The Healing Heart – Chapter 6
At 3:30 am on Wednesday morning Bill sat alone on the patio of Judith's home outside of Little Rock, Arkansas listening to music on her elaborate sound system. Judith was inside in her study working on the computer. The patio overlooked a large man-made pond about 150 yards further down a small slope in the back of her house. Geese were swimming and ducking their heads looking for food. The smell of recently mown grass, trees and flowers filled the air. A light breeze gently sighed as it blew through the tall trees that dotted the well manicured lawn. A wind chime nearby made a soft tinkly sound that was oddly comforting. The scene was charming and peaceful, but Bill paid it no attention; he was upset by the conversation he just had with Judith.
Last night he and Judith made a quick flight on an Anubis shuttle from Shreveport Regional to Little Rock shortly after sundown. It was just a short limo ride from the airport to her home. Judith's abode was a sprawling three bedroom, u-shaped, one story elegant brick home. In back of the house was an ornately paved patio with steps leading down to a large man-made pond. The house and grounds reminded Bill more of California than Arkansas.
The house had been built in the late 1940's by a wealthy recluse who believed that the planet was going to hell in a hand basket. He firmly believed the U.S. Would be bombed to smithereens by the Soviets before the end of the next decade, so he had constructed a large well fortified bomb shelter accessible only through a door hidden by a secret panel in a a basement wine cellar. After she and Doc purchased the house, Judith cleaned and refurbished the bomb shelter for use as a back up daytime resting place in case of emergencies. It was better appointed than most luxury hotel rooms.
The house stood in the center of a remote fifty acre estate off a private road about twenty five miles outside of Little Rock. The location was remote and one would have to be told how to find the place it it wasn't located on any local maps. There were no road signs and the driveway leading to the estate looked like any number of rough gravel roads used by hunters in the area. A tall electrified fence surrounded the entire estate and the impeccably maintained grounds were monitored with security cameras and motion detecting sensors. Judith and Doc had employed a security firm owned by local weres to the guard the grounds as well; she kept the contract going after Doc's death.
Judith and Doc bought the home soon after they moved into the ares. They spent about a year to remodel and refit the home with all the modern conveniences. Judith had an artist's eye, so the home was exquisitely decorated, but had a warm inviting lived in look.
A large foyer, living room and dining room made up the front leg of the house. Three large bedrooms, each with its own private bath, were located on one side. Judith's study, a large modern kitchen and a spacious family room with its own small bathroom were located on the other. The bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen and the family room all opened onto an enclosed center courtyard and back patio. The courtyard contained a heated swimming pool and a cabana.
A four car garage with a modern two bedroom apartment on top that served as servants quarters was at the end of the long driveway on the left side of the house. Judith employed a middle aged human couple as caretakers for the house and grounds; they lived above the garage. They both loved her and were totally loyal to her. They had been with her and Doc for almost twenty years, and had moved with them on several occasions.
The kitchen was put to good use. Doc loved to eat, and Judith loved to cook gourmet meals for him and their frequent human guests. Generally, vampires can not abide the odor of cooked food. For the sake of love, Judith deliberately de-sensitized her own keen vampire sense of smell to the aromas of cooking meat and vegetables. She wanted to cook meals that she knew Doc loved, but even she refused to use garlic when she cooked. She taped and watched all the best known chefs on television and frequently practiced their recipes.
Judith's home was unlike any vampire home that Bill had ever entered. It definitely did not seem like the home of a vampire. One wall of the hallway outside of the family room was studded with scores of photographs of Judith, Doc and their friends at home and at various functions throughout their thirty-five years together. In that respect Judith's house was just like the homes of millions of her fellow Americans.
Bill noted how unusual that was. Vampires can be photographed, but they usually did not like their picture taken. Before the Great Reveal, photographs offered visual proof that vamps didn't age. Therefore photographs were a threat to their very existence. Today, modern photographs only emphasized the pale white skin of a vampire against that of most humans. Most vampires refused to have their picture taken even today.
