"I don't like it."

Quinn's words came as no surprise. I knew he wouldn't like the plan. If anything, I was surprised he'd managed to stay silent for this long before voicing an objection.

We were walking along the edge of my property, in and out of the tree line. Quinn had suggested it, but I could see the real reason was that he wanted to check there were no fresh scents on the property after Bill's recent visit.

I wasn't worried about Bill, but it was as good an opportunity as any to talk to Quinn without the risk of Amelia interrupting us. So I'd tamped down my irritation and agreed.

In the privacy of the woods I'd outlined the whole messy ordeal. Going to New Orleans, staying in the same accommodation as Eric, giving the impression that Eric and I were content with our blood bond. He'd listened stoically.

"I don't much like it either." I kept my head high as I spoke, channeling Gran when she was confronted with a problem. She'd always faced it head on. "But it's what I've decided to do. And, for your part, I don't need you to like it. I just ask that you accept it."

He didn't respond right away, he just walked along, his eyes on the old animal trail we were following. The wildflowers that we often got at this time of year were scattered through the woods. Golden coneflowers and swamp sunflowers, with splashes of purple from tall ironweeds. From here, the house was only visible as the occasional flash of white through the trees.

Finally, he stopped and turned to me.

"Just tell me, why exactly are you doing this?"

"I'm all out of options," I spread my hands, my fingers splayed. "Eric did me a favour by interfering that night, but it might all be for nothing if I don't go to this stupid wedding and play along. Believe me, I don't want to go anywhere near Andre. I still have nightmares about that night."

Quinn's eyebrows raised at this. "About Rhodes?"

I mentally kicked myself, why had I brought that up? The last thing I wanted to do was get side-tracked about Rhodes. I waved away his comment. "It doesn't matter."

"I wish I'd killed him. You shouldn't have stopped me."

I started walking again, ducking slightly to make sure I avoided a spider's web that was strung across the trail. "You're probably right about that, but it's too late now."

Quinn didn't respond. I turned back to see he hadn't followed me. He was panting, his chest moving up and down. His eyes had taken on a mottled yellow colour. I could see the skin on his hands was rippling.

I froze, waiting and watching. It was never a good idea to run from a supe when they were amped up like this, and right now, it was easy to remember that my boyfriend was not human.

"Quinn—"

My words were cut off, drowned out by Quinn as he roared to the sky. There was a flap of wings and surprised screeching from somewhere nearby as a flock of birds were startled by the inhuman cry.

In a flash of movement he swiped at a nearby tree, leaving deep claw marks in the trunk. His hands had transformed into wide, rippling paws. Quinn wasn't looking at me. I had a feeling I didn't want him to right now.

I waited, watching, as his panting gradually slowed. His paws seemed to pale. Before my eyes his paws rippled and shifted into a velvetlike skin then back to pale fur. Finally, they appeared more hand-like than paw-like, although the skin was still shifting curiously.

I brushed against his mind. He wasn't exactly calm, but he was in control. Slowly, I walked back down the path until I stood before him.

"Are you okay?"

When he spoke his voice was gruff. "I hate that I can't protect you."

You think I'd be used to the protective and possessive supe thing by now, but it still got on my nerves. Just this once I decided to keep that fact to myself.

"Just assume for a second that I'm right to trust Eric. Then what do you think of the plan?"

He looked down at the ground as if he'd find the answer in the dirt. A muscle in his neck pulsed. I knew he was sorting through my predicament, considering the different options. If he had a better idea then I was all ears.

"If you go against the Queen's orders now, when her reign is so vulnerable, it could mean that she acts rashly to keep you close. Or loses her temper entirely," he said finally.

He didn't need to spell out what that meant. When vampires lost their temper things went south quick.

"It's not a good plan, but it might be your best option."

"That's what I figured," I said, glad he'd come to the same conclusion. "I know you don't trust Eric, but I do. And it's my life, so I get to be the one who decides what I do with it."

Quinn nodded. He had resigned himself to the plan, I could see that clear as day. "I hate how tangled up you are with vamps."

"So do I."

And I meant it. I hated Andre's fixation on me, the Queen's fascination with me, the bond. Even Bill's creeping presence was something I resented: a reminder of his betrayal, of my failure. I wanted nothing more than to leave their world behind.

And as for Quinn, he'd made it clear that the vampires' presence in my life was something he resented. I couldn't blame him one bit for that. Everyone in my life had shown resentment or frustration at one point about my involvement with vampires. And since Quinn and I had started seeing each other, I'd only gotten more tied up with them.

"I know this bond isn't what you signed up for when we started dating. If you don't want to deal with it anymore, I'd understand."

