Let's all be grateful to Charlaine Harris.

Sookie

Eric woke me with all kinds of wonderful pressing into my backside, but then it turns out I did need a little blood after all. I was pretty sore. The man is huge. After the pain-free toe-curling sex, we took a shower and went downstairs to have dinner (well, for me to have dinner—you know what I mean). I fixed my salad, and we decided to watch some movies instead of going out. I loved the sound of the rain and wanted us to curl up together on the sofa, and so I got my wish. I wondered if it was just a coincidence that both movies had star-crossed lovers in them. Elegy was about a couple dealing with an age difference, but, honestly, those people have no idea what a real age difference is. Seriously. Try like 975 years. Now that's an age difference. Add a species difference to the mix, and well, that's a whole other movie.

Eric liked my pictures and picked one of the goofy close-ups to use as wallpaper on his laptop. I didn't object, but I made a mental note to try and have some better pictures taken tomorrow. Maybe I could find Danielle again to help me.

Eric suggested that we take a walk in the rain, and we thought, hey, why not? It was actually really fun, and we wound up having pretty wild sex right on the beach. I wondered if anyone in the houses could see us, but it was pretty dark. We started to go into the house when I remembered that my panties were not on me, and I sent Eric back to the water's edge to find them. He's the one that slingshotted them into god knows where. I laughed so hard when I saw him wade into the surf and emerge with his prize. I would have died if they had washed up onto the beach the next morning. My hero.

We peeled our wet clothes off and spread them out onto the hammock. I figured that they might dry out by tomorrow that way and we wouldn't be dripping so much across the floor of the house. We made a mad dash up the stairs and took a long hot shower and got into bed. I was pretty wiped out and fell asleep quickly.

I was having another dream about my mother. I was talking to the ocean, calling to her, but couldn't see her. Then I saw what I first thought were my panties floating on a wave, but then as it came nearer, I realized that it was my mother's body. I woke up in a sweat and jumped out of bed and went to use the bathroom.

I came out to get back into bed, and Eric was standing there asking what was wrong. I told him I had a bad dream and he got under the covers and held me asking me to tell him about it. He said he felt through the bond that I was upset and he was worried. Thinking about the bond made me uneasy. I still didn't really understand it all, but then I decided I'd worry about that tomorrow (I sound like Scarlett O'Hara.), and drifted off to sleep.

Eric

I was getting ready to call Pam downstairs when I felt Sookie wake up, which wasn't alarming, actually. I was learning that she often would wake during the night to use the bathroom, so I wasn't worried. But then I realized that she was also afraid and upset, and so I ran up to see what had happened. Apparently she'd had a bad dream (It's hard for me to remember what that's like, it's been so long.), so I held her until she fell back to sleep.

I went downstairs and retrieved our wet clothes off of the hammock. Then I went into Sookie's closet and mine and put together a couple of loads of laundry, adding some towels. There was a washer and dryer in a hall closet upstairs stocked with detergent. Once I had the first load going, I went downstairs again to call Pam.

She was still frustrated with the contractor, but things were at least moving forward, if not slower than she wanted. I couldn't imagine a human contractor giving her a hard time (he's either brave or a fool). I told her not to worry about the schedule. I have this house rented for two weeks, and if the bar isn't ready after that, then maybe Sookie and I would just go somewhere else or even start trying to have a somewhat normal relationship in Shreveport and Bon Temps. I felt confident that things between us were finally progressing in a positive manner. She has not been fighting me so much on every little thing. I have been trying to reassure her of my feelings for her. It all feels good for the first time in a long time—well, since I was at her house without my memory. I told Pam that we were having a great time, and suggested that she come here sometime herself (she certainly deserves a vacation). I told her how I had been thinking that I may just want to live on a beach again, and maybe Sookie would want that as well. She started to give me shit about it, but then said that she really was glad about the turn of events.

I went up to put the wet clothes in the dryer and start the second load, then went back down to read on the hammock. Yes, I could definitely live here. I suppose that eventually I would get bored, but I could always open up a bar somewhere close by for something to do. I have no idea what the vampire political climate is like here, but it would be nice to live under the radar for awhile. Maybe Pam would like to be sheriff of area five. I could just give her Fangtasia and all of the crap that goes with it.

I was folding the last of our clean clothes, when I felt the pull of dawn. I quickly wrote my daily note to Sookie and then went to my dark room to die for the day.