A/N: I thought I'd get this chapter out sooner but my boyfriend's parent's house got completely destroyed in a tornado. So we had to go dig through rubble. Very sucky. Thanks for the reviews.


20:

Pam went back in the office and sat down at the desk again while Amelia leaned against a chair. "Amelia, I am told by the waitresses at the bar that there are little plastic sticks that can now tell a woman if she is with child."

Amelia's jaw dropped open at Pam's blunt statement and she stuttered a bit when responding, "Uh, yeah, there are, uh, pregnancy tests if that's what you mean?"

"Perfect." Pam said sounding a bit excited, "Where can we get one of these sticks?"

"Uh, any grocery store or drug store." Amelia was wondering what prompted Pam to action.

"But at this time of night?" Pam asked.

Amelia answered, "Yeah, there's an all-night drug store."

"Great, we'll go right after we close. I'll follow you there." Pam said.

They closed at eleven since this was a Sunday. Amelia walked out of the office shaking her head and went to help start clearing everyone out for the night. Kerri really wanted to put his skates on to clean, but Amelia was able to convince him to keep them off.

Amelia and Pam walked out in the parking lot together after the bar was locked up. Kerri waved big to them as he was putting his skates on sitting sideways in Sherri's passenger seat with the door open, "Bye, Amelia! Bye, Mistress Pam! See you back here on Tuesday!"

Pam shot Amelia a look and she said, "What? He worked hard and I told him he could come back as long as the skates stayed in the car. Besides, he got more tips than the rest of us combined! I think there are certain gentlemen here in Bon Temps that are good at keeping secrets." Amelia smiled hugely and winked. Pam shook her head but otherwise let it go.

Pam followed Amelia to the 24 hour pharmacy and as they were walking in, Amelia asked, "Why are we doing this now? Shouldn't we wait to see if Sookie wants us to?"

"Eric tells me to find out the situation with Sookie, and so I shall. Which way?"

Amelia pointed to the aisle that contained the case of locked up condoms, lubricants, pregnancy tests and other various products related to sex.

"Why are they locked up?" Pam asked.

Amelia chuckled, "Because teens and some adults are embarrassed to buy condoms, lube, and pregnancy tests so they will steal them instead."

"Why would someone be embarrassed because they are having sex?" Pam inquired, clearly not understanding how all things sexual worked in the Bible Belt.

"Sex is very repressed because of religion and people feel guilty about the things they enjoy rather than embracing them. This is even more the case here in the South, Pam. But in the instance of people stealing these things, it's most likely a teenage girl who is afraid she got pregnant and doesn't want the whole town to know. Or the married guy that shoplifts condoms because he doesn't want anyone to know he's having an affair." Amelia said.

Pam looked contemplative for a moment then said, "Silly humans. So which one should we get? They are so small. Are you sure they work?"

Amelia laughed, "Yeah, for the most part they work. There are false positives and negatives, but we can buy a couple to get around that. I've had good luck with this one before." Amelia said indicating one of the pink boxes in the case.

"Good luck?" Pam asked.

"Yeah, like a scare. I took a test and it was negative. So I consider that good luck! I didn't want a baby, so the fact that it was negative was awesome. Now, if I was a woman that did want to be pregnant then I wouldn't have been as happy."

Pam thought she understood, "So this one is lucky for the negative. We shall get this one then."

"Probably should get another brand, too…..just in case." Amelia said and her voice dropped almost to a whisper. She couldn't believe they were standing here doing this. Sookie was going to kill her….but they really did need to know what they were facing, even if Sookie didn't want to.

"Sookie is going to be pissed, Pam. How do we get her to take it?" Amelia asked.

"Well, what do you have to do to 'take' the test?"

Amelia said, "You have to pee on the stick and then in a couple of minutes it tells you yes or no with a symbol or whatever. It's not like we can force her to pee on it."

"Of course we can." Pam said cheerfully with an evil glint in her eye.

Eww. Amelia really didn't want to think of how Pam could accomplish that. "Either way, she is going to be mad, Pam."

"Sookie needs to grow up. We need to know all of the details of the situation in order to handle it effectively. Now go get that little balding man over there to come let the tests out of their cage."

Amelia went to get the pharmacy tech and they pointed out which ones they wanted. The man seemed a little upset to be getting pregnancy tests for a woman with a vampire, but he did his job none-the-less. Pam paid for the 'sticks' as she kept referring to them and they were headed toward Sookie's in no time. Amelia was sure Sookie was going to kick her out of her house. After the tea incident last night and now this, she was not going to be a happy camper when she woke up. Especially when she saw all TEN tests Pam had picked out. Pam for some reason was a big believer in buying bulk.

