Posted: 9/11/10
Updated: 8/15/11

PART ONE

The Good Samaritan

With her iPod blaring through her headphones Sookie found herself outside splitting wood. It wasn't her ideal way to spend Christmas Eve. All her childhood life, Christmas had been about family. But as the years went by, one by one, her family grew smaller and smaller. But she wasn't entirely without kin. She had an estranged brother. Then there was her otherworldly family, her great-grandfather and the twins. The fact that they hadn't called her was hurtful. She understood that they didn't observe Christmas, but she did, and at the least she thought, they should have called.

Every fiber in her body wanted to call them, but she wasn't willing to put her wounded human sensibilities aside and pick-up the phone. Instead she had settled to wallow in pity and self loathing for some time, insisting on feeling and thinking that she was all alone in the world.

However, after sometime of thoroughly punishing herself for the hand fate had dealt her, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed her great-grandfather's number. She didn't want to be alone when it was within her power to remedy the situation.

"Hello," answered an unfamiliar voice.

"Hi, this is Sookie," she said.

"Hello," said the voice again. "I can hardly hear you."

"This is Sookie." She raised her voice and instantly she rolled her eyes. Shouting wouldn't make the connection stronger or clearer. "Can I talk to my Niall?" The connection went dead. "Great," she mumbled to herself.

The small window of clarity she had experienced quickly dissipated. Instead of picking up the house phone and trying again, she pulled on her boots and feather-down vest and opted to chop wood and continue to wallow.

Outside, as she split the wood, her thoughts drifted to all the reasons that she felt made her the most pathetic of all women. And of course those thoughts led her down memory lane and to her last failed relationship. After two months since the break-up, the pain was now a far off dull echo in her chest. She had placed a lot of hope on her relationship with Quinn, the famous weretiger. For the first time, marriage and children had seemed to be within her grasp. But then two months ago her hopes were dashed in two. Like her first relationship, secrets like termites, had infected it from the go.

Looking back she honestly couldn't see the warning signs. Though she was sure there had to be a lesson, she wasn't sure what it was. One thing she reluctantly admitted to herself was that she had placed perhaps too many expectations on Quinn. Maybe, she thought, she might have been asking too much. But was it really unreasonable to expect to come first in a man's life?

With a bit more force than was necessary, she split the last of the logs, sending the splintered wood flying in several directions. Her emotions once again had gotten the better of her. The wood landed several yards away, almost to the tree line. Slowly, she gathered the split wood closest to her, stacking it nicely in the firewood rack under the covered patio. She had cut more than enough wood, so much in fact that she had to haul the rest of it into the shed.

Just as her playlist on her iPod ended, she reached the pieces of wood that had landed near the tree line. With her hands full she would have to wait to click play until her hands were free. It was this temporary silence that enabled her to hear the faint wailing sounds coming from the direction of the woods. She froze and stared into the trees. The sound was muted, but she was certain she heard what sounded like a wounded animal, maybe a man. She dropped the wood and pulled out her headphones. A normal person would have probably bolted in the opposite direction at hearing the painful and frightening sound. But she wasn't a normal person.

Cautiously, she walked deeper into the woods, carefully stepping over the forest debris. After several minutes she telepathically scanned into the woods. There was only one mind that she picked up. It was someone supernatural. It wasn't until the moaning got loud that she questioned herself. But it was too late. About a yard from where she stood, she spotted a man on the ground.

Concern flooded her every cell, stunning the part of her mind that would have caused her to question what a naked man was doing in the woods. Without hesitation she rushed over and knelt beside him. He was naked, bloody, and muddy.

"Mister?" she gently called out to him. He turned and a pair of round and light brown eyes looked up at her. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but the feeling that those pair of bright eyes stirred in her startled her.

Preston's beating heart jolted. She spoke to him. That moment made what he'd just been through, worth it. "Get away from me," he said weakly. The words didn't come out as quickly as they would have normally. His jaw had healed enough to begin to form words, but it was painful for him to speak. "It's too dangerous," he managed to say.

Sookie had seen enough danger since she had gotten herself mixed up with vampires and Weres that automatically she reached out with her mind in search of something "dangerous". But she couldn't find anyone or anything out there; at least no supe or human. She double-checked, because whatever did this to a supe, she was certain was someone she didn't want to bump into.

"No, there isn't anyone out there," she informed him.

