I do not own this characters, I wish. I do enjoy putting these characters in situations, places both fun and very dangerous, so When Will I Learn deals with some pretty adult themes, so please be advised as such. Thank you.

Nearly Normal

Sookie had slowly risen to a waking state. She lay in bed with Bill beside her, what was even better was that she was nestled in the comforting familiarity of his big bed. She lay there… contented as a cat in the sun. Finally she stretched and sat up and slid naked from the bed. Promptly tripping on one of those stupid, red, some fancy designer-made high heels. She pushed it away with her foot, and hoped Bill never expected her to wear them anyplace other than in the bedroom. If he did, he was going to be disappointed!

After she showered and dressed, she stepped up to the side the bed. As always, she had to touch him… it was almost becoming a ritual! She wouldn't have cared if she'd had to take a mortgage out on the house… being able to wake in the same bed together was worth more to her than she'd ever imagined.

She walked to the door and eased it open. Jessica had explained how the seal worked. Hoyt had constructed a 'gray area' not unlike an air lock. The exception being it was a space between light-tight and regular exposure of daylight. The door was self-locking and self-sealing once she shut it. Sookie, Bill and Jessica were the only ones that were able to access the inside of Bill's new bedroom sanctuary from the hallway. The security of it was formidable.

Sookie had already been tossing around the idea of maybe having Hoyt do a much smaller version in one of the upstairs bedrooms at her place. Of course, it wouldn't require all the tricked-out features of his house; it would just be a place where the two of them could sleep together at her house. If the last week or so had taught her anything, it was that she dearly loved the idea of being able to wake in Bill's embrace.

She walked down the stairs and right outside; making sure the front door was locked as she left. She saw the dry spot next to Bill's car and figured Hoyt had spent the night with Jessica in her room. He must have just left; she could still see his footprints in the dew on the grass that the sun had not yet consumed. She got into Bill's car and started it up.

She had told him what she intended to do and he'd insisted she use his car. She didn't mind. Besides, she was excited over the idea of being able to buy a car in decent enough shape to not have to worry about it getting back and forth without breaking down!

Once home, she started coffee and went to the dresser and retrieved the cash. She opened the drawer by the phone and grabbed the calculator. She sat down with her first cup of coffee and carefully figured out how much money she had spent from her payment from Mr. Garth.

She and Bill had spent about an hour last night reading through and discussing the papers that Joe had sent. They both got a little hot-tempered at one point, but all-in-all, it had been productive. Bill had played devil's advocate, throwing her every possible curve of what could go wrong with a formal and legal agreement with Mr. Garth. Of course, there was the biggest kicker of all… she'd be answering to demons. A sobering thought.

That of course had opened the discussion about Eric and what kind of situation they might be in with that. While she had no intention of watching for herself, Bill had told her that part of the material on his DVD contained the dissolution of her agreement from Eric, all thanks to Mr. Gath's surveillance system.

Bill had also sprung a well-timed, as in, "being so sexually sated she could barely move" bombshell of sorts, yet to be thoroughly discussed. (Which basically meant they'd have a fight over it later…) he'd slipped up, and then admitted that the trip to Nassau wasn't as spur of the moment as she'd been led to believe. It was. Mainly because Bill was certain Eric was planning on trying something untoward once they left the relative fortress of the penthouse.

Bill told her the DVD was essential if Eric were to be stupid enough to challenge the validity of the end of their agreement. While she hoped Eric wouldn't be so dumb, she also knew that he was very much the spoiled little boy determined to always get his way. Because of the unique circumstance between Eric, Bill Jessica and Sookie… Eric actually could bring a charge before the AVL, even though she was mortal. It was all a part of the VRA passage and so it was good to know she had the ability to refute any lies spread by Eric.

It was also helpful that Bill was one of the higher-ups of the AVL. If Sookie had to state a downside, it would have to be Nan. The two women didn't quite see eye to eye. If Bill didn't have to work so closely with her, Sookie probably would have staked her by now. Of course, it was only fair to say that Nan would have dearly loved to rip Sookie's throat out. Politics.

So… every month to six weeks, Nan and a couple other AVL leaders met at various places and had a social, quasi-working get-together. Spouses and significant others were encouraged to attend, so Sookie put her best game face on and played along. It was a little easier now that there was another human in the mix. Two men and three women.

The vampire spouses were polite but that was about it, not necessarily happy about it, but polite. One of the human women was married to the High Ambassador. Sookie had had a very meaningful talk with her one night. The downside for Sookie of course was that she never intended to become vampire. Molly was planning on being changed on their fifth wedding anniversary when they were technically the same age.

Sookie poured another cup of coffee and added cream. She wasn't really all that upset about the trip. She would have been if she'd known before last night, but she did intend to point out to Bill that things would be a little less argument prone if he could manage to be a little more open in his plans. She suddenly snorted in laughter, well if she wasn't just the pot calling the kettle black!

She was just as guilty and she knew it. She shrugged and thought it was just human nature. That made her smile… to be able to think of anything regarding Bill as, human nature, made her feel as if she led a normal life. She probably shouldn't have been drinking her coffee when she thought that because she almost snorted hot coffee through her nose when she started laughing!

Normal! Ha! Nearly normal was the closest Sookie would ever come, and as she wiped up the coffee she dribbled on the table, she decided that nearly normal was good enough! It was time to leave so she poured her remaining coffee in a travel mug; made sure the coffee maker was off and left the house for the trip to Monroe.

XxXxX

Sookie walked into the Citizen's Bank and Trust lobby and was impressed. This was the bank that Joe had set her account up in. She was greeted by a pretty girl with a beauty pageant smile.

"How may I help you today?" Sookie almost laughed when she heard, "I swear to god… if Bob doesn't make me a teller by the end of this week, he's not getting any more hand jobs at lunch!"

Sookie coughed like she was clearing her throat and said, "I recently opened an account here and I'm wondering if I could sit down with someone and discuss some financial questions."

"Of course," she said brightly. "I'll see if Bob's available."

Sookie thought she might lose it, "Ah…" The girl looked up at her a little surprise on her face. "I don't mean to be rude but… might you have a woman I might talk with? There are some… sensitive…" Sookie purposely let her sentence trailing off and the young receptionist immediately filled in the blanks… "Hmmm, guess she's been burned a time or two!"

Sookie smiled and the girl pushed some buttons, a moment later Sookie was being ushered into the woman's office. She introduced herself, "I'm Melanie Fox Miss Stackhouse, it's a pleasure to meet you, please take a seat."

Sookie sat down and said, "Please, call me Sookie."

"Sookie it is! What can I do for you today Sookie?"

"Well, I was wondering if I gave money to someone, could I do it in such a way that they wouldn't know it came from me."

Melanie looked perplexed, "I'm sorry, I don't believe I understand."

Sookie smiled and said, "Oh that's okay… I should have just started from the beginning."

Sookie went on to explain about Merlotte's, the fire and her co-workers that were struggling financially because of the bar being closed. What she hoped to do was provide her co-workers with money to help them, but didn't want them to know it came from her. They were unaware of her financial circumstances right now.

Sookie was hoping that she could lead them to believe it was coming from an insurance payout of her bosses, rather than her. If they knew it was her money they would refuse or insist on paying her back and she didn't want that to happen.

