Sam checked himself over in the rearview mirror of his pickup before grabbing the red roses off the passenger seat.  It hadn’t taken him long to reconnect the power to the trailer that morning, thankfully, so he had plenty of time to shower, get dressed , and pick up flowers for Tara.

As he knocked on the front door to Sookie’s house he realized that he was a little nervous.  It almost felt as though he was calling on Tara.  He’d been down this road before and it had not gone well.  Sam hoped that this time everything would turn out for the best.

“Who could that be?”  Sookie wondered out loud as she took her work gloves off and stuffed them in her jeans pocket.

“Maybe it's Jason.”  Tara shouted from the living room.

“Why would Jason knock?” Sookie mused.

“I don’t know Sookie.”  Tara responded feeling slightly short tempered.

Sookie swung open the front door and saw Sam standing there in his best jeans holding a dozen red roses.

“Wow.  What are you doing here?  Not that I’m not glad to see you, it’s just that it’s nine in the morning.”  She rambled on smiling.

“Um…came to see Tara.”

“Of course.  You two are dating now.  She’s in the living room.  We got up early to try and clean up some of Maryann’s mess.  I’ll take those and put them in some water.”

Sookie grabbed the roses out of Sam’s hands before he could protest and sniffed them smiling.

“They’re gorgeous.”  She gushed, turning on her heels to walk towards the kitchen leaving Sam standing in the doorway.

Sam entered the residence closing the door behind him and looked towards the right.  There was his love standing on top of a step ladder cleaning the mantle.  She looked beautiful in a pair of black yoga pants and a long sleeved heather gray t-shirt.

Sam slowly approached Tara watching her.

“Fuckin’ Maryann.”  Tara breathed as she scrubbed a particularly stubborn stain on the mantle.

“Tell me about it.”  Sam whispered inches from Tara’s ear.

“Ahh.”  She screamed as she turned around and almost fell of the ladder.

Sam caught Tara their faces inches apart.

“Careful.  I don’t want anything to happen to you.”  He gazed into her eyes.

Tara could barely catch her breath.  “Then stop sneaking up on me.”  She teased.

“And miss that reaction?”  He asked innocently.  “Not to mention holding you in my arms.”

“Wouldn’t want to miss that.”  Tara breathed as her eyes fell to Sam’s slightly parted lips.

“I don’t want to miss anything.”  Sam pulled Tara closer regretting how the previous evening ended.

“Tara these are, without a doubt, the most beautiful roses I have ever…”  Sookie sauntered into the living room with the roses in her grandmother’s vase when she saw that the two were about to kiss.

“Sorry.”  She smiled and looked around the room for a place to put the roses.

“Sam.  You didn’t…”

“Don’t say I didn’t have too.”  Sam smiled letting Tara go so she could walk over to the coffee table and admire the flowers.

Tara felt weird in her own skin being the recipient of red roses at nine in the morning.  She wiped her hands on her pants searching for something to say.  “We were just trying to clean up Maryann’s mess.  I only took her a day to wreak havoc on this place, but it’s been months and we’ve barely gotten anything accomplished.”

“I know.”  Sookie rolled her eyes looking around at the room.  “My grandmother would turn in her grave at the sight of it.”

“Well we better get a move on.”  Sam smiled walking closer to Tara who smiled.

“Sam, that’s sweet, but no one expects you to help with this.  If anything it’s my fault for letting Maryanne in in the first place.”

“What’s yours is mine.”

“So my fuckups are your fuckups?”  Tara laughed.

“That’s right.  From now on we fuck up together.”  Sam smiled and Tara laughed.

“That’s perfect.”  Sookie smiled.  “Cause there’s a huge pile of heavy trash that needs to make its way to the trash cans right though there.”

Tara glared at Sookie, but Sam placed his warm hand on her shoulder and smiled.

“Yes Ma’am.”  He winked at Tara as he passed her on his way to dispose of the trash.

Once Sam was out of sight Tara took Sookie’s arm to turn her around.

“You know, for a mind reader, you have terrible timing.”  Tara put her hands on her hips glaring at Sookie.

“I’m sorry Tara.”  Sookie shrugged.  “Jason’s late and that stuff does need to go to the trash can.”

“I’m talking about before… when we were about to kiss.”

“So one minute I’m suppose to stay out of your head, and the next you want me to read your thoughts, from the next room, so I can tell if you’re about to get lucky?”

“I’m not asking you to read my mind.  I’m just saying that was a private moment.”

