A/N: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris. The mistakes belong to me.

Chapter Seven - It's Kind of Weird

Horrified.

I had thought that when I graduated from school and moved out of the frat house, this wasn't supposed to happen until I had children, and then, they were really supposed to save it for Auntie Pam. I felt frozen in some kind of awful, foul smelling nightmare, unsure of how to proceed or what to say. If I did speak, I was afraid what might come out wouldn't be supportive and concerned. I was afraid to move a muscle, but I didn't seem to be the only one. Sookie hadn't moved a muscle, still bent over to one side of me, and Bill and Lorena stood just inside the bathroom door, eyes wide at what had just happened, and seemingly as equally frozen.

My mind traveled a million miles an hour, fighting over what I needed to do versus what I wanted to do. I wanted to get out of this tuxedo and into a shower as fast as fucking possible. That was really at the top of my list, but without any other options here with me, it would require going home. That was just fine, since I wanted to leave. I wanted to forget the fact that Sookie of all people had just thrown up on me and I really wanted to forget that Bill and Lorena had been there to witness it. I also really wanted to punch the both of them in their fucking faces, consequences be damned. What did I need to do though? I needed to make sure Sookie was okay. Everything else, even the fact that I was covered in a champagne stomach soup, needed to move to the back burner until I knew she was going to be fine… or as fine as one could be when their entire life seemed to just turn upside down in front of them.

I slowly lifted one of my hands and Bill flinched backwards, deeper into the bathroom, but I ignored his not unfounded paranoia and rested my hand on the small of Sookie's back. "Sookie?" I rubbed her back in small circles. While the gesture was familiar and would've been intimate in any other situation, this decidedly wasn't. I was just concerned. "Sookie, can you stand up? Let me help you, I can get you out of here."

A laugh erupted, but it wasn't coming from the hunched over girl in a evening gown and instead from the haughty bitch in the bathroom. My hand not burning from the contact with Sookie clenched into a fist, but I refused to lift my eyes to look at what I was sure was a very amused Lorena. I could only focus on one thing right now. "She's such a child, William," her voice said, and I felt Sookie's back tense beneath my hand. I braced myself for a round two. I wasn't going to move. I wasn't going to let Sookie think she had done anything wrong. She hadn't. "I've said that from the beginning."

"Enough, Lorena," the tool snapped back with a hard edge in his voice. "This isn't about you." I was pretty sure he was wrong about that. "Sookie, sweetheart…" His hand reached forward and touched her shoulder, and Sookie's body jerked upward into a standing position as she shot away from both of our touches like they scalded her. Her wide eyes were bloodshot and tears ran unconcealed down her face. Her bare shoulders rose and fell quickly as she took short breaths that only seemed to fuel her unending stream of tears. Her beautiful, golden hair that I so often longed to run my fingers through was now a mess and matted with the remnants of what I was sure was also running down my legs right now. I refused to look down at myself in order to verify that.

She looked between the three of us, who all seemed to be frozen in the awful nightmare once more. In my line of work, I considered myself a master of reading expressions. It was a necessary talent to have, to hear the things people weren't saying, but when Sookie's teary eyes met my own, I found myself at a loss. It was unreadable and distant, detached yet determined. I didn't know what to make of it. The only thing I knew was I didn't like it.

"This is ridiculous!" For the first time since Vomitgate, my eyes left Sookie in order to narrow at Lorena. It seemed stupid to think she'd be at all concerned about Sookie given the situation we found ourselves in right now, but she couldn't even politely fake shame. I wondered if her heart beat at all. "I don't have time for this insipid foolishness!" She shoved past Bill, lifting her skirt to walk carefully out the door to avoid the puddle pooling around me. "Are you coming along, Bill?" The way her icy words were delivered, she didn't seem to be really asking at all.

"No." My narrowed eyes moved to him for the first time and I was pleased to see he looked as sick as Sookie had just been. Good. If he thought he'd get away with tossing his cookies on me though, I'd be happy to show him just how wrong he was.

The douche's answer had been the wrong one. "A mistake you'll regret," Lorena spat, looking deadly before turning and storming off down the hall, the sound of her high heels on the granite floor the only sound surrounding us until it faded to nothingness. I wondered if I looked at him the same way as she did, because I sure as hell wanted him to turn tail and run with her until he reached whatever hole in the ground it was he had crawled out of. If he wouldn't return to it willingly, I would volunteer to make the choice for him.

"Leave us and clean yourself up," the tool sneered at me and my eyebrow shot up. Did he really think that I'd take instruction from him of all people? Or that he was in any kind of position to order me around? I'd give him points for bravery, but they wouldn't make up for how many he lost for being fucking stupid.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I require a private word with my fiancée. She is owed an explanation that you are not." His arms crossed in front of his chest, adopting some alpha male stance he really didn't deserve. Did he think I found that intimidating? Who the fuck did he think he was kidding?

