A/N: SVM is owned by Charlaine Harris. Thank you, Finiteanarchy for never failing to provide not only corrections, but wonderful and thoughtful feedback, even when I know you're totally busy. You rock.

In the last chapter:

Eric and Sookie formally agreed to an exclusive sexual relationship, also both agreeing that there is more to them than just that.

Working together, Eric and Sookie acquired a lot of useful information from the Weres. Thalia and another vampire are charged with roughing up the captives to create the appearance that a more "traditional" interrogation took place, but the Weres broke free and attacked, leaving Sookie with a broken hand and lesser wounds.

Eric took Sookie home, bathed her, and offered her blood to heal, which she accepted. When asked, Eric admitted that he had facilitated the Were-attack to create a reason for killing them.

Chapter 32 – Her Vampires Are More Beautiful

In spite of my late night, I beat Holly to work the next day. Tray was outside, and while I could tell he wanted to ask me about what had happened the night before, I wasn't interested in talking about it just then. Instead, I went inside and brewed the coffee, and picked over one of the tins of Christmas cookies which had been going stale for the last two weeks.

I called to check in on Gran, interrupting what sounded like a family breakfast (of egg white omelets and fruit, she was quick to assure me). Jason was getting ready for work. They'd gotten Gran's car back, and Hadley was planning to go around town and inquire after a job. The holidays, the fire, and tending to Gran had all stalled her search. It was good to hear she was getting back on track. She was probably going a little stir-crazy being cooped up at Jason's.

Hadley hadn't received a call back from any of the casinos she'd applied to here in Shreveport. After yesterday, I reckoned that was a good thing. There were about to be a few vacancies in both the security and housekeeping departments at the Trifecta, but it was better that Hadley stay close to sleepy Bon Temps. It was out of the way of trouble, except for the vampire next door.

That was a conversation to be had in person, so I didn't mention it. After only a few minutes I let them get back to their cooking. My morning went smoothly, and as we'd agreed, Brenda and I had lunch. She didn't exactly apologize for the blowup the other night, and neither did I apologize for interfering. She did reiterate once again, her deep-seated concerns about vampires in general. I tried to sound sympathetic to her feelings, but she wasn't buying it.

"But you're attached to the Sheriff now," she argued. Yup, word travels fast. Well, I suppose she'd been aware that something was going on for a while now.

"He's not like them," I said, meaning the New Orleans vamps she'd been complaining of. Immediately, I wondered if I was lying. Hadn't Eric forced his way down to the lab not so long ago, the same way Bill Compton had intended on doing? No, there was a difference. Eric had been in real need. He wasn't just throwing his weight around.

There were other major differences as well. Eric wasn't Mr. Perfect, but he could present that. He could be intimidating, and he was scary, but he didn't necessarily lead with that. He was open to alternatives. Flexible. In short, despite the email thing, he was modern. A modern vampire. Pam was too.

"They aren't all scary like that big Bert guy was, or jerks like Compton," I finished.

"Yes they are. They are all vampires, Sookie."

"Brenda," I coaxed, "we can't discriminate."

"It's not discrimination!" she exclaimed, but quickly lowered her voice again so as not to attract the attention of the other diners in the restaurant. "It's not discrimination. It's not the same as judging someone because of the color of their skin. It's judging a murderer for being a murderer."

"Even murderers are usually given the chance to reform," I said.

"But they're not reforming. You know it's all crap. You know the still feed on humans."

"Willing humans," I corrected.

"That's crap too," she argued. "You know it is."

I did know, but I also knew that the reality, at least for my vampires, wasn't what she was implying. I didn't agree with everything I'd seen Eric do, not by a long shot, but it wasn't like he was snatching young mothers out of their minivans and slaughtering them before their young. His moral compass was not wholly in sync with mine, but I didn't doubt that he possessed one.

