Disclaimer*** No copyright infringement intended. These characters are exclusive property of Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and HBO.
Bill had been expecting Sam, but Sookie along with him was quite the surprise. He had a feeling it wasn't exactly Sookie's idea to be there in the first place, given the tension he could see plain on her face. She did her best to be polite, smiling even, but Bill knew her too well, even after all this time.
"Sam, Sookie." He greeted them, keeping his own expression carefully controlled as he escorted them into his office. Sam was here to discuss what had happened at his home last night, and what they needed to do next, but Bill wasn't quite sure why Sookie was here.
"Evenin' Bill. Sorry to spring an extra guest on you like this, but Sookie was with us today and helped us figure a few things out. I was headed to take her home, but thought it would be good to have her here."
That caught Bill off guard, though it probably shouldn't have. If Sam had asked Sookie for help, or even implied that they might have needed some help, Sookie would have insisted she come along. Sookie had never been one to run away from helping the people she cared about.
"Were you able to find anything useful? To figure out who attacked your home?" Bill leaned against his desk with Sam and Sookie taking the chairs. Bill tried to stay focused on Sam, on what they were discussing, but he kept finding his eyes drawn back to Sookie. She was still as beautiful as ever, if not even more so. She looked healthy, happy. The last time he had really seen her, before the night of the attack, had been almost half a year ago. At that time, they both had been going through some difficult things, but Sookie as a human showed the ill effects of stress much more than Bill had. She had lost weight, she had looked exhausted and strained. He was glad to see that she now appeared recovered from all she had been through.
"We found 'em, or at least one of the places they'd been hanging out. An abandoned storefront linked to the license plate Jess was able to get. Unfortunately we were too late. They had cleared out by the time we got there, but it looked like they left in a hurry. The things they left behind… It's not good."
"What kinds of things?"
"Pictures and maps, pinned up on a board- of Bon Temps and Monroe. Pictures of me and Nicole, my office. Some of your place, and of you and Jessica, pictures of other people in town, human and vampire. Somehow they've been doing major surveillance without anyone noticing. You could tell some things had been torn off the board in their hurry. There was evidence of weapons, too, shell casings and the like. It was like they were making some sort of attack plan. They even had a copy of your book, the pages ripped out, things highlighted and scribbled over. Andy and Jason collected everything as evidence, they've got quite a bit to sort through."
"There was so much hate in that room," Sookie added, shaking her head. Her eyes finally met Bill's for the briefest moment before she looked away, her attention on Sam. "We just found out about this human vampire safety plan in the last week, how could they have come together so fast to attack you?"
"I don't know. Bill and I have been talking for awhile, working on coming up with a way to keep the town safe. Maybe they got wind of one of our meetings?" Sam turned his attention back to Bill. "As good of a seller your book is, I imagine it's also made you a few new enemies."
That was a bit of an understatement, if Bill's mail had been any indication. Thankfully the publishers handled it all. Occasionally they would send some of the positive pieces his way, but he was informed that there was no shortage of hate mail coming his direction. He had expected it, knowing that putting himself out there would lead to some hate, but for people to actually act on it, to attack innocent humans because of him… he just hoped the good he was doing with his book was worth it.
"Yes, of course. There are those who will never accept us, especially with the threat of Hepatitis V. I am sorry this has put your family in danger."
"Don't apologize, you couldn't have known. If we hadn't worked together, who knows how many people could have gotten killed the other night, including my family."
"Where there any leads on who's behind this? How we can stop them?"
"The name the truck was registered to belonged to someone who's been dead for years, he used to own an electronics store that went out of business right around then. The area was essentially deserted, it was almost like being in a ghost town."
"It was horrible, the people, what seemed like all of them, they were just gone. Even in the daylight. How could this happen? With no one there to help them, they didn't stand a chance. It may be wrong, the way they're attacking Sam and good people, but with what had to have happened in that town... I can see why these hateful groups are forming." Sookie shook her head, Bill could almost see the pain and fear she felt for the people missing from Monroe.
His attention was on what Sookie was saying. He was trying to stay focused on the task in front of them instead of the way her familiar scent tripped up all of his senses. If a town so close to them had been all but wiped out by the infected, they were facing even more danger than Bill had thought.
"She's right. You could smell the fear in the air, that could have been Bon Temps. We've got enough to deal with fighting off the infected vampires, dealing with some vigilantes is only gonna cost more lives."
