Okay, I had no intention of posting this until tomorrow, but I got excited ... so here we are ...

I'm not sure if I'll continue to post on Monday's from now on, or if I'll stick with Tuesday's in the future. I guess I'll figure that out when the time comes! LOL!

Also, I'm undecided ... I may post a teaser of Chapter 3 tonight, or I may wait until tomorrow.

Before I go any further, just a reminder that I own nothing. SVM is Charlaine Harris' and the song Changes belongs to David Bowie.

Anyway, here's chapter 2 ... hope you enjoy it!

The service had been lovely, but Sookie hated funerals so she was more than glad to see it was over. People were finally starting to trickle out of the gates. She'd excused herself a few moments early, not feeling well; pretty sure it was a mix of her massive hangover, the cocaine - or rather its effects wearing off - and the hot, summer sun; not to mention all the emotion that came with losing a good friend.

God, she missed Pam. She'd just buried her and was about to meet with her lawyer about her will, yet she still found it so incredibly hard to believe her best friend was really gone.

She wished she could just go home and go back to bed, but she still had one more item of business she needed to take care of today, so instead of leaving, she sat on the curb at the front gate of the cemetery, sweating in the sweltering heat, as she waited for Lafayette, who hadn't made it out yet.

She wished he'd hurry. His pick-me-up had really run its course and she needed a little more if she was going to make it through her meeting.

She'd received the certified letter from Desmond Cataliades yesterday and hadn't been surprised at all. Shortly after adopting their daughter Hannah, Pam, and her life-partner Indira, had made no secret they were planning for their futures. That had included drafting wills; although Sookie was pretty sure neither of them expected they'd need them so soon.

Sookie, sure as hell, hadn't thought they would.

It had only been a few short weeks ago when Pam had last mentioned it to Sookie.

They'd been at their favorite sushi joint, sharing a plate of fresh salmon, as they sipped on warm apple sake, when Pam had brought up her will.

"I'm leaving you all your paintings," Pam informed her, matter-of-factly, as she reached with her chopsticks for another piece of salmon. "You painted them and I see you in each one of them, so I just feel like they should go back to you." Over the years, since they'd met, she'd amassed quite a collection of original Sookie Stackhouse works. She'd purchased several and been gifted a few as well. "Well, except for the one you painted for Hannah. I think I'd like her to have that one."

Sookie agreed; at least about the one she'd painted Hannah. She wasn't so sure about the rest. Sure, she'd painted them, but that didn't mean Pam had to give them back. It was just weird. She shrugged it off, figuring it was all the death talk. To her it was slightly morbid and not something someone as young as Pam should be thinking about; at least not yet.

Now, she understood it all too well, though. Pam had been right to plan because even though you never think it's gonna happen to you or the ones you love, people died young every single day.

It was certainly a huge and ugly lesson learned for such a free-spirited soul, and she really wished neither Pam, nor Indira, would have been the ones who'd imparted it to her.

*s*S*s*

Eric patiently waited in the conference room at the law firm of Desmond Cataliades. He'd rushed over from the funeral, only to find the lawyer to be running late. He still felt like shit and the sunny, hot and muggy, June weather he'd had to suffer through at the funeral - in a dark suit and tie, no less - hadn't helped. He'd removed his jacket and tie, leaving them in his car, and rolled up his sleeves, so he was much cooler; especially inside the air conditioned office, but still felt as if he could puke.

Water. He needed water.

He stood to go find some and was surprised to almost collide with Pam's younger sister, Ashley, as she walked in, carrying Hannah. He was pretty sure the meeting was about Pam's share of the club and just hadn't expected anyone else to be there; although he supposed it made sense, since she'd intended to, more or less, leave her half to Hannah.

They'd talked about it a couple months before, shortly after Hannah had been born. Pam had explained she and Indira had begun sorting out their affairs, since they now had a family to think about.

He really hadn't taken her seriously at the time – she was only thirty – but he understood the importance of her planning and appreciated she'd considered him in it. She easily could have screwed him in the deal, but she'd planned it in such a way that it was more than fair for everyone involved.