"No, run," he was urgent. Sookie noticed his face twitch with pain

"There's no one out there for miles, at least not yet," she assured him not really paying attention to what he was now telling her since her eyes were too busy admiring his nude body. She felt a quickening like a rush of electricity pass through her and building up at her core. Even under all the mud and dried up blood, it was obvious to Sookie that he was young, vibrant, and handsome. Ashamed of her blatant wantonness at admiring his male form, she internally scolded herself.

He took in a sharp breath, trying to prop himself up. Instinctively, Sookie reached out to help him, but he protested. Sookie worked to conceal a smile. "Men," she thought sarcastically. She took a step back giving him a chance to manage on his own. As she watched him struggle, she noticed the woods around her darkening, and she grew nervous. Whatever was out there that had injured him, if it did get an inkling to come back and finish him off, she didn't want them to be there for it.

"We really need to go," she said a bit firmly. "It's getting dark fast and there's a vampire who lives on the property next to my woods." That seemed to do the trick. He accepted her help. "Put your arm around my neck," she advised him and he did. In the process he cursed. "Sorry," she said.

"It's ok." Preston's voice came out shallow and strained. He tried to focus on her wonderful soft scent instead of his injuries. This wasn't how he would have preferred to first meet her. He was hurt and in pain, helpless. Not the suave and gallant impression he would have liked to have made.

Once on his feet, though Sookie really tried not to look, she couldn't resist. Even through all the mud, he was an eye full; a tall drink of cold water after months in the desert parched. For the second time in only minutes, she found herself lusting after this complete stranger.

The last man she had slept with was Quinn and that was about two months ago. Despite the problems she had had with Quinn, they never had a problem in the bedroom. For that matter, neither did her and Bill. Her subtle feminine body knew the ecstasy a man's touch could ignite, and she quaked with desire. She had gone from having great sex to absolutely nothing. Being so close to not just any man, but the handsome stranger in her arms, made her keenly aware of her rumbling desire.

"What's your name?" she asked him, feeling that perhaps talking might distract him from the pain of his injuries and distract her from her lustful thoughts.

"Preston," he said. "Preston Pradloe," he freely admitted to her completely forgetting the alias he was supposed to give her. Though he was told by Niall to keep personal information about himself from her, he wanted her to know his name. He'd made this decision the first time he had seen her. Niall had brought him to Bon Temps so he could get a glimpse of her. Preston didn't know who she was, only that according to Niall, she was "deserving".

When Niall had first approached him, he thought the ancient fairy had lost his mind. But he owed the Prince, so he reluctantly agreed. The moment he saw her, lively and beautiful, he was mesmerized. What Niall didn't know was that he came back each day over the last several days to watch her. Every time when he returned home to Baton Rouge, he felt restless. He longed for the soft sweet pain in his chest that he felt when he would see her. And so he returned every day, observing her going about her routine, day after day. Her rhythm comforted him; relaxed him.

What Preston didn't know was that his reaction at first seeing her did not go unnoticed. If Preston's breath catching audibly hadn't given him away, Niall immediately recognized the expression on the young fairy's face. He had seen the same look in his son Fintan's eyes when he fell in love with the beautiful Adele. Niall was certain he himself had had the same expression when he first saw Einin his late wife. But knowing that Fintan desired to keep his grandchild away from the fairy world, he was compelled, despite his own feelings, to order the young fairy not to have contact with Sookie after Christmas Eve.

Reluctantly, Preston agreed for fear that Niall would find another to do his bidding. The thought of another fairy entering her home and enjoying her smiles and charms tugged at Preston in a way that he hated. "No," he didn't want that, so he agreed to Niall's terms to be beaten and acknowledged that Niall didn't want him contacting her after Christmas Eve, but not exactly saying that he wouldn't.

"Where are you from Preston?" Sookie asked. Her sweet voice was like a romantic song to his ears.

"I'm from Baton Rouge," he said instantly, not thinking. The truth slipped out so easily he didn't realize it until he heard it with his ears. Again, he knew he wasn't supposed to share private information about himself with her, but the compulsion to hold nothing back from her was almost more than he could resist. Sookie picked up on the surprise in his voice, but she wasn't sure of the reason why he was, or if she was interpreting his tone correctly.

"How'd you get to be in my woods?"

"Well . . ." He hesitated for a long stretch. Sookie sensed he was debating what to tell her, but she didn't know why. Preston wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew he couldn't. He wanted to tell her that Niall sent him, that he thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, that he would give her everything she desired, that he would risk imprisonment in order to be in her arms. Instead he fell silent.