"Were you able to find anything more? What they're planning next? Where they went?"
"If it weren't for Sookie we would have really come home empty handed." Sam nodded towards Sookie, so she could explain.
"We had that lead, like Sam said. But Andy and Jason weren't coming up with much as far as how to find 'em. We were just about to head back when I heard it, people thinkin'. Watching us."
"We would have completely missed them, a young family who had been living upstairs. They had been trying to stay hidden from the infected, just trying to protect their kids. They figured living above a building filled with gun toting crazies would keep them safe."
"They didn't know who they were, but they said that sometimes as many as ten or fifteen people would be there, mostly men. They stayed upstairs and out of sight, not wanting to get caught trespassing." Sookie shook her head as she remembered, her face rife with sadness. "They didn't have anywhere else to go, anywhere they could feel safe."
"We ended up bringing them back to town with us. Monroe is a mess, they wouldn't be safe there... and Sookie wouldn't leave without them. They're staying in one of my new rentals. Andy was going to try and talk to them again, to see if they remembered anything else."
"The wife, she remembered overhearing something about Shreveport, that they were going there or moving there. Or maybe just that they were planning some sort of attack there, I'm not sure." Sookie shook her head with her uncertainty.
"I hope that means they've moved on for awhile." Sam added, "But we'll have to be extra careful. I'm gonna do some askin' around, seeing if anybody remembers some strangers in town recently."
"I've been looking for news of any other attacks, it sounds like there have been some similar attacks in other towns around Louisiana, specifically in towns with larger healthy vampire populations."
"Are there other places doing something similar to what ya'll came up with? Vampires and humans workin' together? That would definitely be a target for hateful people like this." Sookie looked between Bill and Sam, questioning them both. "I still don't understand why they would waste their energy on the vampires and humans that are trying to keep us safe."
"We have shared the idea with others, yes." Bill said. "We will need to warn them as well."
"I can take care of that." Sam chimed in, standing up from his chair. "I've got some calls to make anyway."
"Please keep me informed if the Sheriff comes up with anything else. Vigilance for not only the infected, but also this other group is imperative. They will target Bon Temps again if they aren't caught."
"Of course. You be careful out here. They had your picture on the wall, too."
"I will. I'm certain we will be in touch soon."
Sookie also stood, walking with Sam towards the front door. Bill was torn, he didn't want her to go, but he didn't know how to ask her to stay, to visit with him for awhile. He wanted her to talk to him, to share a few moments with him. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for what had transpired between them. Even if that made him a fool, he couldn't help it. It's not like he expected her to fall into his arms or anything, but something akin to friendship would be better than whatever this was.
Bill pulled the door open for them both, shaking Sam's hand in goodbye before facing Sookie. "Would you like me to walk you home?" She didn't have far to go, and the night was warm, but the look on Sookie's face wasn't very promising.
"Actually," Sam interrupted before Sookie could say anything, "I'm running kind of late, Nicole was expecting me home awhile ago. So Bill, if you don't mind, it would save me a few minutes drive and keep me out of trouble."
"Oh, Sam. You should have said something." Sookie looked mortified, "You should get home. I can walk, it's fine."
"It's settled then. Goodnight Sam."
"Thanks, Bill. Goodnight." He nodded, winking at Bill before he turned back to Sookie. " 'Night, Sook. See you tomorrow." He was down the steps and heading for his car without waiting for Sookie to respond. Bill just knew Sam wasn't telling him something, which left him quite perplexed. He didn't have much time to ponder when Sookie turned her dark eyes on him. The tension was back in her face, she seemed almost nervous, dropping her eyes towards the floor.
"You don't have to walk me. I'll be fine."
He didn't want to argue, not when this was the first time they had been alone in what felt like forever, but it was far too dangerous to let her walk home by herself.
"Please, Sookie. I insist." He wanted to touch her, to turn her face back up to his. So instead he shoved his hands in his pockets. She wasn't his anymore. She was with someone else. She loved someone else. He tried to remind himself of those key facts. He still wouldn't let her walk home alone though, not with all sorts of creatures out there in the night.
"I don't have much choice, do I?" She said with a sigh, though it wasn't hostile, which Bill took as a good sign.