Melanie thought for a minute and said, "Let me just check with someone and I'll be right back." Sookie was happy when Melanie thought that Sookie was doing a wonderful thing and if there was a way they could do it, she'd do all that she could for Sookie.

A few minutes later she walked back in with a big smile on her face. "Here's what we can do… we can have cashier's checks made up in your friends' names. Then we can send them or you can. Because of bank's privacy policy, even if they try to discover where the money came from, they will not be able to find the source."

"Now we can't imply there is any type of insurance payment involved with this money, that would be considered a form of fraud, but yes… we can provide them with the funds you want them to have, keeping you out of the loop entirely."

Sookie was thrilled and opened her purse to get the list she'd written; it included everyone at Merlotte's right down to the teenage bus boys. Sookie showed her the list and Melanie started the process. Tara, Terry, Arlene, Lafayette and Big John all got a thousand, and the others, lesser sums, the least being one hundred dollars to the part-time busboys, which was more than they usually got!

Once all the check were printed and sealed in Citizen's Bank envelopes. She shook Melanie's hand. She thought what Sookie was doing was extraordinary, which Sookie was a little embarrassed about, in her eyes, she was just helping her friends. That was how Sookie walked out with five thousand dollars in cashier's checks and on her way to the bonded delivery service Melanie had directed her to.

When she got to the office, she asked to type an enclosure letter and the woman told her to have a seat and type one up while she went to help another customer. Sookie made the letter short and sweet. Enclosed were the lost time payments for Sam's employees affected by the bar closure. She printed it and folded it into the package that would be delivered to Sam in a couple of hours.

The woman was done with the other customer and Sookie asked her to write the address to Sam because she didn't want her handwriting recognized. The lady thought it odd but complied. Sookie paid and the deal was done.

Sookie had an idea gaining momentum in her head. She needed to speak to Bill about it at length. She knew she would be facing pitfalls certainly… but the benefits could be epic in many ways. Sookie's mind churned all the way back to Bon Temps.

Sookie was seriously considering signing the contract with Garth & Associates.

Decisions

Sookie drove Bill's car to his place and then walked through the cemetery to get home. She stopped and talked to Gran for a minute, telling her about the trip, the fire and some gossip she'd heard about one of Gran's friend from the DGD. Sookie hadn't set out to, but as she talked, she sat down and pulled a few longer blades of grass from around the base of the stone, wiping away some dead leaves and a spider's web from the stone's corner.

Before long, Sookie found herself sitting in the warm grass with the sun on her shoulders and telling Gran what was happening with her and Bill. She described the special room she'd given him and sheepishly admitted that part of it was a bit self-serving, she hadn't realized that something so simple could make her feel so good.

Sookie's eyes closed and she imagined Gran and her, they were hanging sheets on the clothesline and the breeze was blowing them about. When Sookie and Jason had been little they'd pretended the wind was blowing the sails of a mighty ship, a pirate ship and she and Jason would always run just away from their reach. How easy pretending had been as a child. She could almost hear the wind in the sheets as Sookie told Gran about Joe, about what she'd been offered. She asked Gran, what she should do? … But as always, in conversations like this… Gran was silent.

Sookie opened her eyes and listened to the shrill hum of the cicadas. She was no longer hanging sheets with Gran; she was sitting with her hand on top of the stone. She was feeling a little sad. She said out loud, "Gran…. If I accept Mr. Garth's offer I could be making a lot of money… but I'd probably have to go to part time hours for Sam… maybe even quit completely!"

"I sure wish you were here to help me figure out what to do!" She drew her fingers along the carving of the letters in the stone and then sighed. She stood, patted the stone and told Gran she'd come back soon. She brushed herself off and set out for home. She arrived just in time to see Jason's truck come into the yard and park.

Sookie waved at him as he jumped down from the cab. "Jason! What are you doing here? I thought you'd come by tonight!" She'd reached him by this point and he threw his arms around her and gave her a big smacking kiss on her forehead.

"Well if it ain't the world traveler!" His speech was a little slurred and she drew back immediately and took a hard look at his face. He just grinned and she noticed it was not the same on both sides of his face. She was on her way to being very alarmed…

He released her and pointed to his jaw, "Dentist, still froze up."

"Oh my goodness! You really had me worried for a minute there!" They walked toward the house.

As Sookie unlocked the door she said, "Can you drink anything yet?"

They walked into the kitchen and Jason just mumbled, "Nope." But they still sat down at the kitchen table. Some of Sookie's favorite memories of her entire life revolved around this kitchen.

"So ya' been to Merlotte's yet?" Jason lisped.

"No I was just going to change clothes and run down there… I figure there's got to be something to do."

Jason tried to whistle and Sookie laughed, he just gave her a dirty look which made her giggle more. "I'd be careful if I were you…"

"Why?" Sookie's forehead furrowed.

"Sam's been on a tear over all this… hell; you know how he can be… I heard Terry Bellefluer almost bashed him in the head with a crowbar t'other day."

"Oh gees," Sookie exhaled loudly. "Great, I don't want to go there now but everybody and their brother knows I'm home so I have no choice."

"Sucks to be you…" Jason gave her a catbird grin and ducked as she tried to smack him on the way to her bedroom to change. He said, "I was hoping maybe you'd make me some soup for later when I can eat." He sounded clearly disappointed.

Sookie pulled a clean t-shirt over her head and said loudly, "Have you met the new checker over at Earl's?"

She was buttoning her shorts as Jason glanced, saw she was dressed and then stepped into her doorway.

"There's a new girl?" Clearly intrigued. "What's she look like?"

"Pretty, female, breathing… that fits your discriminating taste in women right?"

Jason put her in a headlock and tickled her as she tried to squirm away. "Cute… very cute." He really did sound funny.

She gave him a big smile and said, "Hey… bruised jaw, slightly swollen face, cute little lisp, buying a lowly can of soup because he's all on his own…" Sookie made a sad face with her lower lip sticking out.

This time she dodged the headlock and said, "Go line up some TLC for yourself Jason… I gotta go."

"Hey!" he said, "You went all the way to the Care-eye-be-an! What'd ya' bring me?"

Sookie laughed and said, "Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" She ducked back into her room and picked up a shirt off the dresser. She handed it to him and he shook it out to see what was on it.

It was an airbrushed t-shirt that looked exactly like a woman's body, with large, bare breasts, a narrow waist and a red bikini bottom. Across the top it read, "Do you look like this under your shirt? Call Jason!" with his phone number listed beneath.

Jason made a grab but she dodged him laughing all the way out the door. She turned and said, "Hey! Lock the door, would ya'?" He did and then he jumped off the porch and grabbed her as she headed toward her car.

"Glad you're back sis, cook for me this week?" He gave her one of his puppy dog faces.

She smiled and said, "I suppose… I promised Tara dinner, how 'bout we make it a grill out? You gonna be able to eat? She looked at him earnestly.

"Oh yeah! This was just a replacement filling, be good as new by tomorrow." He rubbed his jaw self-consciously.

"What was her name?" Sookie asked slyly.

"Bernie,"

Sookie's eyebrows raised.

"It's short for Bernadette…" she could feel he was desperate to avoid the subject.

"Annnnd…." Sookie drew out the word mischievously.

"She's bartending over ta Shorty's and turns out she's got a fiancé… big mother fuck…" Jason stopped when he saw Sookie's face. "Hey! She never said nothin 'bout being engaged'! I'm just sayin' I didn't know!"

