I was both touched and amazed when Sookie took the initiative to explore my new body. She gave me a full body massage and then an exquisite manual release, showing me that she loved me no matter what shell I happened to be in. She's a very special woman. Since she had shown me that I apparently did not repulse her, I took that as a green light to please her sexually. I didn't want to risk her health since she so eloquently pointed out that we didn't know where "that thing" had been. She makes me laugh in almost every situation. I removed her gown, happy beyond words to find her pantyless and wet. I warmed a handful of lotion with my own hands and went to work, covering every inch of her perfect body. By the time I got to the really good parts, she was panting and begging. I used my tongue for the first orgasm and then my hands alone performed the encore. The curtain call was tongue again. Aside from a slight taste of lotion on the curtain call, it was absolutely perfectly heavenly.

We fell asleep in exhausted bliss, wrapped together as if we fit perfectly. I woke as usual just before dawn and slipped out of bed to go and sit on the balcony. I wrapped myself in the soft throw draped over the arm of the sofa by the window and positioned my chair to face due east. I watched the sky begin to gradually lighten, but it was still technically night when Sookie appeared at my side. She was wearing nothing but a beautiful smile and I wondered what had her so happy so early until she held out her hand. "Look what I found."

As soon as I saw the little orange square, I knew what it was and I felt myself harden. I opened the throw that I had wrapped around me and Sookie straddled my lap, nuzzling her face into my neck and grasping my erection. I wrapped my arms around her, covering us both in the soft fabric and pulling her closer. I felt her rolling the condom onto me and I wanted to touch her to prepare her, but before I had even moved, she had raised herself up and simply sat down, covering every inch of me in soft warm wonderful. I gasped at the splendid shock just as the first light of dawn began to streak the sky. She began to move slowly, keeping her mouth on my neck, kissing and licking. I looked straight out at the sky as the colors began to change. Her rhythm was slow and steady and just exquisite. She started to speed up just a touch and my breathing sped up as well. She stopped. I steadied my breathing and pressed my hands into her back, urging her to continue. Slowly, she rocked me again, rising and falling, covering me with each stroke. The sky brightened, her speed increased. I got close and then she stopped. I held her tight and waited for my arousal to recede. She began to pump again. Slowly, torturously, sweetly. The sky turned orange. She sped up. Streaks of red. She licked and sucked. Fuchsia. I felt her walls pulse. Purple, gold, and finally blue. I exploded as she came around me, but I forced my tear-filled eyes to stay open.

It was the most perfect moment of my life. I thought, I don't care what happens to me now. That bastard thinks he took my world when he took my body, but I was the lucky one. I was the one who got to experience this stolen beauty. I never thought I'd see another sunrise again, and here I am with the woman I love sharing the most perfect pleasure I could imagine. Sookie rocked back and met my gaze with her own; wet tear tracks streaked her cheeks. We didn't need a blood bond to know what we were both feeling.

After Sookie and I both showered and dressed, we met Anthony downstairs at breakfast. He filled us in on the report he had received after the vamps all retired for the day. There had been no further sightings, unfortunately, but he was optimistic that eventually Bob would be found. Sookie asked if someone was watching his apartment during the day as well as night and she got a blank stare from Anthony.

"What? Please tell me that you have been watching his apartment here."

He swallowed hard and spoke slowly. "Um…we don't actually know where he lives. Do you?"

I took out my wallet and opened it to expose the driver's license and laid it on the table. We all three read it and I shrugged my shoulders. "Let's go, shall we?"

Anthony drove us to the apartment complex. I was fishing my keys out of my pocket when a hard looking blonde woman came out of one of the downstairs apartments. "Bob!"

"Hey! How's it going?" I had never seen her before, but she obviously knew me.

"Great, sweetie. Listen, I'm sorry I've been such a nag about the rent, but we're good now. Your friend was so sweet and even took care of half of next month, so no more nagging!"

"Really? Wow, that was great of him. Have you…uh…seen him around lately."

"Of course." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "He is so hot."

"Yeah, so I hear." She giggled and tossed her hair over a shoulder. I got a glimpse of fang marks just above her collar. "So, I'll see you later?"

"Sure, sweetie. See you around."

I turned and lowered my voice to Sookie. "Well, I think we can figure out who invited him in."

The apartment was small and dark and a little messy, but I'd seen worse. There was a bloody towel on the sofa and a pile of wallets on the coffee table. Bingo.

I walked down the hall and opened the closet door. Nothing. I checked the bedroom and closet in there. Then the bathroom. Nothing. I walked to the living room window and looked out. We were in a very urban area. Not many places for a vampire to bury himself. Sookie and Anthony were putting the wallets in a plastic bag, opening each one in search of clues. I made another walk through the apartment. At the end of the hall was the linen closet which I hadn't checked. At least I assumed it was the linen closet. I looked above it and saw the heat vent and decided that it was not a linen closet, but probably housed the heater. I carefully opened the door and there I was, curled up between the heater and wall, dead to the world.

We called the palace and within ten minutes a hearse had pulled up out front. I helped the men secure Bob's hands and feet with silver chains, cringing at the sight of the burning flesh. We wrapped the body in heavy black fabric before loading it into the coffin and finally into the back of the hearse.

Once we had the coffin safely stored in the palace, Sookie called Amelia and told her the good news. We were relieved, naturally, to have Bob in custody, but we were still a long way away from home free. We needed Bob's cooperation to get the spell to work, and even then, I wondered just how many things could go wrong.

Sookie and I had lunch in the dining room and then Anthony put us in an office while we went through the wallet collection. Fortunately, we were able to reach each wallet owner by phone and none seemed to have gotten himself or herself killed. We popped each one into a padded envelope and gave them to Anthony to be mailed.

The witches began to arrive and Anthony put them in a meeting room and ordered food and drinks to keep them happy. We sat and watched them going through spell books and practicing incantations. After a few hours, it became evident that our presence wasn't needed. Sookie and I excused ourselves and found our way back to our room. We made love and took a nap and woke holding on to each other for dear life. We didn't talk about it, but I knew she was just as nervous about the spell as I was.

We dressed and found the west balcony that I'd enjoyed the previous night and held each other as we watched the sun go down. Neither said a word, but I wondered whether it would be the last sunset we would ever share.

We grabbed a quick bite of dinner before heading to the courtroom where we were expecting the vamps. One by one, they entered. Pam joined us and we told her how we'd found Bob while she'd rested. She was relieved but as nervous as I was. I could see the tension in her face even though to anyone else I'm sure she looked as cool as a cucumber.

The witches began to fill the seats in the back of the room and vamps took their places in the front. Victor sat in the chair front and center, facing the room. Apparently, he would be conducting the meeting or trial or whatever they called it.

Two large vampire guards escorted Bob into the room and sat him in a chair in front of Victor's, also facing the room. Sookie squeezed my hand as we watched the gloved hands of the guards winding a silver chain around his chest, securing him to his chair. He searched the room with his eyes and when they found mine, they narrowed in hate. I returned his glare and took a deep breath, wondering what was in store for me next.