"Sorry." He said, not hiding the fact that he didn't really mean it. He would never be sorry for trying to keep her safe.
"Well, let's go then, I'm not gettin' any younger."
XX
XX
Sookie headed down the steps and towards the cemetery. She didn't wait for Bill to catch up with her, she didn't have to. One second she was alone and the next he was suddenly walking beside her. She was nervous and unsure, the awkwardness from the beginning of the evening was back full force. Talking about what had happened today had distracted her, allowing her to relax a little bit, but now that they were alone Sookie wasn't sure what to say.
He walked alongside her, appearing quite comfortable in the silence. She snuck a few looks in his direction out of the corner of her eye. He looked so handsome, so relaxed with his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans, a dark long sleeve shirt showing off the muscles of his chest and arms... he looked so much like the man she had remembered. It was messing with her head a bit. He definitely had seemed like the Bill she used to know while they were having the meeting with Sam.
She tried to be mad at Sam, dragging her to Bill's house unknowingly, leaving her alone with him... but it wasn't really his fault. She had wanted to help today, she was glad she had been a help today, and Bill did need to know what was going on. She also couldn't be mad at Sam for wanting to get home to his fiancé. Their day had contained enough excitement. Sookie did have to admit that she had sort of enjoyed the adventure, the intrigue, even if it was very disturbing and frightening to see Monroe so abandoned. She felt like she was useful when she had found that family, her ability making her special instead of just crazy. The drive had also given her a chance to talk to Sam a little bit about what happened with Alcide. Sam hadn't judged, but he had listened, telling Sookie that she had to do what was in her heart. If Alcide wasn't the one for her, he wasn't the one and that was okay. It had definitely made Sookie feel a little bit better to talk about it... at least until Sam had turned in the direction of Bill's house instead of her own.
Sookie mentally fortified herself as she kept walking, she was being a wuss and she needed to stop. She was tough, after everything she'd been through, certainly she could handle taking a walk in the night with Bill... even if it had her thinking of the first night she had walked with Bill in this cemetery, or the night he had ravished her in the dirt after she thought she had lost him. Sookie could feel her cheeks warm as she thought of that night, making her glad it was dark. Could he really be just Bill? Stranger things had happened in her world... but it would take a shift in her thinking. If she were honest with herself, a part of her had been wanting to believe it since the day she learned that Bill had rescued Tara and the other vampires in the daylight. But it had been easier to keep that hope tucked away, to settle into her safe and normal-ish life with Alcide, to mourn for a Bill who was forever lost instead of thinking about him across the cemetery just out of her reach.
They walked in silence for awhile, the awkwardness yielding to a more comfortable quiet as they got closer to home. She had forgotten just how peaceful his silence was, how relaxing being in his presence had always been. She was the one who finally broke the silence, just as they reached the edge of her property.
"Are you really you?" She said quietly, stopping to finally really look at him. She was almost afraid to hear his answer, though she didn't know which answer she was more afraid of.
"I am, I swear it."
"I watched you die, I saw it happen." Tears filled her eyes as she remembered... her heart breaking as Bill died right in front of her, taking something of her with him. Her fear as something else rose from that pool of blood. She could see it in her mind like it was yesterday. She had told Jessica that night that she still loved him, that she'd always love him and it was the truth, but she had felt it in her soul when he had died. Could he truly come back from that? She fought her tears, unable to stop a few from falling before she wiped the wet from her eyes.
"I can't explain it, Sookie. I'm still not really even sure myself what happened... But now, I'm still who I was. No more Lilith, no more special powers. I'm just Bill." He shrugged his shoulders, his face so expressive and sincere, his eyes so blue, even in the moonlight. "I do not think I could again survive a staking... though I'm not keen to test that theory."
Sookie had to look away, not sure what to say. She started walking again, getting closer to her porch. What could she say? That night had been fraught with fear and uncertainty. She didn't trust that it was Bill on that porch, all he had been was some monster that had killed the man she loved. Sookie knew she had still loved him, no matter how much she tried to pretend otherwise.
"I'm sorry. I wish that night could have gone differently. I was afraid... the things that happened after you..." She couldn't say the words again, shaking her head as if it could make the memory go away. "The way Jessica suffered to get to you. I didn't think it was possible that you could still be the Bill I knew. I still don't know what to think."