“And I already apologized for it.”

The front door opened and Jason appeared carrying a bag from Dunkin Donuts and three coffees in a carrier.

“I know, I know.  I’m late, but you can’t be mad,’ cause I come bearing gifts.”  Jason held the bags of donuts up and waved them so Tara and Sookie could see.

“Jason.  You drove all the way to Monroe just to get Dunkin Donuts?”

“Yes I did, and…I even got your coffee just how you like it.”  He smiled.

“You do not know how I like my coffee.”  Sookie smirked folding her arms.

“The hell I don’t.  One cream and extra sugar.”  Jason handed Sookie her coffee.

“Okay.  So maybe you do know.”  Sookie took a sip and walked over to the coffee table.

“What about me?”  Tara smiled

“You…”  Jason wiggled his eyebrows which made Tara laugh.  “Like extra cream and extra sugar.  Plus I got you your favorite.”

“What’s that?”

“One inside out Boston Cream Donut.”  He handed her the small bag as she tried not to smile unsuccessfully.

“I’m not impressed.”

“I know you are.”  Jason argued.

Tara took her coffee and took a sip.  It was perfect.  She turned around without saying and word and placed it and the bag on the mantle before she continued cleaning.

Jason watched Tara clean as he crossed over to stand next to Sookie who was enjoying her coffee.  He handed her the bag of donuts.

“Is my favorite in here?”

“You have a favorite?”

“Glazed with the pink frosting and sprinkles…since I was like five Jason.”

“Sorry.”  Jason ignored his sister and watched Tara attacking the mantle.

“What’s up with her?”

Sookie licked frosting off her fingers.  “Well.  She and Sam and Jessica were attacked by a couple of Weres last night.”

“Again?!”

“Yeah.  They held Jessica with silver chains that burned her skin and shot Sam with a tranq’ gun that knocked him out.”

“Is Tara ok?”

“I’m fine Jason and I don’t appreciate white folks talking about me like I’m not here.”  Tara spoke without turning from the mantle.

Jason walked over to Tara and placed and hand on her shoulder.

“Seriously Tara.  You must ‘a been scared out of your wits.  I wish I’d been there.  I’m sorry.”

“Jason I don’t need you to protect me.  I’m fine.”

“Yeah Jason.”  Sam entered the living room.  “Not your job to protect her.”  Sam stared Jason down remembering the last time they spoke.

“Trash’s out.”  Sam told Sookie as he walked around the couch.

“Is it?”  Jason asked as he put his hand on the wall just behind Tara.

“Thanks Sam.”  Tara smiled at him.

“No problem.”  He smiled back.

Jason pushed off the walls and turned toward Tara.  “You wanna tell me what’s going on with these Werewolves?”

“I’ve got it under control Jason.”  Sam informed him through clenched teeth.

“I don’t think so.  They shot you with a tranquilizer.  Tara needs someone who can handle a gun.”

“I can handle a gun and I can protect my girlfriend.  Do you get that Jason?  My girlfriend.”

Tara looked back and forth between them before throwing her rag over her shoulder.  “I don’t need either of you to protect me.  I can look after myself, been doing it for years.”  Tara walked between the two men towards the stairs in the foyer.  “And I don’t appreciate being first prize in a damn pissing contest.”  She shot over her shoulder.

“Tara wait.”  Jason started to follow Tara to the stairs.

“Jason.”  Sam caught him.

“Get your hands off me.”  Jason pulled out of Sam’s grasp. Sam peacefully put his hands up.

“Jason, Tara needs you to leave her alone.”

“You been leavin’ her alone enough for the both of us.”

Sookie caught up to all of them in the foyer.  “What’s that suppose to mean?”  She asked her brother over Sam’s shoulder.

“It means if Sam hadn’t run off to find his good for nothin’ parents after Eggs died, and left Tara alone, Franklin wouldn’t have gotten his hooks into her…or his fangs for that matter.”

“Jason.”  Sookie chided him.  “You can’t blame Sam for Franklin’s crazy behavior.”

“Well you were right here Jason.”  Sam challenged.  “Why didn’t you protect Tara?”

“Oh my God!  Do you two hear yourselves?”  Tara yelled from the top of the stairs.  “You’re arguing about shit that doesn’t even matter.”

“The hell it doesn’t. You didn’t answer the question.”  Sam moved aggressively towards Jason.

“What question?”  He glanced up and Tara who was beginning to clam up.

