Sookie and Hugo ran up the stairs, with Sarah and Jason trailing behind. Jason wobbled woozily on occasion, but otherwise managed to keep up.
"Jason," Sarah whispered. "How do you know her?" Her voice dripped with undisguised jealousy.
"Oh, Sookie's my sister," he whispered back.
"Oh," she said, sounding relieved. Then her forehead wrinkled. "But, didn't you say your sister was dating a-"
"Vampire," he finished.
"That's Bill, isn't it?" she asked, incredulous. "The Bill we've got to get to?"
"Yeah," he replied. Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. Jason halted, waiting for her. Conflicting emotions contorted her lovely face.
"But Jason," she began. "I thought- "
"No," he cut her off. "I'm going with my sister. You can come, or you can stay." His grey eyes stared into hers impassively.
"I- " Sarah's eyes filled with tears. "I just can't, Jason. I'm sorry. I'll leave here with you, but I won't go to those… those things." Her voice gained an uncharacteristic harshness as she spat out the last word.
"Fine," he snapped and grabbed her hand, pulling her after Sookie and Hugo. Darkness still hovered when the group reached Steve's Escalade. Sarah pulled keys out of her pocket. She started to hand them to Jason when she stopped.
"Jason- you really mean to go with them? You won't stay with me?" Sarah closed the distance between them with two gliding steps. "We could go, just us, wherever you want." She tilted her head and looked into his face with tear-streaked eyes. "God wants us to be together, I know it. If I didn't believe that, I never would have…"
Sookie watched Jason's face shift into an all too familiar mask of fear and awkward guilt. She'd seen that expression every time one of his conquests got… too serious. She didn't need to listen to his thoughts to know what was on his mind. She'd seen the rest of the story all too many times. Sarah's bright blue eyes narrowed with sudden understanding.
"But you don't, do you Jason? You don't love me, do you?" she almost whispered, her hand flying to her mouth. "You don't even love God, not really. All you ever cared about was…" she trailed off, glaring first at Sookie, and then back at Jason. She gasped. "You never cared. You were a liar from the start! You were working for them!" She delivered a vicious slap to his cheek. He shook his head, bringing a hand to his temple and shutting his eyes.
"Sarah, no, I never-"
"Never what? Never lied?" Her hysteria grew with every screeched syllable. "You tricked me, Jason Stackhouse, and you are going to Hell!" she screamed. Sarah stuffed the keys back in her pocket and ran back to the church, leaving the echoes of her sobs behind. Sookie went to place hand on Jason's shoulder. He gazed at her with teary, slightly vacant eyes.
"Sookie?" he asked plaintively.
"Yes?"
"Why is life so confusing?" His voice wavered.
"I wish I knew," she confessed. "We need to get back to the hotel."
A damp evening breeze circulated with the ceiling fans, carrying the scents of hot wings and sizzling burgers. Clinking glasses and silverware punctuated the hum of the usual dinner crowd. Sookie's eyes scanned her tables, making sure no customer's drink went unfilled. Hoyt and Jessica shared a booth in the corner while Tara chatted with Lafayette behind the bar. Sheriff Andy Bellefleur occupied a booth by the door. He had gracefully accepted the promotion when Bud retired. He swirled iced tea in a glass while watching the other occupants of the restaurant.
"How's it goin, Sook?" Sam asked. She nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Jesus, Sam!" She pressed her palm against her heart, feeling the accelerated pulse. "You just about scared me to death!"
"Sorry, sorry! Where were you?" He grinned at her.
"I was just thinking about taking an extended vacation. I don't know how long." Sam frowned.
"An extended vacation?" he asked. "Why?"
"I don't know, Sam. Since Bill…" her voice quavered, and she steeled herself to say the words. "Since Bill died, I just haven't felt… whole… in anything. I think I just need to get away… from everything. And I don't know for how long." She stopped and looked at him, wondering if he believed her. He met her gaze and stared into her eyes for a time. Then he sighed.
"Aw, Sookie, you know you'll always have a job here. Take your vacation, do what you need to do. Just heal, okay?" His eyebrows furrowed in concern. ~ I bet she's going with a vampire. Probably the blond one. But staying around here isn't helping her at all. She's fading. Been fading. ~ He nodded.
"When do you leave?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied. Her eyes watched the floor, unfocused. Later that night, she rolled down her driveway to find Eric Northman waiting patiently on her front porch.