The crisp cold air blew in off of the North Sea, caressing her face as she gazed towards the empty ocean. Her long blonde hair whipped across her face as her eyes caught sight of a small dot towards the horizon. Her soft pink lips curled into a smile as the thought of who was part of that small dot came into her mind.

"Min Kärlek." she whispered.

The small village was in joyous uproar as news of the returning men made it to their ears. All of the women were smiling and the children were yelling and screaming in anticipation for their fathers to return home.

She was in her own house, making sure everything was in its place for when her own joy would arrive home. She was slowly stirring the simmering soup over the hot fire when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her midsection.

"Min Kärlek." he whispered into her ear.

She just smiled as she placed her hands over his. His head nuzzled into the crook of her neck and she heard him take in a deep breath.

"Jag missade ni." she whispered.

She could feel him smile before his lips placed soft kisses along her neck and down to her shoulder. She looked down and watched his hands rub small circles along her growing stomach where their child was growing big and strong.

Her eyes shot open and she sucked in a deep breath. She closed her eyes and slowed down her breathing. She looked out the window and noticed that the sun was already high in the sky. She heard someone snoring and turned to her left. She rolled her eyes and dragged herself out of bed. There was no use in trying to go back to sleep when her husband would do nothing but sleep until late afternoon.

She jumped into the shower when she realized she needed to be at work in an hour. She cleaned up and got dressed into her uniform. She dried her hair and applied her makeup. Makeup always got her bigger tips. She took one last look at her drunken snoring husband and left the house.

The air inside Merlottes was hot and sticky. An exact replica of the Louisiana weather outside. Every seat was taken as the locals of Bon Temps stopped in for lunch.

"Hookah! Your food is ready!"

She smiled as she heard Lafayette call for her from the kitchen. She excused herself from the table she was waiting on and walked up to the window.

"Call me hookah again and I will slap the lipstick right off your lips." she said.

"Bitch, you're just jealous." he smiled.

"Yea right." she said, grabbing the tray of food and walking off.

"Aurea!" he called after her.

"What?" she asked, turning towards him.

He just winked at her and went back to dancing and flipping burgers. She laughed and went back to delivering the food for table 7.

"Here you are. Enjoy. If ya need anything else just let me know." She smiled.

"Thank you sweetheart." smiled the old lady.

Aurea, as she was called, went towards the bar to get a beer for a customer but stopped when she saw Sam doing nothing but drooling over Sookie. She felt so bad for him. He liked Sookie tremendously, but unfortunately she did not feel the same way.

"Hey Sam." she said, snapping his attention from Sookie.

"Hey Rea, what can I get ya?" he asked.

"Bud Light." she said.

She watched his eyes sneak quick glances at Sookie as he filled the pitcher. She smiled at him as he handed the pitcher to her.

"Sam," she said.

"Rea, I know what's going to come out of that mouth and I'm going to tell you the same thing you tell me every time your husband acts out of line, it's none of your business."

"Damn, who pissed in your corn flakes this morning." she said, her southern accent becoming prominent as her mood shifted from sorrow to angry.

She grabbed the pitcher and walked away. Sam sighed and shook his head as he instantly regretted what he had said. Aurea was always good to him. She had stayed late so many times after closing so that he could talk about is troubles, and she had done so without complaint. Even though it made her husband angry, she had stayed for him, no matter the consequences.

"Aurea!"

The whole bar went silent as a loud boisterous voice echoed throughout the restaurant. Everyone turned towards the door to see a tall man with broad shoulders and muscular arms fix his gaze towards Aurea.

Aurea had frozen in her spot when she had heard her name being yelled, knowing who it was. She turned to see him standing by the door, his face a mirror of pure anger.

"Kevin." she said.

"Why the hell weren't you at home this morning?" he asked, his voice slowly rising as he spoke.

"I told you last night Kevin I had to work this morning." she said, clearing off a table.

"Listen to me you little-"

"Hey, Kevin." interrupted Sam. "How about you leave Rea here to do her job, okay? She'll be home tonight."

"Yea, you'd like me to leave wouldn't ya, Sam?" said Kevin, stepping closer to Sam.

"Okay, Kevin let's go."

Aurea grabbed Kevin and pushed him outside of the restaurant. She dragged him towards the car and handed him a twenty.

"Go to the store and get something to drink okay? I'll be home tonight and I'll make us some dinner." she said.

Kevin just smiled at her and grabbed her face, slamming his lips onto hers. She whimpered at the force and forcefully pulled herself away. He got into the car and took off, leaving Aurea to heave a big and deep sigh of relief. She turned and walked back into the bar, hoping everyone would mind their own business. No such luck.

"Rea, you're doing nothing but enabling that son of a bitch." said Sam.

"Yea, well it's either that or I get my face punched in. Take your pick." she said, slamming her towel onto the bar.

"Why do you stay with him?" he asked.

"Divorce costs too much." she said, before she grabbed her notepad and went back to taking orders.

Aurea's life was shit. She knew that, but Kevin and his job were the only thing keeping her alive. His job more than anything really. She had nowhere else to go and if she even tried to run away, he would for surely kill her. She tried once, that was enough to push the thought of running away out of her mind.

Her mind wandered back to the dream that she had before she woke up. Those times seemed so much simpler back then. She wished and prayed after every dream that her life could be that simple, that she would be loved that much by someone, and to love that someone just as much back.

Yet here she was, stuck in a small town called Bon Temps, where nothing ever happened.

Translations: Min Kärlek : My Love

Jag missade ni : I missed you

Okay...this is my first True Blood fanfic. So, read and let me know what you think. Thanks!