A/N My plan was to have this finished by Christmas, but I think I might be pushing it! Although we're getting very close. So, once again, thanks so much for all the support for this story, it's been great having you along for the ride!

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.

My long and tiring day meant that the next morning I overslept and the sun was well on its way to the centre of the sky by the time my eyes opened. I lay there, feeling hot and groggy and trying to make my clouded brain locate the source of the worry that was niggling at it, like a dog chewing on the bottom of someone's jeans when they wanted to be let out.

And then I remembered. Long Shadow. Long Shadow was still out there somewhere.

I hadn't seen him on my drive home from work and I had no idea if his passing me earlier in the day was simply a case of bad timing or evidence that he was following me around.

But it was something I wasn't going to get an answer to while lying around in my bed. I sat up and waited a moment until I felt the world settle for me, and then I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and walked to the bathroom.

While I was in there I contemplated starting the day with a shower, but I was still feeling groggy and dazed from sleeping late and coffee seemed like a much better option.

The kitchen was bathed in sunlight and I had to blink several times to adjust to it as I walked in from the decidedly darker living room. The light glinted off the coffeemaker and I felt its pull. Moving across the kitchen floor towards it, though, I noticed the light glinting off something else, something outside the kitchen window.

Something that was moving rapidly up the driveway towards the house.

For a moment all I could see was the bright spark of light bouncing off the fast-moving object and I felt my stomach drop. I wanted to walk to the door and check that it was indeed locked, but I was stuck in place trying to make out if the car I could see was a green station wagon.

And then I realised that it wasn't. And I knew whose car it was; it was hard to mistake the cherry-red paintwork for any other car. And I still stood rooted to the spot, although I did lift a hand to my hair. Sadly all I encountered there were tangles and snarls, I hadn't even run a brush through it yet.

I cursed my desperate need for coffee and realised it was too late to rectify the situation now. I was going to have to face Eric as I was, tangled bed-hair and all.

I opened the door to let him in, as he was still climbing out of his car. "What brings you out here bright and early this morning?" I called.

"It's not…oh." Eric stopped and looked at what I was wearing. I looked down as well. Oh, damn it all to hell! Why was this the night I'd worn my Tinkerbell sleep-shirt to bed? Of course, I'd had no way of knowing that I'd be getting a morning visitor, and therefore to wear something more alluring, but I was mighty displeased with myself all the same.

"I didn't realise you'd just be getting up," Eric said, walking up the steps to the porch with a manila folder in one hand.

"Well, some of us work late," I said, a little grumpily and with the full knowledge that Eric had probably worked later than I had. "And yesterday was taxing on me."

"That's why I'm here," Eric said, not waiting to be invited in but trying to squeeze past where I was standing in the doorway.

"You saw him?" I blurted out.

"What? Who?" Eric looked confused and it became obvious that we were not on the same page.

"Long Shadow?" I asked, shutting the door now Eric was inside it.

"No. I haven't seen him. I brought you this." Eric held out the folder he'd been clutching.

I took it from him and opened it up, confused that the first piece of paper it contained was headed with the logo for Herveaux's Fine Furnishings. I glanced back up at Eric. "They sent this to you?"

"No. They sent it to you. In an email."

"I just…what?" I was even more confused now, and my eyes slid to the coffee maker which wasn't, currently, making me any coffee. I was fairly convinced that I needed a lot of coffee in order to make sense of what was going on here.

"You didn't close the browser window, or log-out…your email was still open on the computer at work. So I saw this when it came through." Eric shrugged.

"Um. OK. You read my email?"

"Just that one. I knew you'd want the contract, so I printed it out for you. Although I think Victoria's Secret sent you an email saying they were having a pyjama sale." Eric gave my Tinkerbell nightshirt another long look. "And Bill seems to be spamming you with cat pictures."

"Well, don't let on to him that I didn't close down my email," I grumbled, feeling a little annoyed with myself for being so careless. In my defence, I'd been celebrating my good fortune…although I wasn't sure that was a particularly good defence.

"I won't tell if you won't," Eric said with a grin. He seemed happy about the whole thing and I wasn't sure what I was yet. A little surprised, I think. And still not quite up with the play; I hadn't been awake all that long after all. Still it was a nice surprise, and I'd have been lying if I said I wasn't glad of some company and the opportunity to get away from some of my less pleasant thoughts.

"OK. Well, uh, thanks for bringing this by…" I had hoped that maybe Eric might stick around for a bit, but he had started to walk back out the door and was half-way down the porch steps by the time I realised what was happening. My coffee-free brain was really struggling to keep up.

