Death. (Derek, Summer, Sam)

[Brandy Berry]

"We'll have to wait and see."

Brandy never really had explored Merlotte's, except for going through the kitchen to get outside and to the back. She hadn't even been in Sam's office before, she never really had a reason to be there. It was important to her that she not bother him for work.

Who wouldn't want to work for him? Even her friend Kyle, wanted to get into Merlotte's. Now that she was thinking about the bar, she was also thinking of a bar stool..

Before she knew it, Summer's words had interrupted her thoughts.

"So, I take it all went well then?

Brandy let go of Sam's hand and immediately went over to Summer, wrapping her arms tightly around her in a sudden hug.

"Thank you so much Summer, for everything. I mean it. Anytime you need anything - anything at all you call on me alright?"

It felt like for a moment that something had made Summer a little.. sad. Picking up on it, Brandy put her hand on Summer's shoulder.

"A protection spell? A location spell? Help you find the man of your dreams?"

Brandy was teasing about the last, but hey - you never know!

[Summer Morgan]

Brandy hurried over and hugged Summer tightly.
"Thank you so much Summer, for everything. I mean it. Anytime you need anything - anything at all you call on me alright?"

Summer pulled away with a smile, "Aw, don't worry about it. I did what any friend would do, right?" Summer raised an eyebrow as Brandy rest her hand on her shoulder, something was coming.

"A protection spell? A location spell? Help you find the man of your dreams?"

Summer laughed, "Oh no. I'm fine, don't worry 'bout me" she waved her friend off. Now wasn't the time to go off on a woe is Summer rant. It would bring there whole euphoric high down with a crash and Summer worked too d*mn hard to get them back together. She gave Brandy a look "another time B."

[Brandy Berry]

, "Aw, don't worry about it. I did what any friend would do, right?"

Brandy shook her head.

"No, Summer. Not any friend would do that. You did what any Summer would do. You went above and beyond Summer, and I love that you did because it really meant a lot."

There, of course, was still the bit of concern Brandy felt. She wasn't sure what it was, but -

"Oh no. I'm fine, don't worry 'bout me"

Sometimes Brandy said and did things without thinking. It occurred to Brandy that Summer probably didn't want Sam in on the conversation. Plus, if it bothered Summer to think about it, it was probably better Brandy 'minded her own', for lack of a better term.

"Well I'm always around if you ever want to have a little girl time"

Brandy stepped back, taking a hold of Sam's hand again. The moment their hands touched, she was thinking about doing dirty things with him again. She couldn't help squeezing his hand, just a little bit harder than usual.

[Summer Morgan]

Brandy was shaking her head at Summer and Summer could tell she was about to disagree.
"No, Summer. Not any friend would do that. You did what any Summer would do. You went above and beyond Summer, and I love that you did because it really meant a lot."

If Summer could have blushed, now would have been that moment. Instead she smiled and gave a casual shrug. Before looking at Brandy with a sombre tone.
"You're one of the few people that have actually taken the time to get to know me. I appreciate that, more than you'll ever know." Summer didn't want to get mushy, not in front of Sam at least.

After Summer's mediocre waving off of her inner sadness, Brandy gave her a warm look.
"Well I'm always around if you ever want to have a little girl time"

Summer nodded, "I'll take you up on that sometime." then she noticed Brandy getting cosy with Sam again and looked up at them with a knowing grin. "But not tonight, lets get you crazy kids home safe." Summer turned. "But first we gotta get over this d*mn gate"

[Brandy Berry]

"You're one of the few people that have actually taken the time to get to know me. I appreciate that, more than you'll ever know."

Brandy could actually say the same to Summer.

"I'll take you up on that sometime."

When they got to the gate, Summer seemed a little wide-eyed. How did Brandy get here again? Oh, right - she simply crawled underneath. Summer mentioned something about her and Sam being 'crazy kids' - she had to laugh at that.

"But first we gotta get over this d*mn gate"

"Well... not really over, more like under"

Brandy pointed to one hole underneath where she had squeezed through. It was in a hurry, but if it was big enough for her then they surely could get through it. On her knees and underneath she crawled, coming out the other side - if just a bit dirty from the crawl.

"See? Easy as pie. Just as long as you don't mind getting your hand's dirty - - "

[Summer Morgan]

"Well... not really over, more like under"

Summer shook her head, somehow knowing what Brandy was hinting at.
"See? Easy as pie. Just as long as you don't mind getting your hand's dirty - - ". Oh yeah, Summer had suspected right.

"Oh no, I'm not doin' that." Summer said as she watched Brandy crawl under the gate. "I'll get out the way I got in." and she rubbed her hands together and pounced on the gate, climbing up with as much grace as anyone could, before leaping down onto the gravel below.

She stood next to Brandy, waiting to see what way Sam would choose. Over or Under. Summer folder her arms over and had a smirk on her face. It really was an amusing scenario.

[Sam Merlotte]

Sam eyed the gate, it was high but not that high. Summer was able to get over it with very little effort. Surely he could too?
Then there was the under. Brandy made that look pretty easy too and he couldn't help but watch the way she nimbly slithered underneath the gate. Now would be a very bad time to get ideas into his head.

Sam looked up at the gate then through the bars at Brandy and Summer. Then he leaped up onto the gate and deftly climbed over and leaped off.

"Shall we go?"

[Brandy Berry]

Brandy could only laugh as both shifters chose to hop over the fence. They didn't want to get their hands dirty or something? She smirked at the thought and turned to Sam, reaching for his hand as she walked back toward Bon Temp's with the pair.