"What are you, Preston?" she asked thinking perhaps it was the fact that he wasn't exactly human that made him hesitate. She knew by his brain waves that he wasn't entirely human. Preston had a smoother and thicker brain pattern. However, she didn't want to scare him by telling him how it was that she knew he wasn't human. People too often tended to react badly when she told them she was a telepath.

Her telepathy wasn't limited to listening to people's thoughts, but seeing and listening to their memories, and sensing a person's emotions. She could also pick-up on the energy people's minds gave off. Everyone's mind had its own texture and pattern; similar species shared common features.

"You know?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I know you're not exactly human." Truth was that she knew way more than she'd ever wanted to know about the supernatural world. She personally knew of vampires, shifters, maenads, dwarfs, goblins, and of course fairies. Though she hadn't encountered other creatures, she knew they existed in the shadows.

"So what are you?" she asked as they fumbled their way through the woods.

"A Were," he said and Sookie let out a soft chuckle. She knew there was no way he was a shifter; the brain never lied. The smooth pattern his mind gave off reminded her of Mr. Hobbs, a goblin she once met, Dr. Ludwig, who was a dwarf, and of course her fairy relatives. Not only that, but shifters, Weres included, all gave off an uneven toothy pattern.

"If you're a Were, I'm a goblin," Sookie replied sarcastically. Preston's body tensed against hers. Had she guessed what he truly was? At the core of his being, he hoped she had. He wanted her to know what he was; who he was. Sookie however, wasn't sure how to interpret what she sensed. She was only certain that she didn't want to alarm him; whatever he was. "It's okay," she said deciding to drop the subject. She never probed someone's mind unless she felt threatened. And for some reason, she wasn't sure why, she knew he wasn't a danger to her.

She could read his emotions, and not one suggested he would harm her. Preston was a good broadcaster of his emotions, and he was feeling anxious. Immediately, she attributed his anxiety to the fact that supernaturals for the most part were very secretive; herself included. So she didn't begrudge Preston for feeling the way he did. It took her a lot to tell Sam, her shifter friend and boss, what she was, and she knew Sam for a few years before she told him. Preston on the other hand, she recognized, didn't know her from Adam or Eve.

"It's ok Preston, it doesn't matter," she assured him. The woods around them were growing darker and it made her nervous. She knew Preston was hurting, but they really needed to pick up their pace. "We need to try to hurry. The last things we want to deal with right now are hungry and curious vampires," she said. They started moving faster. What concerned Sookie were the small traces of fairy blood flowing through her veins. It gave her a very unique, sweet flavor and scent that had an aphrodisiac effect on vampires. And when vampires first woke up, they had two strong needs; hunger and lust.

Quickly, Sookie scanned over toward Bill's property. He was her only neighbor for miles. His land butted up against Sookie's twenty acres. Telepathically, she reached out to see if he and his vampire guests were up. It took some effort, but she sensed them all moving about. Her immediate concern was the vampire's keen sense of smell. And when it came to blood – well, it was clear. Not only this, but Bill had the habit of wandering the woods around Sookie's house. She wasn't sure why he did that; if it was to spy on her or just to make sure she was safe. She really didn't care. All she knew, regarding Bill at that moment, was that she didn't want to run into him. He was still a young vampire, and his self control wasn't that well developed.

Preston braced himself. Though every minute that passed his body was healing, he wasn't completely back to his normal state. He struggled to keep up with the pace Sookie was setting for them. He pressed his lips together tightly to keep from crying out, but even that motion was excruciating.

His feet felt like ground meat. While in his wolf form fighting with Curt and Ralph his feet had been damaged by the debris on the forest floor. The flesh on the bottoms, were tender, but he knew they couldn't afford to slow down. If the vampires picked up his fairy scent, he knew he didn't have the strength to fight them off. Then his fears went from his own safety, to Sookie's safety. Somehow he had a feeling if they were attacked, she wouldn't run even if he begged her. He instantly hoped that Ralph and Curt were still close enough to hear his howls for help.

All of a sudden he stepped on a fallen branch. It cut into the bottom of his foot. A shriek of pain escaped his lips. His cry yanked Sookie's attention back to Preston.

"Sorry," she anxiously said. "We really need to hurry. The vampires are up." Preston nodded his head and swallowed the pain. With some effort they made it out of the woods. Upon seeing the light from the back porch illuminating the property around the back side of the house, Sookie breathed aloud, "Thank God." Preston seconded a similar sentiment.