I was contemplating whether or not I should move outside and wave him off, or just let him go and do whatever pressing business he had, when he re-appeared back in the door, carrying one of those cardboard trays which contained two large cups of coffee, and a paper bag.

Oh, yay! Coffee. I definitely needed coffee. It was all I could do not to tackle Eric and snatch one of the cups from him. But I minded my manners and waited until he put the tray down, pulled a cup out of it, and offered it to me. "I remembered you liked coffee," he said.

"I certainly do. Thank you." I took a big mouthful of my coffee and watched as Eric pulled a couple of pastries out of the paper bag he had carried in. I opened up the cupboard I was standing in front of and pulled out two plates, one-handed because I wasn't keen on letting go of my coffee just yet, before putting them on the table. At that point I relented and put down the coffee cup I was holding so I could spread them out and Eric could place the pastries on them.

And then, still without speaking to each other, we took our seats at the table, and began eating our breakfast. Even though we were silent, it didn't feel as awkward as it had when Eric and I had sat at this table previously.

Although I did fervently wish that my hair wasn't quite so outstandingly tangled.

"Thank you for the coffee. I really needed that," I said, as I finished up the last mouthful of my pastry.

"It's nicer eating breakfast with someone." Eric drained his coffee and looked at me across the table.

"It is," I agreed. "And I appreciate you rushing on over here bright and early." I paused. "To bring me the contract." I tapped the manila folder that was sitting on the table next to me.

"Well, it's not really that early."

"Oh. I guess not." I had forgotten for a moment that I'd slept late. And now I felt even more self-conscious about my bedraggled appearance. "I should, uh…I really need a shower…" I nodded in the direction of the hallway and my bedroom.

"OK," Eric said.

I stood up and rinsed our plates before placing them beside the sink. Then I collected up the two now-empty cardboard coffee cups and put them in the trash. Eric didn't move and I wondered whether he was going to wait for me while I showered. Would I find him wandering around in my bedroom again when I was done?

"Um…so, I'll just go and…" I didn't bother finishing the sentence, just waved my arm in the direction of my room and started walking.

Eric stood up and followed me.

OK. So he was going to wait for me then. That was fine. Maybe we'd be able to hang out a bit when I'd finished.

I walked into my bedroom and pulled open a couple of drawers, hurriedly selecting a clean bra and panties, and a green t-shirt with a rainbow printed on it. I expected that Eric might sit down in the slipper chair again, but instead he chose to examine a picture on my bedroom wall in great detail. It was a coloured illustration of two kittens watching a fly crawl across a bowl of apples which Gran had cut from a magazine when she was a girl, and then had framed.

From my closet I pulled out my denim skirt and then, clutching my bundle of clothing, I opened the door to the bathroom.

I stepped inside, and so did Eric. The bathroom wasn't really all that big and, with two of us in here, it was kind of crowded. Eric pushed the door shut and the room shrank even more.

I stood on the spot, still holding on to my clothes, and wondered if I should say something. And if I said something, what should I say? How did I ask if Eric was getting in the shower with me, without it sounding as though I didn't want him to, or make him feel like he'd made a mistake?

But while I pondered the complexities of the situation I'd found myself in, Eric had found a much simpler method of confirming that he was, indeed, getting into the shower with me.

He'd started taking his clothes off.

Now I wasn't really sure what to do, stuck with the armful of clothes which I normally would have balanced on the lid of the toilet, but unable to reach it because of Eric being in the way. Eric, who had now removed his own t-shirt and kicked off his shoes and was in the process of pulling down his jeans.

He straightened up, and looked at me. "I've been running around all morning," he said. "I thought that I could use a shower, too."

"OK. That's uh…fine." I racked my brains but no one I had ever dated had ever just invited themselves into my shower before.

Eric seemed to be picking up my uncertainty. "I don't have to…" he said, as I decided that I couldn't just stand there all morning and I pushed myself a little way past him so I could put my clothes down. "I could just watch."

I wasn't sure whether that idea was better than Eric being in the shower with me, or not. "No, you're welcome to join me," I said, sounding a lot more formal than, perhaps, the occasion really warranted. Especially now that Eric had taken off his underpants and was standing there, naked, in front of me.

"I'll start," he said, kissing me, very lightly, on the mouth, and stepping into the tub, before pulling the shower curtain closed and switching on the water.

After a moment or two he said. "How long does this take to heat up?"

"Oh. A while. The plumbing's kind of old."

"OK. You, uh, could have warned me about that."

"Sorry." I smiled a little, glad that the shower curtain kept Eric from seeing my amusement.

