A/N: As always thanks to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed the last chapter. I'm really sorry that updates are slowing down, I'm trying to work on a schedule that works better since updating everyday during the weekday just isn't feasable anymore. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Reconstruction

Right 1, 2, 3, 4, turn left 1, 2, 3, 4, and repeat. She had been at it for the past five minutes, he wasn't sure what she was doing, pacing left and right made no sense to him. He had thought of opening the door and ending her misery but he didn't feel so generous towards her at the moment. Still he couldn't let her suffer that long and figured if she didn't stop in two more minutes he would open the door. Finally he heard her pacing stop and after one excruciating long 20 seconds there was a knock at his door. He didn't rush towards it, didn't want to seem too eager, but he couldn't help it if he walked faster. He had spent yesterday wandering the forest pissed off and determined not to see her. He accomplished his goal but had ended up feeling bereft more than accomplished.

She stood there, chewing her lip and her nervousness was rolling off her in waves.

"Hi." She finally said after they stared at each other in silence for a while.

"Hello." His hand digs into his hair of their own accord, he doesn't like this awkwardness between them. This was Sookie his intended, his beloved, they should be able to feel comfortable in each other's presence but after their blow out he didn't know how exactly he should act towards her.

"Um… I brought you your car I didn't… I thought you would go get it yesterday." She digs into the pocket of her jean shorts and fishes out his keys handing them over to him.

"Thanks, I didn't think it was prudent." He sees her toy with her pockets a bit more and he knows she has more than that to say.

"Can I come in?" She asks finally looking up to look him directly in the eyes.

"Of course." He lets her walk buy and makes sure to close the door partially.

"Close it completely, please. I think we should have some privacy for this." The click of the door shutting is loud and when he turns to see her, she's standing by his dresser with a determined look on her face. "I'm sorry, kind of." She starts off brusquely.

"Kind of?" He's amazed she's still willing to fight him on this, still she swallowed her pride and came to see him so he figures he can't expect her to be completely able to take the blame.

"Yes." He wonders if she's skirting around the issue again, because he refuses to allow that to happen today.

"Okay..." Before he can argue his side she cuts him off.

" No you talked last time I need to say how I feel now." She looks him squarely in the eye and he backs down, willing to give her time to say what she needs to say. "I think you overreacted. I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong; but I'm not saying I'm wrong and you're right either." He suppresses a grin at that, he wasn't surprised his girl wasn't the type to really admit her faults but he was glad she wasn't saying he was the one completely in the wrong here either.

"Interesting so who exactly has the fault here?"

"We both do. You're too hot headed, I understand the issues you have with Hoyt and I get you don't like him but he's still my friend and I'm still going to interact with him, you don't run my life. But I admit that it wasn't right how I was acting with him nor was it right how I've been acting with you." He was glad that she was attempting to see his side of things and he figured that as long as they were able to openly discuss these things they couldn't fester and ruin the budding relationship he hoped they had started.

"I thought we were moving forward?" He was honestly at a loss at how their relationship was progressing, she was so hot and cold around him that it was driving him mad.

"We were, I mean we are. I want to move forward with you." She took a step closer but stilled herself. He understood, they needed space to have this discussion.

"Then?" He wondered what exactly did forward mean to Sookie?

"I want to help you settle in here, I want you to be part of my life, I want us to be more. I don't want you to run my life, I don't want to feel like I can't talk to anybody else and I don't want to feel like I'm leading you on either." He felt her standing on the edge, unwilling to drop down quite yet with him. She didn't trust him enough yet for that, but that was to be expected he had not been in town long enough, it was still too soon for her to promise him forever yet. He was just glad she was willing to step up to the edge for him. He looks at her and sees that she said her piece and is waiting for him.

"Okay, I understand that you are independent and I know times are different now, I will try and give you the space you need in that perspective." He saw how eager she was to provide for herself, how she worked to help her grandmother keep the house up and he knew how much pride she had in herself. It was something he admired about her and he didn't want to take that from her.