"I don't recall hearing Sookie say she wanted a private word with you." I couldn't really imagine anyone wanting to speak to him now or ever, least of all Sookie. I didn't know how he had ever convinced her to go out with him, let alone marry him, but it was obvious now he really didn't deserve her. I wouldn't let him anywhere near her ever again if I could, and I wouldn't leave her to face him alone.

"She is my fiancée. I can have a private word with her when I want or need to. You're not entitled to deprive me of such."

"And you're hardly entitled to tell me what to do or where to go."

"You're covered in filth."

"Yet I still look and smell like fucking roses when compared to a sack of spineless, sad shit like you."

"Stop it! Stop this stupid posturing! Both of you!" Sookie's sudden, sobbed shout made both of us freeze again, both sets of eyes turning to look at her. It was the first time she had spoken and I found my chest tighten now that she had. It broke a part of me to see her so broken.

"Sookie, we need to talk…"

She cut him off with a shake of her head and I found myself smirking smugly, glancing from her to him in order to catch his wounded expression. She extended a shaking hand outward to him. "Give me your keys."

He sputtered like a fish out of water and I had to try not to laugh. "What for, darling?"

She took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes with the hand not waiting for the keys. She squared her shoulders and stood tall. She may have been broken, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of thinking so or seeing it. At that moment, I might've been in love. "So I can get myself back to Bon Temps."

Before I could volunteer to help her, Bill was answering… or more like trying to claw his way out of the hole he had dug himself and back into her good graces. "And what about me? We need to talk about this like two adults. We can work through this. I know what you might be thinking, but it isn't what it looked like."

She snorted. "I may be many things, Bill Compton, but stupid isn't one of them and I'm pretty insulted you think you can even try sayin' something like that right now." I'd noticed the accent she had probably spent the last few years repressing always came out more when she was upset. I loved the sound of it. I would've smiled if the situation and conditions were different. "I've given you the benefit of the doubt too many times, but that's on me, and I'm not makin' that mistake again. We've got nothin' to talk about. It isn't talkin' you want to do anyway. You just want to make more excuses, but I've heard 'em all before. You're workin' late, you've gotta go outta town, you're just friends, it's innocent, I'm pushin' you away being so suspicious when you haven't done anything wrong…" Her voice trailed off as her blonde head shook back and forth. I was fucking proud of her. "No more. Give me your keys."

He fumbled awkwardly, delaying what Sookie seemed to have her mind set on before reluctantly dropping them into her outstretched hand. He glanced at me and his face hardened. "We will discuss this when I reach home."

"You won't be returnin' home tonight if you know what's good for you, Bill," she argued right back and despite the seriousness and finality of the mood, I let myself smile a little. "The Sheriff was a good friend of my daddy's and Jason went to school with the Deputy. I've known 'em all my life and if you think they wouldn't haul you off to the station without askin' a single question, you're mistaken. Or worse for you still, I could call Jason and Tray." I actually grinned. If she didn't, I just might. "Both of them are real good with a huntin' rifle. Did you know people go missin' from Bon Temps all the time never to be seen from again? The woods around town are real thick like. People from out of town don't know what they're gettin' into when they go for an innocent walk in the woods. Lots of wild animals runnin' around in there."

So fucking proud of her. Bill's mouth gaped. I wanted to laugh. "Are you threatening me, Sookie?"

"Nope, I'm not threatening you. I'm doin' the fair thing and warnin' you. You won't be returnin' home tonight. If I were you, I'd stay out of Bon Temps altogether tonight and lay low from now on. Word travels real quickly in a small town."

"It's my home!" He looked just as agitated as he sounded. "Mine. You can't expect me to just never return to it!"

"I need to gather my thoughts, on my own, without you hoverin' around me tellin' me we need to talk and makin' your excuses. You can come back Monday, but not a moment before then." It was my turn to frown as his face was suddenly flooded with hope. She couldn't be serious, could she?

"Yes," he agreed with a nod of his head, his hands shoving into the pockets of his tuxedo pants. I kind of suspected he was playing with himself in jubilation over Sookie's forgiving nature. Personally, I was wondering if she was still drunk. "You're right, sweetheart. We need to let this settle and have our discussion when cooler, calmer heads can prevail." He stepped around the puddle pooled at my feet to reach Sookie and pressed a kiss to her forehead. I saw her flinch. "I'll get back to the fundraiser so no one is aware of this embarrassing little spat." He then turned to me. "No one who matters at least."

Fuck you too, buddy. Just wait until I get my hands on your cornflakes.

