Warning: This chapter contains some disturbing events. I hope that no one is offended, but sometimes stories have a mind of their own.

I awoke alone to the sound of scratching. I wandered downstairs and glanced out the front window. Dean was on the porch, one paw raised to scratch the door again. I opened it and he scrambled past me up the stairs. I half expected Sam to come down with his suitcase packed, but instead I heard the bathroom door shut and the shower start. I went to the kitchen to make some coffee.

After awhile, Sam came into the kitchen tucking his shirt into his jeans. He looked at me sheepishly. "I apologize for last night."

"It's alright." I said. I knew Sam had trouble with vampires. He'd learned to be more tolerant, and even to trust Bill to some extent, but considering his newly stated feelings for me I didn't blame him for his reaction.

"No, I was out of line." Sam insisted. "I left you when you needed me." He put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Cher."

I handed him a cup of coffee. "Really, it's okay. I understand."

"Did you do it?" Sam asked. He managed to keep any disdain or jealousy out of his voice, but his knuckles whitened on the cup he held.

"Yes." I nodded. I pulled the robe tighter around me. No need to display the evidence.

"So what now?"

"We wait. See if this helps stop the attacks."

"What if it makes him angry? Did you think of that?"

I hadn't. "Well, then, I suppose he'll come after me. Or Bill. At least he'll be out in the open where we can fight him."

"Fight him?" Sam shook his head. " I hope we don't have to. But I made some contacts last night."

"Contacts? With who?"

"No one you know. But they might be able to help us against him, if it comes to that."

Sam had secrets. I knew he knew people and...creatures that I didn't. But hearing it stated so plainly was disturbing. I sighed. I ought to be used to disturbing by now, the last few days had been an exercise in disturbing things.

"I'm going to take a shower. Will you stick around?"

"Sure. I need to get to the bank, and call the arson investigator, but I've got plenty of time. Calvin's crew is here, too."

Upstairs, I glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror. The effects of Bill's blood were apparent, at least to me. My skin glowed, my hair was disheveled, but shiny, and my eyes were bright. The wounds on my neck were practically healed. I took my time in the shower, washing and conditioning my hair, shaving my legs, and sudsing up with some scented body wash Amelia gave me for Christmas. By the time I emerged I felt closer to human. I dried my hair, put on some make-up and dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved Merlotte's t-shirt.

Sam was talking on his cell phone. "I see. So you'll talk with him today?" There was a long pause. "Alright then. Yes, I will. Goodbye."

"Was that Mr. Ross?" I surprised myself remembering the arson investigator's name. Maybe it was those green eyes.

"Yes. He spoke with Arlene yesterday." Sam sighed.

"What did he say?"

"Said she was a piece of work. Obviously hated me, hated shifters, vampires, and a couple of other groups of people, probably including him, but that she didn't seem to know anything about the fire. He said she was way too willing to let him see how happy she was about the bar burning to have had something to do with it, unless she was stupid, his words, not mine."

Sam's shoulders slumped and his brow creased with worry. "How can she not know me?"

I walked over and hugged him. "How can you not know her? She's become a narrow-minded hard-headed fool." I reminded him.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, but he didn't seem any more willing to accept Arlene's change of heart.

"Go run your errands." I told him. "It'll take your mind off things. I'm going to set up the laptop and see if I can figure out how to e-mail Octavia."

"Alright." Sam said. He bent and kissed my forehead. "I won't be gone long."

I took the computer into the kitchen. I checked my bank accounts online, because I could, and then accessed my new e-mail account. I had mail! I was as giddy as a six-year-old with a new toy. I clicked on the message. It was from Bill. Well, duh, no one else knew I even had an e-mail address.

Dearest Sookie,

I hope you slept well. I know last night wasn't an easy decision for you, and I meant what I said about releasing you from the bond when this is all over. That said, it gladdens my heart to know that even a part of you still loves me. I will see you tonight.

Yours,

Bill

I wondered if he would check his e-mail before he came over. Knowing the computer geek he was, he probably would. I hit reply and typed my first e-mail.

Bill,

You made last night as easy as you could. I truly know now how much you care for me and it means everything ....no scratch that, I thought...it means a lot to me. Sam did come back this morning, just like you said he would. He loves me, too, and that makes all of this even more complicated. I hope I get the chance to sort it all out. See you tonight.

I agonized for way too long over how to sign it. Finally, I just signed my name and hit send.

I pulled my address book out of the drawer and flipped through. There it was. I knew I had stuck one of Octavia's business cards in here. It had her name, phone number, and an e-mail address. I knew she checked her e-mail daily so I rattled off a note thanking her for the ward and asking if she'd heard from Amelia. I didn't tell her about Bill and I, and I wasn't sure why. I was just about to hit 'send' when the doorbell rang.

Out of caution, I glanced out the window before opening the door. A girl stood there, long dirty-blond hair pulled back in a skinny ponytail, freckles splashed across her face. Her eyes darted left and right, as if she were expecting someone to jump out of the bushes. She was taller than the last time I had seen her.

"Lisa?" I said to Arlene's daughter as I opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

She pushed past me. "Shut the door." She begged.

I shut it and turned to stare at her. She was obviously upset. Her face was tear-streaked and she didn't meet my eyes.

"That man from the police came to talk to her. He asked all kinds of questions but Mama didn't burn the bar down, Aunt Sookie. I know she didn't."