"Let me guess? Lucky punch?" she was working hard not to laugh.

"Naw… sucker punch. Never saw the sumbitch, 'til he knocked me down!"

"Did you kick his ass?"

"You know it!" He grinned his dopey grin that looked dopier with the one side numbed and drooping. Sookie patted his arm and said, "Go make yourself look pitiful and get yourself some soup Jason." She stood on her tiptoes and lightly kissed his bruised jaw. "I'll call ya later, okay?"

He hugged her quick and headed for his truck, he waved the shirt over his head and yelled, "Thanks, Sook!" and was heading down the driveway while she was still letting the stifling heat out of her car before she got in. Once she did and started it up, it dawned on her that she should have asked Jason if he knew of any good cars for sale. Later, she thought. She was more concerned about Sam.

XxXxX

Sookie pulled into the employee's parking lot out of habit. As she walked to the bar, she saw the work vans of a newer company to the Bon Temps area. Sookie thought it was a nice thing of Sam to do for a new guy starting out. She walked past the van, a table saw and some other equipment and in the back door. A dumpster sat about fifteen feet beyond it. There was a lot more fire debris stacked in it that she had expected.

Even with the doors and windows standing open, she was startled by the lingering smoke smell. A jolt of fear ran through her… this all could have been gone! She shook the thought out of her head and made her way to the sound of Sam's irritated voice.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! You delivered an exhaust system for over a commercial grill! But there wasn't supposed to be a new grill! Just the hood!"

"No! No! I never ordered the grill! Because the one that is here already still works! WHAT?" Sam's voice raised two octaves on that last word. "Well, who DO I have to talk to? Are you kidding me?"

And with that Sam threw the phone across the bar, missing Sookie by a couple inches and shattering into countless pieces when it hit the wall.

Sam looked at Sookie and said, "What?" turned his back on her and headed to his office and slammed the door.

She stood there, her anger flaring. She was a hair's breadth away from stomping after Sam and letting him have it, when she realized just how serious this entire situation was. Instead, she walked over to the bussing station and picked up the sweeper and dustpan on a handle and proceeded to sweep up the many pieces that were once one of Sam's portable phones.

She took a good look at the pieces and the only thing she removed was the battery. It didn't belong in the trash anyway and Sam had a multi-handset set so he'd be able to use the battery in one of the other ones.

She dumped the debris into the garbage can and wondered if she should go knock on his office door. She decided against it, choosing instead to check out the kitchen repairs. If Sam wanted to talk to her after he calmed down, he'd find her. If he didn't show in fifteen minutes or so, she'd come back later.

Terry was standing inside the kitchen door and when he saw her, he smiled and said, "Good thing Sam doesn't have a better pitching arm." He shrugged a little.

"It's been bad, huh?" she said, looking over the changes in the kitchen.

"Yeah… it's been tense from time to time." Terry looked at her and said quietly, "I think the hardest part for Sam is he's so worried 'bout all a us…it's weighing on him heavy. We been trying to tell him, it'll be okay… times are hard for everyone but still… it's bothersome for him."

Sookie silently said a prayer for the idea she'd set in motion this morning and hoped it would help. Standing where she was with Terry she became aware of a huge box just outside the kitchen. "What's that?" she said, pointing at it.

"Oh man… pretend it's invisible because that thing is giving Sam an aneurysm."

They walked toward it and Sookie said, "I thought he wasn't replacing the grill." Terry glanced over his shoulder towards Sam's office and whispered, "He's not… that's why he's so flipped out. They were supposed to only deliver the hood, instead they brought the set of the grill and hood and he can't get them to come take it back."

"Oh… and the insurance won't cover it?"

"Guess not, beside that things got more bells and whistles on it that a merry-go-round! Even if the insurance would cover it, they wouldn't pay for this model!"

They both jumped like thieves caught red-handed when Sam said from behind them, "No shit… can't install it, can't get the idiots to come get it… I got half a mind to get my twelve gauge and vandalize the shit out of it and see what they'd do then."

Judging from the look in Sam's eye and the careful way Terry was slowly sidling away, Sookie wondered just how close to the edge Sam really was. Until then, she hadn't realized she was still holding the phone battery. Hoping to ease the tension, she handed it to Sam. "Thought maybe you could use it as a spare." She gave him a huge smile.

"Hey Sook," he said shamefacedly, "Sorry 'bout that."

She stepped over to him and opened her arms wide. He opened his and they stood there for a moment in a loving embrace. "Sam, I'm so sorry! What do you want me to do?" She relaxed her grip giving Sam a signal to let go. He was exhausted and his thoughts were zinging around his head like hockey players slamming each other into the boards of the rink.

With her hands on his upper arms she looked at him hard. "Oh my stars! When did you sleep last Sam?" He looked beyond awful. He had bags under his eyes the color of bruises and his face was haggard and pale.

"Oh, I'm sleeping some."

His mind told her otherwise. "You're coming home with me." Sookie said.

It took a beat or two, and then Sam said, "What!"

"Go get a change of clothes and get in my car, right now Sam… I'm serious!"

Sam stared at her dumbstruck. "Wha… are you crazy?" No! I can't…"

Sookie grabbed Sam's arm and dug her fingers into it. "Look around you Sam! There are qualified professionals working! There is no one that needs supervision, when was the last time you ate Sam? When was the last time you sat down and rested for more than five minutes!"

Sookie's anxiety over Sam's condition flowed forward suddenly, "Do what I'm telling you! NOW!" she yelled. To her surprise Sam just turned and walked away from her and into his trailer.

Terry said in a stage whisper from behind the dumpster, "Sookie get outta the line a fire just in case!"

For a split second Sookie questioned her tactics but the door opened and Sam stepped out carrying a garbage bag with something in it. He stopped for a moment like he couldn't remember what he was doing, then saw her and nodded. He then turned and walked towards her car.

Sookie turned to Terry and said, "As soon as he falls asleep, I'm gonna snag his cell phone and turn it off. No one bothers him until he comes back tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Sure thing Sookie. What should I do about the grill?"

"Did you see the paperwork?"

"Yeah… that's about a eight thousand dollar mistake sitting there."

"When are they installing the hood?" she said, her mind turning quickly.

"They're coming today… in a little while I think. Why?"

"Tell them to install the grill too."

"Oh… I don't know Sook…." Terry seemed a little overwhelmed and he was backing away from her as he spoke.

Sookie stepped forward and took his hand, "It's all on me Terry… As of right now, I'm in charge and I say, install it. Okay?"

Terry was supremely conflicted, his occasionally scattered mind began to race and Sookie squeezed his arm to get him to focus on her. "Terry," she said softly. "It's all gonna be okay, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay." Terry said. He hoped he didn't get fired over this but considering how unsuccessful Sam had been in trying to get them to take it back, maybe it was better off installed instead of getting rained on or wrecked by accident, or god forbid Sam losing it and shooting the shit out of it. He just shrugged and went back to washing the walls of the walk-in cooler to get rid of the smoke stains and smell.

XxXxX

Sookie made some scrambled eggs with cheese and breakfast sausage and was scooping it onto their plates when Sam walked from the bathroom, his hair still wet from the shower she'd made him take.

She put the plate on the table and said, "Sit."

He gave her a more "Sam-ish" grin and said crisply, "Yes ma'am!" By the time she finished buttering the toast, half of it was gone.

