Sam took Angelo's hand in his own without thinking about it or analyzing why he felt protective of the young man. He knew that Sophie-Anne Leclerq wasn't anyone to mess with and that whatever she demanded of them would have to be obeyed whether he liked it or not. Damned vampires. Getting involved with them was always a mistake.

Sookie was the only one who could stop the pink-haired witch? She wasn't going to like that, and besides, it wasn't fair to interrupt her honeymoon…

"She's here in New Orleans," Christopher said slowly.

"How will we find her?" Sam demanded.

"I will send Bill a text message," said Eric, but the look he got from Sophie-Anne at that suggestion told Sam that she didn't think this was a very useful tack. All the same, Eric took out his phone and began typing.

"'Scuse me," said Angelo, "But how Sookie gone stop dis witch?"

Sam tried not to get his hackles up as Sophie-Anne looked at Angelo as if he were less than nothing. The vampire queen clearly thought little of humans.

"I never said she would stop her. I said she would help," came the icy reply.

"Huh," Angelo replied, looking annoyed. He stood up, and looked over at Christopher Santiago. "Santiago, I got to talk to you."

"Then talk," said Santiago.

"Private," Angelo insisted.

Santiago looked at Sophie-Anne, who just rolled her eyes. "Oh, go ahead. I don't care," she said.

Angelo stalked off to the back bedroom and Santiago followed looked both relieved and amused. Sam jumped to his feet immediately.

"I'm—just—bathroom…" he said lamely.

"I don't care if you eavesdrop either," Sophie-Anne said. "Eric, have you gotten a response to your text message?"

"Not yet," Eric grumbled.

Ignoring the vampires but aware that Andre was watching him, Sam hurried to the back bedroom to try to hear what Angelo was saying to Santiago. Jealousy bit at his insides. Was something going on between the two of them? Sam didn't know if he could stand it. He pressed his ear to the door.

"Where is Simone?" Sam heard Angelo demand. Simone was Anne Marie's brother, Sam knew…so that made him another cousin of Angelo's. Sam also thought he recalled that Simone was Santiago's lover, in which case, Sam wanted to know where he was as well. He didn't want Christopher to get an eye to replacing him with the sweet and tender young Angelo.

"I wish I knew," Santiago replied, sounding glum.

"What dat means?" Angelo demanded.

"It means he went out one night a few weeks ago and never returned," Santiago said, sounding terse. Sam knew this was not his way – Santiago was more inclined to sound glib or wicked.

"You look for him, you?"

"Of course I looked for him!" Santiago snarled. "I love him, regardless of what anyone else may think."

"Hard to believe," Angelo replied stiffly.

"I know," Santiago replied. "But you did believe me once. Why should that have changed? Surely you don't think I have anything to do with his disappearance."

"M'not sure what t'think," Angelo said, "Never was Simone's way to jes run out on people, 'specially if he loved you back."

"Maybe he stopped," Santiago said. "He wouldn't be the first. I believe you fall into that category yourself."

"You done me wrong," Angelo insisted in a stubborn tone and Sam smiled. They might have been involved but it was over and Angelo was clearly no longer interested. Maybe Sam had a chance with Angelo after all!

"We just failed to understand each other," Santiago said reasonably. "Of course, it's not too late…"

"Yes, Santiago, it is too late," Angelo said. "You know I love Sam Merlotte and ain't never gone be anyone else."

Sam reeled. He took a step backwards and nearly smacked into the wall. Angelo loved him? Already? He found himself both thrilled and terrified.

"Just checking," said Christopher. "If you know how I can reach Simone, I would be delighted to…speak to him…"

The vampire fell silent and Sam felt a moment of pity for him. Despite his flirting with Angelo, Sam suspected that he really did care for Simone.

"We got to find him, once we take care dis witch," Angelo said. "And get Sam and dem back to normal."

"I don't know," said Christopher, "I am rather amused by the whole thing."

"I'm not," said Angelo. "Peggy jes sick. She becomin' more and more vampire, her."

"That's not such a bad thing."

"Maybe not to you, but she make a mess what she got wid Eric."

"That's not such a bad thing, either."

"You really wan' see Eric in a bad mood?"

"Well, maybe you have a point," Santiago sighed.

"I got no idea how Lafayette do dog now," said Angelo, "But it ain't right. And Sam…"

"Well, you seem to have worked things out with Sam," Santiago said in a knowing tone. Sam knew he was missing something crucial but he just couldn't put his finger on what.

"I'm gone slap you," Angelo threatened.

"You do and I'll bite you, bitch," Santiago replied cheerfully.

"I been bit enough lately," Angelo growled. "Sam about to stake Peggy for it."

"I'd like to see him try," Santiago said in a soft, dangerous, tone.

"No, you would not," said Angelo. "We all friends, we all been friends for a long time. Some witch NOT gone mess dis up."

Now Sam was thoroughly confused. Been friends a long time? But he had only met Angelo last night…though it seemed longer. He became aware that maybe he shouldn't be listening at the door… and that Angelo and Santiago were nearing the end of their conversation.

Deciding he better not risk being caught, Sam returned to the living room, where Eric was wearing a look of triumph and typing furiously on the keyboard of his phone.

"They are on the midnight cemetery tour," he said. "At St. Louis #1."

"Bill answered his text," Peggy told Sam softly. Sam felt a flash of guilt for having even thought of staking her. They were friends, after all… and what she had done to Angelo had been under the influence of the pink-haired witch.

"Well, don't just sit there. Go get them," Sophie-Anne told Eric impatiently. Sam watched Eric fight his annoyance at being ordered around. He understood how the Viking felt.

Eric nodded and got up slowly. Sam leapt to his feet. "I'll go with you."

"So will I," Peggy said.

"I think you should stay here with Santiago," Eric told her.

"Who says I'm going to stay here?" Santiago asked as he and Angelo emerged.

"If Sam goin', I'm goin'," said Angelo.

"I sure as hell ain't staying here with those two," said Lafayette, indicating Sophie-Anne and Andre. Andre smirked slightly.

"I don't give a good goddamn who goes and who stays, just hop to it," said Sophie-Anne. She arranged herself comfortably on one of the velvet fainting couches. "Christopher, call back one of your pretty humans. All this has made me hungry."

"You will need your strength," Andre said gently. Sam wondered if he was in love with the queen.

Christopher nodded. "All right, all right… I will stay here. The rest of you go."

"Bill and Sookie are not going to be terribly amused to have all of us crashing their honeymoon," Peggy said as the group of them – Eric, Sam, Angelo, Lafayette – headed out the door.

"I would find it much more amusing myself under other circumstances," Eric said. "Do you know how to get to St. Louis #1, Margaret?"

"Yes, of course," Peggy said, leading the way through the streets of the French Quarter.

The moon was bright, half-full and low in the sky, almost orange. The sounds and smells of the French Quarter came to Sam like tangible memories that he could almost, but not quite grasp. He had been here a few years ago with most of this group but some of the details seemed fuzzy.

Why was he still so fuzzy?

Was he still under the spell of the witch? He mostly felt fine… in fact better than fine, because he was in love with Angelo, and Angelo loved him back, and they really needed to talk about this without Sam giving away that he had eavesdropped on Angelo's conversation with Christopher… But there wasn't time to think about it now. Now they were at the cemetery gates, and they had to find Bill and Sookie and take care of this witch.

After that…well, Sam didn't know what would happen.