The arrangement was simple. The club would remain under Eric's complete control until Hannah came of age, at which time she'd have the option of becoming a partner or selling her half. If she chose to sell, Eric got first dibs. If he chose to sell in the meantime, half the profit from the sale would be set up in a trust for her.

"Oh … Hey, Ash," he said. Her arms were full between the baby, the baby's bag, and her own. He reached toward her. "Here, let me help you."

"I've got it, Eric. But thanks, though." She smiled then amended herself. "But if you wouldn't mind helping me pull out a chair?"

Eric pulled out the chair beside his own and Ashley placed Hannah's carrier on it. After dropping their bags beside it, she then pulled out a chair for herself, plopping down into it as if she was exhausted.

"I was just gonna go find some water. You need anything?" he asked before resuming his course out of the room.

"No thanks, Eric." She leaned over, dug into Hannah's diaper bag and pulled out a bottle of Fiji for herself, and a bottle of formula for Hannah, showing him she was good to go.

He couldn't help notice how tired and stressed she looked; not that he wouldn't have expected as much. He felt, and probably looked, about the same way.

Losing his good friend and business partner so suddenly hadn't been easy for him; not by a long shot, but for Ashley, he knew it had to have been so much worse. Not only had she lost her sister, she'd lost the only family she had left and on top of it, now, she'd have to become a parent to Hannah.

There was no telling how much more she'd lose before it was all said and done. He'd seen it firsthand when Pam and Ashley's parents died and Pam, at nineteen, had to take in her nine year old baby sister. They'd actually lived with Eric for a bit during that time and he'd seen what all Pam had had to give up.

It was going to be a long, hard road for Ashley and he couldn't even fathom what it'd be like. She had to be worried and terrified. She was only twenty and about to start her third year at Tulane. She was supposed to be going to parties and interviewing for internships, not being a mom.

Hell, he was worried and terrified for her, seeing as how he was a twenty-nine year old man who was financially secure and owned his own business, and despite that, still nowhere close to being ready to settle down and have kids.

He knew Pam had probably set her up financially speaking. Pam was a saver, a skilled investor, and a very hard-worker, and he knew she'd amassed quite a bit over the years, so Ashley'd at least have no worries in that arena, but he was sure there was a lot more that went into raising a child than cold hard cash and he hoped for Ashley, at the very least, none of it got in the way of her finishing her degree.

Lord only knew, Pam had worked a lot of long and hard hours to make sure she would be successful enough to afford her sister an education; all while attempting to get one herself, and it had been a struggle. He'd tried to offer help to her then, but she'd stubbornly refused, wanting to do it all herself. He thought it would be a shame to see all of Pam's hard work go to waste and her sister get trapped in the same situation she had.

He found a soda machine down the hall, settled for a Sprite, and promptly headed back to the conference room, since the meeting was already running late. He didn't want to be the reason for anymore holdups.

When he arrived back he stopped in the doorway, surprised to find yet another person had joined the meeting. A blonde woman was sitting in the chair beside Ashley and it looked like they were having a moment he shouldn't interrupt, so instead of continuing inside, he stepped to the side and waited by the door.

He couldn't help but listen in. He had to know when it was safe to return, didn't he?

"I'm here." Ashley said; her voice a bit shaky. "I can at least say that much." She was starting to cry. "I miss her, Sookie."

Sookie.

He'd heard of her, but was pretty sure he'd never actually met her; although Pam had talked about her a lot. From what he'd heard, he didn't have a very high opinion of her; not that he had a high opinion of anyone, really, given his general dislike of people. He'd thought she sounded like an irresponsible brat who got wasted all the time - not that he didn't drink too much himself - but all the Sookie stories entailed way more than just booze, usually.

Aside from that, he knew she was an artist. Pam had several of her paintings, none of which were his taste in art. He never could figure out what Pam saw in the artsy crowd she hung out with. Pam always said they were bright and creative souls, albeit a little eccentric, but to him, they were just plain weird. But he guessed he was about to find out what she saw in them, now, seeing as he was about to meet Sookie Stackhouse face to face.

It was far from a pleasure.

Oops! I almost forgot ... Thanks to Northwoman, my wonderful beta! She's betaing chapters left and right and she's giving me no excuse to not get these out to y'all weekly!