Chapter Thirty Seven:

I stared at Eric's naked back for what felt like hours. He was dead to the world, as was his maker on the other side of me. Unlike Eric, Godric had an arm wrapped securely around me, as if even in sleep, he was protecting me from the evils of the world. Eric, on the other hand, was still furious from our conversation last night. I was surprised he had even slept in the same bed as Godric and I. I half expected to wake up and an empty bed to my right. But there he was, though his tense back was facing me. It was more than I was expecting, however, and I was just relieved that his temper hadn't thrown everything out of proportion.

I knew I was acting like a jealous girlfriend. I was a jealous girlfriend. And I didn't know how not to be. I've never really been in a relationship, and this triumvirate wasn't exactly easy to understand. I've never felt like this before with any of the men I've dated in the past. They were just merely there for companionship, kicked to the curb a week or two later when they started to get in the way. But with Eric and Godric, it was so much different, and it had been long before we had been bonded, linked together. Hell, the moment I laid my eyes on Eric, I had felt something. Whether it had been my necromancy flaring up, or just fate intervening, I had felt something that night I first met the tall, blonde, moody vampire. Even after running away back to school and meeting Godric, I hadn't been able to erase him from my thoughts. Being here, practically glued to the man's hip, it only intensified everything. So seeing him fawn all over some other girl, and that girl being some past conquest, it forced that little green monster out from its hiding place.

It wasn't like I wanted to be jealous. It wasn't like I wanted to feel the way I did, or have my doubts. I loved Eric. I knew it in my heart that I did. I ached for him whenever he wasn't near. I thought of him constantly. He was just always on my mind, just as Godric was. Maybe that wasn't healthy; maybe it was all some sort of side effect of this triumvirate. But it was here, it was real, and it just wouldn't go away. And now that Sookie had returned from wherever she had been, now that this woman was back in Eric's life, I was scared. Because I wasn't so sure what I would do if I lost either Eric or Godric. It was for that reason that I was spying on the witches. Sure, my life was at stake too, but it was the mere thought of losing my two vampires that scared me.

Maybe I had gone about it the wrong way. Maybe I shouldn't have bitterly questioned Eric last night. I just hadn't been able to control myself. I had felt this burning in my heart, in my entire body. I felt a rage, an anger I had never known before when I saw him with her. I wanted nothing more than to get my hands on her and shove her head into the wall time after time. Just thinking about her now, I could feel my blood boiling, the beast deep inside roaring in jealousy and envy. I had to grasp onto Godric's lifeless hand lying possessively on my upper thigh just to clear my head, for the anger to evaporate. I hated that she had just swept in and changed everything. Things were going well. We may have had the witches to deal with, but otherwise, everything was perfect. And then she just showed up and ruined everything.

I sighed heavily as I reached a hand out and tentatively glided my fingertips over Eric's muscled shoulder. I almost half expected the vampire to react, to move away from my touch. But he just lay there, still as stone, completely dead to the world. I still found it amazing how warm he and Godric felt to me. They were dead, they should have felt icy cold, and yet it was the opposite. They felt as warm as the sun or a raging fire. Maybe it was because I was a necromancer, my talents lying in the dead, or maybe it was the bond we all seemed to share almost upon meeting. Whatever the reason, it seemed to drive my body closer to the blond, my fingers dancing down his arm and to his waist. With every touch, I could feel a stirring between my legs, a burning rising. I had to force my hand off of Eric's form before I got too carried away.

"I love you." I whispered softly, leaning forward and lightly brushed my lips across the top of his shoulder. I peeked at his handsome face, smiling slightly at how peaceful he looked even though the rest of his body was tense with the anger and frustration I knew was bottled up inside the vampire. He still looked beautiful to me, however; he still made me stare in awe at how I could possibly have caught myself not one, but two vampire lovers that were over the moon gorgeous. Sure, each had their faults; Eric was a selfish jerk half the time and Godric had a history of suicidal tendencies. But I loved them both with all of my heart, and I knew that wouldn't just cease suddenly.