"Slow down Sam" she said softly and sat across from him giving him a smile.

"I guess since you went to the trouble of making it I guess I could at least taste it huh?" he said a little embarrassedly.

"Talk to me." Was all she said, laying her hand gently on his forearm.

Sam looked like he held the weight of the world on his shoulders. And, in his mind, he did. He didn't need to say it… he barely needed to think it. Merlotte's was a family. Maybe a pretty screwed-up family… but a family nonetheless. Sam started talking, Sookie kept reassuring him, gently reminding him to eat, without him even noticing, she took his empty plate and put her full one before him, and he ate that too.

She got him to stop focusing on the bar by asking if he'd heard she'd gone in the water when Bill took her to the Bahamas, gradually his voice and it's cadence began slowing, she opened herself to his mind for a nanosecond and knew he was almost out. She stood and was able to get him on his feet, then tucked into her bed. She covered him up and pulled the shades to make the room as dark as possible. She reached down and unplugged the phone by the bed.

As she'd told Terry she would, she picked up his cell phone and carried it out of the room with her. It was made by the same manufacturer of hers, so she turned it off and discovered that it used the same charger. A good thing because it was warning of a low battery. She plugged it in to charge and cleaned up the kitchen as quietly as she could. She didn't doubt that she probably could have set firecrackers off and Sam would sleep through them but still… he desperately needed sleep so she was determined to make sure he got it.

She poured herself a soda and grabbed the phone, her cell, her book and made her way out to the porch. She'd considered sunbathing but decided she just wanted to read. She lasted about fifteen minutes when she realized she wasn't even sure she'd turned a page. She put the book aside and drank the some of her soda.

She pushed the swing with her toe and watched a hummingbird zip from canna lily to canna lily. They were such a marvel to watch, a real gift of God in Sookie's eyes. Her phone rang and she answered it quickly, glad she'd remembered to unplug the bedroom extension. "Hello"

"Sookie? It's me Terry… ah, there's a problem."

Damn! Sookie thought to herself, "What's up Terry?"

"There's a delivery guy here and he says Sam needs to sign for this envelope?"

Crap! The checks! She jumped up and thought quick, she dashed into the house to grab her purse and said, "Let me talk to him."

"Hello?" It sounded like a young guy.

Sookie laid a lot of honey in her words when she said, "Hi, I'm going to ask you to go to your vehicle away from the man that gave you the phone."

"Um… why?"

"Because I need to explain something to you and it needs to be confidential so I need you to go to your truck."

She heard him say, "I gotta go to my truck."

As he was walking she said, "Can you contact the person that took care of that transaction?"

"Dianne? Yeah… why?"

Sookie willed herself to be patient. "Because here's the thing… long story short, I sent the package you're holding…. I can't let the people you need to give it to know it came from me. Therefore," she unfolded to paperwork she had taken with her after the transaction. "I need you to confirm with Dianne that I give my permission to allow Terry to accept the package."

"Gees… I don't know…" Sookie couldn't help but wish this guy was Butch. "Okay, here is the paperwork numbers…" she recited them and he said they were the same.

After a bit of wrangling, he finally got Dianne and between the three of them (and an additional $50 service fee) the delivery man was free to allow Terry to sign for the package.

When Terry came back on the phone Sookie said, "I talked to Sam, and we worked it out… you sign for it and then distribute the envelopes, okay?"

"Hold on," Terry signed, Sookie heard the driver head out and Terry was back on the line. "Sookie… man I'm really freaking about this!"

Sookie sighed and remembered to look at it from Terry's point of view. She said, "Look, Terry… I wasn't supposed to say anything because Sam wasn't sure when it was going to be approved, but there are envelopes that have checks in them for the employees. Sam worked out some kind of compensation through the insurance company. They issued the checks so please, just call the others and have them run down and pick them up. Sam is finally sound asleep and I just don't want to wake him, besides… you and Arlene need that money am I wrong?"

She waited, praying Terry would agree and had all she could do to keep from yelling, YES! when Terry said, "Well, so long as Sam will be okay with it."

"He will be Terry, he's been working so hard with the insurance company to make this happen. He needs this as much as y'all do." She could hear Terry opening the package. "Okay, yeah there's envelopes with all our names on them. Oh… here's mine." Sookie heard the paper tear and he suddenly said, "Holy shit! This here's a thousand dollars! "

Sookie could have cried with relief, "Terry, Terry!"

"Yeah, sorry Sookie… "

"It's okay, look I don't think everybody got the same amount, it was based on hours worked and stuff so tell the others to keep the amounts to themselves okay?"

"I will, I will… do you think it'll be okay if I give Arlene hers?"

"Absolutely Terry, that's an outstanding idea. Do you mind calling the others?"

"No problem! There's gonna be a lot of relief Sookie, we all needed this. You want me to bring you yours?"

"No… that's okay, I'll pick it up when I bring Sam back tomorrow."

"Oh hey Sookie…"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure about the grill thing?"

"Absolutely, if they have a problem with it, call me and I'll come back over."

"Okay… if you're sure."

"I'm sure and besides… just think of all the fun you guys are gonna have with a new grill!"

"Yeah… that could be okay." Terry said with uncertainty.

"Trust me Terry, and once it's installed and ready to fire up, maybe you should call Lafayette and Big John and give it a whirl before Sam's ready to open. We don't want you guys not knowing how the grill works can we?"

"Yeah… since they're already comi… oh hey, the grill guys are here."

Not surprisingly Sookie heard the dial tone. She just smiled, Terry wasn't big on goodbyes.

XxXxX

Sookie checked on Sam a couple of times and he was out cold. She'd left a note saying she'd be right back, in case he woke up, then drove to Merlotte's. The new grill and hood were installed and it was a thing of beauty. All she had to do now was figure out how to explain why it was there to Sam.

Unfortunately, the utility company had to hook it up and inspect it so they weren't able to use it yet. But the mood there was much improved. Almost everyone had come to pick up their 'insurance payout' so there was a lot of happy faces. Sookie pocketed her envelope from the stack on the bar, smiling happily, only she knew hers was empty. It wasn't long before everyone was washing something, even Coby and Lisa pitched in by rinsing out cleaning rags, picking up used paper towels and easy stuff like that.

Somebody fired the jukebox up and the music was helping make the work go by faster and a whole less tedious. Everybody threw some money in a kitty and Big John and Abe the busboy, ran down to the Chick Fill-It and grabbed a few buckets of chicken and sides. Everybody took turns digging in as the impromptu get-together turned into a party of sorts.

Arlene, Sookie and Big John's wife Brandi washed the seats of the booths and chairs, while Tom the part-time bartender got on a ladder and handed the various items that were higher that had soot or heavy smoke smell, down to be washed.

One of the things everyone agreed on was that this should be done at least once a year as it quickly came apparent that there was an awful lot of stale cigarette smoke and nicotine staining that their cleaning was really helping to freshen things up.

Sookie was handing Tom the now clean alligator head to be put back when she was startled to see Bill walk through the door. She'd been oblivious to the fact that night had fallen by well more than an hour!

She went to greet him giving him a peck on the lips, while a chorus of "Hey Bill's" went up. Sookie wiped her hands on a clean rag as Coby and Lisa came running up to Bill, chattering excitedly about all the things they'd done since they'd last seen him.

He turned to them and said, "Can you give me a few minutes to talk to your Aunt Sookie and then we'll chat?"

