A/N: Thanks so much for the response on my first AH/AU story. It's kind of fun!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything…

Sookie slide into a seat at the counter of Merlotte's, Sam's family's restaurant. Sam's grandfather had opened the restaurant and worked it until the day he died. Sam's own father had opened it along with him, but he'd had a heart attack two days after the Crash and Sam had taken his place. Now, Sam was twenty and Sookie had just turned seventeen. It had not been Sam's plan to run a restaurant in backwater Louisiana, he'd planned on leaving that to his father. His eye had been on something bigger – he was looking to open a restaurant in New Orleans. It was part of the reason he'd always been so keen on Sookie, even before she'd taken a shine to him. She was the kind of girl that you could see someplace bigger, a lot of the girls around here pretty much thought Renard Parish was all anyone could ask for, but Sookie had never been that way.

They'd started dating the previous summer when Sookie had taken a job as a dishwasher to help pay for her Gran's medical expenses. He hadn't been able to afford to keep her on once the summer season was over.

The only people that worked there now was Arlene, the long-time waitress; Lafayette, the cook, and Sam. Arlene was no fan of Sookie's because she believed that if Sam married Sookie, she'd be fired and Sookie would get her job. She wasn't wrong. Sam was a good man, but he'd be a fool to pay a waitress when his wife could work the tables. Sam figured that would work out nicely as long as they didn't have kids. If they had kids, Arlene would have to be hired back.

Sookie slid into a seat at the counter and Arlene gave her a sour look, "You probably ain't here to eat."

Sookie shook her head and waited for Sam to be done ringing up the only customer in the place. He smiled at Sookie. When he was done he said to Arlene, "Keep an eye on the place while Sookie and I talk outside."

Arlene sat down on one of the stools and opened up a magazine, "Uh huh."

Sam grabbed Sookie's hand and headed outside. Sookie hated how happy he was to see her. He pulled her toward the picnic tables that were set up if customers wanted to eat outside.

"I didn't know I'd see you tonight," he said happily and Sookie just couldn't stand another second.

"Sam, this isn't a happy visit." His face became guarded and watchful.

"Jason had some news at dinner tonight," she began and saw despair flood Sam's face. He knew what was coming. They would hardly be the first sweethearts in Bon Temps to be forced to separate because a job had become available somewhere else. In these times, people did what they needed to do and considerations like a steady boyfriend just didn't mean much.

"We're going to California," she spat out.

Sam was on his feet in a second. "California!" he shouted. "I thought you were going to say New Orleans or maybe Dallas! But California, Christ Sookie! Why not the moon?"

"Sam Merlotte!" Sookie shouted back. "What kind of language is that? I'm not going to stand here and listen to you taking the lord's name in vain! And I'm not going to stay here if you are going to shout at me," she finished more calmly. And then added, "It's not like I get a lot of say in this."

Sam nodded. And then said cautiously, "But you could…"

And that was the moment that Sookie dreaded. She held up her hand, "Is that what we really want? To get married before I'm even out of high school? For me to work at the restaurant forever?"

Sam looked at her for a moment eyes narrowed and said slowly, "It's not how I wanted it Sookie, but we could make it work. It isn't prefect, but its close enough for me. What do you want?"

Sookie didn't say anything. She loved Sam, but to work in the restaurant her whole life. It didn't really feel like what she wanted, there had just never been any other plan until tonight. "I never planned on anything else," she replied carefully.

Sam looked at her. Maybe they'd only been dating a year, but he'd known her almost her whole life. He'd always loved her. It hadn't been the same for her though. He didn't think she'd ever thought of him like that until the moment he asked her out. He knew no one else had ever asked her on a date before him. And he knew why too. The guys around here thought Sookie was beautiful, but she seemed kind of lost in her own head. Not that she was snobby, but just like she was sort of somewhere else. She was always reading and talking about things she'd read. Most guys just weren't interested.

"But now Jason's given you another option and you want to take it," Sam said knowingly.

Sookie looked guilty. "Not forever Sam. A couple of months. I want to go with him and save some money and then we can get married just like we'd always planned. They say there are lots of jobs in California. I can get one and save money for us, just in case."

Sam wasn't certain in case of what, but he thought it was sort of funny that despite Sookie's dreaminess she was so very practical. Most girls would be filled with dreams of movie stars, but Sookie was talking about saving money. She was going to be a great wife.

If Sookie could have heard Sam's thoughts she would have blushed – or possibly slapped him since the best thing he could think to say about her was that she was going to be a great wife - because she dreamed of a better life all the time, but she was practical and didn't believe that it made sense to cry for the moon.

"How long?" he asked equally practical. And that was, of course, why she and Sam were such a fit.

Sookie shrugged, "Probably until I turn eighteen. So I guess a little under a year. I'll finish high school out there and then come home."

Sam looked at her, "You probably won't finish high school."

Now it was Sookie's turn to look hard an uncompromising, "Well, I'm going to have to figure it out somehow, aren't I? I'm going to need a high school diploma in order to get a good job when I get back."

Sam regarded her carefully, "You tell people you waitressed here if you need to. And chere, I want you to come back. I love you."

Sookie leaned in to kiss Sam, "I love you too Sam. It's just temporary. I'll write you once a week."

Sam nodded. "I better get back to work."

Sookie nodded too even though they both knew there was no one in the restaurant to worry about.