"I understand. It wasn't an easy thing to comprehend, even for me. I wasn't completely myself, not right away. But I am now."
"Thanks for walking me home." She said as she started up the steps to the front door. He stayed with her, stopping at the edge of the porch while she unlocked the door.
"You're welcome, Sookie... Goodnight." He said with a small nod before he turned away.
"Bill," She said, just as he reached the bottom of the steps. Her voice had him turning back, looking up at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm glad you're still you." She said the words shyly, unsure if it was the right thing to say. But she did mean it. She wanted to believe that he really was Bill, she wanted to trust him.
"Goodnight." She said quickly, turning back towards her door, her cheeks heating in embarrassment. She pushed into the house, closing the door softly behind her. She leaned against it, closing her eyes, bringing her hands up to rub her face. She knew being alone with Bill would be dangerous, but for a very different reason than she would have expected six months ago.
XX
XX
Bill took his time walking back home, replaying the things that had just been said. That conversation had gone better than he'd expected. He had spent a long time trying to figure out just what he wanted in regards to Sookie. In a perfect world, he would have pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless, boyfriends be damned, and she would have felt the same, declaring herself his once again. But he wasn't stupid, there were far too many hurts between them for it to be that easy, not to mention the hulking werewolf that appeared to be living with her. In the beginning of all this, after he freed himself from Lilith, Bill had been very bitter when it came to Sookie. He knew he carried a lot of the blame as it had been his choice to drink the blood of Lilith, but once the dust settled and Sookie was safe, he had been left with guilt and anger. His anger had been at her for the things that had happened on his porch and with Warlow, but also at himself for still loving her even when she was willing to stab him in the back.
The guilt about what had happened was always there as well, he wasn't some innocent victim, but on the surface, anger was a much easier emotion. His writing had helped him tremendously, allowing him to really analyze the things that had happened, to take responsibility for his own actions. Looking at things from multiple perspectives, he could understand why Sookie did the things she did, why she might have believed that he was just some monster masquerading as Bill Compton. He could understand why Jessica had been more willing to put herself on the line for him when none of them had any clue who or what he had become. He even understood why Eric had felt the need to put the blame on him for Nora's death. They all had made mistakes, Bill had made several, including some near fatal mistakes, but he had learned from them, and now he feared that there were some he'd never be able to fully recover from, not in the eyes of the people that mattered to him.
Sookie telling him tonight that she was glad he was still himself, that she was starting to believe he really was the same man... he couldn't quite explain how that made him feel, but it was a very good feeling. The way things were between them was one of Bill's biggest regrets. He knew that in his pursuit of Warlow, in his quest to save Jessica and the other vampires, he had hurt Sookie in so many ways. If they could move forward, to a place where they could maybe even be friends, Bill was all for it. The threat of hepatitis V in Bon Temps had pulled things into more focus for him. He would have a hard time living with himself if something happened to Sookie and he had done nothing to try and stop it. Of course he couldn't force her to agree to his protection, but he had to try. Alcide would offer her some degree of safety, but Bill was close to certain that it wouldn't be enough, not if one of the infected decided they really wanted to get to Sookie.
As Bill approached his house, he kept his eyes and ears on the lookout for anything suspicious. He'd hate to get caught unaware and have it cost him his life. He did still have things to do tonight, including letting his publisher know that his interviews would have to be postponed. With the recent attacks from the infected and this new threat in town, Bill wasn't going anywhere until they had some more answers. He refused to leave Jessica vulnerable.
Bill found his way to his office, mentally listing the things he needed to get done, the people he needed to contact. If this group was targeting healthy vampires, it's possible there were others out there who knew something useful. He and Sam had also discussed organizing another gathering of sorts, kind of like a check in to see how the plan was working. They had put a lot of faith in the vampires of Bon Temps in instituting this plan and Bill wanted to make sure both sides were sticking to the agreement.
Forcing vampires and humans to interact on such an intimate level was bound to bring it's share of complications, so they hoped to head off any problems before they turned disastrous. Bill worked as long as he could, though his focus wasn't very good. Eventually he abandoned the idea of work to take some time for himself. Jessica wasn't home yet, and though Willa and Tara spent the day here on a regular basis, Bill hadn't seen either of them since the night of the attack. He had the house all to himself, so he was going to make use of the quiet. He knew the moon was full tonight and ended up on the verandah just off of his bedroom enjoying the otherworldly glow. He had missed this while he'd been away, the sky too polluted with city lights in all those other places for him to really see the stars. He remembered being a boy, learning about the stars... the constellations, learning how to find the north star and use it as a guide if he were ever lost. Life had been so much simpler then.