“You’re all over Tara now, but apparently you were pretty distant back then.”  Sam put his hands on his hips and clenched his jaw.

“I was?”  Jason looked up at Tara who was descending the stairs to stand beside Jason.

“Leave him alone Sam.”

“Now who’s protecting who?”  Sookie put her hands on her hips mirroring Sam.

“Whom?” Tara glared at Sookie to stay out of it.

Sam paused for a moment looking back and forth between his girlfriend and Jason.

“What’s going on?”  He demanded softly.

Neither of them spoke.  Sam turned to look at Sookie.

“Both their minds are completely blank.  They’re hiding something.”

Sam turned back and looked at Tara again.  “Tara.”

Tara’s bottom lip started to quiver and Jason knew she was about to spill the beans, he just didn’t know which ones, or how many.”

“Jason shot Eggs.” Tara apologized to Jason with her eyes as he started to back away from all of them.  Tara hated the look of betrayal she saw in his eyes.

“It was an accident.  He thought Eggs was trying to kill Andy and Andy covered for him.”

“Tara.”  Jason shook his head not believing that Tara and had told them.

Tara started crying and Sookie moved around Sam towards Jason.

“How could you not tell me something that important?  You’ve been carrying this around all this time?”

“You bastard.”  Sam seethed.

“Sam.”  Tara tried to call him down.

“Hey, it was a fuckin’ accident!”  Jason shouted.

“I’m not talking about that.  You were the one that took Eggs away from her and then you left her alone?  Damn it Jason do you every consider anyone but yourself?  Tara tried to commit suicide!”

“Sam I told you that in confidence!”  Tara pushed Sam.

“Tara?”  Jason and Sookie both gasped shocked that they had never known someone who meant so much to both of them had been in such serious trouble.

Jason walked towards Tara silently asking her to come to him and wishing he could wipe her tears away.

“Damn it Jason!”  Sam pulled Tara behind him.  She was too mortified to protest.

“I’ve had enough of your judgment and if Tara wants to come to me that’s her business!”

Jason tried to push Sam out of the way so he pushed back.

“Absolutely not!”  Sookie yelled.  “If the two of you are going to come to blows you’ll have to take it outside.  It will not be in my grandmother’s house!”

Jason looked from Sam to Sookie and back again.  “Then let’s take this outside.”

“After you.”  Sam nodded toward the door.

Jason swung the door open so hard that it hit the wall.  He stomped through the door way followed by Sam and both men walked off the porch into the front lawn.

“I’m gonna kick your ass mutha’ fucka’” Jason shouted.

“Bring it on pretty boy.”

Sookie looked out the door at the two men circling each other.  “This is insane!”  She stared at Tara expecting her to agree, but Tara was lost in her own little world practically rocking in place.  “Tara!”  She yelled.

“What?!”

“Hello.  Sam and Jason are about to rip each other apart over you.  What the hell’s the matter with you?  Somethin’s been off since you got back from Shreveport.”

“What the hell am I suppose to do?”

“How ‘bout talking some common sense into your boyfriend, or my brother for that matter.  You can’t just play with people’s feelings Tara.”

“Oh that’s rich.  How many love triangles did you run in and out of in the last six months?  I’ve lost count.”

“We don’t have time for this!”  Sookie shouted looking back out the door at the pair of men circling.  No one had thrown the first punch yet.   Sookie looked back at Tara expectantly, but her best friend just stood there.  “Damn it Tara.”  Sookie threw her hands up in the air and ran down the front steps to try and get between her brother and her boss.

“You two need to get a grip.  What’s this going to prove?”

“Get her out of here.”  Sam instructed.

“Sookie, damn it, get back.”

“I will not get back.  Who do you think you’re talking to?  Have you both lost your minds?”

Sam chuckled.  “She’s right Jason.  Even if you won this fight, you still wouldn’t have Tara.  You’d still lose.”  He taunted.

“You’re full of shit Sam Merlotte.  If Sookie so much as batted an eyelash at you you’d leave Tara high and dry.”

“That’s not true!  I’m over Sookie.  Have been for a while.  You’re one to talk.  Heard from Crystal lately?”

“Fuck off!  Maybe she’d still be here if you hadn’t tried to kill her father with your bare hands.”

“You’re calling me a killer?”  Sam fumed.

Jason threw a right hook to Sam’s chin and Sam returned the favor.  In no time the pair were throwing punches and rolling on the ground cussing at each other.  Sookie screamed for them to stop, but they ignored her.