The fact was, the rules were different in the supe world. Brenda knew this. Could she honestly say the Weres; her own parents, sister, cousins, were any different? Hadn't the local pack participated in hunting down the Were-witches? I was sure some of that killing had been even less... humane than the things I had witnessed. Weres weren't known for their neatness.

Something Niall had patiently and repeatedly explained to me over the years – and something I'd witnessed first hand in the last few weeks – was that while some situations could be influenced, the fundamental nature of supernatural creatures could not be changed. Acceptance didn't enter the equation. All that people like Brenda and I could do, was try to understand.

"You're thinking like a human," I said.

"I am a human, Sookie."

I sighed. But they're not. She did know what I meant. I couldn't take the point any further. I spread my hands in surrender.

"I'm just saying, they're not all bad. Thalia and Anthony are growing on you, aren't they?"

She rolled her eyes. "That woman – vampire," she corrected, "is terrifying."

I risked a little grin. "She is. I'm glad she's on our side."

That too, was not strictly true. Thalia, like most every other vampire, was on her own side. However, the status quo was working for everyone here in Shreveport. As Mr. Cataliades and I had agreed, that was a side in and of itself.

Brenda let out a little huff, since she couldn't really argue with my remark about Thalia being an asset to us. Anthony was as well. He wasn't nearly as imposing, but by vampire standards, he was far more personable. All the others felt more comfortable around him.

"Do we know who is replacing Gerald yet?" I asked. The vampire's employment with us had been so brief before his final death that I wasn't sure anyone else even knew what had happened.

"No. And as long as Mr. Ghellert stays on, there's really no need to hurry."

I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking her what the opinion of Management would be. It wouldn't help us get back to normal if it seemed like I was undermining her authority again.

"How long is he going to be with us?"

"Through the end of February," Brenda grumbled, bristling. I didn't understand her reaction.

"You don't like him either?" I asked, trying not to sound accusing.

"Oh, I like him fine," she dismissed. "And no doubt he's very good at keeping the premises secure. It's just that this isn't all he's doing here."

"What do you mean?"

"We're being overseen of course. And it's fine, obviously. I certainly couldn't, nor wouldn't, argue his prolonged presence. Management has a right to audit. It's just that I feel like every little thing I do is under examination."

I could hear the release of her pent up frustration and felt like I'd just been given a big insight on her state of mind lately.

I pursed my lips. "I haven't really gotten that impression."

"Yes well. You're downstairs all day, aren't you?"

"I suppose that's true," I conceded.

I hurriedly took another bite of my sandwich and we fell into silence once again. It hadn't occurred to me that Ghellert was checking up on Brenda. I knew he was making sure that everything, not just the security stuff, was running smoothly in the wake of the burglary. I hadn't realized that included watching over Brenda. Was he watching the brokers too? Was he watching me? Surely he must be monitoring the whole operation if any of it.

At least I'd be able to report to Eric unequivocally that yes, Ghellert had followed me to Arkansas for work purposes only. Oh. He'll probably report to Mintah that I screwed up with the will-o'-the-wisp. That wasn't entirely my fault. Okay, maybe it was. I should have waited until I was back at Splendide to examine it. Damn.

When the waitress brought our check, I looked it over quickly before producing the money to cover my half. She'd signed it with a big smiley-face at the bottom and the letters TGIF.

"Thank goodness it's Friday," I read.

"Agreed," Brenda said. "Plans for the weekend?"

"I should probably drive out to Bon Temps on Sunday," I said distractedly. I hadn't even realized the day. This entire week had been such a jumble.

Brenda nodded. I don't think she really listened to my answer as she produced her own bills. With a wave to our waitress as we left, we headed back to Splendide. Ghellert was standing near Holly's desk, and I made myself smile and nod to him as I usually might. I decided to try not to worry about being under scrutiny. I doubted Brenda needed to either.

Though neither of us were truly irreplaceable, it wouldn't be an easy task. I liked to believe I had job security. I also liked to believe that it was not undeserved. I worked hard to continue improving my knowledge in both the human and supernatural fields, as well as the science for both. I enjoyed my work, and believed that I did it well.

