A/N: Thanks again to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed. One quick note though there's a part towards the end where the font changes, that's on purpose it's a flashback, usually I would do italics but since that's what I do for all the telepathy stuff I didn't want to confuse anyone, I hope it doesn't look too bad or awkward. Also I'm sorry for a longer wait than usual for this chapter but I hope you guys enjoy it!

Taking Time

"Okay close your eyes, now build a house in your mind. Put all your memories in it and close the door." He makes sure to keep most of his own shields up but allows for his own mind to skim hers. He can see large white walls come to life, they're structure is nice just plain, but they're quivering with instability. She manages to create four walls stuck tight together and though it has no windows or doors it's a great start. She tries to add a roof and it's only then that the structure gives in and with a load groan the walls collapse becoming dust in her mind.

"I'm a failure." She groans as she falls back onto the grass. They were sitting across from each other in what she deemed "criss-cross applesauce" style, in clearing that was full of mostly weeds and some sparse grass. I'll never be able to do this. It will never work.

These thoughts assault his mind but he's quick to completely close off his own mind.

"It's okay Sookie, no one gets it the first time."

"Not even you?" She asks doubtfully.

"Especially not me, my father had to work with me constantly for a while before I really learned how to close off my mind." He doesn't tell her that it's because he found it useless, wasn't the community closer because there was no secrets? He had been a foolish child then not caring for the privacy that this girl yearned for.

"The sun's lower." They had started earlier in the day when she could feel the most of the rays, he had hoped it would comfort and give her strength.

"Yes it takes a lot of time right now for you to build the walls but once you figure it out it will feel more natural." He knew how astonishing it was when you get lost in your own mind how easy it is for time to fly as one works on controlling their power, hours become seconds.

"I'm tired."

"That's a side effect too, it wont always be like this." He remembers how exhausted he would become after working on building mental shields and he was a full fairy, he can't imagine how her small human body can handle it.

"Tell me a story?" She's still laying down and her eyes are closed,

"What kind?"

"The scary kind, you know where you talk about the vampires." He had taken to telling her about fairies and vampires, and though she thought they were all fiction he was sure that this would allow for her to be more prepared for the future.

"Okay, let's see I already told you about the bleeds, and silver…" He doesn't talk about blood lust, how your throat burns for blood and even once your full it doesn't last long, a couple of days if your lucky, and the hunger is back.

"Oh and about the fangs." She bares her own teeth in mocking and he laughs, despite his dark thoughts he can never stay glum for long when she's around, she's young and childish but he loves her. Loves that she's felt a lot of rejection from others and still hasn't closed herself off, loves that she's so bright and positive even after losing her parents, and most importantly he loves that she still has time, time to be normal, time to enjoy her childhood. He wasn't too late to save that for her.

"Right, what about the sun?" Even as she asks she stretches her arms up as if it inviting the rays to invade her.

"The sun?"

"Does it kill them? You know like Dracula." For a moment he's lost and all he can see is Lilith's burning figure, the smoke from her body filling the cave her screeches were so demonic he was sure even vampires would have fled. He was her progeny and so he had felt the anguish and betrayal his action had caused her, and he had reveled in it. Just as quickly as the image comes it goes.

"Yes, but not instantly… it burns them and makes them into… goop." Or it's supposed to if he was normal ,if he was just a vampire, he would be dead right now.

"Goop?" She laughs like she can't believe how silly he is. "Well that's good."

"Is it?"

"That means we're safe here." She smiles and he wonders how much she'll hate him later for what he is.

"Yes we are." For now, everything is sunshine and games and though her life is still tinted with grief over her parents he knows she's strong enough to move on.

"It's summer! Summer!" She's dancing around the field and her excitement is contagious. He had just saw her a minute ago racing with Jason towards the farm house, she lost but that didn't dampen her spirit as she dumped her bag in her room before rushing outside and heading straight to the woods.

