AN: I heard the theory being passed around that Sookie could use her light to save Bill, thus ending her fairyness and somehow turning him human. I hated the idea because it sounded so stupid and exactly the kind of thing True Blood would do. Luckily, that is not what happened, and while I wasn't overall pleased with the finale, at least we weren't subjected to a Bill & Sookie HEA. Had that occurred, this would have been my attempt to fix it. Pointless now, but I thought maybe someone would still get a kick out of it. All rights to the characters to belong to Charlaine Harris, HBO, etc.
I am a fucking idiot.
I know what you are thinking. What else is new, right?
I wish I could blame it on how when making a choice, no one likes to focus on the negative consequences, especially if everything seems to go right immediately after the choice has been made. But all that still boils down to is me being a fucking idiot.
I wanted to save Bill. And when I blasted him with my full light thus curing him of his Hep V and draining me of my fairy powers, I thought all our problems had been answered. He no longer had Hep V. I was not longer a carrier. Everything was perfect, especially when the after effect had left Bill human. We could grow old together and raise a family.
I may have had everything I wanted. I was human. Completely human. No telepathy. No fairy powers. I finally had a fully human boyfriend. And everything was fine because I couldn't read his thoughts.
Completely human.
Completely normal.
Completely boring.
I'm dead now so better late than never to be honest with myself.
I was distracted thinking about how pathetic my life had become when I was attacked. Not that I could have done much to prevent it. My lack of telepathy prevented me from noticing the void of a vampire. Not that I actively used my telepathy to help when I had it because I didn't scan for vampires when walking out at night by myself anyway.
Fucking idiot.
I was thinking about how tired I was from waitressing for hours, and how I didn't want to come home to Bill and start another fight. I was better at actually showing up for my job, but no longer had my advantage at scoring extra tips by knowing exactly what customers needed before they could put voice to those needs. And I needed as many tips I could get since I was the only one working in our relationship.
For all Bill's promises of showing me the world, we never actually left Bon Temps. He accumulated some wealth as a vampire, but apparently the favors he received as King of Louisiana ended the minute he was no longer a vampire. Every dollar he 'borrowed' and every barter he made as king to rebuild his ancestral home and outfit it with the latest security and a top-notch dungeon was called upon to be paid back soon after word spread in the vampire community that he was among the humans once again. And being such a human, it was pay or death. He had apparently acquired so many loans in his time as king that selling off his home barely covered what was left of the debts once the money ran out.
Lucky for us, I still had a home. And that's all any good human needs anyway, right? A roof over our heads, a good job to earn what we need, and the love of someone to share it with.
Well, two out of three ain't bad.
The first set of problems with Bill appeared when it was clear he had no marketable skills to get a job. There is not a lot of demand for a former Civil War soldier/human procurer/vampire king or vampire god. Well, maybe he could have used his skills as a human procurer for some nefarious use, but it would have spelled the end of our relationship a lot sooner.
So Bill stayed home while I went to work. He claimed to help around the house, but I tend to keep the place tidy, especially when I'm frustrated. And I was frustrated a lot. Believe me. Turns out, Bill's stamina was more up to snuff when he was a vampire.
He was good a chopping wood, but since Louisiana is more warm than cold in the winter anyway, nights where a fire was absolutely necessary were far and few in between. Besides a good space heater could do the trick, and was a lot less hassle. Hassle for me since Bill could never remember to clean out the fireplace.
Yard work was always done by complete manual labor because Bill didn't know how to use a lawn mower. He never learned. And despite how any twelve year old with a good work ethic could easily learn for a summer job, Bill never wanted to learn. He claimed he preferred the way he had known how to do yard work as a human the first time around. Only since he had gotten used to his vampire speed & strength, the slow work seemed to annoy and tire him easily. I think Tara was on to something about Bill having slaves to do the hard labor for him as a human.
Add to all of this, Bill wasn't one for cooking. Sure, I couldn't blame him because he spent the last couple of centuries not eating human food. I'm not sure I would have wanted to eat anything Bill cooked anyway. But at times when I was most angry, I wondered if it was because Bill couldn't cook and wouldn't learn, or because he simply felt it was my place to do the cooking.