I made myself busy in the afternoon, becoming wholly immersed in trying to identify the origin of a small carving of a bat made from lapis lazuli. It was difficult since the stone was traded so broadly across Asia and Europe throughout antiquity, and because bats live practically everywhere in the world. It wasn't until after seven in the evening that I was ready to declare with moderate confidence that it was crafted in Macedonia sometime in the century before the birth of Christ, and most likely kept in the home as a good luck charm. As far as I could tell, it was just an ordinary figurine, but I wasn't going to discount some ancient person's power of positive thinking.

Since it was well after dark, Ghellert walked me to my car. Besides Anthony Bolivar, he was the only one still at work. Everyone else had vacated the building more than an hour ago.

"You worked very late," he commented as we walked.

"I get involved." He wasn't one for chitchat, so I assumed this was information gathering. "And I didn't want to leave it for Monday," I finished, hoping to leave him with the impression that I was a hard worker. It was true!

He nodded and we reached my car. I tossed my purse across to the passenger's seat before getting in.

"Um, Ghellert?"

"Yes?"

"Is it true you're reporting on us to Mintah?" I asked. Though we were alone in the parking lot, I still took care to speak quietly.

"Yes," he answered. "He is interested to know how things are here."

I nodded. "Is there anything that I am doing wrong, or should be doing better?"

It seemed like a fair question to ask. If I've been receiving an ongoing performance review, I should be entitled to ask for feedback.

He tilted his head at me in a distinctly aquiline manner, and studied me for a long moment.

"No," he finally answered.

"Oh. Well, alright then. Thanks. Um, goodnight," I managed, starting to duck into the car.

"Goodnight," he responded evenly.

He remained standing as he was. I gave another little wave after backing out of my spot, before driving off. I shook the odd exchange out of my head and stopped at the library on my way home. After that I stopped at the grocery store.

Eric had said he would stop by, but I didn't expect it to be early. I knew he had to put in his time at the club. He had regretted missing the reopening last night, but stayed with me anyway, even after the questioning was done and I was healed. It wasn't the grandest of gestures, but whenever they talk about relationships, they say it's the little things that count, right?

It was good that he stayed, both for me, and for us. I still wasn't happy about the fact that he'd put me at risk, but what bothered me more is that he left me clueless. I put away the groceries and started work on some chicken cutlets. I decided to use the whole package, reasoning that they could be frozen or used for other meals this week. It kept my hands busy but allowed my mind to wander, and I applied it to the task of trying to think like Eric.

He'd assumed the Weres would behave a certain way, teaming up on him, and that had to come from vast experience. He'd been wrong. I'd been too wrapped up in pain to measure his reaction. Was he really surprised, or had it been a calculated risk? What were the odds? 80/20? 90/10? I hoped less than that.

He was a very competent fighter with due confidence in his abilities. Though it was Thalia who killed the wolf attacking me, he'd been right there. He could have been able to do the job single-handedly, and I'd have been no worse for wear than I ended up. My injury had been a fluke. He certainly couldn't have foreseen that I'd slip off the van's running board. Leaving the van locked had been part of his plan. The imminent threat to me had been key.

I went a little wild with the tenderizer, ending up with some very thin and much abused cutlets. To my bemusement, the steady rhythm I'd been banging out continued from the front door. I stretched my mind. Vampire. Pam. I had only two vampire acquaintances who would call on me at home, and since I knew it wasn't Eric, that didn't leave a lot to deduce. I did wonder if perhaps I knew on some instinctual level, owing to the presence of his blood in me.

I let her in and she followed me back to the kitchen, peering around with interest at the obvious cookery that was taking place.

"What are you making?" she asked.

"Chicken cutlets."

"You cut the chicken into little pieces?" she asked, after mulling over the word.

"Smaller, yes. And then you beat the daylights out of them," I smiled, hefting the mallet.

"I heard," she smirked.