Without another word, he was retreating down the hall quickly (probably so Sookie didn't have a chance to change her mind), following the same path Lorena had taken. I had a feeling I knew where he'd be spending the night, despite the "misunderstanding" that had left him homeless for the next twenty-four hours. Was that really all the punishment he was going to receive? Once he had rounded the corner, I turned to look at Sookie, my eyes begging for some kind of explanation.

Any strength she had summoned for her exchange with the tool was gone now. Tears were flowing again, her bottom lip quivering as we stared silently at one another. "You should go home, Eric," she finally said as she brushed her hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry I…" She couldn't seem to muster the words and just gestured towards my soaked pants that I still couldn't look down at.

"I'm not concerned about that," I dismissed. Okay, it was a tiny lie. I was concerned about that. If I thought Pam cluttering up the common rooms of my house made my skin crawl, I really had had no idea. "I'm concerned about you."

"Don't be. I'm fine."

"You're not fine. No one would be fine right now. You just caught your fiancé cheating on you…"

"You were right!" she suddenly yelled, startling me into silence. She was the only person who ever yelled at me and every time I was shocked anyone would even try. "Is that what you want to hear? Fine. You were right, you were right, you were right. He didn't want to marry me. He obviously meant more to me than I meant to him. You were right, I was wrong, and-"

"I don't care about that," I interrupted. Is that what she thought I was after? That I was standing around in sick just because her misery was some personal victory?

"Then what are you doing here? What do you care about? Are you trying to say you care about me?"

"Yes." It felt strange to admit, especially to her, and it made me vulnerable, but I felt like it was obvious despite all of that.

She rubbed madly at her eyes and face. "Go home, Eric."

Fuck. That smarted. I didn't know what was the most injured… my pride or something more significant, something I wasn't sure I wanted to think about.

She stormed into the bathroom, tossing an expensive towel at me that I caught before she slammed and locked the door right in front of me. I stared at in surprise before lifting my hands to it and pounding on the wooden divider. I was literally soaked in her misery and she was just going to walk away? Lock me out? I wasn't going to let that happen. "Sookie, you need to talk about this." I hoped I didn't sound like the fucking douche right now, even if we were singing the same tune. "We need to talk." I waited for some kind of response. I could hear her getting sick yet again on the other side of the door in between sounds that could only be described as sobs. "You can't drive like this. Let me get you home, or let me call Jason. Anything. Tell me what you need." I just needed her to let me help her in some way.

I could hear her crying. I hated the sound of it. "Go away, Eric. Please. Just go away."

I didn't know what to do, so I could only do as she asked.

I hastily and inefficiently wiped down my pants and shoes with the towel before laying it over the mess on the floor. I didn't go back in the direction Sookie and I had come from, the same direction Bill and Lorena had gone. Instead I continued down the hall, looking for some back exit for me to escape through unnoticed. When I found one, I stepped out into the night air, breathing deeply as I tried to clear my head. It didn't help.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Pam's. It rang three times before my sister answered with such a cheery greeting. "Where are you and why the fuck does it require calling me?" I could hear her moving somewhere more quiet as the sound of conversations going in and out around her resonated through the connection.

"Hello to you too," I responded tersely. I had to remind myself none of this was Pam's fault. Well, maybe some of the vomit was Pam's fault since I was pretty sure she had encouraged Sookie to down the champagne like it was water, but I don't even think the alcohol was what had made her throw up. "I'm outside. We need to get out of here."

"Why? What did you do?"

I growled into the phone before I could stop myself. I didn't want to explain over the phone, nor did I know how to explain this clusterfuck. "I didn't do anything, Pam. I just can't go back in there."

"I'm not leaving. I'm enjoying myself."

"What? You never enjoy yourself."

"Just because something prickly and undesirable has crawled up your ass and died recently doesn't mean we're all suffering from the same ailment, Eric. It's still early. If you need to leave, then leave. I'll find a way home."

I ran a hand through my hair, tugging at it, but unwilling to argue with her. I didn't really want to be alone, but Pam deserved her fun, even if I didn't want to know a fucking thing about it. "Fine. I'll see you later." I ended the call before she could say anything else or ask for any details of what had "crawled up my ass and died." Fortunately for me, the driver was easy to find and he was so pleased Pam wasn't with me, he didn't even ask any questions about the rancid smell that clung to me.

I ignored his polite small talk throughout the drive back to my home in exchange for staring out the window sightlessly. How had things gone to shit so quickly? One minute, everything had been going perfectly. Sookie and I were smiling, laughing, and even flirting. There was a level of unspoken, natural comfort between us and it seemed to be showing more than ever. And even though it had come at the expense of my tuxedo and dress shoes, I was glad Sookie had seen Bill for the tool he was. I should be on top of the fucking world.