"I'm not going to cut and run on you," he gave me a grim smile. "We've got too much potential for that." His words were far from a profession of love, but they were honest, and I appreciated that. "But if you go through with this then I need you to promise me something."

I looked up at his dark eyes. They were yet to return to their deep pansy colour. Instead they were a muddy brown, the bottom part of his right eye was a mottled honey colour. Something uncomfortable shifted in my stomach.

"Promise me that when you get back we'll find a way to loosen their hold on you."

I only hesitated a moment before I nodded. "Okay."

"I'm serious, babe. You can't keep living like this. And the first step will be finding out a way to get rid of the bond, no matter the cost."

He was right, I knew he was right.

"I mean it too. When I get back, I'll figure out how to get rid of the bond."

Quinn nodded, satisfied and reached for my hand. I swear I could feel a thin dusting of fur on the back of his hand.

It was a little cooler that night, and I opted for flanellette pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt instead of my fancy new nightdress. Quinn had initially come out barechested, but I'd shooed him back to the bedroom with firm instructions to get comfy. Tonight, Quinn was getting treated to a night in Sookie-Stackhouse-style.

For dinner we had tinned tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. I had a hit of nostalgia while we ate it in front of the tv, the melted cheese oozing out between the buttery bread.

"This was one of my favourites when I was little," I said as I finished mopping up the soup with the last bit of grilled cheese. "Grilled cheese and tomato soup in front of the tv, it felt like such a treat. Gran only let me do it on special occasions. She said it was a treat food."

Quinn made a sound in his throat that sounded a bit like a laugh as he stood. "Want a coke?"

"I'm good." I popped the last bit of grilled cheese in my mouth, my eyes on the tv.

There wasn't much on tonight. We'd ended up settling on a cop show. It centred around two detectives: one vampire and one human. The female human detective was in her fifties and begrudgingly accommodating her new immortal colleague, although she liked making quips about his age.

As all these new shows went, the vampire was gorgeous. There were rumours the actor that played him had asked to be turned shortly after vampires came out of the coffin to help him get more interesting roles. I tried not to speculate, but it made you wonder.

Despite myself, I found I quite enjoyed it. It was a little predictable, but the pair had great chemistry and the show didn't take itself too seriously like some of the other new vamp shows. The episode wrapped up predictably enough: it was the husband who killed the young woman, with their own kitchen knife no less. As the closing credits played I cleared up our plates and bowls and took them out to the kitchen, passing Quinn on the way.

I returned to find Quinn on the couch, his phone in his hand and a serious look on his face.

"Is everything okay?"

He looked up at me. "It's mom. I've been waiting to hear back from her after the full moon. Her turning doesn't always go so smoothly these days."

Some girlfriend I was; I hadn't even thought to ask. He took a sip from his coke and put it on the coffee table, his eyes were glued to his phone as he started typing out a response.

Tonight had felt a little awkward so far. We weren't fighting exactly, but I couldn't help but feel that things were getting well and truly complicated. I wished I could wave a magic wand and make things easy again. I lingered in the doorway, waiting for him to send his message before I spoke.

"How's she doing?"

"She says she's alright. Seems like the shift did her good." His brow furrowed. "They're pretty strict on letting the residents shift, so the full moon is about the only time she gets to change these days."

"How do they manage that? What if someone sees them?" I moved into the room, sitting in the armchair across from him.

Momma Quinn was in a home for mentally infirm supes out in Nevada. I couldn't imagine how I'd go about the task of wrangling a bunch of elderly weres up for a full moon excursion.

"They take them over the border to Death Valley. It's not great for hunting as a tiger, not enough grass to hide in, but it's better than nothing."

Despite the fact his mother was a were-tiger, Quinn still faced the same problems so many humans did. Worrying about his older mother in a home.

"Is Frannie back with her?"

"She is, but she's been busy with her job to make up for the missed work." Quinn rubbed his palm over his head. I could tell he was worried about them.

"Why don't you go visit while I'm away?"

He looked over at me, surprised.

The more I thought about it, the better the idea seemed to be. I sat up a bit straighter. "You can check up on them. If you fly out from Shreveport it shouldn't take too long to get there, right?"

"That's not a bad idea. I'll be further away from you, though. If something happens, I might not be able to get there as quickly."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," I said firmly.

Quinn made a non-committal sound in the back of his throat, but I could see he was going to do it. I smiled at him, pleased with the turn of events.

The thing was, I'd been feeling guilty about leaving Quinn in Bon Temps while I went off to New Orleans. Gran would box my ears for leaving a guest alone like that. This would circumvent that problem entirely.

Besides, if things got bad enough in New Orleans that Eric couldn't protect me, then Quinn probably wouldn't be able to either.