"Help yourself to a blood," I suggested. "They had Alta Vitae on sale. You'll have to let me know if it's any good."

"They're all terrible."

"Yes, well, it's all I can offer you."

"I know," she agreed, and proceeded to heat the bottle by its instructions while I went back to banging out the chicken.

"Working out some aggression?" she smirked, when I stopped a second time.

"Not really. Not aggression. Frustration? I assume you know what happened."

"He told me one of the Weres attacked you, and had to be put down."

"Did he tell you he orchestrated it by loosening their bindings?"

"No, but it does make sense."

She was quiet, watching intently as I washed my hands and prepared the flour and breadcrumbs, then added a splash of buttermilk and a touch of Tabasco to the egg wash.

"Are you angry?" she asked.

"Is that why you're here?" I countered. "To feel me out before he shows up?"

"I'm here because I had some free time before I'm expected at Fangtasia," she answered, unconcerned. "You certainly seem angry."

"I'm not," I sighed. "Conflicted at worst."

"What is your conflict?"

I turned around to face her, ignoring the sticky mess that was my fingers. "He did it for me, and it was clever, and I'm grateful, but he knew he was risking my life and he did it without my knowledge – however good his intentions."

Pam stared at me with a look eerily similar to the one I'd gotten from Ghellert. The look that says, 'I understand everything you've just said, but I can't possibly fathom your meaning.' I realized that she, as a matter of course, found very little reason to question Eric, nor fail to trust his judgment. Aha. That was it exactly. I'd been struggling to pinpoint exactly how I felt about what had happened. I was upset because it had caused me to question his judgment.

"Ugh," I said, turning back to get the rest of the chicken on to the oiled pan. "Forget it. I'm not angry with him. Let's just... talk about something else. How was it at the club last night?"

"Oh, very good. We made lots of money."

"Just your regular crowd, or did you have a tourist bus?"

"We had two," she smiled. "Rescheduled from last week. Some of the women were disappointed that Eric wasn't there. His picture is on a lot of our promotional materials, you know."

"I didn't know that."

"I'll bring you one of the fliers we send out to the regional tour offices. We've already done the ones for Spring. Your Were friend was in as well."

"Tray?" I questioned. He was the only person who came close to fitting the description.

"Yes. Tray Dawson," she remembered.

"Huh. I didn't think Fangtasia was really his scene."

"There were several Weres in last night. We gave some of those who've been helping us free drinks vouchers. I expect they will come again."

"That's odd, isn't it? I mean, you don't get along."

"I suppose a vampire-owned establishment is more preferable to some than a human-owned one, at least until they manage to rebuild the Hair of the Dog. If they rebuild it. I take it you've heard all about that?"

"Tray filled me in, but I figured you'd have gone back to your neutral corners now that the mutual threat is gone."

"Oh, we have. Most of them were quite rude to Long Shadow at the bar. Not your friend, though. He has very good manners."

When he wants to, I thought. Out loud I asked, "But they still chose to drink there?"

"And their money is still good. It works out," Pam shrugged.

I really didn't understand how she could bear it. Humans gawking at her, Weres stewing in bitterness, all in her own bar. I asked her how she managed.

"Oh, I have a good expression for that. Would you like to hear it?"

"I'm on tenterhooks," I deadpanned.

"If you enjoyed it, it wouldn't be called work," she quoted. "I say it to the waitresses all the time. It's very amusing."

I chuckled at the image of Pam interacting with her fangbanging waitstaff. I wondered what other inspirational quips she had to share in the staff room. I sensed she was the type of person who would really appreciate motivational posters. Maybe I could get her one.

"I love my work," I shrugged.

"Lucky you. Mine has its moments." She smiled wickedly.

"I suppose it's the difference between a job and a career," I observed.

"I don't think I've ever had a career."

"I wouldn't think most vampires have, unless they carried it over from their human lives." I tried and failed to think of careers that vampires could have even with the proper education. There are things you can do with the internet, and more business is conducted at night since the vampires came out, but they still didn't have very many options in the human sphere.

