Author's note: Thanks for all the well wishes and kind words after my last post! I had an awesome trip and am exhausted and jetlagged right now after a long flight home and a big sleep.

On a story note, I've never written smut before and damn it I don't plan to start with Quinn. So this is just a note to say it may come up down the line (if it does I'll change the tags). For now, I'm planning to keep sex as more of a 'fade to black' style.

I heard Quinn's truck come down the driveway at three o'clock on the dot. I ran out to meet him, standing on my tiptoes to give him a big hug, he picked me up at the waist and gave me a long hard kiss that went right to my toes.

"Hey," I breathed when we parted.

"Hey," he said huskily.

I smiled, feeling shy all of a sudden. "Can I get your bags?"

"I'll get 'em, but I could sure use a drink."

"Sweet tea okay?" I smiled.

"Sweet tea's perfect," he growled.

Pretty soon we were curled up on the swing chair on the back porch with two glasses of iced tea.

"I cleared out a few drawers in my dresser if you want to unpack some of your things."

"Thanks, babe," Quinn stretched an arm out around me, sighing. "So, now what?" Now what indeed.

"Well, I left tonight free because I didn't know what you'd feel like doing, but I've thought of some things we could do while you're here. The movies, go out for a double-date with Tara and JB, see another play," I had a moment of inspiration, "We could even have people round here some night, maybe a games night or a dinner party?"

I was rambling a little, but who could blame me? It had been weeks since I'd seen Quinn and I was feeling nervous now he was finally here. I wanted him to have a good time in Bon Temps.

Quinn put his large, warm hand over mine. "Whatever you have planned will be great. And as for tonight, I just want to spend it with you."

Quinn leaned in and kissed me, long and slow. Heat surged through me. "Did I mention Amelia's away this weekend?"

The look he gave me lit a fire in my belly. Then he kissed me again and this time it wasn't slow at all.

Quinn and I spent the next day making use of our privacy. We'd only slept together a handful of times before this weekend and I was pleased to confirm that his performance on those occasions had not been a fluke. Our chemistry was dynamite.

In between our time in the sheets, we caught up on our weeks apart. Frannie was back to pretty much full health. Although she wasn't a were she still had some were genes which meant she healed faster than a regular human. He told me about the clean-up efforts in Rhodes and how much had been done even in the short time he was there. I told Quinn about life in Bon Temps, about Amelia's vow of celibacy (in regards to men only), and about how busy work had been lately.

On Sunday afternoon we were lying in my bed, tangled up in the sheets after a bout of particularly rigorous sex.

"I finally get that song."

"What song?" Quinn asked.

"Sky rockets into flight!" I sang out, loudly enough that Quinn jumped a little in surprise. "Afternoon delight! Aahhhhh-afternoon delight!" I burst into a fit of giggles, a little high off my recent dose of ecstasy.

Quinn looked bemused, "Never enjoyed it in the afternoon before now?"

"I've never had sex in the afternoon before now," I said honestly. "All my previous partners were dead for the day."

"Right, of course," Quinn nodded and I felt suddenly self-conscious.

"It's real nice to finally be datin' someone who's awake in the day," I adjusted the sheets to make sure I was properly covered.

The afternoon sun was beating through the windows and I suddenly became aware of how warm the room was, and the layer of dried sweat that covered me. "I'm gonna clean off, then should we rustle up some dinner?" I smiled.

"Sure thing, babe."

I hopped in the shower, washing my hair thoroughly and using my favourite lavender body wash. Anxiety bubbled in me. Why had I brought up my vampire exes? Quinn and I had spent the last day in a blissful bubble and I had gone and popped it.

I wrapped a towel tightly around me after I'd dried myself and stomped out of the bathroom.

"Do you have a problem with the fact I've dated vampires?" I snapped. "Because I can't change that about myself."

Quinn was halfway through pulling on a polo shirt and he dragged it over his head as he turned to me. "Sookie, wha–"

"I won't apologise for the choices I've made."

"Sookie!" Quinn said in a deep voice. "I don't care that you've only dated vamps."

"Oh," I was surprised. Here I was with all this righteous indignation and nowhere to put it. "Why'd you react like that then?"

"Babe, I don't care who you've dated before. As long as you're with me now."

"Really?"

"Can't you tell?" He asked incredulously.

"I wasn't reading your mind. You know I try not to do that." Sure it had been impossible to block him out during sex, but when his thoughts mainly consisted of an incoherent mix of 'yes', 'please', 'oh god' and cuss words I didn't feel like I was breaching his privacy.

"Well, I'm asking you to." It was rare for someone to ask me to read their mind, I could count the times on one hand.

"You sure?" He simply nodded.

After a moment's hesitation I dipped into his mind. Weres are always harder to read than a regular human but I could detect some thoughts and feelings, enough to know he was telling the truth now.

"Sorry," I sat down on the bed, tightening my towel around me. "I guess I'm so used to weres and shifters hating vampires and judging me for dating them, and then when you didn't say much I felt like it was happening again."

"I could hardly judge you, babe, half my clients are vampires," Quinn pointed out.

"But you don't like vampires," I said.