It was as I was walking to my car, tired from my shift and certain Bill would complain about not having dinner or be forced to go out for fast food; that I was too busy silently cursing his name to notice before a vampire attacked me.
I tried to move out of her grip, but it was no use. I should have invested in self-defense classes when I had a chance. I bet Eric would have been willing to train me if I asked. Bill & Alcide probably would have thought it unnecessary as it would have been their duty to protect me. Not that I can fault them too much. I never gave any thought to ask.
I managed to slip one hand out of her hold. I held it to her face thinking for a fleeting moment that my fairy light would come out and save me. Then I remembered I gave it up to save Bill.
Say it with me now: I am a fucking idiot.
So the vampire drained me, but as my luck would have it she wanted to turn me as well. I awoke to find my maker appeared to be not much older than Jessica. And by her personality, that seemed to be both in human and vampire years. I was taken down by baby vamp. My life truly sucked.
She was going on and on about how she always wanted a sister, and how I would be her eternal friend. We would talk every night about boys and fashion and gossip about her what losers her old high school classmates had become. Apparently, Eric wasn't completely right about my saucy attitude being just Fairy Sookie. Fairy Sookie was long gone, and no way was Vampire Sookie going to submit her eternal life to an endless talker. She had already allowed her mortal life to be taken over by one. So I staked my maker before she had a chance to command me to go shopping with her.
There was a small amount of pain. Maybe that was normal. Maybe my maker and I hadn't had the chance to bond enough before it could hurt more. I'm certain Godric's death hurt Eric a lot emotionally, but I never asked if he felt any physical pain.
Mostly I felt elation. This was more likely what Eric felt when he killed Russell. I was free. Free from my maker. Free from my boring human life. Free from…
Bill.
I had to speak to Bill. I owed him that much at least. This past year may have not been my happiest, but we did love each other for a time. He should at least know of my latest change.
I vamped home, and easily walked through the door and only gave it thought once I was inside. The deed to the house was still in my name. I was dead by human standards. So by vampire standards the magical barrier no longer existed. I guess it was a good reason I came home, if for no other reason than I had to inform Bill he was a sitting duck. His vulnerability to vampires was another concept he had trouble dealing with. I swear at times he really would have preferred death to the return of his human life.
Bill was on the couch watching television. He didn't notice me until I stood in front of him.
"Oh, Sookeh, have you just return home? I retired early last night because you said you had a late shift, and when I awoke this morning you were already gone."
"You didn't notice that I never came home?"
"I assumed you had somewhere to be. You never seem to be home lately. You never have dinner cooked for me anymore. We have not made love in several months. I am starting to wonder whether I made the right choice in accepting this life with you. What have you offered me in this last year? I have walked this earth…"
I cut Bill off by grabbing his throat and plunging my fangs into his neck. I was not gentle. I was angry. And my thirst for blood had caught up with me. Sadly, even as the life was slowly draining from him, Bill refused to shut up. I finally had to snap his neck instead of finishing off his blood. Bill Compton had even managed to ruin my first meal as a vampire.
I suppose I should have felt more sadness with his death. And my being the cause of it. But instead of the saying 'with age comes wisdom,' in my case wisdom came with death.
Bill and my cumulative time together prior to us both becoming full human could charitably amount to a couple of months. And most of that time was fraught with fights interspersed with scant moments of happiness. We may have done away with vampire politics and thought it was for the better, but throughout this year I began to see that those moments of intense fear for our lives and our love was the only thing keeping us together.
I once wondered if Romeo & Juliet had some downtime to spend their lives together without fear of their families would they find out if they truly loved one another? Or was it just the rush of going against the world keeping together? I safely assume given enough time in Romeo's presence, Juliet would have killed him herself.