But Sookie had done what she had done since I first met her. She closed up, closed down, and pushed all that bothered her away. In twenty-four hours, did she plan on pretending none of it had happened? Just like the kisses? Just like the heated looks that passed between us? Just like the innocent touches that scalded my skin? I wanted to believe that when she had told me to leave, she hadn't meant it, but it felt like I was just kidding myself. I didn't know where I stood with her. I had admitted I cared. She had told me to leave her alone.

I paid the driver in a haze when we reached my home. From his expression, I tipped him more than I meant to, but I couldn't be bothered to give a shit. I didn't go in through the front. Instead, I went into the garage, emptying my pockets before stripping out of my fouled clothing and tossing all of it into the garbage. I didn't care if my drycleaners could perform a miracle. I never wanted to see any of it again. I didn't want the reminder. I'd rather drop a couple grand on something new, something untainted, than remember the way Sookie had looked so broken while sobbing inconsolably when I had worn that one.

I dropped my phone, wallet, and keys numbly on the kitchen counter as I passed through it on my way to my room. The shower I took once inside my bathroom was nothing like the one I had taken a few short hours before. I had a lot to clean myself of. My legs and feet were actually the least of my concern now. I wanted to wash away the uncertainty. I wanted to wash away the rejection. I wanted to wash away all the memories of the night. I scrubbed until my skin felt raw and the hot water was running cold. It didn't help nearly enough.

I pulled on a pair of knit pants and weighed my options. I considered running until my legs no longer worked, but I wasn't sure I wanted to think anymore. I could get dressed again, call Jason, find out what bar he had parked himself at for the night, and drive there, waiting impatiently for whenever Sookie might call her brother for help so I could step in, but it felt like torturing myself. I wanted to be numb. I needed to be numb. I found myself a bottle of scotch, took it to bed, and drank until I fell into the solace of a dreamless yet restless sleep.

It didn't last nearly long enough.

The sound of what I thought was my doorbell pulled me abruptly from my slumber and my eyes blinked open to find my room still completely dark. A rumble of thunder echoed through the room from outside and a glance at the digital clock on my night stand told me it was quarter to four in the morning. "Fucking storm," I muttered, covering my head with a pillow from the other side of the bed. Storms didn't usually succeed in waking me up. I just seemed to have all the luck tonight.

And then the doorbell rang again.

I pulled the pillow off my face and stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out who the fuck would possibly come to my front door at this hour in the middle of a storm. Maybe Alcide was in the dog house? If he wolf-whistled at the wrong girl and fucked things up with Maria-Star after all the preaching he did to me, he deserved to spend the night on my wet front step. Jason and Tray only crashed on my couch when they were drinking in Shreveport and were drunk enough not to be able to navigate the dark country roads. They always gave me some kind of warning though, and neither had said anything when we had congregated in Jason's backyard.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. Pam.

I sat upright as a wave of panic rushed through me. Fuck. What could have happened? Was this one of those "we need you to come in and identify the body" visits like they showed on TV? Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. I scrambled out of bed in a hurry, the sheets wrapping around my legs causing me to fall over like a tree that had just gotten owned by a lumberjack. "Son of a bitch!" I cursed loudly, kicking madly at the offending cotton. My heart was racing so fast, I heard the sheet tear, but it gave me the freedom to get to my feet and out my bedroom door, where I promptly collided with…

"Amelia?" She had bounced face first off my bare chest and fallen backwards, landing with a thud on the polished wood of the hallway. The tiny silk robe she was wearing left very little to the imagination. I politely averted my eyes while blindly holding out a hand to help her off the floor. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She grabbed my hand and hoisted herself off the floor. "Thank you, Mr. Northman. I, uh, went home with Pam. She said it would be okay. I can leave once the storm passes if you have a problem with it." Before tonight, I hadn't known Amelia and Pam batted for the same team and I really could have gone forever without knowing. This was incredibly uncomfortable, even if I was breathing a little easier knowing Pam was obviously safe. Much as Pam would have in the same situation, Amelia seemed to need to make it even more awkward than it already was. "I had no idea you worked out so much, Mr. Northman. You're like a wall of really defined muscle. It's really impressive. It's almost a shame you have to cover it up in all those suits you wear-"

"I'm just going to throw this out there, but can we never talk about this again?" I asked and Amelia grinned at me. "And when you're in my house to screw my little sister, don't call me Mr. Northman. It's kind of weird."

Pam appeared at the opposite end of the hallway wearing a silk robe equally as minimal as Amelia's. Yuck. This had to be the worst night of my life. "Eric, if you're done flirting with my playmate, there's a situation at the door that requires your attention. I'm not sure what you want me to do with it."

