I do not own any characters from the series true Blood or the Sookie Stackhouse collection of books – everyone else are mine. Nor do I own the title of the story – it is from a song by The Vagrants. Also, I do not make any profit from this story – it is simply for my, and hopefully your, pleasure.

Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome – it would be nice to know if people are reading my story and whether they enjoy it or not. And yes, we will be getting to Eric

soon! Ani x

"Ma'am? Mary?" Bill called the following evening as he stood on the verandah, waiting for her reply and being surprised when Mary appeared at the door. "It's good to see you up and about," he smiled.

"Yes," Mary replied vaguely. "Are you going now?"

"Ah... I wondered if I might have a talk with you first?"

Mary frowned as she considered his request. Although she was grateful to the vampire for what he had done for her, a deep rooted suspicion of him would not go away, and she had spent a lot of time during the day staring at the outhouse where he had been holed up, trying to reconcile all that she had heard about vampires with the one standing before her now.

"Mary?"

"Ah... what about?" she asked, wondering if he still needed permission to come into her house or whether, now that she had given it, he could come in anyway.

"I have a proposition for you."

"Oh. I guess you had better come in, then. Can I get you something...? Oh. You can't, can you?"

"I took the liberty of gettin' myself some Tru Blood from the grocers store last night," he smiled as he followed her into the sitting room and sat in the chair.

"So, what's this proposition?" Mary enquired, shifting uneasily on the sofa as his eyes bored into her. 'Stop being so bloody ungrateful,' she chided herself. 'It's thanks to him you're alive and have more energy than in months!'

"A few drops of my blood has made you a bit better, hasn't it?"

"Yes..." Mary agreed, unsure as to where the conversation would lead.

"Th'fact is, I need a place to stay; I had to leave my home and I have nowhere to go."

"And you want to stay here?"

"I'm offerin' an exchange; my blood for the chance to stay a while."

"W-what...? I don't want your blood!" Mary spat, distaste written across her features; all though of chastisement gone.

"Think about it, Mary," Bill continued as an argument raged inside him whether to glamour her or not. He'd had a feeling that she would be against the idea of drinking his blood and considered using his power of glamour on her to persuade her to change her mind. But he wanted her to agree without having to use mind control. "Think on how much better you have obviously felt today after just a few drops of my blood. You would be free of the ME; free to live your life again."

Mary opened her mouth to protest some more but hesitated as an argument also raged inside of her. "If people found out that I had a vampire as a lodger... they'd hate me more than they already do!"

"It won't be for long; I hope to return to my home."

"Who drove you out; locals?"

"Local vampires, yes. I cannot return for a while, not until things have calmed down and been forgotten about."

"But you are a vampire; your idea of a while is most peoples idea of a few decades!"

"That is true," he sighed despondently. "Please, Mary; I won't bring trouble to your door, I promise."

"I don't know..." she frowned as she thought of her life over the past couple of years since she was stricken down with the debilitating virus, barely having the energy to walk or even talk on her very worst days, then thinking of how she had felt that day; being able to wash and dress herself, walk about the downstairs of her home, and prepare herself some food without having to pay it all back by being incapacitated for several days, if not weeks. "I have a cellar..."

"You do?" Bill replied in surprise.

"Yeah, with no windows or anything."

"So you agree to it?"

Mary gulped several times and blinked back tears before nodding slowly. "Yes," she whispered hoarsely. "I agree to it."

"Thank you!" he breathed with relief. "I am grateful to you. Do you want to do it now?"

"Umm..." Mary frowned, panic welling up inside her.

"Get it over and done with..." Bill suggested, worried that she would back out if she had too long to think about it.

"Okay," she nodded, gulping as Bill stood rolled up his shirt sleeve and went to bite his arm. "I... I won't...? I dunno," she gabbled, unable to take her eyes off his fangs.

"You have the chance to be free of your illness," Bill soothed as he knelt on the floor in front of her.

"I won't turn into a vampire will I?" Mary demanded, her words spilling out quickly.

"No, of course you won't," he smiled. "That only happens if I drain your blood, then you drink mine. But... it does mean you will be bound to me."

"What do you mean, bound?"

"There will always be a bond between us; I shall know how you are feeling, and where you are," Bill explained, thinking it best not to tell her that she would also become sexually attracted to him as well. He knew she was wavering and he could not afford to lose such an ideal place to stay.

"Oh. I see." Mary replied curtly, wishing that she did not feel like a coward. "And is that reciprocated?"

"Yes, in part... but I promise you that it is nothing to worry about. Are you ready?"

"No! Yes..." Mary watched with fascinated horror as Bill went to bite to his wrist once more. "Wait! You will know where I am and how I'm feeling, always? Even if we were to go our separate ways in a months time and never see each other again?"

"There is nothing to worry about," Bill repeated. "I promise you."

"You're not trying to glamour me, are you?"

"I would do no such thing," he insisted.

"You're not much of a bloody vampire, are you?"

"Oh, I have been, Ma'am; in my time, I have been."

"So why have you changed?" she demanded.