"You know, a cold shower wasn't really the kind of shower I had in mind when I came in here," he said. There was a pause, during which time I leisurely pulled off my nightshirt and placed it in the laundry hamper. "It does heat up, though, doesn't it?"

"Definitely does."

"Well. OK." Another pause. "I guess it's nicer out there at the moment, huh?"

"I'm thinking so," I confirmed, not bothering to keep the giggle out of my voice this time. I'm not sure why Eric was expecting some kind of instant-power-shower to have been installed in this bathroom over the old bathtub, but his predicament was a little amusing.

I slipped out of my panties and added them to the laundry hamper. The pile of laundry was building up and I realised that I should really put a load on after this shower was done. Hopefully there'd still be some hot water left.

"OK," Eric said, from behind the shower curtain. "I think you're safe to come in now."

"Are you sure? Because I'm not sure I really fancy being doused in cold water. Maybe I'll just get in and stand behind you, in case?"

I pulled back the shower curtain and stepped in behind Eric. I placed a hand on his wet back. "Ooh, that's a little icy."

"Yes. As was the water to begin with."

I tried not to laugh, but I failed miserably. And with that, all the nervousness I'd had completely disappeared.

"Thank you," Eric said, turning around to face me. "For being so completely sympathetic to my plight."

"Oh, I'm totally sympathetic Eric. I just have no desire to end up in the same unfortunate situation!"

"So what situation were you hoping to end up in?" Eric asked, stepping a little closer to me, so that his wet and naked body was almost touching mine. That certainly made my temperature rise, even without the benefit of feeling any of the warm water touching my skin.

"Oh, well. I thought I might end up in a hair-washing situation," I said, a little airily, like I wasn't standing in a shower with a naked man.

"Well, be my guest." Eric gestured past him and stepped to the side as best he could, and I squeezed past him to get to the water. It was a squeeze though, and I definitely made contact with Eric in the process. One part of him, in particular, seemed to be recovering from its earlier surprise cold-shower.

I dunked my head under the water and wet my hair and, when I came up for air again, Eric had my bottle of shampoo in his hand. I watched as he poured some into the palm of his hand and then turned my back to him again, so he could work it through. It actually felt more than a little nice to have someone else wash my hair for a change. I could just stand there and enjoy the warm water.

"Are you warm enough back there?" I asked Eric.

"I'm returning to normal temperature."

"OK. But are you getting any of the water now, or am I blocking you?"

"Maybe I'll just stand a little closer to you." He did just that and then there was no mistaking that Eric was very much enjoying his time in the shower with me.

And the feeling was mutual.

I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, and then applied some conditioner. I picked up the comb I kept on a shelf above the bath and attempted to comb it through, but the snarls were a little tricky, and Eric had to take the comb from me and finish the job.

I rinsed it out and then took the shampoo bottle back down off the shelf. "Your turn," I said to Eric, which necessitated another round of switching places and, at least to Eric, a great deal more bodily contact in the process.

"Your tub seems a little slippery," he commented, as he grabbed my waist and pulled me closer. "I might just hold onto you for safety."

"I have never pictured you as the poster-boy for safety initiatives," I said.

"Well I'd hate to really hurt myself and bleed out all over your bathroom."

"OK, just as long as you're doing it to save me the clean-up, and not just as an excuse to rub up against me while making sure that if you go down, we both go down."

"Oh, no. Not at all," Eric replied, his eyes widening in mock-indignation, while I laughed at the face he was pulling.

I really liked Eric when he was in a playful mood like this. The fact that he was also wet and naked and right…there, was just the icing on the cake as far as I was concerned.

Eric wet his hair, but me shampooing it proved to be a little problematic as the height difference meant I had to stretch right up and my arms tired quickly. Eric gallantly crouched down and then, after a moment, gave up and kneeled down in front of me.

This made my job a lot easier, but meant that he got awfully distracted by being eye-level with my breasts. After he sucked one of my nipples into his mouth and began working it with his tongue, I got a lot distracted too.

It took quite a long time to wash Eric's hair.

By the time I finally persuaded him to move back under the water and rinse the shampoo out of his hair, I was feeling a little hot and bothered, and it had nothing to do with the temperature of the water. In fact very little of the water was getting to me, but I had stopped caring about that.

Eric deciding to take charge of washing the rest of me meant that I didn't even notice that much when the water started to feel cooler. He had spent a lot of time making sure my breasts were clean and his hand was now busy between my legs, while his other arm pulled me against him so we could kiss. I wasn't sure whether the way he was holding me was for safety this time, and I didn't really care.

