As always, not mine; I'm just borrowing the characters and the 'verse for a moment.


"Damn," stated Bill with all of the passion of a man who had just missed his train, knowing he'd have to wait a whole five minutes for the next one.

The vampire stood in a sunny spot at high noon and watched as the truck carrying his nearly-dead-at-his-hand-wife-to-be sped down the road. Then he took off at top, (nighttime), vampire speed.

It wasn't supposed to happen this way.


One year prior

Bill entered the Queen's waiting room, it was adorned with rich reds and purples, accenting the dark mahogany wood which dominated the room. It was early in the night, and the last place he wanted to be was here, but she had summoned him, he had no choice. Bill, clad in black leather from his neck down, waited as he watched Sophie-Anne threaten one of her peons.

The Queen lurched onto the standing blond vampire. Her legs clamped around hips, her left hand flew to his scalp, entangling her fingers in his hair and yanking down his head forcefully. Her right hand pressed the tip of a gilded stake to his chest.

"Make. Them. Go. Away."

The gulp coming from Antoine was audible before he whispered a protest, "But Your Majesty, the humans at the IRS-."

The rest of his sentence vanished as the stake slid into his chest, its tip scratching his heart, the Queen ready at any moment to push it in those last few millimeters.

"As you wish," he gasped as regally as he could manage.

Bill guessed from the look in his eyes, Antoine would not be going near the IRS, Queen Sophie-Anne, or Louisiana for the next few decades. He couldn't blame him. The Queen's retainer to Bill was two months behind already, and Bill had little patience for the woman's antics. He'd put up with her at first because he needed protection from a monarch to ensure his safety and independence from Lorena. Louisiana had drawn him in with New Orleans' decadence while poverty blighted the rest of the country. He also had the slightest of fondness for his home state.

Once he'd introduced himself to the Queen, she'd employed him in a job that quite suited his talents: procuring meals and lays for her. One portion of the relationship with his Maker Bill had quite enjoyed was the art of deception and seduction. Sliding masterfully into one role or another was a favorite activity of Bill's-it let him forget his true self.

He'd a planned tête-à-tête with the Queen later this week. Since she was behind in his salary, he figured it was a good time to take a leave of absence. Now that vampires were known to humans, he wanted to fly to Europe and spend sometime sightseeing, and more importantly, networking.

He was quite certain Sophie-Anne wouldn't be queen for much longer. A rich state like Louisiana under such weak control? He'd no doubt someone would soon attempt to seize power. When that happened, he wanted to be as distanced from the Queen as possible; courts of conquered loyalties typically met their final deaths immediately. Bill had no delusions about his current power and status.

"Ah, yes! Mr. Compton!" the Queen's sugary sweet voice, a high-pitched overture that was painful to Bill's ears, rang out as soon as Antoine had left the court.

Bill did a half-bow, "Your Majesty. How may I be of service?"

Sophie-Anne reclined on her red velvet chaise lounge and feigned exhaustion. Her over-theatrics of dropping her head back, placing the back of her hand against her forehead and sighing vexed Bill deeply. He impatiently waited for her order.

"William, I'm deeply troubled and in need of a distraction. I'm thinking, plump, blonde and Southern. But not too plump, the way they used to come."

Bill nodded briskly, he couldn't wait to be out of her domain. "Of course."


She was sitting on a park bench, clearly distraught. Her blonde hair fell in soft curls about her face and her outfit complimented her ample bosom. As Bill approached her, he could smell the desperation wafting off of her skin. She looked up at her with wide, round eyes.

"What's your name?" "Hadley," her voice was sweet with a slight Southern tang.

"What are you doing here, Hadley?" Bill focused his glamour on her.

"Hoping to find someone to pay me for sex so I can buy some more heroin."

Bill evaluated her form, and it was clear she hadn't been on the streets or on heroin for long, "Do you have a family, Hadley? A husband or children?"

"I ran away from my husband and son last month to be with my girlfriend. She got me hooked on drugs and then abandoned me."

Bill nodded. She was perfect; desperate for love and money, a damaged Southern belle no one would mourn or miss.


"Yum," Sophie-Anne's voice was deep with lust. "You outdid yourself, Mr. Compton." She traced the jawline and neck of Hadley slowly, sensuously, and inhaled her scent deeply. "Yes, this one will do. I've heard you're interested in taking a leave."

Bill was taken aback. Her moments of competent management were so rare, he never expected them. "Yes, Your Majesty. I hope you don't mind. I've been meaning to explore Europe, I never had a chance to go."

While undressing Hadley with her eyes, Sophie-Anne stated flippantly, "Well go on then, you'll love Venice."

Before she could change her mind, Bill left.


Six months later, in Sweden

Bill and Raul chuckled while toying with one another's hair. The amount of tail Bill had landed while in Europe had been epic, and with good reason. He was enjoying the new faces, and more importantly, the new connections he was making with those in power.

Oddly enough, unlike the USA, Europe and the Middle East weren't controlled by Kings and Queens. They'd switched over to a more unified ruling power once they'd come out of the coffin-mostly for practical reasons.

Human acceptance of vampires ranged wildly from country to country. Slovenia and Romania accepted the news with giddiness. The UK and Scandanavian countries accepted vampires as part of their wide tolerance for all beings. France rejected vampires due to their non-conformity, their intolerance of vampires rivaled their hatred of women donning burkas. Italy, Spain and all of the Middle Eastern countries but Kuwait and the U. A. E. , were united in their hatred of vampires as unholy creatures-rejecting them based on their respective religions. Most of the Eastern European nations reacted the same way.

The Authority decided to consolidate power and pooled the regents' resources to ensure safe passage for vampires who found themselves in hostile nations. It had worked well and the final death count was shockingly low. Due to the overwhelming success, no one objected when the Authority continued to rule, or, at least, any of the former monarchs dimwitted enough to complain were quickly silenced (with stakes).

Rule on the continent was quite heavy-handed and there was a zero tolerance policy for those who refused to obey. It was a key part of the Authority's campaign to increase public acceptance of vampires in all nations. The antics which went unchecked in the USA irked the Authority to no end, and he sent his most stern magister to govern all of North America. He hoped the Magister's Inquisition background would ensure obedience.

Raul invited Bill up to his room and Bill smiled coyly. He was only five degrees apart from the Authority now. It was only a matter of weeks; he could barely control himself from vibrating with excitement.


Three months later, in London

"So, Mr. Compton, I've heard much about you. I must say I'm impressed with your skills," languorously spoke Vlad, also known as the Authority. "For an American, you've made your way to my acquaintance in record time."

"It has been my greatest pleasure to meet you, Your Holiness."

"Yes, I am sure it has," Vlad said dismissively, "But now I must send you back home."

Bill blinked, "Your Holiness, did I do something to upset you?"

"Not at all, boy, not at all. You've impressed me so much, I've decided to task you with a sacred duty. It just so happens you'll need to return to your human hometown of Bon Temps, Louisiana to complete this task."


*crosses fingers and shuts eyes tightly* So what do you guys think? If people are interested, I'm thinking of continuing this narrative, looking at key scenes from all three seasons of True Blood and what might have been Bill's motives for certain lines and actions.

Should I expand this story or leave it as a one-shot? Please review and let me know!