"He has to be joking," I huff as Ben drives and I look at the new contact in my phone.

Ben spares a look over as we drive for the closest Walmart. I didn't want to head back yet. I needed space and distraction. Selfish as it was. They could be under attack by this vampire while I was gone. But they had Niall there and a home the guy couldn't enter without invite. They were more than safe.

I had Ben with me. More than capable with my own right. Together we were rather a pair to fight. Then again, I didn't know where his strength was. Ben was rather quiet, seeming a bit off now.

"What?"

"I swear to all I love, he is a bigger ass than I am."

"That sounds a bit hard. Maybe it's genetic."

I laugh, shifting to lean on the middle console and rest my head on his arm leaning there. "Cute, real cute. But he put his name in as Belial."

I lower the phone, lightly frowning at the dash in thought. "Isn't that a name for a demon in Christianity?"

"Yeah. I think," he fills in as I glance up at him.

"I'd hate to ask about the odds on that."

I grin at him from this angle, letting out a deep breath and just basking in being with him. "Tired?"

"Yes and no. You?"

"Hardly." He was pulling into a parking spot. The arm I leaned on needed to move. I shifted back up, glancing out the windshield at the very unpopulated parking lot. "Is there something you needed from here?"

"Couple fifths of vodka for starters." It was a teasing and automatic response to the question. My head tilts to look toward him with a wicked smirk, amused at the response. But he was giving a slight frown and serious look. I wave a hand quickly. "I'm joking. Promise."

My hand rests on the handle, looking to him. "I'm out of car snacks."

This got a lopsided smirk, eyes flicking in a sort of heated way across my face. Grinning playfully, I swung the door open and hopped out. The door shut, Ben waiting for me at the other side of the car. It was heart warming to have him there, waiting for me. My hands reached out, lightly grasping his upper arm and leaning into his side as he lead the way in now.

Honesty, I'd never thought I'd find somebody who just accepted me as a whole. Seemed to like me as more than friend. I felt like I was undeserving to something like this. This is what Sookie deserved, a happy life with somebody who cared for her outside of family.

"You look thoughtful," Ben lowly speaks up.

I shift a bit back, his arm shifting to catch my hand and lace fingers together. A playfully worried look is given.

"Smoking at the ears again? I knew thinking was a bad thing."

His eyes searched my eyes, somehow he was still leading us right through the automated doors.

"Sometimes I wish I could just read your mind like the others."

I lean in, touching my nose to his cheek. "You really don't want to find out what's going on in there on the average." I tilt back, letting go to move for a cart. A cheeky wink is flashed over my shoulder. "Made Sook loose her lunch a lot of times when she did. Said something about thinking in vivid pictures instead of like others."

He puts a hand low on my opposite side, pace easily kept with mine as I let my eyes flick up. "I'm sure some I'd like to see," he whispers lowly into my ear.

I grin with a bit too much of teeth, eyes flicking to look at him. "Some, maybe. But I'll have to thank you not to push it just yet. I'm not entirely sure how I'll handle it now."
I ambled toward the aisle with the chips and other snack items. Ben kept pace the whole time. But I felt like he was far more aware of the people and location than I was. My eyes were flicking up to look over chips, head tilting the other way to look at the nuts and things. A plastic tub of trail mix was tossed in the cart. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds followed in smaller portions.

I wonder how Eric, Pam and Godric are. It wasn't much of an update to share the small joke of Sookie's song. Ben's hand touched at a box of freeze dried fruit in lunch packs. He seemed a bit off in thought. But I was a bit too.

Two of my problems solved. It left far less on my plate. The Authority may be done and over with. Azazel wasn't going to be a problem to me. It mostly left the issue with this vamp. And that's not including the Authority. It left me to come to terms with myself and this father I'd never had in my life. Did I want a father in my life?

Antony was more than enough to fill that hole in my life. But he wasn't wanting to replace. He was as lonely as I had felt before….
I blink, taking a breath while reaching out for a random bag of jerky. I must have just stopped before the display, seeming to space out. Ben was warily watching me. A small smile was flashed to him before I pushed on, heading toward the end of the aisle.

"Anything you need or want?" I call to him. He was steps behind me.

A worker swung into the aisle on the end we were heading to. She lit up with a pretty and warm smile. My eyes flicked over her.

"Hi, can I help you?"

She cut off, eyes flicking from looking to Ben to snap back to me. Those eyes widened with recognition, lighting up. The faint blush was upon her cheeks as she shifted to lean on the side of the cart and look at me. Her eyes set to mine.

"It's been a long while," she utters out in an attempted seductive tone. She let her eyes flick to my attire, eyes resting long at my chest. I arched my brows, trying to remember the female. "Thought you weren't going to be around any more."
"Well, you know. Keep people guessing," I casually state, sparing a look to Ben.

"Tabby," she supplies with a small smile. There was a hint of hurt in her gaze that flashed away to that flirting gaze. "Didn't do much talking. Met at Fangtasia."

"Ah," I gush, realizing. "You had orange hair then, right?"

She seemed pleased, nodding. "Yeah. Color faded, trying blond out."

And she was. She looked to have attempted a honey shade. She touches at a few strands, sparing me a slightly anxious look. "I uh, I saw you were rather close with a few blonds."

I blink, brows lowering as I stared her over. But it hadn't slipped my notice. She was putting out signals my demon side was picking up quickly. I felt the shift of teeth, tongue flicking out as thoughts fit for the mood she was pushing off rushed me.

"Tabby," I carefully state, head tilted down a bit and very aware of my teeth. She was thankfully locked upon my eyes. "That's my cousin. You need to get back to work."

"But I haven't seen you in a long-"

"Tabby," I cut, tone changing to the rough of my demon. "We made out before my boss whisked you away."

Ben's hand rested on my shoulder, some how calming. But he shifted up, catching her eyes. She pouted at the familiar touch between Ben and I.

"Tabby." Her gaze flicked up. Soon as they locked, she seemed to relax. Glamoured. "You will return to work and forget that we were even here. You will forget about Faelyn ever meeting you."
"Yes. Back to work," she utters in a daze. She slowly turned away, marching out toward the door into the back.

I blinked, making sure she left well enough alone. A loud breath left me, sagging into Ben's side.

"Jeez," I breath out. "I really need to work on that."

"You seduced her."

I scoff, glancing to the side at him. "I was pretty much stuck at the bar for the night. Pam and I had a bet going. I won. How was I to know she was clingy?"

"You made a bet which led to making out with another woman?"
I shrug. "Guy, girl. Gender aint a thing to me. Wasn't much of a make out either. The girl had been making eyes at guys all night. Pam bet I couldn't get a clearly straight girl to fall for me. Got me some really pretty heels that cost more than most people's pay checks."

I chuckle, shifting away to head to another aisle. But a grin was flashed to him.

"Should I worry over these past lovers?"

I shrug. "Not from my end. You worried about cheating or something?"

"If I am?"

I browsed the canned meats. "Don't be. I stick to one at a time, if I do have a steady one. Besides," I shift to put my hands on his chest and lean in to kiss his cheek. "Why would I need anyone else?"
That got the hands pulling me flush to him, eyes darkening with the slow widening smirk.