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At six in the , Hunter climbed onto ht was a whisper Just this once, his using our mind-to-mind communication would have been better But naturally, he decided to talk out loud

"Uh-huh?" This had to be a bad dreaht," Hunter told me

"Uh?" Maybe a dream within a drea hair like a lady"

I pushed up on htened "Yeah?" I said, which was at least borderline coherent "What color?"

"Yellow," Hunter said, after a little thought I suddenly realized that ht be a little shaky on the identification of colors

Uh-oh "So what did he do?" I asked I struggled to sit all the way up The sky outside was just getting lighter

"He just looked at me, and he smiled," Hunter said "Then he went in the closet"

"Wow," I said inadequately I couldn&039;t be sure (until dark, that is), but it sounded veryplace in o pee," Hunter said, and slid off my bed to scamper into my bathroom I heard him flush a minute later, and then he washed his hands - or at least, he turned on the water for a second I collapsed back ontosadly of the hours of sleep I was dooot out of bed in own and threw on a robe I stepped into my slippers, and after Hunter exited my bathroom, I entered it

A couple of hts on I went directly to the coffeepot, and I found a note propped on it I recognized the handwriting immediately, and the endorphins floodedincredulous that I was up andthis time with my little cousin The note, which had been written on one of the pads I keep around for grocery lists, said, "My lover, I cah I was tee men A fairy upstairs and a little child downstairs - but as long as there&039;s not one in my lady&039;s chamber, I can stand it I need to talk to you when I rise" It was signed, in a large scrawl, "ERIC"

I put the note aside, trying not to worry about Eric&039;s urgent need to talk to , and then I pulled out the griddle and plugged it in "I hope you like pancakes," I told Hunter, and his face lit up He put his orange juice cup down on the table with a happy bang, and juice slopped over the edge Just as I was about to give hi look, he jumped up and fetched a paper towel He took care of the spill with esture

"I love pancakes," he said "You can make &039;em? They don&039;t come out of the freezer?"

I hid a smile "Nope I can make &039;em" It took about five riddle was hot I put on some bacon first, and Hunter&039;s expression was ecstatic "I don&039;t like it floppy," he said, and I promised him it would be crisp That was the way I liked it, too

"That s in the doorway, his arood as anyone can look that early in thea maroon University of Louisiana at Monroe T-shirt and some black workout shorts

"Who are you?" Hunter asked

"I&039; hair like a lady, too, Hunter said

He&039;s a h, just like the other man "Claude, this is another cousin ofto visit?"

"His an, and I shook ht have been about to say any nuht have said, "the bisexual" or "the one the albino, Waldo, killed in the cemetery in New Orleans" These would both have been true, and Hunter needed to hear neither of the around that you wanted to eat soracefully, pouring himan looks like he could eat a lot of pancakes"

Hunter was delighted with this idea, and he and Claude began topping each other on the number of pancakes they could consume I was surprised that Claude was so at ease with Hunter, though the fact that he was char the child effortlessly was no surprise to

"Do you live here in Bon Te at the absurdity of such an idea "I live withI didn&039;t want anyone supernatural knowing about Hunter, understanding what et out the syrup and the molasses?" I said "It&039;s in the pantry over there"

Claude located the pantry and brought out the Log Cabin and the Brer Rabbit He even opened both bottles so Hunter could sot the pancakes on the griddle andso Hunter where the forks and knives were so he could set the table

We were a strange little fa our breakfast conversation, I had to keep eachwhat the other was, and that was a real challenge Hunter told me silently that Claude must be a vahts, and I had to tell Hunter that there were some other people we couldn&039;t hear, too I pointed out that Claude couldn&039;t be a vampire because it was daytime, and vampires couldn&039;t come out in the daytime

"There&039;s a vampire in the closet," Hunter told Claude "He can&039;t come out in the daytime"

"Which closet would that be?" Claude asked Hunter

"The one in my roo any vampire wants is to be disturbed in the daytime I&039;d leave him alone"

"Your Eric?" Claude asked He was excited by the idea of Eric being in the house Daht? I ht?"