XX
XX
Sookie was so glad her shift was finally over, sinking behind the wheel of her car to head home was a wonderful feeling. It hadn't been a bad shift, the usual lunch rush with everybody still talking about the vampire attack and the house fire at Sam's, but Sookie was bone tired. She had hardly slept the night before, tossing and turning the hours away. First her walk with Bill had left her quite unsettled, and then as she moved farther into the house, she noticed that things were different. Alcide had come while she was gone, like he said he would, and he had taken his things. The differences downstairs weren't major, a coat no longer hanging on a hook, a toolbox missing from the kitchen, but it was much more noticeable upstairs where his clothes no longer hung beside hers.
Alcide had left the few drawers his things had occupied wide open, mocking Sookie with their emptiness. She had pushed them shut in a huff, somehow more irritated than upset. Why did break ups have to be so hard? She hated that she had hurt Alcide, but she was even more sure now that they had made the right decision. She could handle this alone thing. She'd spent the first twenty five years of her life without much more than a few ill advised kisses to show for it and she'd been okay.
Her own internal reassurances made her feel a little better, but they definitely hadn't helped her sleep. She was paying the price for that now, a mild headache taking hold as she drove. Her head started to pound just a little bit more when she spotted a Sheriff car parked outside her house. Now what? She thought as she pulled in and turned off the ignition.
"Jason?" She said, walking in the back door, wondering just what her brother was doing here.
"Oh, hey. You're finally home. I was starting to think I got the wrong day."
"Wrong day? Wrong day for what?" Sookie was confused, what was she missing?
"Dinner, didn't you invite me over for dinner tonight?"
That shook something loose in Sookie's head. "Oh, yeah. I guess I did. Sorry, rough night... and an even longer shift today."
She tossed her purse on the kitchen table, their discussion yesterday finally coming back to her. She had promised some of Gran's fried chicken in return for an update about what they'd found going through all of the stuff from Monroe.
"Somethin' happen? Are you alright?"
"No, I'm fine. It's fine. Alcide came for his things while we were gone yesterday, it just bothered me more than I expected."
"Sook, come on, you just broke up with the guy. Makes sense you'd be upset about it. I'm surprised you haven't been cryin' your eyes out."
Sookie just sort of shrugged at that, not sure what else to say. 'I didn't love him as much as I thought, so I'm doing okay' just seemed so cold, and she was sad about their break up, but it hadn't cut as deep as it could have.
"Let me get changed, and then I'll start cookin'. Is Violet coming over after dark?"
"Yeah, shouldn't be too much longer before she gets here." he said, then mumbled something under his breath that Sookie didn't quite catch. She would have asked him to repeat it, but she had a feeling she wasn't supposed to have heard him anyway. Sookie still wasn't sure what to make of his relationship with Violet. Sometimes he seemed so in love with her, but others, especially when she wasn't around, he seemed almost indifferent to her or annoyed.
As long as he was happy and safe, she wasn't going to get too worked up about it, but it definitely had her keeping an eye on things.
Jason had been right, Violet arrived not long after the sun had fully set. Sookie had spent some time around Violet over the past months, but not all that much. She'd had a few dreams about her as well, which was quite unsettling, actually. Like she needed more vampires disrupting her sleep. The dreams didn't happen very much anymore, but Sookie had woken up her share of times with Alcide beside her, having dreamt some very sensual things about assorted vampires.
They shared dinner, the chicken almost as good as when Gran made it, and Sookie was starting to feel a little bit better. She was still tired, but her headache was gone and she'd even been laughing with Jason as he told her about some of the strange things people had been doing in attempts to protect themselves. There had even been a fight at the supermarket over a few cloves of garlic.
After dinner they moved to the living room to keep talking for awhile. Sookie flipped through the channels to see if there was maybe a movie or something on worth watching. Jason and Violet didn't seem to have any specific plans or to be in any hurry to leave, which had Sookie wondering if Jason was hanging around on purpose. Sookie understood why he was worried, since Alcide wasn't around anymore to protect her, but she didn't think this was necessary. Her house, now that it was really her house again, would keep her safe.