They agreed happily and Bill took Sookie's arm and led her outside, once in the night air he pulled her to him and kissed her fiercely. When he released her she grinned from ear to ear, "Wow! What was that for?"

"That was to express my great joy upon discovering that Sam was alone in your bed."

Sookie laughed and said, "I only meant to be here about a half hour… oh my word! You didn't wake him did you?"

"No dear heart, I did not." Bill glanced over his shoulder toward the bar and said, "When I first came up I thought that the bar had been reopened… I take it your co-workers received their, ah, insurance wages?"

"Yup, and at this rate… Sam should be able to reopen as soon as he's inspected which will be wonderful."

Bill cupped Sookie's chin and kissed her forehead lightly. "You are one of a kind Sookie," there was a great deal of giggling, "And I believe my few minutes are up!"

Coby and Lisa laughed and dropped below the window sill where they'd been spying on Bill and Sookie. She laughed, pushed him forward and said, "Go… play!"

After about another hour and a half, most all the cleaning was done. Practically everything had been set to rights and the 'party' slowly broke up. Everyone left in good spirits and Merlotte's was indeed ready to re-open. Sookie and Bill stayed behind and made sure everything was secure and finally they left after setting the alarm system.

Bill commented about the new grill being a surprise as they walked to Sookie's car. "Hmm… about that," Sookie said, trying to figure out just how to phrase it when she jumped in with both feet and said, "I might be back to buying just new brakes for my car… I told them to install the grill without Sam's okay."

Sookie unlocked her door and then hit the button to unlock the passenger door. She got in the car and started it, purposely avoiding looking at Bill's face. When she went to put the car in reverse, Bill put his hand over hers.

"You really did that? After doing the whole insurance thing… you did that?"

She looked at him and said, "Bill… I've never been able to help my friends out like this ever before. It has filled me with utter joy. I may never, ever have an opportunity like this ever again so yes, I really did that."

Bill took his hand off hers, and she shifted into reverse. They backed up and she shifted forward. She was a bit surprised that he wasn't saying anything. She didn't know why or what he was thinking. One of the downfalls of not being able to hear him. It was times like these that she understood what it was like for other people.

"You need a car. This one is unreliable and it should be junked. I'll pay for the grill."

Before she had the chance to yell, Bill laughed and said, "Sam's my friend too. Besides, it's the prize he wins for sleeping in your bed and me not killing him for it."

Sookie let out a bark of laughter then almost hit a deer. She stood on the brakes almost literally and it was pure dumb luck that she missed it. Screeching to a stop well beyond where she should have. Her heart hammering, she said, "You're right. You bought Sam the grill."

Bill smiled.

Facts

Bill and Sookie were lying on a blanket, admiring the stars above them. Bill was pointing out constellations and she loved how he was able to tell her the story behind the naming of one set of stars to another. Who was she kidding? She thought to herself lazily, she just loved the sound of Bill's voice. They'd been there a little while now, and they'd done more than just look at stars.

When they'd first gotten back to the house, Sookie was still pretty shaky. She had checked on Sam, he was still out cold. She wasn't too concerned, she'd actually expected it. Sam had been disturbingly close to a complete meltdown.
She warmed a True Blood for Bill and he suggested with a grin that she shoot a whiskey to calm her nerves but she declined with a kiss. They'd sat in the porch swing and Sookie filled Bill in on her day, she told him about Jason and the reason for his dental visit, and then asked him which night would be good for the grill out. He pulled out his Blackberry and ran through his schedule.

They discussed possibilities, Bill had a number of phone conferences scheduled and one meeting in Shreveport, so it looked like the weekend was going to work best. Bill also hugged her close and thanked her once again for his room. He loved the fact that he no longer had to lay under the house during a conference call. This was done fairly often when there were a number of humans that were part of the meeting.

He asked her if she wanted to go pick out a small desk or work station with him tomorrow night. She agreed and they talked about what would work best. Normally, he worked in his study, but with the light-tight bedroom he could now work out of both. Sookie loved that he was so happy. She told him IKEA was having a sale at the Monroe Mall and they decided to go the next night.

The fireflies were out and Bill asked Sookie if she was thinking about what her Grandpa had told her. She smiled, her head on his shoulder and said, "How can I not?" After a half hour or so Bill suggested a walk and Sookie smiled in agreement. She checked on Sam, then walked out of the house with a big blanket they used for stargazing. They went to one of their favored spots and spread the blanket under a clear sky and thousands of stars.

It didn't take long and they found themselves on the way to naked, and it just got better from there. Bill dearly loved undressing Sookie, slowly… drawing the backs of his knuckles gently across her skin as he carefully pulled her shirt over her head, when he slipped her bra straps down her shoulders, he chuckled over her precious giggle when he reached behind only to discover she'd surprised him with a front hook!

He loved how every touch, every point of contact he shared with her hummed with her arousal. He quickly picked up on the fact that tonight she wanted to be put on a pedestal, to be made love to, totally and completely. He drew his mouth away from a tender, gentle kiss, slipping down her throat, planting soft tiny kisses at the point where he could feel her blood pulsing strong.

He moved on to her collarbones, he kissed and nipped lightly. Then he hooked his hand through her straps and slid the material slowly down her arms. Her hands that she'd laid softly on his forearms lifted just enough to release her from the garment and he tossed it aside. He put his hands on her breasts, slid the palms of his hands across her erect nipples. His mouth made its way to them, he took one in and sucked gently and she arched her back slightly and gasped lightly.

He returned his mouth to hers, kissing her gently, adoringly… he whispered her name as he slid his hand down between her legs. He teased her skin along the edges of her shorts, slipping his fingers upward, slipping just inside the lace of her panties but retreating before touching the most sensitive part of her.

Once again he kissed down her body, he flicked his tongue around her navel, then he kissed her there then with his teeth, he tugged at the waistband of her shorts, his hands undid the clasp and he kissed and licked the skin around her waist and towards her hip bones. Her moan became his name… It was that which ran his fangs out fully.

She placed her hands alongside his face at the sound and tenderly put just a bit of pressure to draw his mouth upward to meet hers. She kissed his face, she started with a quick brush across his lips, his cheeks, his forehead, his eyelids.

She made her way back to his mouth and did the thing that drove him wild. She used her tongue to part his lips then licked his fangs, turning her head so her quick tongue could dart in and just graze the tender spots just behind them on the roof of his mouth. She pressed her mouth to his with more pressure but not urgency. Her tongue danced with his and he was quickly reaching a point of discomfort.

Almost as if she'd read his mind, her hands found the buttons of his jeans. As she slowly undid each one she pulled apart the fly inch by inch her fingers barely touching his aching hardness. When he thought he could not stand the teasing one second more, her hands moved swiftly and suddenly she cupped him in one hand while the other gently caressed his length. He could not help himself, the desire was so great… "Sookie…

He slid his hand to the back of her head, and placed the other at the back of her knee and in a heartbeat he had her on her back. With her still holding him, he stripped off her shorts and panties then hovered above her. He looked into her eyes and whispered, "Sookie my beloved…" and slowly slid into her. He loved looking at her face in that moment.