He finds himself laughing along and agreeing to play tag, he doesn't even cheat. Much. Sometimes he can't help it, especially when she squeals with delight when she finds him in front of her when only moments ago he was behind. Her laughter is pure light as she stumbles and turns the other way to get away. It's so easy to forget in these moments, forget the darkness that always seems to simmer just beneath his skin, forget how fast her blood is pumping in her veins, forget just how good she smells. Before he's pulled too far under he hears her, "Ha ha can't catch me!", and once again it's no challenge as his light easily pushes the darkness down.

"It's my birthday!" She declares as she twirls about in some pink pouf of a dress complete with a plastic tiara in her hair.

"I can see that." He smiles down at her, she was eight already, had he been here that long? When he first came he had assumed the longest would be a week maybe two, it had been months. Still Sookie's shields were getting better everyday but were not where he thought they should be.

"Did you buy me a present?" Her cheeks are pink and he's sure she's chastising herself even as she asks. But he's glad she does, he wants her to see him as someone who can and should give her gifts.

"Umm…" Her face falls and he grins. 'Of course I did." He pulls out the small box from his pocket. She was so young it was hard to find something he found suitable not only for her age but their relationship. He had even ventured into the mall from the nearest city. He shudders remembering that encounter, humans didn't affect him as much as they did to normal vampires so blending in wasn't difficult. Plus that whole I can walk in the sun helps too. Still it had not been pleasant.

"Would you like some help?" The sales woman asks smiling too brightly at him.

"Yes?" He only accepts because he had been staring at the same rack for the last fifteen minutes and still had no clue what to do. Everything was so pink in here, that had been initially what had drawn him in here, that and other girls similar to Sookie's age dragging their mom's into the store. Once inside he found himself in a maze of hot pinks, purples, and blue, there was so much color everywhere.

"Let me guess looking for a gift?" She smiled knowingly like she frequently found lost males in this store.

"Yes, for my…" Intended she's turning eight and I want to show her how much I care. What says you're too young now but when you're older I can't wait to marry you and spend eternity together? He doesn't think that will go over well. "Friend's daughter?" It's not a good cover but she buys it anyway.

"Great, let me show you some of our store favorites!" She leads him to a glass cabinet that he's sure holds the store's priciest items. It takes a while but soon he finds something that he likes and thinks is age appropriate.

"Yay!" She excitedly holds out her hand and he places the pink box in it. As she opens it her eyes get wide and she grins. "It's a bracelet."

"A charms bracelet." He points out, as she takes it out and studies. "I hope you like it." It's a simple silver bracelet with only three charms hanging off: a tree, wings and a half moon with stars adjacent. Though the images are gold the backing is silver, she won't understand their meaning yet but he hopes one day she will.

"I've never gotten anything so nice." She's touching in delicately as if she's afraid to break it.

"You deserve it." She clasps it on herself and twists her wrists as it jingles she smiles up at him.

"You're the best." She hugs him and he's happy that he can make her smile like that. He hopes she'll always think of him as the best.

"Don't worry about how neat it looks." He's coaching her again and as they sit across from each other he can feel her trying to concentrate harder.

"It's not a hut!" She cries indignantly, he bites the inside of his cheek to hold back the laugh, she would get mad if he made her house tumble. She was a firecracker when she was annoyed, it was adorable. They sit there for what feels like only a few more moments but it is probably at least another twenty minutes before her eyes open. "It's done!" He tries to enter her mind but she holds steady even if her eyes are open, when he enters her mind all he can see is the white farm house an exact replica of her grandmother's house.

"Knock knock, anybody home?" She doesn't even crack a smile, he knows she's done it. He searches her mind delicately with his and doesn't find a crack and the walls look as sturdy as can be. "Good job. How long have you been able to hold it up?"

"Most of the day sometimes, it's just hard to build it." It does take her a long time to assemble and take down her walls willingly, but at her age and the amount of time he's been teaching her she's done wonders.

"Just remember to breathe, it's not a race." She was in such a hurry to perfect her shields despite the fact that he assured her she would be fine by the time she went back to school. He wished he could tell her it was okay because they had all the time in the world.

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think!