"I asked Bill to come home," I said.

Eric's face went blank. He gave me a long look. It was as though he were sizing me up. It was wasted effort, because I wasn't hiding anything. Truth was the best defense.

"Why?" he said, finally.

"You need a vampire to hold off the Queen."

Eric studied me for another moment. Then, he walked out of the kitchen.

When I turned back to the table, Pam was watching me. "Bill spent thirty years in the Queen's court."

"I trust him." I didn't like how defensive I sounded.

"You're sweet." Pam smiled, and it wasn't very nice.

I stared at the closed door of my childhood bedroom.

I knocked. No answer.

I knew I should give Eric space. But I had to clear the air. Our bickering had gone on long enough. I felt worn thin. We faced a problem bigger than the both of us. I couldn't fight Eric on top of the world.

I pushed open the door.

He sat on my bed, shoulders hunched. The room was dark. I flicked on the lamp, and sat in my old armchair. He fixed me with that blank stare of his.

"I'm sick of this," I motioned between us. I sensed he was as tired of it as I was, but maybe that was wishful thinking.

"I understand why you did what you did," he said, voice toneless.

As far as peace offerings, it was grudging, but it was a hell of a lot better than I'd expected. I figured I ought to throw him an olive branch. "I'm making Pam food. You want any?"

Silence from Eric. Then, "No."

He wasn't making his life easier by starving himself. "When's the last time you ate?"

He looked at me.

I've seen Eric pissed. I'd seen him upset. But in that moment, I was afraid of him. He hadn't moved—but I knew he could if he wanted. I didn't want to be there when he did.

"Go," he said.

I went.

I didn't know what he would have done if I'd stayed.

I shut the door.

So much for clearing the air.

Eric had left his muddy clothes in a pile and a wet towel in the shower. I stuffed them in the washer. Picking up after him pissed me off, but if I didn't do it, no one would. Besides, he didn't have other clothes and I was sure to get into trouble if I let him walk around naked.

With that image in my head, I dug through Jason's old room until I found a pair of athletic shorts. "Bon Temps Falcons" was printed across the right leg. Jason was a big guy, but Eric was bigger, so I wasn't sure if the shorts would fit. The waist was elastic, so hopefully my houseguest would be able to squeeze them over his infuriatingly nice backside.

The door to my old bedroom was still closed, which was fine, because I didn't want to see Eric. I hung the shorts on the doorknob and hoped he'd figure it out. Or he could walk around naked, for all I cared, and I'd find myself a blindfold. I was through taking care of him.

For someone aged 1000, Eric spent a lot of time acting like a child.

Afterwards, I fixed Pam instant grits, explained she could season them with hot sauce or butter, and called the Bon Temps police to report my car stolen. Poor Kevin had the night shift. He was nice enough to say that I could wait till morning to file a report. I was just grateful I didn't have to do it now. It was past 11 p.m., and I'd been ready for bed since noon.

But there's never rest for the weary. As soon as I got off the phone with Kevin, I dug a bucket out of the basement and cleaned the mud the vamps tracked into the front hall. Then, I switched Eric's clothes to the dryer and doubled back to the kitchen to find Pam's dishes in the sink. I washed them, and was on my way to my room when I heard hushed voices behind Eric's door. I kept walking. I didn't have energy to deal with them.

At least they were talking to each other.

Someone had taken Jason's shorts off the doorknob, thank goodness.

Once in my room, I beelined to the master bath and walked into the best hot shower of my life. I felt like I'd been awake for a day straight. I didn't want to think about anything except how nice the water felt, but my mind kept drifting to Bill.

I knew he'd worked for the Queen. He'd told me himself. I understood why it worried Pam, but my gut told me that he was trustworthy. Bill never expressed any particular affection for the Queen, while he'd told me time and again that Eric was a good Sheriff. Plus, I'd like to think that our past relationship counted for something.

Maybe Pam was right. Maybe I was naïve. But I couldn't believe that Bill would betray me.

