Writer's block happens to the best of us and I am not immune. Hope you enjoy I can see this turning into something longer….don't want to though, but idk …. It's like the story has a mind of its own.

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Lafayette sauntered down the stairs with half opened eyes. A fluffy pink robe with a black scarf wrapped around his head he took his time. Pinching the bridge of his nose he stopped in his tracks startled by the figure sitting in a chair thumbing through a book.

"What the hell hookah!" he screamed pressing his hands to his chest. His heart pounded from shock.

Thornton's head rose slowly and a smile formed.

"Hey cuz," she stood returning the book to the shelf she took it from.

"What are you doing here?"

"Family can't come and visit?"

"No," Lafayette glared. Tightening his sash he took a deliberate turn rolling his eyes as he headed into the kitchen.

Thornton followed him inside sitting at the table as he prepared himself a cup of coffee.

"What you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"And?"

"What else could I want?"

"My soul."

"I don't do that anymore," Thornton shrugged admiring the stainless steel décor. It was clean and modern. However nice it was it didn't fit her flamboyant cousin.

"The hell you don't. I hears things stories and what not, I knows what kind of shit you been into lately and I don't want no part of it."

"I hear things too," the dark immortal drummed her fingers on the tabletop. "Like you've shacked up with a vampire. He cute?"

"She's aight if you're into sexy, blonde, and dangerous," his eyes narrowed. He rested a hand on his hip as he waited for his coffee to brew. The edge of the counter bit into his lower back, but it was comfortable pain that kept him alert.

"She sounds fun," Thornton smirked.

Lafayette pursed his lips, the move had more of an affect with lip gloss making the full lips glisten. The last time he saw his cousin she was trying to get him to bargain his soul for some trinket with a high price on the black market. A human soul meant a lot to patrons of the dark arts. Though, he cared too much about his to agree to the terms for his cousin's sake, not when he thought Sookie was a foolish reason to stay alive. His cousin had long ago fallen into the dark intrigues. She was beyond praying for if he were inclined to pray.

Since she found the jewel that granted her immortality there wasn't a mission she wouldn't endeavor. She walked into the mouth of danger. It didn't matter if she came out bloodied and broken her body healed quickly now, the treasure mattered. And there was always someone wanting something that didn't belong to them.

"She'd eat you alive," he poured two cups of coffee.

"I think I should decide that for myself. Where is she?"

"She went for a jog where the fuck you think she at eight o' clock in the morning," put both cups on the table. When it didn't look like he was going to slide the second to her Thornton pulled it to her.

"How have you been?"

"I was doing good. But, shit is still unclear why your ass here."

"I heard you were doing well and I just wanted to stop by," she shrugged.

He put his cup down unconvinced and his face showed as much. "You came all the way to London for me?"

"No. I didn't see any harm in stopping by to visit," Thornton sipped the hot liquid. "You are my one and only cousin. We're the only family either one of us gives a damn about."

"Tara have you ever heard the term burned bridges?" the partial club owner asked sardonically.

She tilted her head, "you're that mad at me huh?" Lafayette never used her first name unless he was upset with her. She wasn't fond of the name and never had been. It wasn't until she found the amulet that she decided to reinvent herself. That had been almost thirty years ago. Lafayette, as a vampire's kept man, didn't look any older than when she last saw her cousin before she went off on a labor of love.

She held her hands up in surrender, "I may have heard from a source that your employer might be in possession of a diary by a vampire named Godric."

Lafayette heard Pam mentioned the name before, "doesn't ring a bell," the man across from her drank coolly.

Thornton shrugged, "yea," she made a show of examining the pristine surroundings. She drummed her palms good naturedly on the table. "Great coffee," she pointed toward the still full cup. "I should get going. Where did you say you worked again?"

"I didn't," her cousin answered dryly.

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Pam sat on a statue plucking at her nails impatiently. She looked at her watch, but the thief was already late. She hated to be kept waiting. She pushed her hair behind her ear. Tonight she dressed the part. On the night she met Thornton she had been unprepared, fortunately, she hadn't brought up any questions about her wardrobe.

She wore a knit sweater and matching skirt both light pink with pastel pink pumps with a black tip to. She wore the same dark overcoat from last night. She smelled the thief. She had been watching her for some time. Pam made it a point to nod toward everyone that left the building as if she knew them well enough to speak to them. Blowing out an irritated breath that wasn't entirely a charade, she started toward the street ready to hail a taxi.

Pam could smell her getting closer.

"Lady librarian," Thornton greeted catching up to her in a light jog.

Pam turned plastering on a pout, "Thornton."

The tone made the thief smile. It seemed her gift to piss people off, if only she could care enough to stop. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"It doesn't matter I was just leaving."

"I thought we had a date," the thief rushed following behind the woman as she started walking on the sidewalk.

Pam turned to the darker woman, shorter than her in heels. "What kind of women have you dated that are ok with you being a half an hour late?"

"No woman is ever fine with that until I put on the charm."

"I'm not charmed."

"But, you're still talking to me."

"Not anymore," she began walking in earnest. This is what Sophie would do right Pam thought to herself. No self respecting woman would subject herself to the whim of someone who cared so little about being on time for a date.

Thornton's smile faltered a little until she beamed from the challenge. "How can I make it up to you?"