"I've taken business classes," Pam said. "At night school of course. In Minnesota."

"Do you have a degree?"

"No, but that's of little consequence. I wouldn't work for anyone besides myself."

"Or Eric," I supplied.

"Yes," she agreed.

"I suppose you guys have careers within your own arena," I mused, continuing my thoughts out loud. "So being Eric's lieutenant is your career, and running the bar with him is one of your jobs?"

"I suppose so," she agreed again, seeming distracted by her own thoughts.

I hoped I hadn't said anything inappropriate. What if she suddenly decided that she wanted a career now? I didn't think she would up and leave Eric in a lurch, but I doubted she'd be easy to replace.

"Does Eric have any other children?" I asked suddenly.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

Because in my crazy imagination, you've already run off to be a career-woman-vampire somewhere and I'm wondering who your maker will summon to fill your shoes.

"Just curious."

"She left him before he made me."

"Are they still in touch?"

"You'd have to ask him."

"Oh. You don't know her?"

"We've met."

She left it at that, and I took the opportunity to pull the pan from the oven and turn the chicken so it cooked evenly on both sides. Pam and I chatted a bit more as my dinner and future leftovers finished cooking. I asked her what she would do if she could do anything.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, just for fun. I mean would you ever want to be an actress, or an astronaut, or a fashion designer?"

"I don't know," she said. "I suppose I wouldn't mind running my own business."

"What kind of business?"

"I don't know," she repeated, sounding truly baffled. "It's different for us, as you know. We are beholden to our monarchs and their lords. We do not always have a say in what we do for work."

I was only aware of that in the abstract. "Eric doesn't force people to work for him though, does he?"

"No. He prefers his people to put in hours at that bar, but in lieu of that, he will accept a tithe. Sookie, what is all this talk of jobs and working about?" She sounded perturbed.

"I think we're being audited at work," I said immediately. The thought hadn't fully left my mind since Brenda first mentioned it at lunch. "I like to think my job is safe, but you never know for certain."

"You think you could be fired?"

"No, not really, but I guess I'll just be nervous until I know what the result of the evaluation is."

"And what would you do, if you did not work where you work now?"

"I guess I'd have to try to find work in the human field. My situation right now is kind of singular."

"You mustn't worry. It will only cause you to wrinkle prematurely," she said, arching a perennially perfect brow.

"Thanks Pam," I muttered.

"You're welcome," she replied.

Pam and I moved on to lighter topics, including the fact that they'd be bringing on a new bar manager soon. She subtly mentioned the fact that she and Eric would both be quite wrapped up at Fangtasia until that person was trained up and ready. I wondered if she was attempting to preemptively excuse his future scarcity, but decided to take it as more of a friendly warning.

She ended up staying with me for two hours before she had to get back to Fangtasia. I really enjoyed her company. She was quickly becoming a good friend to me. I wondered if she felt the same, and if she was as surprised by it as I was.

It was another couple of hours after she had left before Eric turned up. I was in bed, but wide awake and completely involved in the very steamy plot of one of my library books. I marked my page and quickly went to the door thinking that he had rather impeccable timing.

The look Eric gave me was almost feral, and I was sure the one I returned showed equal passion. I didn't need Eric's blood in me to want to jump his bones, but the recent infusion had certainly given the boost to my ardor. He closed the distance between us in a blink, pressing his mouth to mine and gathering me up. I squealed in surprise as he lifted me, vaguely aware of the sound of the door slamming shut as he moved us to the bedroom. He was almost frantic as he began to strip off my pajamas, laving each part of me as it was bared to him with his tongue and lips, the teasing nips of his teeth, and the tantalizing scrape of his fangs.

Now on my bed, I leaned back against my elbows, lifting my hips to help him remove my pants and underwear. His fangs were full down and his tongue flicked out over his lips and then he tore his eyes away from my sex to meet mine again. I shook my head, scooting back out of his reach and he lurched forward to pounce but I caught his face between my hands and kissed him.