They pulled around the back and were met by Quinn at the back door. He opened the door for them and they both filed in and Pam proudly plopped her two pharmacy bags on the table. Pam seemed to be all for bringing inappropriate gifts for Sookie.

"What's all that?" Quinn asked.

"Testing sticks." Pam said proudly.

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Pregnancy tests….for Sookie."

Quinn's eyes widened, "She's going to be pissed."

Amelia nodded, but Pam couldn't look happier. "Well, she better piss on one of these sticks willingly, otherwise I will help her. Where is she?"

Quinn inclined his head toward her bedroom, "Still sleeping. What did you put in that tea Amelia? Is this normal?"

"Well, she should have definitely slept over twelve hours, but with how tired she was, it doesn't surprise me."

"What doesn't surprise you?" asked a sleepy, but irritated voice from the hallway.

*****

All three of them turned to watch me as I walked in the kitchen and sat in one of the chairs. Pam's face was emotionless, Quinn's was worried, but Amelia just looked plain scared. Well she should be!

"Uh, hi Sookie! Do you feel better?" Amelia asked hesitantly.

I shot her a death glare, "Can I have coffee now?"

"Sure, Sook! I'll make you some fresh." Amelia got up and began banging around with the coffee maker.

I couldn't think straight. My brain was all fuzzy. I felt more rested, but I definitely needed some caffeine to help me clear my head.

I eyed the bags on the table and Pam smirked a bit. "Do I even want to know?" I asked Pam.

Amelia wouldn't turn around from the sink but I picked it up from her brain even though she was trying desperately to think of something else. I was immediately filled with outrage and indignation. "Amelia!!!" I yelled.

She spun around to face me and she was terrified. I could hear the thoughts running through her head. She was thinking that I was going to kill her, kick her out, or worse. She might be right!

I glared at her and she looked to Pam for help. I could see from her brain then that Pam had forced her to help with the little trip they had taken to the pharmacy.

I turned my glare to Pam who still looked a little amused. "You don't scare me Pamela. And I CAN remove you from my house if I wish. What is the meaning of all this?" I yelled as I waved my hands to indicate the two bags on the table.

She dropped her smirk and her eyes turned stony as she leaned forward toward me. If I didn't know better I would think she was trying to glamour me, "And I am not afraid of you Sookie Stackhouse. You are behaving like an obstinate child as usual and causing more trouble for us by doing so. We need to find out what we are up against, and you are just making that task more difficult. Now go pee on these sticks."

"NO! You have no right!" I stood up and went to storm back to my room, but Pam was in front of me blocking me before I even saw her move.

"Sookie, you can do this the easy way, or I can help you which will be much more unpleasant for you. Why must you always make things more difficult?" She snarled.

I blinked and I began to feel the tears building up in my eyes. Lots of vampires had yelled at me and scared the tar out of me, but never Pam. It was almost like having a mother or older sister scold me. A mother or older sister that also had very sharp fangs.

Amelia and Quinn were as far away from the two of us in the kitchen as they could get. They wanted no part in this exchange. I couldn't blame them, I didn't either.

The tears were rolling down my cheeks now and I was starting to breathe heavily. My eyes were darting back and forth looking for any kind of escape and also not wanting to look at Pam directly.

I finally looked back at her as I had no other option, since she had backed me into the corner of my kitchen, "Please," I whined. "Don't make me do this."

Pam's face softened a bit, "I don't want to make you Sookie, but we need to know. Not facing this will not make it disappear. Cooperate, please." It was a statement, not a suggestion.

I didn't see that I had a whole lot of other options. I also really didn't want to know how Pam would help me if I refused. I could always rescind her invitation, but Amelia could just invite her back in. I sniffed and nodded while trying to get myself back under control. Amelia and Quinn had identical looks of shock on their face.

Pam turned quickly and grabbed a bag off the table before I could change my mind. She shoved a blue box at me and ushered me into my room then my bathroom. She opened the box and retrieved the instructions and handed me the rest. I was numb. I still hadn't gotten my coffee and my head was still fuzzy. As if she had read my mind for once, Amelia scurried in the bathroom with a cup of steaming caffeinated goodness. "I'm sorry about last night, I just wanted you to rest without nightmares…." I shook my head to tell her to stop talking and took the coffee in my free hand and drank appreciatively.