I wasn't sure how long I just lay there, staring at Eric as I kept one hand grasped around Godric's. Even with them both completely dead to the world, I felt oddly comforted and safe, like nothing horrible could ever happen just as long as I was between the two. It was almost terrifying how much love I had for these two. Never in my life did I expect to ever fall in love. It just wasn't in the cards. School and my career were far more important. And now, just like that, everything had taken a backseat. Godric and Eric were my life now. And in a way, that scared me. How could someone just go from being alone, and being okay with that, to devoting an entire life to two other people?

But it wasn't just my love for Eric and Godric that scared the living daylights out of me. I had just been an ordinary girl up until six months ago, and now I was a freak at best. I was a necromancer, a term I had never even thought about until now. The supernatural world hadn't even been on my radar until I found myself at Fangtasia over Christmas break. And now it was my entire world. I had these powers that I've barely even grasped the understanding of. Every day it seemed something new was appearing. Hell, I had gotten drunk off of the dead. That just wasn't normal. It shouldn't even be possible. I shouldn't be possible. And yet I was.

"Everything is so damn messed up." I muttered, running a hand through my hair, tugging a bit too hard at the tangles my fingers met. I wished I could just make sense of it all. I wish I could snap my fingers and have Sookie out of our lives for good, my jealousy following suit. I wish I could blink and understand my necromancy, and better yet, find myself far far away from Marnie and the witches. I wish I could just learn to love Godric and Eric completely without thinking too much about it. I had always just wanted everything. Nothing seemed too far out of my reach. But now, now I didn't have control over any single part of my life, and I hated it.

"What's wrong, my love?" Godric's caring voice jolted me from my thoughts, my body melting against his as his hand slowly began to massage my upper thigh.

"Why are you awake?" I gazed over my shoulder at the eldest vampire, not expecting him to wake up this early. There were still a good couple of hours until the sunset, and even though he was an older vampire, I knew he still needed his rest. "You should be sleeping."

"I don't require as much sleep any longer." He assured, his nose nestling in my long, tangled hair. "What troubles you, my love?"

I sighed, shifting closer to the vampire, though I still kept my stare on Eric's tense back. I half expected him to wake too, but was relieved when he didn't. I knew the moment he woke up, we would be back to that tense atmosphere. At least now, as he slept, I could manage to breathe without ending up doing or saying something wrong to piss him off.

"He loves you, Savannah." Godric seemed to have guessed what was on my mind, kissing the back of my shoulder as his hand slid up to my waist and held me securely against him. "I wish you would see that as I do."

"It's just...You didn't see the way he looked at her, Godric."

Godric sighed and I knew this continuous argument between Eric and I was beginning to take a toll on the vampire stuck in the middle. He loved Eric more than I knew he would ever love me. It was a different sort of love of course, but they were bonded in a way that I would never even begin to understand. He created Eric; he made him. He was Eric's father, his brother, his closest friend. He would always have Eric's back; he would always take his side no matter what. But he was trying to keep the peace, fighting to keep what he had alive. Because as he had said in the beginning; one broken heart would destroy all of this. And I knew that was true. If one of us got hurt, we all did.

"She just vanished." he tried to explain to me. "Sookie was there one night, and gone the next. There was no trace of where she had gone. No one knew if she had left on her own will, or if she had been taken. Or worse. As the months passed, most believed her to be dead. Eric, however, refused to believe it."

"Because he loves her." a sour look crossed my face and I was glad I was facing the dead to the world vampire and not Godric at the moment.

"He did." Godric's arm tightened around me. "I won't deny that. He may never admit it, but I saw how deeply he cared for the girl."

"So I'm right then." It felt like a knife, or a thousand knives, were stabbing my heart, ripping the organ into tiny little pieces without a single ounce of remorse.