Sitting up, I helped peel away his shirt, kissing down his chest as I fumbled with his belt. He was wearing leather pants. When he took the matter of belt and his fly into his own hands, I ran mine up and down the supple hide covering his thighs and his groin. He groaned, pulling back and ridding himself of the garment. I was fleetingly regretful that I hadn't taken a better look at him in them, but I was sure I'd have another chance.

Coming forward on my hands and knees I went back to kissing down his naked torso until I came to the thatch of golden blonde hair. My cheek brushed against his length as he shifted and I pressed my nose against him, inhaling the odd, dry musk of him. Feeling daring, I let my tongue dart out to lick him, and in moments I was pressing long, wet kisses up and down him. His hands came to cup my jaw and he moaned again. When I dipped my lips to wrap around his head, his hips jerked backwards, and I looked up at him with confusion.

"Not now," he murmured, pulling me up to his mouth. Then, he was between my thighs, and I was being guided backwards, hitching my leg against his hip as he thrust inside me. It all seemed like one motion. It was the first time he hadn't spent time preparing me to receive him, and whether he could sense that I was just as turned on as he was, or if he was just so eager, I'll never know. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him to me, whimpering into his mouth each time he filled me, drawing my hips up to meet him.

It was fast and dizzying, but I was learning him. I could tell by the tight draw of the muscles under my hands in his back and his smooth torso that he was close. I didn't even mind that I hadn't reached my own climax; it was gratifying to see him so unbridled, and all for me. But he did mind, and he pulled back from me, catching his hands under my thighs and lifting my lower half clear off the bed. The new angle let him stroke that place inside me that had me seeing stars in less than a minute, and I remember gasping out his name before he joined me in that instant of unmitigated bliss.

He was still afterward, letting his eyes close while I panted, willing my heartbeat to slow down, but at the same time sorry that it was over. I curled up beside him and let my fingers splay across his chest. He shuddered when I ran my fingernails lightly across his nipple. He grinned down at me with a lazy smile which I was happy to return.

"Nice to see you too," I chuckled.

"Mmm." It was a noise of perfect contentment. "It's always nice to see you, lover." He gave me a squeeze, nuzzling into my hair in a gesture that somehow managed to improve upon what was already a wholly satisfactory moment.

"I take it you've had a good night so far?"

"Much better now," he said, shifting to lay back more fully, and pulling me along with him.

"How was work? Everything okay at Fangtasia?"

"Yes. Business is picking right back up. The men and women who lust after us and those who chase after them were out in droves."

I wrinkled my nose, annoyed by the thought of droves of women lusting after Eric. I couldn't blame them, but still.

"That must have been difficult for you to bear," I teased. Was it complying with our new arrangement that put him in such a lather before he arrived? Maybe it was just thinking all night about what he couldn't do, and perhaps also what he could. Maybe he'd felt my own lust, too.

"Oh yes. It was very hard."

"Oh jeez, Eric. That joke is older than you are."

He threw back his head and laughed, and I felt warm all over.

"Well, I'm sorry you had such a rough night," I said, feeling not the least bit sorry, considering the outcome was greatly to my benefit.

"Sookie, I am detecting a distinct lack of sympathy in your tone."

"You poor baby," I said, wriggling up to cradle his head in my arms and petting his hair. "Why don't you tell me all about how hard it was for you."

"I would prefer to show you."

"Again?"

"And again if necessary. Until you fully understand."

"I don't know Eric," I cooed. "That sounds like it could take all night."

"That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," he said, shifting his body over mine again. "If it means I can drive the point home to you." He gave a little thrust of his hips into mine, and I could feel that his point was once again ready to be made.

I kissed him with abandon, feeling simply happy. Eric took the opportunity to plead his case once more. It wasn't until after that, and some more idle chatter about nothing in particular that I started to doze off.

