A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry that it's been a while, but it's been a week. I feel like maybe I crossed a hump, though, and that maybe the muse will cooperate a little more for a while. I hope. Things were happening today, at least. :)

Chapter 28

October 13, 1995

Sookie climbed out of the shower and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She turned sideways. There was definitely a bump there, just below her belly button. It just seemed to have popped out overnight. She ran her hand over it. She was sixteen weeks along. Almost halfway there. She wished that she was more excited. Most of the time, she was completely ambivalent about the whole thing. She did what she was supposed to do to keep her and the baby healthy, but she tried not to think about it as much as possible. And when she couldn't help but think of it, she was usually mad as hell - at the baby, at Jason, at Eric, at God, at Godric, and mostly at herself. Hell, she was mad at the whole world sometimes. It was a far cry from happy and excited.

She hoped that she could still squeeze into her jeans. If so, she knew it wasn't going to last much longer. But at least she had some money in the bank to buy maternity clothes when the time came. She'd even started socking some away into a college fund. Hopefully the baby would take after his or her daddy. And by that she meant really smart and without a disability, and not cold, dead and fangy.

Godric hadn't asked her to work that night, but she'd told Gran that she had to anyhow. Just like she had every other night this week. She found herself in Shreveport pretty much every night she wasn't needed at home. Not because Godric had asked her to work, but just to get out of the house. And to spend time with Pam or Godric or both. They didn't seem to mind her hanging around. And being around vampires made her feel closer to Eric. But also even more guilty for deceiving him.

She had tossed and turned all night long the evening she had met Godric and he'd given her the job. She was scared to death that she would ultimately be responsible for so many deaths, reading minds for a vampire. Well, she was worried about that and about a million other things. But Godric was incredibly fair. Probably even more than he should be. He let pretty much every human go with a little bit of glamour to change their ways, no matter how hard Pam sulked about it afterwards. And, if Sookie were to sit down and calculate just exactly how much she was making per hour, she would feel like a great big money-grubbing heel. So she didn't. Godric was the one who pushed her to take more money. Not her fault he wasn't making her work more hours.

Unfortunately, Gran had asked her to run a few errands in town before she said she had to leave. She hated to, but Gran was busy caring for Aunt Linda. She insisted on doing it all herself, wracked with guilt over her affair with Fintan.

Sookie could ignore the whispers and stares, for the most part, but her nerves always got the better of her, and she just couldn't shield worth a damn when she was upset and anxious. Especially when the thoughts were about her. And, when she was out and about in Bon Temps? They almost always were these days.

She just held her head up high and did her shopping. It didn't matter what they thought. They were just small-minded small-town jerks. She wouldn't pay them any mind at all.

I wonder who the father is.

I always knew she was a tramp. Just look at her. And with a brother like that…

Who the fuck would sleep with Crazy Sookie?

I heard the baby was Hoyt Fortenberry's. I'll bet Maxine is having a kitten.

She probably tricked some rich guy into knocking her up.

Man, if I had known she put out, I'd have hit it for sure.

But when she heard Alcee Beck wondering if it was Rene Lenier's baby, and theorizing that that was probably why he left town, the bottle of ketchup she was holding slipped out of her hand and smashed to pieces all over the supermarket floor. There was red splattered all over her shoes and pant legs. And she wondered if Rene's feet had looked like that, too. She left her cart and the mess in the middle of the aisle and just walked out. She would run home and change, and then drive to Clarice to run her errands there. She didn't even pick up the broken glass, or tell anyone about the mess. It was all she could do to get into her car with the doors closed before the tears started.

Last week, she had punched Andy Bellefleur in the nose for thinking that it was probably Jason's baby. Broke it, too. Fortunately, he decided not to press charges, and she got off with a stern talking to from Bud Dearborn. Thank goodness Andy wasn't through training at the police academy yet. She would have had to have asked Godric for a favour for sure.

She went home and changed and got all of her errands run without any more problems, for the most part. She did forget where she had parked the damn car at WalMart, but she found it eventually. Sometimes she felt like her brain wasn't attached any more.

Godric had given her a "company car" - a cute little yellow coupe. She tried to argue, but he insisted, because she would need to drive back and forth to Shreveport for work, and because she would need something safe and reliable once the baby arrived.