Eric's desire to cling to me as tightly as he might if I was saving him from drowning made it difficult when I wanted to convey the message that I would be more than happy to provide some of the same treatment. "You," I said, between kisses. "Move back."

"Why?"

"I want to…mmmf…I'll wash you," I managed to get out, in the end.

Eric signalled his assent to that plan by thrusting the bottle of shower gel into my hand, but he didn't show much sign of wanting to break apart and in the end it was only the fact that I was slippery from his ministrations that enabled me to wriggle out of his grasp. "I need a little room to work," I said.

"I can't make the shower any bigger," Eric said, although his voice was a little bit muffled.

"But you could, perhaps, step back a couple of inches," I told him. "That'd help immeasurably."

Eric sighed, and did as I asked, and then made a great show of standing there, with his arms out at his sides, while I washed him down. I told myself that I wasn't going to do what he'd done and get far too interested in only certain parts of his anatomy, but I failed. And, after I turned him around so I could wash his back, I may have spent a little too long on an area south of there.

"You realise there's more of me on this side, don't you?" Eric said over his shoulder.

"What? Oh. Oh, yeah. I was just making sure you were clean." Eric probably had the cleanest butt in the whole parish now, but I couldn't help myself.

I reached over to put the shower gel back on the little shelf it lived on, and I noticed that the water was now distinctly cool. "Ooh, that's not so pleasant!"

"No. I've been standing here shielding you from that for a while," Eric commented dryly.

"Well, aren't you just my knight in shining armour! Although, I think you've maybe lost your armour somewhere along the way."

Eric switched the water off. "I don't think I'll really need it," he said.

"Nope. I can't say as you will."

We made a half-hearted attempt to dry ourselves off, although Eric wasn't helped by the fact that he was stuck using the small towel I normally used to wrap around my hair. I hadn't been prepared for a guest in the bathroom, so I hadn't grabbed another towel from the hall closet before coming in here.

He didn't seem to mind too much, and, in fact, it was only my protests about him getting onto my bed while still dripping wet that prompted him to make any attempt to dry off at all.

Still damp we tumbled onto the bedspread and wound ourselves around each other, kissing and stroking and enjoying the feel of each other's skin. We broke apart only long enough for me to scramble to the nightstand and find a condom, and, when we joined together I experienced a moment of pure relief as the tension I'd felt building since we'd first climbed into the shower together melted away. Eric pressed his lips to my forehead, his breath was hot and ragged and it was one of the most arousing sounds I'd ever heard.

The tension within me soon built again, and Eric's insistent rhythm drove me towards a burst of hot, clear, bliss as I came cradled in his arms and with my legs wrapped tightly around his waist. And then I felt the pleasure of having Eric lose himself within me and we lay, warm and spent in a tangle of limbs and bedclothes, before Eric retreated to the bathroom.

He returned in a few moments and pulled me to him and kissed my damp hair. "The cold shower was worth it," he murmured, and, although I knew I shouldn't feel too big-headed about that statement, I couldn't help it. Eric wanted me, as much as I wanted him, and it made me, quite simply, happy to know that.

I think we dozed for a while, or maybe that was just me. Certainly I felt warm and more relaxed than I had been when I'd first woken up that morning. I reflected that orgasms were quite effective at banishing worries.

"You're very quiet," Eric said.

"I am? I was little worried I may have been snoring. I'm a little sleepy again."

"I seem to have that effect on you. I'm starting to think my company might bore you."

"Nope." I rolled over onto my side so I could see Eric's face better. "No, I think you being here just makes the rest of the world seem very far away. And that includes all the stuff out there that's bothering me."

I wondered if Eric would say something about Long Shadow and his threats to us, but he didn't. Instead he said "I would have thought you'd be used to being far away from everyone, living out here."

I took a moment to consider what Eric had said, and whether it was a criticism of my house. But it didn't seem to be, if anything there was curiosity behind Eric's words.

"I guess I don't really think that much about it. I've lived here for so long now. I'm just used to it."

"You don't find it lonely?"

"Sometimes. But, again, I guess I'm used to it."

Eric thought about that for a moment. "So it was, when you were a kid?"

"Nope. Not at all. I had Gran, and Jason and there were a lot of people who came around visiting. Friends of Gran's and what-not."

Eric was quiet again, and I nearly changed the subject. I thought he had been questioning me about my possibly lonely childhood as a way of trying to understand a way of life he'd never experienced. But then I realised the angle he was taking. He was trying to find some common ground.

"It was lonely? Where you grew up?" I asked, with a little trepidation. Sharing personal details didn't seem like a typical Eric activity and I wasn't sure what kind of a reaction I'd get.

