Sookie is still in the land of the Fae, where her attraction to Preston is deepening. Meanwhile Eric has gone into hiding, while Pam tries to find out more about the threats facing them.

PS I've been forgetting the disclaimer, but you know who owns the characters and this is just for fun. Also I should have said that I'm taking ideas from the casting news and leaks about Season 4 so there are potential spoilers in the story.

"You seem very taken with Preston?" Claudine was careful to keep her face blank, but she couldn't keep a hint of the concern she felt out of her voice. Preston Pardloe should be bound to them by the ties of family, but she knew he was also close to Queen Mab and would do anything to keep favour with her.

"Shouldn't I be?" Sookie bridled at the undercurrent she detected in her cousin's voice. "Does he have a girlfriend?"

Claudine laughed, "That's not exactly the term we would use, but no, he is not promised to anyone in our world."

"I wasn't planning on anything serious; I just think he's kind of cute, that's all." Sookie wasn't quite sure what made her so defensive. She'd danced with him, and she had to admit to herself that if he had tried to kiss her, she wouldn't have resisted.

"Sookie, I must warn you, our world may seem similar to yours but please don't think that it is the same. Our rules can be very different."

"What…" Sookie wanted to know more, but Claudine raised a hand to silence her. When the time was right she would warn her cousin not to get too close to her new friend. That could wait though. Preston wouldn't do anything without the Queen's permission, and she felt sure that Queen Mab would want to appraise their new arrival thoroughly before allowing her to form an alliance with one of her favourites.

They passed the rest of the short journey without speaking, soon reaching an old wooden house. Like everything else in the fairy world, the building had a comforting and familiar feel while at the same time having the ethereal quality which set it apart from her human life. It reminded Sookie of her own home, but without the terrible memories of the havoc wreaked by Maryanne, or the dead werewolf bleeding all over her rug.

She woke the next morning to find Preston waiting for her on the porch. "I thought perhaps we could walk in the forest," he said, taking her hand in his.

"I'd like that," she responded, instantly filled with pleasure at the thought of spending the day in his company. After a few hours with him she realised that she was no longer thinking of Bill. Even when she did bring him to mind, she no longer felt that searing pain which his betrayal had caused her.

Preston was a tactile creature, constantly touching and stroking her. In anyone else she would have found this intrusive, but coming from him, she welcomed it. To be more accurate she encouraged it, willing him to go further. She didn't want to appear too forward, not sure of what would be considered acceptable behaviour in this strange land.

Eventually they reached a clearing amongst the trees. Sookie used the excuse of tiredness to sit down, knowing that Preston would take his place close to her. He pulled her back against him, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her neck.

"Do you think you can be happy here?" he asked her gently.

"Mmm." At that moment the peace and serenity which flooded her body was a more powerful force than anything she had ever experienced. Thoughts of her human life; of her friends and her family, were driven from her head as if they had never existed.

"And could you be happy with me?"

She turned in his arms and straddled his lap, surprising herself at how much she wanted him to kiss her. In response he lowered his lips to hers, his eyes never leaving her face. His kiss was hot and passionate. It was matched by his actions as he slipped his hands under the hem of her dress lifting it up to her thighs.

Sookie knew she should pull away, but she didn't have the strength of body or of will. The feel of his fingers exploring her thighs set off sensations that reminded her of her first night with Bill. That had been such a night of passion she would never forget as long as she lived. Her heart was beating fast in her chest as Preston deepened the kiss. Raising a hand he slipped the straps of her lace gown down her shoulders.

She didn't resist as he exposed her breasts to his view, lowering his head to kiss them tenderly. Sookie arched into his caress, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. Her body was crying out for more, but she was no longer the naïve innocent she had been a few months ago. Somewhere deep inside she was tougher and more cynical, and the little voice coming from that part of her brain was telling her to be careful, that things might not be exactly as they seemed.

She pulled away with the greatest reluctance. She wanted him so badly, but it was a physical sensual need. She barely knew him, she was a stranger in a strange land and as Claudine had reminded her the rules were different here. "I'm sorry Preston," she whispered. "I really like you, but I'm just not ready for this, not yet."

"Don't worry, cousin," he replied, kissing her softly on the cheek, "we have all the time in the world."

There was so much Sookie wanted to know about this new world, and Preston was only too happy to guide her. He spent most of each day with her exploring the meadows, woods and streams. Each location seemed more beautiful than the one before.

Preston was an attentive and amusing companion. It was clear that the Fae had some way of observing the human world, and that he had been paying particular attention to the people of Bon Temps. He was careful to avoid any subjects which might cause her pain, instead entertaining her with observations on Maxine Fortenbury's dress sense and Andy Bellefleur's detective skills. He was never too unkind, it was as if they were some kind of zoo creature, provided for his amusement.

As the days passed she was aware of the physical attraction between them deepening. They would hold hands or walk arm in arm like any young lovers. She never done any of these things with Bill, and the novelty appealed to her. Preston would kiss her, but it was clear that he was waiting for a sign from her before taking things further.

A few nights later they arrived back at the house to find Claudine fussing over an array of gowns.

"Queen Mab is having a banquet in your honour this evening, Sookie. Hurry we need to get you ready." Impatience and concern mingled in her voice, as she appraised the pair of them.

"In my honour, why on earth would she do that?"

"You are a new arrival in our world so it is only natural she would greet you. Besides, you are very important to us." Preston replied, sounding mysterious. He exchanged a glance with Claudine as if to warn her not to say anymore. "I must go and change, I will see you shortly."