Part of her really wanted to hate Godric, but it was just impossible. He was just so… nice. She was still sullen and surly with him most of the time, but it had turned into almost an inside joke between them. He knew she didn't really mean it any longer. But it made her feel at least a little bit loyal to Eric. And it amused the hell out of Godric. So it was sort of a win win.

If Godric looked even a fraction of his age, she would have characterized him as almost grandfatherly. Not like her grandfather Mitchell, who had taught her how to bait a hook and clean a fish. But he was indulgent and generous and he acted like he was always very proud of her. He doted on her. She found it so strange. Especially considering. I mean, you wouldn't generally think of the cute tattooed guy who looks even younger than you as the grandparent type. But, of course, he wasn't sixteen. He wasn't even sixteen hundred. It was crazy to even think about.

After supper, Sookie headed to Shreveport. Godric and Pam's Blockbuster was in a strip mall that Godric owned. The storefront next door was where Godric did his Sheriff business. She let herself in and went back to Godric's office. He was on the phone, so she flopped down on his couch. He never seemed to care about her overhearing anything, and she thought it so strange since they were guarding so many secrets from Eric. But thinking about that made her feel guilty, so she tried not to. She closed her eyes and just fell into the cadence of Godric's voice and the emptiness of his mind. A few minutes later, he ended the call.

"You won't be able to throw yourself around like that for much longer. You're starting to show."

"Hmpf." She shot him a dirty look. Stupid vampires and their stupid extra keen vision. "How's Eric?"

"He is well. Finally settling into life at Stan's, I think. He hasn't tried to run away to steal you from me in weeks."

"Can't kidnap the willing."

He grinned at her. "And I would have to say that you're settling in as well."

She hmpfed at him again, and then stuck her tongue out at him for good measure. She sure didn't feel like it most of the time. She was saved from answering further by a knock on the door.

"Come in."

A vampire she hadn't met before opened the door and walked in. He was older when he'd been turned - in his 30s, at least. The vampires she knew best had all been closer to her age. He was handsome, though, despite looking very old fashioned. He hesitated when he saw Sookie on the couch.

"Bill, this is Sookie Stackhouse, my… consultant. Sookie, this is Bill Compton. I believe Bill and your ancestors used to be neighbours in Bon Temps."

Sookie laughed out loud. "You aren't William Erasmus Compton, by any chance?"

"Why yes, actually. Stackhouse? Old Jonas Stackhouse lived on the other side of the cemetery from me and my family. You know of me?"

"I've lived in that house since I was eight. I played in that cemetery almost every day growing up. My boyfriend Eric always sat on your headstone. It was his spot..." She trailed off. There was still a ghost of a smile on her face, but it looked sad.

So many memories there. Good and bad. She would give just about anything to go back in time and be able to sit with Eric in their spots at Sweet Home and just hang out and talk and laugh together again in the sunshine.

Bill looked down at her abdomen, but then right back up to her eyes. She pretended not to notice.

Godric said, "Bill, what can I do for you?"

"I wanted to move back to the area for a time. I'm here to check in." He cut his eyes to Sookie again.

Sookie kind of felt drawn to him a little bit. She felt like she had known him her whole life in a way, although he apparently hadn't been buried under his gravestone that whole time. It was almost like a little piece of Eric had walked through the door.

"That's fine, Bill. Do you have a permanent address yet?"

"No. I will be staying in Monroe at Malcolm's nest until I do."

Bill kept glancing at Sookie while Godric asked him his questions. She didn't know whether to feel flattered, creeped out, or self-conscious. He looked… hungry. And not just for blood. A blush crept up her neck to her face. He caught her eye and she looked away. It felt kind of nice to be wanted, although she was definitely not interested in this guy, who looked twice her age and was probably many times older than that. But it had been a very long time since she and Eric had had sex. And she had almost been desperate enough to stop at the sex toy shop in Shreveport for something small and quiet.

When Godric had run out of questions, he looked at Bill for close to a minute, not moving a muscle.

"Bill, Sookie is under my protection."

Bill blinked. "Yes, Godric."

"Eric, my newest child, is the father of her unborn child. She belongs to him, and therefore to me. Do you understand?"

Bill glanced at her abdomen again and swallowed. "Of course."

"Very well. Contact me with your permanent address when you get settled."