But if the morning's orgasms had helped banish my worries, then maybe they'd helped loosen Eric's tongue. Because instead of short-shrift, I got an answer from him. "I guess," he said, although not with much conviction.

It wasn't the most detailed of answers, perhaps, but it wasn't Eric shutting me out, either. I decided to press on with my enquiries. "Do you have any siblings?"

Eric frowned, like maybe I'd asked something that made no sense to him. "No," he said. "It was just me. And my mother."

Actually acknowledging that he had a relative of any description struck me as quite a big step for Eric. Maybe my surprise at the news was a sign that I'd been jumping into bed far too readily with someone about whose history I knew nothing, but I wasn't sure that I put a lot of stock in knowing everything about your bed partner's family history. After all the Comptons and the Stackhouses went back a long way but it didn't make Bill and I any more suited to being anything other than friends and neighbours.

"Just the two of you?" I queried.

"Mostly. Yeah. I mean…" Eric rolled onto his back and looked up at my bedroom ceiling and I worried that I'd pushed him into a place he didn't want to go. Perhaps I should have stuck with the assumption that he'd come from an Ikea and left things as they were?

Eric took a deep breath in. "My father died when I was five. I don't really remember him."

I propped my head up on my hand and nodded in agreement. "I was seven when I lost both my parents and the memories are fuzzy. It's frustrating because I wish I had some I knew were real, but I can't always be sure that they're not things I've cobbled together from what Gran said, or Jason said. It sucks."

"It does," Eric agreed. "And I think it sucked for my mom, too."

I didn't have a lot to add to that. Agreeing seemed redundant and trying to add in my own experiences…well, I'd already done that. I hadn't lived with a parent who'd been left behind, though, and I was certain that that had made Eric's life a little different to mine.

"It must be hard, to be the one left behind," I mused.

"She…" Eric stopped talking again and I shifted a little closer to him and put my head on his shoulder. I had meant the gesture to mean that he didn't really have to talk about it if he didn't want to, and that I was fine with the silence. But it seemed to have the opposite effect on Eric, and he began speaking again.

"I don't really remember being lonely because I didn't get much of a chance to be. I just remember that Mom said she needed me…I had to help her get through it. And some days were better than others. She just…she'd get a job, and then she'd stop going because she wasn't getting out of bed again. And then she'd lose that job and have to start over. And she didn't have a lot of friends…she'd moved to town to be with my Dad. So it was just me. I did my best, made sure that I didn't bother her when she was feeling low, tried to make her eat when she stopped doing that. It wasn't always easy. I couldn't tell what she wanted most of the time. It was hard to get it right."

"That sounds real tough." I had known, intellectually, what Gran had done for me and Jason, but sometimes you had to hear how it had been for other people to really appreciate what you'd had.

"It was just how it was. The only time I remember it really impacting on me was when I thought I might have to delay college. I didn't think she'd cope on her own with me away. I nearly didn't go."

"But you did? In the end?"

"I did. My grandfather…my father's father…pushed me, a little. He tried with my mom, but she didn't really trust him. And she really didn't like the idea that he was sending me away."

"And then what happened?"

Eric didn't answer that question for a few moments. "I went and she was fine. In fact she got married again, to the guy who owned the flower shop where she was working. He was divorced and had two kids. She said she should have done it years ago, but she'd spent all that time making sure I was OK."

He didn't seem to have an opinion on the irony in that statement, and I didn't feel like it was my place to point it out to him. I guessed that he knew his situation had been shitty, and that his mom had been a little short on gratitude for what he'd done for her. I just stayed where I was and ran my hand up and down his arm.

There wasn't much else I could do.

My mind, however, wasn't completely relaxed, even though my movements were hypnotic, and, I hoped, soothing. I was starting to connect some dots and, even though it might seem a strange thing to discuss a friend and colleague when we were lying here in post-coital bliss, there were a few things that needed to be said. I wanted Eric to connect a few dots, too.

"I don't know your mother, but I doubt that Pam is much like her," I said, keeping up the movement of my hand.

"No. She's not," Eric said, and I wondered if he'd missed my point. I waited to see if he added anything else. "I know you think I'm being tough on her," he continued. "But I just…" His voice dropped low, almost to a whisper. "I couldn't live like that again."

"I don't think you'll have to. Not if you just give Pam a little breathing space and the chance to do what she's good at."

"What happens though if it all fails? I couldn't take that, and I don't want to drag everyone down with me. I just need to get on top of it, and then…then it'll all be better."

