Tara rolled over in her bed and realized there shouldn’t been that much room.  Where was Sam?  Pushing the covers back she sat up and noticed that delicious smells were wafting into the bedroom from the kitchen.  She couldn’t help smiling.  This was the second time Sam and made her breakfast.

Tara rounded the corner into the living room and looked into the kitchen.  Sam was hard at work.

“Morning sleepyhead.”  She smiled over his shoulder finishing up cooking.

Sam slid the omelet out of the pan onto a plate and handed it to Tara with a fork.

“Bon Appetite.”

Tara cut a steaming piece and blew on in before putting it her mouth.  It was heavenly.

“Damn this is good.”

“Thank you.”

“You know.  I half expected hoecakes.”  She joked.

“Well someone was out of bacon.  Can’t make hoecakes without bacon grease.”  He teased and smile. 

Tara looked down at her omelet before he could tell that his smiles made her melt to the core.  She’d almost forgotten about the attack last night and the fact that they still didn’t have any answers.

“Hey.”  Sam interrupted her thoughts.

“What’s up?”

“I gotta get going.  Have to open the bar.”

Tara began to stiffen up and the thought of Sam leaving her.  She’d didn’t have to work today and wasn’t certain if that would keep her safe or make her a sitting duck.

Sam sensed her distress and placed his hands on her shoulders gently massaging her.  “I can come back to check everything thing out if you want.”

“I hate to have you drive back and forth for me.”

“Tara.”  Sam shook his head.  “That’s the least I can do.  I’ll come back before night fall.”

He kissed her forehead again and then gazed down into her eyes.  She wanted to kiss him.  Normally she’d just take what she wanted, but something was holding her back.  Probably the fact that’s she’d left him cold.  How could she leave him one minute then jump him the next?  It was…rude.  And Sam deserved better.

“I’ll see you tonight.”  He breathed and she nodded in agreement

Sam began walking toward the door and pulled the shirt over his head.  Tara realized he was going to shift again.  She’d been to numb to really appreciate the transformation last night.  It happened so quickly.

“Sam wait.”  She called as he reached for the door knob.

He waited for her to say something, but it appeared to be stuck in her throat.

“What is it?”

“Why’d you do all this?  Check up on me?  Stay the night?”

Tara watched Sam mull the question over and then run several responses through his head before he broke his silence.

He sighed and glanced at the floor before looking back up at her and then opening the door. 

“Because I love you Tara.”

Then he shifted out of the sweat pants and took off running towards the mall where he left his car.

Tara closed the door and sat on the couch unable to finish her breakfast.

Because I love you Tara.  The words played in her head over and over.  Had anyone ever said that to her and really meant it?

About an hour later Tara mentally kicked herself for sitting there that long, changed her clothes to a cream sweater and blue jeans, and hopped in her car.  She made it to Bon Temps in record time.

The first place she went was Merlotte’s.  Tara wasn’t really up for seeing a town full of people who had a ton of questions, but that’s where Sam was so…

She parked around back with the employees and almost jumped out of her Pinto.  The parking lot was dead.  Good.  She ran up to the trailer and knocked on the door.  Please, please, please be home.

“Tara?!”

Tara turned to face the all too familiar face.

“Jason.”  She smiled.  He looked good.  Underdressed for the weather though.

He stood there in the parking lot like he was afraid that moving would cause the mirage to disappear.  So Tara came to him.  When she was a foot from him he grabbed her up into a bear hug lifting her off the ground.

“Thank God you’re alright.”

“Jason, are you alright?”  Tara asked.  He sounded like he was on the verge of tears.  The only time she’d seen Jason cry was when he was having blood drained from his penis.

Tara sighed.  “Jason. Can you put me down?”

“Oh sure.”  He placed her one the ground.  “Sorry, I’m just so damn happy to see you.  First Sookie’s back, now you.  Maybe Crystal will be next.  Everything happens in threes right?”

“Crystal’s gone?  Wait what do you mean Sookie’s back?”  Tara panicked

“Yeah.  We all thought maybe you two left together, but when she got back she didn’t even know you were gone.  Hey, where’d you go?”

“Shreveport.”

“What the hell’s in Shreveport?”  Jason shrugged

“Tara!”  Sookie screamed running across the parking lot in nothing but her winter barmaid uniform.

“Sookie.” Tara smiled and hugged her friend as soon as she reached her.

“Where have you been?”  Tara asked as soon as the blonde released her.

“You first?”

“Shreveport.”  Jason answered.

“What’s in Shreveport?”  Sookie inquired.

“That’s what I said.”  Jason added.

“Why don’t we go inside where it’s not so cold?”  Tara instructed to avoid all the questions Sookie was trying to pick out of her mind.