"Okay, Sweetheart."

She bit her bottom lip. I almost opened my mind at that point, to see if I could hear what she was thinking, but decided against it.

"Let's go in the kitchen and sit." We had spent time together in this kitchen. Lisa and Cody had helped me bake cookies, played games, even spent an evening with Bill when he and I were first dating. I pulled out a chair and motioned her to sit. I sat across from her and waited.

"I know who did it." Her voice was a whisper.

"What?"

"I know who set fire to Merlotte's." Lisa repeated.

"Who, Lisa?" I thought about the courage it took for her to come here, knowing, as she must, how her mom felt about Sam and me. It made her seem very grown-up.

"Can I have a glass of milk?" She was a child again, just like that.

I poured a glass of milk for both of us and set the cookie jar on the table. "They're chocolate chip." I told her.

She took a cookie and dipped it in the milk. Taking a bite, she swallowed. "Whit has this friend." She made a face. "He comes over all the time. I don't like him. He wears too much smelly stuff."

"After shave?" I said, helpfully.

"Yeah, and that greasy slick stuff in his hair. Gross." She took another bite of the cookie. "These are good." She smiled. "Your cookies were always good. Mom burns them."

I laughed. "Your mom never was much of a cook."

"No." Lisa agreed.

"Tell me more about Whit's friend." I prodded. "Do you know his name?"

"Whit calls him Junior. I don't know his last name. He works for the church though."

"Can you describe him for me? Beyond smelly and greasy?" I tried to lighten my question with a tease.

"He's short, but not fat like Whit. He looks like he works out. He has muscles. Dark hair, and his skin is all...bumpy, like he used to have zits or something."

So, short, dark, and pock-marked. That was a description alright. I could pass that along to the arson investigator.

"How do you know he burned down the bar?" I asked.

"I heard Whit and him talking." Lisa twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "They thought I was asleep. He said he wished the shifter had been there so he could have burned, too. Why do they hate Sam?"

"I don't know, Sweetheart." I said honestly.

"Mama would be mad that I was here."

"I know." I nodded. "It was brave of you to come."

Her lower lip trembled and she looked like she was about to cry again.

"Lisa, is there something else?"

She shook her head and I couldn't help hearing her thoughts, they rolled off her like waves. No, no, no! Can't tell her that. Can't tell anyone that. No one can know. It's a secret. Mama can't know. She wouldn't love me anymore if she knew how bad I was.

I swallowed hard. I knew those thoughts. I'd had those thoughts when I was a child. I knew what caused them. "Lisa," I said cautiously. She was like a frightened bird, and if I said or did the wrong thing she was going to fly away. "You know you can tell me anything. Just because your mama and I aren't getting along, doesn't mean I don't love you and Cody."

Can't can't can't. Whit will be mad. He'll tell mama what we did and she'll send me away.

"Lisa?"

She threw herself at me and I caught her, wrapping my arms around her skinny frame. She sobbed and sobbed until I thought she would break. I patted her back and made reassuring noises until she quieted. She pulled away and sat back in her own chair, staring at the floor, wringing her hands in her lap. Time passed. A lot of time.

Lisa took a deep shuddering breath. "Whit makes me do things."

Oh dear Jesus in heaven I am going to kill that man with my bare hands, I thought. "What things, Honey?"

One stray tear made its way down her cheek. Her eyes met mine in a silent plea. She didn't want to say the words.

"Things grown-ups do." Lisa whispered. "He makes me touch him...there...and do other things."

Suddenly killing him seemed like way too easy on the bastard. Maybe I would just sic Bill on him. I took a deep breath so she wouldn't see my anger and think it was directed at her. "Lisa, did he tell you it was your fault? Did he tell you that you made him do those things to you?"

She nodded, wide-eyed.

"Well. It's not. It's not your fault. It's his fault. It's all his fault. He's wrong and he's a bad man. You are a child. He's an adult and he knows better."

Lisa was crying again, silently this time. I got up and fetched the box of kleenex from the windowsill.

I touched her shoulder. "Lisa. I am so glad you told me. Thank you for trusting me." I swallowed. Now the hard part. "We have to call your mama. She needs to know what's happening."

"No!" Lisa panicked, as I figured she would.

"Honey. Whit lied to you. There is nothing you could do that would make your mama stop loving you." I prayed that I spoke the truth. A year or so ago, I wouldn't have doubted it, but now? I didn't know Arlene anymore.

Lisa stared at me and I realized she hadn't actually told me what Whit said. "How did you know he told me that?"

"Honey, they all say that. They want to separate you from the people who love you, make you think you'll get into trouble, when it's themselves they're worried about." I handed her the phone. "I think it's best if you call. Your mama might not talk to me."

She dialed slowly, then hung up. Twice. Finally, with a sigh, she dialed again and I heard the tinny ring. "Mama?" She said. Then she started sobbing again, so hard I knew no words were going to get out. I heard Arlene's frantic voice on the phone asking what was wrong. Above anything else, Arlene had always been a good mom. She got carried away with the men in her life sometimes, but she loved her kids. I took the phone.

"Arlene, it's Sookie."

"What the...What have you done to my daughter you....you....." Evidently she couldn't come up with a bad enough word for me, and the pause while she was thinking of one gave me a chance to break in.

"Lisa is here. She showed up on my doorstep and she's told me something you need to hear. I suggest you come and get her." With that I hung up.