Claudine was thoughtful as she fussed over Sookie's dress and hair. She had finally settled on a diaphanous grey gown which matched her eyes, and which sparkled with crystals. Her words, when they came, were abrupt. "Did he make love to you?"

"No. I mean we kissed, and did some other things, but no I didn't have sex with him." The crudeness of her language reflected her unhappiness at Claudine's intrusive questioning.

"Sookie, I don't mean to upset you, but you need to know that once you have made love to a fairy you will be bound to him and must forsake all others. You must choose wisely. What I mean is, please don't rush into anything before you are ready."

"Claudine, after what happened with Bill, I'm not going to rush into anything. I'm not denying that I like Preston. He's kind and handsome and.." she hesitated for a moment, trying to choose an appropriate phrase but "well you know," was the best she could come up with.

Claudine seemed to be satisfied with her answer as they set off for the Queen's Ball.

Sookie had expected the Palace to be a grand mansion, but instead Claudine took her to a grotto amongst the trees. The interior sparkled with crystals, and a natural spring made a fountain in the ground. Ethereal music surrounded them, although the musicians were nowhere to be seen. Queen Mab greeted them in person. "So, you are the great-granddaughter of the Prince. I can see him in your eyes."

Sookie was completely confused. There were no royalty in her family, she was sure of that. She turned to her cousin Claudine for reassurance, but the fairy just smiled at her.

"Don't look so worried, my dear," the Queen said kindly. "There are many things you will find out in time, as you learn more about your true nature. Now we must have dancing. Preston!" She called the fairy over and pressed his hand into Sookie's.

The music seemed to give her energy as she danced for hours without even the slightest feeling of tiredness. Eventually she broke away and, spotting Claudine sitting on under the shade of a willow tree; went out to join her.

"I'm going to have to make a choice, aren't I? A choice between this world and my human life?" Even uttering the words filled her heart with pain, but she could no longer put off the moment of truth.

"Yes, my dear, you are. You have seen for yourself how dangerous the human world is for our kind. Even for you who are only part Fae. If the vampire could be destroyed it would be a different matter, but until that day you will only be safe here." Claudine took Sookie's hands in hers in an attempt to offer her comfort.

"I can't believe I'll never see Jason or Tara again. They'll all worry about me as well."

"You can watch over them from here. We follow events in the human world, and we have the power to intervene in an emergency. You know this, as I stepped in to save you when your life was hanging by a thread. As for what has happened to you, we will stage an accident, perhaps a flood or a small tornado."

Sookie didn't feel entirely comforted by Claudine's words. Something about the idea of staging an accident nagged at her mind, but she couldn't quite work out why. She decided to return to the dancing and worry about it later.

Before she could get up, Claudine put a warning hand on her arm. She became aware that Preston was standing a few yards away but that they were hidden from him by the low hanging branches of the tree. His voice was quiet and conspiratorial. To Sookie's surprise the other speaker was the now familiar voice of the Queen of the Fae.

"How is your seduction going?" she was asking him.

"Very well," Preston replied. "She has had her heart recently broken, so it will take me a little time to overcome her pain, but I have no doubt that I will succeed. The attraction between us is already very strong."

"Good. We are relying on her to revive our race. She is strong and healthy and will breed many Fae children for us."

Sookie turned to Claudine with a look of horror on her face. It was all she could do not to cry out loud. Her fairy cousin instantly scooped her into her arms. Sookie was unable to hold back the tears which soaked silently into her cousin's dress as they sat perfectly still.

After a few moments, Claudine turned her head to survey the scene. "Come cousin, the coast is clear. Let me take you home."

"Did you know?" Sookie asked as they hurried away from the grotto.

"No, I had no idea. I know that Preston is very close to the queen, but I thought that his admiration for you was genuine. I do know is that when Queen Mab sets her mind on something she usually gets it. You mustn't worry though. Tomorrow we will speak to Preston and tell him that we know of his plan." She tried to sound confident, not wanting to alarm Sookie. The Queen's temper was legendary and she would not be easily thwarted.

Sookie struggled to get her bearings as they returned home. The nights in the land of the Fae were lit by bright moonlight which at least made it easy to search out landmarks. Her walks with Preston had given her a good idea of the lie of the land.

She desperately tried to remember the path which would lead her back to the portal. She said nothing as she went to her room, but as soon as she was sure that Claudine had gone to bed she quietly let herself out of the house and took the path which she hoped would lead her back to the portal. She had no idea whether she would be able to get return to the human world on her own, but she was determined to try.

On reaching the pool, she waded in until the water was up to her thighs, then she closed her eyes and focussed all her mental energy on visualising herself back in the Bon Temps cemetery. Several minutes passed, but then she sensed a change in the sounds around her and realised she was back on dry ground. Slowly she opened her eyes. To her enormous relief she was once again next to her grandmother's grave, and alone.

Hitching up her skirt, she ran in the direction of her house, never once looking behind her. She had no idea if she would be safe there, but it would give her time to think. Her brain was spinning, hardly able to believe that she had faced a second betrayal.

The ground floor was in darkness but from upstairs she could hear the sound of running water. Relief flooded through her. Tara must be back, so at least she had one friend she could trust.

"Tara, honey, is that you?" she yelled as she raced up the stairs and flung open the bathroom door.

"What the fuck?" She couldn't help but yell out loud.

The sight which greeted her was the last thing she expected. Naked, in her shower, and covered in shower gel, was the only too familiar six foot, four inch frame of the sheriff of Area 5.

Thanks for the feedback on this story – comments and ideas are much appreciated. Ginger is very upset that hardly anyone was concerned about her grisly fate – I know she was dumber than several boxes of frogs, but even she didn't deserve that!