"I'm not flirting with…" I cut myself off, shaking my head. It was pointless to argue when I was just relieved she was okay and really wondering what I was doing up at this hour. Maneuvering past Amelia and down the hall, I met Pam at the other end. "What is this all about? Is everything okay?"

"I don't really know," she answered. That worried me. "You'll want to see this though." I nodded and followed her to the door that was cracked open. It was pouring outside, I could hear it clearly now. She grabbed the door and pulled it open and there was Sookie, shivering underneath an umbrella being held by a strange man. He seemed impatient.

I rubbed my eyes. Was I dreaming now? I blinked open my eyes and she was still standing on my porch, staring at me. How much had I drank? I didn't remember getting through much of the bottle when sleep pulled me under. Without warning, Pam pinched my ass hard and I jumped. "What the hell was that for?"

She shrugged. "You looked like you needed to know you were awake, Eric. You never appreciate it when I am being helpful."

I ignored her and turned back to Sookie, opening the storm door. "Are you okay?"

Her head shook from side to side slowly. "No, not really." Her voice shook and she offered me a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I had nowhere else to go." I took a moment to look past her to my driveway. There, an unoccupied taxi idled, headlights on and windshield wipers going in their attempt to combat the weather. A few suitcases rested at the feet of the umbrella holder.

It should have made me panic. If it had been anyone else, I would have.

Instead, I reached forward and grabbed Sookie's arm, pulling her inside and out of the rain, to me. My arms wrapped around her and despite the umbrella, her body was damp. She shook against me and I could tell she was crying. "Pam, get the bags in and pay the man," I instructed while running my hand over Sookie's back, comforting her as best I could.

She huffed. "Does it look like I keep a wallet in this robe?"

I growled at her. "Mine is in the kitchen. Be "helpful" again and just do it." I knew she'd probably help herself to my cash and credit cards, but I couldn't really care. I pulled Sookie away from the door as the driver began sliding the wet luggage inside. I found myself at a loss. I didn't know what to do, or how to help her, or what to say for the second time in a single night. Pulling back enough to get a look at her, her eyes were wet with tears. I really hated seeing her cry.

"Hey," I began, lifting a hand to wipe the tears off her cheek. I didn't like seeing them. "It's going to be okay now." Would it? I didn't really know, but I'd do my damnedest to make sure it was. "Let's get you cleaned up and then you can tell me what happened, okay?" she nodded her head meekly and I grabbed one of the suitcases off the floor as Pam locked up.

"I feel so… domestic," Pam whined while pulling a face that made her disapproval obvious. I tried not to chuckle while taking hold of one of Sookie's hands. Her fingers wrapped tightly around mine, like she was afraid to let go. "While I'm being charitable, do you want me to start a pot of coffee?"

"How much will it cost me?" I asked while leading Sookie toward the hallway.

"Plenty, naturally."

"Yes, please." I lead Sookie down the hallway and to my room. I had fantasized about this moment since first laying eyes on her, but this was nothing like how I had pictured and how I dreamed. I flipped on the light switch, wincing a little at the brightness of it, as Sookie looked around curiously, her eyes settling on the mess across the floor.

"What happened?"

"I kind of fell out of bed when I heard the doorbell," I answered reluctantly and she laughed lightly. It made the whole situation easier to deal with. I lead her across the room to my bathroom and opened the door, flipping on the light switch in there before setting the suitcase down inside the door. "Get yourself cleaned up before you catch a cold. There are clean towels and everything else you might need you should be able to find. There's a robe on the back of the door you're free to use. I'll wait for you right out here, okay? If you need anything, just yell."

She nodded. "Thank you, Eric. I'm sorry about all of this…"

I cut her off with a shake of my head. "You have nothing to be sorry about… minus maybe the now ripped bed sheet that whipped my ass." She laughed again. "Now go. You're making me cold just looking at you."

She nodded again wiping away a few more stray tears before getting up on her tiptoes and kissing my cheek. It was fucking amazing how quickly such an innocent action could get a reaction out of me. I cleared my throat and she smiled before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. I needed to get myself under control.

Amelia in nothing but a tiny silk robe. Pam in nothing but a tiny silk robe. Maxine Fortenberry in nothing but a tiny silk robe.

And I was good.

But it didn't last. Once I heard the shower start and realized just how little stood between me and a very naked Sookie, I realized I needed to distract myself quickly. I pulled on a t-shirt before changing the sheets on my bed, anything to keep me busy. I didn't even realize the shower had turned off until the bathroom door opened and Sookie stood in the doorway, wearing a pair of pajamas and drowning in the bathrobe she had draped around her. I usually hated when my clothes were pilfered, but this was a sight I could get very used to seeing.

"Did you find everything okay?"

