In all the years that Sookie's worked alongside Lafayette at Merlotte's, she's only ever known him to skip out on work when real shit's been going down. He's a man who takes pride in his work, and who has a real way with the kitchen, treating it as kindly as someone might a close friend and serving every meal with love and care. When Robin disappeared from Semele's, it was a deep loss for the both of them, not only of a friend but also of a benefactor, and so Sookie and Lafayette had stayed up late into the night to figure out a plan of action that wouldn't let Goodfellow's restaurant fall into disrepair.

For Lafayette not to show up after all that work and effort is completely unlike him. Which is why, before even bothering to stop by her apartment for a much needed break and shower, Sookie practically flies on over to Lafayette's apartment, digging in her purse for the spare key and bursting inside.

It's empty. No sign of struggle. No ransom note. But, more importantly, there's almost no sign of Lafayette left. None of his candles, his statues, his necklaces and scarves draped around with perfume lingering on each bead. Nothing, save for a large shawl thrown over the couch.

Knowing full well what it likely means, Sookie rushes on ahead and bites down on her lower lip, hard, almost enough to draw blood as she wraps herself in the shawl, breathing in the scent and stifling the air until her heart stops pounding enough to leap out of her chest.

Only then does she pack up her things, making her way slowly over to Jason's apartment. She has to believe that he hasn't vanished too. She has to believe, stopping on the sidewalk to peer up at the building, where the lights of the suite are still thankfully on.

Feeling her eyes start to burn at the corners of her eyes, she knocks on the door.

For some people, waking up from a dream started with eyes opening wide. More often than not, Sookie woke up in the exact same way herself, lids flying open and the entirety of the world in front of her, dreams disappearing as easily as the darkness fled with the rising sun. But this time, it was different. She could feel sheets under her hands, the soft pillow below her ear, and these things she clung to desperately, afraid of what she'd see when she woke up. She'd forgotten so much. The way that her bed felt at home, how soft the mattress is, as opposed to the bed she had on the island, remarkably normal in spite of the way it was on an island that no one could explain. And in those few seconds after she was awake, Sookie didn't know what she wanted to open her eyes to, already feeling a tear creep down her cheek as she wondered if she'd wake up to Mitchell, or if she'd wake up alone, or somewhere else altogether. Once, remembering the island alone was enough to convince herself that she was still there, living her new life.

No longer.

Sniffling, Sookie buried her face further into her pillow, not yet ready to wake up, gripping the pillowcase as she took a deep inhale.

"Anyone there?" she asked, voice quiet.