She had just flipped on an old action movie when Jason's phone rang.
"Hey, Andy, what's up?" He said in greeting when he answered the phone. He listened for a moment and then stood up suddenly. "You gotta be shittin' me, those motherfuckers! I'm just over at Sookie's. I'll be right there."
Sookie was on her feet, too, when she heard Jason's exclamations. "What is Jason, what's happened?"
"Son of a bitch!" He was muttering before she got her whole question out. He was already heading for the front door where he had left all of his sheriff gear. "There was an attack over at Bill's house, we think it's those same folks that attacked Sam day before last."
"What happened, was anybody hurt?" Sookie felt the panic grip her as the thought of something happening to Bill crossed her mind. She was just starting to believe in the possibility that Bill might really be Bill... and even though she had no idea what she would call the relationship between them at this point, she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to handle it if she lost him again.
"Sounds like everybody's okay, but they blew something up. Andy said there's a fire, needs me over there to help Kenya. I gotta go."
"I'm comin' with you." Sookie was already stepping into her shoes. No way was she staying here and not knowing what was happening.
"Sook, you can't. It's too dangerous. You need to stay inside."
"Nope, I'm coming. Let's go."
Jason let out a sigh, Sookie had a feeling it was in resignation, since he had to know he wasn't going to win this. Shaking his head, he led her and Violet outside, taking the lead they ran through the cemetery, slowing as they approached Bill's house. Sookie could smell the smoke, and the flames were hard to miss. It wasn't the house though, something on the driveway. Bill's dark SUV was now a charred skeleton, flames still shooting up from what remained of the vehicle. A Bon Temps Sheriff car was parked some distance behind it, the floodlight on and the lights flashing.
Bill was on the porch talking to Kenya, Sookie didn't see any sign of Andy. Relief flooded through her, seeing Bill okay and in one piece. There was also something else, another feeling as she saw him standing there in jeans and a dark button down shirt, and it made her heart ache.
She and Jason went up the steps, Sookie hanging back just a little, since technically, she wasn't part of the investigation. She leaned against the porch railing off to one side, trying to figure out why someone would have done this. Was it a warning? Were they afraid of Bill? It didn't look like they attacked the house at all.
"So what happened here?" Jason said as he walked up to Kenya and Bill.
"As I was just telling the deputy, I was inside, alone, when I heard a vehicle pull up outside. Before I could get to the door I heard glass breaking and shouting." He took a step towards the edge of the porch as he spoke. "I came outside and I could see another truck, or it might have been a van. I was set to go after them when my vehicle exploded."
Sookie watched from where she stood on the porch as Bill took a step down into the yard and kept explaining what else had happened. Sookie sort of tuned out, just watching him, when she heard something else, someone else.
That's it fanger, come on. Just another couple of steps and you're going down.
XX
XX
Bill took a few more steps towards his smoldering vehicle, explaining to the deputy and the others what else happened during the explosion. Bill was working hard to keep his anger in check, he was pissed that these people came after him in his own home but were too cowardly to face him directly. Throwing fire bombs and running away seemed to be all they were brave enough to do. Having Sookie on his porch, watching him also added another degree of unsettling to his evening.
Suddenly, Sookie was in motion, yelling his name. "Bill, No!" she screamed, running towards him. He had no idea what was happening, until he heard it. Gunshots, two of them just as Sookie collided with him. He could have kept them upright, but instead allowed her momentum to carry them to the ground. If someone was shooting, it would be best if they were a smaller target. He felt the burn as a bullet lodged in his shoulder, his fangs extending in anger and instinct.
It was an ambush. Sookie had saved his life and now he was going to kill the pathetic excuse for a human who was lying in wait to kill him. The sheriff's deputy and Jason were springing into action around him, their weapons drawn. Violet, Jason's vampire friend, was already ahead of them. He heard the scream as she reached the shooter. Bill was ready to kill the man himself, but was quickly distracted by Sookie gasping for breath next to him on the ground.
His thoughts were instantly and only about her. The bullet in his shoulder must have hit her first, and another had passed through her chest, leaving holes blossoming with blood on her shirt. She coughed, blood gargling at her lips as she tried to breathe. Her eyes were quickly glazing over as she looked up at him.
