[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.

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[gavemea_45]

Sam flushes a bit as he grins back. "I'm glad I stopped in."

[feel_human]

"Me too," she murmurs.

That was just about the only good thing that's happened to her in the last month. "My world's a whole lot nicer now, havin' you in it."

[gavemea_45]

"Mine, too." He hesitates only for a second, then adds, "Both because of you and because of having Dean back, too."

[feel_human]

"I'm so glad for you. Both of you."

Dean could have left at any point during the last few weeks, but he hasn't. And he'll be there when they get back. She wonders, if Sam hadn't stopped here, if he'd be talking to his brother yet. "I'm pretty glad to know him, myself."

[gavemea_45]

"He likes you too," Sam assures her. "And not just because of your cooking."

[feel_human]

"I hope so."

It's true she and Dean have gotten along much better over the last few weeks. Really, ever since Sam told her a little about how they were raised. "What's he gonna think about this whole plan, do you think?"

[gavemea_45]

"I don't know, exactly, but we've agreed to work it all out, so it'll be fine." He sounds pretty certain.

[feel_human]

"Well, good."

Her glance flickers over him, lazing there in the sun, and she grins. "Honey, you're gonna start gettin' pink soon."

[gavemea_45]

“You’re probably right.” He starts to sit up. “I guess I should go in, see if I can find something to use for shade.”

[feel_human]

"If there's not, I bet we can pick up a beach umbrella easy enough," she says, closing her eyes and turning her face up to the sun. She's not getting pink. She's never sunburned in her life.

[gavemea_45]

"Bet you're right." Sam pushes himself to his feet, glances around to make sure no one's likely to disturb them, and starts toward the cottage. "Back in a minute."

[feel_human]

A little ripple of anxiety pushes through her, but she makes herself stay where she is. He's only going to the cottage, fewer than fifty yards away, and there's no one around them.

Still, she sets herself to listen in on any ambient thoughts, a little more tense than she was before.

[gavemea_45]

It doesn't take him long to search the house, and he doesn't find anything inside. He does, however, find a utility closet at one end of the deck, and a few foldable beach chairs and an umbrella inside.

Triumphant, Sam carries two chairs and the umbrella back down to the sand. "Look what I found."

[feel_human]

Sookie sits up and slides her sunglasses up into her hair as she half-turns to look at him. "Good sleuthin'," she praises, grinning as he comes back towards her, sand shifting with each step. "Those oughta help."

[gavemea_45]

He sets the chairs up at the head of their towels, just in case, and the umbrella a little to the side. "I can tilt this when you're ready for shade," he offers. "But I'm guessing you're not, yet."

[feel_human]

"I never am," she laughs, setting her sunglasses back down over her eyes before she lies back down, comfortable. "But you go ahead, honey. I don't want you to get all burned."

[gavemea_45]

"It's nice, how much you like the sun." Sam stretches back out on his towel, hands behind his head, comfortable in the shade.

"It seems to like you too."

[feel_human]

She can almost hear Gran calling her to come put on sunscreen, and smiles, rueful. "I guess it always has."

She loves the sun as much as she fears the water. She can't ever imagine giving it up for an existence only possible at night.

[gavemea_45]

It's hard not to connect the dots between Sookie's love of the sun and the light from her hands. Maybe it's just coincidence, but then again, maybe not. They just haven't really had time to think about it, much less talk about it.

"Well, don't let my need for a little more shade stop you," he teases.

[feel_human]

"I won't," she grins, wrinkling her nose up at him before she sighs and puts one arm behind her head, wiggling her shoulders to dig them into the sand below the towel. "I could fall asleep right here, I think."

[gavemea_45]

"Go ahead," Sam tells her. "Take a nap. I won't be bored."

[feel_human]

"If you are, you could always nap, too," she points out. "That was a long drive. You must be tired."

[gavemea_45]

"Maybe in a little while." Once she's awake, or they're somewhere that he doesn't need to keep watch for any approaching strangers.

[feel_human]

She reaches a languid hand for him, gently patting whatever part of him she can reach. "Wake me up if you wanna go back inside or anythin', okay?"

[gavemea_45]

"I will. I promise." He covers her hand with his and squeezes her fingers.