*disclaimer: I do not own the Southern Vampires series or any of the characters featured. All rights belong to Charlaine Harris.

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The drive home from work felt like an eternity, until I pulled up in my gravel drive and realized I hadn't really looked at the road ahead of me once.

I could only hope that Sam was okay driving to get to his wounded mother. What would the revelation mean for Jason? Or for all of the supes? Supe is short for supernatural beings but, of course, the werewolves go by Weres, capital W. Capital pains in the butt, more like it. From my experience they've had a knack for getting me mixed up in their politics, of which I want no part. Will humans roll out the red carpet for them as they had for vampires? I highly doubt that, something a little less glamorous about the smell of wet dog. With vamps like Eric and Bill around it was easy to understand why humans embraced the Great Revelation over these last few years, creating a new generation of enthusiastic fangbangers. It's hard to understand how willingly people ignore the fact that these beautiful creatures admiring your neckline could take you out before you can say uncle. I probably didn't consider that reality as often as I should despite my close calls in the past. As I pulled up to the back of my old farmhouse, the security lights came on in time for me to notice something white flash in the woods behind my shed, but before I could think about it too much longer Amelia came flying off my freshly swept front porch dressed like a woman fleeing a burning building at midnight. Her hair was disheveled and she was half-dressed in fuzzy slippers and a partly buttoned garage shirt that had "Dawson" stitched on the pocket. Come to think of it, her mind wasn't any more composed than her oufit.

"Sookie," Amelia called out.

"What's up Amelia?" I said. I had truly been hoping I could call it a night.

"Sookie, you need to head over to Calvin's right away," Amelia said. "I've been trying to reach you, where is your cell phone?"

Good question, where was that darn thing? It's not like me to be this forgetful. I've never been one to get the latest and greatest, but I had to admit I did like the shiny red phone Eric had given me as a replacement gift. And the six months of service he'd paid for wasn't bad either. It's so Eric to get the top of line but there are better uses for money in my little world. Like taxes and groceries. And it was looking like my yard had a few bald spots that would probably need sodding come spring. I was giving myself a small headache thinking about money.

"I must have left it in the desk back at Merlotte's," I said offhand, hoping that was the truth more than knowing it to be so.

She had that look of pity, anger, and sadness in her eyes I last saw when Bob made bedmates with a promiscuous tabby in my woods. Before I could open my mouth to get the rest out of her, she answered everything loud and clear. Funny thing about a telepath having such a clear broadcaster for a roomie because there are just some things you don't want to know. Like that time she came home after she and Tray tried out one of her more adventurous bedroom experiments. It took everything I had not to laugh out loud when she got home that night. But tonight I would not be laughing. Crystal went into labor. Calvin called the house while I was on my way home from work. Crystal is only seven and a half months along and apparently she began bleeding earlier tonight. I decided not to ask any questions. I gripped my keys tightly and headed back towards the car.

"I'm coming with you!" I heard Amelia call from behind me.

On the ride there, Amelia called Tray from her new cell phone and filled him in on what was happening and where we were headed. Since he'd dropped her off at home from Merlotte's, he'd gone back to his shop to tinker with a customer's motorcycle that was supposed to be picked up tomorrow, so she told him not bother meeting us out in Hotshot. It was sweet of him to have offered and I hoped they would last as a couple. He made her happy, and, well, that made me happy. At least one of us had someone special in her life, although I can't say I was totally alone. I had Eric, but as Sheriff of Area 3 he was pretty busy restructuring since the takeover. Pam told me in one of her "Dear Abby" update calls that Felipe has consolidated the state into three areas instead of five so Eric got more territory and a new title. I'm still not sure if I should be happy or concerned about this news, but time would tell. Sam has always been there for me but had other fish to fry at the moment. And then there was Bill. Okay, I must be feeling pretty low tonight to try to dig up those memories, but I couldn't deny he loved me even if he was a cad. His stealth campaign had touched my heart a little, I guess. I told myself to snap out of it and prepare myself for what I was headed in to. As much as I didn't like the way Crystal acted, she was still kind of family, and I couldn't help but be worried for her. We pulled up in front of Calvin's neat yard, but had to park in the street because there were two trucks in the drive. I recognized the first one as Calvin's and as we got out of our car and rounded the driveway I saw aqua swirls.

"Jason's here," I said to Amelia.

"Well, he should be. This is his problem, not yours," she said in an irritated voice. I guess my anger towards Jason these last few months had rubbed off on Amelia. I was sorry for that in a way. I don't know where my brother lost his own way, but somewhere in his selfishness, he lost me as well. Amelia and I took a deep breath almost simultaneously as I knocked on the door.

"It's open," a woman's voice called out.

We walked in, surprised to find a full house. Mary-Elizabeth was in the kitchen with Crystal's sister, who had a baby on her hip. They were standing still as stones. Jason was sitting on the tan faux suede sofa next to Mel. His elbows were resting on his knees and his face was buried in his hands. Mel leaned towards him with his arm around Jason's shoulders saying something quietly in his ear. No one looked up. In fact, I felt like no one even realized we'd walked in or even registered our presence, though now both Amelia and I were standing on the small leopard print area rug in the center of the tidy living room that smelled like fresh paint.

I heard a low moan and a door close, and suddenly Calvin appeared from the darkness of the hallway. His green eyes glowed golden in the most unusual way but his face was drawn and sallow.

"The baby didn't make it." he said soberly.

"Oh, no," I said. My heart sank, not realizing until that very moment how much I'd been looking forward to being an aunt.

"How's Crystal doing?" I asked cautiously, taking in the severity of the situation.