Bill had been dismissed. He glanced at Sookie again before he left the room.

Sookie snorted. "You scared him half to death, Godric. Why don't you just pee on me next time?"

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you."

She rolled her eyes. "They all look at me like that when you're not around. I don't think they can help it. They just don't look at me at all after you walk in the room."

"I didn't like the way you were looking at him."

She stood up quickly, and there were tears in her eyes. "Fuck you, Godric. I would never cheat on him, even though he's out there fucking half of Texas. I can't help it that I'm a great big fucking hormone. If you're so worried about it, let me screw my goddamn boyfriend."

Sookie stormed out and went next door to Blockbuster. The place was dead. Pam was sitting on a stool behind the counter watching Interview With The Vampire. When Sookie saw her, she just deflated. She pulled a stool up beside Pam and leaned against her with her head on Pam's shoulder. Somehow, they just worked together. Pam went to bat for her with Godric. And Pam knew that she still talked to Eric sometimes, although she never mentioned it. Pam had kind of become her person. Or being. Or whatever. And she was Pam's. Platonically, but still.

"Your maker is an asshole."

Pam snorted. "You're telling me? I've had to live with him for a hundred and fifty years."

"Hmpf. You love him and you know it."

Pam smiled. She didn't say so do you. But she knew Sookie did, despite herself.

"How did you get so much bigger overnight?"

"Gee, thanks Pam. You sure know how to make a girl feel good."

Pam was completely fascinated by the pregnancy, and was way more excited about it than Sookie was. Well, excited for Pam, which was pretty low key. But still. It drove Sookie crazy, but it was kind of endearing, too. She kind of hoped that someday Pam's excitement would rub off on her.

Pam put her hand on Sookie's bump. "Have you felt him move yet?"

"I don't think so."

"The book says it should be soon. It also says that you're probably getting very horny now that you're well into your second trimester. You know I'm always here for you, Sookie."

Sookie rolled her eyes. Pam had bought them each a copy of What To Expect When You're Expecting. Sookie's was in Eric's cubby, where she had thrown it the night she had brought it home. Pam read hers religiously, and quizzed Sookie on all of the things she should be feeling.

Pam's nose tickled her head.

"You're sniffing me again, aren't you?"

"Mmm… Yes. Pregnant women have so much extra blood in their bodies. And your blood is so much richer. It makes you smell and taste more alive. And on top of that, you smell sweeter than the patisserie I went to as a girl when I visited Paris. Yum. I still dream of those petit fours. You are beyond tempting."

Sookie snuggled in a little closer. Pam wouldn't hurt her, and would have no problem telling her to move if she didn't want her there. "If you drank from me, could you stop?"

"Is that an offer?"

Sookie snorted and bumped her shoulder against Pam's. "You know very well it wasn't."

"Probably. If everything went according to plan."

"Eric really wouldn't be able to?"

Pam sighed. "Maybe? If you were very very lucky. But almost certainly not. Not if you went back to fucking like rabbits. And especially not if he was still living in your closet, hunting for blood around Bon Temps. If Godric hadn't intercepted, you would be dead by now, I'm sure."

Sookie didn't say anything else. She just sat there with her head on Pam's shoulder, watching the movie. Nearly half an hour had passed before Sookie said, "Don't turn me, Ok? If something happens when the baby is born? Just let me die."

Pam picked up the remote and paused the movie. "What the actual fuck, Sookie? What in the hell will Eric have to say about that, since that seems to be all you care about?"

"I won't be turned for him. It's the one thing I won't do. I would die for him, Pam, but not like that." Vampires had sex with humans. Drank from humans. She couldn't spend eternity sharing Eric. This was bad enough, when she was hundreds of miles away and didn't have to see it. And she hated the idea of never seeing the sun again. Or of fucking and feeding from endless people. What if she still couldn't block out their thoughts? She wouldn't even be able to have sex. And Eric had sure made it seem like it was necessary. And if she was this horny as a human half the time...

Pam said, "Well, we'll talk about it another time." Or they wouldn't, and Pam would conveniently forget that they had this conversation were anything to happen. She had already asked Godric for permission to turn her, on an emergency basis only. For now.

Sookie put her head back down on Pam's shoulder. "Turn the movie back on. It's almost over."

They watched the rest in silence.