"Oh..." Bill sighed as he lowered his arm. "I guess there comes a time when even vampires have enough of being bad. Well, some vampires... I have always had an affinity with humanity; something which has led to problems with other vampires at times. I just wanted to settle down to a quiet life."

"But it didn't work out?"

"Not as I'd hoped, no," he sighed sadly. "Now do you want to get this over with, or not?"

"All right; I know I'm stalling."

"Yes, you are," Bill smiled, biting his wrist and quickly offering it to Mary. "Drink," he instructed.

Mary took a deep breath and tentatively closed her lips over the wound, fighting down the urge to gag as she began to suck the blood.

"More," Bill urged. "Take in some more."

"I... can't..." she sobbed, making to pull away, but Bill clamped his free hand to the back of her head and held it in place.

"You must."

Mary screwed her eyes shut and sucked hard at the warm, sticky liquid, trying to disengage her mind to what she was doing, until a minute or so later Bill removed his hand and she pulled away from him quickly, leaping to her feet and running to the kitchen where she thrust her head into the sink, choking and gagging.

"Hey... don't bring it back up now or you'll have to do it again," Bill implored, gently rubbing her back.

"Ugh!" Mary grunted as she began to wash away the blood from around her face, taking copious mouthfuls of water and swilling it around and spitting it out before realising what she was doing and she straightened up, looking shamefaced at the vampire. "I'm sorry,"" she blushed. "I'm an ungrateful cow."

"No you're not," he smiled kindly. "Do you realise what you did? You jumped up and ran out here. I am willing to bet you couldn't even do that earlier today?"

Mary gasped in shock as it sank in that she was cured of her ailment, and stared at Bill in wide eyed wonderment, unsure as to whether to laugh or cry. "Oh, God..." she breathed. "I feel..."

"Normal?"

"Yes! Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!"

"It's my pleasure, Ma'am," Bill smiled, almost shyly. "I'm glad I was able to help you. May I look at your cellar? There may be some things I need that I could get tonight."

"Yes, of course," Mary exhaled, still trying to come to terms with having energy and feeling well for the first time in over two years. "It's just through here." She lead the vampire through the back of the kitchen to a door which she opened and turned on a light switch at the top of a flight of stairs. "It's a decent size," she informed him as they climbed down to another door at the bottom. "Maybe you could use the bed I've been sleeping in from the kitchen?"

"That would be kind of you, thank you," Bill replied as he followed Mary through the bottom door and into the cellar, which, at first glance, was perfect for his needs. "Is there electricity wired down here?"

"Only the light. But I could run a cable down for you if you needed it."

"I would like to have my CD player down here, if that's all right with you?"

"Sure; you want a TV as well?"

"I do not really watch much television."

"Okay," Mary nodded, the high of being cured still buzzing through her body. "Wait a minute... you have stuff with you?"

"I have my car packed up and hidden in the forest. Just things I wanted, or needed."

"Why did you have to leave?"

"I was set up and my sheriff and my woman did not believe my innocence," he frowned, hoping that Mary would not ask any further questions.

"A human woman?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, Bill," she sympathised. "I know how betrayal feels. But won't this sheriff come looking for you?"

"No; he won't come looking... he will be glad I am gone."

"So why here? We're a fair way from Bon Temps."

"I had to keep finding new places to hide out; this is the longest I've stayed in one place for several weeks now."

"Well, you'd better go and get your car and get moved in."

"I shall do that, thank you, Mary."

"You've done more for me than I have for you."

"Maybe," he shrugged. "But I shall keep to my word and not bring trouble to your door."

"I believe you; I don't know why I do, but I do. Now, while you're gone I shall go upstairs and clean out my bedroom."

"I expect you're looking forward to that?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Mary grinned, turning and leading the way from the cellar.

'I can't believe how I feel,' Mary mused to herself as she set fire to the bedding in which she had slept for several months, in the yard, watching with grim satisfaction as it burned quickly. She glanced over at where Charlie Pritchard at tried to attack her, and the memory of watching Bill drink away the man's life came flooding back, and she shuddered violently. 'Oh, God... why do I feel I've made a pact with the Devil? Have I done the right thing? I know it's great feeling so well again, but... I dunno.'

Mary pushed away the thought of Pritchard from her mind and headed back into the house and up the stairs for the first time in over a year, marvelling at how small it seemed from what she remembered. She grimaced in distaste when she opened the bedroom door and saw that Mark, her estranged husband, had not even stripped the bed, and a thick layer of dust lay on the furniture. "Good job I don't feel sleepy," she pondered wryly as she began tugging the clothes off the double bed. 'I wonder if Bill really is as nice as he seems? He had a human woman... but then I've heard tales of women who go with vampires... there's been enough of them on Riki Lake, bragging about how wonderful it was!' Mary stopped and sighed deeply as she caught sight of a photograph of her and Mark on a holiday together in Tampa, and she felt tears well up. "Bastard!" she yelled, hurling a pillow at the picture and sending it crashing to the floor.

"Mary? Are you all right?" came Bill's voice from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, fine!" she snapped as she hastily brushed away her tears, not having expected him back so quickly.

"May I come up?"

"No! I'm fine, honestly. I just caught something as I was stripping the bed."