"You must realize, Savannah, that he cared for her long before you ever entered his life. Once you had...you were all that he thought about, all that he cared about." He tried to make me believe.

"Somehow I don't believe that." I muttered sadly, biting down hard on my bottom lip to keep my tears at bay. It wasn't easy to have my fears proved to be right. It wasn't easy to hear that Eric really had loved her once. Because you don't just forget about that person that you loved. I doubt Eric had loved many before her. And you never forget your first love. Ever. So where exactly did I fit in?

"You came in and out of his life so suddenly that his entire world was thrown upside down." Godric rolled me over until I was facing him. His clasped a finger under my chin so I couldn't look away. "When I first left you, after we had met, I visited him here in Shreveport. I noticed something was different with my child, something that not even I could understand. He wasn't focused. He barely even cared that I was there. All he thought about was you. All he yearned for was you. Not Sookie. You."

"Yeah, but..."

"He came for you, did he not?" he pointed out, and even though the room was nearly completely dark, his beautiful sea coloured orbs still shined.

"He also kidnapped me." I reminded.

"But he still came for you. He searched for you because he didn't want another. He only wanted you."

"That's just because I interested him. I smelt different and he couldn't figure out what I was. That's it." I shrugged.

"That's far from the truth, and you know it." Godric shook his head. "Sookie may have had his interest once, but you were his world once you entered his life."

"But Sookie is back now." I was able to pull from his grasp, rolling onto my back and glaring up at the ceiling. My hands curled into the silk sheets at my sides, my emotions rising up my throat until I could barely breathe. I hadn't bothered to try and shield from either vampire; Eric was asleep and Godric always could tell what I was feeling, even if I was nothing more than a closed book.

"It doesn't change anything." His fingertips began dragging down my side, his voice soft and soothing. He knew what I was thinking, how I was feeling. It was coursing through my veins, through the blood we shared, and into him. And in return, I could feel his reassurance. I could feel his attempt to comfort me, to soothe me into believing him. "He still loves you. He still wants you. Nothing will change that. Not even her."

"Then why do I feel this way? If that's true, then why do I feel like I'm losing him." the tears were pricking at my eyes. I tried blinking them away, but that only seemed to multiply the tears until they were blurring my vision. "Why do I feel so helpless?"

"Because you're letting yourself feel this way. You're letting your emotions get the better of you. Strike them before they can strike you first. Don't be at the mercy of them..."

I don't know why I felt a sudden flare of anger. Maybe it was because Godric was lecturing me like I was some vampire, not a human being that couldn't help the emotions that swept through her. Maybe it was because I didn't feel any ounce of support. He was telling me that his progeny was innocent, practically telling me that I was crazy for feeling this way. And maybe I was crazy. Maybe I was overacting entirely. But you know what? I was allowed to. Because I was human. I did feel emotions. I couldn't just pretend they weren't there. I would if I could, god knows that was true. But I couldn't. I was human damn it. I couldn't just flick a switch and be an emotionless shell of myself.

"I'm not a vampire, Godric." I spat, my hands tightening in the silk sheets. "I can't just turn off how I feel."

"I never..."

"Yes you did." I gritted my teeth angrily. "I can't just flick a switch and be this emotionless person for you, Godric, or for him. I feel. Sorry, but I do. I can't exactly help that."

"I wasn't trying to..." he reached out to me, but I was already shifting closer to the sleeping vampire.

Or who I thought was still sleeping.

The moment my arm just ever so slightly touched his back, it seemed to be enough to wake him from his day rest. Slowly, I could see the muscles in his back move, the once sleeping vampire waking. I groaned inwardly, and tried to quickly come up with an escape plan. I wasn't sure I wanted to be here when Eric woke completely. Especially since it was too early for him to even be awake, and was likely the sudden rush of emotions from both Godric and I that disturbed his peaceful slumber. Before I could slip from the bed however, Godric's arm fell over my waist, trapping me to the bed. I shot him a glare, squirming under his rock hard arm, trying to pry it off of me.

