A/N: Thanks for all of the kind words. No one was home when the tornado hit and we saved all the animals and most of the important things.

Please review.....I love knowing what people think. I listened to tons of stuff when writing…does anyone care about the playlist? If not, then I won't bore you with it.


21:

I sat there and stared at Gran's headstone expecting a response, for her to materialize and give me some kind of advice. That didn't happen. I only grew colder kneeling there on the icy damp ground crying silently.

I suddenly realized how dark it was. Everything was dark. Not only the night, but my mind, too. I crawled closer to her tombstone and curled up in the fetal position and sobbed. I clutched at her tombstone as if trying to get closer to her, but the cold stone only made me shiver more. I had so many questions for her. Why couldn't she be here to answer them and to help me? What was I going to do? Why had Niall done this to me?

I heard a voice calling me, but I pushed it away and cringed further into the stone shaking from the cold. It seemed like an eternity passed. Then I heard someone again.

"Shit!!! Sookie!" I was lifted suddenly and I buried myself into the warm arms that held me but I still couldn't stop trembling.

"Ss…ssso…co…cold." I stammered.

"Shh….it's okay. I've got you now." Quinn said. I could tell that he was running fast but he was barely jostling me.

Before I thought it was possible I heard his feet hit the back porch steps and we were inside in the warmth. I heard Amelia exclaim and Pam hiss.

"Get some warm coffee or water and warm up some blankets in the dryer. We need to bring her body temperature back up." Quinn ordered quickly.

"Why is she so blue? She wasn't out there very long." Amelia asked frantically.

"It's below 36 degrees and she wasn't wearing much. She also hasn't eaten enough. She doesn't have enough calories or fat to burn to keep her warm."

I was hearing their words kind of in and out. I wanted to tell them they were over-reacting but I couldn't really get my limbs or my brain to function.

"Should we put her in a warm bath?" Amelia asked frantically. I could hear her banging around with something.

"No, we need to keep her dry and warm. She was going into stage two of hypothermia when I found her. Come help me. Her clothes are damp with sweat from when she was running and the moisture from lying on the ground; we have to get them off."

I felt myself being stripped by several sets of hands.

"What are you doing?" I heard Amelia ask.

Quinn had taken his shirt off and was sitting up holding me to his chest on my bed. "Body heat is the best. We have to warm her core before her limbs. Get the blankets and wrap them around us. We need to get her to drink something warm, too."

I was still shaking and it hurt so badly, "I…I…sso..so…ttt..tired." I just wanted to go to sleep to make the pain and cold go away. I closed my eyes.

"No! Sookie! You can't fall asleep!" Quinn shifted me carefully and got me to open my eyes. I looked up at his face that was inches away from mine.

"Her heartbeat doesn't sound right." I heard Pam say somewhere close by.

"That is a symptom. We have to be careful until her temperature is back up to normal." Quinn responded.

"Here! Here's some warm coffee." Amelia said running into the room.

"Hold it up for her. Sookie! Sookie! You need to drink this." I felt the warm mug against my mouth and tried to drink, but I think most of it ended up running down my face and Quinn's chest. I couldn't keep my eyes open, but they all kept talking to me and wouldn't let me go to sleep. Eventually I stopped shaking enough to drink some more of the coffee. I was finally starting to become more aware of everything around me and realized that I was naked next to Quinn. I couldn't pull away though as I didn't have complete control over my limbs and I really didn't want to as his warmth felt so good.

I sighed and relaxed more into him, finally able to since my muscles had stopped quivering.

"Where was she?" Amelia asked.

"At her grandmother's grave." Quinn answered and I could feel the rumble in his chest when he spoke.

"Ah." Amelia said.

"Did you call Eric?" Quinn asked Pam, I'm guessing.

"Yes. He cannot leave." Quinn sighed in frustration at this news. Pam went on, "Victor is in town and is watching him like a hawk. He wants to know where I am, too, but Eric covered and said I was with my new girlfriend. I will have to go back soon before they start to look for me."

"Any word on…." But Quinn stopped himself before continuing.

Pam answered him regardless, "No. Did you report to Nevada yet?"

I was kind of wandering in and out of consciousness so a lot of this conversation was washing over me and not sinking in.

"Yes, last night. They responded as we predicted. I am to remain. I wouldn't leave now regardless of what they said." Quinn replied.

"Good," Pam said. "What should we do about…?"

I could feel Quinn shake his head because his chin brushed against the top of my hair as his head moved back and forth.

"St…stop talking about me like I'm not here." I whispered through chattering teeth.