I got what Romeo & Juliet never got. I got a year to live with the man I once considered my soul mate. And it was hell. I assumed Bill's annoying traits were due to being a vampire, but everything that pissed me off about him was still there when I made him human. He was still egocentric and had a healthy martyr complex. And nothing that I once found exciting about him remained. I often found myself wishing I was once again a telepath and he a vampire so I could focus on his silent brain instead of having to endure his incessant talking.
Luckily, he would never speak again. Peace to us all.
Death was inevitable for Bill. He never liked being a vampire. And he wasn't very good at being a human in my time. Looking back, I could definitely say our relationship had an expiration date as well. When Bill first arrived in Bon Temps searching for me, he intended to cause me misery and eventual death. And that's what I ultimately gave to him.
I guess you could say our love came full circle.
Well, despite what everyone may think about the disastrous choices I make, I do not want to die. Not the true death now. I've been lucky in the few hours I've been a vampire without a maker, but I could never survive in the long run without guidance. I had stubbornly refused to understand and control my fairy to my full benefit. I could have survived for a long time and gotten myself out a lot of trouble if I had. But I wanted to be normal. I thought I needed to be normal. And look where that had gotten me.
I changed out of my bloody clothes, and sped off to Fangtasia. Once Eric & Pam's product New Blood had hit the market, they were quick to rebuild their club, and business was once again booming. Surprisingly, Pam was at the door checking IDs. I knew she no longer had to because she was now a full partner in both the club and the synthetic blood business. I suspect she did so she could turn away customers based on their clothing choices. I noticed the attire tended to be more chic like what one would see at popular club and a lot less gothic. I guess some things to do change.
As I approached the door, Pam looked at me with a sneer. Then she caught on to my new status and began laughing. I don't think I ever seen Pam laugh. Not a sincere, full belly laugh anyway. The club goers in line were certainly all surprised, and perhaps even more fearful o her.
"Well, it appears your God does have a sense of humor. In irony, at least," Pam stated once she had control of her laughter.
"I need to see Eric." That stopped Pam's laughter completely. She fixed me with look that said she would stake me with her eyes if she could. The humans in line had begun to back away slowly.
"What gives you the right to demand anything of me or Eric, baby vamp? You've put Eric through enough emotional torture. I'll be damned more than I already am if I allow you continue to do so for eternity."
As she spoke, Pam invaded my space. I knew she could easily kill me. It was luck I had been able to kill my own maker. I caught her off guard. Pam would never let her guard down around me. I may never have been a danger to her, but she didn't trust me.
"I know. I have no right to be here. I hurt Eric, and in turn caused you pain by hurting him..."
"Don't forget you also annoyed the shit out of me. Quite a feat since I don't need to shit." Pam interrupted.
"And I also annoyed the shit out of you. I can't make up for what I've done, but I want to try to make my new vampire life mean something. I want to make this work. And maybe if I try I can do so without your or Eric's help. But I don't want to. What better way to make myself a formidable vampire than by learning from the best vampires I know?"
"Your ability to kiss your elders' asses is good, but it could always use more work."
"And I would like to learn the art of living fashionably at the feet of the most fashionable vampire I've ever known." I added quickly.
"Well - against my better judgment - if Eric agrees to train you, I suppose I may be willing to help you with your wardrobe choices. But you will have to do as I say. And do not fool yourself into thinking that I like you. This will merely be because I cannot allow myself to associate with any vampire who dresses the way you do." Pam waved me through into the club before informing me that Eric was in his office.
Though it was unnecessary, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I listened at his door, and thanked my stars Eric didn't currently have a meal with him. I had no reason to think he'd been celibate for the past year. I'm sure he wasn't. And I had no right to expect it of him. Still, all the same this would be easier if I didn't have to interrupt anything. A few moments after I knocked, Eric gave permission for me to enter.
Not much had changed in this office since I had last been inside it. Even the vampire residing in it had not changed physically. Still as handsome as ever. As he would always be.
I saw the same flash of intense love Eric always had when he set his eyes on me, before he schooled his features of all emotion. I said nothing as I allowed Eric's perusal of my body. When he realized I was now vampire he eyes quickly shot to mine, silently asking me to explain.
"You once said I'd make a good vampire."