"Sookie, are you asleep?"

"Yes," I replied drowsily. "And I'm dreaming of you, so let me get back to it."

"I must leave now."

That woke me up a bit. I glanced over at the clock and saw that dawn wasn't too far off, then looked up at Eric. He had used my shower, and was once again dressed. The pants really were terrific.

I got out of bed so I could follow him out, grabbing my robe on the way. Once he was out on the porch, he turned, and pulled at the belt, letting the robe fall open as he slipped an arm around my waist.

"Eric! Stop, someone will see!" I tried to squirm away from him.

"No one will see," he said, and kissed me thoroughly a final time. As soon as he started to pull back, I drew the robe around me again.

"Pam said you guys might be quite busy for a while," I said, reaching for anything to delay his departure for another minute. I immediately regretted choosing end the interlude by introducing the idea that there wouldn't be an encore in the immediate future.

"You saw Pam?"

"She was here earlier. Didn't you uh," I gave an experimental sniff at the cold night air, as if expecting to catch a whiff of Pam's perfume. "smell her?"

Wouldn't she have mentioned it? I'd always assumed her visits were Eric-sanctioned, if not Eric-encouraged.

I watched him inhale slowly, registering the scents that lingered, indiscernible to me, on my porch.

"You must have been distracted," I suggested, offering a saucy little smirk.

"Yes," he agreed, and whatever tension had crept into his posture seemed to fade.

"I wish you didn't have to leave," I sighed.

"I wish that too."

"Will I see you soon?"

"I will make sure of it," he said. I smiled again.

"Goodnight, Eric."

"Goodnight, Sookie."

I closed the door and trailed off to bed feeling more genuinely content than I had done in a while.

When I woke up just before noon, I felt the delicious ache of my wanton night in my body along with the peace of mind that accompanies the prospect of two days of absolute leisure. My hair was a tangle, but I brushed it quickly and pulled it back, dressing in jeans and a sweater. I put on my coat and went out to the porch to enjoy, regardless of the hour, what I would consider my morning coffee.

I caught the faintest whiff of someone's fireplace on the air, and thought once again of the idea I'd had a month ago to see about having a wood burning stove installed. All renovations had to be approved by the property owner of course, but I couldn't imagine her refusing. It would improve the value of the home. Aretha Fuller had gone to live with her son over in Marshall, Texas after her husband had died. She couldn't bear to sell the home where they'd lived and raised their child, but wanted to be closer to her surviving family. I sent my check off dutifully every month, and hardly ever had occasion to talk to her.

Come to think of it, I don't think we've spoken since the beginning of September, when I re-upped my lease. No, that wasn't true. I'd talked to Aretha right before Thanksgiving. I remembered the conversation about her sweet potato pie. She had serious opinions about nutmeg and evaporated milk.

I decided to call while I was thinking about it.

"Sookie! It's nice to hear from you. I was going to give you a call this week," Mrs. Fuller said. She had the kind of warm, friendly voice that I associated with my grandmother, though her accent wasn't as thick as Gran's.

I explained my idea excitedly, even adding that I already knew a good contractor when I thought of Randall Shurtliff. My heart fell the instant I heard the frown in her voice.

"I wouldn't object if you wanted to have one installed for this winter, but that's related to why I needed to speak to you. You may want to hold off, because we finally decided over Christmas that it's coming time to sell that house."

"Wh-what?" I stuttered.

"Now don't worry, don't worry," she said soothingly. "We have an agreement and I mean to honor it. You're free to stay through the end of next August if you'd like, but we won't be renewing the lease for another year when it expires."

"Oh."

"We talked about getting it on the market by the beginning of summer, but if you wanted to leave sooner, that would be alright. There will be more to discuss later about the realtor if you decide to stay. I just ask that you let me know your plans."

"I'm going to need to get back to you about that."

"Of course, honey. That's why I wanted to let you know in plenty of time. As for the improvements, we're going to hire an inspector to come out and see if there's anything that needs to be addressed well before the house goes up for sale. Should be this month."