"Sookie, it's okay. Sookie." He shifted her in his arms, cradling her head. His own injury becoming nonexistent as he focused on the woman in his arms.
She smiled at him, a very gruesome smile given the blood still spilling from her mouth. Sookie reached up with a shaky hand to touch his face. "Gonna shoot... you." She said with little gasps, choking on her own blood. "Couldn't.. let..."
"Shh, Shh. Don't talk. You need to drink now, sweetheart." He was pushing up his sleeve as he spoke. Bill bit into his arm, needing her to drink before it was too late. His eyes never left hers, he couldn't lose her... fuck Alcide, Sookie was too important to him to just let her go.
"Sook?" Jason was kneeling next to them when Bill pulled his arm away. He hoped it was enough, it had to be enough. She had closed her eyes and Bill could already hear her breathing get just a little bit easier.
"We need to get her inside. There could be more of them." Bill finally looked away from her and up at Jason, unaware of the blood tears that had stained his cheeks..
"Kenya has already cuffed the one from the woods, Violet's searching for others. She can help me get Sookie back to the house."
"I am not letting her out of my sight. She's staying here." Bill said, an edge in his voice that didn't seem to phase Jason.
"Alright, I gotta go down to the station anyway and I'd rather not leave her alone at the house. You just better not try anything funny."
"Alone?" That caught Bill by surprise, ignoring Jason's other warning. Bill may be a vampire, but he would never take advantage of Sookie, even though he did want to find a way to be a part of her life. The thought of her being alone with all of the infected vampires around was something that did have him worried. It also had him wondering again where Alcide was tonight.
Jason was called away by Violet before he could say anything more. Bill slid his arms under Sookie, lifting her gently. He tried to ignore the pool of blood that had been under her, the very large pool of blood. She had been so close to dying, because of him, because of some need to save him. He took some comfort in the fact that her heart was beating steadily now, and her breathing was even and quiet. The bullets had missed her heart, but they had damaged her lungs. She would have died without his blood. It made him furious at the men who had done this, who had come after him, a feral anger bubbling up and out of him, but he pushed it aside so he could take care of Sookie.
Bill laid her gently on one of the sofas, not caring that her blood soaked clothes would ruin the upholstery. He couldn't stop himself from kissing her forehead, touching her face gently. Despite the blood smeared on her face, hers now mixed with his own, she was still beautiful. With everything that had happened between them, the hurt and the anger, the fights and lies, he couldn't help but still love her. He hated leaving her alone even for a few minutes, but he knew he had to finish his conversation with the police. He also wanted a look at the person who had done this, the man who could have killed him or Sookie. He couldn't kill him outright, like a large part of Bill desired to do... and if he were honest, he couldn't even really blame it on the vampire side of himself. Hopefully they would be able to get some information out of him on the rest of this group. They needed to be stopped.
He paused at the doorway, looking back at Sookie one more time, still not quite believing what she had done to save him. He didn't want to make too big of a deal about it, or read into it for more than it was, but it had to mean something.
XX
XX
Sookie woke up in the dark, unsure of where she was. The room was almost familiar, but not quite. There was a dim light coming from a doorway, helping Sookie get her bearings. She was tucked under the covers in a soft, comfortable bed. As she pushed herself into a sitting position to look around, she was startled to find that there was someone else in the bed with her. She leaned a little closer, the sleep finally cleared from her eyes and everything fell into place. Bill. She was for some reason in Bill's bedroom, with Bill lying next to her, on top of the blankets, fully dressed. It must be daytime, since Bill seemed to be very much dead to the world. The darkness in the room was because it was now light tight, instead of it still being night as Sookie had initially thought.
She remembered now, well sort of. She remembered the fire, the attack... hearing the thoughts of the shooter in her head. She remembered her panic, running towards Bill to protect him. She also recalled the stinging pain as she was hit in the back by the gunfire meant for Bill. She had been choking, drowning in her own blood. He must have given her his blood, she saved his life and he saved hers in return. That still didn't quite explain how they had ended up in bed together.