I lifted my head off of Eric's shoulder and shuffled a little forward, so that I could look him in the eye. "Eric, I can't speak for Pam, and I can't…well I can't banish whatever demons you got rattling around in that pretty head of yours. But I can say, and I speak with authority here, that I don't need you to try to slay all the dragons in the world on my account. I am OK with the fact that the bar is a risk, and we're all in on it. Maybe not as much as you are, but we're all here, and we'll all help. As for me personally, you make me happy. And that's enough for me."

"I make you happy?" Eric asked, frowning a little.

"You do." I had realised that, laying here with Eric. It wasn't just pleasure I was feeling, or the sexual release we'd experienced, or the little bit of comfort I gained from being distracted from all my thoughts about who might be out there waiting to get me. It was happiness, a happiness I found in just sharing Eric's company.

And that was as philosophical as I was going to get on the matter.

Eric, however, didn't seem philosophical. He seemed a little confused, if the crease that had formed between his eyebrows was anything to go by. "Happy?" he asked.

"Yep. Happy."

"Huh," Eric said, and I figured he needed a little time to digest that. I put my head back down on his shoulder and commenced my stroking.

"I don't know if I've ever made anyone happy before," Eric murmured.

"Well, see? The world isn't so bad is it? Even the things you don't control aren't always awful. Sometimes you get a nice surprise."

"And you've definitely been a nice surprise," Eric said, kissing the top of my head. "I didn't expect to find you in Louisiana. Mostly, I just think I came to find myself."

"That's the thing, ain't it? Until you take that big risk, you never know what'll happen."

We were both silent for a while and then Eric said. "I guess some risks are worth it." That was the second time that morning that Eric had used that sentiment and I allowed myself a little puff of pleasure at hearing that I was worth it. Eric's words might not be as cheesy as the ones they used to sell you shampoo and cosmetics but knowing that Eric appreciated me, and was glad he'd found me, meant a great deal to me.

Eric and I lay there, still damp and still intertwined for a little while longer but I knew no matter how happy it made me, I couldn't lie there all day. I had laundry that needed attending to, and my pantry needed some serious re-stocking. And there was also the matter of the library books I needed to change. As much as I wanted to stay where I was, I couldn't just push a pause button on my life.

"I'd better get out of bed," I said to Eric, reluctantly peeling my torso from his.

"You don't have to. You're not due at work for hours," Eric said, with a smile.

"Ah. But I'm not working tonight, remember?"

"Oh. That's right."

"But I'm sure you need to be there," I ventured, and Eric nodded and, without saying anything else, he rolled over and left the bed, disappearing into the bathroom and re-appearing a moment later with his clothes.

I was starting to really regret kicking him out of my bed. It was on the tip of my tongue to call him back and say I'd changed my mind, but Eric said "Pam wants to show me the marketing plan she's created. I guess I should get her to come in this afternoon and we can go over it."

After that statement I knew it was time for us to part. Eric had a business to run and I had…well, library books are important too. Plus I had to do something about the contract Alcide had sent me.

I dressed myself and then led the way back to the kitchen, where I picked up the manila folder and read through what he'd sent. Eric stood watching me.

"I don't think there's anything surprising in there," I said, a little worried that maybe I was missing something important.

"I…do you want to me to read through it?" Eric asked.

"Oh. That would help." I handed the folder to Eric, who opened it up and read the documents.

"I think you're right," he said in the end. "I suspect he's just used a standard template and added in what you requested." Eric didn't sound all that impressed about it.

"Well. OK. I'll sign it and get it back." I picked up the pen that was always kept near the phone on the wall, and started signing the pages. There were helpful little Post-it notes that said 'sign here' to let me know what was required.

Both copies signed, I straightened up. "Thanks again, Eric. For bringing this over. It was a nice surprise."

"Thank-you. For being so hospitable." Eric smiled at me as he walked towards the door.

But even though Eric's visit had been a surprise and I knew he couldn't stay, I was still a little sad to see him go. I guessed that was the flipside of the fact he made me happy just by being around. But if that was the price I had to pay for the happiness, then I'd take it. And it wasn't like I'd never see him again, after all.

We stood on the porch and I gave him a big hug. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said.

"You will. Just…" He hugged me a little tighter, and I worried about what he had to say next. "You make me happy, too."

"Well, that's good then." I realised the answer wasn't the best one I could have given but I didn't have a chance to come up with anything better because Eric kissed me, and I was lost in that moment. It was a very good kiss.

But it had to end, and Eric had to go and I had to hustle myself to put a load of laundry on and then get ready and into my car so I could get through my errands. First stop was the UPS store in town where I arranged to send one copy of the contract back to Herveaux's. Once it was on its way I allowed myself a little moment of pride. I'd done it. I was a fully-fledged consultant.