Tara walked out on the porch and stood on the top most step watching the brawl.  Finally Sam got the upper hand and sat on Jason’s stomach delivering punches to his torso and face.  Soon he drew blood and Jason stopped fighting back.

“Sam stop it!”  Sookie commanded worried for her brother.

“Sam.”  Tara called from the porch, but Sam was in a rage and didn’t even hear the girls call his name.

“Sam you’re hurting him!”  Sookie screamed tears forming in her eyes.

Tara calmly walked on to the grass over to where Sam and Jason were.  She knelt down behind Sam over Jason and put her arms around her lover’s torso holding him.

Sam stopped hitting Jason when he felt his girlfriends touch.

“Baby stop.  It’s not a fair fight.”  Tara spoke calmly through her tears.  “I can’t bear to lose any one else that means something to me.”

Sam closed his eyes and placed his hands on top of Tara’s. He silent cursed himself for losing control and letting Jason Stackhouse get the better of him.  Sam pushed up off of Jason and away from Tara and Sookie.  He went over to the porch and sat on the steps with his head in his hands.

Tara still sat over Jason.

“You okay?”  She asked.

“How could you tell him?”

Tara knelt down and helped Jason to his feet. 

“I had to give him something.  He still doesn’t know about Franklin.”  She whispered and Jason nodded.  He’d played with fire and he knew it.

“You keep that fucker away from me.”  Jason shouted and headed to his truck.”

“Jason you shouldn’t drive.”  Sookie called out.  Seeing Jason finally get off the ground unfroze her and she ran to his truck just as he peeled out.

Sookie turned back to face Sam.

“Sam Merlotte.  You know good and well that Jason is no match for a shifter.  You should have walked away.”

“I know.  I’m sorry.  I’m sorry Sookie.  Tell Jason.”

“I don’t think he wants to hear it and frankly…neither do I.”

Sookie stormed off to her own car to follow her brother and make sure he was alright.

Sam looked over at his girlfriend.  She had some of Jason’s blood on her gray t-shirt which made him feel even worse.

“Say something.”  He breathed into the crisp air.

“I’m numb.”  Tara offered with a shrug.  “I can’t figure out which one of us gets to be mad.  Tired of being pissed off all the damn time.”  Tara bit her lip and wiped her face clean of old tears.  “Is this my fault?”

“No.”  Sam shook his head.  “Come here.”  He held out his hand for Tara and she came over to him kneeling between his legs as he sat on the porch.  “I don’t know whose fault it is.  Guess it was going to happen sooner or later.  I’m not even sure it’s over.”  Sam looked at Tara who turned her head.

“Don’t do that Tara.”

“Do what?”

“Keep shit from me.  That’s what I really cared about.  Damn it I love you woman!”

“I love you too.  I just don’t know how.  I told you I’m fuckin’ terrified and no good at this.”

“What are you afraid of Tara?”  Sam cradled the side of her face and she leaned into it.

“You think I’m gon’ leave or change my mind about loving you?”

“Yes.  That’s why I always run and leave first.”

Sam sighed and ran his fingers though her hair.  “Maybe we should take leavin’… off the table.”

“What do you mean?”

“It's not an option for either one of us to cut and run.”

“You serious?”  Tara looked him in the eye.  “No matter what?  Even if I piss you off you won’t high tail it outta here?

“You can’t leave either.  Tara I couldn’t take it if I lost you for a third time.  Hell Tara…I need you.  I need you with me baby.”  Sam wrapped his arms around Tara’s waist and pulled her toward him.

“I’m with you.  I love you.  Only you.”

“Not Jason?”

Tara shook her head.  “Jason doesn’t make me feel like…”

“Like what?”

“Like I deserve love.  Like I’m beaut…”  Tara broke off.

“You are beautiful.”  Sam whispered against her skin placing a kiss on her forehead.  “Think you can stay away from Jason for a while?”

“Think you can refrain from beat the shit outta him?”  Tara picked up one of Sam’s hands and saw the bloody knuckles starting to heal.

“I’m sorry about Eggs Tara.”

“I don’t want to talk about Eggs…or Jason, or Franklin…or anything.”  Tara placed her hand on Sam’s cheek and leaned in for a kiss.

His lips were strong and demanding.  Tara knew what they both needed.

“What do you want to do?”  Sam breathed against her lips before recapturing them and pulling their bodies against each other.

Without breaking the kiss Sam and Tara stood and walked inside Sookie’s house.