"We're going to talk about this, Savannah." He stared down at me with determination as Eric's form moved beside me.

"I hate you." We both know it wasn't true. Of course I didn't hate him. How could I hate either of them? They were everything to me. But at the moment, I wasn't exactly a happy camper. There was too much tension in the air, too many issues that needed to be worked through. And I just happened to be the centre of each and every one of those issues.

Godric merely offered a small knowing smile before turning his attention to his progeny. "Good evening my son."

Eric's body had begun to relax as he woke, but the moment he heard Godric's voice, his muscles tensed right back up. He must have remembered that I was there, laying between the two, and immediately heaved himself up into a sitting position, his legs thrown over the side of the king sized bed, his back still facing me. I felt the sudden urge to reach out to him, to touch him. I always felt that way when I was around him, even if we were arguing over something petty. But before my fingers could even come within distance of Eric's back, the vampire was on his feet and storming towards the bathroom.

"Eric?" his name just slipped from my lips as I tried to push myself up onto my elbows, only for Godric's arm to tighten around my waist and held me trapped on the bed.

I cringed when the bathroom door slammed shut behind the still furious Eric, sighing heavily as I lay back on the bed without a fight. Godric's arm was still firmly around me, in case I decided to suddenly leap from the bed, but he too settled back into a more relaxed position.

"Give him time, Savannah." He curled himself around my side, his free hand toying with the ends of my hair. "You know how his anger consumes him."

"But you're not telling him to switch it off." I muttered bitterly.

Godric sighed and I could begin to feel his patience lessening through our bond. "Savannah, you know I didn't mean it like that..."

"Yes you did." I grumbled, squeezing my eyes shut so I wouldn't have to look at him and feel the sting of tears in my eyes. I didn't want to cry. That would just be proving to Godric that I was too emotional. Not that it should have cared. I was human after all. We were allowed to be a bit emotional at times. If not, it would only build and build until it burst free. I had a habit of bottling away my emotions most of my life and I was tired of it. I didn't want to be jealous and angry, but I was, and I was accepting that. Why couldn't' they just accept that too?

"Savannah..."

"Oh fuck off Godric." I hissed, hitting my breaking point. I could feel the burning in my veins, the anger that was coursing through me with such vigour that I knew I would say or do something I would regret if I didn't take myself out of the equation. So I pushed and pushed at Godric's arm until he sighed, letting his arm be moved from around me. The moment I was free, I dashed off the bed and immediately began rummaging in the closet, yanking out shorts and a loose t-shirt before throwing them on.

"If you would only listen to me." Godric voiced from the bed.

"If you would only listen to me." I shot back, shooting him a glare before I grabbed my car key and stormed to the bedroom door.

"Where are you going?" I could hear him start to get off the bed.

"Out." I answered vaguely before tearing open the door and bolting out of the room.

Godric could have caught me easily. He could have grabbed me, kept me in the penthouse to talk. But he didn't. He let me hurry towards the elevator, knowing full well the moment I entered, He would have to let me go. He didn't once try and stop me as I did just that, slipping into the moving contraption and hitting the lobby button until it as abused and battered. He just stood on the other side of the doors, a look of disappointment on his face as he shook his head. I was glad when the doors slid closed, beginning the journey down to the bright and sunny lobby.

I wasn't sure what had possessed me to drive all the way to Merlotte's, but I found myself sitting in the already busy parking lot just as the sun was setting. I sighed as I glanced through the window at the bar. I could already hear the patrons, the bar just as lively as I remembered. It had been weeks since I had been here last. I had kept my distance from everything magic related when I wasn't at the coven meetings. It was difficult enough to be a part of that circle. Holly may have been a friend, and I knew she was anything but dark and evil, but I wasn't sure who or what I could run into here.