"All right," he replied doubtfully. "I shall take my things down to the cellar."

"Yeah, you do that," Mary muttered quietly as she walked around the bed and picked the picture up, wincing at the shattered glass. "Just about sums everything up, huh?" she mused, putting the frame down carefully and staring at it for several minutes.

"Mary?"

"Oh, bloody hell! You scared me half to death!" she gasped as she spun around to see Bill hovering in the doorway.

"I am sorry," he apologised. "I was just worried for you when I heard no other sound."

"You're not my keeper, Bill."

"I know that. I am sorry; I will leave you in peace."

"No... I'm sorry; it's just... all too much to take in, you know? My illness, Mark leaving me, Pritchard, you, my being cured... my head is spinning, Bill."

"I understand. Things will settle down again, I promise."

"Settle down with a vampire living under my house?" she snorted ruefully. "Sure beats possums, I guess! Have you got all you need?"

"Apart from a cable, yes," Bill nodded.

"Oh, bugger! I'll go and get it now."

"Please, there is no hurry. I do not have to go down there until around 4am, so there's plenty of time for me to do what I need. Could I give you a hand?"

"No, it's fine really," Mary smiled, cocking her head to one side as she regarded him. "You really are a strange one," she mused.

"Strange in what way?"

"You're very... gentlemanly which is strange in human men, but in vampires...?"

"Not all vampires are are monsters..." Bill defended sharply.

"No! No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that; it came out all wrong. You're... old fashioned for want of a better phrase. How old are you?"

"I was born in 1835."

"So you're..." Mary paused as she quickly worked it out. "174?"

"I am," Bill confirmed with a nod.

"Bloody hell! You've seen everything!"

"Almost. Although some things still manage to surprise me."

"Such as?"

"How cruel humans can be to each other. Your husband, for instance."

"Yeah, well..." Mary replied abruptly, turning away so that he did not catch her tears. "I guess I'd better finish this."

Bill frowned then caught sight of the shattered picture and pulled a rueful face. "I am sorry; I was tactless."

"No harm done. You'd better go and sort the cellar out before daylight."

"I had."

Mary sighed when she heard a whoosh of air and turned around to find Bill gone, then covered her face with her hands and bit her lip to keep from crying out loud. "Bastard! Bastard, bastard, bastard!" she spat, picking the picture up and hurling it across the room.

"Are you all right, now?" Bill enquired when Mary appeared in the kitchen some time later, noting her red, puffy eyes, and blotchy face.

"I'm fine, I guess. Let's just say I'm plotting my revenge on the pig."

"Revenge doesn't always make you feel better," he warned as he took a sip from his bottle of Tru Blood.

"I know, and I probably won't; it just makes me feel better plotting it. What does that stuff taste like?"

"Blood."

Mary raised an eyebrow then started to giggle at Bill's crooked smile. "Stupid question, huh?" she laughed. "You can't have anything else?"

"No, because I'm not human, I cannot digest food or liquids."

"Do you miss eating and drinking?"

"I used to, in the beginning. I would smell something delicious and long for it. But the hunger dies away after a while until you forget what it was like to eat or drink, or taste anything other than blood."

"I guess so," Mary replied sadly. "You don't mind if I make myself a cuppa, do you?"

"It's your house, Ma'am. You go right ahead and do whatever it is you want. But I hope that you're not staying up because of me?" he added, glancing at the kitchen clock which told him that it was seventeen minutes past two."

"Are you kidding? I have so much energy I feel I could run a marathon!" she grinned as she filled the kettle.

"Well, I'd watch out for the coyotes, if I were you," Bill smiled. "They might run faster."

"Not tonight they wouldn't! Can I ask you something...?" she began as she sat opposite Bill at the table.

"Of course."

"If... you had the chance of being a human again, would you?"

"I... don't know," he mused, furrowing his brow as he thought. "If I had the chance of never being a vampire in the first place, I would jump at it."

"So you weren't willing then? I'm sorry!" she immediately apologised, seeing the look of distress on her companions face. "It's none of my business. I'll make this tea then run myself a bath."

"You do not have to leave. It is your home."

"I'm not; I do want a bath, but... I guess house sharing with a vampire is gonna take a little getting used to."

"As is house sharing with a human."

"So you didn't share with your woman? Sorry!" Mary winced. "I'm doing it again."

"It is all right. Sookie and I would stay at each others place, but we kept our own houses."

"I'm sorry, Bill," Mary sympathised, giving his arm a squeeze as she got up and went past him to the stove to make her drink. "It ain't easy."

"No, it is not," he agreed. "I found a cable in the shed; is it all right to use?"

"Yeah, that was the one I was going to get you anyway. Have you tested it?"

"I have; it works fine."

"Okay, well I'll see you in the mor... tomorrow night."

"Have a good day."

"And you, I'll try not to disturb you."

"I doubt that you will, and as long as you close the top door, you would be able to come down to the cellar if you wanted to. I usually rest until mid-afternoon."

"I might pop down and say hi, then," Mary nodded, raising her mug of tea to him. "Night, and thanks."

"No, thank you."