She nodded her head before walking out of the bathroom and taking my hand. "Thank you, again. I don't know how I can pay you back for everything you've done for me tonight…"

I shook my head while leading her out of the bedroom and back down the hall toward the kitchen. "If I didn't want to help you, I wouldn't. None of this is any trouble to me. I want to do it."

"Because you care?"

"Now probably isn't the time for you to be quoting what I said to you right before you told me to get the hell away from you."

She stopped walking and I turned to face her. "I'm sorry," she admitted and I thought she might cry again. I offered her a small smile to keep her from doing so. It really wasn't something I liked to see. "I needed to figure some things out and I could only do that on my own. Plus, you kind of smelled." She smirked. She fucking smirked at me. Ungh.

"Because you threw up on me!"

She giggled and suddenly I didn't mind that I had spent nearly an hour covered in it. "I am sorry about that-"

"You mean she actually threw up on you?" Pam's voice interrupted her and we both froze before walking the few feet that separated us and the kitchen. Amelia and Pam sat at the breakfast bar staring, looking like they were listening to (and now watching) the greatest soap opera of their lives. Maybe it was. "Tell me someone got pictures! I will pay anything for copies. I can see my Christmas card now."

Sookie blushed bright red and I cleared my throat while giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Pam, do you mind?"

"Not at all, Eric. Carry on. Please." It was one of the few times I had ever heard my sister say "please." Of course this would be the circumstances.

"Hi, Amelia," Sookie mumbled, clearly embarrassed. "Funny seeing you here."

She grinned back. "I was just thinking the same exact thing, Sookie." I was already trying to think of a way to bribe Pam's new bedmate to never mention any of this at the office ever. She looked at our connected hands and grinned even bigger. I promptly cleared my throat again while releasing Sookie's and pouring each of us a mug of coffee. "I guess it's obvious why I'm here." She looked over at Pam and the two of them exchanged a look that had me rolling my eyes. "So what are you doing here?"

Sookie blushed again, either at the fact that her co-worker and my sister had no issue with discussing their sex lives or the implication she might be in my home for the same reason. I wished that was the case, but not on a night like tonight. "I didn't have anywhere else to go," she answered quietly while taking a seat on one of the stools, next to Amelia. "Bill's been cheatin' on me with one of his co-workers. I found out tonight after Eric and I were done dancing."

"Bitchface?" Pam inquired, looking to me, and Sookie and Amelia's eyes shot quickly to me as well. I couldn't help but glare in return. Wonderful. Tell me not to tell my theory to Sookie and then reveal the fact that there was a good chance I knew. Thank you, Pam, I love you too.

I didn't owe Pam an answer, nor Amelia, but I figured I owed Sookie one. "The day Pam and I went to lunch, we saw Sophie-Anne with the woman I had seen at your home. It seemed suspect to me, that the woman and Bill would share a mutual acquaintance after he reacted so… well, insanely, pretty much, to the news that I had seen someone. I didn't have any proof though and didn't really think you'd believe me if I said something." I then looked to my sister. "Why must you have such a big mouth?"

"It's good for many things," Pam answered. "Isn't that right, Amelia?"

Amelia nodded much too enthusiastically and I groaned. Sookie blushed and quickly began talking, if only to stop them from elaborating. "I think I knew for a while. Things didn't feel right, but I wanted to be wrong. At least, I think I wanted to be wrong. He was a good man once, he treated me real good, and I felt special. I kept thinkin' maybe it was in my head or that I was doin' something wrong to make it feel like it wasn't right anymore." I couldn't ignore the fact that she glanced at me when she said that. I didn't think what was between us was wrong. The fact that she was here, now, told me that she didn't either.

"I told him not to come home until Monday, so I'd have some time to get my things together. I knew if I told him that's what I was doing, he wouldn't let me. I needed some time to think too. I started thinking 'bout a lot." Sookie took a drink from her mug of coffee and wiped at her eyes before continuing. "A little over a year ago, Bill decided he didn't want to have kids. We fought about it lots because I wanted a family. He had the procedure done without even tellin' me. A couple months later, Lorena gave birth to a daughter. I guess he just didn't want 'em with me."

Amelia reached over and started rubbing Sookie's back to comfort her and I was strangely jealous it wasn't me. "No, it's okay," Sookie insisted, that stubborn pride she had in her voice sometimes coming through again. "It could've been a lot worse. At least we weren't married. At least we didn't have kids. Once the shock wore off, I guess I just knew it was the right thing." She paused and looked at me, smiling as her cheeks reddened. "I'm just sorry the "shock" ended up all over you."

"Lucky for you, I was getting tired of that tuxedo anyway."

Pam cackled all over again.