"Thank you."

"Now I think I should tell what I need." He waited for her to nod her acquiesce before continuing. "I need to know what we are, I need us to be more defined, I can't be your friend and your boyfriend whenever it suits you. I'm sorry for how I acted." Perhaps it had been too much, but these fleeting promises of maybe that she kept doling out to him didn't seem fair either. "I don't need you to give Hoyt up as a friend I need you to set boundaries with him if we are to become more than friends, if not then we need to set boundaries for ourselves." The last bit was the hardest to say, but it had to be done. If she wasn't willing to commit to him then he wouldn't force her but he also wouldn't make himself suffer in that manner either. Her body pressed against his, her soft supple skin under his lips had brought him to the heights of euphoria within the last couple of days but if she wasn't his, wasn't only his, then he couldn't continue to touch her in that manner it wouldn't be right.

"I agree. I think… I'm ready to be your girlfriend, I know that you're looking for more but this is what I can offer right now. I think… I don't know I figured we would be friends for a long time first but I don't think were very good friends." She sounded sad, he remembered how insistent she was that they become 'friends' before starting an intimate relationship. She had acted like their time spent when she was younger had accounted for nothing and it had hurt him a bit.

"I don't agree with that, I think we're excellent friends." They had spent time watching movies, walking around town joking and she had so at ease with him that he wondered what the magic ingredient to becoming 'friends' was. He had assumed they had never stopped being friends.

"Friends can resist making out on their grandmother's couch." She pouts and he moves to sit on the bed pulling her down beside him.

"Sookie I've known you since you were a little girl, I was your friend, I played hide and seek with you, we would sit for hours and watch the clouds and make funny shapes from them, and you would tell me about everything important in your life. What makes you think we have no foundation for our relationship?"

"I don't know, I wanted to show you, I'm not that little girl anymore, I'm more… I don't know what, but something's changed."

"I know you are different and a lot of things have changed but that doesn't affect what we had does it?"

"I guess not, I don't want you to see me as someone who gives in to you easily."

"Trust me I could never see you that way, but I think we both have to give a little more in order to make this work. I will try to keep my temper in check and you could not fight me on everything."

"I guess your right."

"So it's official then?"

"What?"

"You're mine." Mine. He savors the word on his tongue. Sookie was his.

"I'm your girlfriend, caveman." She corrects him easily nudging his shoulder at the 'caveman' comment.

"Fine, I'll take what I can get." He's just glad she came looking for him, he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out before going back to her side and declaring himself a fool.

"Well actually I kind of need you to do something first." She has a sheepish look on her face and the rose color blossoming on her cheeks lets him now she must be embarrassed about what she's about to ask for.

"What is it?" Anything, I'd do anything for you.

"Ask my grandmother's permission."

"Permission?" Sooke was full of contradictions sometimes, she wanted her independence and yet thanks to her grandmother's upbringing she yearned keep certain traditions.

"I know it's outdated but you like that kind of stuff don't you?"

"Are you calling me outdated?" He added as much injury as possible to his tone, obviously compared to her he was ancient, still he didn't like that she saw him in that manner.

"Of course not!" She smiles sheepishly at him. "I'm calling you an old fashioned gentlemen, which would be a compliment."

"Uh, huh, so I simply have to ask her if I can court you?"

"Exactly, and then it can be official!"

"Since we're going with old fashion traditions shouldn't I ask Jason, since he is the man of your family."

"Oh please don't start. Besides I'm sure you already have his blessing."

" Okay I can do that." In fact he was more than pleased to do it, once he asked her grandmother's permission he was sure the whole town would find out about their arrangement.

"Great, can you come over tomorrow I have to work but I have the early shift so I was thinking you could come over after. What do you think?"

"I think that would be fine, in fact if possible I would like to do it tonight." She smiled widely.

"Sorry I have work later and Gran's going to be busy at the church all day." She reached over to grab his hand and laced their hands together. "I'm really happy though."

