A/N: Thank you to everyone who has either added me/the story to their favorite or who has put this story on an alert… I can't tell you how exciting it is to see each little message in my inbox!

In answer to a question about my previous chapter: I have purposefully changed the spelling of 'Niall' to 'Neil' – this is just to give me scope to play with the character if I have time.

From now on in the PoV of the person telling the story may change during the chapter. I don't want to keep writing "Name PoV", so instead look out for the little breaks (.-oOSOo-.) If the PoV is changing, then the letter in the middle of the break will give you a clue as to who speaks next.

And finally (for now): A HUGE thank you to PlonkerOnDaLoose & Valkyrien! I'm unbelievably grateful to them for their commentss and input which they manage to fit into their busy and hectic lives.

Disclaimer: These sheep do not belong to me, they are the property of Charlaine Harris - I'm just putting them out to pasture.

The Souvenir

Chapter 2

And so started my first ever vacation friendship. We chatted about books while everyone else piled on board, squashing their flight bags into the overhead bins, and then themselves into the cattle-class seats. The plane seemed so spacious when I first got on, being one of the first to board, but as it filled up I realized how cramped it really was. My excitement waned somewhat, but Lafayette's relaxed manners eased my fears. I couldn't tell if he was a hardened flier, or if he was just naturally calm; either way I was slightly jealous, as my stomach was starting to do flip-flops. I paid close attention to the stewardess while they ran through the safety procedures, but Lafayette just read his book. Afterwards he quietly said, "The chances of another Miracle on the Hudson are slim... We go down sister, we stay down. Simple as."

I gulped. This was a safe way to travel... right?

"Oh don't fret yourself girlfriend! I do this every year. I think I'd stop breathing if I didn't get my UK therapy."

For nearly eleven hours Lafayette and I gossiped like old school friends. We talked hair, makeup, boys, films, jobs, hobbies; every topic possible seemed to get covered by our girl-talk. The stewards came around several times, interrupting our conversation with warm plastic food and a couple of much-welcomed gin and tonics. My new girlfriend quietly grumbled about the food, saying he should have brought his own with him. It turned out that he was a chef at a relatively upmarket restaurant in New Orleans, and food was an important part of his life, not just his way of earning a crust (so to speak) but it sounded as though it was his mission in life to feed everyone he met.

"So what's taking you to the UK Sookie honey? Family, work, pleasure?" he asked, drawing out the last word with a naughty grin and raised eyebrows.

"Oh no, I'm avoiding men for a while I think. Things are always messy there. No, this is my birthday present: three weeks of fun and adventure. I have my first night booked for me, then I figure I'll chat to people and get suggestions on where to go. I've got no idea where I'm going or what I'm doing, I thought I'd just see where the wind takes me."

"Girl you just found you first zephyr! Come, stay with me! I'll take you places you never have dreamed of going in all yo' saintly white days."

I'd known him at this point for all of eleven hours and if I'd said no my life would probably have turned out so differently – But this was meant to be an adventure. Hadn't I just admitted to going with the flow? Here was my first opportunity to let fate take control of my vacation and experience something new. I could have been stepping into a whole heap of trouble, sure he seemed friendly and not interested in me in any sexual way... But how did I know that he wasn't going to take me someplace hidden and dark and end my life for me? But 'Crazy Sookie' answered, and she said, "Sure, why not!"

"Fabulous! I'm staying at a friend's on the edge of London for the first couple nights, then I'm headin to the Welsh Mountains. There's this lovely little farm I know that takes backpackers... I swear you ain't never tasted lamb 'til you've eaten Welsh Lamb wit' locally grown leaks and roast new potatoes! You absolutely has to come with me."

Not just a zephyr then, more like a whirlwind.

"Oh, and tonight, to beat the jet lag blues, you and me, girl, we going on the Razz!"

"The what?" I asked, confused and, by this point, mildly concerned I'd chosen the wrong answer to his earlier question.