Sookie blushed even deeper. "I got everything that was real important to me out of the house. I was thinkin' I could call Jason tomorrow and help me get some of the other boxes out. Good thing I haven't done much unpackin', isn't it? I'll start lookin' for places to rent tomorrow too and find out how much longer Tray's going to need for my car, if there's any hope there for it at all."

"Serendipity!" Amelia's sudden outburst earned a curious look from all of us. "I've been looking for a roommate since my last one moved out, Sookie. There's plenty of room for both of us and we could carpool to and from work."

"Really?" Sookie actually sounded excited and despite Amelia fucking up my coffee repeatedly and running into me in the hallway, I once more found myself thankful for her. "I wouldn't want to impose on you. We don't know one another that well yet…"

"Don't be ridiculous, we know one another plenty, and rent isn't getting any cheaper while I'm living on my own. You need a room and I have one. If you could get help moving your things out of your house, you could move in tomorrow. There's a bedroom and a bathroom you could have all to yourself and lots of room throughout."

Sookie bit her bottom lip and I found myself staring at it until I needed to look away or I was going to draw some really unnecessary attention to myself. "Are you sure? If you're not sure, don't worry about it. I'll find something."

"I'm positive, Sookie. I knew right away we'd become great friends and I can feel already we'll be great roommates. Say you'll do it."

Sookie broke out in a smile. "Okay, I'll do it." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the two girls were hugging and squealing in some nearly supersonic decibel. I didn't understand women and looked to Pam, but she just shrugged. Sometimes I forgot her balls were as big as any man's.

"I hate to break up the slumber party or Lifetime movie or whatever this is," Pam interrupted and both girls wiped at their eyes and sat back down on their stools. "But how did you end up here tonight, Sookie?"

Whatever question Sookie might've been expecting, that wasn't it. "Oh, well, I would've gone to Jason's tonight but…" She looked down at her hands as her voice trailed off. "I didn't want to be alone. Even though I'm sure he'd have taken me, it's a Saturday night, and you made it sound like you know how my brother is. He wouldn't have attention to spare on me or much patience for helping me out."

"Is that the only reason?" I asked, and Sookie's eyes lifted to me.

Pam looked between Sookie and I before standing from the stool she was sitting on. "Amelia, I think that coffee did the trick. I have energy anew. Let's make good use of it." In that moment, I was thankful for my sister again, though Amelia didn't seem to want to leave now, when the discussion had the potential to be gossip gold. "It was nice to see you again, Sookie. Eric is more eventful with you around." I narrowed my eyes at her, so she continued. "And anyone who can have him on a leash is someone I enjoy. If you happen to need a leash for him, I have a few you can borrow."

"Pam…" I warned.

"Just trying to be helpful," she smiled while leading the reluctant Amelia out. "Let me know if you need help playing with boxes tomorrow," she called from the hallway before her door closed tight with a snap.

Sookie and I just stared at one another silently until I wasn't sure I could take it anymore. I had to break it. I set my coffee on the counter and sat down next to her. "Is that the only reason you came here, Sookie? You called a cab and drove to Shreveport in the middle of a thunderstorm because Jason will be entertaining one of Bon Temps' finest?"

"What do you want me to say, Eric?"

"The truth."

"The truth is I shouldn't have come here," she answered, jumping to her feet, but she didn't move farther away. "I should go."

"At this hour? In this weather? You're not going anywhere tonight. Tomorrow, I can call Alcide and Tray, you can call Jason, and we'll help you get everything you have to Amelia's, but you came here tonight for some reason." She glared down at me and I sighed. "For fuck's sake, Sookie, you threw up on me in front of a tool and a whore. Can't you at least humor me with no games and a little honesty here? Just this once?"

"Fine," she snapped, arms crossing in front of her chest as she looked anywhere but at me. "The truth is I wanted to come here. It was the only place I could think of going. I regretted telling you to leave as soon as you were gone. Is that what you want to hear? Does that make you feel better?"

"Yes," I answered with a smile. "Was it really that hard to say?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"You're stubborn."

"You're insensitive."

"You're sexy."

A smile cracked on her face before she started laughing. I really was addicted to that sound. I wanted to hear it from her more, because of me. Her hands dropped to her sides and she sat down on the stool. "You said you wanted to take me on a date," she began, looking at the counter to avoid looking at me. "Do you still want that? I mean, you asked me to the fundraiser tonight, but I know I said no…"

"I still want that," I interrupted. "I already owe you at least one dinner."