Quinn looked down at me and brushed the hair away from my face. "Sorry babe. You were kind of out of it for a while there. How are you feeling?"

"Numb. Still cold. My hands hurt." I choked out.

"That's from the warm blood going back into them. It will get better. Show me your hand. Can you touch your little finger and your thumb together?"

I lifted my arm but my hand wouldn't cooperate. I tried to do what he asked but it was hard.

"You're almost there, Sookie." He said. He took my hand and held it against him to warm it more.

"How do you know about this stuff?" I asked but it was slightly muffled against his chest.

"You get to know a lot about anatomy when you are a were or shifter. I learned more than most because of my fighting and also growing up in a colder climate."

I nodded. That made sense. When you were out roaming around at night and completely naked if you changed back, that would most likely be a problem in the cold no matter if you were a shifter or not. I didn't want to even think about all the things he'd learned because of his fighting. He'd survived all that time in the Pits so he must know something about staying alive.

Pam asked bluntly, "I thought were's could smell when a woman was with child, didn't you know already?"

I cringed and Quinn wrapped his arms tighter around me, "Not this early. Maybe after several months, though, a were can tell. But by then, most humans can, too just by sight."

"Can I go to sleep now?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"No. You need to eat, and then you can." Quinn said and I caught Amelia nodding in agreement with him out of the corner of my eye.

"Okay." I didn't feel like arguing any more.

"What do you want Sookie?" Amelia asked.

"I don't care."

Quinn said, "Something warm, with protein."

I heard Amelia leave.

Quinn moved away and wrapped the blankets around me as he got up. All I wanted to do was lie down, but I stayed sitting up for some reason. I watched him as he got up and while he put his shirt back on. His back was to me so I saw all of his muscles ripple as he pulled it over his head. I shut my eyes quickly. He had just held me naked and I didn't feel embarrassed about that, but I felt bad about watching him put his shirt on? I looked down and pulled the blankets tighter around me.

He turned around and smiled gently down at me, "Feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I'm going to go help Amelia so you can get dressed." Quinn said and left.

I just sat there on the bed, though. I didn't want to get dressed. I didn't want to do anything. They came back in with my food and I still hadn't moved. Amelia had made me eggs and toast. I knew I needed to eat, but the smell was too much to bear. I jumped up with the blanket still around me and ran toward the bathroom and dry heaved in the toilet.

I sat on the floor for a while and leaned my head against the wall waiting for my stomach to calm down. God that hurts.

I got up and rinsed my mouth out and took some drinks of water from my cupped hand. I had closed the door behind me when I ran in so I dropped the blanket and put my bathrobe on. How pathetic was I?

I sat on the edge of the tub and just tried to settle myself.

I finally emerged and said, "Sorry….the smell of the eggs just got to me."

Amelia nodded and said, "How about some chicken noodle soup?" I agreed and she went off to make the soup.

"What time is it?" I asked Quinn and Pam weakly as we all filed into the kitchen.

"Around 3:30." Pam said.

I still couldn't believe I slept the whole day. Whatever Amelia did to me the night before sure was effective….not that I wanted her to try it again any time soon.

I sat down in a chair, laid my head on the table, and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew Amelia was touching my shoulder 10 minutes later telling me my soup was ready.

I sipped it quietly while the others talked in the living room. I was too tired to spy on them to see what they were talking about and I really didn't care. I had slept all day and I couldn't wait to get right back in my bed and sleep some more.

I ate as much of the soup as I could tolerate and I went into my bedroom and put on some pajamas. I noticed again that there were now two holes in my wall. Great.

I crawled into bed and didn't even bother to turn off the lights because I figured someone would be bothering me again soon enough. Why inconvenience them with low-lighting?

Amelia came in shortly after and I opened my eyes to look at her. "Sookie, I am so sorry. I'm here for you. We all are. You know that right?"

I nodded weakly. I didn't want to talk about it. They made me find out, but I still didn't want to talk about it.

She sat with me for a while and finally left when she figured out that I didn't want to talk.

I turned over and curled around my pillow. What a day! Or night rather. And I was only awake for several hours. Maybe if I go back to sleep I'll wake up and none of it will have happened. That sounded like a good idea.

I shut my eyes and tried to fall asleep.

*****

"Is she sleeping?" Pam asked as Amelia emerged from Sookie's room.

"She will be soon I think."

"Is that normal for her to sleep so much?" Pam asked.