He ran a hand over his head, "Not really, I mean do you?"

That had me at a loss. I shrugged, "I guess it was a stupid question, huh?"

Quinn gave me a look I couldn't quite place and sat on the bed next to me. "If I reacted strangely it's because I'm enjoying not thinking about that part of our lives at the moment." I could hardly blame him for that. "But we will talk about it."

That sounded foreboding. I mentally kicked myself again for bringing up vampires.

Quinn stood, apparently done with the topic, and put his hands out to help me up from the bed. "Why don't you get dressed and I'll make us some dinner. I make a mean BLT."

I nodded, resolving not to bring up vampires for the rest of the evening at least.

By the time Amelia got home, Quinn and I were curled up on the couch watching Troy on tv. I'd suggested it since it sounded like a movie we might both like — Quinn would like the warriors and strategy and I would like watching hunky men run around in armour. So far I was liking it very much.

She poked her head into the living room right as the ad break started.

"Hey love birds, how has your weekend been? Enjoyed the alone time?" There was a wicked twinkle in her eye. That Amelia, she was not one for subtlety.

"Great thanks Amelia," I said, ignoring her tone completely. "How was New Orleans?"

Her face fell. "Oh, it was alright. My apartment is doing fine, but I went by Octavia's shop and it looks like it's been closed for a while."

"Aren't you avoiding Octavia?" I asked. Hiding from her mentor Octavia was the whole reason Amelia had been staying with me.

"Yeah, but just because I don't want to get into trouble." Amelia waved a hand absently at Bob the cat who was rubbing against her leg to welcome her home. "I haven't spoken to her since Katrina. I want to make sure nothing bad has happened to her." That made sense.

"Need a hand with your bags?" Asked Quinn, who apparently had decided he didn't have much to add to this conversation.

"That'd be swell," Amelia beamed. She plonked down on the couch next to me as Quinn left the room.

"So, how's it been? Spill."

"Great," I said quietly, a goofy smile on my face. "I was worried it might be a little awkward, since we haven't actually spent that much time together. But it's real good."

"I'm happy for you Sookie, you deserve this," Amelia gave me a little half hug. Then she grabbed a handful of popcorn and settled in beside me on the couch. Guess date night was over.

Quinn returned and we watched the rest of the movie together. I was pleased that it was fairly comfortable. I had the feeling that Amelia wasn't someone who would let herself become a third wheel. She was perched next to me on the couch, and Quinn had moved to a separate armchair. Amelia and I debated whether Brad Pitt or Orlando Bloom was objectively better looking. I was on the side of Brad Pitt, returning to the topic of his abs several times to bolster my point. Not one to be deterred, Amelia turned to consider the priestess who was played by Rose Byrne.

"Don't you think she's gorgeous?" She prompted Quinn.

"I like that she's a fighter at heart," he said, glancing at me. I smiled to myself at that.

After the movie finished Quinn and I made our way to my bedroom. I changed into a satiny nightdress I'd bought especially for his stay. It was dark blue, had white lace detailing and hugged my curves in all the right places. I hoped Quinn would like it. The night before we'd been too preoccupied for either of us to change into our pajamas.

He came out of the shower in pajama pants. Just pajama pants. Oh boy.

"So, you liked Achilles' abs?" He said in a gravelly voice. His chest was tanned and muscular.

"I sure did."

Quinn looked me up and down slowly, taking in my bare, tan legs and skimpy nightdress. "Seen any other abs you like?"

I frowned, as if I was struggling to think. "No, I'm sure I'd remember if I did."

He growled and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me toward him. He started kissing me and I kissed him back. He grabbed my hand and pressed it to his own six pack, "Does this refresh your memory?"

"A little," I murmured. He was pressed into me, and I found my hand drifting south of his abs. "Maybe seeing them in context will help?" I suggested coyly.

He grinned and raised his arms. And I took that as permission to help him out of those pesky pajama pants. After that, we didn't talk so much.

I woke up early the next morning, a chorus of birds alerting me to the new day. I'd dreamt about Rhodes again, although I was relieved I hadn't woken up shouting or kicking as I had in the past. I took it as a sign that things were improving.

I grabbed my robe from the back of the door, wrapped it around my nightdress and went downstairs. Amelia rose a few hours later, finding me in the kitchen with my most recent romance novel and a coffee.

"You're up early." She put some bread into the toaster.

"I've got the day shift today," I said flatly, not wanting to get into the whole dream thing.

"You aren't looking forward to it?" Amelia asked, "Normally you like work well enough."

"It's not that. It's just so far Quinn and I have had this little bubble, you know? I haven't had to work or anything, we haven't even had to leave the house. We just got to spend time together." In bed, I added to myself.

"That makes sense. But now you get to have him be a part of your life. Isn't that kind of the point of all this?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "You're right." I felt a bit peppier after that, and by the time Quinn joined us we were back to debating fiercely about whether Orlando Bloom or Brad Pitt was hotter.

Author's note: Quinn and Sookie needed their own chapter for their reunion, but the next chapter is written and just needs a proof-read (and I promise it includes Eric). I'll post it in the next few days.