And then I went to the library and changed my books. I had to admit that, what with one thing and another, my reading had slowed down in the past few weeks. But I still walked out with a pile that I was looking forward to working my way through.

Pondering which book I was going to start with wasn't quite enough to take my mind off the niggling fear that Long Shadow might reappear. It wasn't a worry that I had shared with Eric, lost as we were in our little bubble of mutual happiness, but it was there all the same. I knew that there was every chance he'd given up, that he'd decided tracking me wasn't worth it, or that Claude had said he had to stop now. But I didn't know, and that was the hard part. Long Shadow hadn't sent me a text to say 'Hey, we're all good now, see you around.'

I was starting to understand Eric's desire to control everything.

But I wasn't going to give in to my worries, or else I'd sit at home and never get anything done. And look at everything I'd achieved that week already? I had a lot to be proud of.

My mind running down my accomplishments left me a little distracted as I pushed my cart around the Piggly Wiggly. I nearly ran into Maxine Fortenberry in the frozen food aisle. But it worked out in my favour as I had the opportunity to mention Pam's proposed fashion show. Maxine seemed a little reserved about the idea, but I hoped it would grow on her. She did tell me what charity the Descendants of the Glorious Dead were supporting that year and it turned out to be one which helped with the rehabilitation of injured military personnel, specifically by matching them with trained dogs to help them in their day to day lives.

It wasn't quite the orphans and kittens that Pam had wanted, but I thought soldiers and dogs were pretty damn close.

I was feeling buoyed up by my own success in helping people when I ran into Tara in the parking lot. "Hey, Sookie!" she said, sounding bright. Her face betrayed the fact she was worried though, and she looked hot and uncomfortable as she walked towards me.

"Hey!" I called back, as Tara reached me.

"I got news," she said, and it didn't seem like it would be anything good. "I went to the doctor…" My heart sank, wondering what was coming next. "I'm having twins," she finished.

"Oh. That's surprising. But, uh, congratulations!" I hoped that was what you were supposed to say. After all, you said it for one baby, surely you did the same for two?

"It sure surprised me!" Tara said. "Two babies. Means two of everything. That's gonna be real expensive." She looked pensive and drawn and I realised that I might have been happy I'd solved a bunch of problems for myself and my friends this week but this was something I had no ability to help with.

"I'm sure…" I started to say, but I wasn't. I wasn't sure about anything Tara needed. "Lots of people will want to help you. I'll help you."

Tara gave me a sad smile. "I sure do appreciate that, Sookie. And JB's mom is real happy to be getting two grandbabies for the price of one, as it were. But I'm not kidding myself, it's gonna be tough."

"It is. But I think you can get through it." I put my hand on Tara's shoulder. "You're pretty awesome." I figured that even if there was nothing else I could really do, I could try to lift her spirits.

"Thanks, Sookie. I guess I just don't feel very awesome at the moment."

"You are. Who else could have arranged it so she'd get two babies with just one pregnancy?"

Tara gave me a small smile at that. "Thanks, Sookie. Really, I mean. Thanks."

"Oh, it's no bother."

We chatted for a bit longer, although I was careful to keep to lighter topics. I told Tara about the new work I'd be doing at Herveaux's, but didn't mention my worries about Long Shadow. I did, however, keep one eye on the parking lot, looking for a green station wagon.

But there was no green station wagon.

Delayed by my conversation with Tara, I decided to grab a chicken sandwich from the Dairy Queen and I ate that in the car on the way home with the groceries. It wasn't the most ladylike way to eat, but I didn't have a lot of choice.

At home, I quickly stowed the groceries, put the laundry into the dryer and then changed, before I headed back out to dance class. I was just in time to catch the very end of the Fairy Ballet class. There were a couple more students there than when I had taken the class, and I hoped that that meant things were looking up for Claudine.

"Miss Sookie!" Marlena yelled from the other side of the studio. "Miss Sookie, we're doing a show!"

"Well, you'll be performing during the fashion show. Like I said, Marlena," Claudine corrected.

"Uh-huh. Can I have a solo?" She looked at Claudine expectantly.

"We'll see." Marlena didn't seem to hear that as a non-committal statement designed to let her down gently. I'm betting she heard it as an acknowledgment of her star power, as she grinned wide and performed a rather off-kilter pirouette, which nearly knocked Gaby over, as she'd been staring at her feet.

"Watch my sister!" Alicia yelled, roughly pulling Gaby back by the arm.

Claudine clapped her hands. "Girls! Places for final curtseys, please!"