She eyed her surroundings when the faux librarian didn't offer. "I have a good excuse if you'd like to hear it," she decided that a half truth might be perceived as endearing. Then she went on to explain that she had arrived twenty minutes before she was supposed to meet the blond outside of the library. She described her palms had become sweaty from nervousness. And how suddenly she felt light headed as she watched the blond step outside and sit, Thornton had got as far as the door of the café across the street then she stopped just to watch. It was at first to take her in and admire her. And then her thoughts ran rampant. Suddenly she wasn't sure that the date was such a good idea. But, when she saw her hail for a taxi Thornton was brought into the present.

"The blond hair gets people, but I'm not dumb."

"I know," Thornton agreed seriously, and then she pointed to Pam's face, "it's the glasses. All smart people wear them," she said as a matter of fact. "And if they don't then they're definitely not as smart as you."

Pam hadn't been expecting it. The sober delivery kicked something Pam hadn't felt in a long time. It felt like amusement. Startled at first she got out of character struggling to return by pushing up said glasses. Sophie would smile, so that's what Pam did, briefly.

"I saw that."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"Speaking of," she pulled at the ring on her finger and Thornton stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"Returning your ring," she answered because it had been obvious enough for Thornton to stop her.

"Oh honey, I'll change," she said in mock panic, "I'll go to counseling, I'll wash the dishes," she rushed out more domestic chores the thief usually put off. A small crowd formed around the women as Thornton got on her knees holding the same hand that held the ring. "I will never watch tv and act like I'm ignoring you again. As soon as we get home I'll throw it out. All fifty five inches of it….for you," she stated dramatically.

A woman passing with a light blue scarf wrapped around her neck twice pat Pam on the shoulder lightly, "take it honey. The offers don't get any better than that."

Pam watched her leave with a bag swinging. She didn't see the name on the bag. It was a habit of hers to seek out names on passing shopping bags. Her habit, for a while, was broken by an incredibly surprisingly sweet distraction. Sophie would play along, so Pam did.

"And what about Mr. Perkins?"

Thornton's eyebrows hiked from confusion.

"Mr. Perkins is…." the thief trailed off waiting to be saved. Her knee was beginning to hurt on the hard surface of the walk.

"The dog that we never got because you were allergic."

"I'd break out in hives for you," Thornton replied weakly.

"Or you could take a shot."

"Like a needle type shot?"

"Yes."

She paused and Pam pulled her hand away from the long pause, but Thornton tugged on it harder, "anything you want."

"I want dinner," she tugged at the arm pulling the woman toward her.

Thornton kept her hands locked around the paler hand when they started down the walk again with a slight applause behind them.

"You're a piece of work," Thornton complimented.

"What does that make you?"

"Wrong question, you should be asking me what does that make tonight," she swung their hands like she saw a couple do earlier today before she visited Lafayette. At first sight the motion annoyed her, but holding Sophie's hand she understood how hypnotically pleasant it was. She didn't dislike that couple so much now.

"What does it make tonight?"

"Our canvas," the thief helped.

"Is cheesy a part of the charm?"

"Only if it's working," Thornton turned them left. "I do a mean strong, dark, and silent." She immediately stopped talking and pursed her lips for dramatic effect adopting a deliberate walk Pam eyed with a raised brow.

"And women go for that?"

"You say women as if there are hundreds," Thornton disregarded her silence seeking explanation.

Pam shrugged. It seemed like a question Sophie would ask. Sensible women never leaped and then looked. Thornton owned a carefree air. Her cologne while pleasant didn't mask the scent of danger wafting off her in waves. Danger might excite Sophie, but not enough to blind her to the potential for disaster Pam reasoned. She didn't analyze why it was important to be true to Sophie, it just felt right.

"Are there?"

Thornton looked as if she were counting in her head, "maybe a even hundred. I wouldn't say hundreds," she stressed the last part. Smiling when Pam tugged on her arm.

The night before in the cab she shared a truth that very few were aware of. Thornton was a hopeless romantic. She didn't write poems, or make plans to meet at the empire state building with strangers she found fascinating. No, she gave up her life to be with a woman that didn't want to be with her in hopes of winning her back.

Bill had been a gentleman. He saw the human was hurting from love that was returned several undisclosed events took place that created a civil relationship between the two. Pam had almost been caught when Thornton asked her how she knew she was breaking in. The librarian blew it off as watching enough true crime specials to identify suspect situations. The dark haired woman seemed satisfied with the answer and offered to finish the story tonight over dinner. Now, they were under the moon taking in the sights and sounds of the city hand in hand as if they were a real couple.

"You're hands are always cold," Thornton rubbed them to warm them.

Pam rejoined easily, "you don't know me well enough to say always. Come to think of it you don't look like the type to stay around long enough to use the word at all."

Thornton laughed, "where's the sign on my forehead that says temporary. I could be very permanent." She picked up the hand with the ring.

"Until you find someone else that tickles your fancy."

"T….tickles my….w," Thornton looked appalled as if she'd just been offended. "I don't know what kind of woman you think I am, but we can end this date right now if you think any tickling will get done tonight."

Pam wasn't sure if Sophie had taken over or if she was genuinely amused. Either way she laughed. It wasn't a head back gut busting laughter. It was a delicate laughter that disarmed the jokester responsible because up until now Sophie had been reserved with her laughter.

"I like that."

Pam looked away when she realized how much fun she was having. "Where are we going."

"How about a movie?" Suddenly the thief had the urge to regroup in a dark place with a big enough distraction for both of them to forget how easy it was to be around the other. Thornton hadn't felt this way in a long time. She liked it, and it scared her, but Sophie seemed to think the idea was just as good and agreed.