She smiled a little and nodded her head. "You're not getting out of that. Home cooked and no cheating. I just don't know if I'm ready to date yet. I don't want to mess anything up by rushing into something else. I need to get my head on straight and settle back into Louisiana. A lot's gonna be changing for me and there's still issues like me workin' for you and what Jason might think and…"

"I'm not in a rush," I interrupted again. It was kind of a lie. I wanted her. I wanted her a week ago… badly. Every extra minute was kind of a torture. Things kept getting messed up between us though. I didn't want a bit of impatience to end things before they began. "I can date who I want to date. My life outside the office is personal for a reason. No one would need to know anymore than we were comfortable with them knowing. As for Jason, I can handle him." I'd get him drunk, tell him what I needed to, and hope for the best. "But it's not an issue until you want it to be an issue. I'm not going anywhere." That was the first time I had ever said that to a girl and it felt extra foreign because I actually meant it.

"Okay," she agreed with a small smile that reached her eyes. "Good. I feel a little better now."

I returned the smile. The knot that seemed to form in my chest when I had seen her so broken moments after finding Bill and Lorena in the bathroom seemed to loosen with her words. "Are you tired?" She nodded her head and I stood up, taking her hand. "Let's get you to bed."

We were down the hall and through my bedroom door when she pulled back on my hand, stopping me from approaching my bed and I turned to face her. "I'm not sure I'm ready for this, Eric. It's not like I haven't thought about it or don't want it too, but it's just too soon with everything that's happened. I'm not the kind of girl who jumps into something like that."

A smirk crossed my lips. At least her thoughts weren't far from my own, though I had no intention of voicing them in anyway. "I don't know what kind of a man you think I am, but I don't recall offering anything other than getting you to bed. I just need to grab a couple pillows so I can sleep on the pull-out in my workout room."

Her face turned bright red and her hands flew to her face to cover as much of it as she could as my smirk only got bigger. "Oh God," she mumbled through her hands. "I just thought… Can we just forget I said that?"

I laughed, releasing her hand and grabbing two of the pillows off the bed. "I don't think I'm going to forget it. In fact, I think I'll be replaying it through my mind repeatedly."

She grabbed one of the pillows out of my hands and hit me with it. "Eric!"

"Not the way I pictured you first screaming my name in my room, but I'll take it for now and you can bet I'll be replaying that in my mind as well."

She hit me with the pillow again. "You really are impossible."

I grabbed her wrist to stop her from hitting me yet again and looked down at her as her own face turned to look up at me. "And you really are sexy."

Our eyes were locked in another silent stare down before Sookie surprised me one more time. Her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me down until her lips were able to crash against my own. My arms wrapped around her, one hand pressing her to me as the other knotted in her damp hair. Her hands clawed through my hair and scratched down my back as our lips parted, working together, working against one another, tasting, exploring, memorizing. She moaned against my lips and I groaned against her own. Panting. Biting. It was hungry and hurried, but felt so right. Her hot breath on my face made me feel on fire, but I was burning from the inside out.

She pulled back gasping, her face flush, and I was breathing heavily right along with her. Her eyes were glazed with lust and I was positive mine were the same. "Bed," she panted and my eyebrows shot up.

"I thought you wanted to wait." Why the fuck was I protesting? Stupid, stupid, stupid…

"I meant for me," she smirked. Ungh.

"Oh, right, of course." I was hard as a fucking rock and completely disoriented. Sookie made it seem possible to get drunk on a kiss. I released my hold on her and picked my pillows up off the floor. I needed them now to conceal a prominent problem that she was to blame for. "I'll just be down the hall. I'll leave the door to the room open in case you need anything. You wouldn't want to accidentally walk into Pam's room. Trust me."

She giggled before leaning up on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek once. Her lips lingered before she whispered against my ear. "Thank you for everything. Goodnight, Eric."

Not helping…

"Goodnight, Sookie." I forced myself to disentangle from her and not look back as I exited my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I had to force one foot in front of the other to get to my workout room and found myself staring off into space more than once while transforming the couch into a pullout bed. I haphazardly threw some blankets on the bed before turning out the lights, making sure the door was cracked, and crawling in between the sheets. The makeshift bed was uncomfortable, but I couldn't think about it. My mind was stuck on the woman in my bed. She'd be the death of me.

I heard a door open and the sound of feet padding down the hall before the door to the workout room opened and the silhouette of the very woman who haunted my thoughts appeared. "Eric?" she whispered from the doorway. "Are you awake?"

I was awake in a couple ways. I was surprised at least one of the ways wasn't obvious. "Yes," I whispered back. "Do you need something?"

She moved into the room, looking down at me as I stared up at the ceiling. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Get in, but no funny business."

She grinned and crawled onto the bed, getting under the covers with me. She laid on her side, draping an arm over me and resting her head on my chest. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. Maybe Pam was right and I was a masochist. "I wouldn't dream of it."

She was the only one who wouldn't be dreaming of it.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I kinda adore you all a lot.

This was kind of a transitional chapter with some necessary stuff and kind of hard to write because of that. Next update should be much quicker.