The next day Arlene called in sick. Coby and Lisa had gotten a nasty stomach bug and she needed to take time off to care for them. I offered to pick up a couple of her shifts. I figured it was the least I could do, seeing as I was taking off all of next week. If she still needed time off come Monday then I'd be leaving the rest of the girls to pick up the slack.

I found I didn't mind. The extra work had kept my mind occupied. Most nights I'd gotten home exhausted and fallen into bed, too tired to dream.

But Saturday, in particular, was a long one. I expected it felt even longer because it was my last shift for a whole week. The next night I'd be on my way to the Big Easy.

Sam was also distracted, and I had a theory it was because Cindy would be around a whole lot more the next week. She'd worked a couple of hours over lunch with me the day before so I could show her the ropes. And not only had Sam hung around in the bar instead of back in his office, but he'd actually been clumsy for the first time since I'd known him. I'd even caught him overfilling a beer.

"So, I guess Cindy will be back in on Monday," I prompted. I was waiting around for the drinks for table eight.

"I guess she will be," Sam kept his eyes fixed on the beer he was pouring, probably a good call considering his recent track record.

I raised my eyebrows at his nonchalance but he pointedly ignored me.

It was true that something about Cindy got on my nerves, but I thought she could be a good match for Sam. She seemed sweet and open-minded, and she was certainly good at her job. He could do a lot worse. And it was a marked improvement from Sam's last girlfriend: Tanya Grissom.

Sam finished filling the pitcher of beer and I dropped it off to the table. Then I did my rounds, collecting empty baskets and plates, getting a fresh round of beers for Catfish Hennessy's table, and dropping off a bill to the table of college students in the corner.

It was around half eleven when Pam arrived, taking a quiet seat in my section. She spoke before I had a chance to say hi.

"I'll get an AB-negative."

Pam wasn't always aware when she was being rude by human standards, so I decided I'd let this one pass. Besides, I'd barely had the chance to talk to her since Rhodes and I was pleased to see my friend.

"Coming right up." I scooted off to get her drink. On the way I cleared some tables and grabbed the bill for table six before I returned. Hey, if she was going to treat me like a barmaid then I'd act like one.

"I need to speak with you," she said, after I delivered her warmed blood.

Pam wasn't one for small talk. If she was here, there was probably a good reason for it. I looked around. There were still plenty of patrons scattered around the bar, but the kitchen had closed for the night, and my customers' drinks were full and their tables were cleared.

"Alright, but keep it quick. I'm meant to be working," I said, sitting down across from her.

"It will not take long." She wrapped her delicate fingers around the bottle before her. "I have come to ask you to extricate yourself from Eric."

"Excuse me?"

Pam's voice was devoid of its usual sarcasm. "Eric has not been himself for some time, ever since his stay with you. I thought perhaps his seeing you recently might resolve this, but your company has only exacerbated the issue."

"He seems fine to me."

"He is at the mercy of his emotions," she said simply. "Which makes him vulnerable. This bond of yours has only made things worse."

"It's not my bond," I scowled. It was hard to believe only a few minutes ago I'd been pleased to see Pam. I gave a cursory glance around the bar but there were no tables to clear or customers to see to.

"He did not enter into it for his own benefit. And he defied Andre to do so, for which there will be consequences."

"Eric will get in trouble for that?" The possibility had never occurred to me.

"Of course," Pam said matter-of-factly. "It was foolish of him to intervene. It is likely only the Queen's injuries that have delayed his punishment."

"But Andre wasn't acting on the Queen's orders." At least, that's what she'd said at the time. "Why would she punish Eric for that?"

"Eric defied Andre that night, not the Queen, so the punishment will be his to administer. It would be inappropriate for the Queen to prevent her second from doing so. Eric would have known that he would be punished for his insubordination."

If what Pam was saying was true then it put that night's events under a different light.

"Even worse," Pam continued, "He showed his hand. Now the Queen and Andre will be aware of his preoccupation with you."

"I think you're all mixed up about this. I care about Eric, I do, but whatever's going on with him has nothing to do with me."

"It has everything to do with you," Pam said brusquely. "And it is getting worse. Over the last few weeks his emotions have become more pronounced. I do not understand it, but I know it is putting him at further risk at a time when he needs to be vigilant."

"So what do you want me to do about it? Eric told me I need to go to this wedding with him. It's not like I can back out now."

Pam pursed her lips. Since I'd known her Pam and I had struck up a friendship of sorts. This was the closest we'd come to a fight.

"Control yourself in New Orleans. Remember that it is not just your own life and liberty at risk. And when you return, release him from whatever hold you have placed on him."

I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. "I have no hold on him. Eric's just a friend."