She slipped quietly from the bed, even though she probably could have made all the noise in the world and the sleeping vampire wouldn't have stirred. She went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. His house had been extensively remodeled when he became king, but the bathroom itself seemed mostly the same, at least the important pieces anyway. She remembered the big tub, the separate shower. She stared at herself in the mirror, surprised to see that she looked normal. Her hair was a bit messy from sleeping on it, but her face was clean and she was wearing a clean shirt, a maroon long sleeved Henley that had to belong to Bill. The sleeves were just a little bit too long for her, but that made the shirt seem even more comfortable. She lifted her hands to her face, the fabric touching her skin. It smelled like him, something familiar and safe, a scent tied to so many memories and feelings. Sookie continued to check over herself for any other injuries. She still had her shorts on, but they were stained with blood. She wasn't sure what was worse, wearing her gross clothes or the thought of someone, probably Bill, taking them off of her while she was unconscious. Though it wasn't like Bill hadn't seen every inch of her body before.
She was plenty grossed out now... despite the amount of blood she'd seen and been covered with over the years. She shimmied out of her shorts, tugging the hem of Bill's shirt down. At least she wasn't that tall, so the shirt still covered everything that needed covering. She used the bathroom and then was stuck trying to figure out what to do next. She felt fine, no ill effects from the gunshots she'd taken. She also didn't feel so tired anymore. She just needed to think for a few minutes, so she walked back into the bedroom, and sat down on the spot where she'd been sleeping. Bill hadn't moved at all. He looked so peaceful, so handsome in the dim light. His hair was cut a little shorter now, but his face was still the same. His hands were at his sides, clenched into fists, which Sookie found a bit strange. Sookie wished things weren't so complicated, that her feelings weren't so mixed up. She had needed to save him, she knew that... but did it mean something more?
Something about Bill had always pulled at her, from the very night they met, she'd been drawn to him, loved him. It was very strange to still feel that pull, even now... after everything that had gone on between them. She watched him, her mind working, trying to figure this out. He looked like Bill, he said he was Bill, that he could be trusted again. She had to admit his actions since her rescue from Warlow had been much more in line with that of the Bill she had loved. A part of her was ready to trust him, she trusted him with her life... but she still didn't know if she could trust him with her heart. That would be assuming that he still had any interest in her heart. She honestly didn't know at this point if he really wanted anything to do with her.
He had approached her at the party, but that had been only to offer his protection... probably out of some sense of nobility or regret. They were neighbors, perhaps he had just wanted to be neighborly. She dropped her head into her hands as she sat next to him in the darkened room.
She could feel his blood in her again, the familiar tug of lust that only added to her confusion. She was picturing things in her mind that she had no business thinking about, not so soon after her break up with Alcide, not when she had just barely begun to really, truly believe that maybe Bill wasn't lost forever. She wasn't ready for these feelings, she didn't want them. It seemed like she always ended up with a broken heart when she tried to love someone. Bein' alone is nothin' to be afraid of her Gran had said. Sookie closed her eyes, feeling the sting of tears.
She should go, that's what she needed to do. It was daytime, so even if she wanted to, she couldn't talk this out with Bill. Sitting here mesmerized by him was not helping. She didn't want this to happen again, she didn't want her heart broken... she didn't want to be responsible for hurting Bill again. She made her decision quickly, before she could change her mind. With one last look at Bill, she got up from the bed and closing the inner door behind her, she stepped into the hallway.
She needed to get home, she needed to find out what time it was... she needed a shower. Sookie went down the steps, the silence of the house sounding loud in her ears. She had no idea what had happened to the rest of her clothes or her shoes, but at least it was warm out. She tugged on the shirt she was wearing one more time and opened the door into the bright sun.
The remains of Bill's car still sat in the driveway, a blackened, twisted mess of metal. Sookie didn't miss the large stain of red on the ground where she must have fallen. It looked like so much blood... it was hard to believe she felt completely fine today. She tore her eyes away and headed for the cemetery.
She focused on mundane things, her work schedule, cleaning she needed to do, grocery shopping, meal planning. Anything that could keep her from thinking about what had happened last night. Her life had finally been calm for so many months, but suddenly, just like that, she was back to worrying about people dying around her.
She was glad she didn't have to work until tomorrow, though it probably would have been a good distraction. Instead, she cleaned and cleaned, her house was looking good enough to make Gran proud. She rearranged, erasing any hint that Alcide's things had left an empty space anywhere in the house.
She had just poured herself a fresh glass of lemonade when she finally glanced at the clock. Her eyes then finding the kitchen window, night had come. Something compelled her to go to the front door and step out onto the porch.