Her eyes never left his, and he began to move, slowly, steadily… she ran her hands over his back, his bottom as he slid within her as far as he could go, she brought her head up and he bent his down to kiss passionately… neither moving, just… feeling…

They broke their kiss and Sookie stroked his face with her hand the other resting lightly on his lower back, he reached down and took hold of her leg behind the knee. He brought her leg up gently, allowing him to enter just a bit more. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she gasped just a tiny bit. When she opened her eyes she smiled and placed her hand on his bottom and pushed herself up.

They kissed and whispered, sighed and moaned, they rocked slowly to the brink… only to hold back for a bit more. There was no frenzy, no urgency but the desire for release was growing more intense for them both, they moved together as one and then she began to peak. He felt her heartbeat change into that most telling gallop, she turned her head and arched her neck and he bit, then sucked hard on the tiny wounds and she screamed in ecstasy as her climax consumed her.

As she began the slide down the other side of her orgasm, she put her hands on his beautiful, muscular flanks and began pressing him to move faster, to connect deeper… her words flowing over him, her hips in perfect rhythm, matching thrust for thrust… he was so very close, when she suddenly startled him when she said, "Again, Bill! Please, again!"

He looked into her eyes and found them flooded with need, with hunger, and raw desire, "Oh… please… now…" her words were gasping sighs, her heartbeat a primal beat… he wanted to watch her face, he needed to see her face, he hadto look into her eyes….

He took her wrist and swiftly brought it to his mouth and bit, she reached her zenith again and he quickly followed her there. She clung to him, moaning, almost whimpering, her breathing raw and gasping, they shuddered inside one another in her eyes he saw the stars of the night sky above them… In his she saw the shards of silver, reflected in the blue… she shivered with satisfied desire.

So they lay there, sated… talking about the stars. They fell quiet. Bill waited. Finally, the time came, as he'd known all night that it would…

"Bill?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"What would you say if I told you I've been thinking about Joe's offer?"

"I would say I'm not all that surprised. Have you thought through all we talked about?" He made sure his voice was as neutral in tone as he could make it. He didn't want her to feel like he was being judgmental.

"I have. It's a scary thing Bill, I won't lie." She didn't sound uncertain and he was happy about that.

He drew her closer to him and said, "What do you think the scary part is? His words were as soft as he could make them.

"I guess it would have to be what some people call, 'leaving my comfort zone'. I mean, until I met you, the farthest I'd ever traveled had been Shreveport. All I've ever known is Bon Temps, a bowl of popcorn and DVDs for entertainment or football games and everybody knowing everybody's business and," she stopped as if to gather her thoughts.

"Bill… I know I'm not stupid and I know there's a great big world out there but sometimes? I feel like… if I leave what I have here? I'll be leaving who I am. Does that make sense?"

He could hear the note of frustration hiding just below the surface. He too, took a moment to consider his words, then said, "Sweetheart, that's completely logical and it makes perfect sense. Because of your ability… school was a nightmare for you. I have no doubt that without that distraction, you would have made the top grades, you would have been awarded scholarships, you would have gone off to college and you would have excelled."

"What you feel, about leaving who you are behind? You would have done that back then… almost everyone does that at one time or another, and it's only natural to have thoughts like that. But sweetheart… you will always be who you are… you may grow, you may learn more than you think you want too, but you'll still be you."

He brought his lips to her forehead and gave her a kiss. "Sookie, you never had the chance then, but you have the choicenow, that's significant!"

She remained silent and he whispered, "What's the second scariest? Or maybe the hardest would be a better word."

He could hear the tears in her voice as she fought desperately to hold herself, and her emotions, in check. "Merlotte's, Sam…. All of it. If I do this, I might have to give up my job here for real. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do it."

He waited for her to continue and when she didn't he said, somberly, "Sookie, do you really want me to tell you what I think you should do?"

He felt her tense ever so slightly, he hoped he hadn't just set them up for a fight. Sookie sometimes tended to hear the wrong thing, of course there were times when she didn't even need to hear the wrong thing, he hoped this wasn't one of them, but either way he was going to say what he wanted to say.

"Yes Bill. I do want you to tell me."

"I think you should do it. Albeit, there needs to be some changes in the contract so you have more input on what will and will not be part of the overall scheme of things. You can do this Sookie, I don't doubt it for an instant. This will be a chance at some rather substantial opportunities. There also won't be the game playing, deceit and blackmail we both had to deal with because of Eric and his evil machinations and manipulations. That is an obligation, that I will forever be thankful is over!"

She sat up so suddenly that he wasn't sure if she were about to run away or if she'd been bitten by something other than himself. He sat up just as quickly and she threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face and he was shocked.

"Sookie?" he held her tightly.

"Honey! Do you really think so? Do you think I can do this?" she sounded happy and a touch uncertain at the same time.

"Yes." He smiled.

She gave him a hug and then sat back on her heels to look at him. "How am I going to tell Sam?"

"First things first… there is negotiating to be done and Joe may not need you that much to begin with… if you had to, you could work out a lighter schedule of sorts with Sam… Sookie you know Sam will work with you."

She nodded her head in agreement, still, she looked melancholy.

He took her face in his hands and said, "Sweetheart, you may never have to quit working for Sam or you might be able to ease into leaving gradually, but for right now? Let's not worry about it. You've made your choice, the details are still to be worked out so…."

He arched an eyebrow and gave her a wicked grin, "Let's speak of pleasant and intimate things. What would you do if I said there might be something I might enjoy wanting to do before I walk you home so you can get some sleep for the rest of night?" He took her hand and drew it down toward his already expanding pleasant and intimate thing.

Sookie smiled just as wickedly and said, "Hmmm… just what did you have in mind?" When he told her, she happily complied.

XxXxX

Sookie heard the water running and she stretched and yawned. It was light outside, but very early… at least for her. She sat up and tossed the blanket off her and onto the couch. She more or less made her way into the kitchen by homing instinct alone.

She made a pot of coffee and was sitting at the table watching it drip into the pot when Sam walked out of her bedroom. "Hey Sook! I'm sorry! I never thought I'd sleep that long! You should have just got me up!"

Sookie just waved a hand in his direction, as if erasing his concerns. The coffee maker beeped and Sookie just said, "Pour."

Sam grinned and took two mugs out of the cupboard, taking the cream from the fridge, he poured Sookie's, added the cream and set the steaming mug in front of her.

"Thanks." She gave him a smile. Sort of. The caffeine needed to penetrate her brain before a real smile was possible.

Sam poured his and said, "How 'bout I make you something to eat?

Sookie took a large drink of her coffee and said, "Be my guest!" and gave him another ghost of a smile.

Sam knew his way around Sookie's kitchen, so he got out the skillet and started to bring it to heat. Sam dropped a few slices of bacon into the pan. He quickly peeled a couple small potatoes, sliced them thinly and added some chopped onion, he tossed them into the cast iron skillet and they sizzled immediately in the bacon grease.

Sookie got up and poured herself another cup of coffee. As she sat down he turned and said, "How do you want your eggs?"

"Over easy, please." She gave him a much more Sookie-like smile. Ah, caffeine… nectar of the gods!

A few minutes later Sam dished up breakfast and he and Sookie started to eat. She hadn't realized how hungry she was! Although it wasn't that surprising… whenever Bill drank deeply from her she tended to have a revved up appetite.

"This is great Sam! Thank you!"

After their breakfast had been eaten and Sookie'd had her third cup of coffee, she said, "Sam, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Sam swallowed some coffee and wasn't quite sure what to make of the look on her face.