"Sure," I said blankly.

"So I'll keep you posted on that," she said. I could hear that she was wrapping up.

"Right. Definitely. I appreciate that. Thanks for letting me know. We'll talk soon then."

"Thanks Sookie."

I set the phone down carefully on the table. It wasn't that I thought I would live here forever, but I would be perfectly content to go one living here for the foreseeable future. I had the impulse to feel hurt, but that was silly. It was her house; she could sell it if she wanted to. What could I do? Nothing. That wasn't entirely true.

I could buy it.

Not outright maybe, not unless I tapped into emergency funds, but I could get a mortgage. I would probably be approved. I had a good and steady job.

Hopefully.

That would be a big decision. What if I bought it, and then got fired? What if Mintah closed Splendide? What if something happened and I had to leave? With Eric finding out about me, it had all worked out. At least, it all seemed to be working out. But what if Compton turned out to be a real problem? What if Niall's enemies found me? Buying myself out of a lease was something I could do, but you can't just walk away from a mortgage. I mean you can, but there are serious repercussions. Maybe if I fled the country entirely.

I should talk to Eric. He probably knew something about real estate planning when the possibility exists that you will have to vanish at a moment's notice. Then again, he might not have good advice. I doubt Eric had taken a bank loan on his house or to open Fangtasia. He was wealthy. His contingency plan might just involve just abandoning his property.

I should just find a new place to rent. It would be difficult to find somewhere that was as good a fit as this place, but I had time to search.

This was just a hiccup.

I spent a lot of time that afternoon searching rental listings. The biggest problem was finding somewhere with no near neighbors. This house was great not only because it was the right size for a single woman, but because of the size of the plot. There were dozens of listings for houses and apartments that looked so inviting in the pictures, but which I knew I could never stand to live in. Not if I ever wanted to relax in peace and quiet.

Everywhere isolated enough to accommodate me was out in the country. I guess a commute wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, if I never found anything better.

Defeated for the day, I went to bed early with my book. Much to my disappointment, Eric did not serendipitously appear at my doorstep to take over the reins from the male lead in my fantasy as he had done the night before. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but picture the dashing courier's flowing locks as wheat gold, rather than ebony as described.

I awoke early on Sunday with every intention of arriving at church to meet Gran and Hadley. Then I remembered my great grandfather's warning about staying away from my cousin and brother. I did need to warn them about the vampire, but as long as they were staying with Jason, it wasn't urgent. I deliberated for a few minutes before calling Gran to make my apologies.

"Oh, that's alright honey. We weren't expecting you." That stung a bit.

"You weren't?"

"Well I figured that's why you called on Friday, but it's alright. Jason decided to go off on a hunting trip today anyway. Hadley and I are going to have lunch with Maxine while they're out. I'm sure you'd be welcome, if you changed your mind."

I almost accepted, but wouldn't have been prudent or polite. I'd been in the situation of being the uninvited guest before. No matter how gracious a host may act, their mind can't conceal it if they're feeling put out.

"I better not," I said, dolefully. "But if it's alright Gran, could I take you to dinner this week? Just you and me?"

"Sure you can. Is everything alright Sookie?"

"Everything's fine. I just want to catch up a little. I can't help feeling a little out of the loop, especially now with you three all in the same house."

"I miss you too, baby."

"Thanks, Gran."

"You call me tomorrow night, and we'll make a date."

I hung up the phone and spent the rest of the day keeping moderately busy, but after the sun went down, a strange tension settled over me that I couldn't shake. There was a movie on television that I'd seen before. As I watched I thought I heard a noise from outside. When I muted the sound and stretched out my mind, there was nothing. It was as if I was waiting for a frantic phone call or some crisis to show up on my doorstep. Nothing happened.

It took a long time for my brain to settle down that night, and then I slept uneasily. It was a relief to arrive at work the next day, first again. I needed the distraction from my own thoughts.