"So I guess I now know why Sam shot me in the @ss with that paintball. I never get the proper healing for that - I just managed to get the bruise to go away thankfully!"

Good timing to, all things considered.. that might of been distracting during sex' she thought. And of course, that just got her all worked up again.

"You know what Merlotte's needs? Like, a karaoke night. One night a week for strange and drunk creatures to sing their lives away. I bet that would get you lot's of business Sam!"

Lot's of business indeed! She didn't take into account that due to his sensitive hearing, listening to the really bad ones would be torture for him!

"Could you imagine? Really? A vampire up there singing 'I'm walking on sunshine?' Ironic!"

[Sam Merlotte]

"You know what Merlotte's needs? Like, a karaoke night. One night a week for strange and drunk creatures to sing their lives away. I bet that would get you lot's of business Sam!"

Sam raised both eyebrows at the suggestion. It would generate a lot of business. "Well, I'll certainly think that one over. Might be fun."

"Could you imagine? Really? A vampire up there singing 'I'm walking on sunshine?' Ironic!"

The image was amusing and Sam couldn't help but smile. Brandy was so full of energy and life. Just brimming over with an infectious joy.
"That would be an eye opener."

[Brandy Berry]

. "Well, I'll certainly think that one over. Might be fun."

Oh! So he liked the idea? This was a definite plus! The would probably draw attention to a different crowd.. maybe get more of the local young adults to come by. Nothing bonded people better than pouring out your heart into a microphone.

She figured she would help out, with the machine and the screen needed - and finding a person to run it. She wondered how much that would cost, could Sam afford it? Surely the extra business it brought would be worth it. Her mind was full of all sorts of ideas.

Maybe even Sam would - no. She knew he wouldn't. She would though, sing a song for him.. and just not tell anybody who she was singing it for.

"That would be an eye opener."

Heh. Yeah. She could only imagine. She looked at Summer, would she come too? Brandy bet she had a real nice voice..

"Sam.. um, can we stop by the bar after we drop Summer off? I noticed you had a jukebox in there and I was kind of curious to see if you have a certain song on there..."

[Summer Morgan]

Summer walked a few paces behind Sam and Brandy, not wanting to cramp the blossoming couples style. Three's a crowd as the saying goes. Brandy began brainstorming about a karaoke night at Merlotte's, she seemed keen. Sam did too, which surprised her somewhat. Brandy gave Summer a look, a look she didn't like at all.

"Oh no!" Summer waved her hands emphatically. "Absolutely not. I don't sing, at least not for people. I may not be able to get the time off. I'm pushing it with the Herveaux's as it is." she looked at her friend, "but if I can get the time to come - that is if it happens - then I'll at least come by for a drink."

[Sam Merlotte]

"Sam.. um, can we stop by the bar after we drop Summer off? I noticed you had a jukebox in there and I was kind of curious to see if you have a certain song on there..."

"We'd have to go there first. Summer's bike is still in the parking lot. But sure we can go in" he looked at his watch, "Should be about closing time when we get there. I can make sure everythings as it should be."

His eyes lingered on Brandy for a few moments. His mind working overtime. There was so much he wanted to say, but with Summer with them it was awkward and uncomfortable.

[Brandy Berry]

"We'd have to go there first. Summer's bike is still in the parking lot. But sure we can go in"

"oh - I forgot you were open late. I would warn you about how spending so much time with me would make you lose your job but.. hello.. your kinda the boss!"

At least she hoped she wasn't messing things up for him in that department. Sometimes you had no choice but to keep your personal life and your business life separate.

"Should be about closing time when we get there. I can make sure everythings as it should be."

Oh. Well, did that mean he was closing soon? Did he want Summer to come in as well? Brandy was trying to find a way to say she wanted the bar to themselves.

How much longer was the bar open for? Well, she wasn't getting the questions answered this way.

"How long is the bar open for? I was kind of hoping.. I could uh.. help you close up the place?"

[Sam Merlotte]

"How long is the bar open for? I was kind of hoping.. I could uh.. help you close up the place?"

Sam turned his head towards Brandy at her questions. It was subtle, but not subtle enough. He could sense her heart racing, his was too and he knew Summer would be able to sense it also. He felt a brief moment of guilt, Summer must be feeling awkward and very much the third wheel. He never even thanked her for her help in locating Brandy.

"Summer, I uh." he stumbled over his words. "Thank you. Thank you for helping me find Brandy. You didn't have to do this but you did. I really appreciate it."

[Summer Morgan]

"Summer, I uh." he stumbled over his words. "Thank you. Thank you for helping me find Brandy. You didn't have to do this but you did. I really appreciate it."

Summer was off in a daze, trying her best to keep her distance from the couple. She felt very alone, self-concious though she knew it wasn't purposeful on either of them. It still stung that men just seemed to be very wary of her and be so intimidated that the chances of every finding love again seemed incredibly slim. She tried not to dwell on it. Mopey Summer was not a good look at all. Sam's words seemed to click in her head and she turned her smile back on.

"Oh please, don't worry about it. What else was I supposed to do?" Summer waved his apology off as if it were nothing. It was nothing. She was just being a good friend and in her mind making up for not being able to prevent Derek from getting to them.

Summer saw the Merlotte's sign high in the distance, they were close. At last She turned to them, her back to the bar but kept walking. "I'm just gonna rush on ahead. I've suffocated you guys enough. Have a good night k?" Summer looked over at BB and gave her a wink before turning to Sam with a deadpan look.

"Sam, honey." she paused trying not to fall about laughing. "It would never have worked out between us sweety."