"She's not good. It was way too early to be going into labor. We couldn't take her to the hospital because it's a full moon tonight and we just can't risk it. Maryelizabeth and I have done home deliveries before in the past, when need be, but…" he paused for a long moment, then started again. "I called you because I was hoping you could call your friend who helped us last time, Dr. Tonnesen."

My mind was tumbling with all the tragic turns this night had taken.

"I can call her now but I'm not sure if she'll answer. Do you have a phone book here?" I tried to collect my thoughts and remember what the doctor was listed under as the waves of sadness in the room rolled through me and joined my own.

Calvin turned his head towards the kitchen and nodded to Maryelizabeth but before he could speak, a voice broke the silence.

"It was a girl" Jason said.

I took a hard gulp and my eyes burned a little. I would have loved a niece with tiny hands to hold who would come over and play in my fingernail polish and mess up the kitchen with dyeing eggs for Easter. Maybe she would have wanted a puppy for Christmas one year? Gran would have loved that…

"You probably wanted this to happen," Jason said, looking up from his hands, still seated on the sofa. I now noticed the fringe of his rumpled flannel shirt had smears of reddish brown and his face looked ten years older than the man I'd seen a few hours earlier.

Calvin and I looked at each other not certain who he was talking to or where this was headed.

"You never liked Crystal and you don't like that I'm a werepanther. You didn't think my baby would be good enough," he said quietly.

He was talking to me, all right. My mouth fell open and Mel was looking pretty taken aback himself. I felt Calvin grip my elbow and I could hear Amelia, who'd been quietly standing beside me, thinking of several ways to turn Jason into something entirely other than a panther—and a lot less pleasant.

"You listen here, Jason. You've been through a lot tonight, and I think you need to cool your jets. I am sorry this happened, more sorry than you know and no matter how I feel about you or Crystal I would not have wished this on anyone," I said sternly. I was beyond furious. I felt like I was talking to an alien or a total stranger. It was like he didn't know me at all anymore. I could not believe this was my own brother sitting here on this couch saying these things. How could he for one second think I would be happy about this?

"You let her drink at Merlotte's," he said slowly, looking me square in the eye now. "I saw you bring her a drink. That's why Maryelizabeth said she lost the baby you know that? If you gave two shits about this baby you would have told her no," he said, speaking so venomously I felt a chill in the room. I was stunned and I fought back the stinging tears ready to flood my eyes. I could see in his mind very clearly at the moment. His mind was a thick fog of anger and hurt that bordered on fury and he wanted to blame someone. Crystal was in pain in the back bedroom so he was taking it out on me. He wanted to have this showdown now. I could feel the gaze of the women in the kitchen piercing the side of my head like hot lasers. They were looking for a scapegoat tonight, too, I guess. One time they'd been in together and she ordered a drink. I had no right to tell a grown woman how to live. It wasn't my business and Jason was having a beer right along with her. Niall was right to not want to know Jason. I hated to say it, but it was the truth.

"That's enough!" said Amelia who'd been seething in contempt silently by my side. Normally, I don't let anyone speaking on my behalf but I had a frog in my throat that would only give way to a scream if I dared to open my mouth.

"Calvin, we'll call the doctor from Sookie's house and ask her to come straight here. You'll have to sort out her pay on your own. I don't think there's any good in our being here so we're leaving now. Sorry about your loss." She said sincerely as she laid her hands on my shoulders and steered me out the front door. Calvin coolly nodded towards us in acknowledgement and then set a hard gaze on Jason who, at that moment, couldn't care less who he'd pissed off.

As I got to the threshold of the door, something stopped me dead in my tracks. Something sprang from inside me. I turned my head back to face Jason.

"Jason, you're not worth it. You don't exist to me anymore," I said simply in a level voice I didn't recognize. I don't know where it came from, but in the pit of my stomach I knew I meant it.

He whipped his head up and gave me an icy glare that could freeze a lit match.

He raised one brow and said in an equally cool tone, "Done."

I felt like Lot leaving Sodom for the last time. I walked out the door and didn't look back.

"That is just not right, Sookie. Don't let him do that to you. He has made every bad choice a man could make, even when you've tried to help him," Amelia said as she started my car. I was seated in the passenger seat trying hard not to cry or yell, which seemed like my only options at that moment. After vacillating (my word of the day, sounds funny, huh?) between these options I decided on silence.

"Amelia, if you don't mind, I'm gonna pretend to sleep in my seat here," I said exhaustedly as I leaned my head up against the cold glass of my car window. I was used to being mad at Jason, but I wasn't used to his being mad back. It shouldn't have bothered me because I'd pretty much abjured him, but it did.

"Okay, Sookie. Good idea." I could tell she just was happy that I'd decided against having an emotional outburst. She'd had a big night herself and had many things on her mind, like her father and her property in New Orleans, but mostly worry for Tray. He took a big step tonight revealing himself as a Were with FOTS members in the crowd. I must have actually fallen asleep on the short ride because I was awakened by the crunching sound of gravel in my driveway as we pulled up to my home.

"I'll call the doctor for Calvin, Sookie. Just go get some sleep." Amelia said as we parked. She was a good friend.

We both trudged up the porch stairs and when we'd gotten inside and locked up, we said our good nights without another word about today's events and I headed up to my room. I was on autopilot again as I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I pulled my ponytail loose running my fingers through the tangles then changed into my comfiest pajamas—the new blue velour set I'd bought on sale last week at the SuperTarget in Monroe. I turned the lights out and crawled into my old, high bed. Lying in the darkness, I set my mind free to chase my dreams to sleep. And I was almost there remembering that cute paramedic I'd met in Dallas, which seemed like a lifetime ago, when a second wind of energy pulsed through me. Lying on my back, I opened my eyes and stared straight up at the ceiling for a few seconds. Just then a big smile I couldn't fight, though I tried, spread in earnest across my face.

It was Eric.