But the most unique feature of the home was a large refrigerator in the basement in which Judith stored human blood purchased in pint sized plastic units from her blood bank and hospital sources. Most of her own meals came from her private stash of blood. After heating a bag of blood in the microwave for a few seconds, the bag was palpated thoroughly to mix it up and the contents poured into a wine goblet. Since she didn't need much blood to survive, one pint would last for several feedings. The bags of human blood certainly didn't taste as good as fresh blood from a human vein or artery, but it was much better than the synthetic crap which tasted like sour rusty iron filings to her. She could barely tolerate True Blood or the other forms of synthetic blood unless she had no choice. Judith would drink from a willing human donor now and then, but she refused to use her glamour. She would not hang out in vampire bars or anywhere near fangbangers; they disgusted her.
Bill really liked the large master bedroom suite with his and hers bathrooms that were separated only by the large jacuzzi on a stepped up platform in the middle. The bathroom teemed with tropical plants of all sort. It was really beautiful. The bedroom had a large skylight over the king-sized bed. The two bathed in the jacuzzi immediately after arriving home then enjoyed an active, extremely satisfying lovemaking session.
Afterward, they lay for a time, holding each other close as they talked and watched the stars overhead. The night sky was crystal clear, and since the house was in a rural area, city lights did not impede their view of the cosmos. It was truly grand. While the two lovers chatted comfortably, Judith told Bill about the argument that she had overheard the night before between Eric and Sookie.
"I think there's trouble in that particular paradise, Bill. I don't think that relationship can last. I know Sookie still cares a lot for you; I can feel it strongly when she is around. I don't think it would take much to have her back in love with you. I think you should try again." She said softly.
"No, Judith. Sookie doesn't love me. She loves Eric. She told me so, and I believe her." Bill got up, walked over to the big windows that faced the back yard. He stood for a long time before he spoke as he looked out over the back yard.
He whispered hoarsely, "I explained how I bonded with her the night I saved her from the Rattrays. She almost died that night and I had to give her my blood to save her. The only other choices I had were to let her die or turn her, and I could not do either. That was only days after I met her. I very much would have liked her to bond with me too, but she always hated the intrusion of others in her mind. The blood bond is so much more intense and personal than telepathy. I couldn't trick or force her into the bond; I couldn't do that to her. "
He went on. "My bond with her was still strong when she formed her blood bond with Eric. I could feel his blood taking over. I could feel myself being pushed out of her heart little by little. I could feel her starting to care for him, day by day. I felt helpless; there was nothing I could do about it. That hurt worse than knowing she was sleeping with that bastard. I would rather meet my final death than have my heart crushed like that again! "
Judith didn't need to see Bill's face to know that he was struggling to contain his emotions. Both her empathic senses and her keen sense of smell were overwhelmed with the rawness of his grief and pain.
Bill explained further, "The night after Nyall and I rescued her, she asked to see me; she held my hand. I could feel her love through my bond with her once more. I thought we would reconcile. I thought... I thought... ! But but I was wrong; she went to Eric, instead. I could feel his blood in her even stronger than before. I could feel her turning more to him as he took her blood. Within days, she had taken so much of his blood, I feared that she was on the edge of turning. She adamantly told me she didn't want that, but I was worse than useless. I couldn't help her! " Bill's voice was raw and ragged. He could barely get the words out.
Bill continued. "Do you know what else, Judith. I will never believe that Eric truly loves her? I mean, how could he? If he did, he could not have ordered me to wait for him that night knowing she was in the hands of those two monsters?"
"What was he doing that night? Why didn't he search for her immediately?" Judith asked. Bill had never fully explained this to her.
"Eric has been pushing V for a long time. He has a small group of humans who work for him who do the actual dealing in the drug. He's been doing it since he worked for Sophie-Anne; they were in it together. Of course, the new king doesn't know anything about this. So Eric has been trying desperately to hide his illegal activities from Victor Madden and Felipe de Castro. I don't think either one of them would really care, but Eric keeps all the profits now that the queen is gone. He doesn't want to share the profits with anyone. He knows that Felipe would be well within in his rights to kill him for this."
"The night that Sookie was tortured, Eric found out from one of his spies that Victor was on his way to the bar. He had heard rumors about the V wanted to confront Eric. Eric always keeps extensive written and computer records of all of his businesses at the bar. He and Pam, spent the better part of that night in his office shredding documents and deleting computer files. He should have joined the search for Sookie the moment he found out she had been kidnapped, but he was too busy trying to cover his ass. To make it worse, he wanted to be the first one in to rescue her. He ordered me not to try and play the hero again and wait until he got there. I don't think he never truly believed that Sookie was in as much danger as she was. But they were torturing her, so Nyall and I didn't wait. We rescued Sookie by the time Eric got there. It didn't matter that his lover was safe; he was angry that I, a mere subordinate, disobeyed a direct order."