Amelia shrugged, "It depends. Some women don't change their patterns at all after they are pregnant and some are completely different. It is almost four in the morning though. Most humans do go to sleep at this time of night." She added with a smirk.

"I must return to Shreveport before sunup. Let me know if you two need help with the obstinate one." Pam said as she gathered her things to leave.

"We will," Amelia answered.

"Good. Take care of her." Pam looked at Quinn and Amelia sternly and then left.

Quinn watched her drive out before he came back to the living room.

"Geeze, you'd think Pam was her mom or something!" Amelia said. "Hey, Quinn, I changed the sheets in the spare bedroom, and since Octavia is gone for the time being, you might as well sleep in a real bed."

"Thanks. I will definitely take you up on that after several nights on that couch." Quinn said.

"Cool." Amelia responded, "Well, I'm going to bed then. Let me know if you need anything." She hopped up and ran up the stairs quickly.

Quinn got up and went to the spare bedroom across from Sookie's. He shucked his jeans and shirt and sank down into the bed. "Ahhh…" He let out a happy sigh of comfort. The bed wasn't that great, but it was so much better than the couch, it felt like heaven. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, the screaming started.

*****

I was walking through the cemetery again and I knew something was wrong because even though the sun was shining down brightly I was cold again. Then I saw him. The fairy that I knew as the Were Preston. He was moving toward me. I stopped suddenly. I couldn't move. I was frozen. He circled me and as he did he inhaled my scent deeply. He turned me forcefully toward him and made me meet his eyes. I didn't want to and I fought him, but he grabbed my face with both hands until my eyes were trained on his. I immediately felt the feelings of want and desire so powerfully I went weak in the knees. He held me close to his body and forcefully kissed me. I didn't want this. I knew that now. My mind was struggling, but it was losing the battle. He laid me down on the grass, and as he did, the grass turned into my bed. I could feel him undressing me and I knew I didn't want it, but I couldn't stop him. I couldn't control my voice or my body. My mind was screaming 'no' but it was buried quickly by an intense rush of lust that overwhelmed my mind and made me stop asking questions. It felt like a thick fog was circling me as he took off my shirt and then my pants. I still couldn't move. All I could feel was want, but it wasn't mine. I knew that. He started touching me and my body wasn't listening to me anymore. I tried to lie there limply, not knowing what to do, but my traitorous body responded to his touch. I was not in control anymore of what I felt. He moved up and caressed my face and I cringed away. This did not make him happy. He turned my face back forcefully and plunged his tongue into my mouth. Just as he did this I felt him start to penetrate me. I tried to squeeze my legs together but this made him angrier and he was too strong; mentally and physically. All he had to do was get me to look in his eyes again and I submitted. It hurt, even though I opened myself for him against my will. I didn't want this; I knew that, even if my mind and body were being tricked. I started to cry but he didn't stop. My mind finally started to break free and I thought I could control my voice again. I started screaming. I screamed and I kicked and I fought as hard as I could, but he was still there on top of me as if I was doing nothing to stop him. He kept entering me over and over again forcefully. Any time his eyes caught mine he was able to send the foggy feelings of lust and desire into me so I would submit willingly. He finally came and I thought he would stop then, but he didn't. It went on for hours. He drove his seed into me again and again. I was powerless to stop him. I was screaming but no one heard me. I don't even think the screams were escaping my mouth at all. They were trapped in my mind. I felt like I was being smothered. I couldn't scream. I couldn't breathe. The fog was too thick.

*****

"Sookie!!" Quinn yelled at her as she was writhing and screaming in bed. "Wake up!"

She clawed, hit, and fought, but Quinn wouldn't let her go this time until she woke from this nightmare. "Wake up, Sookie!"

She finally came to and opened her eyes. She looked just as terrified as she had the night before. She shrunk away from him quickly until her eyes focused and she realized where she was then she collapsed back into him and started sobbing.

"I remember…..Oh, god….I remember everything, Quinn."

"What do you mean?"

"I remember what he did to me. I didn't want it. My dream. I remember now….through the majick or glamour or whatever, I remember it all…Oh…"

Quinn held her close as she sobbed into his chest. He wanted to kill this bastard and her grandfather for doing this to her. How could anyone ever do such a thing?

Sookie kept crying and asking unanswerable questions, but he just held her and soothed her. That was all he could do.

She finally calmed down enough so he thought she could go back to sleep. Quinn went to leave but she reached out for him and asked one last question, "Who's ever going to want me now?"

Quinn looked down at her and gave a soft smile, "Oh babe…who wouldn't want you?" For some reason this only made her cry harder.