She cleared her throat and said, "Well… there's a couple of things and so I'm going to start with the best and work my way down the list." She smiled nervously.

"Just how far down does this list go?" he was getting a little nervous himself.

Reading his growing tension she quickly reached across the table and took his hand to reassure him. This time her smile was real and genuine and it relaxed Sam.

"Coffee?" she asked, he nodded and she stood, then filled both their cups. "Finished?" She pointed to his plate and he nodded, she cleared the dishes away and sat down. "I told you that I made some money while I was in Shreveport, right?"

"Yeah…" his voice was one of uncertainty.

"Sam… it was a lot of money, I mean, a lot!" She smiled a little tightly and said all in a rush, "So, I had checks made out to everyone at work and told them you worked out an agreement to cover their lost wages with the insurance company and I gave the checks to them yesterday."

"Huh." Sam was not quite comprehending it yet. Then he said, "Wait! How much?"

"Ah… about seven thousand total?"

"What!" Sam exploded from the chair, "You did what? What the hell were you thinking!" Sam screeched, his voice hot with emotion.

Sookie quickly jumped to her feet, "I thought I was doing my friends… who I consider my other family in a lot of ways, something decent and right. I couldn't have told them it was from me! Tell me Sam, how many of them would have taken it? Huh! Or how many would have killed themselves trying to pay me back? All of 'em dammit! All of them!" she yelled right back at him, hotter than the other side of hell.

"Jesus Christ, Sookie!" He stomped around the kitchen. Gearing up for another volley… but he knew he'd really done it this time…

"Sam Merlotte, don't you dare! Don't you DARE!" She shoved him with all her might back toward the chair he'd just jumped up from. "Sit down right now and shut the hell up!" She was spitting mad and Sam was so startled that he sat. Sookie took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, then sat down across from him, her face red from her anger and her eyes were shiny with unshed tears.

She reached over and took his hand and looked him in the eyes. She said with utter sincerity, "Sam… chances are I may never do anything like this for the rest of my life. The most important thing is so easy Sam… I wanted to do it, I could do it, so I went ahead and diddo it. I didn't think about it Sam! The people I love needed help and I was in a position to actually help!"

"When I brought you here yesterday… Sam, face it. You were out of it, completely, totally, 100% physically and mentally out of it! You slept for eighteen flippin' hours Sam! Eighteen! What does that say to you?"

Sam lowered his eyes and scrubbed his hands across his face. "Sookie, it's jus…"

"Sam, wait okay?" her voice was sweet and calm and she was no longer on the verge of tears. "When I got to the bar yesterday, I was stunned! In shock! Over the bar, over the reality of what had happened, how close we'd all come to losing something precious to all of us! When I saw the state you were in… Sam… I was beside myself! I thought I might lose you! By then the checks were already on their way and I thanked God I'd done it! I brought you here, because Sam… I knew you needed help or you weren't going to survive."

She smiled and squeezed the hand she still held. "Sam, last night after you crashed, I went to the bar, and well… we all pitched in, like you do for your friends, friends that are also your extended family. We turned on some music, we got some food… we talked , we laughed, we cleaned everything Sam. We cleaned everything!"

"That bar sparkles Sam and once you get the utility to come in and hook up the grill and have it inspected you'll be abl…."

Sam gripped Sookie's hand with enough pressure to stopped her mid-sentence. "Grill?" He closed his eyes and Sookie could have smacked herself in the head. He opened his eyes and said very tightly, "Tell me you didn't do what I think you did Sookie… please!" His voice was pleading.

She gave him one of her more winning smiles and said, "Yeah… dang I spoiled the surprise… Bill bought you the grill and I had them install it with the hood yesterday when you were over here sleeping. Surprise!" she said somewhat lamely.

Sam couldn't do anything but stare open-mouthed, stunned into absolute silence.

She took a deep breath and forged ahead. "Well, I may as well continue, here's the rundown. The repairs to the bar are complete. The bar is completely cleaned and no longer holds any traces of the fire or the past however many years of cigarette smoke, grease or other icky stuff. Your employees believe they have received an insurance payout from the insurance company for their lost wages due to the fire. They are happy, they can pay their bills and breathe easy."

"As soon as you arrange the necessary hook-up of the utilities and inspections that are needed, you are ready to reopen. But I would suggest giving the guys a day or two of testing and getting used to the feel of the new grill first before you want to start serving food."

"I'll be getting myself a newer car in the next week or so. If you happen to know of any good ones let me know. I am also out from under my obligations to Eric so I won't be involved as much in what you refer to as, my 'vampire shit'. But I may or may not need to schedule some time off, or maybe eventually go to part-time hours. I have a job offer and I'm considering trying it."

Sam had closed his mouth but he stared at her, shocked. "You're taking another job?" Sam's voice was barely audible.

"No… not unless an agreement can be reached and even then, it's consulting work, for the sake of a better word, and it could be extremely sporadic. It may not even something I would be required to do bi-monthly… it all has to be worked out."

"Sam," she gave his fingers a tug. "I don't even know if I'm going to agree to do it at all. I wanted you to know. Bill is the only other person that knows and I plan to keep it that way for as long as possible, okay? I'm not even telling Tara or Jason until I've decided whether or not I want to do it."

Sam let out a low whistle, he said, "Wow. Please tell me that's all the farther you're going on that list you mentioned?"

She gave him a huge sunny smile and said, "Yes Sam, that's all there is." She knew of course he was pretty choked up so she stood and said, "As soon as I clean up these dishes, what d'ya say we go check out the bar in the light of day?"

Sam agreed and they got her kitchen clean in no time, then got into her car to head to Merlotte's.

XxXxX

Sookie and Sam walked around the bar and even Sookie was impressed. It did look amazing, she'd been a little worried about the low lighting of the bar last night. Sometimes things aren't as clean in the daylight when cleaned in those kind of lighting conditions. Sam was dumbfounded.

When he saw the kitchen, his sole thought had been one big outburst of, "Holy shit!" and that made Sookie laugh out loud. Sam checked out the grill and hood and was like a kid on Christmas morning. The more he noticed, the happier he got. At one point, he grabbed Sookie up in his arms and twirled her around until she was dizzy!

"Sam! You put me down!" she laughed and as her feet touched the floor he took her in his arms and hugged her hard. "Sookie I can't thank you enough… I mean, really… I don't know what to say. I was seriously thinking it would be weeks before I would be able to open."

"Oh Sam," she moved out of his embrace, "that was your exhaustion talking. You were closer than you thought, you'd just lost perception that's all."

Sam walked behind the bar and then stopped. His eyes were big and his look was one of real surprise.

"What?" Sookie said with a little frown. She looked the direction Sam was looking as he started to laugh. She turned to face him and said, "Sam! What?"

He pointed above the door and laughed harder. Sookie was at a complete loss. Sam was laughing so hard, a tear slid down his cheek, he finally managed to stammer, "I've owned this bar more'n five years and I never knew there was a pane of glass above the door!" And quickly dissolved into more laughter.

Sookie looked at the glass sparkling brightly in the sun, with an inset of a stained glass fleur-de-lis in the center of it and began to laugh too. She'd never realized there was glass above the door before either!

XxXxX

Sam set up the appointments for his inspections and other requirements that had to be taken care of before he could reopen, annoyingly, he had a week and a half before the final inspection could be performed. Sam wondered what he should do, he couldn't decide if he just wanted to open and people would know by word of mouth or if he should have a reopening party.