“Actually I got to get to work.”  Jason shrugged and turned back to his truck.  He turned when he reached the door to the truck.  “Now don’t either one of you get any ideas about runnin’ off again.”  He pointed at them.

“I don’t take orders from you.”  Sookie shot back just to annoy her brother.

“Sookie I swear…”

“Bye Jason.”  Sookie spun on her heals, grabbed Tara’s arm and walked back into Merlotte’s.

When they were in the back hallway Sookie released Tara’s arm.

“Guess we can’t be mad at each other since we both did the same thing.”  Tara reasoned.

“You mean leave without saying a word to anyone because we need to get away and knew that no one would understand.  You’re right can’t be mad about that.”  Sookie smiled at her friend and Tara smiled back.

“Is Sam in his office?”

“Yeah I think so.  I really expected him to lay into me, but he just laughed.  Said it’s been that kind of day.” Sookie shrugged.

“Hey I’ll talk to you later ok.”  Tara half asked Sookie as she headed to Sam office.

“Ok.  Sure.”  Sookie smiled nervously wondering why Tara wanted to see Sam.

Tara approached the door and took a deep cleansing breath before she knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in.”

Tara opened the door and saw the man who loved her.  He had bathed as was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black button down.  Boy could he wear a pair of jeans.  He was facing away from her and looking over some paper work.

“Sorry Sookie. Got a lot to do today.  I’ll be out tonight.”

Tara closed the door without a work and crossed the room to stand behind him.  When she didn’t speak Sam finally turned around to see that it was Tara and not Sookie facing him.  Tara and Sam stood their facing each other for a few seconds before Sam placed his papers on the desk and grabbed Tara’s waist with both hands pulling her to him.

Their lips met releasing months of tension and a hunger engulfed them both.  Sam snaked one arm around the small of Tara’s back bringing her closer and his other hand cradled the back of her head and played in her hair.  Tara sighed in to the kiss and grabbed on to Sam’s broad shoulders.  Their kiss softened and Sam pulled back slightly sweetly tasting her lips and caressing her face.  He brushed against her smooth lips with his tongue begging them to part so he could explore.  Tara complied and Sam massaged her tongue with his.  He groaned and she gasped in reply.  It was a beautiful melody.

“Sam.”  She whispered his name when he released her lips and began to devour her neck.

“I’ve missed you, baby.”  He breathed in to her neck.

The sensation of his breath on her skin sent chills down her spin and she clutched on to his shoulder for support.

“I love you Sam.”

Tara wasn’t certain he’d heard her at first, but then he stopped kissing her neck and pulled her close to him again. 

“I don’t know…”  Tara began, but Sam placed his thumb over her lips and quieted her before she could ruin the moment in typical Tara fashion.

Sam moved hand down to her chin and lifted his to his face.  “I’m not asking anything of you Tara.”

Tara wasn’t sure how she felt about that, …relieved…jipped…thankful?  She reached up and ran her hand along his forearm.

“I should get going.  Let you get back to work.”

“Ok.  I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yeah.”  Tara smiled and left the office in a daze.

She was almost to her car when Sookie yelled for her.

“Sorry Sook.  I’ll be back.”  Tara yelled across the parking lot.

“When?”

Tara saw the pained look on Sookie’s face and felt badly for ever feeling that any of her troubles were her friend’s fault.

“I don’t know.  Soon.” 

Tara got in to her car and was pulling into her apartment complex before she could blink.  Sitting in her car she stared at her front door.  It didn’t seem like her door.  She thought about Sookie and Sam and Jason and Lafayette whom she didn’t get to see.

“What am I doing here?”

She didn’t have an answer so Tara packed up her clothes and dishes. She’d just about finished when there was a knock at the door.

She opened it to see the bubbly blonde from Belk standing there.

“Stephanie?”

“Hey Tara.  I didn’t have your number so I thought I’d just pop by for a sec…are you going somewhere?”

Tara looked back and saw her suit cases and a couple of boxes had accumulated in the living room.

“Yeah.  I’m moving.”

“Moving?  Why?”  The girl almost sounded offended.  “I mean you just got here.  Where’re you going?”

“Home.”

“Oh.”  She tried to sound like she was genuinely happy for Tara, but she could tell that the blonde was not happy for her.

“I need to leave soon so…nice knowing you.”  Tara closed the door to finish packing.  She’ probably hurt the young girls feelings again.

Tara sighed feeling badly.  After all Stephanie had come all the way out here to see her. 

Tara went back to the door before she could get too far, but the parking lot was empty.  Stephanie wasn’t anywhere?  Tara hadn’t heard a car start up either.

The people in Bon Temps were strange too, but at least she knew who they were. 

Tara packed her car and didn’t stop until she pulled into Sookie’s gravel driveway.

Sookie was so grateful to see her friend that neither one of them noticed a pair of eyes watching them unpack the Pinto.