But fate had driven me here, and while a part of me knew it was a bad idea to go in there, not knowing who could be in there, I knew it would be a waste to just drive all the way back to Shreveport after only just getting here. Marnie had never shown her face at Merlotte's in the weeks I had come here to spend time with Holly; why would she start now?

"Because that's how my life is going lately." I muttered to myself before shaking my head and running a hand through my hair. I looked at my appearance quickly in the rear view mirror and cringed. I looked like shit. There were dark circles under my eyes and I looked nearly as pale as a vampire. I lived in Louisiana my entire life; my complexion had naturally been darkened by the sun at an early age. But now, it looked like I had lived up north in Alaska, not in the warm, sunny south. And I blamed the witches for that. No, I blamed Marnie for that. It wasn't the other witches fault. They didn't know, not for sure, what Marnie was dabbling into. They were just going along for the ride, enjoying the adventure as it progressed. Half of them barely even had an ounce of magic inside of them and were just purely there for fun or to rebel against society. I was sure if they knew what I was, or what Marnie had them all doing, half of them would be running to the hills screaming bloody murder. And I wouldn't blame them one bit. Because I wanted to do the exact same thing.

"Fucking Bill Compton." I grumbled with a frown, forcing the car door open and climbing out. I slammed the door shut, wishing it was Bill's head I was slamming the door into instead. This was all his doing. Sure, at one point, I had wanted to do this. I had it in my head that learning more about the magic that I had and infiltrating the witches was a good idea. Yeah, I was an idiot for thinking that. I hadn't really experienced what I, or magic in general, was capable of. Now I wanted to get the hell away from it all. And fast.

But oh no, the stupid vampire king of Louisiana was ruining all of our lives.

"Ass-hat." I cursed before trying to shake all thoughts of Bill Compton away. I didn't need to be wasting a single thought on that selfish prick.

I shook out my shoulders, relaxing myself as best as I could, and began towards the bar. A drink would be helpful. That was what I certainly needed right now. Maybe two. Or three. Or hell, the whole damn vodka bottle would be fantastic right about now.

"Well isn't this a nice surprise." The always cheerful voice of Sam Merlotte greeted me as I walked through the door of the bar.

I couldn't help but smile as I flashed a look at the blonde owner. He looked the same as he had the last time I had been here, just as charming and flirtatious as ever. And I didn't mind one bit. I needed to get my mind off of everything, and a friendly, cheerful face was exactly what I needed right about now.

"Hey Sam." I grinned at the man as I ignored the intrigued look some of the locals that hadn't seen me before were giving me. I slid onto the bar stool closest to where the man was leaning against the bar, a forgotten half filled pitcher of beer in his hands. "How's it going?"

"Not bad." His smile widened, his eyes brightening as he set the pitcher down despite the cries from one of the tables not too far away. "It's been awhile; where have you been hiding yourself?"

"I like to make people long for me." I teased. "And it hasn't been that long."

"Long enough. I almost forgot how beautiful you were." his eyes swept over me for a brief moment before landing back on my face. "Still taken?"

"Unfortunately for you." I nodded with a laugh; the first laugh in far too long. "But don't worry; you get the pleasure of my presence tonight."

"I'm honoured." He mocked a bow of gratitude, winking at me as he straightened. "What can I get ya? It's on the house."

"I can pay." I insisted.

"Wouldn't dream of taking your money." He rolled his eyes. "Anything you want."

"Well in that case." I rested my arms on the bar top. "A beer, and keep them coming."

"That I can do." his grin ran from one ear to the next as he fished me out a cold bottle of beer and slid it in front of me. "I think Holly is in the back; her shift just ended. Want me to grab her for you?"

"If you wouldn't mind." I nodded, taking a sip of the beer and sighing in content. It wasn't strong; beer didn't affect me like harder liquor did. But it was enough of a stress reliever. "I was hoping to talk with her."