Sookie, Tara and Arlene were laughing and chattering away while repainting the ladies room and Terry was finishing up the men's. Lafayette and Big John were moving the last of the kitchen equipment, at that moment the deep fryer, back into place after they'd helped Sam paint the kitchen. Sam hadn't intended to do all this but once everyone got a good look at things, they'd all agreed doing a little more wouldn't hurt.

Sam had ordered in pizzas and when they arrived he called everyone into the dining room. As they ate their lunch, Sam floated his ideas about the reopen. They all agreed immediately that a party was the way to go.

Lafayette made a good point when he said, "Y'all tell people you're open again, they come in, but maybe since they bin drinkin' over ta' Shorty's… they jus' go there agin…. Y'all tell folks you's having a party! Bay-bee… you got people come from everywhere! S'all I'm sayin'!"

They discussed which night or day it should be, Sam's final inspection was to be done on a Thursday so they went back and forth about whether it should be Friday night or Saturday night. Sam finally decided he wanted it to be on a week and a half from now on that Saturday after Big John pointed out it would give the guys one extra day getting to know the grill a little better. They'd only a day so far to experiment with it and it had been a real learning experience.

Terry said they were all going to have to be careful those first few days… the biggest obstacle was doing the steaks and burgers. The old grill had been easy, you threw the meat at varying points on the grill for the best result. The old grill had hot spots, which had been great for those wanting their tenderloin steak sandwiches and burgers well done and the same kind of old spots where the heat was lower which made it more convenient for the cooks to prepare the food for those that preferred their meat closer to rare.

The new grill, was exactly that, new and 100% perfect on every inch of its cooking surface. The guys were getting better, though Sam knew he would have to be sure to order in some extra beef for the first couple weeks because he knew there'd be overdone meat and it wouldn't really be anyone's fault. He wasn't thrilled of course, but he'd done it first-hand just the night before.

He stayed late to get all the paperwork together and rechecked for the meeting he'd had this morning with the insurance adjuster for the final tally. He'd gotten hungry and fired up the grill and threw a steak on, even though he'd been right there, by the time he'd pulled it off, it was overdone. Yeah, he knew it would happen so planning ahead was the prudent thing to do. He did have to admit to himself though… sitting here right now, laughing and joking with everybody, Merlotte's shining like a brand new penny. It felt good.

Sookie'd been completely right, this is what you did with family. He reached for another slice and asked what they thought of maybe finding a band and having live music for at least part of the night… everyone was off and running with ideas and Sam felt a happiness he'd almost forgotten he could feel. Damn if it didn't make him feel good.

XxXxX

Sookie removed the polish from her nails and toenails while the bathtub was filling. She'd added her favorite lavender and vanilla bath salts to the water and the room was resplendent with the soothing scent. She had her CD player on and was playing a CD Bill had given her. She'd faked a little more enthusiasm than she felt at the time, but she'd been pleasantly surprised that she liked almost all of it. It was mostly piano, cello and violins, a contemporary-classic mix and one she'd grown fond of when she wanted to relax.

Nails cleaned, clipped and filed, she lit the candles and adjusted the volume of the player. She dropped her robe, set her glass of wine and her book on the little table next to the tub and gingerly tested the water. Nice and hot but not uncomfortable. She stepped in and slowly settled in. She reached over and took a sip of her wine and then picked up her book.

She didn't begin to read right away. First she closed her eyes and let the music and the warmth flow over her. Bill was away at his Shreveport meetings and though he said he'd try to return before dawn, he couldn't make any promises. She'd debated the idea of spending the night at home or at Bill's. The pros were of course access to Bill if he made it home and Bill's large and awesome tub or a tranquil evening of peace and quiet and a little bit of special treatment in her house, then off to bed early. She'd opted for home and at this particular moment was very glad with her choice.

She lay back against the rolled pillow at her neck and let her mind wander, Pam had called night before last and asked if she knew where Eric was. She'd told her she hadn't seen him since Shreveport and hadn't a clue to his whereabouts. She had to admit, it was exhilarating to not have to so much as give minute's thought about where he was, what he was doing or when he'd be back. Maybe it wasn't very Christian of her but for the first time she'd seen him at Fangtasia, she just didn't care. In her eyes, Eric was in her rearview and that attitude wasn't going to change anytime soon. She made a deal with the devil and he'd burned her rather predictably at every turn or so it had seemed.

She sighed contentedly, drank some more wine, then put the glass down and picked up her book. By the time her wine was gone, the water was cooling and the CD player had stopped playing awhile ago. Sookie was so relaxed she thought if there was a way to keep the water warm enough she'd just sleep right there!

It took a Herculean effort to get out of the tub and her yawns were deep. She dried herself with a fluffy towel and opened the tub drain. As the water emptied, she got ready for bed. She blew out the candles and in the dark she opened the bathroom door, not bothering to turn a light on. She caught something in the corner of her eye and her heart leapt into her throat, someone was standing by one of her bedroom windows looking in…

She froze and her heart thudded in her chest… she immediately cast her mind out and got a void. It was a vampire. She thought of Pam's phone call… was it Eric? She didn't know what to do. The figure hadn't moved. Okay, she thought to herself, can a vampire see me here? She was still in the bathroom… not to mention there hadn't been other lights on.

But… a vampire would undoubtedly be able to smell her, hear the tub draining, hell, the way her heart was thudding he could probably pinpoint her exact location. Stupid as it was… something told her not to move. She now wished she'd decided to take her peaceful evening in the tub over at Bill's! Then she had a thought, no this was far better… a vampire could come and go freely in a vampire's home.

She knew then that the vampire outside wasn't Eric. She hadn't rescinded his invitation. Yet. (It was on her to-do list) Her fear, that had been calming some, jacked itself right up again. She tried to make out something… anything that could give her an idea of who the hell it was and in that split second, he was gone.

Sookie rushed to the window but saw nothing, she ran from room to room checking all the doors and windows. Invitation required or not, she just felt better checking them to reassure herself.

She returned cautiously to her bedroom, peering carefully around the door frame to see if the intruder had returned. He hadn't. She walked to her bed and but couldn't make herself lie down. She picked up her phone and called Bill from the relative safety of her bathroom with the door shut. She knew if he was still in his meeting, he wouldn't have it turned on but she felt tremendous relief when his smooth voice instructed the caller to leave a message. "Hi honey, just me. Something really freaky just happened. There was a vampire, I don't know who, looking in my bedroom window. It scared me and so I'm probably going to stay up for awhile… but don't try and come home if you're meeting goes long. Oh… in case you do come over? I'm sleeping upstairs tonight. Oh… and yell my name really loud. I'm taking the trigger guard off the Glock. Love you!"

In the dark, Sookie took her pillow and her Glock from the nightstand drawer, she pushed the combination and the trigger lock released. Then she walked upstairs. She put the gun on the little night table and fluffed up her pillow. She pulled the cover back and crawled into the bed. She got herself comfortable and hoped she'd be able to relax enough to fall asleep. It didn't take long actually, the wine and hot bath had her pretty relaxed and she'd worked hard today… she was tired. Once the adrenaline plummeted, she fell asleep quickly.

The vampire that watched her crawl into bed… turned away from the window, dropping down from the roof to land lightly on the grass. Then just faded into the night...

To be continued...