Judith was stunned beyond words. Most vampires instinctively hated V dealers and would kill any humans who sold their blood. To think that a vampire, especially one as important as the Sheriff of Area 5 was some kind of kingpin behind the V trad in the Shreveport area , was beyond shocking. Judith automatically hated him for that. She thought he should die for his crime.
"How can you let her stay with him then, Bill? She could get hurt in all this. Eric is dangerous. If the law, or de Castro or even the Magister finds out about the V, Eric may bring all of you down with him, including Sookie. Doesn't that bother you?" she queried.
"Yes, of course it does, but Sookie is not a child anymore, Judith. She's a grown woman. I can't tell her what to do with her life. I don't think she would even believe me if I told her about the V anyway. She seems capable of overlooking everything when it comes to to her lover, Eric. I won't pant after her anymore like some pathetic dog; it reminds me too much of Lorena. I am giving careful thought to leaving Bon Temps for good. I am tired of working for someone like Eric. I have tried to be a loyal subject, but am tired of the politics and the intrigue. I am tired of the violence that seems to always surround that viking. Most of all, I just don't want to see them together anymore. I just don't think I can stand it."
Judith got up and went over to Bill and embraced him. She could feel his chest heaving with emotion. Feelings of anger and hatred for Eric and Sookie flamed brightly in her breast.
"I hate them both for what they have done to you! I can understand that bastard, Eric, but how could Sookie do this to you; she loved you?" Judith was fierce in her condemnation.
"Don"t say that, please. I blame Eric, not Sookie. But I blame myself most of all."
"Why, Bill?"
"I should have said no to Sophie-Ann, or at the very least, I should have left and never came back. I never should have allowed myself to meet Sookie under those circumstances. She was so innocent. I was the first man she ever loved, she had no experience with a lover or even with a boyfriend. I took advantage of that. I knew she was attracted to me from the very beginning. I never had to use my influence or glamour on her. I was so different from the human men she knew, she couldn't help but be attracted to me. By the time I realized how much I loved her, I knew I would never turn her over to Sophie-Anne, but it was too late. I should have run from Sookie the minute she told me she liked being with me; I let her fall in love with me, when I should have let her be. I can never forgive myself for that!"
"But I stayed and I introduced Sookie to Eric and our vampire world. It has brought only pain, death, violence and sorrow to her and her loved ones. I should have let Lorena kill me before I answered her call. I can only thank God for the strength he gave me not to divulge Sookie's to that bitch when she tortured me. Only God knows how I managed to hold out. Sookie rescued me and she killed Lorena to save me; can you imagine that?" Bill shuddered at the thought of that monster hurting Sookie. "But I betrayed her. I can't blame her for turning to Eric."
Judith got up and embraced Bill from behind. She felt so much pity and compassion for this man she loved. She understood his pain and grief. She felt much the same when Doc died. "It will work out somehow. You'll see." she softly murmured to him.
Bill turned and hugged her back tightly and then walked out the french doors and sat down on the patio. Judith went into her study to work. She wanted to catch up on some phone calls and emails from friends and clients. She also she wanted to complete plans for a small gathering she planned to host at her home this coming weekend to introduce Bill to her friends.
Afterward, Judith stayed in the study until almost dawn contemplating Bill's situation. She knew Bill was mistaken about Sookie's feelings for him. Sookie loves Bill as much as he loves her, even if she doesn't know it herself.
Both Bill and Judith knew that as much as they loved each other; they were not in love; they were only good and close friends. As much as they enjoyed being with each other, this thing between them was only temporary, and they would separate. Because of their nature, vamps just can't stay with each other for too long without ending up battling for dominance or hating each other. Neither of them wanted that to happen. Shortly after their reunion, they both resolved to make the most of whatever time they had together, but willing go their separate ways long before they started getting on each others nerves.
Judith did not want Bill to be unhappy. She did not want him to be alone. Most of all, she wanted him to find love again. The kind of love she had with Doc.
I can't let Bill make a mistake and move away from Bon Temps. There has to be away to get Bill and Sookie back together again. There just has to be! she thought.