"Not a problem." He waved to get the attention of one of the waitresses running around the bar like a chicken with her head cut off. "I'll just be in the back, Arlene. Make sure Savannah here gets anything she wants."

"I only have two hands, Sam." Arlene shot Sam a nasty look. "How many times do I have to tell you? We need more waitresses!"

"It's not my fault they all go missing or wind up dead." Sam held his hands up in defence.

Arlene just raised an eyebrow at the man before shaking her head, muttering under her breath as she hurried over to serve a customer. I chuckled to myself as Sam flashed me one last smile before slipping into the back, giving me a moment alone with my beer. I took another swig, and within minutes, the bottle was empty. I didn't want to bother the obviously overstressed server, and instead just sat there, gazing around at the rest of the bar. It was just about full, which wasn't a surprise for a Friday night. The dinner hour rush was just beginning to morph into the drunken, rowdy state I knew it would be soon enough.

I was pulled from my thoughts of what the night could possibly bring by a sudden screech, nearly making me jump out of my skin. My eyebrows shot up into my hairline as I glanced over my shoulder to the bottled red head, another screech sounding from her brightly painted lips as she bounded over to a form who had just wandered in. I couldn't get a good look except for a lock of blonde hair as Arlene nearly crushed them with a hug.

"We all thought you were dead!" Arlene put the blonde at arm's length, and with a small twist on the stool, I was finally able to make out who Arlene had just about attacked.

My face paled.

The blood just drained right out of my face.

My stomach churned and I felt a weight on my heart.

Why of course I would have to be enjoying a beer in the same bar that fucking Sookie would just happen to waltz into.

That was my luck, wasn't it?

I groaned inwardly, turning back around so I wouldn't have to look at the blonde that I had a longing desire to strangle with my bare hands. We had never met face to face, and I never wanted to actually meet her. I was fine knowing her from a distance. I fine hated her without actually knowing her. I knew enough. I knew she was the apple of Eric's eye, that he cared for her. I didn't need to know anything else. But I was an idiot. I had been so lost in thought with everything else going on that I hadn't thought straight. Merlotte's was where everyone in this small little town gravitated towards; of course Sookie would show her face here now that she was back.

Stupid stupid me.

I could slip out, of course, but then I would feel bad for not saying goodbye to Sam. And I didn't exactly want to go back to Shreveport. Considering it was getting darker out, I knew I would have to face Eric and Godric if I went back to the city. I was essentially stuck between a rock and a hard place and I hated it. Either I faced my vampires, who I desperately just needed time away from, or I could sit here and listen to whatever garbage would come out of Sookie's mouth. Neither sounded appealing.

"Where in the blue hell have you been, girl?" another voice, the familiar Merlotte's cook Lafayette coming out from the kitchen to greet the blonde. "We all thought your sexy little ass was dead."

"Well I'm not." Sookie insisted, her southern accent thick. It almost made me want to puke. "But I'm here now."

"You had us worried sick." Arlene scolded her, and I had a feeling she was a mother. I knew that worried mothering tone all too well.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be gone for so long."

"Where the fuck were you, anyways?" Lafayette questioned, and I couldn't help but find myself interested in their conversation. Where had she been all this time, anyways? Eric had been surprised at her sudden return, almost as if she had returned from the dead. I turned my head just slightly to the side to listen in without being too obvious. "And why the hell didn't you call?"

"Just vampire business." Sookie answered vaguely, her answer causing me to frown. Vampire business? I may not have known her at all, but there was the slightest waver I caught in her tone that I was sure no one else had. Maybe it was just my spidey sense tingling; after all, I had studied journalism for four years at Yale. It was my job to know when someone was lying, when someone was spinning the truth.

"You need to be careful, Sookie. Look what those fangers have already done to you." There was a disproving tone in Arlene's voice. "You need to steer clear of them vampires."

"I know, Arlene. I have every intention to do just that, believe me."

