[AU] down to the Gulf

[feel_human]

Recuperating is a long, wearisome process, but she steadily refuses Bill's offers of his blood. "With everythin' that's been happenin', I just need to feel human for a while," she tells him, and he accepts it, if reluctantly.

Sam and Dean keep her swaddled in blankets, ply her with ice cream and soup and oatmeal and eggs, food soft enough not to hurt her bruised throat, and sternly keep her from doing pretty much anything at all but resting, eating, and healing. It feels like ages before her throat has healed well enough for her to eat solid food, but after that point, she gets better faster and faster. After a couple of weeks, she's nearly back to her old self, and the bruises have mostly faded away. She celebrates by baking Dean the long-promised apple pie and by telling Sam Merlotte that she's taking another week off.

There's no chance her little Honda could make it all the way down to the Gulf, even after Dean fixes what René had broken. Jason surprises her by offering his truck – she doesn't take him up on it, but she's touched – but a rental's a lot easier to manage when she's not the only one paying for it.

She leaves the house in Dean's care, warns him that Tara will be stopping by to make sure the place is still in one piece and asks him not to stake the neighbors, then slips into the passenger seat, her bag in the back with Sam's backpack. And then they're gone, gone, cruising southwards away from Bon Temps and vampires and everything that's happened. It's perfect, and that's even before they get to the Gulf.

She's not prepared for the crystalline water, the massive arcing expanse of sky, the soft white sand. It's the most beautiful place she's ever seen.

Comments

[gavemea_45]

He flushes. "Really?"

[feel_human]

"Really," she promises, and comes to slide her arms around his waist, pressing her mostly bare body to his with a smile.

[gavemea_45]

He holds on and smiles down at her. "We better go outside before all my good intentions get lost," he teases.

[feel_human]

"We'll see how long they last when I'm putting sunscreen on your back," she teases back, but releases him after she tips her face up for kiss. "C'mon, then. We're here to relax, so we may as well get started."

[gavemea_45]

He kisses her back willingly and collects the basket before pulling the door open for her. Once they reach the beach, he looks around critically before indicating a spot. "What do you think about setting up there?"

[feel_human]

"I think it looks great."

There's a reasonably wide swathe of sand between the spot he'd picked and the high tide line, and it's not all that far from the cottage, either. Sookie reaches into the bag and pulls out one of the over-sized towels and lays it out on the soft sand, then sets the other next to it. "Maybe we shoulda brought some beach chairs."

[gavemea_45]

"I can check with the office, see if they have any around anywhere," he offers. "If not, I bet we can pick something up while we're out."

He makes sure the basket's in easy reach of her and digs out the radio she likes, then sets that down on her blanket before he settles on his own.

[feel_human]

"I'm not too worried about it." She slides her sunglasses over her eyes as she sits and eases back on her towel, rolling her head and arching her back as she gets comfortable. one arm sprawled up over her head. The sun floods down on her, almost too hot. Just the way she likes it.

[gavemea_45]

He sits by her, knees drawn up and arms loosely draped around them, and casts his glance over the beach. There are people here and there in the distance, but it's not too crowded around them, which he appreciates.

"Comfortable?"

[feel_human]

"Uh-huh."

She lolls her head over so she can look at him. "This is so nice. I think this is when people might say 'this is the life.'"

[gavemea_45]

"Seems reasonable to me." He leans over and tugs at a lock of her hair.

[feel_human]

She giggles up at him at his teasing. "Want me to put some sunscreen on your back?"

[gavemea_45]

"In a little bit. I think I'm going to go for a swim first - if that's okay with you?" Sam glances at her.

It's not like he'll be far away, but he still wants to check.

[feel_human]

"Of course," she promises, quelling a small wave of anxiety.

He'll still be close by. And nothing's going to happen to either of them here. "Go on, honey."

[gavemea_45]

Sam smiles at her before shoving himself to his feet and heading for the surf.

The water is warm, and nice. He swims out a bit and dives through a wave, but is mindful to stay in easy view.

[feel_human]

She pushes herself up to lean back on her hands so she can watch him – not that she's afraid something will happen, exactly, but it feels better to keep him in sight. He dives through the water as easily as a dolphin and with all evidence of enjoyment, and she smiles just to watch him.

[gavemea_45]

He spends several minutes swimming, diving, and bodysurfing the waves before he lets them wash him back in to shore.

Dripping with seawater and satisfaction, Sam crosses the sandy beach and flops down on his towel to dry off in the sun. "Hi." He holds out a loosely-closed hand to her. "Here. For you."

[feel_human]

She holds out her hand automatically, then peers at the thing he'd brought her. It turns out to be a delicate, rippled seashell, and her grin flashes, delighted.

"It's beautiful." She sets it carefully on her towel to dry off, then turns her smile on him. "How's the water?"

[gavemea_45]

"It's nice." Sam shoves his wet hair back from his face and stretches out on the towel, leaning on his elbows as he smiles back up at her. "Warm, clear, and this pretty blue-green color a little further out - but still clear as glass.

[feel_human]

"It sounds real nice."

She pulls her feet up and loops her arms around her knees. "Can you see all the way to the bottom?"

[gavemea_45]

"You can." He nods to the shell. "That's how I spotted that."

[feel_human]

She muses over that, looking out over the water, but doesn't come to any kind of decision just yet. Could be she'll decide to push herself past her comfort zone at some point during this trip, but it won't be in the first two hours of being here. "How'd you learn to swim?"

[gavemea_45]

"You know, I don't really remember not knowing how," Sam tells her, sounding a little surprised. "I know some of the motels we'd stay in had pools, or sometimes there'd be a local lake or something."

He shrugs, then pillows his head on his hands. "I think it was Dad who taught me. Taught us both, I guess."

[feel_human]

"Hmm."

She settles down on her back, her hair spilling out around her head like curling sunbeams made solid. "Well, you sure look like you know what you're doin' in the water."

[gavemea_45]

"It's been useful from time to time." Sam turns his head to look at her. "You look relaxed."