To add to my continued horror in the whole situation, Pam began to read the instructions outloud. "Oh my god, hush Pam. Both of you get out! I can't go with you in here!"

They both looked at me skeptically and I could tell they thought I wasn't really going to do it. "You don't have to watch me! I'll do it! Just get out!"

Pam placed the directions on the vanity and walked out. Amelia gave me a reassuring look then followed her and closed the door. I slumped down onto the floor and leaned against the tub to collect my thoughts. I reached up and grabbed the instructions off the counter. I glanced at them quickly as it was pretty self-explanatory. Now I just had to do it.

I took a deep breath and peeled myself off the floor. I picked up my coffee and tried to drink as much as I could, hoping that would make this easier. I could hear Amelia's frantic brain and Pam's void just outside the door….that was not helping. I could tell Quinn was moving throughout the house as if he was pacing and his mind was just a bunch of snarls and swirling colors.

'Okay, Sookie. Pam's right. You are a big girl. You are not one to run away from your problems, no matter what,' I thought to myself trying to pep myself up. It hadn't really been working the past several days. I'd been the biggest basket case. They all probably wanted to get as far away from me and my hysterics as possible. They'd all been so kind and all I'd done is berate them for their efforts in trying to help me. Gran would not be pleased with my behavior.

"Sookie…" Pam called, and there was a hint of warning in her tone.

"I know, I know, just be quiet. This is hard enough without you two standing out there!" I yelled through the door.

I finally got my nerve up. I followed the instructions I had read, re-capped the tip, and washed my hands. I didn't want to look at it. I left it there on the counter and opened the door to my bedroom. Pam and Amelia were standing there waiting.

"Where is the stick?" Pam asked.

I pushed past her and collapsed face down onto my bed, "On the counter." I mumbled through the pillow my face was buried in.

I grabbed another pillow and pulled it over my head, too. I could still hear them, though.

"It isn't doing anything." Pam said.

Amelia said, "It takes a couple of minutes. Hand me the instructions." She went on, "it says it takes 3 minutes."

"Well, how long has it been?"

"I don't know. Put it back down. We'll know when something pops up."

"What will pop up?" Pam asked.

"A plus sign or a negative sign." Amelia answered.

I groaned. I wish I could just block them out. I felt pressure on the bed as someone sat down on the edge. It had to be Quinn since the unambiguously annoying duo were still talking in the bathroom.

"You okay?" he asked.

I peeked out from under the pillow at him and shrugged a bit, "Guess we'll find out." What else was there to say? I threw the pillow off my head and rolled over onto my back to stare at the ceiling. He reached out and held my hand. It felt good. I felt numb and cold everywhere else.

Pam and Amelia had gone silent in the bathroom. I knew that wasn't a good sign. I tried to keep myself out of Amelia's head, but that was next to impossible with how loudly she broadcasts.

They both walked out and Amelia tentatively said, "Sookie…."

I rolled my head to the side to look at them. Amelia had tears in her eyes. I nodded my head letting her know I understood and she didn't need to go on.

"It could be wrong though. Take another one."

"Yes, perhaps you should take the lucky one." Pam said and Amelia shot her a look that could kill. I picked up from Amelia's head what Pam had meant by lucky.

I shook my head. Quinn had guessed the result even though none of us had said it outloud. He got up and started pacing in my bedroom, much how I had two nights ago. I could feel the rage coming from his mind. "That fucking son-of-a-bitch!" He growled as he added another hole to my wall.

I giggled at how my house seemed to get broken when supes were around. Yep, I was losing it. I had to get out of here.

I jumped up and pushed past them all to the back door. I had to get out. Amelia's thoughts were deafening and Quinn's snarling mind was too bright to bear.

I didn't stop to put on shoes or a coat. I was out the door and running before any of them could stop me.

I didn't think that I was running with any particular goal in mind, but I realized finally that I was heading toward Gran's grave. When this hit me I ran harder. That is where I wanted to be right now more than anything. With Gran.

I didn't feel the cold ground, or the sticks and stones that were cutting my feet as I ran toward the cemetery. It didn't take more than a couple of minutes, but it felt like I'd been running for hours. When I got to her grave I knelt down in front of her tombstone breathing heavily. I was crying by now and the cold wind was stinging my face and whipping furiously through my long hair. I was still just in the t-shirt and shorts that I had put on last night.

"Gran," I said to the tombstone, "I'm pregnant."