"Good. Then you can start picking up the slack. It's been hell around here with only Holly and I and that fanger. We're running around here with our heads cut off and Sam refuses to hire another girl. My feet hurt, my fingers are swollen, and mommy can't get any sleep with Mikey up at all hours of the night."

I drifted from their conversation as Sookie gushed over who I assumed to be Arlene's recent addition to the family, and dwelled on where Sookie could have possibly been during the past year. Wherever she had been, neither Bill nor Eric, or really anyone, knew if she had even been alive. From the sounds of it, she had just disappeared off the face of the planet without a single trace. And now, so suddenly, she was back as if she had never left. So what in the world happened? Where had she been? And why was she lying to everyone? Did Eric know the truth? And if he did, would he even bother to say anything?

"I think my eyes are deceiving me." Sam's surprised voice caught my attention. I shot the man a side glance as he walked out from the back and came to a screeching stop at the sight of Sookie. His eyes were wide, but cautious as he gave her a quick onceover. "You actually are alive."

"Hi Sam." Sookie greeted timidly, and as I spied her face, I found a look of guilt passing over her dark coloured eyes. "I'm sorry I just up and left without any warning."

"It's fine." Sam crossed his arms, his lips pursing together. I didn't know him well enough to decipher his body language, but even the blind would be able to tell he wasn't exactly thrilled with Sookie. "Did I hear you tell Arlene that you were on vampire business?"

Sookie nodded, her expression carefully masked. "Maybe one day I could tell you about it."

"Just tell me this; was it Bill you were doing all of this for? Or was it Eric this time?" he questioned bitterly, and I was beginning to get the idea that there might have been some history there between them.

"You know I can't tell you that, Sam."

"Yeah yeah." Sam rolled his eyes before walking behind the bar with a stomp to his step. I nearly fell off the bar stool when he slammed another beer bottle down in front of me, whisking away the empty one before I could even blink. I carefully took the bottle, nursing the cold beer as I eyed the man closely. He was fuming silently, and I just knew that he was going to burst at any moment.

"I'm sorry Sam, I really am." Sookie apologized. "I know I don't have the right to ask, but if you haven't already filled my position, I was wondering if I could have my old job back."

Sam didn't answer right away. He just wiped the bar down angrily, gritting his teeth together. Sookie moved closer to the bar, only a single bar stool now sitting between Sookie and I. My knees were bouncing up and down as I stared down hard at the bar top, trying to keep my thoughts to myself. I felt a brief gaze on me, one that wasn't coming from Sam, but it was gone just as quick as it had appeared.

"Fine, but part time." Sam finally sighed, throwing down the rag and crossing his arms tightly across his chest. "Holly and Arlene have kids, they need the hours."

"Of course. Thank you." Sookie offered the owner a smile.

Sam didn't return it and instead just shrugged. "You can start now. Jessica won't be here for another hour and Holly's shift just ended. There should be an extra uniform in the back. Unless of course you have more vampire business to run off to."

"I'm done with all of that, Sam, I am."

"I'll believe it when I see it." he muttered with a shake of his head, waving his hand towards the back. "Go on, Arlene is working herself into a frenzy. She could use the help."

Sookie just nodded, smiling one last time at Sam before hurrying into the back. I couldn't help the dirty look I threw at her back before straining to maintain a masked expression. It was easy enough to master when I heard the long sigh from Sam, his tense shoulders slumping forward as he leaned against the bar.

"Want a beer. It's on the house apparently." I offered Sam, pushing the bottle towards the blonde.

He didn't even respond, taking the bottle and tipping it back. I watched with a raised eyebrow as he chugged the entire bottle before slamming it down onto the bar. I jumped, watching as he pulled out yet another bottle and pushed it towards me before stalking off without uttering another word. I shook my head, taking a sip of the beer.

Wherever Sookie had been, whether it had been for vampire business or not, she was certainly shaking up more than just my life.