"Well, this 'friendship' of yours is putting him at risk. Eric has lost sight of that, but you should not. If you are not interested, cut him loose."

Pam rose, dropping a twenty dollar bill onto the table.

"It's nothing personal, Sookie. I like having you around, you keep things interesting. But things are interesting enough at the moment." And with that Pam disappeared, the bar door swinging shut the only evidence of her method of departure.

Was it some sort of vampire trait where they always had to get the last word?

I stood, tucking the twenty dollar bill into my pocket and grabbing the bottle of blood. It was late enough and most customers were tipsy enough that my conversation with Pam hadn't attracted much attention. Although a couple near the door had looked up when the bar door was pulled open and swung slowly shut seemingly on its own.

I made my way to the till, fixing up Pam's bill and tucking the tip into my pocket. Pam's final words had left me in no doubt about what she wanted. I felt like I was in grade school all over again, being told by Marcia Hayes that I couldn't sit with her anymore.

Pam hadn't touched her blood. I put it back on the bar so Sam could empty it out and recycle the bottle. Pointedly avoiding his gaze, I went to clear some tables.

Sam and I were closing up for the night when he finally asked me about her visit. I should have known he wouldn't have missed it.

"What was that about earlier?"

"What was what?" I was facing away from Sam, stacking the chairs so Terry could come in and mop the floors in the morning.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm here if you do," he said patiently.

The truth was, I didn't really know what to think of it all. I'd spent the last couple of hours with Pam's words whirling through my mind.

I glanced over my shoulder. Sam was standing behind the bar, a tea towel thrown over his shoulder and a kind look on his face. I wondered how much he had overheard.

"I don't know, really. Pam seems to think Eric has feelings for me, and that it's not good for him."

"And does he?" Sam's voice had a funny sound to it.

"I seriously doubt it, and even if he does, I'm dating Quinn." I stacked the last of the chairs and turned around.

Sam had two tumblers before him and was pouring from a bottle of whiskey. He pushed one glass in my direction. I wasn't normally one for brown liquor, but tonight I'd make an exception. I made my way to the bar and took a sip, I even managed not to scrunch up my nose.

"I overheard her say you're bonded to Eric," Sam's eyes had been on his glass, but now he looked up at me.

I nodded, keeping my face neutral. There was no point denying it.

"Does Quinn know?"

"He knows," I said. "And he knows it wasn't my choice. It wasn't Eric's either."

Sam seemed to relax a little with my answer. He swirled his glass, looking at the amber liquid inside.

"I remember when I met you, I didn't even know you had your gift. I mean, I'd heard rumours…" He trailed off, too polite to say he'd heard I was crazy. He had a pensive expression on his face when he looked up at me. "Now look at you. You're all tangled up."

He knocked back the last of his drink, setting his glass on the table.

"Yeah, it sure feels that way," I muttered, leaning on the bar. I chewed on my lip, wondering how much I could tell Sam. "Pam asked me to cut contact with Eric after this trip."

"Why wouldn't she just ask him that?"

"I have no idea. I might be tangled up with vampires right now but that doesn't mean I understand them," I grumbled.

"Well, it might not be a bad idea. She wouldn't ask if she didn't think he'd let you. And I'm guessing it would make things easier between you and Quinn."

"Who says things aren't easy?"

"I'm not saying they aren't, but you've been working a lot and with all this…" Sam shrugged. "All I'm saying is it would be understandable if it caused a strain."

Sam poured himself another finger of whiskey. He offered the bottle to me but I shook my head. One was enough.

"It feels like every relationship I get myself into has something go wrong," I took another sip of my whiskey. Now that the initial burn had worn off, it had a smoky flavour which was almost pleasant. Almost.

"Well, that's just part of it, ain't it?"

I raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Don't get me wrong, your situation is pretty complicated. But don't let that get in the way of you and Quinn, not if you want to be together. I don't know a single person that ain't got problems in their relationship. If it wasn't this, something would have come up eventually."

"I can think of people." But as I said the words, I wondered how true they were. I knew better than most that even the couples that looked picture perfect had their own issues.

"Well, good for them, but that doesn't mean trouble isn't down the line." Sam took a long drink from his tumbler, emptying the glass. "My ma used to say that if someone seems perfect it just means you don't know them well enough. I reckon the same can be said for relationships."

"Isn't that a little bleak?"

"I don't think so. I think that's when you know it's the real deal: when it gets messy and you still want to stick it out," he gave me a long look. "What I'm looking for isn't someone who's perfect, it's someone who's worth the trouble."

Sam's words rolled around my head as I drove home. I wondered if Cindy would be worth the trouble for him, I hoped she would be.

Author's Note: Happy New Year! Next chapter we are onto Eric and Sookie time!