"Me too." He wrapped his other arm tighter around her body. This felt right, perfect. She was in his arms and for once their future together didn't seem too far off for his liking.

"Okay remember Gran already likes you, so don't be too nervous." He hadn't even had the chance to reach the door before Sookie had almost tackled him on the porch steps. While he enjoyed the enthusiasm for his arrival she had immediately begun to smooth down his shirt and inspect him all the while reciting rules and tips on how to treat her grandmother.

"I'm not nervous Sookie, but I think you are."

"I'm sorry, everything is going to be fine she already trusts you I just, I mean this is it. I want her to know how much you mean to me." He reached out grabbed her chin lifting her head up to meet her eyes.

"Sookie, I love you and I promise you everything will be fine." He gave her a chaste kiss, their first one since the horrible tiff they had had the other day. He felt her lean in and attempt to deepen it but he pulled away. "First lets get this out of the way and then we can continue."

"Okay." She agreed with a goofy grin, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him into her house.

"Sookie honey be a dear and go prepare some sandwiches, I'm famished." Adele gave her granddaughter a reassuring smile, as Sookie reluctantly stood up from her seat next to him and headed into the kitchen. "Now that she's gone I think we can really talk." Adele admitted conspiratorially as she leaned forward in her armchair.

"Yes I suppose we can." He took an unneeded breath, he was sure Adele wouldn't deny his request but he had spent centuries waiting for this moment and it was a little jarring. "I wanted to ask your permission to court Sookie." He looks at Adele and sees her take in his words, her passive face doesn't change and he's not sure if that's a good thing or bad. He's about to read her mind when she begins to answer him.

"Sookie is a grown young woman, mature and very independent she doesn't need my permission to date you." Before he could object she waves him off. "That being said Ben you're a sweet boy, and I know that there is an age difference between you and Sookie but that doesn't bother me. Why my own parents had a fifteen year gap between them and they loved each other very much. Sookie is a special girl and well I always hoped she could find someone special for herself and I'm just glad she didn't have to wait long for that person. "

"Thank you, I want you to know that I truly do care about her."

"I know you do, since the moment you got here Sookie's been nothing but smiles and I know that's because of you. I'm not going to pretend you two won't have your problems, she's a stubborn girl who has too much pride for her own good, but I've never seen her so besotted with a boy." She winks at him with a smile, just as Sookie enters the room carrying a tray full of sandwiches.

"What did I miss?" She asks as she settles herself back into her seat while placing the tray on the coffee table.

"Oh nothing much dear, but I did just realize that I have to talk to Maxine Fortenberry she said she would bring her green bean casserole to the next meeting but Mary Lou already offered to bring one. We can't have two casseroles, there would be an uproar." The great casserole incident of 2001. He holds back the laugh, but just barely, wondering how much of that is true and how much is made up just to give him and Sookie time alone.

"But I though you were hungry?" Sookie looks at her grandmother inquisitively while staring at her cooking dejectedly.

"You two enjoy I have my own things to settle."

"Are you sure?" Adele simply waves off Sookie making her way upstairs and out of sight. "You asked her didn't you?" The moment her grandmother is out of sight she turns on him forgetting all about the food.

"Yes." He answers, smirking at the urgent look in her eyes. He knows that her grandmother's opinion is something Sookie takes serious consideration of, and Adele seemed simply enamored by him. Who knew Adele would be such a good ally to have?

"Well? Stop being coy, what did she say?" She urges him by pushing on his arm.

"Well… of course she said yes, did you have any doubt about it?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure."

"So it's official you're my girlfriend." He smiled smugly at her before throwing his arm around her and scooting her closer towards him. He's surprised when she doesn't shove him away.

"Well more like you're my boyfriend really." She corrects but still burrows herself deeper into his side. He laughs, but he doesn't correct her because it doesn't matter, it's true he's hers, he's never had a choice in the matter but he doesn't mind much. He was born to be at her side and even if he had to become this monstrosity of a hybrid to do that, then he can live with it.

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think!