A/N I realize these chapters are shorter than most stories, but I just feel that each chapter has a certain action it needs to tell, so I've left it at that. I've got about 9 chapters done so far, so rest assured, more is on the way! Everything belongs to Charlaine...

She ran up the walk to Sam's condo. She pounded on the door, and she could hear her best friend inside, hollering, "I'm coming, hold your horses..." as he made his way to the door. She was still pounding when he yanked it open. He took one look at her, messy hair, face red from crying in the car, eyes swollen. "Oh, shit."

She almost fell past him and onto the couch. "What did that fucker do?" he growled.

"He... he cheated, Sam. He cheated. And there's a kid involved." She didn't say anything more before she was wrapped up in Sam's arms, crushed against his chest. She sobbed against him, gripping his t-shirt tight in her fist.

"Oh, cher..." He rubbed and patted her back, and she almost, almost smiled at his words. You could take Sam out of Louisiana, but you couldn't take Louisiana out of him.

He rocked her softly, until she had cried herself out. She pulled back and looked at him, her face ravaged with a pain she never knew she could feel. She stumbled out the story to him, and when she was done, he roughly pulled her into his embrace again and held her tightly as she sobbed once more.

"Shit, cher... I was afraid of this when you first met him. I mean, actors are known for it, pretty much. But, you guys have been married so long, and I was finally thinking maybe he could pull off monogamy. I'm so, so sorry, hon."

She looked up at him through tear stained lashes. "I have to go, Sam."

He looked confused. "Where? Where do you have to go?" Behind him, his phone started ringing. It went to the answering machine, the caller hung up, and the phone began to ring again, non-stop.

They took one look at each other, and knew it was Eric.

"I have to go to the hospital, Sam. I have to see her, see if she's his," she choked out.

"Sook, are you sure you want to...?"

"Yes!" she said, looking around her. "Oh fuck, I must've left my purse at home when I ran out..."

"Sookie, don't worry about your purse. I'll drive you down there." Sam's voice sounded resigned.

The whole way to the hospital, neither one of them said a word. Sam drove quickly, his face hard and set. He had barely pulled to a stop in the parking space when she was out the door, on her way to the E.R. entrance. He hurried to catch up behind her.

Before she could step foot inside, a woman came out carrying a little girl. The woman was beautiful, tall and lean with lovely caramel skin and long hair extensions weaved down her back.

The two women stopped dead and looked at each other, knowing instantly who the other was. The little girl raised her head, and Sookie could see she'd had some stitches, near her hairline, and she had a large bruise. But what hit her like a ton of bricks were her eyes - vibrant, beautiful blue. Eric's eyes.

Behind her, feet pounded on the pavement. Without turning, she knew it was Eric. She heard the little girl ask, "Mommy, who's that?" She turned to Sam, her vision tunneling, and fainted, straight into his arms.