"The Razz! The Razzle! Sookie, honey, we are going to PAR - TAY!"

.-oOLOo-.

I sat down next to this pretty blonde creature, and the moment she open her mouth I knew I had to get her to Pam's. It was painfully obvious that she was an innocent, probably raised in a small backwater town and never ventured far from it. Not that many people take kindly to sitting next to me on a flight, they often shift they judgmental asses in they seat so they're as far away from me as possible, which often isn't that far in such a sardine can environment – but Sookie was different. Her smile and laugh were infectious, intoxicating almost; if she'd been male I'd have been trying to get into those pants faster that you can say, Woooh! You's how big Lafayatte?

I met Pam on my first trip to London, many years ago, and through her I moved up from short order cook in a small time bar to head chef at a first class restaurant. She'd also saved me more often than I care to remember after I'd drunk a few too many and decided to get fresh with the wrong men. I was beholden to her, in ways I couldn't explain to you.

Sookie and I made our way through immigration, waited an age at the baggage collection, then passed through customs without any issues. That was a first for me, I often got pulled over simply for being different. We picked up the keys for her rental car, which turned out to be one of the smallest cars ever made. Sookie was okay, she's not exactly a huge woman, but being a big fucker I found myself exchanging one sardine can for another. I was half tempted to take back my offer of taking her to Wales, but the dollar signs that could result from the trip flashed before my eyes and I figured that a few hours of discomfort was worth it. Speculate to accumulate!

I could see she was still having doubts about staying with a strange man in a strange country, and believe me, they don't get much stranger than me, but I did what I could to make her relax. The flat was a three bedroom Penthouse in a gated community on the edge of Richmond, West London, the type of place that would cost you yo' soul to buy, probably the souls of yo' whole family too. When we arrived, I showed Sookie to the larger guest room, insisting she took a nap. "I'll wake you in good time to get ready before we go out. Trust me when I say you won't believe the type of attention you'll get at the places I'm gonna take you!" I promised.

.-oOSOo-.

"Well look at small, blonde and innocent! Aren't you sweet?"

I turned round and stared up at a stunning blond woman who seemed to be leering at me... I don't think I'd ever been ogled by a woman, at least not that I'd ever noticed, but then I'd never been to a gay club either. London certainly was turning into a city of firsts for me. Lafayette had been right about my lack of belief at the attention; I felt like a chaste virgin in a meeting of hungry vampires.

"Not really," I answered. Okay, lame, but I wasn't going to flirt with her, I didn't want to give her the wrong idea. Oh where are you Lafayette? I looked around desperately. Aha! I found him and beckon him to come and save me.

"PAM!" Lafayette knew this woman? "I see you's met Sookie! Isn't she adorable? She's not on the dark side though, bitch, so paws off!"

"How could you bring me such tasty treats to eat then tell me she's not al a carte?"

"Well if she wants to swop teams I'll make sure she knows she could do much worse than a nibble from you to show her what she's missing out on."

Swop teams? Oh! Hmm...

"I'm standing here you know!" I snapped, incensed that the pair of them seemed to be chatting about me as though I was in another room.

Lafayette put his arm around me in a comforting, fraternal way. "Look Sookie, Pam's a honey, she talks the talk and from what I hear REALLY walks the walk, choo know what I'm sayin', but she's actually a tame little kitten. She'll look after you if I happen to disappear." He grinned a very cheeky grin and winked, then looked over at young, dark and handsome in the corner who smiled back at him... Oh!

Ditched by a mate for a man! Well that had happened many times before, but never before had that mate been male themselves.

A/N: Yes, I know, I know, Eric's still not here, but he just rang! He said he's really sorry, he got stuck at the supermarket… he's going to try and join us for chapter 3, but the traffic's horrible out there.

Also - Lafayette's PoV is me tempting to write in his style of speaking, and not me being utterly unable to type.