It took some great effort to get Preston up the back steps. His feet were really damaged. But somehow, they awkwardly made it up and into the kitchen. Preston took a seat in the chair Sookie pulled out for him. He sat thankful not to be moving and watched her as she peeled off her coat vest. Her cheeks were flushed from the exertion, giving her a lovely rosy complexion. She was exquisite and more beautiful up close.

As Sookie laid her vest on the table, she glanced at Preston several times, her eyes raking over his nudity. With some deliberate effort she struggled to keep her eyes just on his injuries.

"Do you feel up to a shower?" she asked. He had mud and dried blood covering virtually every surface of his chiseled body. Not only did it obscure the view, thought Sookie, but it made it difficult to determine the extent of his injuries in his present dirty condition.

"Yeah, I think so." He nodded.

"Alright then," she said helping him get to his feet. Preston leaned into her as she helped him toward the bathroom. Sookie noticed that despite being dirty Preston had an unusual scent; it wasn't unpleasant to her by any means, it was just different; a faint musky, woodsy sweetness that reminded her of the woods after it rained. She had never picked up anything quite like it before. Regardless, she was certain that he wasn't a shifter - definitely not a werewolf. Shifters of all kinds had a wet animal scent depending on which animal they shifted into at full moon.

Once in the bathroom, with Sookie's help, Preston sat on the toilet seat. Again he was relieved not to be moving. Wearily, Preston watched Sookie. When he first saw her, it was from a distance and even then he could appreciate her beauty. Up close, she was striking. Though he was in some discomfort from the beating he'd endured, he was a male, and seeing Sookie's soft and subtle body bent over the edge of the tub, he felt himself becoming aroused. He wondered if she knew what she was doing; the effect her moving in the way that she was could have on a male?

It didn't escape Sookie's notice that Preston was watching her. Though her experience with men was limited, she recognized the look a man got in his eye when he felt a stirring for a woman. Though she tried not to, she couldn't help it; a small smile brightened her face. It had been too long since she was admired by someone she didn't mind being admired by.

Though she knew what she was about to do was on her list of 'thou shall not's', temptation got the better of her. Carefully, she reached out with her telepathy and probed Preston's mind. It only took her a few seconds for her to realize that she couldn't get through. Preston's thoughts were opaque like most supes were to her at first. Everyone had what felt to her like a shield, which encased people's minds. Human shields were rather thin; however, supernatural minds were different. Their shields were dense, sometimes so dense that she couldn't get through. Typically, if she was going to get a reading from someone, the first thing that she would detect was their emotions. So far with Preston, she was still catching only flashes of nervousness and apprehension, but no thoughts.

"Ready?" she asked, hiding her disappointment over not being able to hear his thoughts, but immediately felt it was for the best. Her ability had made having a relationship with a regular human impossible. Still she couldn't help wishing she could see what he thought of her. Then again, as her thoughts turned negative, she didn't want to know if he thought she was a complete moron.

Preston nodded his head to let her know he was ready. She helped him get to his feet. He was stiff; awkwardly he managed to get himself into the tub with her support. With his hand that wasn't holding onto her, he reached out and pressed it against the wall to brace himself. The instant the hot water hit him, he felt much better. Realizing he still had his other arm around her, he removed it. That's when he noticed her eyes trailing over the expanse of his chest. Ever so gently, so she wouldn't notice, he smiled privately. He waited for several long seconds to give her time. His eyes fixed on her lovely face watching her eyes; young and eager. He wondered if it was desire that he saw on her face. He immediately wondered what her delicate hands caressing him would feel like, and he felt the result of the imagery.

"What's your name?" he asked before he embarrassed them both. Quickly, Sookie's eyes snapped up to his face. She felt herself turn several shades of red, which she hoped he'd credit to the steaming shower.

"Soo—" Her voice broke nervously. She struggled to push aside the image of the water trailing down his chest and dripping off his manly parts. Distracted by his masculine beauty, she didn't notice much else. "Sookie." She straightened her back and swallowed, hoping and praying that he hadn't noticed her staring at him. "Sookie Stackhouse."

"Thank you Sookie." He smiled, knowing she was embarrassed.

"If you need anything." She heard herself stuttering and cringed at how foolish she must sound. "Or if you need help getting out, just call me."

"I'll make sure to yell out if I need you," he said. Sookie smiled at him not trusting herself to speak, and regretfully, she closed the door. ~