I turned off the water. The shower didn't feel as nice now that reality had intruded. I threw on a robe, ran a comb through my hair and walked back to my room.

I yelped.

Pam was in my bed. Covers pulled up to her neck. Her hair was wet. At least she'd showered before jumping between my sheets. I hoped she'd picked up her towel.

"Eric's bed is too small for two," Pam said, by way of explanation.

That's what I got for putting Eric in my childhood twin.

I crossed my arms. I was wearing a robe, but I felt too close to naked for comfort. "I'll make up the guest bedroom." Jason's old room was upstairs.

Pam hesitated. "I would rather not be alone." I could see she meant it.

Why did I feel guilty? My room was my space. "Pam, I'm—"

"Tired," she said. "I know."

Pam looked so exhausted, I remembered I wasn't the only one having a bad day. Now that I thought about it, I could even consider myself lucky. I hadn't had to hide a body. I hadn't been covered in mud.

I wasn't the only woman in this house mothering Eric.

I felt a sinking sensation. "If I let you stay—"

She smiled. She'd won, and she knew it. "Yes?"

"Don't try anything." I trusted Pam. I just didn't trust her to keep her hands to herself.

She gave me a toothy grin. She looked like her old self. I was not thrilled that there was only a robe between her and all of me.

"Don't worry, Sookie," Pam said. "Eric would not approve."

I didn't have the energy to wonder what she meant by that. I'd planned to wear a nightgown, but the new sleeping arrangements called for more layers. I grabbed sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt out of my drawer. "I'm changing in the bathroom."

And that's what I did. When I came back, Pam hadn't moved.

She watched as I brushed my hair and took out my earrings. The silence creeped me out, so I raised Pam's favorite subject. "How is he?"

"Not good."

Well, that was a conversation killer.

Pam drove the talk in a direction I didn't want to explore. "Bill's first loyalty isn't to Eric."

"He'll buy you time."

"If he does as he's told."

I slipped in beside her. It felt strange lying next to someone. The last person who'd slept by me was Bill.

She rolled over to face me. "Thank you, Sookie."

I nodded. I felt uncomfortable. I didn't know if it was the memories of Bill or having Pam so close. With the ex-vamp home invasion, my bed was the one space I'd thought I could count on being alone. "Just stay on your side."

I turned off the light.

I could hear Pam breathing in the darkness.

I felt guilty for being short when she'd given me a rare thank you, so I decided to close the conversation on a positive note. Never go to bed angry, and all that. I scrounged for something harmless. "How did you like the grits?"

Silence from Pam. Then, "You have many talents besides cooking."

From her, it was basically a compliment.

I woke up alone.

There was a blond hair on the pillow beside me. I wasn't sure if it were mine or Pam's.

The hair could also be Eric's, I realized with a chill. He'd never been between my sheets, but yesterday, he'd been on top of them. His break-in still made me angry. But it was a new day. Maybe a fresh start.

"It's 'auspicious' today."

I bolted upright. Eric sat in my reading chair, wearing Jason's athletic shorts and nothing else. He held my Word of the Day calendar.

My shock made him smile. "I see you like surprises as much as I do," he said, with malice. He turned back to the calendar. "Auspicious, adjective—"

"I know what it means." How long had he been there? Had he watched me sleep?

"Then goodbye auspicious." He tore off today's page, and crumpled it. His eyes found mine. "Don't go behind my back again." His tone was casual. He said it almost like an afterthought, but I could feel the edge underneath. He didn't have to say or else. His connotation (last Tuesday's word) was pretty damn clear. He could come into my room whenever he wanted. There was no where I could hide from him.

I grabbed my robe off a hook and cinched it around myself. "Get out."

He stood. I felt very aware of how tall he was. He started to the door. As he passed me, he dropped a kiss on my temple. Right at the pulse point. I don't know how he managed to make something so gentle feel like a threat.

"Good morning, Sookie," he said, and left.

I locked the door behind him, walked to the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain. I turned on the water.

My heart was pounding so fast, the steam made me feel faint.