He sly "Ha I&039;er than any human"

I started to say, "So how come I survived the war between the fae and so many fairies didn&039;t?" Thank God I didn&039;t The ood it was that I&039;d choked on those words, because I could see by Claude&039;s face that he remembered who&039;d died all too well I missed Claudine, too, and I told him so

"You&039;re sad," Hunter said accurately And he was picking up on all this, which shouldn&039;t be thought of in his hearing

"Yes, we&039;re re his sister," I said "She died and we miss her"

"Like my mom," he said "What&039;s a fay?"

"Yes, like your mom" Sort of Only in the sense that they were both dead "And a fae is a special person, but we&039;re not going to talk about that right now"

It didn&039;t take a telepath to pick up on Claude&039;s interest and curiosity, and when he sauntered back down the hall to use the bathrooh, Claude&039;s steps slowed and stopped at the open door to the bedroo," I said

"I can&039;t take a peek? He&039;ll never know I&039;ve heard how handso I&039;d better stay in sight of that door until Claude was out of the house Just a peek, my round rosy ass

"What about your ass, Aunt Sookie?"

"Oops! Sorry, Hunter I said a bad word" Didn&039;t want Claude to know I&039;d only thought it I heard hi as he shut the bathroo that I had to let Hunter brush his teeth in mine After I heard the squeak of the stairs and the sound of the television overhead, I was able to relax I helped Hunter get dressed, and then I got dressedattention to the process Evidently, Kristen had never let Hunter watch what he considered to be a fascinating procedure

"You should come to live with us, Aunt Sookie," he said

Thanks, Hunter, but I like to live here I have a job

You can get another one

"It wouldn&039;t be the same This is my house, and I love it here I don&039;t want to leave"

There was a knock on the front door Could Re this early to collect Hunter?

But it was another surprise altogether, an unpleasant one Special Agent Tom Lattesta stood on the front porch

Hunter, naturally, had run to the door as fast as he could Don&039;t all kids? He hadn&039;t thought it was his dad, because he didn&039;t know exactly when Remy was supposed to show up He just liked to find out as visiting

"Hunter," I said, picking hient His name is Tom Lattesta Can you remember that?"

Hunter looked doubtful He tried a couple of tiht

"Good job, Hunter!" Lattesta said He was trying to be friendly, but he wasn&039;t good with kids and he sounded fake "Ms Stackhouse, can I coht they always traveled in pairs

"I guess so," I said, without enthusiasm I didn&039;t explain who Hunter was, because it was none of Lattesta&039;s business, though I could tell he was curious He&039;d also noticed there was another car parked outside

"Claude," I called up the stairs "The FBI is here" It&039;s good to inform unexpected company that someone else is in the house with you

The television fell silent, and Claude caolden brown silk T-shirt and khakis, and he looked like a poster for a wet dream Even Lattesta&039;s heterosexual orientation wasn&039;t proof against a surge of startled adent Lattesta,not to smile

Hunter and Claude and I sat on the couch while Lattesta took the La-Z-Boy I didn&039;t offer hient Weiss?" I asked The New Orleans-based agent had brought Lattesta, based in Rhodes, out to my house last time, and in the course of many terrible events, she&039;d been shot

"She&039;s back at work," Lattesta said "Still on a desk job Mr Crane, I don&039;t believe I&039;ve ot Claude Of course, my cousin knew that very well "You haven&039;t had the pleasure," he told the FBI ure that out before he sht," he said "Listen, Ms Stackhouse, I caer a subject for investigation"

I was stunned with the relief that swept over randfather I wondered how s he&039;d pulled, to make this co to miss it, you understand, but I have to wonder what&039;s changed"

"You seem to know people who are powerful," Lattesta said, with an unexpected depth of bitterness "Soovernment doesn&039;t want your name to come up in public"

"And you flew all the way to Louisiana to tell h disbelief into ht that was bullshit

"No, I flew all the way down here to go to a hearing about the shooting"

Okay That made more sense "And you didn&039;t have my phone number? To callto investigateabout you," he said, and the façade was gone It was a relief Now his outside one sooes to s¨¦ances She&039;s reading books about the paranormal Her husband is worried about her The bureau is worried about her Her boss is having doubts about putting her back out in the field"

"I&039;m sorry to hear that But I don&039;t see that there&039;s anything I can do about it" I thought for a ry eyes He was thinking angry thoughts, too "Even if I went to her and told her that I can&039;t do what she thinks I can do, it wouldn&039;t help She believes what she believes I ah I didn&039;t want the FBI noticingour conversation

