoison? Myround."

"Gin and tonic, please."

"Lemon?" asked the girl behind the bar, having covertly checked my ears.

"Yes, please."

Diantha and I slid into a booth. To my surprise, she pricked her finger on a pin, and dropped a bead of blood into my drink. "Getyouuptospeed," she grinned, eyes dancing.

I took a sip; I couldn't taste the blood. "Up to speed how?" I asked.

"I know I talk fast," she replied, and now it seemed a completely normal speed. "But a drop of my blood will help your brain work on Diantha-time."

"So, wait, you're talking at your normal speed, I'm just hearing you slower?"

She laughed. "Your brain's working faster, rather than you hearing me slower, but the effect's the same, yes."

I stared at her. "That's so cool!" Normally I fought like hell about taking blood (though that was vampire blood, but still...), but something about Diantha's matter-of-fact, no-big-deal, I-do-this-all-the-time attitude made me relax and just go with the flow.

She grinned happily. "Cool for me not to have to worry about slowing down, too," she replied. "You're talking at my speed, too."

My eyes widened - I hadn't considered that possibility. "How long will that last?"

"Oh, a few hours," she shrugged. "It wears off pretty quickly. But it's great for a night out, you know?"

I nodded, relieved I wasn't going to be permanently on Diantha-speed, and resolved to check these things more thoroughly before leaping in head-first next time around. Yeah, I know; I keep on telling myself these things, but do I ever listen? Well, not so much.

We settled into small talk, catching up on gossip. It was great not to have to worry about not talking about supe stuff – she knew way more about what was going on than I did, and I found out a lot of titbits of information that I found fascinating. "This is so nice," I said after a while. "Just… chilling out, catching up. No drama, no violence for a while."

"Just a couple of friends hanging out?"

I laughed. "Yup. I've never had that. I didn't know what I was missing."

"Because of the telepathy?" I nodded. "Mm. I haven't had this since Glad – since she died. I miss her."

"I miss my Gran," I sighed. "I was thinking earlier how much I wanted her advice."

Diantha looked at me curiously. "Advice about what?"

I twirled the cocktail stirrer in my drink, staring into the glass a while before I answered. "I was thinking of the future, and a bit about the past as well."

She drained the end of her soda, and motioned a waitress to bring refills. "Same again?"

"Just a soda for me, thanks. This round's on me."

The waitress brought our sodas over, and Diantha looked at me thoughtfully. "What about the future?" she asked.

I frowned. "Well. I was thinking a lot about how I wanted to fit in, have a normal life. Kids, marriage, you know?" she nodded. "But then again, I'm with Eric…"

"Gotcha."

"But then, I thought… well, okay, I've never actually fit in with 'normal' folks, regular humans, because of the telepathy. And I started to wonder if, maybe, I wanted marriage and kids to make me fit in more with them. You know?"

She nodded soberly. "Yeah, I think I see what you mean."

I sat quietly for a while. "I feel as though I fit in more with you than I do with humans," I said finally. "I can relax with you, I can't hear your thoughts. I don't feel I have to worry about being a trouble-magnet with you. Oh, God…" I realised something.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"Because you're deadly enough to kick the ass of anyone who might attack me. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, what's happening to me, that I start thinking of my friends in those terms?" I asked, aghast.

To my surprise, Diantha burst out laughing. "You're getting real about the supe world, and starting to evaluate your friends properly," she responded, with a sharp-toothed smile. "It's a good thing. You're not so naïve as you were, that's all." She took a mouthful of soda. "Don't worry, I'm not offended."

I relaxed, and smiled. "So, I couldn't help thinking… do I really want kids? That normal life? Or am I going to find I never quite fit in, regardless?"

Diantha canted her head onto one side. "You spoken to Eric about this? Or are you thinking of being with someone else?"

I shook my head. "I do want to be with Eric, but… well. Vampire. No kids possible."

"You could adopt?"

"You think he'd go for that?" I asked doubtfully.

"Tall, blond and deadly would do pretty much anything to make you happy, from what I've heard," she shrugged. "Why not kids? He could look after them at night, you could look after them during the day. Easy."

I hadn't really thought of that. "It's a thought," I said. "But I also…" I trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I was thinking of letting him turn me. You know. Into a vampire."

She didn't freak out, or scream, or try to talk me out of it, or tell me I was crazy. She just nodded thoughtfully. "Hell of a commitment," was her only comment. "Gotta be sure it's what you really want before you do it."

"Yeah. That's why I wanted Gran's advice, earlier. Or at least, someone to talk to about it, get it clear in my mind."

"Always happy to listen," she smiled.

I cradled my chin in my hands. "I've been an idiot, haven't I? Trying to be normal," I clarified.

Diantha shook her head. "You were kinda thrown in at the deep end," she replied. "You never had an easy ride of it. You've been clinging to what you know, because it's what you know. Not necessarily what you want. Don't be scared to let go, to spread your wings and fly, Sookie. You've got friends to catch you if you fall," she said.

I gulped down some soda, along with the lump in my throat. "Okay, so, I need more time to think about the vampire thing," I said out loud. She nodded her agreement. "I think I need to know more about it, too, but I don't want to get Eric's hopes up. Or Pam's, for that matter. She's really on the 'Eric and Sookie forever' page."

Diantha grinned. "At least she's supportive. Imagine if she hated you. But, you know, even they can't tell you everything. It's been a long time since a fairy's been turned, and there are none surviving. There weren't many to begin with, and even fewer of the Sky Fae – they love the sun too much."

"I'm only an eighth fairy, though."

"Sure, but you have the essential spark." Ah, now we came to it - that magical 'essential spark' that was so important.

"Ah – what does that mean, exactly?"

"You could have fae powers, fae nature, if you accepted them. Once you come of age."

I stared at her; this was news to me. "When's that?"

"Twenty-seven, I think," she replied, frowning as if trying to remember long-forgotten information. I wondered how old she really was. "Three by three by three. Kinda coming up soon, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," I said, trying to take it all in. "Would I have to do it then? On my birthday?"

"Oh, no, no," she assured me. "You can accept it any time after that. Just not before." She took another sip of her drink. "You can decide to stop aging then, too, or whenever you feel comfortable."

I could? Wow. "Would I – change?" I asked hesitantly.

Her forehead furrowed. "Well, you'd get your powers, and yes, you'd become more attuned to the fae world and nature, I guess. Your ears might get pointier, though it probably wouldn't be obvious to a casual observer. You might have more of a sensitivity to lemon and iron, though nowhere near as bad as a full fae. You could come and go between here and Faery, so long as the portals are open. I wouldn't recommend it, though."

"No?"

"Shortage of females in Faery," she said bluntly. "'Brood mare' springs to mind."

"Okay, point taken," I said hastily. "But I wouldn't have to go there?"

"Nope. Plenty of fairies live in this realm, too, perfectly happily."

"How long would I live?" I asked curiously.

"As long as you didn't get yourself killed, well, as long as a full fairy, I guess. It's the eternal spark that's important, not how much fairy blood you have. Your father wouldn't have become fae, because he didn't have it, nor your aunt or your cousin. Your cousin Hunter will get the choice, though." Oh, so she knew all about Hunter, then. I stored that bit of information away in case I needed it.

"So… I wouldn't need to be turned, to spend eternity with Eric?" I asked hopefully.

She chuckled. "No. Didn't think you really wanted that. Just accept who and what you are. Adopt a couple kids if you want."

"It's that simple?"

She nodded. "Just swim out of that river in Egypt, Sookie," she smiled, raising her glass.

I smiled back at my new-found friend, and clinked my glass to hers. "I'll drink to that."