I took a seat with the moms at the edge of the studio and watched as class finished and the students left one by one. A couple of other people had drifted in to join the burlesque class, and I said hello before going over to talk to Claudine, who was bent over changing her shoes.

"So it's full steam ahead with the fashion show?" I asked her.

"Oh yes. Although I'm a little worried about the smaller students. Marlena seems to think it's all going to revolve around her. It wouldn't be so bad, but she does tap and jazz classes as well, and she thinks she's getting a solo for all of them!" Claudine rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. I guess there were worse problems she could have than trying to manage Marlena's expectations.

"I'm sure she'll calm down after the initial excitement," I replied. Claudine nodded. "And what else is exciting," she continued, "is that Claude is moving to Vegas!"

"Oh. Yes. You heard then?"

"I did. He was buzzing with excitement about the whole thing. I'm glad for him. I think it'll do him good to get out from Daddy's influence and spread his wings. He's wanted to do something on his own for a long time." I wondered whether Claudine might have had any inkling about the methods Claude was using to get something on his own, but, if she did, she didn't let on.

"I'm glad that he's so happy." And, if I had to be honest, I was surprised that Claudine was taking it so well. I had thought that her twin moving away might have caused her a little more consternation.

"Well, it's worked out well for me, too," Claudine said with a shrug. "Daddy thinks that if the club made Claude so unhappy that he's moving away then he doesn't mind if I give it up. He's behind me just concentrating on this place…plus my job at Dillard's. I think that's because I'm his favourite!" Claudine finished with a big smile.

I personally couldn't ever imagine announcing I was someone's favourite. Maybe it was because I lived with the sneaking suspicion that Jason was actually more well-liked than I was, or maybe it just wasn't the way I was brought up. Claudine's family dynamic seemed a lot different to mine, but I was just happy she was getting what she wanted too.

"That sounds great."

"Well, we owe a lot to you, of course. Both of us. I won't forget that, anything you need, you just let me know, you hear?"

"I will." I might have said more, but Claudine enveloped me in a hug and I was stuck marvelling at how wonderful she smelled.

Class started with Claudine announcing the fashion show. There were murmurs of excitement and trepidation throughout the studio and Amelia, who'd arrived just as Claudine was speaking, whispered to me "I hope we get to pick our outfits!"

I hoped we got to pick our dances, or, rather, whether we danced. But I wasn't sure I was going to get much of a say in that.

When class was over and we'd done all the hip-rolls, dips and shimmies that we had energy for, I said goodbye to Amelia and Claudine and then walked out to my car in the parking lot behind the studio.

I had gone all day without any sighting of Long Shadow and I had obviously stopped paying attention to my surroundings, because the hand on my shoulder made me jump higher than I would have liked.

I whirled around and came face to face with Bill, who was holding a bouquet of flowers. "I did call out to you," he said, before I had a chance to ask why he'd decided to scare me like that.

"OK. No, it's fine. I'm just a little jumpy, I guess."

"Because of what happened at work?"

"Mmm. Probably." I didn't really want to spill everything to Bill. "Say, you got a hot date?" I pointed to the flowers.

"They're for Mrs Bellefleur. She's been a little under the weather recently. I'm just heading out there for dinner."

"Oh. OK." I still didn't really understand Bill's devotion to a family who seemed to treat him as some kind of prospective member, like he still had to prove he was really worthy of their favour. But it was Bill's life and he had to do what he thought was best.

I just hoped he felt the same way about me.

"Well, I just wanted to check on you," he said. "You know…with everything going on." He gave the dance studio a dark look.

"It's hardly Claudine's fault that people don't like her just because of what her family does."

Bill shrugged. "She could make more of an effort to be accepted."

"Not everyone is like you, Bill…" I started to say, and then, out on the street, I saw a flash of green paint-work. Didn't I?

"What's wrong?" Bill asked, looking over his shoulder in the direction I was staring. But there was nothing there now to see.

"Nothing. Just nothing. Look, I better get on home. I'll see you around Bill." Bill opened my car door for me and I climbed in and drove off, with a wave to him out the window. I just wanted to be home now. If I could get there, then everything would be OK.

Assuming Long Shadow didn't follow me.

But checking my rear-view mirror revealed no car was following me, and, when I reached my driveway, no car was parked there waiting for me. The house was dark and I was only a little embarrassed at how quickly I ran up the steps and opened the door to the house. After all, there was no one to see how I was behaving, or to remind me that I was most likely making a mountain out of a molehill.

I switched on the hall light and walked through to the living room, just in time to hear Long Shadow say "Oh good. She's finally come to join us."

Thanks for reading!