"Adenuinely curious to hear what he&039;d say The first time he&039;d been on ht I was his key to a quick rise in the bureau

"Ad"

Aha He really believed that I disgusted and repelled hi

"I&039;ve been watching you, Ms Stackhouse I&039;ve been called off, but if I can tie you in to any investigation that will lead back to you, I&039;ll do it You&039;re wrong I&039;et a chance to finish

"Don&039;t think bad things about my aunt Sookie," Hunter said furiously "You&039;re a bad man"

I couldn&039;t have put it better myself, but I wished for Hunter&039;s own sake that he had kept his hed "He&039;s scared of you," he told Hunter Claude thought it was a great joke, and I had a feeling he&039;d knohat Hunter was all along

I thought Lattesta&039;s grudgeto give ent Lattesta," I said, in as e "You have a safe drive back to Baton Rouge, or New Orleans, or wherever you flew in"

Lattesta was on his feet and out the door before I could say another word, and I handed Hunter to Claude and followed hi around in his pocket, before he realized I was behind hi device He wheeled around to give ry look

"You&039;d use a kid," he said "That&039;s low"

I looked at him sharply for a minute Then I said, "You&039;re worried that your little boy, who&039;s Hunter&039;s age, has autiso badly for you and ent Weiss You&039;re scared because you reacted to Claude You&039;re thinking of asking to transfer into the BVA in Louisiana You&039;re mad that I know people who can make you back off"

If Lattesta could have pressed himself into the metal of the car, he would&039;ve I&039;d been a fool because I&039;d been proud I should have let hio without a word

"I wish I could tell you who it ho put me off-limits to the FBI," I said "It would scare your pants off" In for a penny, in for a pound, right? I turned and went back up the front steps and into the house A moment later, I heard his car tear down ravel as it went

Hunter and Claude were laughing in the kitchen, and I found the water in the sink, which still had so on a stool I used to reach the top shelves of the cabinets It was an unexpectedly happy picture

"So, Cousin, he&039;s gone?" Claude asked "Good job, Hunter I think there&039;s a lake monster under that water!"

Hunter blew even harder, and water drops spattered the curtains He laughed a little too wildly

"Okay, kids, enough," I said This was getting out of hand Leave a fairy alone with a child for a few lanced at the clock Thanks to Hunter&039;s early wake-up call, it was only nine I didn&039;t expect Remy to coo to the park, Hunter"

Claude looked disappointed that I&039;d stopped their fun, but Hunter was garabbed my softball mitt and a ball and retied Hunter&039;s sneakers

"A a little miffed

I was taken by surprise "Sure, you can coreat Maybe you should take your own car, since I don&039;t knoe&039;ll be doing afterward" My self-absorbed cousin genuinely enjoyed being with Hunter I would never have anticipated this reaction - and truthfully, I don&039;t think he had anticipated it, either Claude followed nolia Creek Park, which stretched on either side of the creek It was prettier than the little park close to the elementary school The park wasn&039;t much, of course, since Bon Temps is not exactly a wealthy little town, but it had the standard playground equip track, and plenty of open area, picnic tables, and trees Hunter attacked the jungle gym as if he&039;d never seen one before, and maybe he hadn&039;t Red Ditch is smaller and poorer than Bon Temps

I found that Hunter could climb like a monkey Claude was ready to steady hi if I&039;d done it I wasn&039;t sure why that should be, but I knew it to be true

A car pulled up as I enticed Hunter down froot out and ca

"Who&039;s your friend, Sookie?" she called

The tight top she earing er than she had when she&039;d conancy shorts scooted down under her belly I knew extra money wasn&039;t plentiful in the du Rone/Thornton household these days, but I hoped Tara could find et so Unfortunately, her clothing store, Tara&039;s Togs, didn&039;t carry maternity stuff

"This is my cousin Hunter," I said "Hunter, this isset, chose that moment to leap off and bound over to where we stood "Tara, this is my cousin Claude"

Now, Tara had known me all her life, and she knew all thethis introduction and giving Hunter a friendly snized him - she&039;d seen him in action But she never blinked an eye