"Did I?" Of course, he had to lift his eyebrow in that sexy way he does. The sexy way he does everything.
"Maybe I'm remembering a dream." I tried to speak nonchalantly, but couldn't hide the excitement in my voice. I hadn't seen Eric in over a year. Whether doing so was an attempt to maintain my normalcy or to make a real effort with Bill, I couldn't remember now. All I felt was that eagerness that came with being Eric's presence. He made me feel my light rushing through my body. I hadn't felt that light in over a year. Strange that I would find it again now as a vampire.
Eric moved slowly around his desk to stand in front of me. Towering over me, I wasn't afraid of him. I hadn't been in a long time. Standing close like this, looking up at him was a comfort.
"Who?"
"Doesn't matter. I staked her not long after I rose. I never was comfortable with being forcibly told what to do." I smiled, and was glad when Eric returned it for a moment.
He dropped the smile when he asked, "And how does Bill feel about your change?"
"He didn't get a chance to say much, though he certainly tried. He was my first meal." I shrugged. I know I should feel worse than I did, but it was getting easier and easier to see how much trouble Bill had caused me.
"I am sorry to hear it."
"No, you're not."
Eric smiled. "No, I am not, but I am sorry if it caused you any pain. I know how much Bill meant to you."
"Thank you, but I've come to realize in the past year that if Bill and I had any hope of truly making our relationship work, it would have been long ago. Before I learned the real reason he came back to Bon Temps. Perhaps it never could have worked." Eric nodded silently to my assessment. "Anyways, that was my old life, and I'm hoping with your help I could begin a new life. Have another life as a vampire. I know I have no right to ask you, but I…"
Before I could say anymore Eric swooped down to deliver a kiss worthy of even more passion than that first kiss we shared. The one in this very office. We kissed for a very long time. Thank God for not needing to breathe.
When Eric finally pulled back, I felt the need to say something as he stared at me intensely. "I guess I'm as irresistible as a vampire as I was as a fairy."
"Sookie Stackhouse, whether you be human, fairy, vampire, or even the Gods forbid a Were, you will always be irresistible to me." Eric proved his statement by having his fangs click down.
"The feeling is more than mutual, Mr. Northman." I smiled.
"I would like nothing more than to make passionate, primal love to you on this desk, but as the newly named King of Louisiana, I have to make sure that all the vampires in my kingdom are not causing trouble. Or at least not leaving evidence of trouble that can be led back to us. What did you do with Bill's body?"
"Oh, I kind of left it on my living room floor." I cringed, more out of being careless to exposing myself as a vampire than to being disrespectful to Bill's corpse.
"It is late, so I doubt anyone has found him. We will have to work on curbing your emotions so you won't accidentally kill." He paused considering his thoughts. "Well, maybe not too much. I do love your fire. However for now, we can go over the best way to get rid of a body without causing detection." He led me out of his office and the club.
"Can we put Bill in his grave? That's what it was always for. I think he would have wanted it that way. I think owe him that much at least." The very least.
"Very well. You should inform your brother that you and Bill will be leaving on an extended trip. After a few months, we can return. We'll claim that while on vacation at one of my villas, you & Bill had a fatal accident. As I was visiting you both at the time, I was able to turn you per your wishes, but was too late to save Bill."
"But what about your duty as king? And your business? Can you afford to leave now?"
"You would be surprise how quickly a kingdom comes to order under a vampire as old as I. Pam will take over in my stead. No one would dare harm her and risk my wrath. Besides, we do not need to go too far. And I have reason to suspect you will learn quickly under my tutelage. You took quickly to everything else I have taught you, and those were only things I knew by instinct." He smirked, and his grin grew wider when I attempted what would have been a blush if blood could still rush to my face.
Eric flew us quickly to my home where we recovered Bill's body and buried it.
Bill was right about one thing… Eric & I fucked as only two vampires can.
Right there on top of Bill Compton's grave.
AN2: I'll admit to Sookie being OOC in this story, but what can I say. You try living with Bill daily and not want to kill him.
