[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]

"You mean other than this?" he teases. "Like tourist stuff, or something?"

[feel_human]

She giggles at his teasing and shakes her head. "No. Well, maybe, if that's somethin' you're interested in."

She reaches a hand over to him, resting her fingers on his near arm. "But I'd be happy just spendin' the time lazin' around with you."

[gavemea_45]

"I feel the same. It's been a wild few weeks," he points out. "Just taking a break's enough."

[feel_human]

"Yeah."

She brushes her thumb over his skin, lazy. "I've only just started feelin' like myself again."

[gavemea_45]

"Does anything still hurt?" Her touch sends a frisson over his skin, but he holds still and lets her pet his arm.

[feel_human]

"A few spots are still a little tender," she admits. And she gets tired faster, but she feels a little better every day. "But I'm okay, honey. Promise."

[gavemea_45]

"Just tell me if you're not," he insists. "At any point. We've got time."

[feel_human]

"I will."

She wishes she could call Gran, tell her how beautiful it is here. "I'm just happy to be here with you."

[gavemea_45]

"Me, too - with you." He shades his eyes and glances up and down the beach, then back at her. "But if you think of anything else you want to do or see while we're here, just say. From what I remember, you haven't gotten out of Bon Temps much, so there might be something."

[feel_human]

"I'll think about it," she promises, and gives him a small smile. "Besides, I may be gettin' pretty far out of Bon Temps sometime soon."

[gavemea_45]

Sam rolls onto his side, facing her. "There's that," he murmurs.

[feel_human]

"We don't have to talk about it right now," she says, soft. "I just want you to know I've been thinkin' about it."

[gavemea_45]

"If you don't want to talk about it - now, I mean," he amends, hastily, "we don't have to. But if you do, or you've got questions, or anything... well, I'm here whenever you're ready."

[feel_human]

"I know."

She smiles at him, small and sweet. "And the same goes for you, you know. If you've got anythin' on your mind about that, or anythin' else... well, we've got all the time in the world, right now. And I'm right here."

[gavemea_45]

"You are." Soft as the ocean breeze whispering around them, and still achingly clear. "And I don't know how I got so lucky, for that to be true."

[feel_human]

"Right place, right time, I guess."

She curls her fingers over his arm, thumb still tracking back and forth along his skin. "But I still think it was my good luck more than yours."

[gavemea_45]

Sam grins at her. "We can share it."

[feel_human]

Sookie giggles at his teasing. "Okay," she says, magnanimous, and pushes herself up onto her elbow so she can lean over and give him a kiss. The tide's slowly crawling its way back up the beach, and she can smell the sun and salt in the air.

And he looks so relaxed and happy, which is worth everything. "Besides," she murmurs, as she pulls away. "I figure we've got all week to talk about all that stuff. Right?"

[gavemea_45]

“Right. We don’t need to rush into it all today.” He smiles over at her.

“After all, it’s your vacation.”

[feel_human]

His hair is drying in attractive waves against his forehead, and she reaches to brush one back, returning his smile. "Yours, too," she points out. "School's going to start before you know it."

[gavemea_45]

“I know.” Guilt flickers in his glance. He’d meant to be in Palo Alto by now, but there’s still time.

“But I’ll admit I’m not used to vacations.”

[feel_human]

She studies him, a light frown tugging at her brows.

"Are you sure you can take this much time?"

[gavemea_45]

“I still have three weeks before the semester starts,” he murmurs. “There’s time.”

[feel_human]

"You could fly out," she tells him. "I can help with that."

She's not sure if he's planning to be in the dorms or somewhere else. Somewhere else, she supposes, if he's asking her to come with him.

[gavemea_45]

"Hard to take the bike on the plane," he points out, with a quick, mischievous grin. "I don't fly much, anyway. Dean, even less."